Truckasaurus is mighty, mighty behind schedule. If Red, the driver, hadn't died from beef poisoning, it would have made its appearance.
Actually, if the Olympics hadn't captured The Rack's attention, he may have gotten this done much sooner. (Still have to go downtown and get some Olympic flavor before its over...)
Anywho,
SPOILER SPACE
TRUCKASAURUS isn't trying to establish my opinions as fact; it's just an attempt to understand why I liked or didn't like an episode.
All my reviews are really just simple, harmless opinions. Please discuss, but please don't be offended...
The Rack's Ubiquitous, Critical, Kick-Ass, Somewhat Anal & Useless Review "Uv" the Simpsons (TRUCKASAURUS)
Episode DABF03 "Sweets And Sour Marge" Writer: Carolyn Omine
LOLs(15): --The full Leonard Nimoy cycle: I am not Spock, I am Spock, I am also Scotty --Town that made the world's largest omelet. Denver? No, Spanish. (quick grin and banjo flurry) --Homer pulls nameless guy's pants down. "Hey-- (sarcastic) thanks. Great." --Planet of the Apes music playing (for no apparent reason) when the human ball forms --"Goodbye, cruel world... [jump] Hello, ironic twist!" --"Girth" pennant --Gil: Pick ME! I just passed the BAR, see? (wipe, wipe) --Frink: I worked on a top-secret project called HOYVIN MAYVEEEEN! Marge: Professor Frink? --Aw, what gave me away? Was it the "hoyvin", or the "mayvin"...? --Gil legitimizes it in court by saying it: Operation "hoyvin mayvin" --Fudgula: Now, all my victims have to be... mashed up. Court: (sympathetic) Awww... --Lou: Even this promotional "Johnny Depp" from the movie "Chocolat"? Wiggum: We melted for _him_-- --I'm a MONSTER! Don't look at me! [hisses] --"Money" actually WASN'T part of the deal... --Miami Vice music ends; Chief runs the boat aground; "I'd like to think we made a DIFFERENCE today."
Mildly funny (The "chuckles")(18): --Lenny & Carl's squabble over clothespins --Playing the banjo with a cobra --The cobra grins when the guy says it would get the record --Springfield: Birthplace of the Beatles --Moleman: "Not again!" --Sugar (WITH free donuts) --Worldwide Headquarters... just down the street (so contrived that it was funny) --...no sense of corporate responsibility? Uhhh?! (like Scooby Doo) --Cletus' "mark" --Homer: "It WAS dinner!" (overcooked hamburger pattie) --Motherloving: "I'll kill you while you sleep!" Gil: "Daah, OBJECTION!" Judge: "Mmmm... I'll allow it." --appearance of Count Fudgula --Chocolate Johnny Depp cries out while being melted --Willie: "Aye. They're not ridin' the white horse anymore!" --Overboard gag... hits whale --Burns: "Stroke, stroke, stroke!" Apu: "I'm rowing as fast as I can, sir." Burns: "NO. I'm HAVING one." --Woman pushing a baby, while on a jet-ski --"DUMP CARGO"/"OBEY BAD GUY"
Satirical Content: --The ep seems to be a rip on the sugar industry; but is it a satire of satire itself? They compare the sugar industry to the narcotics industry, as well as evil corporate interests that endanger human health � l� Erin Brockovich. Silly; it seems to be more making fun of the currently popular "Sugar Busters" and "Atkins" diets, which proclaim sugar as the principal cause of obesity, hypertension, and other health problems.
It seems the writers' opinion on the subject is that blaming sugar for America's health problems is silly.
--Once again, the police are inept in their attempts to curb the sugar (drug) problem. Chief Wiggum's self-satisfied grin as they run the police boat aground, and his belief that they made a difference is highly sarcastic and satiric.
--The cute question is raised by the episode: "Why does a certain unnamed cereal use a vampire for a mascot"? Don't vampires have victims? Who are these victims? Thus, the unnamed cereal (made by General Mills) is given a nudge of iconoclasm. Count Fudgula's victims have to be "mashed up"...
--Town exults in its obesity. Fame, even through dubious means, seems like the most important thing to some folks. As Homer once noted, "being popular is the most important thing in the world."
--Tweaks of Johnny Depp/Skeet Ulrich, and Leonard Nimoy are very welcome
Cleverness: --"Helen Fielding's giving these pigs Bridget Jones' diahrrea."
First laugh (0:24): --The full Leonard Nimoy cycle: I am not Spock, I am Spock, I am also Mr. Scotty
Laughed hardest at(tie): --The full Leonard Nimoy cycle: I am not Spock, I am Spock, I am also Mr. Scotty --Lou: Even this promotional "Johnny Depp" from the movie "Chocolat"? Wiggum: We melted for _him_--
Unnecessary Exposition(2): --Apu: There's the island. --Apu: Well... we're almost home.
Predictability: Could see the Marlon Brando gag coming a mile away... but it was great!
Wackiness: Human ball might've been a bit much; but, what the hey. It's a cartoon, and it "could" happen...
Huh?: How about feeding pigs with books no one wants... right in the library. As a joke with no frame of reference, whattya think? Okay...
Comments:
Though it had flavors of Mike Scully, "Sweets and Sour Marge" was quite enjoyable. The entire exercise was outwardly a poke at the pervasiveness of sugar-laden foods in the American diet. In reality, it was a mock of _that_. By showing the oversimplified idea when as compared to the drug problem, or an evil corporate agenda, it seems quite silly. Thus, the question is raised: is sugar truly the major cause of health problems in America, as the "Atkins" diet and others suggest?
There were plenty of laughs; I just about died when Wiggum says of Johnny Depp: "We melted for _him_..." Another viewing let me hear the rest of Wiggum's line, since I laughed so hard the first time.
The sillyness of the fake satire sort of pervades the overall storyline and plot as well. A human sphere rolling down the street? Okay, because it underscores the faux satire. Still, the silly feeling of "wild-abandon" from the Mike Scully years made one feel like just about anything could happen on screen. Count Fudgula, the sphere, the sugar cabal, and other details made for a loosey-goosey atmosphere in which even men made of ice-cream wouldn't have been out of place. This is fine; but if this is what makes an episode for you, you are the opposite of me in what you most enjoy from The Simpsons.
SASM is a very pleasant, goofy grin on the face; if the wild abandon of Mike Scully's reign wasn't so fresh in the memory, it would be a much more comfortable grin.
--Hi yet again, everybody!
It's good to see Dr. Nick every now and again. He's a very nice link to some of the best years of The Simpsons
--I'll break 'em a record they can't refuse
The Marlon Brando gag was great, in part, because neither Homer nor anyone else said this:
[gasp] Marlon Brando!
If you didn't get the joke because you didn't know who it was... TOO BAD! ;) This is the kind of joke "The Simpsons" has been missing for a while. Dan Castellaneta did a very nice impersonation of The Godfather for the voice, as well
--Nobody rocks like... [reading]... Springfield!
The largest cheer in any rock concert is when the band says "Yo, [town name]!" My feeling is that "The Simpsons" is just the same. East St. Louis has had its turn twice; now Milwaukee gets a shot. These jokes are nice random barbs, with not necessarily any connection to anything. Or, will you only think it's funny if you hear that the reference to Milwaukee is to make fun of a Simpsons staffer, or something? Puh-lease...
--Fat City, USA
Dictionary of American Slang says the phrase comes from the early 60's. There was a movie, a book, and several songs with the title. The original meaning was "the best possible situation one could be in". Later, it took on the more literal meaning.
--Ha ha ha DAMMIT!
Hibbert gets angry? Pixy Styx are the tool of the devil! So say Rod and Todd Flanders.
--Explanation is forthcoming
On ATS, the question was asked: Why was Burns involved? This was used as an argument against the episode. The answer seems obvious. "Motherloving" understood Burns' power, and he also needed a boat for the job. Mr. Burns has much power, and also a boat. Thus, he was recruited by Motherloving, just as Apu and Homer apparently were.
Prediction:
Sweets and Sour Marge will not be anyone's least favorite episode. It has the sophisticated humor even the stodgiest of ATSers appreciate, and the goofiness that the more esoteric fan may enjoy. It will play well in syndication.
-Chad Lehman
"You crazy car. I don't know whether to eat you, or kiss you."
--John Truckasaurus
DYN...
...the Duff record guy looks like newspaper
editor from AABF21?
...Marge uses a shopping cart--at the Kwik-E-Mart?
...the possible cut: After Motherloving says "Get
the hell out of my office", Marge says "--and
I want you to stop putting so much SUGAR in
everything" as if finishing a previous (cut)
sentence?
...Homer understands that Apu's asking him to
join the cabal? All Apu did was tell him about
a group that was dedicated to bring sugar back.
...Motherloving forgets Marge's name for one line
("Look, lady...") but remembers it the next?
("Note to Marge...")Previous episode refs:
[7G03], [1F03] Homer uses a megaphone
[7G03] ...while wearing a hardhat
[1F14] Pixy Styx cause an angry reaction
[2F09] Emergency telephone number [911/"912"] given to
someone on a card
[5F12] Someone throws chocolate ice cream, using a scoop
(Texas snowball fight)
[AABF08] Homer lets out his gut
[AABF18] Diabetes mentioned as a consequence of sugar
consumption
[BABF16] Feverish person worries about a non-existent baby
[Homer/Ralph]
[BABF22] In the library, Cletus makes an author referenceMovies (and other) references:
+ Erin Brockovich -Marge mentions the woman eponomous with the movie -she does all the "legwork", visiting people herself -"Erin Choco-Snitch" (group effort) -"Blue Heron Brockowitch" (Homer admits to this one) -"Karen Alotovich" (Homer told Lisa it was the best one)
~ Gone With The Wind The wounded soldiers outside Atlanta scene? (twice?) -the people on the scale groaning -children in the schoolyard at recess
+ Mission: Impossible 2 (MI2) As mentioned by others; Homer facing outward to rest cinches the reference
+ Planet of the Apes Music plays when the human sphere forms
+ San Lucas (island) Island of San Glucose
+ Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory An "Oompa Loompa" appears