The Japan episode has this exchange I loved:
Marge: Come on, Homer. Japan will be fun! You liked Rashomon.Homer: That's not how *I* remember it.
― Glorified Lolcat (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 10 February 2011 18:08 (thirteen years ago) link
And FWIW, one of the last recent eps I remember finding super-funny was "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story," which was 2006.
― Glorified Lolcat (Dan Peterson), Thursday, 10 February 2011 18:10 (thirteen years ago) link
There's this brief reaction of stammering existential crisis when Homer encounters Mr. Spakeru for the first time that's hard to encapsulate as a joke or catchphrase, but it's just tops!
What are more bits like that?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 18:12 (thirteen years ago) link
"Marge vs. The Monorail" is just breathtaking for the sheer quantity & quality of jokes, all from so many different angles. I'd start a poll but narrowing it down to 50 gags would be difficult enough.
― ilxor gets into jazz (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:12 (thirteen years ago) link
the cosmic ballet... goes on
― lmao reminisces about his days in southern china (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:14 (thirteen years ago) link
it's an excellent episode but you can see the beginnings of bad use of celebrities in the nimoy-quimby exchange."you don't know who I am, do you?" is the joke! Then he beams out, breaking a long-standing "no cartoon logic" rule.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:18 (thirteen years ago) link
weirdly the later seasons handled the rock camp cameos fairly OK, and Ludacris nails the "you'll be hearing from my lawyer, Ms. Melissa BurlinGAME" line.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:23 (thirteen years ago) link
breaking a long-standing "no cartoon logic" rule.
this was a rule? seems like this gets violated pretty often
― lmao reminisces about his days in southern china (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:26 (thirteen years ago) link
it's called "flexible reality"
― sonderangerbot, Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:30 (thirteen years ago) link
they used to go out of their way to have fun with it -- like when bart and lisa get surprised by their news and their caps fly vertically off their heads, and they pull back to reveal it's because of some faulty ceiling fan.
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:32 (thirteen years ago) link
there's some scene really early on where Bart and Lisa are talking about how cartoons are unrealistic and you see Homer walk by a window outside, even though he was just inside a couple frames ago or something like that
I know there's more this is jsut the first one that springs to mind
― lmao reminisces about his days in southern china (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Top 50 Marge vs. the Monorail gags, go!
1. "Homer, I've brought someone who can help you?""Is it Batman?""No, it's a scientist.""Batman's a scientist.""It's not Batman!"
2. "I call the big one 'Bitey.'"
3. "I shouldn't have stopped for that haircut."
― Pirates of the Caribbean V: Letters of Marque & Reprisal (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:36 (thirteen years ago) link
I call animals Bitey all the time. there's a Life in Hell series of strips where Groening has some pet ducks that uses the same gag
― lmao reminisces about his days in southern china (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:39 (thirteen years ago) link
Another one of my favorites, taken from SNPP:
Taylor: Hi, Lisa, I'm Alison's father, Professor Taylor. I've heard great things about you. Lisa: Oh, really? I --Taylor: Oh, don't be modest. I'm glad we have someone who can join us in our anagram game.Alison: We take proper names and rearrange the letters to form a description of that person.Taylor: Like, er...oh, I don't know, uh...Alec Guinness.Alison: Genuine class.Taylor: Ho ho, very good. All right, Lisa, um...Jeremy Irons. Lisa: [looks with consternation] Jeremy's...iron.Taylor: Mm hmm, well that's...very good...for a first try. You know what? I have a ball. [pulls one from his pocket] Perhaps you'd like to bounce it?
― frogbs, Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:42 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah that's great. I wonder how long the writers took to find a celebrity name that more or less can't be anagrammed
― lmao reminisces about his days in southern china (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:44 (thirteen years ago) link
well I guess there's this one ha
― I, Mr. Sneer Joy (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:45 (thirteen years ago) link
worra jerk that Professor Taylor was.
I think I use the affectionate name 'Stitchface' a little more than I do 'Bitey'.
― Antoine Bugleboy (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, Homer's nicknames for things are great. And then there's this:
http://deadhomersociety.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/picture21.png
― Pirates of the Caribbean V: Letters of Marque & Reprisal (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 February 2011 19:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Repeated from memory, a couple of pearls from maligned travel eps:
England-
Homer observing things he sees looking over the city: "Jimmy Page, one of the greatest living thieves of black American music."
Africa-
The tourguide detailing dictator Muntu's rise to power: "It was a bloodless coup--all smotherings!"
― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:06 (thirteen years ago) link
I've always wanted to name a pet Stompy.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:08 (thirteen years ago) link
it's STAMPY
― I, Mr. Sneer Joy (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:11 (thirteen years ago) link
which is the one where homer goes, "first, I'll become a cop. Then... over time... (punches fist into hand) a dirty cop." ?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:12 (thirteen years ago) link
Was it when they emigrated back to America from France?
― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:14 (thirteen years ago) link
wasn't time travel involved, too?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:16 (thirteen years ago) link
x-post Well, I've always wanted to name a pet STOMPY! It's not like I'm keeping an elephant tied up in the backyard or anything.
― Josh in Chicago, Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:18 (thirteen years ago) link
this was a conan episode and apparently breaking the long-standing no-cartoon-logic rule was his biggest influence on the show
― iatee, Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:20 (thirteen years ago) link
x-postSpeaking of France, one of the only good things from that ep where Homer and Carl went to Paris was when Homer called Sarkozy and he answered, "Hello, you are getting cozy with Sarkozy." Dumb, but I laughed.
― Your cousin, Marvin Cobain (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:20 (thirteen years ago) link
Followed by Marge's "Just like Jimmy Carter!"
Also this:
Attention passengers -- please prepare for our landing in Tanzania. [someone in the cockpit hands her a note] I'm sorry, it is now called New Zanzibar. [she is given another note] Excuse me, it is now called Pepsi presents New Zanzibar.
― Pirates of the Caribbean V: Letters of Marque & Reprisal (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:43 (thirteen years ago) link
I remain baffled as to why people like the Aus episode but none of the other overseas ones. Groening didnt even TRY to make it look like australia. Nothing - not one single bit of the episode - had any actual reference point, or even landmark (no, not even the parlament house was right). It just looked like rural america. It was insultingly shitty and he actually said "well admittedly I know nothiing about Autralia" which is just pathetic idk?
I love the Japan epsisode, but it had some great jokes in it! Battling Seizure Robots!
― Senor DingDong (Trayce), Thursday, 10 February 2011 20:56 (thirteen years ago) link
Ugh excuse all the typos. I need to clean my keyboard.
favourite line in the Monorail episode, as the plane lands in Shelbyville
"there he is! seat 3F!"
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:01 (thirteen years ago) link
Australia one is meant to be some absurdist version of Australia...same w/ the France episode
― iatee, Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:02 (thirteen years ago) link
feel like it was probably funnier *because* there were no landmarks
― look its not that you listen to metal its that youre a bellend ok (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:03 (thirteen years ago) link
"you don't know who I am, do you?" is the joke! Then he beams out, breaking a long-standing "no cartoon logic" rule.
the real joke was that quimby thought nimoy was one of the little rascals so wasn't even confusing star wars with star trek when he said "may the force be with you".
would start a thread for earlier examples of that kind of bait-switch-switch in comedies but feels like only the simpsons ever did it on that level
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:05 (thirteen years ago) link
I remain baffled as to why people like the Aus episode but none of the other overseas ones. Groening didnt even TRY to make it look like australia. Nothing - not one single bit of the episode - had any actual reference point, or even landmark
THIS IS THE JOKE - it is entirely about Americans' stereotypes of Australia, it has nothing to do with ACTUAL Australia.
― I, Mr. Sneer Joy (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:05 (thirteen years ago) link
I remain baffled as to why people like the Aus episode
"so let your children run wild and free, for as an old man once said...let your children run wild and free"
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:06 (thirteen years ago) link
+ knifey spoony obv
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:07 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah that and chuzza wuzzas was funny but I dunno, idgi. The overall premise with the boot thing was boring, to me. Though I know it was a riff on a recent (at the time) incident where an Australian had been punished in indonesia by being caned or something.
― Senor DingDong (Trayce), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:09 (thirteen years ago) link
exactly--the "australia" being mocked in the simpsons ep is essentially the "australia" sold to americans through crocodile dundee movies, fosters beer commercials, outback steakhouse etc.
― gallagher 3 (latebloomer), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:11 (thirteen years ago) link
WELL YOU ALL SUCK THEN
― Senor DingDong (Trayce), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:11 (thirteen years ago) link
"Well, it's pretty big . . . I guess . . . "
http://deadhomersociety.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/bartvs-australia1.png
― Pirates of the Caribbean V: Letters of Marque & Reprisal (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:13 (thirteen years ago) link
also c'mon, Homer tearfully saluting the toilet flushing the proper "american way"
― gallagher 3 (latebloomer), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:13 (thirteen years ago) link
Also the bit with Homer and Bart escaping in the kangaroo pouches, then climbing out covered in slime and amniotic fluid, is amazing.
also Marge doing her little speech, handing the phone back and the diplomat guy's "so we're agreed, she won't be allowed to speak again"
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah I thought that was pretty obvious. "Coff-ee!" "Bee-eer?"
― frogbs, Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:16 (thirteen years ago) link
I mean
http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7066/2f13schleim.jpg
― Pirates of the Caribbean V: Letters of Marque & Reprisal (Phil D.), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:17 (thirteen years ago) link
If it makes you feel better, Trayce - I don't remember The SImpsons Go To Toronto particularly resembling Toronto at all (with possible exception of the CN Tower in the background of a shot)
― she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:24 (thirteen years ago) link
"the real joke was that quimby thought nimoy was one of the little rascals"
that doesn't really save it. what could save it is if they switched to Quimby's POV and for some reason for this particular episode he needs glasses, so everything is fuzzy, and in this fuzzy vision Nimoy actually resembles Alfalfa, and does some signature Alfalfa mugging, but when someone finds his glasses for him, he reverts to stern, unblinking Nimoy. Then, to save the beamout joke, Nimoy could go, "My work here is done" and appear to beam out, but when Quimby puts his glasses back on, it's actually a cloud of dust from the defunct monorail, and Nimoy coughs and goes, "can I get a ride" then the Little Rascals show up in a funnycar and say, "hop in, Luke Skywalker!" and Nimoy gives an exasperated grunt
There's just a lot of joke doctoring needed before they can bring this up to par!Also, the conan cameo. "only I can dance" that's the joke?
― Philip Nunez, Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:32 (thirteen years ago) link
dude that's a pretty convoluted way to 'save' a decent double switch
― idgi fridays (blueski), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:35 (thirteen years ago) link
I would've liked Simpsons go to England a lot more if had been absurdist riffs on ridiculous stereotypes TBH.
― Inevitable stupid dubstep mix (chap), Thursday, 10 February 2011 21:36 (thirteen years ago) link