In Marge We Trust
Encyclopedia
"In Marge We Trust" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons
' eighth season
, which originally aired April 27, 1997. It was written by Donick Cary
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
. The episode guest stars Sab Shimono
as Mr. Sparkle, Gedde Watanabe
as the factory worker, Denice Kumagai and Karen Maruyama
as dancers, and Frank Welker
as the baboons. In the episode, Marge replaces Reverend Lovejoy as the town's moral adviser while Homer explores the mystery of why his face appears on a Japanese-language box.
Reverend Lovejoy
's sermon on "constancy" sends nearly the entire congregation to sleep. After church Homer
takes Bart
and Lisa
to the Springfield dump to dispose of their old Christmas tree, where they find a box of Japanese dishwasher detergent
known as Mr. Sparkle. The face on the box of detergent strongly resembles Homer. The Japanese
writing on the box states that "Mr. Sparkle is a magnet for foodstuffs...he will banish dirt to the land of wind
and ghosts
".
Meanwhile, Marge
becomes concerned with Reverend Lovejoy
's lack of enthusiasm about helping people. He explains then that he began as an emotive, kind and guitar-playing priest when he arrived in Springfield; but his passion for helping people gradually disappeared as he dealt with Ned Flanders
and his constant complaints and hesitations over trivial and common issues. She begins working for the Church as "The Listen Lady", listening to people describe their problems, and helping to solve them. Reverend Lovejoy soon realizes his inadequacy and begins to feel depressed. While he is alone in the church the stained glass images of saints appear and chastise him for doing little to inspire his congregation.
Homer, disturbed by the box of Mr. Sparkle, contacts the manufacturer in Hokkaidō
, Japan
for information. He is sent a promotional video for Mr. Sparkle, which consists of a 1986 TV commercial. At the end of the video, the mascot is shown to be a result of a joint venture
between two large Japanese conglomerate
s, Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern
. Their mascots, a smiling fish
and light bulb, merge together to form Mr. Sparkle; thus, Homer discovers the similarity was a mere coincidence.
One day, Ned Flanders calls Marge for help. Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney are hanging around outside the Leftorium, making Ned worried that they will start causing trouble. Marge suggests that he shoo them away. Unbeknownst to him, the trio are about to leave, but when he goes and asks them to, they decide to harass him instead. Ned calls Marge again, whilst he is standing on a chair with the three boys circling him on their minibikes. She suggests that he "lay down the law"; when one of the boys snips the phone cord, Marge assumes that Ned has hung up and that everything is fine.
The next morning, Maude informs Marge that Ned is missing. Marge realizes that she may be partially responsible for his disappearance. Marge goes to Reverend Lovejoy for help, and the two of them track Ned to the zoo
, where Japanese tourists think Homer is Mr. Sparkle. Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney have abandoned their pursuit, but now Ned is trapped in the baboon
exhibit. While the Simpson family looks on, Reverend Lovejoy rescues Ned in the baboons' food train, defeating several of the animals in doing so. Now that he feels useful again, Reverend Lovejoy rediscovers his passion for his job, regaling his congregation with the tale of Ned's rescue.
has written for The Simpsons. He was disappointed that his first story was about "Marge's crisis with faith." The trip to the dump was inspired by Donick Cary's youth, in which he would often go "dump picking". This led to the writers deciding to have Homer's face on a discarded box, which became the Mr. Sparkle subplot. To help create the advertisement, the writers watched videos of many Japanese commercials. An original scene from Lovejoy's flashback showed that Jasper Beardley preceded him as minister of the First Church of Springfield. The solution for how Mr. Sparkle resembles Homer was written by George Meyer
after hours of time had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending. Matsumura Fishworks was named after Aturo Matsumura, a friend of David X. Cohen
.
of 10.1, equivalent to approximately 9.8 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-files
and King of the Hill
.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realize Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff." In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly
article, Matt Groening ranked it as his fifth favorite in the history of the show. Josh Weinstein described it as one of the best of the season, as well as being one of the most underrated episodes of all time. He also described the Mr. Sparkle commercial as his all time favorite sequence.
The fake Fruity Oaty Bar commercial from the film Serenity
was partially inspired by the Mr. Sparkle advertisement.
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 8)
The Simpsons eighth season originally aired between October 27, 1996 and May 18, 1997, beginning with "Treehouse of Horror VII". The show runners for the eighth production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
, which originally aired April 27, 1997. It was written by Donick Cary
Donick Cary
Donick Cary is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons, Just Shoot Me!, Complete Savages, Late Night with David Letterman and served as head writer on The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show....
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
. The episode guest stars Sab Shimono
Sab Shimono
Sab Shimono is an American actor who has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in character roles.-Career:An accomplished stage actor, he has appeared on Broadway and in regional theaters including San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre and Berkeley Repertory Theatre...
as Mr. Sparkle, Gedde Watanabe
Gedde Watanabe
Gedde Watanabe is an American theatre, film, and television actor.He was in several dramatic productions in high school, both acting and singing...
as the factory worker, Denice Kumagai and Karen Maruyama
Karen Maruyama
Karen Maruyama is a Japanese-American actress and comedienne. She has appeared on television in supporting roles in a number of sitcoms, including recurring characters on The Jamie Foxx Show, Strip Mall, and Suddenly Susan...
as dancers, and Frank Welker
Frank Welker
Franklin Wendell "Frank" Welker is an American actor who specializes in voice acting and has contributed character voices and other vocal effects to American television and motion pictures.-Acting career:...
as the baboons. In the episode, Marge replaces Reverend Lovejoy as the town's moral adviser while Homer explores the mystery of why his face appears on a Japanese-language box.
Plot
Reverend Timothy Lovejoy
Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Lovejoy is the minister at The First Church of Springfield—the Protestant church in Springfield which most of...
's sermon on "constancy" sends nearly the entire congregation to sleep. After church 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...
takes 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...
and 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...
to the Springfield dump to dispose of their old Christmas tree, where they find a box of Japanese dishwasher detergent
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with "cleaning properties in dilute solutions." In common usage, "detergent" refers to alkylbenzenesulfonates, a family of compounds that are similar to soap but are less affected by hard water...
known as Mr. Sparkle. The face on the box of detergent strongly resembles Homer. The Japanese
Japanese writing system
The modern Japanese writing system uses three main scripts:*Kanji, adopted Chinese characters*Kana, a pair of syllabaries , consisting of:...
writing on the box states that "Mr. Sparkle is a magnet for foodstuffs...he will banish dirt to the land of wind
Fujin
is the Japanese god of the wind and one of the eldest Shinto gods.He is portrayed as a terrifying dark demon, resembling a red headed black humanoid wearing a leopard skin, carrying a large bag of winds on his shoulders....
and ghosts
Yurei
are figures in Japanese folklore, analogous to Western legends of ghosts. The name consists of two kanji, 幽 , meaning "faint" or "dim" and 霊 , meaning "soul" or "spirit." Alternative names include 亡霊 meaning ruined or departed spirit, 死霊 meaning dead spirit, or the more encompassing 妖怪 or お化け...
".
Meanwhile, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
becomes concerned with Reverend Lovejoy
Reverend Timothy Lovejoy
Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Lovejoy is the minister at The First Church of Springfield—the Protestant church in Springfield which most of...
's lack of enthusiasm about helping people. He explains then that he began as an emotive, kind and guitar-playing priest when he arrived in Springfield; but his passion for helping people gradually disappeared as he dealt with Ned 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...
and his constant complaints and hesitations over trivial and common issues. She begins working for the Church as "The Listen Lady", listening to people describe their problems, and helping to solve them. Reverend Lovejoy soon realizes his inadequacy and begins to feel depressed. While he is alone in the church the stained glass images of saints appear and chastise him for doing little to inspire his congregation.
Homer, disturbed by the box of Mr. Sparkle, contacts the manufacturer in Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for information. He is sent a promotional video for Mr. Sparkle, which consists of a 1986 TV commercial. At the end of the video, the mascot is shown to be a result of a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between two large Japanese conglomerate
Conglomerate (company)
A conglomerate is a combination of two or more corporations engaged in entirely different businesses that fall under one corporate structure , usually involving a parent company and several subsidiaries. Often, a conglomerate is a multi-industry company...
s, Matsumura Fishworks and Tamaribuchi Heavy Manufacturing Concern
Concern (business)
A concern is a German type of business group. It results from the merger of several legally independent companies an economic entity under unified management. These associated companies called "Group" companies....
. Their mascots, a smiling fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and light bulb, merge together to form Mr. Sparkle; thus, Homer discovers the similarity was a mere coincidence.
One day, Ned Flanders calls Marge for help. Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney are hanging around outside the Leftorium, making Ned worried that they will start causing trouble. Marge suggests that he shoo them away. Unbeknownst to him, the trio are about to leave, but when he goes and asks them to, they decide to harass him instead. Ned calls Marge again, whilst he is standing on a chair with the three boys circling him on their minibikes. She suggests that he "lay down the law"; when one of the boys snips the phone cord, Marge assumes that Ned has hung up and that everything is fine.
The next morning, Maude informs Marge that Ned is missing. Marge realizes that she may be partially responsible for his disappearance. Marge goes to Reverend Lovejoy for help, and the two of them track Ned to the zoo
Zoo
A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....
, where Japanese tourists think Homer is Mr. Sparkle. Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney have abandoned their pursuit, but now Ned is trapped in the baboon
Baboon
Baboons are African and Arabian Old World monkeys belonging to the genus Papio, part of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. There are five species, which are some of the largest non-hominoid members of the primate order; only the mandrill and the drill are larger...
exhibit. While the Simpson family looks on, Reverend Lovejoy rescues Ned in the baboons' food train, defeating several of the animals in doing so. Now that he feels useful again, Reverend Lovejoy rediscovers his passion for his job, regaling his congregation with the tale of Ned's rescue.
Production
By season 8, the show had begun to explore episodes centering around secondary characters. Reverend Lovejoy was selected for this episode because, aside from being noted as "the priest who didn't care", he had not had much character development. This was the first episode that Donick CaryDonick Cary
Donick Cary is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons, Just Shoot Me!, Complete Savages, Late Night with David Letterman and served as head writer on The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show....
has written for The Simpsons. He was disappointed that his first story was about "Marge's crisis with faith." The trip to the dump was inspired by Donick Cary's youth, in which he would often go "dump picking". This led to the writers deciding to have Homer's face on a discarded box, which became the Mr. Sparkle subplot. To help create the advertisement, the writers watched videos of many Japanese commercials. An original scene from Lovejoy's flashback showed that Jasper Beardley preceded him as minister of the First Church of Springfield. The solution for how Mr. Sparkle resembles Homer was written by George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
after hours of time had been spent trying to come up with a realistic ending. Matsumura Fishworks was named after Aturo Matsumura, a friend of David X. Cohen
David X. Cohen
David Samuel Cohen , primarily known as David X. Cohen, is an American television writer. He has written for The Simpsons and he is the head writer and executive producer of Futurama.-Early life:...
.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "In Marge We Trust" finished 25th in ratings for the week of April 21-27, 1997, 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 10.1, equivalent to approximately 9.8 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
and King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, said: "A rare case of both storylines being worthy of full episodes in their own right, this is a cracking episode which highlights the unduly neglected Rev. Lovejoy and makes you realize Homer isn't the only one ready to kill Ned Flanders! Great stuff." In a 2000 Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
article, Matt Groening ranked it as his fifth favorite in the history of the show. Josh Weinstein described it as one of the best of the season, as well as being one of the most underrated episodes of all time. He also described the Mr. Sparkle commercial as his all time favorite sequence.
The fake Fruity Oaty Bar commercial from the film Serenity
Serenity (film)
Serenity is a 2005 space western film written and directed by Joss Whedon. It is a continuation of the short-lived 2002 Fox science fiction television series Firefly, taking place after the events of the final episode. Set in 2518, Serenity is the story of the captain and crew of a cargo ship...
was partially inspired by the Mr. Sparkle advertisement.
External links
- "In Marge We Trust" at The Simpsons.com