Homer and Apu
Encyclopedia
"Homer and Apu" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons
' fifth season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 1994. In the episode, Homer
participates in a hidden camera investigation of the expired meat selling at the Kwik-E-Mart
. Apu
is immediately fired and replaced by actor James Woods
, who is doing research for a role in an upcoming film. Apu begins to miss his job at the Kwik-E-Mart, so in an attempt to get it back, Apu and Homer travel to India
to talk with the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation.
The episode was written by Greg Daniels
, and directed by Mark Kirkland
. James Woods made a guest appearance as himself. The episode features cultural references to films such as The Hard Way
, JFK
, and Lawrence of Arabia
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating
of 13.3, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
, Apu
charges prices higher than he is allowed to. Apu then lowers the price on expired ham from 1989 instead of throwing it out. Homer
buys the meat, eats it, and contracts food poisoning. After recovering, Homer returns to the Kwik-E-Mart to complain, and Apu gives him two five-pound buckets of expired shrimp
to placate him. Homer eats the shrimp and again becomes very ill. Whilst recovering at home, Homer sees the investigative news
program Bite Back with Kent Brockman, hosted by Channel 6 journalist Kent Brockman
. Lisa
gives him the idea to get the show to investigate the Kwik-E-Mart. Kent gives Homer a giant novelty hat containing a spy camera
to expose Apu for selling expired food. While inside the store, the camera catches Apu re-selling a dirty hot dog that recently fallen on the ground. Apu is immediately fired by his company (even though he actually follows the company "ethics
"), and is replaced by actor James Woods
, who is doing research for a role in an upcoming film.
After being fired, Apu does chores for Homer because he thinks that he is in debt to Homer for selling him expired food, and helping him would pay off his debt of karma
. At first, Homer is reluctant in accept his help since "only the cosmos can give karma!", but as time goes by, the family begins to love Apu and his traditions (especially after he helps Marge in buy products in another market). However, Apu misses his job at the Kwik-E-Mart, so Homer decides to help him by accompanying him to the Kwik-E-Mart head office in India
. Once they arrive, they meet with the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation, who says that they can ask him three questions. Unfortunately, Homer wastes the three questions and the head of the Kwik-E-Mart does not help Apu with his problems. After scolding Homer for screwing everything up, Apu and Homer are forced to return home disappointed.
When they get home to Springfield
, Apu decides to return to the Kwik-E-Mart to "face his demons". A robber bursts into the store and shoots at Woods, but Apu saves him by jumping in front of the bullet. At the hospital, Dr. Hibbert
says that Apu survived because the bullet ricocheted off another bullet that was lodged in his chest from a previous robbery. Eternally grateful, Woods gets Apu his job back, and goes away to fight against extraterrestrial beings.
The episode was written by Greg Daniels
, and directed by Mark Kirkland
. It was the first episode of the show that Daniels wrote. The Simpsons writers Al Jean
and Mike Reiss
, who were show runner
s during the previous two seasons, came up with the idea for the episode. They left the idea with David Mirkin
, who took over the job as show runner during this season. Mirkin said he was "very excited and intrigued" with the idea of the episode. Soon thereafter, he assigned Daniels to write the script because he knew that Daniels would "step up" and "throw himself into it". In an interview with the Chicago Tribune
, Mirkin stated that when he took over the show, he wanted to "bring it back" to character and story, unlike the previous season which got "so fast-moving and so full of cutaway gags". Mirkin added: "I explored the characters a little more, took them a little further. I had one of the first episodes where Homer was really tempted by another woman, "The Last Temptation of Homer
", and Bart
having a girlfriend even nastier than himself, "Bart's Girlfriend
", plus more of a focus on side characters. We did the first episode to really feature Apu as a main character. Those were my goals." Kirkland said he was grateful that he got to work with a "wonderful crew" on the episode, including Bob Anderson
, who he thought was a "wonderful" director. Kirkland said that Anderson assisted him on the episode and did "fine animation throughout".
When Mirkin took over as show runner, he listed actor James Woods
as one of the people he would most like to guest star on the show. Michael Caine
was originally supposed to be the actor in the episode who takes over Apu's job at the Kwik-E-Mart, but he rejected the role. The story was therefore rewritten so that Woods received Apu's job instead. Woods was one of animation director David Silverman
's favorite guest stars. Mirkin said he provided one of the "most fantastic" performances ever on the show, and commented that he "nailed" all of his lines and was "so funny, right at the top of his head". Mirkin said that when most guest stars come in to record their lines for the show, they are a little nervous because they have never done voice-over
before. Mirkin noted, however, that Woods was a "fearless guy" and he was "so excited to do it because he was a huge fan of the show". Silverman noted that in addition to his humorous ad-libbing, Woods's tendency to hesitate while speaking was "great for animation", explaining that it made the character feel more realistic. "Homer and Apu" features the popular Simpsons song "Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart?", sung by Apu and the Simpson family. The song was written by all of the show's writers in the writer's room, and it was composed by Alf Clausen
. The song later appeared on the soundtrack album Songs in the Key of Springfield
, which was released on March 18, 1997, and compiled many musical numbers from the show.
) becoming a police officer in the 1991 film The Hard Way
, which Woods also starred in (interestingly, this is a reversal of roles: Woods played the cop that Lang was saddled with in the film). When Kent asks Homer if he is willing to go undercover to "nail" Apu, Homer replies: "No way, man, get yourself another patsy!" This is a reference to a line in the 1991 film JFK
. The scene of Homer and Apu riding on mules to the Springfield Airport, with their luggage strapped to the mules' backs, is similar to a scene from the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia
. In his Kwik-E-Mart job interview, the interviewer asks Woods why he would want to work at the Kwik-E-Mart, to which he replies: "To be honest, in my upcoming movie I'm going to be playing this tightly-wound convenience store clerk and, I kind of like to research my roles and really get into it. For instance, in True Believer
I actually worked in a law firm for two months. And then, the film Chaplin I had a little cameo in that. I actually traveled back in time, back to the twenties, where... Well, I've said too much," referencing the 1989 film True Believer and the 1992 film Chaplin.
of 13.3. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week. The song "Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart?" was nominated for an Emmy Award
in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics" category, but lost to "The Song Remembers When
" from the television special Trisha Yearwood: The Song Remembers When.
Since airing, 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: "One of the very best, with the gags coming thick and fast. We particularly like the spy camera concealed in Homer's massive stetson, Apu and Marge's trip to the Monster Mart, and 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?', possibly the cleverest song in the series. And the Christians harassing people at the Indian airport, and Homer's wastage of three questions, and James Woods' parting words to the Simpsons, and the footage of Apu doing a hummingbird
impression..." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said: "The first episode to focus on Apu, this one works well. Our glimpses of Apu’s sleaziness and culture are entertaining, and the 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?' tune is one of the better musical numbers [of the show]." Jacobson went on to say: "Also count James Woods as one of the all-time best guest stars, which is likely why he gets many more lines than the average cameo voice." Total Film
s Nathan Ditum named Woods' performance in the episode the 19th best guest appearance on The Simpsons.
Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a grade of A+ and commented that it features one of the best musical numbers in the show's "history of great musical numbers". Adam Suraf of Dunkirkma.net named it the best episode of the season, and added: "I don’t know what it is about this episode — the 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?' song number; James Woods filling in for Apu at the store; or Homer’s wise line 'I’ve learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders
was dead' — but the entire affair is inspired. [...] It’s in the little details that make this episode the year’s best, and solidifies The Simpsons as the funniest sitcom of all time." A reviewer for Currentfilm.com wrote: "Although Homer becomes a little too dumb sometimes, there's some classic Homer bits to be found [in the episode], a hilarious Lisa moment after she eats spicy food served by Apu and says 'I can see through time!', and a great song, 'Who Needs the Quick-E-Mart?'" AskMen.com
ranked "Homer and Apu" as number six on their list of the top ten The Simpsons episodes. Bill Gibron of DVD Talk
gave the episode a score of 5 out of 5.
and the dinging bell as Homer and Apu entered the Kwik-E-Mart in India, and the sign that read, "The Master Knows All (except combination to safe)". Beard said, "Here the show presents its own instance of the global culture of consumer capitalism
, transplanted intact and indistinguishably unaltered from the suburbs of America to a mountain top in some indefinable region of the post-partitioned Commonwealth
nation of India, purely for the purpose of parodically criticizing the banality of quick-stop stores."
Paul Cantor, who analyzed the episode in his book Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization, said, "The Simpsons could offer no better image of the bizarre logic of contemporary globalization
than a worldwide convenience store empire run by an enlightened guru
from the sacred mountains of India." Cantor also specifically cited the "Master Knows" sign, which he said combined the perceived wisdom of the East with the business acumen of the West.
Tasleem Shakur and Karen D'Souza write in their book Picturing South Asian culture in English that "Homer and Apu" typifies the key articulation of the character of Apu juxtaposed to Homer, "something like his alter-ego", where Homer is the all American, Duff
drinking, rather lazy nuclear plant worker, and Apu is the immigrant, clean living, hard working, small businessman. Their friendship, the authors added, is typically of a strong degree of mutual respect and a kind of admiration for what the other represents.
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 February 10, 1994. 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...
participates in a hidden camera investigation of the expired meat selling at the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
. Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
is immediately fired and replaced by actor James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
, who is doing research for a role in an upcoming film. Apu begins to miss his job at the Kwik-E-Mart, so in an attempt to get it back, Apu and Homer travel to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to talk with the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation.
The episode was written by Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
, and directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. James Woods made a guest appearance as himself. The episode features cultural references to films such as The Hard Way
The Hard Way (1991 film)
The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
, JFK
JFK (film)
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...
, and Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating
Nielsen 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 13.3, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
At the Kwik-E-MartKwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
, Apu
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
charges prices higher than he is allowed to. Apu then lowers the price on expired ham from 1989 instead of throwing it out. 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...
buys the meat, eats it, and contracts food poisoning. After recovering, Homer returns to the Kwik-E-Mart to complain, and Apu gives him two five-pound buckets of expired shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
to placate him. Homer eats the shrimp and again becomes very ill. Whilst recovering at home, Homer sees the investigative news
Investigative journalism
Investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, often involving crime, political corruption, or corporate wrongdoing. An investigative journalist may spend months or years researching and preparing a report. Investigative journalism...
program Bite Back with Kent Brockman, hosted by Channel 6 journalist Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
. Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
gives him the idea to get the show to investigate the Kwik-E-Mart. Kent gives Homer a giant novelty hat containing a spy camera
Hidden camera
A hidden camera is a still or video camera used to film people without their knowledge. The camera is "hidden" because it is either not visible to the subject being filmed, or is disguised as another object...
to expose Apu for selling expired food. While inside the store, the camera catches Apu re-selling a dirty hot dog that recently fallen on the ground. Apu is immediately fired by his company (even though he actually follows the company "ethics
Amorality
Amorality is an absence of, indifference towards, or disregard for moral beliefs. Any entity that is not sentient may be considered amoral. In addition, it can be argued that sentient but non-human creatures, like dogs, have no concept of morality and are therefore amoral...
"), and is replaced by actor James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
, who is doing research for a role in an upcoming film.
After being fired, Apu does chores for Homer because he thinks that he is in debt to Homer for selling him expired food, and helping him would pay off his debt of karma
Karma
Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies....
. At first, Homer is reluctant in accept his help since "only the cosmos can give karma!", but as time goes by, the family begins to love Apu and his traditions (especially after he helps Marge in buy products in another market). However, Apu misses his job at the Kwik-E-Mart, so Homer decides to help him by accompanying him to the Kwik-E-Mart head office in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Once they arrive, they meet with the head of the Kwik-E-Mart corporation, who says that they can ask him three questions. Unfortunately, Homer wastes the three questions and the head of the Kwik-E-Mart does not help Apu with his problems. After scolding Homer for screwing everything up, Apu and Homer are forced to return home disappointed.
When they get home to Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
, Apu decides to return to the Kwik-E-Mart to "face his demons". A robber bursts into the store and shoots at Woods, but Apu saves him by jumping in front of the bullet. At the hospital, Dr. Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
says that Apu survived because the bullet ricocheted off another bullet that was lodged in his chest from a previous robbery. Eternally grateful, Woods gets Apu his job back, and goes away to fight against extraterrestrial beings.
Production
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
, and directed by Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
. It was the first episode of the show that Daniels wrote. The Simpsons writers Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
and Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
, who were show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
s during the previous two seasons, came up with the idea for the episode. They left the idea with David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
, who took over the job as show runner during this season. Mirkin said he was "very excited and intrigued" with the idea of the episode. Soon thereafter, he assigned Daniels to write the script because he knew that Daniels would "step up" and "throw himself into it". In an interview with the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, Mirkin stated that when he took over the show, he wanted to "bring it back" to character and story, unlike the previous season which got "so fast-moving and so full of cutaway gags". Mirkin added: "I explored the characters a little more, took them a little further. I had one of the first episodes where Homer was really tempted by another woman, "The Last Temptation of Homer
The Last Temptation of Homer
"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993. In the episode, a female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant...
", and Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
having a girlfriend even nastier than himself, "Bart's Girlfriend
Bart's Girlfriend
"Bart's Girlfriend" is the seventh television episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 6, 1994. The plot of the episode follows the secret romance of Bart and Jessica Lovejoy, Reverend Lovejoy's daughter...
", plus more of a focus on side characters. We did the first episode to really feature Apu as a main character. Those were my goals." Kirkland said he was grateful that he got to work with a "wonderful crew" on the episode, including Bob Anderson
Bob Anderson (director)
Bob Anderson is an animation director on The Simpsons. He also contributed additional sequence direction on The Simpsons Movie....
, who he thought was a "wonderful" director. Kirkland said that Anderson assisted him on the episode and did "fine animation throughout".
When Mirkin took over as show runner, he listed actor James Woods
James Woods
James Howard Woods is an American film, stage and television actor. Woods is known for starring in critically acclaimed films such as Once Upon a Time in America, Salvador, Nixon, Ghosts of Mississippi, Casino, and in the television legal drama Shark. He has won three Emmy Awards, and has gained...
as one of the people he would most like to guest star on the show. Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
was originally supposed to be the actor in the episode who takes over Apu's job at the Kwik-E-Mart, but he rejected the role. The story was therefore rewritten so that Woods received Apu's job instead. Woods was one of animation director David Silverman
David Silverman
David Silverman is an animator best known for directing numerous episodes of the animated TV series The Simpsons, as well as The Simpsons Movie...
's favorite guest stars. Mirkin said he provided one of the "most fantastic" performances ever on the show, and commented that he "nailed" all of his lines and was "so funny, right at the top of his head". Mirkin said that when most guest stars come in to record their lines for the show, they are a little nervous because they have never done voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
before. Mirkin noted, however, that Woods was a "fearless guy" and he was "so excited to do it because he was a huge fan of the show". Silverman noted that in addition to his humorous ad-libbing, Woods's tendency to hesitate while speaking was "great for animation", explaining that it made the character feel more realistic. "Homer and Apu" features the popular Simpsons song "Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart?", sung by Apu and the Simpson family. The song was written by all of the show's writers in the writer's room, and it was composed by Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen
Alf Clausen is an American film and television composer. He is best known for his work scoring many episodes of The Simpsons, of which he has been the sole composer since 1990...
. The song later appeared on the soundtrack album Songs in the Key of Springfield
Songs in the Key of Springfield
Songs in the Key of Springfield is a soundtrack/novelty album from The Simpsons compiling many of the musical numbers from the series. The album was released in the United States on March 18, 1997, and in the United Kingdom in June 1997...
, which was released on March 18, 1997, and compiled many musical numbers from the show.
Cultural references
The episode features cultural references to many American and British films. Woods becoming a convenience store clerk to prepare for a film is similar to Nick Lang (Michael J. FoxMichael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
) becoming a police officer in the 1991 film The Hard Way
The Hard Way (1991 film)
The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
, which Woods also starred in (interestingly, this is a reversal of roles: Woods played the cop that Lang was saddled with in the film). When Kent asks Homer if he is willing to go undercover to "nail" Apu, Homer replies: "No way, man, get yourself another patsy!" This is a reference to a line in the 1991 film JFK
JFK (film)
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...
. The scene of Homer and Apu riding on mules to the Springfield Airport, with their luggage strapped to the mules' backs, is similar to a scene from the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia (film)
Lawrence of Arabia is a 1962 British film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence. It was directed by David Lean and produced by Sam Spiegel through his British company, Horizon Pictures, with the screenplay by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The film stars Peter O'Toole in the title role. It is widely...
. In his Kwik-E-Mart job interview, the interviewer asks Woods why he would want to work at the Kwik-E-Mart, to which he replies: "To be honest, in my upcoming movie I'm going to be playing this tightly-wound convenience store clerk and, I kind of like to research my roles and really get into it. For instance, in True Believer
True Believer (1989 film)
True Believer is a 1989 courtroom drama directed by Joseph Ruben and released by Columbia Pictures.-Synopsis:The film stars James Woods as burnt-out attorney Eddie Dodd, who has left behind civil rights work to defend drug dealers. Robert Downey Jr...
I actually worked in a law firm for two months. And then, the film Chaplin I had a little cameo in that. I actually traveled back in time, back to the twenties, where... Well, I've said too much," referencing the 1989 film True Believer and the 1992 film Chaplin.
Ratings and critical reviews
In its original American broadcast, "Homer and Apu" finished twenty-sixth in the ratings for the week of February 7–13, 1994, 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 13.3. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week. The song "Who Needs The Kwik-E-Mart?" was nominated for an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
in the "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics" category, but lost to "The Song Remembers When
The Song Remembers When
-Personnel:Technical personnel* Ken Hutton – assisting engineer, mixing assistant* Buddy Jackson – art direction, design* Jim Kemp – art direction* Garey Laney – engineer, mixing assistant* Susan Schelling – photography...
" from the television special Trisha Yearwood: The Song Remembers When.
Since airing, 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: "One of the very best, with the gags coming thick and fast. We particularly like the spy camera concealed in Homer's massive stetson, Apu and Marge's trip to the Monster Mart, and 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?', possibly the cleverest song in the series. And the Christians harassing people at the Indian airport, and Homer's wastage of three questions, and James Woods' parting words to the Simpsons, and the footage of Apu doing a hummingbird
Hummingbird
Hummingbirds are birds that comprise the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, most species measuring in the 7.5–13 cm range. Indeed, the smallest extant bird species is a hummingbird, the 5-cm Bee Hummingbird. They can hover in mid-air by rapidly flapping their wings...
impression..." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said: "The first episode to focus on Apu, this one works well. Our glimpses of Apu’s sleaziness and culture are entertaining, and the 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?' tune is one of the better musical numbers [of the show]." Jacobson went on to say: "Also count James Woods as one of the all-time best guest stars, which is likely why he gets many more lines than the average cameo voice." 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...
s Nathan Ditum named Woods' performance in the episode the 19th best guest appearance on The Simpsons.
Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a grade of A+ and commented that it features one of the best musical numbers in the show's "history of great musical numbers". Adam Suraf of Dunkirkma.net named it the best episode of the season, and added: "I don’t know what it is about this episode — the 'Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?' song number; James Woods filling in for Apu at the store; or Homer’s wise line 'I’ve learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
was dead' — but the entire affair is inspired. [...] It’s in the little details that make this episode the year’s best, and solidifies The Simpsons as the funniest sitcom of all time." A reviewer for Currentfilm.com wrote: "Although Homer becomes a little too dumb sometimes, there's some classic Homer bits to be found [in the episode], a hilarious Lisa moment after she eats spicy food served by Apu and says 'I can see through time!', and a great song, 'Who Needs the Quick-E-Mart?'" AskMen.com
AskMen.com
AskMen.com is a free online men’s web portal, with international versions in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia.-History:...
ranked "Homer and Apu" as number six on their list of the top ten The Simpsons episodes. Bill Gibron of DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
gave the episode a score of 5 out of 5.
Analysis
The episode has become study material for sociology courses at University of California Berkeley, where it is used to "examine issues of the production and reception of cultural objects." In the book Leaving Springfield, Duncan Beard said the episode served as a parody of the peculiarities of the American convenience store. Beard particularly cited the MuzakMuzak
Muzak Holdings LLC is a company based in metro Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1934, Muzak Holdings is best known for distribution of background music to retail stores and other companies....
and the dinging bell as Homer and Apu entered the Kwik-E-Mart in India, and the sign that read, "The Master Knows All (except combination to safe)". Beard said, "Here the show presents its own instance of the global culture of consumer capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
, transplanted intact and indistinguishably unaltered from the suburbs of America to a mountain top in some indefinable region of the post-partitioned Commonwealth
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
nation of India, purely for the purpose of parodically criticizing the banality of quick-stop stores."
Paul Cantor, who analyzed the episode in his book Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization, said, "The Simpsons could offer no better image of the bizarre logic of contemporary globalization
Globalization
Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture, people and economic activity. Most often, it refers to economics: the global distribution of the production of goods and services, through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs, export fees, and import...
than a worldwide convenience store empire run by an enlightened guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
from the sacred mountains of India." Cantor also specifically cited the "Master Knows" sign, which he said combined the perceived wisdom of the East with the business acumen of the West.
Tasleem Shakur and Karen D'Souza write in their book Picturing South Asian culture in English that "Homer and Apu" typifies the key articulation of the character of Apu juxtaposed to Homer, "something like his alter-ego", where Homer is the all American, Duff
Duff Beer
Daleside is an independent brewery founded in 1988 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.-Products:Daleside produce a wide range of beers, including Morocco Ale, a traditional spiced beer based on an Elizabethan recipe; Old Legover, a low abv Old Ale ; Monkey Wrench, a stronger Old Ale; Ripon...
drinking, rather lazy nuclear plant worker, and Apu is the immigrant, clean living, hard working, small businessman. Their friendship, the authors added, is typically of a strong degree of mutual respect and a kind of admiration for what the other represents.
External links
- "Homer and Apu" at The Simpsons.com