My Fair Laddy
Encyclopedia
"My Fair Laddy" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' seventeenth season
. It first aired on February 26, 2006. This is the first episode that centers around Groundskeeper Willie
. The title and the plot is based on the Broadway musical and film My Fair Lady
.
") announces that she will be leaving to undergo gender reassignment surgery and come back as the shop teacher "Mr. Pummelhorst," Coach Krupt, a substitute takes her place. Every gym class, he has them play a game called "Bombardment," and at Christmas double Bombardment, which basically just involves him throwing dodgeball
s at the students.
When Bart
gets sick of the constant bullying, he fills a ball full of water and sticks it in the freezer overnight. The next day, he throws it at the gym teacher, who ducks, and the ball crashes through the window and destroys Willie's
shack. When Marge
picks up Bart from school and sees Willie is homeless and sitting alone in the pouring rain, she offers to let him stay at their house, and he eventually accepts. When there, Lisa
has Willie realize that his life could be much better, and she decides to turn him into a proper gentleman. Bart, however, does not believe that she can do it, but Lisa bets that she can do it in time for the school science fair.
Meanwhile, Homer
comes home with his last pair of blue pants
ripped and torn after his seat breaks at the go-cart track (an incident he tries to pass of as "normal wear-and-tear" to Marge). As he searches through town for a new pair, he finds no store that sells his favorite type of pants. When he goes to the factory that sells them, the manager tells him that they do not make blue pants anymore due to poor sales. Homer tells him that he will get more customers. He does this by writing "Buy blue pants" on the back of his head (when he turns out the light, Marge
observes that the writing glows in the dark, to which a rather scared Homer replies, "It's not supposed to."). Homer's advertising campaign pays off and soon everyone is wearing blue pants. However, Marge is annoyed when Homer begins putting other advertisements around his body (one on his arm reading "EAT MAINE POTATOES" really just being a reminder to himself).
While this is happening, Lisa is struggling to teach Willie how to act sophisticated. Soon, it is the day before the science fair, and he is still his same old self. When he sees how disappointed Lisa is, he suddenly surprises both Bart and Lisa by correctly (and with a 'proper' accent/dialect) saying a sentence she gave him. At the science fair the next day, he impresses everyone with his politeness and verbal dexterity under the guise of G.K. Willington Esq.. However, no one actually knows that it is the old groundskeeper until Lisa announces it to everyone. Once again, she wins the science fair, and the bet along with it.
Even though he is respected by everybody, Willie misses his old life and feels out of place working as the maitre d' at a fancy restaurant, but his job and his shack were both taken by the music teacher. He explains to Lisa that he wishes to go back to the way things were, and she understands. Soon, he is returned to his restored "crap shack", which Lisa has decorated with a new sign on the inside wall reading "home sweet home". Willie, acting very grateful for the gift, asks to be alone. Lisa understands and promptly exits the shack. Upon her leaving, Willie takes the sign and smashes it on the ground.
and also features parodies of songs from the play such as "Wouldn't it be Lovely", "Rain in Spain", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and "On the Street Where You Live".
The scene where Bart throws the ice ball at the new gym teacher takes elements from pvt. Pyle's shooting scene from Full Metal Jacket
The bullies challenge Kearney to circumnavigate the planet in eighty days, a reference to Around the World in 80 Days
episode by AOL. Robert Canning, Eric Goldman, Dan Iverson & Brian Zoromski of IGN
named it the best episode of the seventeenth season
calling it a fun parody of My Fair Lady
.
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 17)
The Simpsons' seventeenth season originally aired between September 2005 and May 2006, beginning on Sunday, September 11, 2005. It broke Fox's tradition of pushing its shows' season premieres back to November to accommodate the Major League Baseball games airing on the network during September...
. It first aired on February 26, 2006. This is the first episode that centers around Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
. The title and the plot is based on the Broadway musical and film My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
.
Plot
When Mrs. Pummelhorst (the school gym teacher first mentioned by a little girl hanging from the gymnastic rings on season six's "The PTA Disbands!The PTA Disbands!
"The PTA Disbands" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It originally aired on April 16, 1995. In the episode, Edna Krabappel calls an emergency strike on behalf of the Teachers' Union of Springfield Elementary, to protest against Principal Skinner's miserly school spending...
") announces that she will be leaving to undergo gender reassignment surgery and come back as the shop teacher "Mr. Pummelhorst," Coach Krupt, a substitute takes her place. Every gym class, he has them play a game called "Bombardment," and at Christmas double Bombardment, which basically just involves him throwing dodgeball
Dodgeball
Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with balls while avoiding being hit themselves. This article is about a well-known form of team sport with modified rules that is often played in physical education classes and has been featured...
s at the students.
When 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...
gets sick of the constant bullying, he fills a ball full of water and sticks it in the freezer overnight. The next day, he throws it at the gym teacher, who ducks, and the ball crashes through the window and destroys Willie's
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
shack. When 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...
picks up Bart from school and sees Willie is homeless and sitting alone in the pouring rain, she offers to let him stay at their house, and he eventually accepts. When there, 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...
has Willie realize that his life could be much better, and she decides to turn him into a proper gentleman. Bart, however, does not believe that she can do it, but Lisa bets that she can do it in time for the school science fair.
Meanwhile, 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...
comes home with his last pair of blue pants
Trousers
Trousers are an item of clothing worn on the lower part of the body from the waist to the ankles, covering both legs separately...
ripped and torn after his seat breaks at the go-cart track (an incident he tries to pass of as "normal wear-and-tear" to Marge). As he searches through town for a new pair, he finds no store that sells his favorite type of pants. When he goes to the factory that sells them, the manager tells him that they do not make blue pants anymore due to poor sales. Homer tells him that he will get more customers. He does this by writing "Buy blue pants" on the back of his head (when he turns out the light, 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...
observes that the writing glows in the dark, to which a rather scared Homer replies, "It's not supposed to."). Homer's advertising campaign pays off and soon everyone is wearing blue pants. However, Marge is annoyed when Homer begins putting other advertisements around his body (one on his arm reading "EAT MAINE POTATOES" really just being a reminder to himself).
While this is happening, Lisa is struggling to teach Willie how to act sophisticated. Soon, it is the day before the science fair, and he is still his same old self. When he sees how disappointed Lisa is, he suddenly surprises both Bart and Lisa by correctly (and with a 'proper' accent/dialect) saying a sentence she gave him. At the science fair the next day, he impresses everyone with his politeness and verbal dexterity under the guise of G.K. Willington Esq.. However, no one actually knows that it is the old groundskeeper until Lisa announces it to everyone. Once again, she wins the science fair, and the bet along with it.
Even though he is respected by everybody, Willie misses his old life and feels out of place working as the maitre d' at a fancy restaurant, but his job and his shack were both taken by the music teacher. He explains to Lisa that he wishes to go back to the way things were, and she understands. Soon, he is returned to his restored "crap shack", which Lisa has decorated with a new sign on the inside wall reading "home sweet home". Willie, acting very grateful for the gift, asks to be alone. Lisa understands and promptly exits the shack. Upon her leaving, Willie takes the sign and smashes it on the ground.
Cultural references
The episode's plot is based on My Fair LadyMy Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
and also features parodies of songs from the play such as "Wouldn't it be Lovely", "Rain in Spain", "I Could Have Danced All Night", and "On the Street Where You Live".
The scene where Bart throws the ice ball at the new gym teacher takes elements from pvt. Pyle's shooting scene from Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket
Full Metal Jacket is a 1987 war film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. It is an adaptation of the 1979 novel The Short-Timers by Gustav Hasford and stars Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Arliss Howard and Adam Baldwin. The film follows a platoon of U.S...
The bullies challenge Kearney to circumnavigate the planet in eighty days, a reference to Around the World in 80 Days
Reception
"My Fair Laddy" was ranked as the twenty-fifth best The SimpsonsThe 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...
episode by AOL. Robert Canning, Eric Goldman, Dan Iverson & Brian Zoromski of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
named it the best episode of the seventeenth season
The Simpsons (season 17)
The Simpsons' seventeenth season originally aired between September 2005 and May 2006, beginning on Sunday, September 11, 2005. It broke Fox's tradition of pushing its shows' season premieres back to November to accommodate the Major League Baseball games airing on the network during September...
calling it a fun parody of My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
.