Little Big Mom
Encyclopedia
Little Big Mom is the tenth episode of the eleventh season
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000. In the episode, while the rest of the Simpson family
goes skiing, Marge
remains at the ski lodge due to her fear of skiing, only to break her leg from a falling clock. As a result, while hospitalized, Marge leaves Lisa
to take care of the house. Bart
and Homer
refuse to help out with the chores, so in an attempt to motivate them, Lisa pulls a prank on them by making it look like they have leprosy. The episode includes a guest appearance from Elwood Edwards
, and features several references to Lucille Ball
and her television work.
is cleaning out the attic and looking for old things to send away to charity, Homer
refuses to let her, prompting Marge to look at all the junk she is trying to get rid of. She shows Homer several skis he never used since buying them after the Nagano Olympics
. To spite Marge, he decides to use them, so the family go on a skiing trip. When they are there, Marge decides that she wants to avoid skiing or snowboarding for fear of injury. Ironically, she winds up breaking her leg at the ski lodge when a loose-hanging clock falls on it. She goes to the hospital, and Dr. Hibbert
declares that she must stay there until her cast is removed.
In the meantime, Lisa
offers to take her place, making a structured plan for Homer and Bart
to do some of the chores, which Lisa chooses through a chore hat. Unfortunately, Homer and Bart refuse to do any chores, and when Lisa finally prods them into doing some work, they do so in an extremely apathetic and ineffective manner. Marge is enjoying her time in the hospital, due to getting a massage, among other things. The lazy lifestyles of Homer and Bart have taken their toll on the house, which is now a disorganized, filthy hovel with trash everywhere, and with Lisa struggling to make ends meet. She even calls Marge and asks if she can return, but Marge, who enjoys the lifestyle of lying all day in bed not working, lies to Lisa saying she is still too injured to come back. Lisa, angered and desperate for answers, sees the ghost of Lucille Ball
, who has an idea to get revenge. She suggests that she pull a clever trick on Homer and Bart while they are asleep. She does just that, and using green poster paint and oatmeal on the men, she tricks them into thinking that they have leprosy
.
The next morning, Homer and Bart are told by Lisa they have leprosy from living in dirty conditions. Lisa hopes this will make them clean up the house, but they do not. After the Virtual Doctor computer program
confirms that Homer and Bart indeed have "Leprosy", Homer and Bart panic and decide to visit Ned Flanders
. Ned is scared to see that Homer and Bart have leprosy, and so he sends Homer and Bart to a leper colony in Hawaii
, where they will be needled and sanded. Once Marge's cast has finally come off (and her excess leg hair has been waxed), she comes home to see Lisa finally finished cleaning the entire house. They decide to seek out Homer and Bart in Hawaii. When they arrive, Lisa admits that she only played a trick on Homer and Bart (though they already know the leprosy is fake because Homer ate one of the sores and found it tasty); however, they want to stay there on account of it being a "free vacation", despite the painful electric needle treatments.
and directed by Mark Kirkland
as part of the eleventh season of The Simpsons (1999–2000). Elwood Edwards
, known as the voice of the Internet service provider
America Online, guest starred in the episode as the Virtual Doctor that confirms Homer and Bart's leprosy.
The episode features several references to the late American actress Lucille Ball
and her many television sitcoms starring characters named Lucy. For example, it is the ghost of Ball that gives Lisa the idea to trick Homer and Bart into thinking they have leprosy. Ball is portrayed with a cigarette in her hand in that scene, and speaks with a raspy voice. When Lisa first sees the ghost, she cries out "Lucy?", to which Ball responds "Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo
Carmichael. [Coughs] And I think there's some more." According to Michael Karol, author of the 2004 book Lucy A to Z, the last names "are those of Ball's characters from I Love Lucy
and The Lucy Show
. Left out were Lucy Carter of Here's Lucy
and Lucy Barker of Life with Lucy
." The Simpsons cast member Tress MacNeille
provided the voice of Ball in the episode. Additional references to Ball's work featured in "Little Big Mom" include Homer and Bart watching I Love Lucy with the volume turned up high, disturbing Lisa when is trying to sleep. An Itchy & Scratchy
cartoon that references the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy is also seen in the episode.
for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.
While reviewing the eleventh season of The Simpsons, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented: "We’ve seen 'the family goes to crap without Marge around' episodes in the past, so don’t expect any reinvented wheels here. Still, the sight of Lisa in charge adds a decent spin, and the leprosy twist – while silly – proves amusing. It’s another unexceptional show but one with its moments." Before this episode, The Simpsons had referenced Lucile Ball several times. Michael Karol wrote in Lucy A to Z that "perhaps the funniest tribute came in [...] 'Little Big Mom.'" Dan Castellaneta
, who provides the voice of Homer in the series, considers this episode to be one of his personal favorites.
Because "Little Big Mom" deals with leprosy, it has never been released in Japan. According to Shari Ross Altarac in her doctoral dissertation "The Adaptation of U.S. Television in Foreign Markets: How France and Japan Put Their Distinctive Spin on The Simpsons", the reason behind this is that "Former segregation laws remain a sensitive topic in Japan, where litigation of leprosy cases and charges of human rights abuses by the Japanese government have ensued." (See Leprosy in Japan
.)
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
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...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000. In the episode, while the rest of the Simpson family
Simpson family
The Simpson family is a family of fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of the married couple Homer and Marge and their three children Bart, Lisa and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town...
goes skiing, 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...
remains at the ski lodge due to her fear of skiing, only to break her leg from a falling clock. As a result, while hospitalized, Marge leaves 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 take care of the house. 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 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...
refuse to help out with the chores, so in an attempt to motivate them, Lisa pulls a prank on them by making it look like they have leprosy. The episode includes a guest appearance from Elwood Edwards
Elwood Edwards
Elwood Edwards is an American voice over actor. He is best known as the voice of the Internet service provider America Online, which he first recorded in 1989...
, and features several references to Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and her television work.
Plot
When MargeMarge 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...
is cleaning out the attic and looking for old things to send away to charity, 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...
refuses to let her, prompting Marge to look at all the junk she is trying to get rid of. She shows Homer several skis he never used since buying them after the Nagano Olympics
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated from 7 to 22 February 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Seventy-two nations and 2,176 participans contested in seven sports and 72 events at 15 venues. The games saw the introduction of Women's ice...
. To spite Marge, he decides to use them, so the family go on a skiing trip. When they are there, Marge decides that she wants to avoid skiing or snowboarding for fear of injury. Ironically, she winds up breaking her leg at the ski lodge when a loose-hanging clock falls on it. She goes to the hospital, and 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...
declares that she must stay there until her cast is removed.
In the meantime, 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...
offers to take her place, making a structured plan for Homer 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...
to do some of the chores, which Lisa chooses through a chore hat. Unfortunately, Homer and Bart refuse to do any chores, and when Lisa finally prods them into doing some work, they do so in an extremely apathetic and ineffective manner. Marge is enjoying her time in the hospital, due to getting a massage, among other things. The lazy lifestyles of Homer and Bart have taken their toll on the house, which is now a disorganized, filthy hovel with trash everywhere, and with Lisa struggling to make ends meet. She even calls Marge and asks if she can return, but Marge, who enjoys the lifestyle of lying all day in bed not working, lies to Lisa saying she is still too injured to come back. Lisa, angered and desperate for answers, sees the ghost of Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
, who has an idea to get revenge. She suggests that she pull a clever trick on Homer and Bart while they are asleep. She does just that, and using green poster paint and oatmeal on the men, she tricks them into thinking that they have leprosy
Leprosy
Leprosy or Hansen's disease is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae and Mycobacterium lepromatosis. Named after physician Gerhard Armauer Hansen, leprosy is primarily a granulomatous disease of the peripheral nerves and mucosa of the upper respiratory tract; skin lesions...
.
The next morning, Homer and Bart are told by Lisa they have leprosy from living in dirty conditions. Lisa hopes this will make them clean up the house, but they do not. After the Virtual Doctor computer program
Computer program
A computer program is a sequence of instructions written to perform a specified task with a computer. A computer requires programs to function, typically executing the program's instructions in a central processor. The program has an executable form that the computer can use directly to execute...
confirms that Homer and Bart indeed have "Leprosy", Homer and Bart panic and decide to visit 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...
. Ned is scared to see that Homer and Bart have leprosy, and so he sends Homer and Bart to a leper colony in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, where they will be needled and sanded. Once Marge's cast has finally come off (and her excess leg hair has been waxed), she comes home to see Lisa finally finished cleaning the entire house. They decide to seek out Homer and Bart in Hawaii. When they arrive, Lisa admits that she only played a trick on Homer and Bart (though they already know the leprosy is fake because Homer ate one of the sores and found it tasty); however, they want to stay there on account of it being a "free vacation", despite the painful electric needle treatments.
Production
"Little Big Mom" was written by Carolyn OmineCarolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine is an American television writer. She has written for Full House, The Parent 'Hood and The Simpsons. She was credited as an executive producer by the Simpsons' 17th season, although this changed to a producer in the 18th....
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:...
as part of the eleventh season of The Simpsons (1999–2000). Elwood Edwards
Elwood Edwards
Elwood Edwards is an American voice over actor. He is best known as the voice of the Internet service provider America Online, which he first recorded in 1989...
, known as the voice of the Internet service provider
Internet service provider
An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...
America Online, guest starred in the episode as the Virtual Doctor that confirms Homer and Bart's leprosy.
The episode features several references to the late American actress Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
and her many television sitcoms starring characters named Lucy. For example, it is the ghost of Ball that gives Lisa the idea to trick Homer and Bart into thinking they have leprosy. Ball is portrayed with a cigarette in her hand in that scene, and speaks with a raspy voice. When Lisa first sees the ghost, she cries out "Lucy?", to which Ball responds "Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo
Lucy McGillicuddy Ricardo
Lucille "Lucy" Esmeralda McGillicuddy Ricardo is a fictional character from the American television series I Love Lucy, played by Lucille Ball. She is known for her red hair and for always getting into trouble...
Carmichael. [Coughs] And I think there's some more." According to Michael Karol, author of the 2004 book Lucy A to Z, the last names "are those of Ball's characters from I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
and The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show
The Lucy Show is an American situation comedy that aired on CBS from 1962 until 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy. A significant change in cast and premise for the 1965-66 season divides the program into two distinct eras; aside from Ball, only Gale Gordon, who joined the program...
. Left out were Lucy Carter of Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
and Lucy Barker of Life with Lucy
Life With Lucy
Life with Lucy is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The show ran on the ABC network in 1986, and unlike Ball's previous hits on television, it was a critical and ratings flop.- Premise :...
." The Simpsons cast member Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille
Tress MacNeille is an American voice actress best known for providing various voices on the animated series The Simpsons, Futurama, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs, Disney's House of Mouse, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Rugrats, All Grown Up!, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, and Dave the...
provided the voice of Ball in the episode. Additional references to Ball's work featured in "Little Big Mom" include Homer and Bart watching I Love Lucy with the volume turned up high, disturbing Lisa when is trying to sleep. An 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...
cartoon that references the "Job Switching" episode of I Love Lucy is also seen in the episode.
Release
The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 2000. On October 7, 2008, it was released on DVD as part of the box set The Simpsons – The Complete Eleventh Season. Staff members Mike Scully, George Meyer, Matt Selman, Carolyn Omine, and Mark Kirkland participated in the DVD audio commentaryAudio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.
While reviewing the eleventh season of The Simpsons, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented: "We’ve seen 'the family goes to crap without Marge around' episodes in the past, so don’t expect any reinvented wheels here. Still, the sight of Lisa in charge adds a decent spin, and the leprosy twist – while silly – proves amusing. It’s another unexceptional show but one with its moments." Before this episode, The Simpsons had referenced Lucile Ball several times. Michael Karol wrote in Lucy A to Z that "perhaps the funniest tribute came in [...] 'Little Big Mom.'" Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, who provides the voice of Homer in the series, considers this episode to be one of his personal favorites.
Because "Little Big Mom" deals with leprosy, it has never been released in Japan. According to Shari Ross Altarac in her doctoral dissertation "The Adaptation of U.S. Television in Foreign Markets: How France and Japan Put Their Distinctive Spin on The Simpsons", the reason behind this is that "Former segregation laws remain a sensitive topic in Japan, where litigation of leprosy cases and charges of human rights abuses by the Japanese government have ensued." (See Leprosy in Japan
Leprosy in Japan
As of 2009, 2600 former leprosy patients were living in 13 national sanatoriums and two private hospitals in Japan. Their mean age is 80. There were no newly diagnosed Japanese leprosy patients in 2005, but one in 2006, and one in 2007.- Ancient and Medieval Ages :...
.)
External links
- "Little Big Mom" at The Simpsons.com