REVIEW: She of Little Faith (DABF02)

Synopsis from SNPP.com

      December 16 . She of Little Faith (DABF02)
      Richard Gere guest voices as himself as Lisa, disenchanted with the
"new look" First Church of Springfield (after it turns to Mr. Burns for
money-making ideas, which include advertising during the sermons), converts
to Buddhism

from TVGUIDE.com

Simpsons She of Little Faith 30 min. Richard Gere guest stars in a Christmas episode that spawns a crisis of religious conscience in Lisa. The trouble starts when congregants of the First Church of Springfield, faced with a sudden need for funds, turn for help to Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer), who turns the church into a business ("The old church was skewing pious," says his advisor). Enter podium-placed advertising and in-sermon commercials; and exit an outraged Lisa. Her disenchantment leads her to the Springfield Buddhist Temple and to Gere, who introduces her to teachings she finds easy to embrace. All of which has Rev. Lovejoy (also Shearer) wondering what to do about "Marge Simpson's devil daughter."

Did not think about it at the time: But my girlfriend pointed out to me that maybe it was in poor taste to show the rocket (flying object) flying into the church, causing it to set ablaze in the post 9/11/01 world.

DYN: in the first scene of the show the spaceship did not have "yaw control". Man has technology come a long way or what?!? Did Milhouse look strangely similar to Akbar or Jeff when he lost his glasses and eyebrows?

Goofs: This may be picky, but for the rocket that the Flanderses to have launched to have landed in the box, they would have had to have aimed it slightly easternly so that it would land where it went up. Maybe they did it, but I am not sure.

Review: By the standard of the last few seasons (probably season 10 onward), I would say that this was a pretty good episode. The only complaint I have is that this episode is kinda exemplary of how the last few seasons have been. Lots of things happen over the course of the show but the core of the episode is only what amounts to a little over an act. If someone asked me what was this episode about, I would say it is about Lisa becoming a Buddhist, but in effect that only lasted a little over 1/3 of the episode. I have to think that this episode had to remind some people of "Lisa the Vegetarian (3F03)", and I bring this up because in that episode her decision to become a vegetarian was made in the first act and we got to see her dealing with it and finally reach an understanding with Homer. Here, the main part of the buildup was in her motivation to become a Buddhist and her "reconciliation" if you can call it that, is motivated by what seemed like her desire for per pony over her desire for re-acceptance by her mother (kinda ironic that a Buddhist would be materialistic). Well, I am still going to say that I think that this is one of the better episodes and I actually laughed out loud for the first time this season, so I will have to say it is a good episode. Just not a great one. Grade: B+

Uhm...okay, first of all I am as patriotic as the next person, but I've been sickened by this over-sensitive, hyperpatriotic shit for quite some time now. Just take a peek at some of the outrageous but true incidents occurring that rotten.com is linking to and you will see what I mean. Nearly arrested for buying stamps without the flag on them?? Arrested and thrown off a plane for carrying a book??? These kinds of things really need to be stopped --- Usama Bin Ladin isn't laughing at us because he killed over 3,000 of our citizens --- he's laughing at us because we're a bunch of paranoid dumbasses bumping into each other acting like Springfield residents in their bi-seasonal looting of their own town because of some crazy incident or cause.

Secondly, they do these episodes, including animation, MONTHS in advance, and Homer shooting the rocket into the church was the pivotal part of the episode . . . without that being shown, they couldn't have done the rest of the episode.

That's not really a goof...

First, I am well aware that this episode was made well before 9/11, but I hardly think that the rocket shooting into the church was critical for the rest of the episode. In other words, all they needed was for the church to be destroyed--it didn't matter AT ALL how it was destroyed--so that it could become materialistic, Lisa could become disillusioned, etc., etc. In fact, in some ways I think it would have been better had they not wasted an entire act with the rocket stuff, but instead had gotten there quicker, so more time could have been spent on what the episode was supposedly supposed to be about (i.e. Lisa & Buddhism).

Secondly, there is a HUGE difference between people getting upset b/c someone buys stamps without American flags on them and showing a scene that was very similar to the ones that were shown over and over again on the news of the planes flying into the WTC. The imagery in both scenes was very similar. It's not about being paranoid or even patriotic. It's about not being incredibly tacky and not (potentially) making light of what was a very serious event.

"Alex Cain" wrote in message news:[email]...

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They needed to rebuild the church. Mr. Burns comes in. The church becomes a company, advertising space.

That all happened because the church was damaged due to the rocket.

Yes, it did.

They have to fill out the episode with a certain amount of time, and the rocket stuff did that. Besides, much of it was pretty good. Also not *everything* is going to be funny or appeal to persons in a single episode.

Okay, whatever.

No, there's not. Not in this case. Go check out the story link on rotten.com

Yes, it is.

Whatever.

well thought out response. Whatever Whatever Whatever... You dont really say WHY the church needed to be destroyed in that manner. That was the big point of discussion here. I am not bashing the writers for needed a plot idea. Back at my original statement, I said "maybe it was in poor taste to show the rocket (flying object) flying into the church, causing it to set ablaze in the post 9/11/01 world." Not anything else. That is all I am trying to say.

Stephen

"Alex Cain" wrote in message news:[email]...

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I have found that those who are set in their opinions will not change them. You appear to be one of these types of people, so why should I bother to attempt to sway you when this will not happen?

Because it's funny. You would rather have a bunch of KKK members show up and throw Molotov cocktails into it?? Have extremists bomb it? Etc etc etc?

I understand this. I also understand that it was not in poor taste. Anyone who got offended by that . . . let's just say the least of their worries is being offended by a Simpsons episode.

Political correctness can only go so far until it starts being political ludicrousness. Always remember that.

hmmmm lets see one thing here...

First you say

and then you say

Well, it seems as though you are pretty set in your opinions yourself in that you cannot even fathom how someone could possibly be offended by the thought of what I have described. You know, people are making a big deal about Tom Cruise's new movie because in one scene there is a clear view of the WTC. Dont you think that shows that there are still a lot of sensitive issues concerning even the slightest thought about this? (flying object hitting building). Also, re-read my quote again... "maybe it was in poor taste to show the rocket (flying object) flying into the church, causing it to set ablaze in the post 9/11/01 world" I did not say I was offended by it, but you know people died by this very act.

Lets put this in perspective one more time for you...

Say the simpsons were around in 1942 a couple months after Pearl Harbor. Say the sea captain (McAllister I think) lost his boat (say it was sank) due to a radio controlled airplane that ran into his boat, not unlike the kamizes of the time back then. Yes this is a HUGE stretch, but do you think that some people could be offended by that? Maybe it was funny as hell, but that does not mean that maybe, just maybe some people would be offended by it??

Okay sure.

Are you sure?

Good.

No, you misunderstand me --- I can understand how you could "possibly be offended" by that particular scene. I simply *don't* *care.* It's a CARTOON. Get over it.

Yes, and those people are exactly what I was referring to.

Yes, I do, but unless in Tom's movie they show bodies falling out of windows or planes crashing into the towers I really don't give a shit if you see the WTC in it.

In "King Of The Hill" tonight, Cotton used a nail gun on a limosuine. One of those nails hit and broke a window. The others impaled themselves into the side of the limosuine. MY GOD, A FLYING OBJECT HIT THE LIMOSUINE. We should get together and sue.

The "post 9/11/01 world" is a fucked-up one indeed.

You implied it.

Yes, and I mourn same as you do. Do not even begin to attempt that I do not or I shall summon the demons of Ixpah to smite you like the last six who did.

Sure thing!

(snip)

No. IT IS A CARTOON. In 1942 The Simpsons did not exist.

well, since it is obvious that we have a difference in opinion we can just leave it at that. You arent going to bring me over to your side and vice versa. This is a lost cause on both ends. I will say that I see how it is time for us to move on, but I still hold to my belief that maybe that time has not come for many people.

"Alex Cain" wrote in message news:[email]...

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If you so desire.

Come to the Dark Side . . . I am your father . . .

well maybe not.

So send out a search party?

Okie Dokie then!

Get off your 9/11 platform. Whether you like it or not the whole country was desensitized before the events and are going to be afterward. Its human nature and if I want to find a rocket blowing up a church funny, it is my right. God Bless America

Don't we now have a Simpsons episode that is "banned" for syndication because of oversensitive-types?

Isn't rotten.com the page with pictures of Chris Farley's corpse? I think I'll pass on checking out your article...

"We should be conscious of the superiority of our civilization, which consists of a value system that has given people widespread prosperity in those countries that embrace it, and guarantees respect for human rights and religion." - Silvio Berlusconi

No, we don't.

Kevin

I really have to question the mentality of the people who make a big deal from the mere *sight* of the World Trade Center. These people have to understand that these towers existed at one point in time and that we shouldn't just erase it from our memories because it is a bit uncomfortable. ________________________________________________________________

If love of money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?

Remove "bination" to reply.

It would have taken a long-ass time to shoot a different destruction of the church. This episode wasn't written, acted, and shot after 9/11. ________________________________________________________________

If love of money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?

Remove "bination" to reply.

i never never thought of the plane flying into the wtc when i watched that episode. for one, it was a model rocket, it was piloted by a hamster, and there was no intention of trying to destroy the church.

Anyone notice Smithers sitting with another man at the niteclub? Maybe he met someone on the island when he went on vacation.

shutup ass clown

"Bucky Jones" wrote in message news:[email]...

Poignant and intelligent! You'll love it here! :-b

-Anthony Regina

i just had to stoop down to the intelligence level of someone complaining of the sensititivity level of the FUCKING SIMPSONS. anyway maybe right and we should all just happily watch the happy little elves

Well he did mention that his girlfriend thought it was in bad taste, see what happens when your whipped ;~) just whip it! whoosh!!! "Bucky Jones" wrote in message news:[email]...

of

"Bucky Jones" wrote in message news:[email]...

of

Look, lady, we've SEEN the Crappy Little Elves a million times already! Can't we watch regular TV???

Dr Music P.S. Parking was ample.

They shouldn't have shown a rocket blowing up at all, not while the memory of the 1986 space shuttle explosion is so fresh in everyone's minds.

Stephen wrote:

I agree. Actually that's where I thought they were going with it at first. I was expecting the rocket to blow up into two pieces and stream off at any moment.

Kevin

Frank LaRosa wrote:

WORST SARCASM EVER! :)

They shouldn't have shown a church being blown up at all, because the fundies will be offended. Maybe they shouldn't have shown ANY building being blown up because the architect would have been sad. ________________________________________________________________

If love of money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?

Remove "bination" to reply.

"Stephen" wrote in message news:4_cT7.187970$[email]...

to

could

It wasn't destroyed, just damaged. It's not like it collapsed, like the you-know-what.

In Springfield, are all the Buddhists there non-Asian converts or what?

Elson wrote:

Well, there's only 4 of them.

On Sun, 16 Dec 2001, Stephen stated this considered view. Waking from my doze, I hastily scrawled -

Given the time episodes take to produce, might this not have been made before 11th Sept?

Oh, big freaking deal.  Does anyone care what this man thinks?
________________________________________________________________

If love of money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it so badly?

Remove "bination" to reply.

You're trying too hard. Model rockets only go up a few hundred feet, and the flight time of the flanders' rocket was only a few seconds, so the rotation of the earth would have little effect (especially considering that the rocket never left the atmosphere and that both the rocket and the atmosphere would already be rotating with the earth), and something like wind or the precise aerodynamic properties of the rocket would be a much greater factor. I know when I launch model rockets that they often land 100 ft away or so, depending on the wind. If there was an easterly wind, the flanders' would've had to aim west.

sorry... I had a test in classical mechanics on Friday and I may still have it on my mind... :-) Yeah with wind and all it probably is negligible...

Stephen

"Zan Hecht" wrote in message news:SqfT7.8236$[email]...

did

that

100

Plus, it had yaw control :)

Stephen wrote:

<<SNIP>>

Just have to say: I won't say whether it was insensitive or not, but it was damn funny, and if you people want to live in your protective little world, then go do it. I like my Simpsons shows to be funny, and that scene was friggin' hilarious. I don't see the connection myself, other than it was flying and it *accidentally* hit the church.

Yep.

Who's to say they didn't? We didn't see the launch.

<<SNIP SNIPPITY>>

Just want to make this the longest thread I have ever seen by adding this message. On the topic, what's the longest thread YOU'VE ever seen?

longest threads I have seen has to be on any of the religious or political NewsGroups I have seen wars go on for days and the threads being updated every 5min. "Amir" wrote in message news:[email]...

waaahny wrote:

    Yeah. Go check out alt.atheism for some LONG freakin' threads.
    -megafrim

Stephen wrote:

    You'd have to be LOOKING to be offended to get offended at the church
explosion in this ep.  I live in NY State, about an hour's drive from the city.
I personally know people who lost loved ones in 9/11, my niece's husband is a
NYC fireman (still alive), and I am painfully aware of NYC's hideously altered
skyline every time I drive across the Verazzano Bridge. And I saw NOTHING in
this Simpsons episode to remind me of the tragedy. Didn't even consider the
possibility until YOU brought it up.  Or, rather,  your girlfriend.  My advice
to you: DUMP HER NOW!
    -megafrim

LOL, gimmie a break.