Homer Goes to College
Encyclopedia
"Homer Goes to College" is the third episode of The Simpsons
' fifth season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 14, 1993. In the episode, Homer
's lack of a college degree is revealed and he is sent to Springfield University to pass a nuclear physics class. Homer, who bases his perception of college from bad comedy films, goofs around and is sent to a group of boys for tutoring. The boys, who are stereotypical nerds, try to help Homer, but he instead tries to help them party and decides to pull a prank on another college. They steal Springfield A&M's mascot, but his friends are caught and expelled. Homer invites them to live with him, but his family soon become angered by their new housemates.
"Homer Goes to College" was directed by Jim Reardon
and was the final episode of the show for which Conan O'Brien
received sole writing credit. O'Brien would leave the series halfway through the production of the season to host his own show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. He had been working on this episode when he was informed that he had received the job and was forced to walk out on his contract.
The episode contains several references to the film Animal House as well as Monty Python and the Holy Grail
, Star Trek
and the song "Louie Louie
" by The Kingsmen
, which plays during the end credits.
, Homer
is placed in a test module van that simulates an emergency situation. He has no idea what to do and presses buttons at random, causing a nuclear meltdown
, even though there was no nuclear material inside the van
. The NRC officials tell Mr. Burns
that Homer's job requires college training in nuclear physics
, and that he must go back to college to keep his job. Homer is rejected by every college he applies to, but Burns helps him get into Springfield University.
Homer ignores his studies and instead focuses on his preconceived notions of college life through adolescent movies such as the fictional The School of Hard Knockers and Animal House, which stereotype college life as pranks, partying and rigid deans. He also insults the college dean, Dean Peterson, believing him to be a crusty, conservative administrator. In reality, Peterson relates well with the students and is relatively young. Homer acts like a know-it-all in class and is asked to demonstrate how a proton accelerator operates; consequently, he causes a nuclear meltdown in class. Dean Peterson takes him aside and recommends hiring a tutor
. The tutors turn out to be three computer nerd
s named Benjamin, Doug and Gary. The trio try to help Homer understand the material from his physics
course, but he refuses to cooperate. Instead, he is determined to help them gain a social life by pulling a prank on rival college Springfield A&M University. The prank involves kidnapping the other school's pig mascot
, Sir Oinks-a-lot. However, Homer causes the pig to become very ill after feeding it malt liquor
, and Benjamin, Doug and Gary are blamed for the incident.
Dean Peterson is forced to expel the nerds, and a remorseful Homer immediately invites them to move in with his family. However, their presence quickly disrupt the normal family routine, and Marge orders Homer to evict them, leading him to try to get the three re-admitted to school. Homer's plan involves an attempt to run down Dean Peterson with his car, but have the nerds push him out of the way at the last moment, with the hope that Peterson would readmit the nerds out of gratitude for saving his life. But the plan backfires and Homer winds up running down the dean, seriously injuring him. At the hospital, Homer admits he was fully responsible for the pranks, and asks that Benjamin, Doug and Gary be reinstated. The dean agrees to reinstate them and does not punish Homer, agreeing to forget everything that has happened. The nerds thank Homer for his assistance and move back into their old dormitory
room.
The end of the semester is fast approaching and Homer is not prepared for his final exam. The nerds say the only way to pass is to cram for the final exam, which they help him do. However, despite Homer's best attempts, he gets an F. To Homer's delight, the nerds hack into the school's student records and change his grade to an A-plus, but unfortunately, Marge finds out and forces him to take the course again in order to give Bart a good example. His next college experience is not shown.
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"Homer Goes to College" was the final episode of the show for which Conan O'Brien
received sole writing credit; his final writing credit altogether was for the episode "Treehouse of Horror IV
", which he co-wrote with five other writers. O'Brien would leave the series halfway through the production of the season to host his own show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
. O'Brien was informed that he had received the job not long before the recording session for this episode began, and he was forced to walk out on his contract. The concept of the episode was that Homer attends college, but bases his entire understanding of what college is on "bad Animal House rip-off movies." The antics of the characters Benjamin, Doug and Gary were based on three "incredible nerds" who lived in the same college dormitory as O'Brien.
The Fox Network executives had wanted the season premiere to be "Homer Goes to College" because it was an Animal House parody. However, the writers felt that "Homer's Barbershop Quartet
" would be a better episode because of George Harrison
's involvement. During the episode, Homer sings "I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!" while he lights his old diploma on fire. During the recording session, Dan Castellaneta
was singing the song and accidentally misspelled "smart". The writers decided that it was much funnier that way, because it seemed like something Homer Simpson would do, so they left the joke in. The song has since become a fan favorite.
Jim Reardon
directed the episode and has noted he remembers the episode for several scenes in which the action is viewed through windows, such as when Homer prank calls the dean. The animators were short on time, so for the design of Benjamin they took an earlier drawing of director Rich Moore
and made it African-American.
" by The Kingsmen
which plays throughout the film. The couch gag with the huge pink foot squashing the Simpsons is a reference to The Foot of Cupid
of the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus
. The film Monty Python and The Holy Grail
is also referenced when Benjamin, Doug and Gary imitate the Knights Who Say Ni
. They play Dungeons & Dragons
, hold arguments over Star Trek
and their room number is 222, a reference to the television series Room 222
. Homer has posters of Albert Einstein
and W. C. Fields
. The episode contains the first reference to the Internet
on The Simpsons, as "Computer Signals" being sent between the Nerds and MIT.
Mr. Burns asks Homer to "find the jade
monkey" in a reference to the film The Maltese Falcon
. He also offers the nuclear inspectors a washer and dryer or the contents of a mysterious box, which parodies the gameshow Let's Make a Deal
. Mr. Burns' escape pod resembles the one used by R2-D2
and C-3PO
in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
. Mr. Burns tries to get Homer into college by using violence and hitting one of the members of the admissions committee with a baseball bat, a reference to the film The Untouchables.
of 11.3, and was viewed in 10.5 million households. It was tied with Beverly Hills, 90210
as the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.
The episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "Homer at his most excruciatingly stupid in another superb episode - his attitude to the college's 'stuffy old dean' (who was, in fact, bassist for The Pretenders
) is a joy." Thomas Rozwadowski of the Green Bay Press-Gazette
listed Homer's line "Curly, straight. Curly, straight" whilst he torments the pig as "instantly memorable". DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that it did not "quite live up to its two predecessors "Homer's Barbershop Quartet
" and "Cape Feare
" this year, but it remains a strong show nonetheless. Actually, it starts a little slowly but builds steam along the way. It includes some classic moments of a Homer idiocy - hard to beat him chasing squirrels with a stick - and one of the better visual gags via Burns’ chair. Who can dislike a show in which Richard Nixon threatens Homer due to a drunken pig?" The episode's reference to The Untouchables was named the 13th greatest film reference in the history of the show by Total Film
' s Nathan Ditum.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 5)
The Simpsons fifth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 30, 1993 and May 19, 1994. The show runner for the fifth production season was David Mirkin who executive produced 20 episodes. Al Jean and Mike Reiss executive produced the remaining two, which were both hold overs...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 14, 1993. In the episode, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's lack of a college degree is revealed and he is sent to Springfield University to pass a nuclear physics class. Homer, who bases his perception of college from bad comedy films, goofs around and is sent to a group of boys for tutoring. The boys, who are stereotypical nerds, try to help Homer, but he instead tries to help them party and decides to pull a prank on another college. They steal Springfield A&M's mascot, but his friends are caught and expelled. Homer invites them to live with him, but his family soon become angered by their new housemates.
"Homer Goes to College" was directed by Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon is an animation director and storyboard consultant, best known for his work on the animated TV series The Simpsons. He has directed over 30 episodes of the series, and was credited as a supervising director for seasons 9 through 15...
and was the final episode of the show for which Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
received sole writing credit. O'Brien would leave the series halfway through the production of the season to host his own show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. He had been working on this episode when he was informed that he had received the job and was forced to walk out on his contract.
The episode contains several references to the film Animal House as well as Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
, Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and the song "Louie Louie
Louie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" by The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
, which plays during the end credits.
Plot
During a surprise inspection of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant by employees from the Nuclear Regulatory CommissionNuclear Regulatory Commission
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is an independent agency of the United States government that was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 from the United States Atomic Energy Commission, and was first opened January 19, 1975...
, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
is placed in a test module van that simulates an emergency situation. He has no idea what to do and presses buttons at random, causing a nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown
Nuclear meltdown is an informal term for a severe nuclear reactor accident that results in core damage from overheating. The term is not officially defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency or by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission...
, even though there was no nuclear material inside the van
Van
A van is a kind of vehicle used for transporting goods or groups of people.In British English usage, it can be either specially designed or based on a saloon or sedan car, the latter type often including derivatives with open backs...
. The NRC officials tell Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
that Homer's job requires college training in nuclear physics
Nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies the building blocks and interactions of atomic nuclei. The most commonly known applications of nuclear physics are nuclear power generation and nuclear weapons technology, but the research has provided application in many fields, including those...
, and that he must go back to college to keep his job. Homer is rejected by every college he applies to, but Burns helps him get into Springfield University.
Homer ignores his studies and instead focuses on his preconceived notions of college life through adolescent movies such as the fictional The School of Hard Knockers and Animal House, which stereotype college life as pranks, partying and rigid deans. He also insults the college dean, Dean Peterson, believing him to be a crusty, conservative administrator. In reality, Peterson relates well with the students and is relatively young. Homer acts like a know-it-all in class and is asked to demonstrate how a proton accelerator operates; consequently, he causes a nuclear meltdown in class. Dean Peterson takes him aside and recommends hiring a tutor
Tutor
A tutor is a person employed in the education of others, either individually or in groups. To tutor is to perform the functions of a tutor.-Teaching assistance:...
. The tutors turn out to be three computer nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
s named Benjamin, Doug and Gary. The trio try to help Homer understand the material from his physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
course, but he refuses to cooperate. Instead, he is determined to help them gain a social life by pulling a prank on rival college Springfield A&M University. The prank involves kidnapping the other school's pig mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
, Sir Oinks-a-lot. However, Homer causes the pig to become very ill after feeding it malt liquor
Malt liquor
Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...
, and Benjamin, Doug and Gary are blamed for the incident.
Dean Peterson is forced to expel the nerds, and a remorseful Homer immediately invites them to move in with his family. However, their presence quickly disrupt the normal family routine, and Marge orders Homer to evict them, leading him to try to get the three re-admitted to school. Homer's plan involves an attempt to run down Dean Peterson with his car, but have the nerds push him out of the way at the last moment, with the hope that Peterson would readmit the nerds out of gratitude for saving his life. But the plan backfires and Homer winds up running down the dean, seriously injuring him. At the hospital, Homer admits he was fully responsible for the pranks, and asks that Benjamin, Doug and Gary be reinstated. The dean agrees to reinstate them and does not punish Homer, agreeing to forget everything that has happened. The nerds thank Homer for his assistance and move back into their old dormitory
Dormitory
A dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
room.
The end of the semester is fast approaching and Homer is not prepared for his final exam. The nerds say the only way to pass is to cram for the final exam, which they help him do. However, despite Homer's best attempts, he gets an F. To Homer's delight, the nerds hack into the school's student records and change his grade to an A-plus, but unfortunately, Marge finds out and forces him to take the course again in order to give Bart a good example. His next college experience is not shown.
Production
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
received sole writing credit; his final writing credit altogether was for the episode "Treehouse of Horror IV
Treehouse of Horror IV
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer...
", which he co-wrote with five other writers. O'Brien would leave the series halfway through the production of the season to host his own show, Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. O'Brien was informed that he had received the job not long before the recording session for this episode began, and he was forced to walk out on his contract. The concept of the episode was that Homer attends college, but bases his entire understanding of what college is on "bad Animal House rip-off movies." The antics of the characters Benjamin, Doug and Gary were based on three "incredible nerds" who lived in the same college dormitory as O'Brien.
The Fox Network executives had wanted the season premiere to be "Homer Goes to College" because it was an Animal House parody. However, the writers felt that "Homer's Barbershop Quartet
Homer's Barbershop Quartet
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of The Simpsons fifth season. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Mark Kirkland. It features The Be Sharps, a barbershop quartet founded by Homer Simpson. The band's story roughly parallels that of The Beatles...
" would be a better episode because of George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
's involvement. During the episode, Homer sings "I am so smart! S-M-R-T... I mean S-M-A-R-T!" while he lights his old diploma on fire. During the recording session, Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
was singing the song and accidentally misspelled "smart". The writers decided that it was much funnier that way, because it seemed like something Homer Simpson would do, so they left the joke in. The song has since become a fan favorite.
Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon is an animation director and storyboard consultant, best known for his work on the animated TV series The Simpsons. He has directed over 30 episodes of the series, and was credited as a supervising director for seasons 9 through 15...
directed the episode and has noted he remembers the episode for several scenes in which the action is viewed through windows, such as when Homer prank calls the dean. The animators were short on time, so for the design of Benjamin they took an earlier drawing of director Rich Moore
Rich Moore
Rich Moore is an American animation director and a business partner in Rough Draft Studios, Inc., where he serves as Sr. Vice President of creative affairs. He is one of a handful of artists who in the early 90s redefined prime time television animation with his work on The Simpsons...
and made it African-American.
Cultural references
The episode contains several references to the film Animal House, including the song "Louie LouieLouie Louie
"Louie Louie" is an American rock 'n' roll song written by Richard Berry in 1955. It has become a standard in pop and rock, with hundreds of versions recorded by different artists...
" by The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen
The Kingsmen is a 1960s garage rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States. They are best known for their 1963 recording of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie", which held the #2 spot on the Billboard charts for six weeks...
which plays throughout the film. The couch gag with the huge pink foot squashing the Simpsons is a reference to The Foot of Cupid
The Foot of Cupid
The Foot of Cupid is a trademark of the BBC television series, Monty Python's Flying Circus.It is often seen in the opening animation credits at middle, then at the end of the opening, dropping down on the title and everything around it with a sound similar to that of a short burst of flatulence.It...
of the television series Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python's Flying Circus
Monty Python’s Flying Circus is a BBC TV sketch comedy series. The shows were composed of surreality, risqué or innuendo-laden humour, sight gags and observational sketches without punchlines...
. The film Monty Python and The Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
is also referenced when Benjamin, Doug and Gary imitate the Knights Who Say Ni
Knights who say Ni
The Knights who say Ni are a band of knights from the comedy film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, feared for the manner in which they utter the word "ni"...
. They play Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
, hold arguments over Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
and their room number is 222, a reference to the television series Room 222
Room 222
Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC from September 17, 1969, to January 11, 1974, for 112 episodes...
. Homer has posters of Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
and W. C. Fields
W. C. Fields
William Claude Dukenfield , better known as W. C. Fields, was an American comedian, actor, juggler and writer...
. The episode contains the first reference to the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
on The Simpsons, as "Computer Signals" being sent between the Nerds and MIT.
Mr. Burns asks Homer to "find the jade
Jade
Jade is an ornamental stone.The term jade is applied to two different metamorphic rocks that are made up of different silicate minerals:...
monkey" in a reference to the film The Maltese Falcon
The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)
The Maltese Falcon is a 1941 Warner Bros. film based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett and a remake of the 1931 film of the same name...
. He also offers the nuclear inspectors a washer and dryer or the contents of a mysterious box, which parodies the gameshow Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal
Let's Make a Deal is a television game show which originated in the United States and has since been produced in many countries throughout the world. The show is based around deals offered to members of the audience by the host. The traders usually have to weigh the possibility of an offer being...
. Mr. Burns' escape pod resembles the one used by R2-D2
R2-D2
R2-D2 , is a character in the Star Wars universe. An astromech droid, R2-D2 is a major character throughout all six Star Wars films. Along with his droid companion C-3PO, he joins or supports Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, and Obi-Wan Kenobi in various points in the saga...
and C-3PO
C-3PO
C-3PO is a robot character from the Star Wars universe who appears in both the original Star Wars films and the prequel trilogy. He is also a major character in the television show Droids, and appears frequently in the series' "Expanded Universe" of novels, comic books, and video games...
in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. Mr. Burns tries to get Homer into college by using violence and hitting one of the members of the admissions committee with a baseball bat, a reference to the film The Untouchables.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Homer Goes to College" finished 44th in ratings for the week of October 11 to October 17, 1993, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 11.3, and was viewed in 10.5 million households. It was tied with Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210
Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
as the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.
The episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "Homer at his most excruciatingly stupid in another superb episode - his attitude to the college's 'stuffy old dean' (who was, in fact, bassist for The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
) is a joy." Thomas Rozwadowski of the Green Bay Press-Gazette
Green Bay Press-Gazette
The Green Bay Press-Gazette is a newspaper whose primary coverage is of northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay. It was founded as the Green Bay Gazette in 1866 as a weekly paper, becoming a daily newspaper in 1871. The Green Bay Gazette merged with its major competitor, the Green Bay Free...
listed Homer's line "Curly, straight. Curly, straight" whilst he torments the pig as "instantly memorable". DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that it did not "quite live up to its two predecessors "Homer's Barbershop Quartet
Homer's Barbershop Quartet
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of The Simpsons fifth season. The episode was written by Jeff Martin and directed by Mark Kirkland. It features The Be Sharps, a barbershop quartet founded by Homer Simpson. The band's story roughly parallels that of The Beatles...
" and "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
" this year, but it remains a strong show nonetheless. Actually, it starts a little slowly but builds steam along the way. It includes some classic moments of a Homer idiocy - hard to beat him chasing squirrels with a stick - and one of the better visual gags via Burns’ chair. Who can dislike a show in which Richard Nixon threatens Homer due to a drunken pig?" The episode's reference to The Untouchables was named the 13th greatest film reference in the history of the show by Total Film
Total Film
Total Film is a British film magazine published 13 times a year by Future Publishing. The magazine was launched in 1997 and offers film, DVD and Blu-ray news, reviews and features...
External links
- "Homer Goes to College" at The Simpsons.com