Spoiler Space
The Rack's Ubiquitous, Critical, Kick-Ass, Somewhat Anal & Useless Review "Uv" the Simpsons (TRUCKASAURUS) Episode CABF22 "The Parent Rap"
LOLs(9): --Frink: "Look out! Because of the zooming!" --Ned hula-ing out of his pants --Sniffy looks worried they might crash the police car --Homer: "Your honor, if I may sing a little of 'Don't Fear The Reaper', I think you'll agree that..." --Moe stealing Homer's $600 Italian pants --Marge: "She's such a butt hole." --"Worst parents ever!" [spank spank] --Nelson: "Haw haw!" [whip] --Moleman: Please drive off me! [stands up and walks away]
Mildly funny (The "chuckles")(15):
--Teleprompter: You have the right to remain silent
(punch in belly)
--Guy trying to sell promising athletes a trophy
--Kirk: "Don't send my son to joovie. He's just weak; morally,
and in the upper body."
--Homer: (angry) "What did she say about cupcakes?"
--Clinton: "Ungh. Ungh. Dang magazines."
--"AAAIGH! Cobras!"
--Homer: "I'm with you, son! Eh..." (collapses)
--Homer: [looking for pity] "I hit my head, Moe..."
--Homer's valiant effort to dry the dish with two towels
--Homer tries to dry the pieces
--"Shh. You'll wake up Flanders!"
--Two longshoremen found love
--There's only one way to describe a nasty, super witch like
her "BI.... G MEANIE"
--"Oh Lord... guide this cinder block..."
--Judge Harm: "He reminds me of me, when I was a little boy."Satirical Content: --Judge Snyder's penchant for going pretty easy on juveniles because of their appearance was a little to un-focused to be great satire. The contrast of his style vs. Judge Harm's could have provided real room for commentary, but the plot just carried on as a story and didn't really offer sharp commentary.
Creativity: --Marge and Homer both as thieves... Marge doesn't often participate in any of Homer's schemes
Cleverness: --"I'll medicate you!" [gulp] "...honey!" --Fiberoptic tether wire with judge's face. Weird, but creative
First laugh (0:42): --Frink: "Look out! Because of the zooming!"
Laughed hardest at: --Marge: "She's such a butt hole." [Ned's hula was a close 2nd]
Un-funny jokes(4): --"It's just saltines and fig paste..." " Ew... saltines..." (recycled crab juice joke) --Homer: "Pump your thighs! (threatening) Pump them!" --Homer: (bloody) "...come on... hug me." --Close-up of Homer's butt getting whipped by Bart
Unnecessary Exposition(1): --Bart: "Check it out! Wiggum's cruiser!" (We saw Wiggum in the window. Thanks for putting 2 & 2 together for us, Bart)
Snake saying "Did she just say she used to be a dude?" comes close to being unnecessary exposition (we heard the judge say it herself), but it's not. This is a joke about Snake following (or not) the courtroom proceedings.
Painful Reminders (continuity)(0): There were some past episode references, but nothing too blatant.
Predictability: --When Marge says no tether in the world would convince her she's a bad parent, the judge would give her a worse punishment. --"I ask that you punish me" would end in "Okay, I will"
Wackiness: The eye-covering dog, and human like seal were pretty strange.
Huh?: --Car was in neutral... rolled out backwards, rolling forwards on the street --anthropomorphic dog covers its eyes --Why get back at the judge? They got out of the shackles, so why try to exact some revenge?
Story Rating: (B-)
Comments:
George Meyer + The Simpsons = always funny. My favorite episode was penned by Mr. Meyer, as well as my second favorite (Homer the Heretic, Blood Feud). At first blush, there were quite a few laughs, but it seems like they were all slapstick and one-liners. An episode like this proves there is still good slapstick, and ways to write funny lines... but there wasn't much satire despite a huge opportunity to say something about our juvenile justice system. The conflict was interesting, and the plot was resolved. This is probably the best Mike Scully could do with the current formula of simple plot plus one-liners plus slapstick equals episode. (B-)
The couch gag was creative, and self-referential. It was nice to see Bart and Homer actually getting along in Act II, and not the constant bickering we might have predicted. The scene where Bart and Homer trade slaps started to get pretty old, and it ended in the only way a poorly written scene could-- with poor slapstick (Bart whipping Homer's butt). This episode ended quite nicely. It wasn't a contrivance to stop Judge Harm in mid-sentence, since Judge Snyder leaving in mid-sentence for vacation actually set up the ending.
--Bill & Marty:
I'm glad they finally cleared up the seeming confusion over Bill and Marty's identities. I've not been confused; Shearer's character has always been Marty (the red-head), and Castellaneta's Bill (the bald one). Proof? In [9F07] when Homer's driving home in the snow, Bill (Castellaneta) says "you're dead weight, Marty". I know these guys have been confused by fans before; but Bill saying (on-screen) "You know what else is nice, Marty?" should set everyone straight on their identities.
--Cora's selective hearing
Hears: "Refill this with jelly, will ya?"
Doesn't Hear: "...heard of the donut that burns calories?"
"Thanks. You're an angel."
"Somebody's stealing my car!"--Hemingway (a crack at the fans?)
The line "if I wanted a cock and bull story, I'd read Hemingway" seemed like a gratuitous bone thrown in there to appease the more educated fans. The clue? Homer and Bart taking an appropriate pause, then they both shrug. I thought the message was that the general audience doesn't understand or care about such references. The writers are probably right. This wasn't the case in past years, when literary references weren't as gratuitous.
--Ian Maxtone-Graham?
Was that Maxtone-Graham in the courtroom? (The red-headed gentleman with glasses and chums sitting behind the Simpsons)
Prediction: We'll continue to laugh at this episode, but
for how long? After a few viewings, the one
liners will lose their punch, and we'll be
left with a bare bones plot. This is a
cotton candy episode with little staying
power, but it will be fun while it lasts.DYN...
...the hobo getting a trophy was Chester Lampwick
from [3F17]?
...Judge Snyder's first name appears to be Roy?
...Judge Harm is familiar with the KBBL Penguin Party Patrol
prize? ($40)
...The Simpsons now have a curbside mailbox, eschewing
their mail slot?
...Homer does still have a job?
...Johnny Cochran look-alike in trial? [2nd court appearance]
...the flashlight remains lit, even after breaking in half?
(I wrote this before someone else had posted that... so
credit should go to the other person...)
...Springfield Shopper has a website URL?
...Moe either didn't take Homer's pants, or Homer has another
pair of $600 Italian pants?Previous episode refs:
[2F09] Homer: (quietly) "Sh-h-hut u-u-up!" [3F09] A mildly insulting banner used as revenge [3F17] Chester J. Lampwick appears [5F03] Homer offers to hug Bart, who refuses [AABF17, AABF22] Homer is a size four [AABF21] Pastry pumped full of filling [BABF09] Abbreviating 70's rock group names "I'm familiar with B.O.C." (B.T.O. and their hit T.C.B.) [CABF14] Possibility of Milhouse going to "joovie"
Movies (and other) references:
~ Princess Bride, The (movie) Homer's "Oh Lord, guide this cinder block" similar to Inigo Montoya's "Lord, guide my sword".
+ Judge Judy (TV show) Constance Harm looks a whole lot like Judge Judy, and acts quite a bit like her as well
+ U.S. Constitution Homer: "This punishment is so cruel..." Marge: "...and unusual."
Goofs:
When Homer's freeing Marge, his arms go all the way to the armpits through the hand holes. They could have washed the dishes much easier with full use of their arms.
-Chad Lehman
"You crazy car. I don't know whether to eat you, or kiss you."
--John Truckasaurus