Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie
Encyclopedia
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons
' fourth season
and first aired on November 3, 1992. The plot follows Bart
continually getting in trouble, and how Homer
is unable to give him any suitable punishment. Marge
gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he forbids Bart to see the new Itchy & Scratchy
movie. It was written by John Swartzwelder
and was directed by Rich Moore
.
tells Marge
that Bart is continually causing trouble. Urging Homer and Marge to enforce stronger discipline on Bart, with the idea that he could grow up to become a Supreme Court
Justice if he turns his life around, the two return home to find Bart has stolen and broken Grampa
's false teeth. Bart is grounded and is sent up to his room without dinner as punishment, but eventually Homer breaks and brings him some food, making Bart promise to behave. However, Bart continues to get in trouble, and Homer's attempts to ground him fail. Eventually he promises Marge to make the next punishment stick.
It is announced that there will be an Itchy & Scratchy Movie and in anticipation, Bart buys himself a ticket. Later on, Bart is left to babysit for Maggie and he neglects to watch her, leaving her to take Homer's car for a joyride and crash into the wall of Springfield Prison, releasing the prisoners. Homer angrily blames Bart and grounds him by forbidding him to ever go see The Itchy & Scratchy Movie. Homer takes Bart's ticket to the movie and tears it into pieces. Bart begs to be given a different punishment but Homer refuses. After the film's release, Bart becomes angry and jealous of everyone who has been able to see it. Two months later, the film is still being shown in theaters as Marge and Lisa beg Homer to change his mind, Marge claiming he has been punished enough. However, Homer still refuses. Bart attempts secretly to watch the film by paying for a ticket, but Homer has already instructed the staff of the movie theaters not to sell any tickets to Bart. Eventually, the film is removed from theaters and Bart tells Homer that he won, to which Homer replies by saying that they both won.
40 years have passed (2032), Bart, now Chief Justice of the United States
, and Homer the Senior Citizen are walking down the street and discover that the film is back in the local theater as a nostalgic piece. Homer decides that Bart has learned his lesson and the two watch the movie together.
, although the plot was originally pitched by Sam Simon
. During the table read of the script, the first act received many laughs, but the second act got little positive reaction, leading Al Jean
to believe that the script would require a huge rewrite, although the third act also received a positive reaction. For The Itchy & Scratchy Movie shown at the end of the episode, Mike Reiss
felt that it should top all other Itchy & Scratchy cartoons in terms of violence, and John Swartzwelder wrote the "most disturbing, horrible sequence", none of which was used.
This was the first episode that Rich Moore
directed at Film Roman
. The shot of the Korean animation studio really angered the Korean animators at Rough Draft Studios
and Gregg Vanzo
, the overseas director, was really insulted and almost sent the scene back. While drawing the Steamboat Itchy sequence, the animators jokingly referred to it as "Steamboat Lawsuit". David Silverman
explained that he did not know "why [they] weren't sued because there's a shot right out of Steamboat Willie
in [the episode]."
The episode features the first appearance of Bumblebee Man, who is a caricature of "El Chapulín Colorado
" ("The Red Grasshopper"), a character created and portrayed by Mexican television comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños
(aka "Chespirito"), and his show consists of simple skits, often involving heavy slapstick
. According to the producers whenever they watched Telemundo
, this character was always "on", and then they created Bumblebee Man, who is also always "on".
The opening Star Trek
film is a parody of how old the crew of the original Star Trek
cast looked in the later movies. The 1928 Itchy & Scratchy short "Steamboat Itchy" is a spoof of the 1928 Disney short, Steamboat Willie
, featuring Mickey Mouse
. Lisa's line about Michael Jackson
and Dustin Hoffman
appearing anonymously in The Itchy & Scratchy Movie is a reference to the fact that both had made guest appearances on The Simpsons using fake names in "Stark Raving Dad
" and "Lisa's Substitute
", respectively. Homer is seen listening to "Yummy Yummy Yummy
" by The Ohio Express
instead of watching the moon landing
. In the flashforward sequence, a man is purchasing "soylent green" in the lobby of the movie theater, a reference to the 1973 science fiction film
Soylent Green
. A ship resembling a landspeeder
from the film series Star Wars
is also shown.
results because they felt it would mean increased ratings. Instead, the episode dropped from its normal audience. "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" finished 25th in ratings for the week of November 2–8, 1992, with a Nielsen rating
of 12.5, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The Simpsons episode "Marge Gets a Job
", which aired in the same week on the usual Thursday, and Beverly Hills, 90210
.
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide called it a "superb episode", especially "[Homer]'s suggestion for punishing Bart's misbehaviour is to give him a present, and his trick for avoiding jury duty is 'to say you're prejudiced against all races.'" "Steamboat Itchy" is one of Matt Groening's favorite moments in the history of the show. Nathan Ditum of Total Film
ranked "Steamboat Itchy" as the show's 46th best film parody.
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 4)
The Simpsons fourth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 24, 1992 and May 13, 1993, beginning with "Kamp Krusty." The show runners for the fourth production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss. The aired season contained two episodes which were hold-over episodes from season...
and first aired on November 3, 1992. The plot follows 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...
continually getting in trouble, and how 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 unable to give him any suitable punishment. 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...
gets Homer to agree to make a punishment stick, and he forbids Bart to see the new Itchy & Scratchy
The Itchy & Scratchy Show
The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a show within a show in the animated television series The Simpsons. It usually appears as a part of The Krusty the Clown Show, watched regularly by Bart and Lisa Simpson...
movie. It was written by John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and was directed by 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...
.
Plot
Marge and Homer go to Parent Night at Springfield Elementary School. Though Ms. Hoover tells Homer that Lisa is doing well, Ms. KrabappelEdna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character from the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Marcia Wallace. She is a 4th grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.- Profile :...
tells 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...
that Bart is continually causing trouble. Urging Homer and Marge to enforce stronger discipline on Bart, with the idea that he could grow up to become a Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
Justice if he turns his life around, the two return home to find Bart has stolen and broken Grampa
Abraham Simpson
Abraham J. "Abe" Simpson, often known simply as Grampa, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and he is also the patriarch of the Simpson family, the father of Homer Simpson, and the grandfather of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson...
's false teeth. Bart is grounded and is sent up to his room without dinner as punishment, but eventually Homer breaks and brings him some food, making Bart promise to behave. However, Bart continues to get in trouble, and Homer's attempts to ground him fail. Eventually he promises Marge to make the next punishment stick.
It is announced that there will be an Itchy & Scratchy Movie and in anticipation, Bart buys himself a ticket. Later on, Bart is left to babysit for Maggie and he neglects to watch her, leaving her to take Homer's car for a joyride and crash into the wall of Springfield Prison, releasing the prisoners. Homer angrily blames Bart and grounds him by forbidding him to ever go see The Itchy & Scratchy Movie. Homer takes Bart's ticket to the movie and tears it into pieces. Bart begs to be given a different punishment but Homer refuses. After the film's release, Bart becomes angry and jealous of everyone who has been able to see it. Two months later, the film is still being shown in theaters as Marge and Lisa beg Homer to change his mind, Marge claiming he has been punished enough. However, Homer still refuses. Bart attempts secretly to watch the film by paying for a ticket, but Homer has already instructed the staff of the movie theaters not to sell any tickets to Bart. Eventually, the film is removed from theaters and Bart tells Homer that he won, to which Homer replies by saying that they both won.
40 years have passed (2032), Bart, now Chief Justice of the United States
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
, and Homer the Senior Citizen are walking down the street and discover that the film is back in the local theater as a nostalgic piece. Homer decides that Bart has learned his lesson and the two watch the movie together.
Production
This episode, like many other Itchy & Scratchy themed episodes, was written by John SwartzwelderJohn Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
, although the plot was originally pitched by Sam Simon
Sam Simon
Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...
. During the table read of the script, the first act received many laughs, but the second act got little positive reaction, leading 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...
to believe that the script would require a huge rewrite, although the third act also received a positive reaction. For The Itchy & Scratchy Movie shown at the end of the episode, 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...
felt that it should top all other Itchy & Scratchy cartoons in terms of violence, and John Swartzwelder wrote the "most disturbing, horrible sequence", none of which was used.
This was the first episode that 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...
directed at Film Roman
Film Roman
Film Roman is an animation studio founded by Phil Roman, best known for producing the animation for The Simpsons, King of the Hill for 20th Century Fox, as well as the Garfield and Peanuts animated TV specials....
. The shot of the Korean animation studio really angered the Korean animators at Rough Draft Studios
Rough Draft Studios
Rough Draft Studios, Inc. is an animation studio based in Glendale, California, United States, with its sister studio Rough Draft Korea located in Seoul, South Korea. RDS was founded in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California by Gregg Vanzo...
and Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo
Gregg Vanzo is an American animator. He has worked on several shows, including The Simpsons and Futurama. He is also the founder of Rough Draft Studios.- Career in television :...
, the overseas director, was really insulted and almost sent the scene back. While drawing the Steamboat Itchy sequence, the animators jokingly referred to it as "Steamboat Lawsuit". 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...
explained that he did not know "why [they] weren't sued because there's a shot right out of Steamboat Willie
Steamboat Willie
Steamboat Willie is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black-and-white by The Walt Disney Studio and released by Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of Mickey Mouse, and as his girlfriend Minnie, but the characters...
in [the episode]."
The episode features the first appearance of Bumblebee Man, who is a caricature of "El Chapulín Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado
El Chapulín Colorado is a television series, created and played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños, also known as Chespirito, a successful Mexican comedian and TV show producer, which parodied superhero shows...
" ("The Red Grasshopper"), a character created and portrayed by Mexican television comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños
Roberto Gómez Bolaños
Roberto Gómez Bolaños is a Mexican writer, actor, director, comedian, humorist, songwriter, poet and philosopher. He is best known by his stage name Chespirito .-Life and work:...
(aka "Chespirito"), and his show consists of simple skits, often involving heavy slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
. According to the producers whenever they watched Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
, this character was always "on", and then they created Bumblebee Man, who is also always "on".
Cultural references
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...
film is a parody of how old the crew of the original Star Trek
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
cast looked in the later movies. The 1928 Itchy & Scratchy short "Steamboat Itchy" is a spoof of the 1928 Disney short, Steamboat Willie
Steamboat Willie
Steamboat Willie is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black-and-white by The Walt Disney Studio and released by Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of Mickey Mouse, and as his girlfriend Minnie, but the characters...
, featuring Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
. Lisa's line about Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
and Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
appearing anonymously in The Itchy & Scratchy Movie is a reference to the fact that both had made guest appearances on The Simpsons using fake names in "Stark Raving Dad
Stark Raving Dad
"Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode of the third season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991...
" and "Lisa's Substitute
Lisa's Substitute
"Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Hoover takes medical leave due to what she thinks is Lyme disease, so substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom takes over the...
", respectively. Homer is seen listening to "Yummy Yummy Yummy
Yummy Yummy Yummy
"Yummy Yummy Yummy" is a bubblegum pop song by Arthur Resnick and Joey Levine, first recorded by Ohio Express in 1968. Their version reached #4 in the U.S. Pop Singles chart and #5 in the UK Singles Chart. It has since been covered by many artists. Ohio Express was a studio concoction and none of...
" by The Ohio Express
The Ohio Express
Ohio Express was a musical recording unit, mainly active from 1967 through 1970, and occasionally since that time.Though marketed as a band, it would be more accurate to say that the name "Ohio Express" served as a brand name used by Jerry Kasenetz's and Jeffrey Katz's Super K Productions to...
instead of watching the moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
. In the flashforward sequence, a man is purchasing "soylent green" in the lobby of the movie theater, a reference to the 1973 science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
Soylent Green
Soylent Green
Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...
. A ship resembling a landspeeder
Landspeeder
Landspeeders are fictional antigravity craft used through the Star Wars movies and Star Wars Expanded Universe. They are depicted both in civilian and military capacities, and several versions have been merchandised as toys and models.-Origin and design:...
from the film series Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
is also shown.
Reception
During the fourth season, The Simpsons usually aired on a Thursday, but "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" aired on a Tuesday because the executives at Fox had wanted to air an episode during the 1992 presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
results because they felt it would mean increased ratings. Instead, the episode dropped from its normal audience. "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" finished 25th in ratings for the week of November 2–8, 1992, with 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 12.5, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The Simpsons episode "Marge Gets a Job
Marge Gets a Job
"Marge Gets a Job" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on November 5, 1992 on Fox. In this episode, Marge gets a job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to pay for foundation repair at the Simpson house. Mr. Burns develops a crush on Marge after seeing...
", which aired in the same week on the usual Thursday, and 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...
.
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide called it a "superb episode", especially "[Homer]'s suggestion for punishing Bart's misbehaviour is to give him a present, and his trick for avoiding jury duty is 'to say you're prejudiced against all races.'" "Steamboat Itchy" is one of Matt Groening's favorite moments in the history of the show. Nathan Ditum of 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...
ranked "Steamboat Itchy" as the show's 46th best film parody.
External links
- "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie" at The Simpsons.com