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Mother's Day (Futurama)
Encyclopedia
"Mother's Day" is episode fourteen in season two of Futurama
. It originally aired in North America
on May 14, 2000.
, robots made in Mom's Friendly Robot Company factories around the world give gifts, money and card
s to the owner of the corporation, Mom
.
She, however--despite promoting the holiday extensively--actually hates the day, carelessly redirecting all gifts for some "hocus-pocus" philanthropic causes: a "cure" for cancer and "orphanage-grade" toilet paper.
Mom is in an even more bitter mood this year, remembering a romantic affair that had ended 70 years prior. Such doomed romance had been with a younger Professor Hubert Farnsworth
, then an employee of Mom's Friendly Robot Company. When Mom insisted that the Professor's latest design, a children's toy named Q.T. (Cutie) McWhiskers, be changed to an eight-foot-tall death machine to be sold on the intergalactic arms market, the Professor, enraged, stormed out of the room, and they had not seen each other since.
In revenge, Mom attempts to become the "supreme overlord of Earth" for this Mother's Day ("This year everyone will hate it as much as I do"), ordering the entire robot
population of the planet to rebel and overthrow humanity through a control that transmits to every robot's antenna.
Wishing to end the robot rebellion and save humanity, Mom's three sons, Walt, Larry, and Igner, cooperate with the Planet Express crew to obtain the robot control Mom keeps in her bra. Their plan is to bring Mom to her rustic cabin in the Bronx
(though on the map provided it is actually in Queens), have the Professor seduce her (as this is thought to be the only way to make her happy again), remove her bra, and use the control to end the rebellion. They give the crew a valuable non-computer-drawn map to their destination. Because of the distance, and the complete dependence on hover technology, Fry designs and builds a wagon (with oval wheels) to carry the Professor but is then forced to pull it by himself to the cabin.
When the Professor and Mom do meet, however, their love is rekindled, and they erupt into sex. Amidst this, everyone else comes in to escape the robots, who have made their way to the Bronx, erupting into Mom's cabin. In order for their romantic evening not to be interrupted, Mom decides to finally call off the rebellion, but her bra is nowhere to be found. After searching, it is found to be hanging on a robotic fan which refuses to return it. Fortunately, Bender arrives and Mom asks him to recover her bra. While he initially refuses, when his greeting card states that in the post-rebellion "robot worker's paradise"
there will be no liquor, Bender angrily tears up the card and fetches the bra from the fan.
Mom uses the remote control to stop the rebellion, but dumps the Professor after learning of their plot. Life is then returned to normal. In order for the Professor to remember Mom, he sends out his albino shouting gorilla
s to yell her name from the roof-tops.
. On Cartoon Network, this was also rated TV-14, but only for suggestive dialogue (D), and on Comedy Central, this episode is rated TV-14 with no sub-ratings.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 3.9/9, placing it 79th among primetime shows for the week of May 8-14, 2000.
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. It originally aired in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
on May 14, 2000.
Plot
Every Mother's DayMother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
, robots made in Mom's Friendly Robot Company factories around the world give gifts, money and card
Greeting card
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards,...
s to the owner of the corporation, Mom
Mom (Futurama)
Mom, real first name Carol, is a character from the animated television series Futurama. Voiced by Tress MacNeille. Mom is one of the show's two main antagonists, the other being Zapp Brannigan...
.
She, however--despite promoting the holiday extensively--actually hates the day, carelessly redirecting all gifts for some "hocus-pocus" philanthropic causes: a "cure" for cancer and "orphanage-grade" toilet paper.
Mom is in an even more bitter mood this year, remembering a romantic affair that had ended 70 years prior. Such doomed romance had been with a younger Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Professor Hubert Farnsworth
Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, or simply The Professor, is a fictional character in the American animated television series Futurama. He is voiced by Billy West using a combination of impressions of Burgess Meredith and Frank Morgan. Farnsworth is the proprietor of the Planet Express delivery...
, then an employee of Mom's Friendly Robot Company. When Mom insisted that the Professor's latest design, a children's toy named Q.T. (Cutie) McWhiskers, be changed to an eight-foot-tall death machine to be sold on the intergalactic arms market, the Professor, enraged, stormed out of the room, and they had not seen each other since.
In revenge, Mom attempts to become the "supreme overlord of Earth" for this Mother's Day ("This year everyone will hate it as much as I do"), ordering the entire 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...
population of the planet to rebel and overthrow humanity through a control that transmits to every robot's antenna.
Wishing to end the robot rebellion and save humanity, Mom's three sons, Walt, Larry, and Igner, cooperate with the Planet Express crew to obtain the robot control Mom keeps in her bra. Their plan is to bring Mom to her rustic cabin in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
(though on the map provided it is actually in Queens), have the Professor seduce her (as this is thought to be the only way to make her happy again), remove her bra, and use the control to end the rebellion. They give the crew a valuable non-computer-drawn map to their destination. Because of the distance, and the complete dependence on hover technology, Fry designs and builds a wagon (with oval wheels) to carry the Professor but is then forced to pull it by himself to the cabin.
When the Professor and Mom do meet, however, their love is rekindled, and they erupt into sex. Amidst this, everyone else comes in to escape the robots, who have made their way to the Bronx, erupting into Mom's cabin. In order for their romantic evening not to be interrupted, Mom decides to finally call off the rebellion, but her bra is nowhere to be found. After searching, it is found to be hanging on a robotic fan which refuses to return it. Fortunately, Bender arrives and Mom asks him to recover her bra. While he initially refuses, when his greeting card states that in the post-rebellion "robot worker's paradise"
Communist state
A communist state is a state with a form of government characterized by single-party rule or dominant-party rule of a communist party and a professed allegiance to a Leninist or Marxist-Leninist communist ideology as the guiding principle of the state...
there will be no liquor, Bender angrily tears up the card and fetches the bra from the fan.
Mom uses the remote control to stop the rebellion, but dumps the Professor after learning of their plot. Life is then returned to normal. In order for the Professor to remember Mom, he sends out his albino shouting gorilla
Gorilla
Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates. They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies...
s to yell her name from the roof-tops.
Cultural references
- The opening subtitle "Larva-Tested, Pupa-Approved" is reminiscent of the slogan for Kix cerealKix (cereal)Kix is a cereal introduced in 1937 by the General Mills cereal company of Golden Valley, Minnesota.Kix is an extruded expanded puffed grain product made with whole grain corn. The grain is processed and expanded...
, "Kid-Tested, Mother-Approved!". - The can of soup Fry tries to open says "Quantum Leek," which is a reference to the TV show titled Quantum Leap.
- The robot rebellion is a parody of communist revolutionCommunist revolutionA communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
. This is particularly evident from the dialogs between Bender and the electronic greeting card in which common elements of the Marxist lexicon are uttered by the latter, notably comradeComradeComrade means "friend", "colleague", or "ally". The word comes from French camarade. The term is frequently used by left-wing organizations around the globe. "Comrade" has often become a stock phrase and form of address. This word has its regional equivalents available in many...
and bourgeoisieBourgeoisieIn sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
. - The paper the cigarette dispenser-bot is burning is a punched cardPunched cardA punched card, punch card, IBM card, or Hollerith card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions...
. - The garbage can throwing itself through the window of Sal's Pizzeria is a reference to the Spike LeeSpike LeeShelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
film Do the Right ThingDo the Right ThingDo the Right Thing is a 1989 American dramedy produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, who is also a featured actor in the film. Other members of the cast include Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, and John Turturro. It is also notably the...
. - A later dialog between Bender & the Electronic Greeting Card brings up 'the boring peaceful kind of taking to the streets', and shouts 'in your face, Gandhi'. This is in reference to the non-violent independence movement initiated by Gandhi in India.
- When Walt is showing the map of the surrounding area, an area called "Cloakwood Forest" is visible. This is a reference to the Forgotten RealmsForgotten RealmsThe Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
setting of Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
. - The flashback scene of Mom and Farnsworth riding a bicycle in happier times is a parody of a similar scene from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance KidButch Cassidy and the Sundance KidButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a 1969 American Western film directed by George Roy Hill and written by William Goldman...
. The scene also features a mock-up of "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My HeadRaindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" is B. J. Thomas's #1 song, written by Hal David and Burt Bacharach for the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. It won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. David and Bacharach also won Best Original Score. It was recorded in seven takes, after...
", which was featured in the original movie scene. - One of the robots waiting for Mom is a BetamaxBetamaxBetamax was a consumer-level analog videocassette magnetic tape recording format developed by Sony, released on May 10, 1975. The cassettes contain -wide videotape in a design similar to the earlier, professional wide, U-matic format...
video recorder. - Mom's fatsuit retracts and disappears from view in a manner similar to various science fiction robotic mechanisms, such as the headpieces of the Horus Guards in StargateStargateStargate is a adventure military science fiction franchise, initially conceived by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. The first film in the franchise was simply titled Stargate. It was originally released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, and became a hit, grossing nearly...
or TransformersTransformersA transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another by magnetic coupling.Transformer may also refer to:* ASUS Eee Pad Transformer, an Android 3.2 Honeycomb tablet computer manufacturer by Asus...
. - Mom's universal robot remote control features the options 'Serve Man (Regular)' and 'Serve Man (Ironic)', a reference to To Serve ManTo Serve Man"To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story written by Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of Galaxy Science Fiction and has been reprinted a number of times, including in Frontiers in Space , Far Out and The Best of Damon Knight...
.
Broadcast and reception
This episode was rated TV-14 for suggestive dialogue (D), sexual situations (S), offensive language (L), and violence (V) on FoxFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
. On Cartoon Network, this was also rated TV-14, but only for suggestive dialogue (D), and on Comedy Central, this episode is rated TV-14 with no sub-ratings.
In its initial airing, the episode received a Nielsen rating of 3.9/9, placing it 79th among primetime shows for the week of May 8-14, 2000.
External links
- Mother's Day at The Infosphere.