I, D'oh-Bot
Encyclopedia
"I,-Bot", or "I, D'oh!-Bot", is the ninth episode of The Simpsons
' fifteenth season
, which originally aired January 11, 2004. This episode represents a milestone in the history of the series, as Snowball II is killed off, which, barring the death of Homer's mother
in season 19's "Mona Leaves-a
", is the closest thing to an actual Simpson family member actually being killed off.
The primary plot is a very accurate telling of Richard Matheson
's short story "Steel", which was recently made into the feature film Real Steel
(though much less accurately).
is taunted by Nelson
, Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney because he does not have a 10-speed bike like they do. In order to get Homer
to buy him a 10-speed bike, Bart gets the bike he already has run over by Dr. Hibbert
's Mercedes-Benz G500
. Homer buys the 10-speed bike for Bart, but refuses to pay the small assembly fee and builds it himself. Bart is happy since it looks great and works perfectly at first, but it falls apart when he moons
the bullies. Homer, wanting Bart to be proud of him, tries to build a battle robot
for the "Robot Rumble
." He fails to construct one, but then decides to build a robot with himself in it to which Bart names the robot "Chief Knock-a Homer". Unaware of Homer's ruse, Bart enters the robot in the Rumble.
Homer defeats numerous opponents to make it to the finals, but he is physically injured from the battles with the other robots (at which one point he finds a large piece of jagged metal in his arm.) . In the final match against Professor Frink
's undefeated super-robot, which looks like the ED-209
enforcement droid from the Robocop
films, Bart finds Homer in the bot after the gruelling first round. Caught, Homer apologizes to Bart, but Bart is impressed because of all the pain Homer went through for to win his son's admiration. In the second round, ED-209 squeezes Homer out of the robot, but immediately stops as soon as it sees him. Frink explains that the robot follows Isaac Asimov
's Three Laws of Robotics
and "is programmed never to harm humans, only to serve them." ED-209 sets out a comfy seat for Homer and pours him a martini
. Homer wins (despite the fact that a human cannot win under the rules) and Bart is proud of his dad.
Meanwhile, the Simpsons cat Snowball II is run over by Dr. Hibbert's car shortly after Bart's bike is crushed. Lisa is devastated and recites a poem
tearfully at Snowball's funeral
, where she is buried next to Snowball I. Lisa gets a ginger cat, which she names Snowball III, but he dies in an aquarium. The next cat, Coltrane (Snowball IV), jumps out of a window after hearing Lisa play her saxophone
. As Lisa sits outside brooding over the recently deceased cats, the Crazy Cat Lady shows up, screams nonsense and hurls a cat (which has a striking resemblance to Snowball II) at her. At first Lisa tries to drive it away, fearing it will meet the same fate as her other cats, but this cat proves to be more durable when an oncoming car driven by Gil Gunderson swerves and crashes into a tree (this proves good for Gil because he has insurance). Lisa elects to keep the cat and says "You're Snowball V, but to save money on a new bowl, let's just call you Snowball II and pretend this whole thing never happened
." In an instance of meta-humor, Principal Skinner
then stops by and asks Lisa "That's really a cheat, isn't it?" Lisa replies "I guess you're right, Principal Tamzarian
." A defeated Skinner walks away, acknowledging the new cat as "Snowball II".
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 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
, which originally aired January 11, 2004. This episode represents a milestone in the history of the series, as Snowball II is killed off, which, barring the death of Homer's mother
Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)
Mona J. Simpson is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She has been voiced by several actresses, including Maggie Roswell, Tress MacNeille and most prominently, Glenn Close. Mona is the estranged wife of Abe Simpson and the mother of Homer Simpson...
in season 19's "Mona Leaves-a
Mona Leaves-a
"Mona Leaves-a" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on May 11, 2008. The episode features the death of Homer's mother, Mona Simpson. Homer is reunited with his mother, Mona, but isn't willing to forgive her for all the times she left him as a child...
", is the closest thing to an actual Simpson family member actually being killed off.
The primary plot is a very accurate telling of Richard Matheson
Richard Matheson
Richard Burton Matheson is an American author and screenwriter, primarily in the fantasy, horror, and science fiction genres. He is perhaps best known as the author of What Dreams May Come, Bid Time Return, A Stir of Echoes, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and I Am Legend, all of which have been...
's short story "Steel", which was recently made into the feature film Real Steel
Real Steel
Real Steel is a 2011 American science fiction film starring Hugh Jackman and directed by Shawn Levy. The film is based in part on the 1956 short story "Steel" by Richard Matheson, though Levy placed the film in U.S. state fairs and other "old-fashioned" Americana settings. Real Steel was in...
(though much less accurately).
Plot
BartBart 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...
is taunted by Nelson
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
, Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney because he does not have a 10-speed bike like they do. In order to get 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...
to buy him a 10-speed bike, Bart gets the bike he already has run over by 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...
's Mercedes-Benz G500
Mercedes-Benz G-Class
The original 460-series Geländewagen went on sale for civilian buyers in 1979, after having debuted in February of that year. It was offered with two wheelbases, a short wheelbase of 2,400 mm and a long one of 2,850 mm. One could choose between three body styles: A two-door short...
. Homer buys the 10-speed bike for Bart, but refuses to pay the small assembly fee and builds it himself. Bart is happy since it looks great and works perfectly at first, but it falls apart when he moons
Mooning
Mooning is the act of displaying one's bare buttocks by removing clothing, e.g., by lowering the backside of one's trousers and underpants, usually bending over, whether also exposing the genitals or not...
the bullies. Homer, wanting Bart to be proud of him, tries to build a battle robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
for the "Robot Rumble
BattleBots
BattleBots is an American company that hosts robot competitions. BattleBots is also the name of the television show created from the competition footage. BattleBots Inc...
." He fails to construct one, but then decides to build a robot with himself in it to which Bart names the robot "Chief Knock-a Homer". Unaware of Homer's ruse, Bart enters the robot in the Rumble.
Homer defeats numerous opponents to make it to the finals, but he is physically injured from the battles with the other robots (at which one point he finds a large piece of jagged metal in his arm.) . In the final match against Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
's undefeated super-robot, which looks like the ED-209
ED-209
The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209, is a fictional robot in the RoboCop franchise. The ED-209 serves as a heavily-armed obstacle and foil for the series' titular character, as well as a source of comic relief due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions.The...
enforcement droid from the Robocop
RoboCop
RoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
films, Bart finds Homer in the bot after the gruelling first round. Caught, Homer apologizes to Bart, but Bart is impressed because of all the pain Homer went through for to win his son's admiration. In the second round, ED-209 squeezes Homer out of the robot, but immediately stops as soon as it sees him. Frink explains that the robot follows Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's Three Laws of Robotics
Three Laws of Robotics
The Three Laws of Robotics are a set of rules devised by the science fiction author Isaac Asimov and later added to. The rules are introduced in his 1942 short story "Runaround", although they were foreshadowed in a few earlier stories...
and "is programmed never to harm humans, only to serve them." ED-209 sets out a comfy seat for Homer and pours him a martini
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
. Homer wins (despite the fact that a human cannot win under the rules) and Bart is proud of his dad.
Meanwhile, the Simpsons cat Snowball II is run over by Dr. Hibbert's car shortly after Bart's bike is crushed. Lisa is devastated and recites a poem
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
tearfully at Snowball's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
, where she is buried next to Snowball I. Lisa gets a ginger cat, which she names Snowball III, but he dies in an aquarium. The next cat, Coltrane (Snowball IV), jumps out of a window after hearing Lisa play her saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
. As Lisa sits outside brooding over the recently deceased cats, the Crazy Cat Lady shows up, screams nonsense and hurls a cat (which has a striking resemblance to Snowball II) at her. At first Lisa tries to drive it away, fearing it will meet the same fate as her other cats, but this cat proves to be more durable when an oncoming car driven by Gil Gunderson swerves and crashes into a tree (this proves good for Gil because he has insurance). Lisa elects to keep the cat and says "You're Snowball V, but to save money on a new bowl, let's just call you Snowball II and pretend this whole thing never happened
Reset button technique
The reset button technique is a plot device that interrupts continuity in works of fiction. Simply put, use of a reset button device returns all characters and situations to the status quo they held before a major change of some sort was introduced...
." In an instance of meta-humor, Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
then stops by and asks Lisa "That's really a cheat, isn't it?" Lisa replies "I guess you're right, Principal Tamzarian
The Principal and the Pauper
"The Principal and the Pauper" is the second episode of The Simpsons ninth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 28, 1997. In the episode, Seymour Skinner begins to celebrate his twentieth anniversary as principal of Springfield Elementary School when a man...
." A defeated Skinner walks away, acknowledging the new cat as "Snowball II".
Cultural references
- The song playing whilst Bart and Milhouse are cycling is 'Magic Carpet RideMagic Carpet Ride"Magic Carpet Ride" is a rock song written by John Kay and Rushton Moreve from the Canadian-American band Steppenwolf. The song was initially released in 1968 on the album The Second. It was the lead single from that album, peaking at No. 3 in the US, and becoming the band's second-biggest hit,...
' performed by SteppenwolfSteppenwolf (band)Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
. - During one of the Robot Rumble matches, one of the commentators states that one robot is "killing him softly with his saw," a reference to the Roberta Flack songKilling Me Softly with His Song"Killing Me Softly with His Song" is a 1971 song composed by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel. It has been covered by numerous artists, most notably by Roberta Flack whose version topped the U.S...
. - Dr. Hibbert has a Kool and the Gang air-freshener.
- The song playing during the Robot Rumble montage is 'Watching Scotty GrowWatching Scotty Grow"Watching Scotty Grow" is a song written by country music singer-songwriter Mac Davis. Although featured on Davis' 1972 album I Believe in Music, a more famous version of the song was performed by Bobby Goldsboro in 1970 and included on Goldsboro's album We Gotta Start Lovin.-History:Goldsboro had...
' performed by Bobby GoldsboroBobby GoldsboroBobby Goldsboro is an American country and pop singer-songwriter. He had a string of Pop and Country hits during the 1960s and 1970s, including his signature #1 classic "Honey," which sold well over one million copies in the United States.-Early life:Goldsboro was born in Marianna, Florida...
. - One of the robots advertisied for Robot Rumble is the T-800 from the popular TerminatorTerminator (franchise)The Terminator series is a science fiction franchise encompassing a series of films and other media concerning battles between Skynet's artificially intelligent machine network, and John Connor's Resistance forces and the rest of the human race....
film series. - Professor Frink's robot is named 'Smashius Clay' a.k.a. 'Killhammad Aieee', based on the boxer Muhammad AliMuhammad AliMuhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
and his former name Cassius Clay. - Professor Frink's robot is based on the ED-209ED-209The Enforcement Droid Series 209, or ED-209, is a fictional robot in the RoboCop franchise. The ED-209 serves as a heavily-armed obstacle and foil for the series' titular character, as well as a source of comic relief due to its lack of intelligence and tendency towards clumsy malfunctions.The...
from the film RoboCopRoboCopRoboCop is a 1987 American science fiction-action film directed by Paul Verhoeven. Set in a crime-ridden Detroit, Michigan in the near future, RoboCop centers on a police officer who is brutally murdered and subsequently re-created as a super-human cyborg known as "RoboCop"...
and its accompanying series. - Professor Frink's robot is programmed with Isaac Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics.
- Lisa's fourth cat, Coltrane, is named after the influential jazz performer John ColtraneJohn ColtraneJohn William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
.
External links
- "I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot" at The Simpsons.com
- "I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot" at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...