[The long of it]
I'm told that astronomers use the Hubble Space Telescope for, among other things, the search for other planets orbiting distant stars. Perhaps some day, these dedicated scientists will locate the planet that Fox's schedulers live on, because it clearly ain't planet Earth. First, we get a 300th episode that airs a week after the 302nd. Then, in the middle of February, we get a show set during the back-to-school season. Time flows in strange ways on Planet Fox.
"I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can" has a slightly strange feel to it, too. Here is a world in which a little girl can win celebrity for spelling well, where George Plimpton calls spelling bees a "sport," and where giant stadiums are built for spelling contests, even though they sit nearly empty during competition. Yes, I know this is all part of the joke, but it made the episode feel just a bit off-kilter for me, like one of those science fiction stories where the main character visits a universe almost, but not quite, like his own.
"Spelling" may present a strange new world, but that doesn't mean it's a *bad* new world. Lisa is the little girl from the previous paragraph, of course, who seems set to climb the spelling-bee ladder. There are some good jokes here, like the way she unwittingly provides the middle name for Cletus's daughter ("Scabies," after Lisa helps him spell it). Marge is happy the spell-off has distracted Lisa from her crusade to save the whales. "Face it," she says, "the whales are doomed." Curiously, some of the characters in the story seem aware of the absurdity of the spelling-bee-mania. Kent Brockman complains it's a slow news day when he covers Lisa's rise in the ranks, and a sign at the competition reads, "A PLACE FOR DORKS." The most compelling aspect of Lisa's story is the ethical dilemma she's presented with in the third act, when it turns out the spelling bees are not what they appear to be. I honestly wasn't sure how I would decide if I had to make the same decision, so I was interested in seeing what Lisa would do.
The most solid humor tonight was in the Homer subplot. The local KrustyBurger chain introduces a new "rib" sandwich, which promptly hooks Homer. (A rush of cool images accompanies his first encounter with the Ribwich.) He even goes the extreme of travelling from one K- B outlet to another, as the limited-edition sandwich makes the rounds. The triviality of the subject contrasted nicely with Homer's serious attitude and with the seriousness of Lisa's story.
While we're on the subject of humor, I'd like to make mention of two excellent fantasy sequences. In the first one, Lisa imagines the "Seven Sisters" colleges vying for her attendance. Vassar was especially good. Another sequence with Lisa marrying Milhouse is short but sweet. On the other hand, I thought the closing joke felt incomplete. I kept waiting for a follow-up or concluding joke which never came.
With its blend of wackiness and down-to-earth humor, "Spelling" reminds me of a fifth-season episode. Indeed, perhaps it *is* a fifth-season episode that just happened to air in the fourteenth season. Just another quirk of time on Planet Fox.
[The short of it]
This episode reminds me of the fifth season, when down-to-earth humor began to give way to wackiness. It still has a basis in reality, and is still funny, but it feels indefinably off-kilter. Still, there are enough good jokes in Lisa's quest for spelling supremacy and Homer's search for the new KrustyBurger ribwich to make this a worthy episode. On the more serious side, Lisa's ethical quandary is one of the best we've seen in a while. Overall, a good start to the show's next 100 episodes. (B)
[DYNs]
... this episode appears to take place around September 30 to November 6? ... all the of the ribheads were kind of chubby? ... the attendance at the spelling bee made the WNBA game look crowded? ... Marge seems embarrassed by the sign Homer brought to the stadium?
[References]
Elvira (B horror-flick host) - Boobarella's look modeled after her
"Barbarella" (movie) - Boobarella apparently named after the sexy title character
Chevrolet truck ads - the ads feature Bob Seger's "Like a Rock" and men performing manly blue-collar activities; the ribwich ad has similar music and imagery
McDonald's McRib sandwich - speaking of ribwiches, they're obviously a spoof of this quirky fast-food offering [See "Personal Comments & Observations" for more]
"School's Out Forever" (song) - Skinner invents his own pro-school lyrics for this melody
Olympics - Spellympics has a similar name - in addition to the knock-off anthem they mentioned, an Olympic- like fanfare played when the bees were released
"Deadheads" - this is the slang term for extreme fans of the Grateful Dead; likewise, ribwich fans call themselves "ribheads"
"Respect" (song) - Barney sings "R-E-L-A-P-S-E" to the tune of this Motown classic
"Rocky" (movie) - Lisa training for the match, with the gray sweatsuit and the run up the library steps, resembles Rocky training for his fight
"Titanic" (movie) - Lisa is QUEEN OF THE WORLD ... of spelling
"The Osbournes" (TV movie) - George Plimpton thinks that today's kids would choose this show over spelling bees
"bogart" (slang term) Ernest Borgnine (actor) - Homer mis-remembers the term for hogging something, calling it "Borgnine"
"Truckin'" (song) - Krusty remarks on "what a long, strange product roll-out" the ribwich had
[Previous Episode References]
[7G04], [2F19] Lisa and Vassar
[FFF]
Sash on ribwich mascot:
RIB-IT
First ribwich box:
RIB-
WICH --------
/ NOW \
|WITHOUT > [Krusty winking]
\LETTUCE!/
--------Ribwich fan T-shirt, front:
RIBWICH
NATIONRibwich fan T-shirt, back:
RIBWICH
TOUR SEPTEMBER
13 SAN ANTONIO
20 ATLANTA OCTOBER
28 BOSTON
30 SPRINGFIELD NOVEMER
6 SAN FRANCISCOSecond ribwich box:
RIB-
WICH ------------
/ WILL CAUSE \
| > [Krusty winking]
\EARLY DEATH!/
------------Caption for picture of Lisa:
WORD NERD
Marge's apron:
[Nabors giving]
[ a thumbs-up ] JIM NABORS
IS
WAY COOLSpellympic sign:
SPELLYMPIC
VILLAGE A PLACE FOR
DORKSStadium sign:
SPELLYMPIC STADIUM
Homer's sign:
ENGLISH
SPELLING
PROMOTES
NOWLEDGE [Note: "ESPN" is an all-sports cable network in
the US]
^
|
first letter of each line in redThe George Plimpton hotplate:
THE GEORGE PLIMPTON
HOTPLATERestaurant banner:
THE RIBWICH
IS HERE!Another fan T-shirt:
RIB
MESupport signs at the stadium:
GO I'M
LISA MISSING
SCHOOLButton on Plimpton's podium:
WRONG
ANSWERWelcome-home banner:
2 GOOD 2 BE #1
[Personal Comments & Observations]
Ray Romano -- Lead actor from the popular comedy, "Everybody Loves Raymond." He played the referee in the B-movie's basketball game.
Jim Nabors -- Actor known primarily for playing Gomer Pyle, first on "The Andy Griffith Show," and then on a spin-off, "Gomer Pyle, USMC." He's got a nice singing voice, and has released some albums. Contrary to Marge's apron, he's kind of a square.
McDonald's mysterious McRib sandwich makes Chicken McNuggets seem straightforward by comparison. The McRib was the chain's venture into the realm of pork products. In a remarkable bit of self- contradiction, ads billed it as a "boneless rib" sandwich. Even though the lack of bones was a selling point, the pork patties were formed to resemble of slab of ribs, bones and all. Trying to wrap your mind around this concept would be an excellent way to prepare for meditation, like trying to imagine the sound of one hand clapping.
Another curious thing about the McRib is that it was always only available for a "limited time," like Homer's ribwich. As far as I know, the McRib didn't move from town to town, like the ribwich. It certainly didn't inspire legions of groupies. I tried a McRib some time back. It didn't taste bad -- kind of like a sausage with barbecue sauce on it -- but it did seem slightly unnatural. Oh, well, no accounting for taste.
Homer swaps the last ribwich made for a red Corvette convertible, making this one of his few good trades on the show.
On the way home from the spelling bee, a new blue Mini Cooper passes the Simpsonmobile.