Talking Simpsons - Talking Simpsons - Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk

Episode Date: June 1, 2016

The very friendly Germans take over the plant, Homer is proven unworthy of his job, the family suffers economically, the LAND OF CHOCOLATE SEQUENCE IS IN THIS EPISODE, and there’s still enough money to buy the Cleveland Browns…

live from the land of chocolate it's talking simpsons everybody this is your host bob mackie and this is laser time podcast networks chronological exploration of the simpsons that is a mouthful and today's episode is whoaburg halfender craft work which aired on december 5th 1991 again i'm your host who else is here today henry gilbert hey everybody uh and again i have failed chris antista you failed uh maybe i should do mine again it was a bit inelegant so this episode aired on december 5th 1991 what happened on this mythical day in history, Chris? Oh my mother! Oh my god! This week in history,

the Ukraine votes for its independence for the Soviet Union. 70 people die in a 100-plus car pileup in the San Joaquin Valley, and Bush's chief of staff, John Sununu, peacefully resigns. There's a joke in the MST3K movie about him getting an expensive haircut. That's all I really know about him. I just assumed I was saying his name wrong. John Sununu goes resigns. There's a joke in the MST3K movie about him getting an expensive haircut.

That's all I really know about him. I just assumed I was saying his name wrong. John Sununu goes for a haircut. Yeah, I think they do that every time somebody arrives in a personal jet or whatever they'd say. Goes for a haircut. And for you German heads out there, the proper conjugation of Verkaufen in this title is They got the gender of Kraftwerk wrong and they got the conjugation of the

verb wrong. So screw you, John Vidi. Well, John Vidi admits in the commentary that he did a one-to-one exchange of words there. That's what we get from the writer of Alvin and the Chipmunks. What do you call an Angry Birds now in theaters? I know. I feel like if he had to put a name to it, could you call this kind of episode

Brown Panic? Brown Panic? Brown Panic? German Panic? It was originally Yellow Panic, but they decided against making these guys Japanese. They thought it was too easy. I was wondering about that, because I don't remember living in fear of being like American institutions being acquired by the Germans, which did happen to the Muppets. I think the joke

was like, I mean, the Germans are efficient like the stereotype of the Japanese, but they're also like the nicest, most genial, jolly people that stereotype of the Japanese, but they're also like the nicest, most genial, jolly people that they will ever meet, but they're still afraid of them. They get every German joke they can without, until the very end, without directly saying, oh, they're also scary

because they were Nazis. They barely ever touch upon that at all. That's probably because of Matt Geranning, who hates Nazi jokes, as we all know. He really does. Hogan's Heroes is the closest they get to it. This is a Burns-ass episode. Oh, that's what's so great about it. I love it so much.

I just love seeing Kraftwerk. It even opens with a great exchange with him and Smithers. What's wrong, sir? Did I get something in your eyes? The shampoo specifically said no more tears. Lovely promise, but one beyond the powers of a mere shampoo. Sir, I feel there's something you're not telling me. Perhaps you'd feel more comfortable talking to Snappy the alligator.

Maybe. Hello, Mr. Burns. Snappy, you know, it's hard to imagine, but I was once a barefoot boy with cheek of tan. I dreamed of Grand Slam home runs and wiping out nations with the stroke of a pen. Well, there's still time for all those things, sir. Is there? Controlled nuclear fission is a demanding mistress, Snappy. So you feel resentful towards the plague?

Yes. Yes, exactly. You know, maybe it's time I sold the old girl. Oh! I love that Snappy gasps as well. Snappy is no Bobo. One of the most concise Simpsons intros ever. Yeah. It really sets up the plot immediately. I wish they brought back Snappy gasps as well. Snappy is no Bobo. One of the most concise Simpsons intros ever. Yeah.

It really sets up the plot immediately. Yeah. I wish they brought back Snappy. It's the only time we ever saw Snappy. He never came back. The gator from

Dead Putting Society with the boxing gloves. Maybe. I think that's just how Simpsons gators are drawn. Except for the crappy gator and that's the break. It's not completely clear.

Henry and I are from Florida so I grew up with anthropomorphic gators everywhere. And their quote, Barefoot boy with cheek of tan is from a famous poem by John Greenleaf Whittier. Oh, okay. I think they call him Greenleaf, man.

And he died in 1892, to let you know how dated this is. He was probably a teenager at that point. Either he's one of us and loves his pop culture or old as shit. I think Burns' wistfulness struck a chord for me a little bit. It's just like, yeah, his youth is gone. He can't do whatever he wants.

I had that like three years ago. And all I can do is embrace my adulthood. And yeah, I'll never write a Citizen Kane or create a popular cartoon show, but I can still do some cool shit. We can all still be as fat as Orson Welles. Yeah. Yes. And as broke as Orson Welles, too.

Yeah. And it could be worse because some people never aspired to that. And I think that's, it's emphasized very well by, and I've, again, vowed to do this, every Phil Hartman character. Because I remember I had the official Simpsons episode guide. and they're like phil hartman has played five people troy mcclure and smooth jimmy apollo and lionel hutz and like there's way more than that yeah and then homer's stockbroker being one of the most obscure ones of all time he is seconds away of dying from emphysema but he's constantly trying to get himself renotarized. Homer Simpson here. Homer, it's your stockbroker.

Your stock in the power plant just went up for the first time in ten years. I own stock? Yes. All the employees got some in exchange for waiving certain constitutional rights. So, how much did it go up? Wait a minute. Let's not do that yet. The book says we have to make a little small talk before you get down to business.

Everybody alive? Yeah. Like any sports? Sure. Ever go dancing? Not to make a little small talk before you get down to business. Everybody alive? Yeah. Like any sports? Sure. Ever go dancing? Not anymore. We should get together sometime. That'd be great.

Now we trust each other. So what's my stock up to? Let me punch that up on the computer. Pulls up a newspaper. 25 cents a share. What should I do? Well, let me put it this way. You'll get $25 if you sell now.

Sell, sell, sell! Woo-hoo! $25. $25. He imagines he's going to get a haircut, his car hot waxed, and a hammer. Or a hammer. Each item was $25. But it's simple pleasures. It's going up because they already started the rumor that Burns might sell the plant.

And $100 million ends up being the price tag, but it's just like, in a day and age where Star Wars is bought for $4 billion, I can't imagine the planet going for less than a billion. Or Candy Crush Saga. For $4 billion. More than Star Wars.

Ridiculous. Ridiculous. But, you know, this introduced me to the idea of stocks, but my dad is big into stocks because it's gambling. It's gambling. It is gambling. That because it's gambling. It's gambling. It is gambling. That's what it is. And this is pretty much taking place in the first act of the film Wolf of Wall Street.

So it's when the regular folks were really getting into stocks and penny stocks and all this. It was this huge expansion of the stock market. It's why CNBC existed, like all these stock ticker channels, because it became a thing that wasn't just Wall Street rich assholes. It got to be every asshole got to do it. And so this taught me about stocks, and my dad sort of explained it to me through this episode, but also because around the same time, Marvel Comics was going huge at the stock market.

It would end up being the thing that would almost bankrupt the company. It did bankrupt the company, almost killed it. But in the early 90s, Marvel went public. And it was a highly sought-after stock. My dad owned stock in it. And I had a certain amount of pride. I'm like, my dad owns Marvel Comics stock. It's so cool.

So, yeah, this and Marvel Comics taught me about the stock market. I can only remember trying to get my dad, based on my friend's advice, to buy stock in Eidos, creator of Tomb Raider in 1996. And I would be apologizing to him right now had he

purchased that stock. I think just getting stocks through your company is so rare. The only time I hear about it is my friend who works at Google or Facebook. They get stock, but not your average Joe who still has a good job. I don't really understand why you'd give that to anybody, to be totally honest, as far as the American economy works. In the sense of we want to motivate our employees and reward them, but it's like, no, no, you

come to our job, you sign this contract, you do waive your rights, and you don't get stock. Yeah, come to this company that's already doing amazingly. We have 6,000 employees here, have a bunch of stock. I just don't understand, like, what was that supposed to do? The nature of work has changed. Welcome to the gig economy. Yeah, but I do like him having, you know, 100.

That's how the math works there, people, in case you don't know what stocks. You normally have, like, 100 shares. If you're't know what stocks. You normally have like 100 shares. If you're just a minor owner, you'll have 100 shares in it. And that share is each worth 25 cents now, so 25 bucks. 25 bucks. And that's not even counting the take of the stockbrokers. I'm guessing it must be even more lucrative than that. So he got literally the $20 he used to buy Henry K. Duff's private reserves.

He makes money on every trade. Matthew McConaughey told me that. But I love this because whenever I get a little bit of money, it's simple pleasures like Homer's. What I do as I go out to breakfast, Homer wants to get the Duff premium. Hey, Homer. Want a Duff?

No, I'd like a bottle of Henry K. Duff's private reserve. Are you sure? Because once I open the bottle, there's no refund. For your information, I just made a cool $25 playing the markets. Buy low, sell high. That's my motto. I may just quit my job at the power plant and become a full-time stock market guy.

Stock market guy. Stock market guy. I can't tell if this is to emphasize how dirt poor the Simpsons are or how much inflation has changed everything. Well, Henry... Oh, go ahead. I was going to say, Henry K. Duff has kind of disappeared

from the Duff mythology. Oh, it's too bad. I did like the Simpsons come from a upper, lower, middle class family. And I did really empathize with the idea of getting money because as a kid, for me, the idea of getting money because as a kid for me the idea of a vacation somewhere was off the table.

We built a swimming pool. Swim in the pool. That's what summer's about. What if I could go to California? That would never happen. Just imagining what money would do for our families. I could identify with this. We went to the Grand Canyon. That was as far as we went. I went to Pennsylvania once. I was just obsessed with the idea that the Simpsons

lived in a two story house. Which is something that I didn't think I'd ever Pennsylvania once. I was just obsessed with the idea that the Simpsons lived in a two-story house, which is something that I didn't think I'd ever live in. We did eventually. We're talking to you from the fourth story right now. Of the Antista estate. Yeah, the rental unit in San Francisco. Thank God for rent control.

So that's when the Germans make themselves known. That's exactly how I have the file label. Have it up, boys. Oh, thank you. My English is not perfect, but I have to tell you, your beer is like swill to us. Do I have that right? I'm saying that only a swine would drink this beer? Yeah, thank you anyway.

Hey, you guys aren't from around here, are you? Nein, we are from Germany. He is from the east. I am from the west. We are interested in buying the power plant. Do you think that he won't sell it for less than $100 million. $100 million? Oh, don't worry. We'll still have enough left to buy the Cleveland Browns.

I do. I love how the fall of the Berlin Wall brought them together. It's like, he has a big company, I have a big company. Yeah. I have a very big company. And it's all based on an offhand remark from Smithers that $100 million is what the cost of the plant is. I love that line about, like,

you're being a sweel to us, and you think that he's going to say swell and correct himself, but he makes it clear, like, this beer disgusts me because the german this is the worst beer i've ever tasted trying to get some more burns uh and also so the cleveland browns uh at that time in 1991 we're having another losing season oh boy they had future hall of famer slash cheater bill belichick as their coach but they still couldn't

do it and a fun fact i attended what what was once the final Cleveland Browns game. In 1995, the Cleveland Browns were killed off, and they restarted the franchise as the Baltimore Ravens. And their final game was against the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995. And I was at that game. So the Baltimore Ravens don't exist? No, no, no no so what happened was 95 they kill off the cleveland browns you're saying this like comic book lore they they then become

the baltimore ravens but in 1999 a bunch of people get together and i believe including drew carey restart the cleveland browns as a new team when they did another nfl expansion they're like okay now we have a new Brown. So the Browns were only gone for four years, but for a time. The Browns have been rebooted? Yeah. I have no idea. I'm from Northeast Ohio.

When they sold the Browns, I was like, they're going to murder the owner. He's going to be assassinated. Art Modell is going to die. He was never killed, but I just assumed he would be because everyone was so outraged. I mean, all we had was football in that area. Everything else sucked. I didn't have football, but Bob would know this. And sadly, their last game was an away game in Jacksonville, Florida,

where they lost to the Jaguars. And I only say this that the money Homer could have made by holding on to his stock while the plant is being sold wouldn't begin to make a dent in what I owe just the IRS for one year of existence. Oh, no, I mean student loans. No way. Yeah, so the whole family is freaking out about it, and they're poor, but five grand is like, well, we'll start a savings account. Like, what?

It's shocking they never had a savings account before but i guess i have one yeah i mean if you're living hand to mouth that much extra money can be like okay i've never had extra money this can start something new for us even if you're in debt so hard to relate to because yeah what are we going to spend it on homer's probably buying some magic beans right now we'll have a savings account. We've never had one. Kids, I think everything is going to be okay from now on. Hey, hey! Oh, Homer.

You heard? We heard. Isn't it wonderful? We have some great plans for that money. Well, I'm afraid I had some great plans, too. What do you mean? I spent it on beer. Surprise, surprise.

You spent $5,200 on beer? $5,200? What are you talking about? What? Whoa! I love Bart kicking him, too. It doesn't play well in audio. Come on, Mom. You'll feel better.

I did the... So I went to... I want to reemphasize that. $5,200, me as a meager podcast entrepreneur, that would not make a dent in what I owe the IRS every year. It was probably closer to maybe $8,000 in 1991. I actually looked it up. I went to an online inflation calendar. According to them, late 1991, $5,200 equals $9,000 today. It would not help me one cent. It would not help me out of my tax return.

Everyone is in debt, period. No, no, that's why I'm not bummed out. I'm doing what I love, and I'm just the average American. Yeah, welcome to America. But all my debt is not to discover a visa. It's the IRS. But you see how rich everybody at the plant is acting after that like unless they owned more than a hundred shares like than homer like homer did which i don't think is possible the inflation thing because they're buying corvettes and shit

hey alva did you buy this car with your stark money sure did and the great thing about it is everybody got rich for once all us working stiffs got a break and the lenny's facelift does not stick but i do like the design they got rid of his uh his like muzzle actually yeah the beard muzzle disappears when you have a face slightly subtle that there's an unnamed fellow employee who has a limo with a tv in the back who calls them all in oh yeah and like that's what that's where we get to see Burns really nail the Germans. Mr. Burns, we've heard that a German consortium has offered to purchase the plant. Any comment?

You'll see the Statue of Liberty wearing lederhosen before you see Germans running my plant. Well then, sir, why are you meeting with them? So I can look Uncle Fritz square in the monocle and say, Nein! I wish he would have said Kaiser Bill. Peak burns. I almost banged my wall.

And that he immediately then is shown to be speaking perfect German with them. And that is, is it just that he's rich in culture that we're supposed to read? Or is this that we're supposed to read that he speaks German because he was a Nazi sympathizer. That could be it, yeah. That he lived through... World War I and II. No one who speaks German could be an evil man, Hank. The sequence is too good to ruin. Go watch the episode, but I love his woo. Woo-hoo!

The title Daffy Duck. The sequence is so cool. This episode is directed by David Silverman. It is a tour de force, especially one scene later. But the animation for his reaction to 100 Million was really great, too. The most life Burns had ever had in his body. And I did. So Phil Hartman is a voice on this episode.

And according to them, he was fluent in German. Really? And that he gave them tips on the speaking German in the episode. I'm reading his biography right now. It mentions nothing. Hartman had two N's originally. It's a very German name.

Well, you know, people still kind of downplay their ethnic German-ness in these days. I don't know why. But the deal is sealed, baby. I think you'll find that these two gentlemen

are as American as apple pie. Hans and Fritz, well, that's just... John and Frank. Ich bin ein Spankbilder. No, don't bring your own people in. Oh, this ain't good. We could all lose our jobs. I love that the German flags go something.

This ain't good. Yeah, I always remember how I fucked up the recording on this one. It is etched in my brain that when Lenny goes, I've never been so sad in my life. It cuts off in the middle of it on my VHS tape, and it drove me crazy every time I watched it. I was taping The Simpsons Missed This One, and never, ever, ever, ever, ever saw this indication.

Ever. And I've researched it. I can't figure out a reason why. I was reading The Simpsons episode guide every day for the most part, so that's how I knew I researched it. I can't figure out a reason why. I was reading the Simpsons episode guide every day for the most part. So that's how I knew I saw it. I knew it existed. It's real. I saw it.

You can't tell me you didn't see it. And I had lines from it and I had references and a cast list. But in a pre-internet world, I could not see this episode. I saw it like twice. It was indicated for me. So it could have just been like your local whatever choosing episodes at will. So when the ad break happens, it is strange. They end on Lenny talking and then begin again on Lenny talking,

making it even more obvious that his facelift disappears in between the commercials. And I like when Phil Hartman's German shows up and he immediately cops like, I look just like that good old Hogan's Beatles. But this is just a sad sequence to me. I've been at companies in the middle of layoffs and acquisitions. This kind of hurt more. I've seen, yeah, this hurt way more than it did as a child. Because the guy, other than being German, I have seen this guy show up and like, hey, I'm cool.

Turns around the chair. Let's just talk. Everything's going to be fine. Those lousy Germans can't fire me. I'm the only one who knows how to unjam the rock bottom dissociator. Well, they can't fire me. I'm the only one who knows how to unjam the rod bottom dissociator. Well, they can't fire me. I'm the only one certified to run the gaseous contaminant particular fire. Well, they can't fire me.

Why? Because. I love it. Because. And then nothing. I do like Homer overcompensating. He says, Smitty, safe and up. Isn't it just horse?

My favorite character in the whole episode. Horst. It's his giant gizzard or waddle, rather. Guten Morgen. I am Horst. The new owners have elected me to speak with you because I am the most non-threatening. Perhaps I'll remind you of the lovable Sergeant Schultz on Hogan's Heroes. Yeah, he does.

I know 40% of people listening to the show do not understand that reference at all. I barely do. It was something that didn't air all that much even as kids. It's something I can't believe it even existed. I know. It's crazy. In autofocus, they talk about that. In the film Autofocus, I love the scene where Ed Begley jr plays the reporter who's talking to him like

so you think uh on your new show that nazis are funny right well i'm jewish so fuck you yeah because hogan's heroes is a sitcom about pows trying to escape a nazi war camp yes it is a sitcom of fun pows stuck in i i know it's really insensitive today and it's hard to watch but i think okay so men from that era they were not allowed to talk about their feelings. So the only way to get over World War II is to watch this sitcom and watch these goofy Nazis get, like, screwed over every time. I had a conversation with Elson, because we put up these Marvel playing cards videos from 1990,

and the Red Skull one is like, there are way too many swastikas on this thing for a Marvel Disney character. And it's just like, why are we more sensitive now to them yeah then to when in the 90s it was just like i guess the 70s the 60s they weren't very sensitive at all to it why are we more sensitive now to swastikas well perhaps we're seeing fascism make a return these days but it's also that i think it's it I think it's globalization. It's only good byproducts has been empathy.

Well, in the 60s, they were probably just thinking like, yeah, we beat these guys. These are the losers. We beat them and they're the losers. Maybe they're into further mockery. I don't know. Yeah, but I also love... It was on the Dr. Katz episode with Gilbert Gottfried,

just him talking about the pitching of the show like, I got an idea in a prison camp. And if they don't leave, if they leave, they'll be shot. I love it. That sounds like a Gilbert joke. There's so more horse and I love him so much. Also, we cannot overemphasize the importance of employee safety. We plan to have some frank discussions with your safety inspector.

Yeah, talk it to him, horse. Hey, Homer, aren't you the safety inspector? I love he has to look at his badge to remember he's the safety inspector. I do like horse, do we have any alcoholics among us? I'm drunk right now. And Elizabeth Taylor

was famously somebody who had alcohol issues. I talked about it on Bonus Time. I just watched Michael Moore's Where to Invade Next, and they talk all about European factory workers and paid leave, rehab, pregnancy, child care. I never picked up on this joke until now, but if you're drunk, we'll pay for you to go to rehab. That is fucking inalienable European right. it turns out when you respect and support your workers

your company may do better might do better gets more money isn't it more important to work them to death pay them to lease them out if your economy is based on slavery but anyway and burns oh you have to bring that up again i love bringing it up it's like you guys get to be the whiny liberals all the time i love it I never hear anyone bring up but me. The Simpsons 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

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And I didn't do anything, partially because nothing happened. Yes, literally. That's why. So this was the day that we did capture for the Randy Savage video. So I'm on the bus and as they're getting off the bus, one of the guys behind me

tries to grab this girl's phone. He fails at it. So they just all run off the bus anyway. Personally, I'm like, I wouldn't have done anything. Because, like, what if I go and try to do something, which I wouldn't because I'm a chicken shit. But if I would have, then my bag is open for that kid to run off. There's all your Macho Man DLC on that.

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I love this burn scene so much. It's so great. Smithies, come here. I want you. I wanted to give you something to remember me by. I know you've always had your eye on this photo of Elvis in me. He was so good to his mother, sir. Yes, but I couldn't understand a word that man said. Mr. Burns, Dyson, Bull, Marth, and Dyson.

How howin', dog? I love that playful moment between Burns and Smithies. It's so great. And I've been biting my tongue because in season 7 and 8, they referenced season 3 a lot. Bill Oakleyley Josh Weinstein ran those seasons they love the season but it reminds me of when Burns is imitating Nixon

I think Homer the Smithers maybe one of those episodes I can't go to jail Monty leave me alive Monty him doing the Elvis impersonation made me laugh so hard as a kid it was one of my favorite scenes ever and just that you know now they're making a or they've made a film about the photograph they're parodying.

That's right, yeah. Michael Shannon as Elvis. Yeah. They spun an entire movie out of that one picture. And also the Come Here, I Want You. That is the first word said over the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell. So I was, I asked you earlier, I thought this is like, this is where the overt Smithers' gay references really come from. I mean, he's mega gay in this episode. Because the good to his

mother is very clear. Yes. He was always good to his mother. If that's the one thing you know about Elvis, that's a very gay thing to be like, oh, he's so good to his mother. Elvis did lots of stuff. I think that's subtle enough to be a great gay joke. He's so good to his mother. Is that the

most Smithers can come out. That Elvis thing. Wasn't Elvis being named an anti-drug ambassador for America? At the same time he was eating buckets of pills. It's amazing because he never did illegal drugs. He did too many drugs of ones given to him. The drugs that are killing every celebrity now.

Exactly. Also the funny story in that picture with Nixon was that the Secret Service didn't know that Elvis had a gun taped to his ankle. And that a live gun was that close to the president. Obviously, Elvis wasn't going to do anything about it. Well, he's a good old boy. And I always tell that story. My dad always walks around with this stupid, he's a hiker and a survivalist dude

but he likes nature and hiking and he always carries his backpack and went to the White House and didn't remember he had his bowie knife in his backpack and was thrown up against a wall and treated like total garbage yeah yeah this guy in the khaki shorts with the two kids

that's for killing cougars not Bush against Clinton against Clinton this is khaki shorts with the two kids. That's for killing cougars, not Bush. Against Clinton. Against Clinton. I'll just call this right now my line of the show. One, it's Horace, a character I love, but it's like if you have been in a situation during an

acquisition in a layoff, you want to avoid certain people. This was too real for me. My heart started pounding during this. That's the joke. Homer, could we have a word with you? No. I must have phrased that badly.

My English is how you say, inelegant. I meant to say, may we have a brief, friendly chat? No. Once again, I failed. We request the pleasure of your company for a free exchange of ideas. No! Because you know that Homer, but that's what I love. Homer's not wrong.

No, he's not wrong. This is how you get fired. His instincts are right. He's just like, no meeting. The more friendly they try to make a meeting seem, the more likely they're going to do. You're going to get bad news from this private meeting where they can tell you something. They can tell you bad news that won't humiliate you in front of everybody else. It's a mix of friendliness and ambiguity.

Like, what's this meeting about? No, just come on. I remember I got laid off once from a place I was totally ready to leave. And I remember I got plucked. Hey, can I see you in this meeting real quick? I'm like, we don't do meetings together, me and you.

I'm like, oh, is this happening? How long is this going to take? And this is a really bad day for me, so how long do you think this is? So we're in the elevator. I'm like, yeah, I know what's happening. But they could admit it. Yeah, no, they were literally not allowed to say what was happening

because I was in a secret meeting. It's good to yank that band-aid off real quick. Yeah, I did like before that scene when, one, Marge was nude in bed, which I think they credit to Mark Kirkland as the animator who always draws her nude in bed. I like that character detail that Marge likes to sleep in the nude, though it does seem risky. You have three kids. One of them will run in and be like, though then again, maybe the human body is nothing to be ashamed of. I think that was to set up a joke where

it was implied maybe Marge wanted to have sex with him to make him feel better, but then he went downstairs to do the Battlestar Galactica puzzle on the kitchen table. Oh, wow. I didn't get that. First time for me. This episode makes me feel so old. That is the first Battlestar Galactica when it was just a funny word.

It was a joke to reference this bad corny shit. I guess it implies that he had that for like a decade and now he's finally going to put it together. But okay, the Land of Chocolate. Yeah, what can we say about it? First level in the Simpsons game. You should stop playing after that, please. Just please stop. It's the start of the 2007 Simpsons game. You should stop playing after that, please. It's the start of the 2007 Simpsons game.

It is one of their best animated sequences ever. It was David Silverman, I believe, who did it all. Every drawing apparently was his. I had to make sure every frame was right on the skipping. I would see that. I got curious why I never saw the German episode in Syndication because they played

almost the whole sequence in the 138th episode of Spectacular. No, the April Fool's Day. Or the April Fool's Day on the clip show. They played it in like, I never see this without the clip show package. Why? It's just perfect. And they talked about how they had had a clip track for it before from a song from what, Tuck, I think it was.

Tucker, A Man and His Dreams, right? Tucker, A Man and His Dreams. Yeah. And they originally- Was it and they originally jeff bridges i think so yeah i've seen the movie yeah i i've never seen and for a time they thought like oh no we'll put in like uh willie wonka song in here the candy man or whatever they were i was like no let's just make a knockoff of the sucker theme that's what happened with uh okay way off topic but shrek uh all-star was the temp track because it was a really old song that was in another movie three years ago, but everyone liked it so much they kept it. Yeah, Mystery Men.

It was a song for Mystery Men. But I... Yeah. And now I can't imagine it with any other song. Just like... Yeah. Just it's so happy and Homer's so happy and him just... Him taking a bite.

Him prancing. Him taking a bite out of the dog. That's awesome. That's awesome. And we would see this animation again in Black Widow or this season with Selma. Or is it Petty? Is it Selma or Petty? Selma.

Selma and Bob skipping through like a field. They're doing the same Homer animation. God, I love that. I love that skipping. But it's beautiful. And also just the way to get into it. Like, we are from the land of chocolate. And though I feel like I've been in those meetings too of just like,

so what are your ideas? Oh, I have so many ideas. You know, yeah. What ideas are yours? All of them. It's a really great sequence, and it's even a funnier joke because he does a Family Guy-esque cutaway to a dream sequence, and it's like, you've been gone for 10 minutes.

That is perfect. I feel like that's such a meta-commentary you never saw in shows that even did a dream sequence. A dream sequence is supposed to be only three seconds, but you've been gone longer than the scene was to the viewer. You would think at five minutes they would have just shaken him or something.

They're so nice. Gather the nectar, my little drones, You would think in five minutes they would have just woken up. Shaken him or something. They're so nice. And Smithers being gay. Gather the nectar, my little drones, and make the honey. Honey for your children. Fools! Ready for that drink, sir? Just a second, Smithers. Let me introduce you to the gang.

That's Buzz. That's Honey. And you see that queen over there? Her name is Smithers. We get it. That's great. The way Homer gets laid off is so harsh. Like, if we have a round of falling layoffs in alphabetical order, Simpson-Homer, that is all.

I do like how Byrne is transferring his lordship over people to bees. He needs to control something. It's emphasizing why he misses the plant and needs it back. It's too much of a part of him. However, this episode contains my favorite Moe's Tavern prank call. Ooh, okay. Moe's Tavern, Moe speaking. Yes, I'm looking for a Mrs. O'Problem, first name B.

Yeah, just a minute, I'll check. B.O. Problem. B.O. Problem. Come on, guys, do I have a B.O, just a minute. I'll check. B, oh problem. B, oh problem. Come on, guys. Do I have a B, oh problem here? You sure do. Oh, it's you, isn't it? Listen, you.

When I get a hold of you, I'm going to use your head for a bucket and paint my house with your brains. That's great. That's the best threat of all time. That makes up for Bart's lame punchline. It's very lame. It is very reliant on Mo using very specific phrasing. They always are, though.

Is there a B.O. problem here? At this point, I have a couple continuity notes I want to bring up. Somebody should get fired for that plunder. First off,

this is the third time Homer's lost his job. This time, losing the money changes things even more differently for them, where Marge can't get the same haircut. But they don't come back on beer. Homer still goes to get drunk. And they'll have different issues when they're running out of money in Dog of Death.

You'll have to pull together until your father gets a new job. I made a new bar of soap by squeezing all our little soap slivers together. That's very clever. And today, instead of buying comic books, I just read them and left them in the store. You shouldn't do that. My jump rope broke, but I just tied it back together. That's good, Lisa. I didn't take a bath today, and I may not take one tomorrow.

Yeah, I mean, you write Dog of Death. It's like Lisa can't get the rest of the encyclopedia generica, and Bar gets a shitty haircut because of the dog surgery. And I also didn't catch until this viewing that he says folk guitar class. Oh, right. He says it so weirdly and quickly. Folk. Yeah.

Folk guitar class. Folk guitar class? And lastly of the continuity notes, Smithers is getting stung by bees. I wrote that down too. In 22 short films about Springfield, one bee sting has severe reaction to Smithers. Like, kills him almost within minutes.

What's his line? Like, several bees are stinging me, sir. Several bees are stinging me, sir. Right now. You have to put out all this. All this is just to lead up to Burns in the bar, though. Okay, Chris, this has my favorite line of the show, and it is one word. But I'm sure you'll know which word it is. Burns in the Bar?

Yes. The mirthless laugh of the damned. Hold your nose, Smithers. One word. We're going in. Watch me blend in. Barkeep, some cheap domestic beer for me and my buddy here. I'm not your buddy, you greedy old reptile.

Smithers, who is this saucy fellow? Homer Simpson, sir. Sector 7G, recently terminated. That's right, I lost my job so that you could have another hundred million dollars. Let me ask you something. Does your money cheer you up when you're feeling blue? Yes. Okay, bad example.

Yeah. Yes. I love that yes. It's so great. Isn't that weird? That's my favorite line. I was just learning now with Frankie that that's a bunch of people's favorite reaction, mostly in the sitcom. Oh, look out, Smithers! Yeah. Yes.

Well, yeah, you're already... It's more isolated in the sitcom yeah with with wonderfully horrible animation where his his mouth drops open right like a south park canadian the top of his head lifts before his jaw yes so as a kid though i really loved the bart finally meets mo face-to-face meets mo face-to-face moment. Meets Mo face-to-face. Sorry, we're overshadowing that. It was a great payoff.

And could you imagine meeting your dad's boss? I probably did. Bart is there and I was wondering, this feels like something from the writer's generation. Get your drunk dad from

the bar and bring him home. That feels like something that our generation did not have to deal with as much, at least I hope not. Dana Gould, future

writer on The Simpsons, joked about that all the time. Yeah, I went and got my dad from the cop bar with with as much, at least I hope not. Dana Gould, future writer on The Simpsons, joked about that all the time, about how he, like, yeah, I went and got my dad from the cop bar with all his racist cop friends. Go and get your father is just like a chilling line. I actually wish my dad was a drunk

and I could go to his local bar. I'll trade you, Chris. So let me ask you this. Does your money ever hug you when you come home at night? I know. And does it ever say, I love you? No, it doesn't.

Nobody loves you. Nobody loves you. You're all that you're a kid. Nobody loves you. Good heavens, Smithers. They're not afraid of me anymore. Hey, Mr. Burns, did you get that letter I sent? Letter? I don't recall any letter.

Because I forgot to stamp it! Oh, that kid slays me! That was no accident. Let's get out of here! It is great how much Mo loves Bart. And that was no accident. It was a great joke. This is a fantasy of mine with several former bosses. I wish I could just find you

in my place. Can you just show up to where I was and i can just tell you off now that you have my control over me i have several speeches memorized that i will uh yeah i i've spoken i've said them out loud god damn it i just love the emma stamp it thing also i liked burns's relaxed sweater like his sweater with a blazer. I like that. I do like how forcefully he's trying to finish like, my buddy here. Like, it's just so like, he can't even say it. But also that Burns is, the Burns' lesson isn't

that, oh, all this money didn't bring me love. It's that I miss people fearing for their jobs for me. That forced respect. We did see a scene of Abe and other seniors laughing at him on the bocce ball court because he couldn't throw the bocce ball. That third old man that laughs at him, I feel like that should have been an old Jewish man. But I don't think he existed at this point.

I don't think they created him yet. No. I love Burns selling the plant back and teasing the German sequence. Please sell me my plant back. I'll pay anything. Isn't this a happy coincidence? You are desperate to buy and we are desperate to sell. Desperate, eh?

Advantage Burns. This is my offer. I think you'll find it's most unfair, but those are the breaks. But, uh, Mr. Burns, this is half of what we paid you. That's my final offer. Take it or leave it. All right, Mr. Burns. You win, but beware. We Germans aren't all smiles and sunshine. Oh, the Germans are mad at me.

I'm so scared. Oh, the Germans. Uh-oh, the Germans are coming to get me. Stop it. Stop something else. Oh, don't let the Germans come after me. Please stop the pretending you're scared game. Stop it.

No, they're so big and strong. Stop it, Mr. Burns. Stop pretending you're scared, James. Stop it. No, they're so big and strong. Stop it, Mr. Burns. Stop pretending you're scared of us, please. Burns, stop it! Oh, that's so great. Any other show would have ended with the smiles and sunshine line, but it's like the scenes are like, no, no, he's going to make fun of them because he's not afraid of them at all anymore.

Oh, the German Smithers, help me, the Germans. It's so perfect. I watched it like three times because the animation sells it. They're all doing kind of improv Please stop Mr. Burns Please stop No Please stop

Alright Now please stop I also I have to get this line out Because the computer's going down Okay This is the end of the show Burns closing it out

Yet another way Like I think the only time Like yeah Burns Never remembers Homer But this is We're resetting for you Yeah

Your order sir Restore my office Cancel all repairs Burns never remembers Homer, but this is, we're resetting for you. Yeah. Your order, sir? Restore my office, cancel all repairs, and rehire that chap who sassed me in the bar. Homer Simpson? But why? Smithers, I keep my friends close and my enemies even closer. He'll slowly regain his confidence as the months and years drift by. Blissfully unaware that the sword of Damocles is dangling just above his head. And then one day,

when he least expects it... Woo-hoo! I got my job back! That's awesome. That's a great cutaway. I love that the moral is that the Germans are too nice and talented to run a business in America. Yeah, they had to sell the plant back

because it cost more to bring it up to code. Yeah, and firing Homer was a good idea in terms of safety for the public. Homer literally should not have his job. I'm sounding grimy here, but there's no reason he should be employed other than that the point of the show is that he works there. I did like they pointed out, you've been safety inspector here for two years. This is the only time time is lined up. That's right.

Home with the Simpsons show at all. Check them out on Patreon, people. We got the first season there. But I also love any scenes of the plant falling apart. And I got just the green goo coming out of the side of the tower. My favorite is still back to Work Stewart, the duck, guarding the hazardous waste. That shouldn't be.

Now, as in a month ago, Frankie Yak has animated GIFs now. The awesome Simpsons search engine, Frankie Yak. And people always ask me, do you know about Frankie Yak? I know, I'm not trying to be rude, but yes, of course I know. Of course we all know about Frankie Yak.

It bums me out because our buddy Mike Grimm, when I went to get on the show, a big Simpsons fan, was like, check this out. You know you can make gifts now? I'm like, I've been making Simpsons gifts for three years. God damn it. Now everybody can do it? Did you crack your knuckles after that?

God damn it. I do love the ease of making a Simpsons gift now. I do love that. I just made one today of, no, it's the children who are wrong, which is one of my, I live that. I live that every day. That is our lives as content creators who are old. So thanks for joining us. This is a great, fantastic episode, and it's only going to get better as it has been getting

better with every episode of Talking Simpsons. As the person capturing the sound effects, I am irritated. It's very hard. There's too much to capture. As someone taking notes, I have to watch episodes twice now because there's too many notes. I'm too distracted by writing. Yeah, I mean, it takes like 70 minutes for me to watch this

episode. They're really hitting their stride and they're going to remain there, I guess, for our program at least another 18 months. Three years. Maybe two years. If we're talking up until season eight, then yeah, we've got like three more years of this. And we're going to be hitting 50 minutes per episode

until then, so I hope you're enjoying the content. Please give us money. And me too. This is how you watch The Simpsons on your commute to work when you can't look at a rolling screen. I just want to entertain bored people. I guess it's officially plug time, right? Yes, I've been your host, Bob Mackie. You can find me on Twitter as Bob Servo. I also host the classic gaming podcast

Retronauts. You can find that at retronauts.com or usgamer.net. It's really great. Or go to your podcast device and type in Retronauts and you'll find that at retronauts.com or usgamer.net. It's really great. Or go to your podcast device and type in Retronauts and you'll find me there waiting for you. Anybody else? Laser time is the thing you could do. I will. Well, it's been pretty good as of late. We usually pick one pop

culture topic from movies, games, TV shows. Print? I know we did one on Dead Format somewhat recently. I think we've done more food than print We've done a couple food ones and then a trip to the toy aisle which is one of those things that I don't know if a lot of people liked at all but I thought it was really fun to try

and figure out who the oldest character in the toy aisle was as a informative quest through toys and a quiz to you guys so check that episode out That was a fun one and if you liked that history bit at the beginning we do a history focused podcast podcast 30-20-10. It takes a given week in the year, and we talk about what happened that week 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and 10 years ago.

And, of course, this is a Patreon-supported podcast. Patreon.com slash LazerTime is where you can go. And, you know, it's our full-time job and we hope that uh you feel like supporting us just because of that but if you want stuff then fine uh we that's where you're going to find season one of talking simpsons all the first 13 episodes along with the season two wrap-up special both really uh great incentives as are our exclusive other content on there like bonus time the podcast weekly movie commentaries baby tons of great stuff there check it out patreon.com slash laser time that's all for us this week thanks so much for listening we'll be back next week with a trip back to the 80s later Wow. Infotainment.