(long) A review of "There's Something About Marrying (GABF04)"

[The long of it]

Well, the secret is out now. Patty Bouvier, Marge's sister, is a lesbian.

What? Not surprised? That's okay; aside from Marge, no one else appears to be, either. Even Homer has noticed it. After Patty outs herself to Marge, he facetiously says, "I have another bomb for you, Marge -- I like beer!"

Luckily for everyone involved, "There's Something About Marrying" doesn't depend much on the element of surprise. It's a good episode that gets most of its laughs from a mixture of political and self- referential humor.

Springfield embraces gay marriage not from a progressive spirit, but a pragmatic one: After Bart inadvertently kills the town's tourism industry, the city needs a way to attract visitors. Lisa (of course) is the one to suggest permitting gay couples to come to town and wed. Almost everyone immediately likes the idea, because each couple that gets hitched pumps $200 into the city's economy. Homer is quick to capitalize on the action. After getting ordained by the "ePiscopal" church in a funny scene, he sets up a chapel in his garage. I liked his marketing efforts, which include flyers that say, "Gay Weddings! Now that I've got your attention, I will perform your gay wedding!"

Gay marriage is an, um, controversial issue, and this episode acknowledges it without getting heavy-handed. Even the anti-marriage side gets a say. There's one scene where Rev. Lovejoy and Homer square off against one another on the Kent Brockman's "Smartline" show. Brockman wonders what stops Homer from marrying any two random entities. "Well," says Homer, thinking, "they both have to exist ... or do they?" It's funny, but it also makes you wonder. At what point does a marriage become so casually constructed that marriage ceases to have any meaning at all?

But the show doesn't bog down in these weighty matters, and there's plenty of non-political humor as well. In the opening sequence, Bart and Milhouse play tricks on a na�ve visitor trying to get a feel for Springfield's local color. The oddly earnest way the man expressed his disappointment was great. After getting his finger snapped by a trick pack of gum, he yells, "Ow! Finger pain! And I was hoping to come away with gum!" The man turns out to be a travel reporter for a morning-TV news show, and his bad review of Springfield causes people to stay away in droves. It's one of those openings that segues between two largely unrelated subjects, but this one is paced just right -- slow enough to let us appreciate the humor, and quickly enough so it doesn't take up too much of the first act.

I also liked the crucial scenes where Patty admits her sexuality to Marge. A flashback sequence where Marge goes over the signs she missed is both cute and funny, as is Marge's comment that Patty found "love in her own locker room."

The most surprising thing about "There's Something About Marrying" is the abundance of self-referential humor, perhaps the most since "Behind the Laughter (BABF19)." That might have seemed excessive, but the writers avoided that by finding new angles on the subject. At one point, Homer holds up a map of his neighborhood, with several of the houses labeled. The camera lingers on the map for longer than usual, until Homer finally says, "Have you read them all? Good." It's a clever comment on the shows penchant for freeze-frame sight gags.

Usually, the episode suffers when the audience knows major plot points in advance. Not so with tonight's much-touted show. The "surprise" might have been a gimmie, but the episode lives up to the hype. Which, now that I think of it, might be the most surprising thing of all.

[The short of it]

Marge's sister is a lesbian. Surprise! Well, maybe not, but this is a show that gets more laughs from political and self-referential humor than from shock value. The setup, which has the town legalizing gay marriage for practical economic reasons, is plausible. Even the anti- gay-marriage side gets some consideration in a funny scene at "Smartline." The opening scenes and the flashback to Marge and Patty's childhood were good for some less-political laughs, and I liked the abundance of self-referential humor. This is one episode that lives up to its pre-broadcast hype, which might be the most unexpected thing of all. (A)

[DYNs]

...	this is the first time (that I can think of) that Fox aired a
	"serious" disclaimer before the show?  [See "Personal Comments &
	Observations" for more]
...	the hockey couch gag comes on the same day the NHL season was
	scrubbed?
...	the "stained glass" windows were just taped up to the inside of
	the garage?
...	Patty makes good on her "next time it'll be your eye" threat?
...	at the wedding, Jub-jub rests on Selma's shoulders (or she
	finally made a stole out of him)?

[References]

"There's Something About Mary" (movie) - episode title a spoof

"Road Runner" (series of cartoons) - setup and music for the "beer/watermelon" prank similar - also, Barney mentions Road Runner after successfully evading the trap

"I didn't just fall off the turnip truck" (figure of speech)
-	this saying means, "I'm not na�ve or gullible."  When the
	credible Howell Huser makes his entrance, he literally falls off
	a truck hauling turnips

"Creature from the Black Lagoon" (movie) - the monster attacking Huser looks similar

Doublemint (brand of gum) - the prank gum is called, "Troublemint"

"Winnie the Pooh" (book) - Homer's map of stars' homes includes Pooh's "hunny tree"

"Virginia is for Lovers" (tourism slogan) - according to the Web address Quimby gave, Springfield is for gay marriage lovers

gay marriage states
-	once the city legalizes gay matrimony, hordes of gay people
	descend on the town to get hitched; pretty much the same thing
	happened to the first few places to legalize same-sex marriage
	in real life

the Episcopal Church - Homer gets his divinity license from the ePiscopal Church

"mad cow" disease
-	Krusty says he uses the non-diseased parts of diseased cows; in
	the US, it's permissible to use ill "downer cows" for food which
	some believe could lead to the introduction of mad cow into the
	food supply

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen (actresses) - two sisters who insist they are not identical twins, although they sure do resemble each other

Twisted Sister (rock band) - Patty calls Selma her "twisted sister"

[Previous Episode References]

[BABF14] Barney's AA training [2F11] "Que sera, sera" heard [8F20] Selma's marriage to Bob Terwilliger [3F15] Selma's marriage to Troy McClure [5F04] Selma mentions being briefly married to Lionel Hutz [9F11] Selma and Jub-jub

[FFF]

Misleading gum:

    < TROUBLEMINT >
      CHEWING GUM

Homer's map of Springfield:

Lenny Carl

       That        Isabella            Scary
       Dude        Rosellini            Rock
      I Hate                   Hunny
                               Tree

     Red Car
      Guy                    Good -> X
                             Place for
                             a Denny's

Mayor Quimby's website:

    www.springfieldisforgay
     loversofmarriage.com

Welcoming banner:

     SPRINGFIELD    <- rainbow-colored lettering
    WELCOMING GAYS
      SINCE 2005

Homer's protest sign:

     DEATH
     BEFORE
      GAY
    MARRIAGE

Homer's internet church:

     +---+
     | | |
    -|-+-|--- Welcome - [bells] ----
     | | |
     \ | /      to the
      \ /      ePISCOPAL
       V        CHURCH

     [praying]            [praying]
    -[ hands ] -----------[ hands ]-

       INTERNET
       DIVINITY
        SCHOOL

         +-------+
    NAME |       |
         +-------+

Homer's church sign:

     LI'L
    CHAPEL

Homer's telephone pole ad:

             GAY
           WEDDINGS

    Now that I've got your
          attention,
     I will perform your
         Gay Weddings

        Homer Simpson
    742 Evergreen Terrace
         Knock loud,
    I'm sleeping in back

Homer's "anything goes" sign:

     THE CHURCH OF MATRI-MONEY
      WILL NOW MARRY ANYTHING
        TO ANYTHING ELSE --
    DIAPER FEE FOR CHIMP BRIDES

[Oops!]

= Homer strips the ePiscopal collar out of the sheet of paper without cutting it, as if it had been pre-perforated.

[Personal Comments & Observations]

Homer holds up his map of stars' home for an unusually long time, and then asks his family (and the audience), "Did you have enough time to read that?" This refers to the way freeze-frame jokes flash by too quickly for people to read, without resorting to the "pause" button on the VCR or TiVo.

Homer wonders if Lenny and Carl are prospects for gay marriage, but Marge says the two "have to work that out for themselves." The exchange reminds me of the debate over whether Lenny and Carl are just good friends, or a gay couple in the making.

Homer isn't surprised that Patty is gay. Neither were most of the people watching the show.

Before Patty brings Vanessa to dinner, Lisa wonders why the family is dressed as "Sunday Best Simpsons." This sounds like it would be the label for the family in their dressy clothes.

At the end of the abortive wedding, Lisa remarks, "That's the end of Dad's gay-wedding business." Bart immediately asks, "Why?" Why? Because things have to be back to normal by the next show, that's why.

"The Twist" (whether it's Chuck Berry's version or not) plays when Howell is attacked by the mutant fish-man.

During the flashback to Marge's childhood, we hear "Que Sera, Sera" from "The Sound of Music."

Immediately before this episode aired in the United States, Fox broadcast a disclaimer saying, "This episode contains discussions of gay marriage. Parental discretion is advised." It's the first time that I can recall that the network saw fit to warn viewers about content on the show. (I'm not counting the joke-y disclaimers Marge made before the first few "Treehouse of Horror" episodes.) I guess the network just thought the topic was too much of a hot potato.

By way of comparison, here's a list of topics that Fox felt *didn't* warrant any warnings:

1)  Marge seriously tempted by an adulterous affair
2)  Gay secretary has a crush on Homer
3)  Clip show ends with nearly half a minute of nudity
4)  Homer seriously tempted by an adulterous affair
5)  Local tyrant prepares to execute two grade-schoolers in his
    basement
6)  It's implied a formerly famous actor has a bestiality fetish
7)  Homer suspects his son is a homosexual
8)  Homer and Marge discover they get really turned on by the prospect
    of public intercourse
9)  Homer sexually assaulted by a panda

... and so on. I'm not complaining; I just thought it amusing that all of the above were a-okay, but two gays marrying was crossing the decency line.

Massachusetts is the first state to pass a law legalizing gay marriage (as opposed to civil union), and quickly became a lightning rod in the debate over this issue. Vermont and California are two other liberal- leaning gay-friendly states. I don't think California has a law granting legal affirmation to gay married couples, but that didn't stop the mayor of San Francisco from proclaiming that gay marriage was legal in his city.

Canada, I think, is mulling over this issue, but I don't know what their decision (if they have one yet) is.

Texas, on the other hand, is a staunchly conservative state with a traditional view of what a marriage should be. If they haven't already specifically banned gay marriage by now, they might as well have.

David Cassidy: Teen heartthrob singer from the 70s. Cassidy appeared on "The Partridge Family," a TV series about a family of pop singers, and had a successful solo music career. For a while, at least.

Miss [Jane] Hathaway: Not a real person, but a character on "The Beverly Hillbillies." She was the under-appreciated, efficient secretary for tightwad banker Mr. Drysdale. Popular opinion seems to be that she's a lesbian, despite the fact that she spent, oh, eleven years pining away for Jethro Bodine.

I thought it was more that she was a lesbian. You're right, she clearly wanted Jethro on the show, and that countered the fact that the character was older and somewhat stiff.

Your comment made me think "but wasn't it common knowledge that Nancy Kulp was a lesbian?" but I wasn't sure. Checking tvtome, she revealed to an author in 1989 that she was a lesbian, but that didn't come out until she died in 1991.

So either it's a case of people mistaking her for a lesbian because of the way she looked on the show, or there were rumors that she was a lesbian that people mistook for the character. Or, this has just come about since she died and the news was out in the open.

It makes a better joke on the show, somehow, that it was a poster of "Miss Hathaway" rather than of Nancy Kulp.

Michael

[snip]

FWIW i think it's Virginia not Texas that has the harshest anti-gay laws in the USA

laws in

i wouldn't be surprised, despite the fact that the commonwealth is about 55-45% republican, the legislature is something like 65-70% republican. that said, we don't have an anti-gay marriage amendment yet.

I believe that only one state in the US allows gay marriage, while three others do not have it defined. Of the remaining states, they either ban it by constitution or by statute, although a minority of states (four, I believe) allow for gay marriage benefits that stop short of marriage (in some cases, short of civil union).

[email] (Benjamin Robinson) wrote in news:[email]:

I don't remember a song here specifically, but "Que Sera Sera" isn't from _The Sound of Music_. It was in Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 re-make Of his 1934 film _The Man Who Knew Too Much_. Doris Day sang it.

-ENH

You know, I've never watched "Sound of Music" from start to end (I think partly because I know there'll always be another chance), though one time when I was in Vermont Maria Von Trapp was pointed out to me. So while the reference sounded not right, I wasn't sure.

Doris Day used the song as the opener for her tv series "Please Don't Eat the Daisies". And I'm sure I saw something else, not that Hitchcock movie, where she sang the song too, though maybe it was someone else singing the same song.

Michael

Que Sera, Sera, is from "The Doris Day Show", which was on after "Please Don't Eat the Daisies".

Aaron Space Museum

re-make

He's right, it won the Oscar for best song that year.

Not sure what made me think it was "Calamity Jane".....

"Benjamin Robinson" wrote in message news:[email]...

I think you actually mean Chubby Checker there....

Or indeed "Calamity Jane"

was

And very quickly having to backtrack on his decision.

to

The actress, Nancy Kulp, was certainly a well-known lesbian and came out in (I think) the early 1980s. Agnes Moorhead from 'Bewitched' was another, not that it matters.

Barbara Stanwyck

Benjamin Robinson wrote:

Two things: her name is Veronica and Sunday Best Simpsons are the names for the World of Springfield church clothes action figures of OFF, so yeah, that is an actual label used.

In seven provinces and one territory, the banishment of same-sex marriage (or statutes claiming marriage to be opposite-sex only) was deemed unconstitutional, so gay marriage in these jurisdictions is legal on an interim basis. The remaining jurisdictions, minus Alberta, which is opposed to any form of same-sex marriage (although it has recently softened its stance), would legalize same-sex marriage if there is federal legislation.

It's the responsibility of the federal government in Canada to define marriage, while it is up to the provinces to deal with solemizing marriages, so if federal legislation would pass, then there is little that Alberta could do against it (not even the notwithstanding clause can be used, as the courts would rule that the province is acting outside its own power). If the bill goes to a vote, many predict that it would pass by a very small margin (with the Liberals split, the Conservatives opposed, and the Bloc/NDP for).

Also note that same-sex common-law marriage has been legal across Canada since 1999, and many benefits of marriage already extend to same-sex couples in Canada.

Cultural Reference:

The Howell Huser's show is a parody of Huel Howser's (I'm probably spelling it wrong) California's Gold PBS show on southern California's KCET ch. 28. he goes around to local places & tries to show the "local color." I hate the show but my parents are starting to like it. It's really slow paced & shows things you usually are bored with to things you really rather wouldn't watch. Not that long ago my dad was watching an episode where they were showing how manure was made. One time they came to the ice rink where I figure skate & they showed the history of the Zamboni & how it worked.

The voice was exaggerated to sound more like a hick, but it was still pretty close. the character looked like him too.

sometimes I really wonder how out of southern California people get jokes like this on cartoons....