Talking Simpsons - Talking Simpsons - Bart Carny With Eric Szyszka

Episode Date: April 10, 2019

This week we head to the carnival with Eric Szyszka, cohost of the podcasts We Hate Movies and Hooked on TJ Hooker! Homer and Bart become carnies and learn it's not all cotton candy and caramel apples! We also hear the voice of the irreplaceable Jim Varney as Cooder in what might be the grossest episode of the show yet! Obey the Carny Code and listen now! Support this podcast and get dozens of bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron!

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I heartily endorse this event or product. Ahoy, ahoy, everybody. Welcome to Talking Simpsons, where people throw ducks at balloons and nothing's the way it seems. I'm your host, the rat-like in appearance, Bob Mackie, and this is our chronological exploration of The Simpsons. Who else is here with me today? The luckiest chicken in the world, Henry Gilbert. And who do we have on the line?

Oh, I'm Eric Siska. Behold the ravages of age. Today's episode is Bart Carney. I want to see Lobster Boy and Shrimp Girl. I want some fried sugar. I want to go on the yard work simulator. But when did I ask you to do yard work? Today's episode aired on January 11th, 1998,

and as always, Henry will tell us what happened on this mythical day in real-world history. Oh my god! Oh boy, Bobby, Savage Gardens truly madly deeply tops the charts. The Broncos and the Packers win the playoffs to head to the Super Bowl, and only one new film is in theaters this week even daring to try to challenge titanic and that is howie long's firestorm oh so making the move he's a football star right yes yeah maybe that's why they put it out now because it's like what's the playoffs people are thinking of football they'll want to see howie long try to do action movie thing my theory is people like football.

Eric, have you guys done Firestorm? No, we haven't. We should, though. I mean, he never really worked out as an actor, so I definitely want to go through his career and do a little retrospective. Didn't Wizard Magazine really want him to play a superhero? I think so. They really wanted Patrick Stewart to be Professor X.

That made sense. It happened. Was there a boring man I'm not familiar with? I think just he had the body of a superhero. So he could be Cyclops. Sure. Whatever. That was usually their arguments in there.

I mean, in 99, by 98, they thought he could be a star. I believe it was 96 or 7, Broken Arrow came out, and he's like an evil sidekick in that to John Travolta, and he's good enough for what a John Woo ridiculous movie demands. But yeah, after this, he did not star in another film. Firestorm was kind of the end. His greatest acting role might have been those long-distance commercials with Terry Hatcher.

Was that him? Yeah. I really believe they were in love. That great fake of the end. His greatest acting role might have been those long distance commercials with Terry Hatcher. Was that him? Yeah. Okay. I really believe they were in love. That great fake couple. Yeah. Question mark. They loved phones and they loved each other.

They loved deals. I kind of miss all those phone commercials. You know, you had like the 10, and this is like, I sound like a thousand years old now, like the 10, 10, 220 or the 1-800-COLLECTS. There was like a whole multiverse of characters throughout those. There was so much continuity to commercials back then. Yeah. And the

battles between John Stamos versus David Arquette over those things. And they all gave you secret codes. I remember Carrot Top was all over those. Oh, God. Al Bundy, Chris Rock. But they gave you these secret codes. You felt empowered. Like, I can make a phone call anywhere I wanted if someone will accept. I'm cheating the phone companies

with this stuff. The Super Bowl, I believe it's the Broncos that win that one with John Elway. I don't know sports. I'm leaning on our guest here in case he didn't pay attention. Oh, no, no, no. I don't know sports. I was too busy watching The Simpsons. True, me too.

But on the line, of course, he's been talking plenty, but we have Eric Siska of the great podcast We Hate Movies. Previously, we've had Steven Sadek on the show a few times, but Eric is also a member of that great podcast group. So Eric, what is your history with The Simpsons? Early adopter, loved it from the start. Well, not, you know, I don't know if I watched it first season in, but I remember a distinct memory to really encapsulate my love of the Simpsons is my parents like got me into the Boy Scouts. Do you remember these, this thing called the Boy Scouts? I think they're still around. It's mainly about tying knots, right? Yeah. So like the, our troop or whatever it was

called met on Sunday nights. And I eventually was like put my foot down i'm quitting the boy scouts because i don't want to miss the simpsons wow that's that's a correct priority yeah because i think these simpson skills have come more into your life than uh than the boy scout survival technique yes definitely that felt like counter programming to make you more wholesome yeah they did it must have informed your sense of humor quite a lot eric yeah i mean of course i mean on the show we ate movies we'll quote the simpsons here and there and at first i was like is this is kind of weird to quote the simpsons is this joke theft of some kind but it's like so ingrained in our personalities because you know we grew up with it it's just it's kind of everything

to us for us too i think and again i'm a huge fan of your guys's podcast uh just listening to the battlefield earth one you guys did which i am so glad you say like this is episode like 413 and you've you've you've saved such a go-to of bad movies for for there i think it's aged like fine wine yeah thank you yeah we didn't want to do like every single obvious movie immediately and we waited until well i thought we'd be not even doing this anymore now, but it's good we saved some, like Firestorm, for instance. Yes, add that to the list.

Yes. Have you guys ever done an Ernest movie? We did Ernest Scared Stupid the other year. That was a great episode and I guess if you want to talk about our guest star for this episode right now, I was a big Ernest head in the 80s and some of the 90s. I think I followed him up to Scared to Stupid. I was not watching Slam Dunk Ernest, the very progressive Ernest Goes to Africa, Ernest Goes to the Outlet Mall, the bookstore of the Outlet Mall, where all the books no one wanted went. And on the same day, I bought my first Life in Hell book, and I also bought the second Ernest book, each for a dollar, and I still have the Life in Hell

book. I didn't know he did books. There were apparently two Ernest books and one book about Ernest written by his producer comedy partner. He started in commercials too, right? We were talking about the telephone commercials. I think he started in commercials too, right? We were talking about the telephone commercials. I think he started in regional commercials in Tennessee or something. Yeah. Ernest was a character for an advertising company and he would do your local ads for your dairy products. Carnetian, I think, which is his brand. Yeah. Or he'll say, the Brady Bunch is coming on in your area or whatever thing they're rerunning. And that is when Vern was introduced. Vern was the cameraman.

Basically, he was the person you Ernest was talking to. You were Vern. We are all Vern. The universal Vern. Yeah. I was a big Ernest head, too, as a kid. I mean, he was perfect. He was right at the level of comedy I had as a kid of like, oh, this is a funny, silly man who has a funny voice. And I also, I grew up in the South, so I like the Southern twang to it as well. Though I think it's a universe. You don't need to be a Southerner to like Ernest. And I watched his movies some, though I think I stopped with Scared Stupid as well. That is when I had like,

oh, I grew out of it. But the thing i love the most was his tv show the tv show he had on cbs saturday morning i watched that eight million times i i loved his running gag and that of like give me a haircut like a wall street tycoon and then he always cut his hair to look like a thing that rhymed with that but but wasn't that. And I think they did Raccoon first, and then it got even more complex. We're out of jokes. I only watch the movies. I never got into the TV or the other media.

But, you know, Homer is kind of an Ernest P. Whirl type character insofar that he wears the exact same wardrobe every day. And he's stupid. That is true. He needs the vest, but he's got most of it. And they're both indestructible, too too and have a lot of odd jobs i have to give credit to earnest goes to jail which i remember seeing in the theaters it is the one movie where up front they say we're going to kill

we're going to execute this beloved character that you came to see he is on death row and there's a scene of him being executed but it gives him superpowers and it's fun after that i like that movie i think it was like it was very stylized. I think if memory serves, the prison guards had these weird pink jackets for uniforms. It was oddly Burton-y. And I will say,

we've had a member of the Ernest family on The Simpsons before this episode, Gaylord Sartain. That's right. Who played the guy with his brother, Bobby.

He was Big Daddy in that episode. Yeah, that's right. But those were also characters from that same advertising company. It would be the one guy, forget his name, and his brother Bobby who didn't talk. Could you imagine progressive or what's her name, Flo, becoming a movie star?

You just don't see this anymore where someone can jump from advertising. Yeah, I think Ernest, he was just such an appealing, funny guy. But yeah, the problem with his movies were that he's not meant to have a bunch of giant movie adventures. He's a guy you see for three-minute chunks. His TV show worked way better because it was just a series of sketches. But if you have to expand his adventures over a whole movie,

after a few of those you just really run out of things to do with him after after he's gone to jail and met santa claus and fought goblins to save the world after that where do you go what if he played uh tennis yeah i think in those movies like he split like characters too like suddenly be talking to someone else or like the roman centurion was a character so it's like a precursor to to split with james mcavoy as well that's right in jail he plays his own like evil doppelganger yeah well jim varney he he is a bit of a mike myers type too and that he's like he had his big hit character of earnest but that wasn't the only character he wanted to play. He had lots of other characters. I think his first movie was more like a sketch movie that was just a series of different characters speaking to camera.

Yeah, the pre-camp movie. So I think the story is Michael Eisner went to some event. I think it was like a racing event. Yes. And nobody clapped for Mickey Mouse, but then Ernest came out, and he had only done commercials at that point. Everyone went nuts for Ernest, and he was like, I want to be in the Ernest business. And that's why Disney got in bed with Ernest. It was a smart move.

He's a cartoon character. Why not? I'm shocked they don't own... I guess you can't really make Ernest... He's not Spider-Man. Ernest is only one man, and he can't really inherit that role or cast a new Ernest. It doesn't really work that way. I mean, they can bring back Peter Cushing. That's true. Maybe 10, 20 years from now, they'll feel like it won't be in bad taste,

and they will just make a CGI Ernest. I would buy a ticket for that. I was kind of mad at the Tarkin CGI, but like, wow, CGI Ernest, that changes cinema. I honestly am shocked nobody just did a CG Ernest movie with some guy doing an impersonation, like a DreamWorks or below DreamWorks, like the people who are making ugly dolls right now, whatever that company is. I mean, let's talk about Jim Varney himself too, the guest star. We often wait until the guy shows up, but it's such a Jim Varney-centric episode. Yeah, and they made fun of Ernest a few times on The Simpsons. During Ernest's heyday, Ernest goes somewhere cheap.

Ernest needs a kidney. Yeah, there were a lot of—in the Gene and Reese years, they took some shots at Ernest, which I think we talked about before how when you're in the comedy business in Hollywood, you can't make fun of somebody who could hire you someday. But so that's why Ernest becomes an easy target of like, well, I'm not going to hire Ernest or he's not going to hire me. So if I want to take pot shots at somebody for being not funny and I can do it at the Ernest movies, which they also deserved mockery for being not good films. They weren't good. They were also so popular it was less like you're commenting on like this is like probably the number one comedy in the

country or something so you do a throwaway joke at it in the background it was like making fun of adam sandler yeah yes exactly i i wonder if jim varney remembered that or if i mean in 1994 or three like you're too famous as jim varney to even notice everyone making fun of you or specific people like simpsons was hardly the most savage to his career in in its heyday at this time in 98 jim varney was kind of transitioning out of earnest or he was doing more non-earnest things didn't he do like the beverly hillbillies by now yeah he was a very good jed uh jed clampett perfect perfect camp casting there yeah and he also had a bit part in the final not bit a recurring role in the final season of rosanne where he played a rich uh englishman that's right

the best season of rosanne the one where they're all millionaires. And he was doing more voice acting work in this and Toy Story. He was veering into a new era of his career. That was cut really short. Yeah. I mean, you could tell by his voice, but he was a heavy, heavy smoker. And drinker. And he died of lung cancer, as you would expect. I mean, it was sort of his fate.

You don't sound like Ernest in Live Forever. It's very sad. It is sad actually i looked at the dates on this and like he's diagnosed with lung cancer in august of 98 so this is like six months beforehand it's uh it's it's sad yeah it's sad uh and though he also to his credit he kept after the diagnosis he starts you know he's taking treatment but he's also working the whole time he's filming stuff like he's his final film appearance will be like two years posthumously for him as a voice in atlantis oh you're right yeah and yeah no it's uh it's rather sad though at least you know earnest didn't live to see 9-11 so that's that's our marker did

they did they make it out they punch out before 9-11 it's a good time to punch out i agree i'm always happy my grandfather didn't live to see that i was like oh my god on 9-11 when it was happening my grandmother went to the hospital she had like a like a heart failure and she ended up living a few more years but she could have just gotten in under the wire and it was funny like i saw the towers go down from the hospital television and it's just like she was so close she could have made it oh you could have helped eric come on right a pillow was right there what was i thinking i look back on vardy and i see him as just such like a very talented performer who you know at

worst he took the easy route and did like low comedy for easy money but i still don't i do consider him like a really good talented comedic performer who you know took the easy route but who didn't uh yeah i think i think people thumb their nose too much at like the whole like clown act type of thing and i think earnest is is is valid as anything else and you know you peewee herman you could even put in the same kind of uh place even though he's held with more respect than earnest is yeah they're the same sort of uh playful man child right invented at basically the same time yeah they were brothers in one is country and one is city right i mean peewee came back but he basically was a cgi robot

with all the face smoothing they did did a bit of face smoothing for that movie well you don't want to see a wrinkly pee i don't blame them it makes it'd make you sad otherwise good movie though his platonic gay love of joe manganella on that movie is quite is quite something but this episode i guess is the car Carney episode of The Simpsons. Or we should say the title is in tribute to actor Art Carney. That's the tag. Yeah, yeah. Just for people who say, like,

you don't talk about the title. So there, boom, we did it. It's Art Carney. That's all you get. Now, Art Carney, born in 19... No, I'm not doing that. You should check out The Late Show with Art Carney, by the way, if you haven't. It's like a 70s thing. He's like a detective. Ooh, I'm not doing that. You should check out the Late Show with Art Carney, by the way, if you haven't.

It's like a 70s thing. He's like a detective. Ooh, I should check that out. Yeah, it's fun. He is in the Star Wars Holiday Special. Yes. His greatest role. As the mechanic on the Kashyyyk.

That's right. But carnivals, as a kid, I both loved and hated them. I love the garbage food and the games and yelling at my parents to spend money on those things. But I was also a big scaredy cat for all those rides. Like I didn't like doing the swings or the one where you're like in a cable car basically and you're pulled sideways as it spins and spins and spins. Those ones scared me too much. I'm still a bit of a ride wuss. Well, those are the most dangerous rides.

Yes, yeah. Well, then as I got older, I realized, like, no, you should be scared. These are run by carnies. This is scary. Bob, were you much of a fan of the carny folk? Of the folk, of course. I believe my dad must have come from carnies. That's my secret history.

But, yeah, I liked going to carnivals until I was maybe, like, 12 and then too cool for them. I believe my dad must have come from carnies That's my secret history But yeah I Like going to carnivals until I was maybe like 12 And then too cool for them And then I went back like at the age of 22 Or 23 like what is the carnival as an adult And I hated it You're just descended upon by bees You don't want to go on any ride

You realize how deadly they are The whiskey on the breath of the operators You can just smell it Yeah not a good time but I remember winning my prize possession until i was like a teenager was this like frame beavis and butthead poster with like the cheapest wood frame like sub plywood it was just like not even particle board i don't know what it was made out of but uh yeah it was like uh framed in uh cellophane. Beautiful. I never really liked them at all. I don't think ever.

The food is fine and stuff, but mostly I was afraid of not so much the carnies necessarily, but the other families there. And you're looking at this weird kid walking by you like, what is his deal? The crowds, I think, got to be an issue. And the smell like no one's being nice to me that no one's being even like all that courteous or mindful of your space at a carnival either well the carny slash county fair stuff i experienced as a kid i did like the kind of agricultural mix of it too when i look back on it and i i really liked how it's not featured in this i think because this

is the vr thing but sometimes they would would have basically a camper van that had a virtual ride in it that would shake you around. I enjoyed that. Is that like the yard work simulator? A little bit, a little bit. We had one of those, but it was from the 60s or 70s. And it was literally like a film they would show you of you're in a rocket. You get inside. It's dark.

And then the film is shown in front of you. And it sort of rocks back and forth and up and down. And then the end, the rocket crashes and like a Martian eats people and it's over. But it was like the early version of like, I don't know, your VR chambers. Okay. Your battle pods. Oh, yeah. A funny, carny moment I remember in my childhood was one of us in our family, my mom, dad, brother, and mom, only one of us, I think dad and half my brother, wanted to go on the swings ride,

which takes you high in the air and swings you really fast, and it scared the crap out of me. But we did it, but my mom had the most acute motion sickness, and she got sick not only riding it, but also right after. She didn't just throw up, but she's like, I can't move after this. And we all knew how filthy the carnival ground was, but she couldn't even make it to a bench. She's like, I'm laying down right here.

People are going to have to step around me. I don't care. I cannot move. And now actually, though, Bob, if you want, after this, we can enjoy carnival food right now. There's a shop right on the corner that's like, we sell carny food. That's it, like cotton candy, caramel apples, fried dough.

Yeah, funnel cake, corn dogs, fried Oreos, fried Twinkies. You can have it all right now. It sounds insane. It's like they know it's insane it's like they know everyone in berkeley is getting high constantly yeah uh one last thing about rides like i was at california adventure and they don't have a lot of thrill rides i mean they have one pretty good roller coaster and uh the scariest ride i was on though were were those swings i hate them uh because it's like all that separates me from life and death is a thin radley bar that comes down and just chains.

And they're swinging you out over water. I was just like holding on and like, oh, God, what if this is it for me? Are you a ride wuss as well, Eric? Yeah, no, I'm a total ride wuss. I'm just like, no. I think I rode some rides when I was like 13 or so. And I think I've never really gone back. I'm just like roller coasters.

I'm okay. I don't need to feel disgusting and immediately feel panic once we start going up this thing. The closest I have recently to a carnival-esque experience was going to a music fest in the Catskills at a ski resort. And I went up on the ski lift and that was another moment where, and this is like in the summer, so there's no snow to ever cushion your falls. And I'm just going up this ski lift and the pang of terror, like, oh my God, what have I done? And then when we're getting to the top of the mountain, they're like, well, because you're not getting off, we're not going to stop it. So you need to, within five seconds, raise this bar up over your head and then back down again. But that's enough for me. I think I'm set now for another 20 years.

Ski lift technology has not really improved ever. You'd think it would have, you know? Let's get Silicon Valley on this, man. We need some innovators in the ski lift realm. This episode written by John Schwarzwalder, a perfect coupling because he loves old carny time stuff. Yeah, it's full of old timey crap. A carny is just a

hobo with a job. It's a good one. I think the carnies here are also disgusting. I was saying to Bob before we started recording,

this might be the most disgusting episode of the show to this point we've done. Yeah, at least the most feces on screen possibly in an entire Simpsons episode throughout the episode of the show to this point we've done yeah at least the most feces on screen possibly in an entire simpsons episode throughout the history of the show

well every carny is gross everything they do is gross there's just so there's a lot of like rectal jokes in this too i i'm right yeah it's it was shocking how gross this one is matt graining was definitely away working on Futurama during this. Yeah, there's a run of jokes where I can tell he would have shut them down if he was there. But I guess let's get straight to business. Dog business, as it were, with the first clip from this episode. Come on. You have to go outside to do your business the experts say that if you want an animal to do

something you should do it yourself first to show him how i'm not going to the bathroom in the backyard sorry your majesty why don't you want to go out there the kids are supposed to be keeping this yard clean. Ah! Ah! Ned, I'm so sorry. Oh, no problem, Marge. Oh!

Turn on the TV, Elise. You turn it on. I turned it on yesterday. Allowance day, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. You don't deserve an allowance. Sure we do. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding you don't deserve an allowance sure we do ding ding ding ding ding ding ding ice cream man ice cream the reveal of bart being upside down is really great how the whole entire frame spins around it's very very well done the laziness of the kids this uh this felt very observed by a parent of who just sees their kids like that was my stance of like

i'm not only going to say no to chores, but I'm going to say no with the least movement as possible. Yeah, this spoke to my soul. On We Hate Movies, we sometimes refer to what is fat kid summer. I love that. You're staying indoors. You're too lazy to turn on the TV, maybe.

I had a number of fat kid summers for sure. Yeah. I have a fat inner child. Well, I mean, you don't uh you don't have to be heavy to watch tv but it helps i can be isolated and weird without the uh weight also the thing of like no it's it's a lounge day just give it to me like i think i think over time i was able to shave off the idea of chores from my parents and just like look i just get uh my allowance is 20 bucks i got it up to by about 12 i think yes and bart and lisa are right

to realize like if you don't take care of us you'll be arrested yeah they got that edge on her it's true as a kid too i thought it was too mean to have ned bill when ned was bit the second time i was like that's too mean to poor ned that's a little too harsh he's dead it makes it more painful that you don't see it yeah yes yeah i i do like the acting on harry like that he's so agreeable but he's like oh it's okay oh they they like to make ned suffer that's that's a real mike scully tree i'll make him suffer a lot uh what next year it's three years from her it's two years so two seasons yeah yeah i mean the the marriage thing's not so nice either for for sure.

I have another pick for line of the show, but Homer thinking it's an ice cream truck, the dings, is very funny. Then Marge sends them out to do their chores. The design of Bart and his sunflower overalls is so funny. I love it. And the sound design on this haw-haw here. But I can't go

out dressed like this. What if someone sees me? You're just going into our backyard. No one will see you. Ha! Ha! Man, look at all this stuff. Pull weeds, mow lawn, scoop and bag dog business.

There's got to be a way out of this. Lisa, chop off my hands. No. Then who'd chop off my hands? All right, you chop my hands halfway off, and then I'll still have enough strength to chop off. Get to work! It's very kid logic.

I like that a lot. It's amazing, and it's a morbid line too, which is great. And I also love how Nelson is just, he's like the eye of Sauron in Springfield. Nelson is on call to deliver abuse. It happens a few times in this episode. He's stalking Bart, really. I think.

And then he knows, like, I got to say the other hall after the door opens again. I really feel for marge here too that like she really gets it in this episode and all she wants is them to do what they're supposed to do there's a there's a lot of uh great back and forth bits between two characters in this episode this is one of three oh yeah stand out there's a real vaudeville filled feel to this one i think yeah with all these exchanges and the the kid kid, I didn't, obviously I didn't try to chop off my own hands, but I

did have that, like, envision of like, well, what if I did chop it off halfway and then you chopped off mine? Could it work? Could it happen? In moments of desperation at bad jobs, I would wake up and think, hmm, would it be hard to break my ankle? Oh, jeez. Just

put on a fake cast. Don't break it. Just fake it. What, are they going to ask for your x-rays at work? That's not going to happen. They probably would at some jobs. Actually, yeah. And then drug test you. The Sentence will be right back. How we use electricity can be smarter, cleaner and greener. At Electric Ireland, we can help guide you there.

You see, our new Net Zero Hub has all you need to know about smart meter plans, EV tariffs, solar panels and much more. Making your usage clearer, your trips greener, your home cozier, and your world brighter. Find our net zero hub at electricireland.ie. I hope you're all adhering to the Kearney code out there. And I have a special Kearney shout out to our guest this week, Eric Siska. He did a great job.

We thank him so much for coming on. And you guys should definitely check him out on his podcast, We Hate Movies, and Hooked on TJ Hooker. Thanks so much, Eric, for your time. And if you enjoy this podcast but want to hear it a week ahead of time and ad free, you should head over to patreon.com slash TalkingSimpsons. Once you sign up at $5 a month, you'll get access to every episode of Talking Simpsons a week ahead of time and ad-free. And the same goes for our sister podcast,

our weekly animation podcast, What a Cartoon, where me and Bob give the Talking Simpsons treatment to a different animated series each week. But that's just the beginning of what you get for your $5 a month. You'll get our many, many series like Talking Critic, Talking Futurama, and the currently airing Talking of the Hill, where me and Bob are going through the entire first season of King of the Hill one Friday at a time. And you get to hear tons of interviews, over 20 original interviews me and bob have done with folks who

have worked on the simpsons some as early as the very first short on tracy ullman you'll hear all of that and a million other things if you sign up right now at patreon.com slash talking simpsons hard work doesn't make me and bob quit we rise to the challenge and make tons of new podcasts every week and if you want to hear some of our most premium content you need to check out the ten dollar and up level at patreon.com slash talking simpsons there we do a monthly what a cartoon movie podcast where me and bob discuss a different animated feature film each month that's usually chosen by our listeners. If you signed up now, you can hear me and Bob talk for three hours or more about films like Batman, Mask of the Phantasm, Kiki's Delivery Service, Akira, A Goofy Movie, and The Secret of NIMH with another cool movie coming up in april you will hear all of those plus get all of our original ten dollar and up video content that we did before we started the what a cartoon movie podcast check all of that out at patreon.com slash talking simpsons so yeah the the kids are put to work they immediately reject it and again march now

this shows how like lame and old i'm. I just feel for Marge. She put all that work into making that lemonade as a reward for them finally doing their chores, and they just went right back inside the second she turned around. I feel really bad for her here. Kids, I made some lemonade for you!

Sounds great! Bring it in here! What the? What are you doing inside? Work was hard, so we quit. What? Hard work made us quit. I see. Well, then, no chores, no allowance.

Okay, we get our room and board free anyway. And Santa Claus provides the rest. Hmm. The carnival! We need money fast. Well, well, well. Looks like somebody's gonna have to do some yards. It's carnival time!

Here's money, kids. Take what you need. All right, free money! I love that Homer's doing the dings now, too. It's just he loves saying it. It's just so fun. Free money. Free money. And he just opens his wallet, just take what you can, just grab it. It's also nice to see Lisa be rebellious for a change.

Yeah. She can be just as shiftless as Bart. They made Lisa into a bad a worse kid in the in the scully years which you know kids are lisa is kind of an idealized kid when she's good you know even a smart eight-year-old can also be a dick like definitely and says that like hard work made us quit like that, just that simple. I mean, your brain, as it's developing, it only wants to feed your impulses. It doesn't want anything long-term. Right, and she's not, like, into the manual labor.

She's got the brain, and you watch TV to gain information. Marge, you know, maybe Marge would have had a better shot if she had said it was, like, some environmental cause to clean up the backyard. She could have tricked Lisa. She wasn't thinking, she was trying to, that was Marge's mistake. She was trying to deal with them honestly when she should have just tricked the children. Like it works better when she like lies to them about going to Disneyland to trick them. Homer is just a big kid in this episode, but that was a good strategy as a kid. If one parent won't do something,

you go to the other parent. Oh, two parents, Henry. La-di-da mr two-parent household everybody has two parents i'm showing off here i'm sorry i talked to ghost dad you'd say to your mom well theoretically dad would let me do this i had a father he would say yes i'm It's okay. Check your dad privilege at the door. They head to the carnival. That's where there's the opening bit of them pulling Marge in different directions to do stuff.

It was food first for me at the carnival, not to be a stereotypical fat kid. I really enjoyed the Yardworks Simulator because as someone who plays a lot of video games, I have been playing the newest version of Yardworks Simulator, Stardew Valley. And to not go insane we edit a lot of podcasts i will usually play a a slow-paced video game i can pause while

i edit things and i've been playing a lot of stardew valley lately wow so i should get i should get back into that recommended yeah but well what's your favorite carny food is it uh i mean mine is mine is funnel cake, aka fried sugar. I'm with you there, I think. Yeah, I'm going to say fried, like bread is good. You fry the bread even better. Fry the bread and put sugar on it. We're talking business here.

What I love about funnel cakes is that they just like, there's no wrong way to make it. You just pour strings of dough into a fryer and then pull it out. It's almost like someone strung out on meth can make it. But a fryer with a meth head? That sounds like a real risk there. The other thing I like about funnel cakes is that after three minutes, it's not good. You gotta eat it while

it's crispy instead of soggy. It's like McDonald's food. You need to eat it immediately. Don't even go to the bathroom. And by the way, I'm sure there's some good, hard-working upstanding carnies out there yeah i'm sure there's got to be one or two i wonder like governmentally how do they wear like they got to be independent contractors then i would assume the uh that's how they pay their taxes as it like there has to be the carny business like that they can't just be fly by night anymore even in 98 so carnies

are getting 1099 miscs they're sending in estimated taxes every quarter boy we all sound like guys who find our taxes right now it's like we all have patreons uh the uh yeah i looked up there's no there are other yard work simulators not just stardew valley but there's not any in vr that i could find yet now there are carnival games vr the carnival games for our non-video game playing fans there's a long-running casual game series called carnival games and they made a vr version of that i played a demo of it once it's fine it's it's like every other vr game i've played which is like five minutes of fun and then my head hurts and i don't want to play anymore so the next clip though is uh

about the scary rides the tooth chipper here which also comes with a lot of uh simpsons history baked into it too wow the tooth chipper. Oh, me first. You can't go on that. You have a heart condition. Heart condition? Get out of here. You had a quadruple bypass. You nearly died. Don't you remember? Obviously, I don't. Now, if you'll get out of my way. But it doesn't look safe. And the guy running it looks a little seedy. No offense. None taken. He's not just some guy, Marge. He's a carny.

And part of a noble tradition. Carnies built this country. The carnival part of it, anyway. And though they may be rat-like in appearance, they are truly kings among men. Okay, let's go, fatty. Yes, sir.

Ow, my heart! They are really carrying the weight of the Simpsons history. They really are. And I was just listening to the other big Simpsons podcast, Everything's Coming Up Simpsons. Friends of ours. They're our friends. They're friends. But they recently did Homer's Triple Bypass. And upon hearing that again, like, I mean, we did it a few years ago,

you have to think about the horror of a 36-year-old man needing all of his valves replaced. That's pretty horrible. Yeah, actually, now as a 36-year-old, that is more chilling than any scrematorium. That'd take a lot of carnival food. Well, I mean, Homer does eat horribly and still does after his triple bypass, which I guess, you know, Dr. Nick Riviere is not telling him otherwise to improve his diet. Well, so that joke kind of confused me as a kid because she says quadruple bypass, and we all know the episode is triple bypass. Maybe got that last valve replace off screen sometime he's had other heart

attacks for sure one a year probably well the wiki the wiki it seems to suppose that the what made it from a triple to a quad was the heart attack he has at the end of uh you could be right you could be right about that that's that's their inference though i think it could also just be that like they meant to reference triple bypass but somebody wrote it as quadruple and and misspoke or increased it in a humorous fashion so he's just like uh dick cheney and Vice. How about we go to the hospital right now? How can Dick Cheney still be alive? What if we came to a different understanding and went to the hospital immediately? Yeah, but you're right.

This is them feeling the history again. I think almost every episode of season nine has a joke about how they did something before or how this is similar to something else or how they did or how they have a collection of things from a previous thing and there's one more reference in this episode coming up later visual reference uh but homer's obviously i don't is explains how they can even exist and continue doing stories because homer can't remember the things that happened before or else it would hurt their ability to tell stories now so they just have to accept like homer doesn't remember his quadruple bypass he's like memento

or something right he he does have a lot of brain damage i mean so it's it's a lot of it's a lot of history to tattoo on yourself after what 700 episodes jesus christ yeah uh so the scrematorium of dr frightmare stein is a great name that i love a lot it's like a thing on top of a thing on top of a thing i i and i love the carnival barker design too and he is his push of like there's two tickets like just to get the kids in there the all the carny designs like the rat like a guy in the previous scene i think is maybe my favorite because he has this ridiculous note like yeah he truly is rat like he very is and i've been on one of these like carnival haunted houses where it's essentially like built out of a trailer yes so there are a lot of sharp turns and

it's just very lame they are so lame yeah i'm uh they terrified me when i was like five i went on one and i remember just crying the rest of the day it like really got me but then when i went on it it made me scared of them until i went on one at 13 and that's when i realized like how just fucking lame they are this was after i'd been to like universe a real theme park and ridden a real ride so i i knew how low rent the whole thing was. And now the Screamatorium. Well, Bob has not seen us yet, but I'm just saying. I was thinking about us while watching this.

I'm seeing it on Saturday. As the trailers will show you, the Santa Monica Boardwalk is part of the movie. Oh, okay. Look, if you know, you know. I thought it was Santa Cruz. Oh, yeah. Sorry. I can visit the Screamatorium. You can. Oh, okay. Look, if you know, you know. I thought it was Santa Cruz. Oh, yeah, sorry. I can visit the Screamatorium.

You can, yes, yeah. I wonder if they've had a real uptick in Santa Cruz visits since... But yes, yeah, this ride here at the Screamatorium, though, I got the full clip because the sound effects are funny enough on their own

even without the visuals. No surgeon can save you. No bromo can soothe you. Do you dare enter the Screamatorium of Dr. Frightmarestein? Only two tickets left. Two tickets? Oh, what a break. This isn't very scary. I hope your blood.

Um, I think that one's broken. That was just confusing. Behold, the ravages of age. Boo. Exit to your left. Sorry. It's great that he actually has shame. Yeah.

The kid's staring at him. He's like, he's actually, all the other carnies, they're just like, look, I got your money. I don't care. But in this case, he actually feels bad about how shitty it is. That's his problem as a carny. He should be done with shame by now. I like that they care enough, though. They have a guy in there servicing it.

Yeah. Replacing it with the eyes of the owl. That's right. No, the ghost eyes. Spring and light bulbs. And yeah, the spring with nothing there. That's so great, too. I think it's a really underrated line,

but no bromo can soothe you. That's so great, too. I think it's a really underrated line, but like, no bromo can soothe you. That's a very oldie. It feels more like a Bill and Josh kind of oldie time reference of a bromide that soothes oneself. I enjoy the donkey skeleton. That's just confusing. There are a lot of really Schwarzwaldian touches in this episode. Yeah, the things that just happen for no reason. It's, yeah.

Well, also, that's being of great stupid joke constructions, the Krusty joke is only funny because of how obvious it is. I think they've even done jokes about squirting things at a carnival. Like, that was Nelson was squirting Martin at it, I remember now. They did. So they've done this joke before,

but doing it with Krusty and him failing to understand why it's happening is so sweatily hilarious and then yes we get our introduction to cooter and spud and i guess now it's sadly time to play the official simpsons death jingle for for our guest star so he only made it to 50 yeah very sad so he was like start. Death stalks you at every turn! There it is! Death! So he only made it to 50. Yeah, very sad. So he was in his 30s as Ernest. At peak Ernest, he was in his 30s. He's so much more successful.

By our age, he had been the most successful Ernest ever. We're failures. We're failures. Oh, definitely. Well, you can't keep comparing yourself to Ernest Bob I'm going out and buying a jean vest as soon as this is over well and yeah they it was a big deal for them to get Ernest they have a great gag on there too talking about how they after they got Jim Varney recorded he said he was going to Korea for a film festival he's like

I love Ernest in Korea I don't know and god his voice his voice this like you said it's the voice you get when you are a chain smoker who drinks like a fish yeah it's it it makes it unique nobody folks who don't who haven't died of lung cancer have to fake this voice and to put it on it's just it doesn't feel the same true i think the path to success is not the gene vest it's a packet of two three packs a day and a handle of Jack. God, I haven't even started smoking. I've drunk plenty. You need like high tar Marlboros to catch up now.

Yeah, and he plays Cooter great. And this shows his range too, because it's the same twang pretty much. But he does play earnest with a real naive innocence. He is the pigeon who gets caught by the Cooters of the world. same twang pretty much but he does play earnest with a real like naive innocence like yeah he is the pigeon who gets caught by the cooters of the world but he plays cooter as a like likable bad person that's that's what i read a scam artist who you're like well i still kind of like it you're funny scoundrel with charisma like that cooter and and you care for him as a father too i i like it.

And I had thought this, and they say it on the commentary directly, he is designed to look like Dave Merkin. Oh, you know what? Totally, yeah. I can see that. Former executive producer of the series with his ponytail and light mustache, which I think he's gotten rid of that mustache now. He went on to be a carny, right? He's producing shows for YouTube now, went on to be a carny right uh he's producing shows

for youtube now which is like being a carny it is definitely the carny of the entertainment world uh but yes let's let's hear from uh cooter for the first time three rings for a dollar who's ready who's ready see any pigeons yet, Dad? How about you, Lucky? Who, me? Hey, Sawtop, want your dad to win you a TV? Quick, Dad, before somebody else wins it. Ooh, almost. Rats, too hard. Ooh, almost.

Rats, too hard. Ooh, that was close. Wow, what a scam. Sorry, son. Daddy failed. Oh, listen, pal. I got a son of my own. Here.

A novelty comb. King's among men. I also know that they designed Spud to have bart's can head like it's a very similar head shape to bars the carny version of barts yeah and the uh and yeah the carny god so many great observations about carnival games like the i i did a ring toss once that uh and it was for a bunch of bottles. It was trying to throw them over bottles. Didn't win, Jack. I would have killed for that Beavis and Butthead poster.

I never won anything that big. I think I had to pop a balloon, and the price I paid to pop that balloon was more than the poster would have cost them, so it didn't really matter. And in this ring toss game, I love the win in the TV. It's old, and it's got cobwebs on it. It sits next to it. The new appliance everyone's talking about.

Oh, God. Such a great joke about how as you got older as a kid, I definitely would notice like, boy, that's an old radio that I could win here. Like at Chuck E. Cheese or those redemption ticket places, the costliest of prizes were often way out of date. Like, win a Nintendo. It's like, it's 1992. What's going on here? I don't want to win a Nintendo.

Now the Nintendo's worth way more than it was then in the box. Saying Chuck E. Cheese and redemption in the same sentence makes me think of Chuck E. working his way back after some horrible thing he's done. I think he's still sticking it out there chucky he's still doing it charles entertainment cheese fortnight might kill him uh he's he's outlived all he outlived guitar hero he can outlive uh that giant comb i never got that i did like the uh i think i man what was the i got like a ring that had a spider on it. That was that it would like, it was supposed to scare people. I go spiders on my hand. Oh no.

Ha ha. It's just, I didn't know that was the joke. I thought like, I'm the king of spiders. My special ring after, after you've shocked your mom, then it turns into that. So is that a rubber snakes? Those were usually the, uh, the five ring, the five ticket kind of win. I'd, I'd get it a carnival game like that. I love the Looney Tunes joke of Homer turning into a pigeon

and then turning back and he's still bobbing his head pigeon style. And then Homer, I always love when they write Homer as the perfect Rube. The one you pray for is just like, who, me? Yeah, he's literally counting his money or just holding a wad of cash. Just in his hand waiting for someone to just grab it from him. So this, I think, is the first rich Texan had appeared in other episodes before this.

Lady, you're all right. But I think this is his first thing where he is named Rich Texan. I thought it was Colonel Tex. Okay. Yeah. I think there's a sign that says Colonel Texas Carnival, which is interesting that he owns the carnival and I guess is

taking it town to town, so he's only in Springfield once in a while or I guess he resides there yet travels for business. And he puts his name on it, too. I think like how Snake's name is Gilbert, he is really Rich Texan in the script. I think he is. Yeah, he definitely is called Rich Texan out loud later in the show, too, in the later seasons.

But I think this is when he became more than just a one-line guy. And he became the guy who would show up when other rich people were around. This is the ascendance of Rich Texan, is what I mean. Maybe he should always be called colonel rich texan did he reach that rank in the uh the chicken services or well i think he's a colonel just like how colonel parker was a colonel like i think he was a he was a colonel in the wehrmacht and that's how he comes across hitler's car oh wow yeah all these hit. Again, another thing that really feels like Matt Grating was not in the room.

Matt Grating famously does not like Hitler jokes and tried to contain them as much as possible on the show. But they're so good. These are great. I love this. Yeah, this whole Hitler's car. Let's hear all about it. You're looking at Adolf Hitler's personal limousine. It's roomier than Bonnie and Clyde's death car and was the first automobile to come with Farfig Nugent.

Ooh. Wow, it's furorific. There are some who say Hitler's skeleton is in the trunk. Others say just a spare tire. I'm a busy man, so I haven't checked yet. Hmm. One of these must activate the flamethrower. Uh-oh.

Burt! What in the name of high school football? Out of my way, I'm Hitler! That is so great. So I just sort of realized upon this viewing, so it's the first car with Farfignugan. Yes. And that was Volkswagen's sort of catchphrase.

It means driving pleasure. It's sort of one of those German mashup words. It's a roundabout way of saying Volkswagen was in bed with Nazis. Which they were. Yeah, it's only fair. But I think Volkswagen probably would sue the show or not advertise with them if they knew they were being made fun of. Yeah, but I think I'm pretty sure Hitler's car was manufactured by Mercedes.

And didn't they also do some trucks for Nazi Germany? Possibly. Yeah, I mean, Mercedes was the top guys for them. Yeah, Volkswagen was a little lower on the list. Sorry, no, it's cars for the people, right? Yes, the Volkswagen. Sorry, no, it's cars for the people, right? Yes, the Volkswagen. Some people. Well, Jalopnik had an interesting article on

is it fair to say Volkswagen was founded by Nazis? Well, no. But? If you were a German company that existed in Germany during the Third Reich, you either were closed and shut down by the government

or you worked with the government. They want to be rich. Rich as Nazis. Yeah, exactly. Isn't there like an urban legend or something that Hitler designed the Volkswagen bug? Oh, yes, yeah. That's a fun urban legend, but it's not. Hitler was too busy with his meth,

and he had bigger plans. This is the second time that Bart was in a famous historical car, though. And Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington, he was inside of Bonnie and Clyde's death car. And Hilbert says, show some respect. So he can confirm if it's more roomier now. It seemed a little roomier on the inside. I like that Rich Texan even pitches why this is better than the other historical cars he could get. And the fact that he doesn't have time to check the trunk.

That Hitler skeleton might be inside. And yeah, the only fair, to be fair to Volkswagen, they were in Germany and they either had, they didn't have much choice to work for nazis whether the people who ran it wanted to or not meanwhile say general motors they were an american company and didn't they had some choice to work with nazis or not and they happily did so uh so think about that uh if we're we're measuring nazi cooperation i guess yeah let, let's hear all about Farfig Nugent, the random word from this 1991 car commercial. Whoa, that's Farfig Nugent. And the Volkswagen Jetta has plenty of it, let me tell you. I'm talking about crisp European handling, brisk acceleration, room for five adults, not to mention a huge trunk. Don't take my word for it, although I am a professional.

Sample some Farfignougan in a Jetta today. Farfignougan, it's what makes a car a Volkswagen. So it is roomy, and the trunk is large enough for one Hitler skeleton. That's too good. My brother had a Jetta. I think that's the only, it was like a used car he purchased. We were a Honda family. And were I to ever own a car again, I think it would be a Honda as well.

My mom bought plenty of Volkswagens. I have not questioned her reliance. Al Jean had a great joke about Volkswagen. Or it might have been a Mercedes. There was like a, this car company through the the years because it was their hundredth year and it was to the tune of like falling in love again and he jokes about how it gets up to like 1929 and then it cuts to the 50s like what happened in those other 20 years what happened there uh but enough hitler jokes i i like bart's out of my way I'm Hitler.

That's quite a pronouncement too. And did you guys notice that they've reused a couple of carny folk that they'd used in the previous seasons here? The Impervious to Pain guy. Oh, Impervo. Yeah. There was a joke about him in Homer Palooza. Yes. Yeah.

Actually kind of similar where he cuts his finger while putting a nail in his nose. He's like, ooh, ow, my finger. And then the fortune teller, though they changed her skin tone, I think. She's the same fortune teller who does tell Lisa about her future with Hugh Parkfield. From Lisa's wedding, yeah. Though I feel like there's a cut that it was Mo she's reading the fortune for. I feel like there's a cut joke where Moe would have said like, wow. Yeah, if Moe was there, there should be a Moe joke.

They crash the car, and that's when Bart gets punched being told like, what did Hitler ever do to you? A good outro line there. I like that. Then we're going to meet Humphrey the talking camel. I must say Humphrey is a dromedary. Only one hump. Oh.

Oh. Bam. I don't know these camel rules. That's the only rule you need to know. Okay. Also, that's fat, not water. So is he still a camel? Scientifically, no.

But I think it's easier to say camel. That's like the champagne region fact of camels. I did not know this about camels. If you want to be a little smart-ass kid uh it's a real gotcha for people though them becoming carnies this also speaking of uh things have gone on very long kind of jokes in the simpsons that homer just accepts having a new job like it is nothing like no i also want this job like i we have to do this job together did this start happening in the show yeah because i haven't you know i sort of haven't been watching it for a little while

and I know that it eventually gets to Homer having a new job every other weekend. I mean, I think technically it started in season three and on and off, but they would increase the amount of times they did these stories like Colonel Homer when he was Lurleen Lumpkin's manager for no reason.

That was really the start of it, I want to say. I think that might be the first real, like, well, no, dance in Homer. That's true, yeah. There's that in season two. But they had to make a big deal, like Homer has to tell his boss he's leaving. He has to, they're going to move.

It's like, but now it's just like, well, now he can have a new job. Yes. It's no longer grounded anymore. It's just like, for jokes, who cares? Yeah. I think the internal Rubicon was crossed. I love saying the term rubicon was

crossed but the the in the they made the real change when uh in homer palooza marge says you don't have to have this job why are you doing it's like uh it's my calling i have to that's when they finally like how does he just keep getting new jobs? And then, of course, in the previously mentioned Maude Dies episode, I think that's when they finally just put a pin in the whole thing. They're just like, Bart says, do you even go to work anymore? It's pretty obvious I don't. They ran out of jokes for the nuclear plant. But yes, here's them becoming carnies.

Not so fast, partner. You owe me some money. Hey, come on. He doesn't have any money. Look at his clothes. Here's them becoming carnies. too. Can I miss your hug? Can I, please? I don't know. You gonna get drunk and start a lot of trouble? Sure. Anything you want. Alright. See you tomorrow, 6am. And you're gonna work like you've never worked before. Woohoo!

We just saw the most amazing camel. It was wearing a hat! Marge is very easily amused. Lisa should know better. Yes, yeah. Yeah, she should be, maybe there should have been one extra joke where she's like, Mom, that's not the... But it's funny

to just go out on Marge and say, He had a hat! Yeah, then Homer, I also forgot they're working for free in all this, so the families really lose a lot of money on this deal. They're paying off their Hitler debt. So the family's really losing a lot of money on this deal. They're paying off their Hitler debt. Yeah, that's true.

Oh, God. That camel design, too. That's why I realize now why he's... There's no reason he has a hat other than for Marge to comment on it in the next scene. Delightful fez, I think. And speaking of disgusting things in this episode, the morning at the carnival sequence is so gross and funny, too. The readjusting the funhouse letters so they're askew is a great John Sportswater-style joke. I laughed really hard at that.

All of the trash blooming. Oh, God, yeah. And the rats running on the hot dog rollers. I love the guy's little laugh as he sprays them away. You got to find the fun where you can as a carny and the uh and yeah the that i i overthought the logic on that funhouse thing of like so do they straighten at night naturally and you have to unstraighten them at the at the start of every morning how does this happen i hate uh but that's that's the joke but yes for some reason

is a very for some Sweltzer logic. And yes, now that Bart and Homer are carnies, they get introduced to the carny code. Son, if you don't finish your cotton candy, you won't get your snow cone. Ah, heck. Hey, you lost your money fair and square. I didn't scam nobody. Put down your stick. We're here to work. Starting today, we're carnies, just like you.

Well, in that case, let me show you how I scammed you. Have a seat. Spud, throw a couple more apples in the caramel. How we use electricity can be smarter, cleaner, and greener. At Electric Ireland, we can help guide you there. You see, our new Net Zero Hub has all you need to know about smart meter plans, EV tariffs, solar panels and much more. Making your usage clearer, your trips greener, your home cozier and your world brighter.

Find our Net Zero Hub at electricireland.ie How we use electricity can be smarter, cleaner and greener. At Electric Ireland, we can help guide you there. You see, our new Net Zero Hub has all you need to know about smart meter plans, EV tariffs, solar panels, and much more. Making your usage clearer, your trips greener, your home cozier,

and your world brighter. Find our net zero hub at electricireland.ie. Oh, don't worry. That's just to scare off thieves. Hmm. Yeah, he's telling the truth. Thanks for the food, mister. Name's Cooter.

This is my boy, Spud. And there's no need to thank us. We carnival folks look out for each other. That's the carny code. Did you hear that, Bart? The carny code. Bart, did you hear that? Yes.

Yeah, Homer drinking from the barf bucket to test it. I mean, just drinking caramel from a rusty bucket is disgusting enough. Yes. That's a great screen crap you can get. And then it's stuck on his face for this scene. Yeah. I want to say, so then we get a bunch of feces later. And I have to say, at this point in the show, Ron Hauge was writing for the show.

And he had just come off of Ren and Stimpy. So I feel like all the scatological stuff is coming from him. Or he's putting the seed in their brains. Like, we can do this now. I thought G.G. Allen was writing for the show at this point. These gags would definitely fit. If you recast Bart and Homer as Ren and Stimpy doing these jobs around the carnival, it all works the same. Oh, God, yeah.

This is like the second act is a Ren and Stimpy short. Ren and Stimpy get a new job. Yeah, that was like every Ren and Stimpy. Now they're this. God, him drinking from the barf bucket is so... It's so funny, but so disgusting. Like, it's, again, maybe like Matt Groening would have said no to that. And I also like the bart is so homer for plot purposes has to reinforce the carny code because it will come

up later and bart's man and they're like yes i hear it i it's the the point has been reinforced i'm even more shocked now that they got that amount of horses shit on screen. It's so lovingly depicted. It's green and brown. Real variety to it. And Bart's just shoveling it to a bigger pile. It doesn't really seem to be cleaning it up. Where's it going? They cut at just the right point after the tail rays.

It's a very funny joke. Yeah, I think Mark Kirkland on the commentary says this is the only one he asked his parents not to watch and i think it's just because it's so gross like it's just such a disgusting one uh yeah a tail raising joke in the simpsons but but lee nancy's acting on it is really good to like and uh well and speaking this isn't so much disgusting, but the sounds, the sounds of Homer in this dunk tank. Oh, boy. Yeah.

It hurts so much. And I'm now going to inflict it upon the audience here. I thought you were just about to. Please, folks, hold your fire. The water level is dangerously low. Ow! Ow! Ow!

Ow! My leg! Oh All right now this geek bit is pretty straightforward you just bite the heads off the chickens take a bow Go on give it a try remember big smiles Art yeah, dad. Do I like chicken? Does it matter? I guess not. Hey, boss.

Me and Spud got to duck out for our AA meeting. We need someone to cover for us. Okay. Simpson, you and your boy will be taking over the ring toss. Dad, we're saved. Buddy, you're the luckiest chicken in the world. Homer pulling that chicken out, he put it

in butt first. Yes. That has to be the nastiest way to put a chicken in your mouth, I'd have to think. I also love this sequence because at the geek tent, in the background it says artist's entrance. So they're at the back area for performers ah i miss that yeah that's great i like the joke about the a meetings but this is a very different

definition of geek than the one we all grew up with it was weird to find out in retrospect like geek was different yeah it meant you were like a circus freak who bit the heads off chickens and the classic song pencil net geek was not about a nerd, but about a weird-looking guy who belongs in the circus. Yeah, I prefer the term geek as synonymous with nerd. Or like the definition now feels more like, well, a geek is a nerd who doesn't read anything that's useful. I feel like I'm more of a dork. I'm more of a nerd linger. That's mine. And also now, I mean, the geek business is big business now, and it's about paying $50 for tickets to Avengers Endgame

for the fan event one, which I'm not saying I did this morning. What is the fan event one? Oh, boy. You're serious about this. It's the $10 idiot tax is what it is. Oh, okay. Well, now, all right. So, look, the tickets went on sale this morning.

They were selling out, and I want to watch it on Thursday and just be done with it and have seen it the day it's out. That sounds like a good way to approach an entertainment product. I want this to be over with. No, no, no. I want to see this film and then not have things spoiled. I see. And so the tickets that were available, they were selling out really fast at pretty much every reserved seat place in San Francisco, but less so for the $25 tickets for Endgame at the Alamo Drafthouse at 5 p.m. Does that include a meet and greet with the actors?

It involves a collectible coin. Ah. And that's it. And so I paid my $53 for me and my husband's tickets. Two room tickets, please. Hey, the tickets weren't available at the other places. And even theirs were like $17. It's like $8 more a thing.

And to see it at five and be done there were some tickets that were for like 2 30 in the morning so you would leave at 6 a.m from seeing your avengers on a friday morning like that's insane yeah the runtime is giving me pause yes i if you include the 30 minutes of trailers that come before a movie you see like three and a half hours that like three and a half hours. That's three and a half hours is how much that movie's worth. Life is too short. But Bob, the Avengers, they're going to get together again.

They're fighting Thanos. Oh, but this geek bit here too reminds me of the Dana Gould podcast had a great rundown of geeks and their history. And even this quote from this book that also became a movie about carnies. It's like an old-style, hard-boiled thriller about explaining how you make a geek. And it is you get a rummy and then basically destroy his life

until all he will do is bite the heads off chickens for more sweet sweet uh mash liquor rum it's uh dana gould i was surprised dana gould didn't work on this because he loves the carny uh atmosphere oh he does yeah but this predates his time on the show yeah the they also said they they were influenced by uh hope and crosby, Bart and Homer going like, yes, like that. It's a very roadshow kind of movie. Yeah, the talking like through the teeth thing to try to be not noticed,

even though you're talking at normal volume kind of thing. Very loudly through your teeth. And yeah, I like that Spud has not only become an alcoholic, but now is on the other side of it and going to AA. That's what I love, too. It's like Spud is like, what, a 12-year-old alcoholic? And also, you get a nice joke about the mistreatment of factory farms with the luckiest chicken in the world shoved into his cage. Cooter takes Homer and Bart through how to do the ring toss, which is when he very quickly realizes

Bart is the one who should be in charge of scans. You see, the trick here is the rings won't fit over the good prizes. Well, we'll see about that. Give me ten rings. So anyway, the main thing is to bring in the rubes. Do whatever it takes. Sweet talk, insults, slang from the 30s that no one uses anymore. Like rubes?

Now you're on the trolley. We got a gift. Here's the money box. Any questions? Uh, yes. How do we handle refunds? I'm gonna give this to you. Good move.

Give me ten rings. Looky, looky, hey, hey, waka, waka. I got rings and you want them when a genuine Ronax watch, just like a real moogie star. I enjoy the term moogie star. Moogie star, yeah. And waka, waka.

What was that? It made me wonder, does Fozzie Bear say waka, waka because that's what carnival performers said? Oh, maybe he was a geek. I think he started as a geek well he's sort of a show he was biting chickens heads off before gonzo took them in as his lovers that's how they were around they were around because fozzie wrangled them to bite their

heads off and gonzo got horny i mean fozzie was his character was just like the sort of bad vaudeville character back when an audience could know what that was. Even then, it seemed it was intentionally old in 1970 to do those jokes with. Fozzie is, you know, it's hard to say. Who is Frank Oz's best character? I think it is Fozzie. I mean, Miss Piggy's pretty good, but I think Fozzie is who he's most connected. I'm going to throw you a curveball, Bert. Yeah.

Man, that's tough. I don't know. Fozzie's good. I mean, he's a great anti-comedy dude. Yeah. He was the first alt comic. Exactly, yeah. He was like the Neil Hamburger of the 70s.

Yeah, and the alt rooms in the comedy scene started at geek shows where they were biting the heads off chickens. Yeah, Cooter's whole exchange with Homer is great. He's trying to turn a pigeon into a scam artist.

He should have realized at this point, this is not going to end well. We really shouldn't be doing this with Homer, but they're out of options. Also, the Bart and Spud exchange about old timey phrases. That's a great gag on how like dated this is or how like this isn't how carnivals probably work now. You're writing it like it's the 30s. I want to know the story behind that con man. I love the design on that con man.

Oh, it's so great. I made an animated gif of that immediately after I saw that scene. He looks so cool. Like the cards going between the hands is so, so cool looking. Yeah, yeah. And I'm like, what's his story? Does he go to the carnivals to rip off people among the carnies? He's a carny hustler. Maybe he used to be a carny and he graduated to full-on con man. I bet in season 27 he got an episode.

They scam Skinner as well. This is a good joke, but it does feel like it's a time where Skinner's, it veers from Skinner being just a loser to a violent loser. I love it. Yeah, it's still got a really big gut laugh for me when it just pans over to the knife. It's a very good reveal of him just going for the knife. What is it with you and failure? God, so mean like yeah and yeah that that also the line of skinner saying can i actually win this and part's like

if i like you hot dog like he's like bart definitely likes me like that's that is a nice extra layer of sadness to it too but this next bit with wigum and homer it feels like an abbott and costello routine or something like that. Yeah, it reminds me a bit of the, uh, hello, Mr. Thompson. Yeah. Yes, this is like a full vaudeville routine. I couldn't cut a second

of it. So yes, let's hear about Mr. Bribe. I hate to interrupt your fun, boys, but I got a few complaints that your game is crooked. And how? I'd hate to close you down. Maybe we can reach a little understanding here. I understand. Um, hey, Dad, I think he wants... Not right now, son. Daddy's talking to a policeman.

Let me put it this way. I'm looking for my friend Bill. Have you seen any Bills around here? No. He's Bart. Listen carefully and watch me wink as I speak, okay? Okay. The guy I'm really looking for wink is mr bribe wink wink it's a ring toss game that's it i'm shutting this game down it's a very weird juxtaposition to have wiggum be much smarter than someone in the scene but it still works yeah it's true it's

uh they homer and wiggum kind of go in and out of who's smarter than the other. Poor Wiggum. I guess, yeah, this is one of the rare times where Wiggum's love of graft outweighs his unintelligence, I suppose. And God, just his wink. He's Bart. I understand. Even better with his kind of condescending thing to Bart of just like, Daddy's talking to

a police officer. God, the whole bit's hilarious. Homer and Wiggum are just a great pair. They should do more stuff together. And yeah, they take, so they repossess the ring toss. Cooter and Spud are without homes. I forgot to mention earlier in the morning scene, you

see that they sleep on the ring toss. It's their home. Yes, yeah. And so this carnival's in town for a while, but I guess that is how they work.

The carnival's in town for like two weeks and then goes somewhere else. And they suggest that they just go move into the whack-a-mole game, but that's where Fantastic Dan lives.

Yeah. I love how hard it looks like he's where Fantastic Dan lives. I love how hard it looks like he's been hit by Nelson. Nelson's around? Yeah. That's right. Nelson's just traveling around dealing out punishment. Sorry, Eric. No, not at all. I just need more Fantastic Dan. You're right. Probably

season 28 he's got an episode, but he's this old dude with a mustache and an aviator hat on. Like an old fly boy. Actually, he comes back in the episode I'm with Cupid. Does Homer try to kill him? Yes.

And he tries to kill Homer? Fantastic Dan, the next time we see him, is a sky writer who's trying to write a thing to Manjula. Oh, wow. And Homer and him get in a fight. And it's where Homer keeps punching him and says, Why won't you die? We're going to have to revisit that. Fantastic Dan's head can take a lot of abuse for being so old. It seems like he's a tough cookie to survive.

But I love that in both times, Dan Castellaneta plays him the same, which is like, What's that, boy? He's such a specific impersonation there of an old fly boy. I love that. And yeah, as they lose their house, Homer is going to do right by Cooter. Our game. Our home. What happened here?

Cops took it. What? Why didn't you bribe them? I was trying to, but the opportunity never came up. Oh, good Lord. Our whole life was in that trailer. What are we going to do now? Can't you stay in the whack-a-mole game?

Nah. Fantastic Dan lives there. Did you call me, spud? Look at him, Bart. If a carny can wind up homeless, it can happen to anyone. I'm going for a corn dog. You want one? Yes. But first, there's a little matter of the carny can wind up homeless, it can happen to anyone. I'm going for a corn dog. You want one? Yes, but first there's a little matter of the carny code. Coder, Spud, get off that hog.

You're coming to stay at our house. Why did you shatter just now, Mom? I don't know. There's a tremor in the force, right? She has a spider sense for it by now yeah i mean this is like what so in terms of the transients they've let live with them there's like otto uh chester lampwick liam kompowski her powell her powell yeah yeah i think that's that's at least four i can think of at this point that they they have a lot of transient stay with them it's

true did you guys get to the Rodney Dangerfield episode? Oh, right. Larry Burns. You're right. Larry Burns, too. And I guess in Krusty Gets Cancelled, you could count Krusty. They do let him move in, too, but he's not exactly homeless yet. Man, wow. Yeah, that's at least six right there

off the top of our heads that they've had live with him. And I guess Apu, they let apu live with him all right exactly homeless uh i figured he must have been if he couldn't go back to his apartment well he insists on living uh you have to repay his debt yeah so i assume he's just not staying with sanjay he counts he counts and yeah the homer makes it up to him at first but when they show up like cops took it, they don't feel bad at all. They have no emotion for it.

This is jerk-ass Homer who does not care about any other person. It feels more innocent, though, in that he's not connecting what happened with the cops taking away the trailer. It's like, oh, that just happened. Weird. You know, they could probably just go down there and bribe Wiggum now. Yeah. It's not too late. Mr. Bribe can still show up. They should have made their run for the bribe instead of talking to Homer or sitting on that pig.

That pig, the sound of that pig. I love that, too. Although I do. Okay, so this did give me a little more compassion for Cooter and Spud. They're pretty bad in stealing the house later, but Homer did cost them their house first. So, you know, fair is fair, guys. That's true. That's true. That's true.

And so, yes, when we come back, the cooters have moved in. There's a great little gag of Spud unhooking all of his joints. Yeah. That his legs can just spin around in circles is maybe the most disgusting of it. There was a lot of talk on the internet in this fabled year of 1998. Are Lisa's eyes blue? Lots of wasted hours talking about that yeah so definitively this episode points out her eyes are blue well i will throw some question into

that because it is a carny saying it he could just be talking up lisa as a compliment and saying that was part of the discussion okay so it's still up in the air i'm on their side i don't exactly trust this spud when he says her eyes are blue and also just his disgusting feet set up on the thing too it's a good way to open the act on just feet shot of feet and the point again marge is just suffering every second of this episode it's uh they're really they're really mean to poor old marge here oh yeah and one of them i don't know if it was Cooter or Spud, mentions like, wow, you got a nice house, ma'am. It must have taken you years to win all this stuff. Now, you

know, it's just like, well, yeah, I mean, that's capitalism, right? It's just all a carny game that runs this country. Carnies know it all. That's true. Here we thought that they were the bumpkins, but they're more informed than us on this. They know meritocracy is bullshit.

Yeah, you got to steal what you can. That's the game. What is Patreon but us winning tickets? Oh, man, guys, you get so many things for your tickets this month. Keep subscribing. Keep throwing those rings. I like that Marge calls them roustabouts, too. Yeah, everyone's using slang from the 30s.

It's great. It's peppered throughout slang from the 30s. It's great. It's peppered throughout the episode for every character. It's amazing. Then in this next bit here, I do believe this is the first time a joke on The Simpsons was about pulling something out of your butthole, I think. I was going to say the joke with Smithers needing something removed from his butt in My Sister, My Sitter. That's true. We don't see it. We have to assume it was removed.

They keep it vague enough. Well, he doesn't say something is in my butt. I mean, obviously, we all know the joke we're supposed to connect there. But this is more open about pulling something out of one's anus. I do like Homer's exclamation in the background. It made me laugh really hard this morning. They're like the perfect comedy audience for him here, actually. Let's give that a listen. Here's a little trick my grandmother taught me. Thank hard this morning. They're like the perfect comedy audience for him here actually. Let's give that a listen.

Here's a little trick my grandmother taught me. Thank you. Wow. Can you do that again? Not for a little while. So, Mr. Cooter, how long have you been in the traveling amusement industry? Oh, hell, the Cooters have been carnies ever since we came here in 1620, clanging to the side of the Mayflower. Thanks for dinner, Mom. I love you.

Aw, aren't you sweet? Hey, my pearls! Spud taught me that. Good one, Spud. Well, sure is awful kind of you to take us into your beautiful home here. Just wish we had some way to repay you. I don't think that's something. Yeah. Good thinking, Spudford.

You folks ever been on a glass-bottom boat ride? Because we just happen to have some tickets. Oh, what a nice surprise. This is so generous of you, Cooter. Now who's the filthy sleazebag, huh, Marge? Filthy sleazebag. I love it's a handed-down trick from his grandmother, too. Though, I mean, come on, that's what's going to give you lung cancer,

swallowing all those cigarettes lit cigarettes that stay lit all the way through the body's various orifices just emitting smoke throughout your digestive system singed asshole singed ear hole nose and he's just all scar tissue by now that's a good point yeah it's probably very easy for him although he has to take a break in between yeah it's uh i think it it's almost implication like when i was younger i could do this over and over again but uh just it takes me a minute now guys maybe start working like they used to uh just give grandpa a second yeah that's the the effort i it's really well done the like his like like the effort of expelling it the last time. And Zed Homer's like, no, no.

And the extra gag that he puts it out on the dish, like, yep, there's my butthole cigarette on your dish right there. Oh, yeah, that's totally cool. And the Glass Bottom boat ride stuff coming up, it's fun. I do like how apparently this same organization or touring group killed 90 people and they're still going it's unbelievable like yeah that's actually the more i thought about it it's such an insanely dark joke of the like 88 people down with 88 souls died two weeks ago they're still operating that's what's so great about that show, because it was so recent.

That's a national news tragedy when that happens. And they're just still operating their boat. And there's apparently sharks in whatever body of water this is? Yeah, which would seem that it's not freshwater. So they're on some ocean here. But we do get cartoon butts, which are now illegal. So treasure every cartoon butt, because we cannot see them anymore. Is that true? They illegalized the cartoon butt? On network, yeah.

Yeah, after the Janet Jackson scandal, we were all clutching our pearls over one curvy line on a character. Yes, yeah. It's sad. The butts went away not too long after this. We've even talked like butts now in kids' cartoons on Cartoon Network is tough. Our friends of the show who do the TV show OK KO, they were talking about how like they want to put butts on things that they can't. They want to show a butt just for comedy purposes. And they are simply not allowed. They can even cite precedent of like, but in the 90s, this show showed a butt. And they're like, well, that's not now. We don't do the butts anymore.

We'll be getting to an episode soon that is just wall toto-wall butts oh yes yeah the season finale yes the season finale is all it is hardcore nudity the episode all right hardcore nudity uh have any of you guys taken a glass bottom boat ride i think i have once on a family trip i never have uh it's not as a very exciting at all it seems like if you're not like in the uh the caribbean what are you going to see in like murky lake water right yes that's yeah you you hope for fish to come by and they never do wow carp there's also a great moment here where homer's taunting the shark on the glass bottom boat ride by calling like saying like and you call yourself the king of the jungle oh that's good too it's such a dumb joke but it made me laugh there's so many great like so much comedy in this episode is

one from where a scene ends like just from hard edits and the shark is like one second away from breaking the glass so they have to cut because it's like they they obviously it doesn't sink because they're not all wet when they come back. But like, it's such a great just extra gag there, too. Somebody should be watching them that they're taunting the sharks. Like, they're really getting away with something there, too. Though as a kid, I did have Marge's dream of like, what is under the car? What am I missing? I enjoy the very small dreams of Marge.

Like, what am I missing? And so, yes, that, but it turns out it was all a diversion. I was wrong about the cooters, Dad. They're the nicest of all the transients you've ever brought home.

Man, yeah. Yeah, yeah. That's weird. The key doesn't fit. Hey, someone's boarded up our windows. Check this out. What's going on?

Cooter! What have you done to our house? It's ours now. Tell us where the extra sheets are and get off our property. They're squatting in our house. You can't do this to me. What about the carny code? Oh, that laugh.

What a great evil laugh he had. Again, created by years of smoking. Ten million cigarettes. So do we think Cooter has the locksmith trade down, Pat? Or did he get a locksmith out that fast? Boy, I think in his realm of work, he'd know how to pick locks by this point. I think he has a locksmith kit, or at least, I mean, what? You just break a key off in the lock. That'd work, too.

I guess that's fair. I've dealt with locksmiths, and they seem carny adjacent. They're always slightly filthy. That's true. I don't know why maybe all that lock grease they're up to their wrists in every day you know i think this could be a good line of work for cooter going forward yeah legitimate yeah it's the it's like the guys who go from being like uh people who pass bad checks who then work for the fbi to help them find people who pass bad checks you know now i'm definitely feeling he's a locksmith or he knows the smithery trade i suppose they also were able to just board up all the windows and the note like the the flanders really failed here

they should have called the cops when they saw the windows being boarded up i think well i mean he just got through he's he's nursing snake wounds that's true he's still in the hospital actually they put that in the first act to answer your question, Henry. Like, why didn't Flanders help? He's strung out on anti-venoms, trying to not die. The line about all their transients, that's, again, just feeling the weight of the show. Same with also on the glass bottom boat, they see little Lisa slurry. Not just last year on the show.

Yeah, yeah. They could have even put more stuff in there like but the slurry's enough it's yes homer tries to go to the cops and he finds out that the the bribe he's it's the callback to the bribe scene and uh that's still not working out for him i i love again he says to lisa like honey dad he's waiting for the detective detective like i give a damn yeah mr no bribe is waiting for a detective like I give a damn. Homer is so trusting of the cops. He's a very trusting guy in general on this episode.

Yeah, I think Wiggum replaces Invisible Typewriter with the detective like I give a damn. And then, yes, the Simpsons are getting used to their new living situation in the backyard. They're hated. You know, I didn't even think of that. This brings them back. The episode ends with them in the backyard that they had previously spurred at the start of the backyard. They're hated. You know, I didn't even think of that. This brings them back. The episode ends with them in the backyard that they had previously spurred at the start of the episode. Sparks, you're brushing your teeth

with my twig. So, I'll let you use my leaves. Listen to him. Watching my television. Sitting on my couch. You better not be in my ass groove. Homer! It took me years in my ass groove. Homer! It took me years to forge that groove.

Oh! One of them's playing my saxophone. Oh, no! The spit valve! Release the spit valve! Over the sink! Over the sink! Hey, look at me.

I'm a millionaire. Wow, Dad. You look like James Bond. Hey, it's getting cold in here. Throw another one of them photo albums on the farm. Which one? Precious moments or treasured memories? Quit your yapping.

I'm freezing. They don't know how homes work. I like that touch. And the photo albums are nothing. And also that Homer's clothes are so fancy to them. A collar. He's got a collar on his shirt. Oh, my God.

I wanted to ask you guys about this because, you know, you guys are like Simpson historians. And I was wondering, does Homer wear a white short-sleeved button-down shirt, or is it like a white polo shirt? I think it is a polo shirt. I always read it as polo, even though I think when he wears the clip-on tie at work, that is supposed to be read as him wearing a button-up shirt, I think. So it might be interchangeable there. You know what? No, I think it's supposed to be Polo then too, actually. When that shirt gets made pink in

the band episode now, but in that one, I think it's still supposed to be read as a Polo shirt. Yeah. That's not a very white-collar job thing, is it? They did an episode about the origin of his pants, but not of his shirt, so we're still waiting for season 33. We need a shirt episode.

By the way, hilarious how huge these clothes are on Mr. Cooter there. And the line that he looks like James Bond, when I first heard that, was just hysterical. He thinks he looks like a millionaire. Yes, yes. And the way it just flops around on his body, too. Such a good sense of movement on these oversized clothes. And the burning of like the burning

of it anything they could burn they burn the one thing you can't replace i i did sadly realize that i do have an ass groove in my couch because i've had the same ikea couch for like eight years and i refuse to replace it until i move it's gonna stick with me in that apartment until i leave then i'll burn it but i've been sitting in the same place on that couch since I've had it. So there's like a real Bob in Prince of the one location on the couch where I sit. It's like the slip cover is kind of worn away in that area too. It's just like a lot of history being in that couch.

So do you consider that groove like a precious moment or a treasured memory? I consider it shameful that I've had an Ikea couch for that long. It's a long time to have one though. I mean, I've had this Ikea couch for two long. It's a long time to have one, though. I've had this Ikea couch for two years. It's still pretty good. It's still good. Mostly, I gotta say, I watch

TV and play video games more in bed than I do on the couch. So, I have more of a bed groove than a couch groove, I'd say. Homer had the bed groove when he was very large. Remember that? Oh, yes. March fell into it. And I also love... Actually, I'm gonna couch groove i'd say homer had the bed groove when he was uh very large remember that oh yes march fell into it and i also love actually i'm gonna give that whole scene line of the episode

because i also love his exclamation of that urkel's a hoot that's yes so let me play the jingle real quick to make it official that's the joke jim varney making fun of Urkel. Don't throw stones in the glass house, buddy. I feel like there was a Disney magazine cover that had Urkel and Ernest on it together. But they never officially crossed over in a commercial or something. It's just too bad. A missed opportunity by Jaleel.

It would be too entertaining. They could never join forces. They could play it as city mouse and country mouse together. That's what I'd like. That'd be like the mid-90s Avengers. You could Urkel, Ernest. Who else could you get in there? Garth, but not Wayne.

Yes, yeah. Man, Balky. Balky, yeah. There was one reference in this that totally reminded me of context we've gotten from having an interview with Josh Weinstein. Now, so Bob, do you remember in our interview with Josh Weinstein, which you can hear on the Patreon, sign up now. Do you remember on there where he talked about the time they dared Steve Tompkins to eat some red berries outside of the writer's room and it made him sick all day? Yes, yes. the writer's room and it made him sick all day yes yes when marge says i found some of the red things that grow outside and steve tompkins was still employed there i wonder if it was them

an in joke about the time they challenged steve tompkins to eat red berries from outside could be right uh it's important to note that at that time they didn't have smartphones so to entertain themselves they either ate too much or poisoned themselves dared each other in the writer's room yeah i think this and the taste like burning joke we're getting in a couple episodes both come from steve tompkins being dared to eat i'm glad steve lived he's a very rich man don't don't feel bad for him he's he's got health care he's fine he can eat all the berries he wants uh but yes so the the family also i think that's the first joke they've ever had about the kids wiping themselves oh right it feels again this is just a very the most scatological episode ever i i gotta think somebody got a talking to

from mac grading about how how much this one went to uh into the I think. The family has a pretty crappy new living situation, and they have a really good plan on how to get it back. We can't just give up our home. There's got to be a way to get those guys out of there. I say we set fire to the house. Kill them that way. We don't want to kill them, Bart.

We just want our home back. Well, if we did set fire to the house... No fires! I've got it! No fires! There must be a way to outsmart them. You can't outsmart carnival folk. They're the cleverest folk in the world.

Just look at the way they sucker regular folk with those crooked games. That's it. Fire. Or. I forgot. That last fire always sneaks up on me because the other ones are so funny. Is that like a Waco reference? Oh, could be.

Could be. Like you stepped by your own place? That's true. Yeah, I did not think of that. I mean, allegedly. I'm sure the ATF made it. I don't know enough about Waco, but I remember that was going around for a time.

Yeah, yeah. I trust the government's account. They wouldn't lie to me. You can watch a prestige TV version of Waco. That's true. Right. I mean, my takeaway about Waco is they're both bad. Both sides have mistakes for me there. Exactly. Both sides have mistakes were made there.

Exactly. You have child riots and also fires. I love that everyone else is like, let's just kill them. And Bart's like, we're not murdering people. Or? Especially Bart's like,

kill them that way. And Bart has to be like, this is not a plan to kill people. It's to get our house back. Yeah, that final fire especially Bart's like, kill him that way. And Marge has to be like, this is not a plan to kill people. It's to get our house back. Yeah, that final fire just hits you. I was sure like, okay, they already did Homer thinking fire too, too late. They won't do that again. And then he says fire. Actually, that's all in the episode.

Move the jingle over there. That's it. So this was a really really apparently they were stuck for an ending they say on the commentary this took them a while to figure out they had another one where homer just does get the ring toss and succeeds and i'm really glad they got to this ending instead it's funny because he does use the carny code which is screwing people out of things they have yeah money and houses and also credit goes to animator on the show matt nastick who uh mark kirkland on the commentary points out he drew all by hand with no effects the fish eye

through the people look that's a great little scene it looks so good it's it's a great bit of animation that you need to be reminded of folks like a computer didn't do that a person figured out the movements in that kind of an extreme viewpoint and drew it like it's just uh that is to be celebrated homer actually does have a plan and a proposition for cooter resident i got a proposition for you cooter yeah i'm listening one game of ring toss if I can throw this hula hoop onto the chimney, you'll give us our house back. If I miss, I'll sign the deed over to you. Oh, no. Oh, you'll never make it, Dad.

So we don't own the house legit? That's right. Deal. And then there's a very tense moment here so when you know it's all a scam gotta give it to the whole family acting there just like oh Homer you can't like they're all in on it

so I like that it's a family effort to scam Cooter and Spud and yeah this time Homer is actually smarter than someone else and outsmarts them almost unbelievable I think the only way he got away with it is because cooter so underestimates homer and knows he's this stupid that he thought it would be impossible for him to trick him it's like how

in a star trek movie i think it was in uh into dark where they're like well a a vulcan can't lie so you're definitely gonna do this and that they tricked. We forgot to point out a very nice observational touch is the rat tail on Spud. Yes. And I remember watching The Phantom Menace in theaters the first day and saying, George Lucas, you cannot walk back the rat tail. I don't care how cool you want these characters to be.

It is not cool. Can't do that. You think about the Jedi presented in the prequels, and they're sort of like carnies they travel they abduct children to be a part of their nefarious gang they grow questionable hairstyles they have a code as well that's true wow wow it's all coming together so star wars it's just about carnies uh that's why you's why, you know what? Honestly, I'm on the side of the emperor now. Like, these carnies got to go. Got to clean them out.

But that sounds like I'm saying we should. Only one carny can be around. Well, I guess two with Vader. Yeah, you need a carny and a carny assistant. Dark carnies. Actually, it sounded like there I was endorsing genocide of carnies. So I do not want that. No, just Jedi carnies.

Not real life carnies. These are hypothetical carnies that no just jedi carnies not real life carnies these are these are hypothetical carnies that exist in a galaxy far far away a long time ago space carnies from the past this one really got me in first viewing as a kid i thought this was such a clever ending that i was like it felt like other simpsons episodes in in around the same time where they write themselves into a corner and other times they didn't get out of that corner as well as this. And they really had a stroke of brilliance. Compare this to the episode where they write themselves into a corner that they have to find the Loch Ness Monster. Well, what do we do after that? But this one is a very clever fix. It feels like of the David merkin season five and six kind of screw

the audience joke where it's like what's homer gonna do and then his plot is just steal the house back but that's also very clever yeah it's just as clever as like a very like he bounces the ring off of something or a bird takes it over the chimney or something some funnier joke than that instead they just go like now kids they just in. And they laugh through the mail slot. And then Cooter. So in this last bit here, we say goodbye to Cooter. I would have liked if he could have come back for another episode. If Jim Varney had stayed healthy, I feel like Cooter could have been a recurring guest star. Not exactly a Sideshow Bob type, but he caught jobs. He needed to meet Cletus.

Yes, yeah. Cooter could have meet Cletus. Yes, yeah. Cooter could have been Cletus' half-brother or perhaps father-brother. You know what? Actually, Cletus is woefully missing here. There could have been a scene where Cletus welcomes his family back to town or he's working with them or something, yeah.

Remember that Child Protective Services episode? I could definitely see Cooter and Spud in that same classroom with Cl something. Yeah. Remember that Child Protective Services episode? Like, I could definitely see Cooter and Spud in that same classroom with Cletus and Homer. Yeah. Oh, yeah. But it's just, without Jim Varney, you can't do it anyway. Lots which.

I mean, also, Cooter's design, I mean, it's meant to look like Dave Merkin, but Jim Varney could play Cooter in real life. He looks a lot like him, too. He's got a vest and everything. Yes, yeah. Though his little paunch, that's not what Cooter, or Jim Varney looks a lot like him. He's got a vest and everything. Yes, yeah. Though his little paunch, that's not what Cooter, or

Jim Varney, he did not have that. He was fit. Yeah. Aside from all the drinking and smoking, I suppose. But yes, here's the end of the episode. No! What the... Hi!

They just ran into the house. That Homer fella grifted you good, Dad. Well, there's no shame in being beaten by the best. But he didn't see them all that... We were beaten by the best, boy. I'm so proud of you, Homer. You got our house back. Way to go, Dad. You actually outwitted someone. I guess your old man is smarter than you thought.

And look at him standing out there. No place to go. Poor guys. Hey, what if we let him stay here for just a few days? Mom, get him away from the window. Homer! My groove! Oh, they mushed it all out of shape. All right. Better put on a pot of coffee, Marge.

This could take a while. I do like the idea of forging her ass groove. Yes, yeah, and then re-sculpting it with your butt. You know, now I talk about how scatological this episode is. It's fitting it ends with a butt reference one last time here. I love the rewriting of history

Cooter and Spud are about to do. We were beaten by the best. It's the only way they can live with themselves. I feel like Cooter getting tricked by Homer would make one suicidal. So I feel like he has it there's the only way he can function go back to the other carnies and spread the legend of homer the greatest grifter and then homer they that's how they have to walk back homer being actually

outwitting somebody that he then has to be basically a dog pulled away from the window because otherwise he'll let them back in. He has such a big heart. Except when he doesn't. He has a big heart and other times he doesn't care if people die. I think he just wants to generate a new sitcom plot. Yes, yeah. He's like, what if they came back? They're like, no, the episode's over, Homer.

I also like, it's a very, you know, hearing it this time, it's a very dog way they treat Homer like, Homer! Yeah. And she passed the thing like, Homer, Homer! Easily distracted. That song grooved me. It plays over the credits as we hear Homer's butt clenching it the whole time. It's a funny little musical ending.

They had a lot of good, you know, licensed songs over the credits in this era here. I think, you know, we talked about before, Mike Scully, a big fan of 70s rock. And so this is another one of those songs. This is specifically from 1970. King Floyd! That makes sense. Called Groove Me. So I guess final thoughts

on this episode. I love this one a lot. I love their three great back and forths in this episode. There's the hand chopping off bit, the Mr. Bride bit, and the fire bit. All made me laugh so hard this morning. And it feels just very punchy and all the Schwarzwilder humor is just there at the surface. All the jokes about

carnies and old-timey stuff and all the old-timey slang, roustabouts and broobs and moogie stars. It's all there waiting for you. But yeah, this is a great episode. One of the classics, I think. I agree. I think this is one of the classics i think i agree i think this is one of the strongest ones of season nine like it's joke after joke after joke just packed with jokes also anchored by a really great guest star and then on top of that not only this is i i should

have mentioned at the start written by john swartz welder directed by mark kirkland the two guys who have done the most episodes both writing and and directing, of Simpsons, of anybody. And we talked to Mark as well. Yeah, you should listen to that. I'm not trying to advertise all our interviews, but yes. But no one will talk to John Schwarzwalder. No, that's not going to happen. He's harder to find than a carny, I'd say. He's like the J.D. Salinger of The Simpsons. But anyway, my final thought is just, yeah, this is a very funny episode that doesn't get like bogged down by a bee story that's distracting or, you know, doesn't waste too

much time in the intro. And, you know, a lot of the best Simpsons episodes are full of observational gags about a specific thing in American culture. Doing that with carnies and carnivals, very smart and clever. I agree with everything you guys said. I think this is a great episode. And I love all and clever. I agree with everything you guys said. I think this is a great episode. And I love all the old timey stuff, like you guys said. But you asked me to come on this episode.

And I was like, oh, yeah, the one with Jim Varney, that'll be a lot of fun. And I totally forgot Hitler's car was involved. So it warmed my heart in a weird way. I remember watching this as a kid with my brother a bunch of times. And we used to quote it endlessly we used to say we were beaten by the best boy a bit around the house so it was a lot of fun to revisit this oh thanks so much for coming on Eric thanks for having me really I really really appreciate it it was a great time thank you and uh you do the amazing we hate movies podcast you've got a lot of podcasts out there you've got a patreon can you

plug anything you want to plug now, especially episodes? I really love the, my favorite one in recent memory was the Happy Time Murders. Oh, God. How much you guys hate that movie and make it better with your own ideas.

I really enjoy it. I think I listened to it twice now. Your rewrite is, they should pay you a million dollars for the fucking rewrite you guys did on that. Oh, I agree. Definitely pay me a million dollars but thank you yeah we hate movies as a podcast i do i do with a few other guys i know where we we take

a movie we we use it as a jumping off point for comedy we kind of go through the plot sometimes we actually enjoy the movie and recommend it so the name is a little bit of a misnomer some people might think it sounds more negative than it is, but we're also going on tour. And I was quickly wanting to plug a few dates if anyone's listening on the East Coast right now. On April 22nd, we'll be in Boston at Laugh Boston. April 23rd, DC Improv. April 24th, Punchline Philly. And April 25th, we'll be in New York City at the Gramercy Theater. We're doing all nick cage movies oh nice you can find out more about that you probably just follow us on

twitter or look at our twitter page there's probably a thing about the tour pinned uh at whm podcast and i also want to mention you guys do such a good tv recap show it's embarrassing me because my tv recap show is called uhooked on TJ Hooker. I've been doing it for about two years now with a friend of mine, Ben Worcester, also a huge Simpsons head. You can find episodes at tjhookerpodcast.com. Now, if you don't know what TJ Hooker is, it's a forgotten cop show starring William Shatner that no one knows. But we pepper with a lot of clips like you guys do here so you can follow along even if you don't watch the show. I know it's a lot harder for you guys to come out to the West coast,

but you definitely try to come out for sketch fest. We can team up in person. You guys are San Francisco's nearby, right? Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Why don't you save the date of November 6th? I can't say more yet,

but I'm going to clear my calendar for that. I'm excited, well thank you Eric so much for coming on we'd love to have you back oh that'd be great thank you so much for having me really had a great time so again thank you very much to Eric Siska I love We Hate Movies I've been listening to it for like 8 years now so it's really kind of surreal to talk

to these guys in person finally well not in person but via the magic of Google Hangouts it's like he's here in the room no and I'm more I've only been listening for a little over a year now not in person, but via the magic of Google Hangouts. It's like he's here in the room. No, and I've only been listening for a little over a year now, but I am also a big fan of their stuff. So it's so, so fun to talk to another of the We Hate Movies guys. And I'm totally going to check out that Hooked on TJ Hooker now, too. Totally, 100%.

So thanks so much, Eric. So check out We Hate Movies. They've got a good Patreon, too, with bonus stuff. But you know what? So do we. What? And you should give to Hate Movies. They've got a good Patreon too with bonus stuff. But you know what? So do we. What? And you should give to both of them because we all do good work. But if you want to support our show, go to patreon.com slash Talking Simpsons.

And for the low price of $5 a month, you can get advanced episodes of Talking Simpsons and our sister podcast, What a Cartoon, one week ahead of time. We also have bonus podcasts like exclusive series, Talking Futurama, Talking Critic, and the currently unraveling Talk King of the Hill. That has been a lot of time. We also have bonus podcasts like exclusive series, Talking Futurama, Talking Critic, and the currently unraveling Talk King of the Hill. That has been a lot of fun. It is a Patreon exclusive. You can only hear it if you're on the Patreon, though there is one episode in the Talking Simpsons free feed if you're interested in knowing what Talking of the Hill is like. And there are dozens and dozens of bonus podcasts at the $5 level. If you're new to Patreon, you have possibly over a hundred. We should count them at some point

to figure this out. Just we have a number to give people. But there is so much bonus content waiting for you on the Patreon. If you sign up today, you'll have access to everything at the $5 level, including end of season wrap ups,

community podcasts, interviews. So much more is happening there that is locked behind the paywall. Open the door, baby. Five bucks. And if you'd really like to enjoy the Patreon at the ten dollar and up level you'll get access to our monthly what a cartoon movie podcast if you'd like to hear me and

bob talk about a different animated feature film once a month for three hours on average you can hear it now if you sign up at the ten10 level, or if you're a current $5 patron, up it to $10. You'll get to hear me and Bob talk about Batman, Mask of the Phantasm, Kiki's Delivery Service, Akira, A Goofy Movie, and most recent, Secret of NIMH. The NIMH one was a lot of fun. It's three hours long. You'll hear about who Don Bluth is,

the history of his work with Disney, how his studio got started, and the history behind his first movie. Then we talk about that movie for about two hours after that history segment. It's a lot of fun. So much fun. And you can hear a free preview of that as well on the Patreon if you just go check it out and want to hear the rest. $10 and up.

Plus, you'll get access to the 18 months of video content we made exclusively for the $10 and up folks as well. Patreon.com slash TalkingSimpsons is the place to be. That's right. And as for me, I've been one of your hosts, Bob Mackey. You can find me on Twitter as Bob Servo. I have another podcast, by the way. I think I'm having like four podcasts a week now. But if you have time for more of me in your life, and you should, go to Retronauts.com

or look for Retronauts in your podcast device retronauts is a classic gaming podcast i've been doing it for quite some time so check it out henry how about you waka waka follow me henry gilbert on twitter h-e-n-e-r-e-y-g not only do i live like a real moogie star but you can also find out when new things go up on the patreon podcast information polls for the next What a Cartoon movie, all these things, you'll learn about them first from me if you follow me on Twitter,

H-E-N-E-R-E-Y-G. Thanks so much for listening, folks. We'll see you next week for the Joy of Sect. We'll see you then. Oh, sick and sucky now Hey! Come on now Hey!

Rune me, baby I need you Come on now. Just a little more. A little more to the left, baby, to the left. Good, good. What did he do to this thing? Almost. Come on, I need you to sock it to me, mama. Come on and now, brew me big. Hey! Good God, it make me feel so good inside, mama. You wrecked Hitler's car.

What did he ever do to you?