The Simpsons - MoneyBART

Lisa becomes the manager of Bart's baseball team in the Simpsons episode MoneyBART.

Halloween TV Specials

A list of some great Halloween specials.

The Simpsons - Loan-a-Lisa

Lisa issues a loan and Marge and Homer learn the dangers of borrowing in Loan-a-Lisa.

Matt Groenig Must Be Feeling an Immodest Amount of Pride in The Simpsons Movie

Back when The Simpsons began airing on Fox, I was a tot in early elementary school, and while my friends quoted the show and talked of its greatness, I scoffed, sanctimoniously declaring that I would never watch something so tasteless. I maintained that attitude for several years, but then my brother started watching the show occasionally, and the rest of the family got sucked in. And I realized that although it may be irreverent, The Simpsons is actually one of the most thought-provoking, spiritually stimulating shows on television. And boy, is it clever, skewering pop culture week after week - and I can't tell you how many parodies I watched on the show only to see the source material later and crack up again because now I really got the joke. The Simpsons is top-notch stuff. So I was looking forward to the movie.

And then I saw a commercial a few weeks ago in which a predictably dopey Homer clutches a pig around the middle so that it walks upside-down, leaving muddy hoof prints on the ceiling as Homer sings, "Spider-pig, Spider-pig, does whatever a spider-pig does..." Before I was enthusiastic; now I was obsessed, and the members of my immediate family soon wished I'd never seen that clip, since I was prone to bursting out in song at random moments. Yesterday, I finally got to see the movie, after having acquired the coveted picture of myself on the theater's promotional three-dimensional couch next to life-size replications of the Simpsons clan. And oh, was I satiated, with not one but three recitations of the aforementioned song, two of which were performed by a distinctly creepy choir. Delirium...

Matt Groenig pulled together most of the writers who've ever worked on the show to create a film that incorporates most of the characters who've ever appeared on the show. Well, no, that's a stretch, but certainly the regulars are out in force, and in the case of this series, that means a cast of dozens, though of course heavy hitters like Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Nancy Cartwright and Harry Shearer occupy a dizzying large number of roles. Springfield is a caricature of small-town America, and even big-town America, and it's riddled with folks representing different stereotypes. There's the Indian convenience store owner; the irascible bartender; the crazy old cat lady; the overweight, self-important comic book expert; the malevolent multi-billionaire; the smitten nerd; the school bully... The list goes on and on.

My favorite of these has always been the cheerfully self-righteous neighbor - in other words, Ned Flanders. I've heard complaints that the show is using Ned to poke fun at evangelical Christianity, and while it's true that there's some gentle ribbing going on, the fact remains that however much pleasure the bespectacled, mustached diddly-doodler might get from waggling his finger about, like Millie Kentner, the squarer than square ex-best friend of protagonist Lindsay on Freaks and Geeks, he's always someone who can be counted on for support when the chips are down. I suspect even Fred Rogers would have trouble living up to the neighborly ideal set by Ned Flanders. So I was very glad to see him playing a prominent role in this film as an unlikely mentor for Bart.

This happens when Bart finally gets fed up with his dad's self-absorption and immaturity after a dare goes horribly awry. It's during a dinner out after the most traumatic day of Bart's life that Homer meets the pig that will change his life when the Homer-as-clueless-father subplot meets the Lisa-as-frustrated-environmental-activist subplot and all of Springfield pays the price. The laughs come fast and furious, and the whole film exists within the construct of the Simpson family watching the movie while Homer complains that they could be seeing this stuff at home for free, but the film's messages are compelling, particularly the importance of environmental stewardship and of nurturing one's family.

As with most episodes of the show, you're likely to miss things the first time around, since some of the jokes are visual and pass by in the blink of an eye. Among the quickest flashes of humor are the glimpses of Apu changing the "06" in an expiration date to "08", Bart writing "I will not illegally download this movie" on the classroom board and elderly Abe Simpson perusing the magazine Oatmeal Enthusiast; there are dozens more where those came from. Because of my great fondness for Flanders, his subplot was probably my favorite, but the Spider-Pig stuff was hilarious, and it was rather exhilarating to see Lisa getting swept off her feet by my - I mean her - dream guy. And I have to give these folks props for really rewarding those patient enough to stick with the credits. Several short scenes pop up at unexpected intervals, right down the very end of the credits, and there's also an entertainingly pointless song, the singers of which seem to share Ned's contritely confessed sin of "an immodest amount of civic pride" in their little town.

If you've loved the show for years, you won't need convincing from me to go see the movie. If you've avoided it the way I did in the beginning, give the film a fair shake. You might miss a couple self-referential jokes, but on the whole I don't think familiarity with the show is much of a prerequisite for thorough enjoyment. Yes, there are bits of off-color humor, but only a smattering, and it's all handled very adroitly. Give The Simpsons a shot and see what you think. I sure am glad I did.

Typical Family?

Gee, I hope not. But the Simpson family and all of the other residents of Springfield make us take a good, hard look at ourselves and wonder if we really come across that way. "The Simpsons" has the highest concentration of stereotypes of any show I have ever seen. Homer is the lazy dad, Bart's the bratty brother, Lisa the intellectual sister, Marge the down-to-earth mom, Abraham the cantankerous grandpa, and Maggie...well, she's just a baby. Beyond the Simpsons, there is Ned Flanders, the cheerful do-gooder with a family to match; Moe, the cranky bartender; Apu, the Indian corner store clerk; Willie, the Scottish janitor; Reverend Lovejoy, the hypocritical pastor; Mrs. Lovejoy, the town gossip; Jessica Lovejoy, the devilish pastor's kid; Edna Kerbopple, the disgruntled teacher; Seymour Skinner, the clueless principal; Barney, the town drunk; Nelson, the bully; Montgomery Burns, the Scroogish billionaire; Whalen Smithers, the... You get the picture.

Behind every bright yellow four-fingered character is a stereotype of a particular type of person. Though much of it is blown out of realistic proportions, it still is grounded in truth and offers a rather sobering look at our society. For the most part, "The Simpsons" does not paint a terribly flattering picture. At the same time, however, it manages to put some meaning in the lives of the harried, provincial characters. Some episodes have very good messages, once you get past the somewhat crude humor. For instance, the episode which reunited Krusty the Clown with his father, a rabbi. Or the one in which Maggie found Mr. Burns' teddy bear and returned it despite her growing attachment to it. Or when Bart prayed fervently for an extra day to study for a test and got it, then proceeded to squeak by with a D-. Nearly every episode says something worthwhile, though you sometimes have to look deep to find it. This is a cartoon geared more towards adults than children, but it's worth watching once in a while. It's a good show to watch as a family, especially with older kids, and maybe discuss later. There's a lot we could learn from it.