Pray Anything
Encyclopedia
"Pray Anything" is the tenth episode of the fourteenth season of The Simpsons
. It is the 301st episode of the Simpsons in broadcast order; in production order, this is the 299th.
In the episode, Homer
discovers that praying can solve problems, and uses this to his advantage. After breaking his leg near the church, Homer sues the church and ends up receiving the deed to own it when the church was unable to pay him $1,000,000 as granted, where he would have used the money to repair the house's pipes and drywall. Under his ownership, the church becomes a hangout for townspeople, where the Ten Commandments
are all broken, much to Reverend Lovejoy's dismay when he decides to leave Springfield after losing his church.
game. The announcer offers a $50,000 prize for shooting a half-court basket
. Homer
presumes he is the winner, since he is sitting in Section A, Row 12, Seat 16. His ticket however turns out to be for the following day's "WNFL" match and, to his dismay, the real winner is Ned Flanders
. Ned kneels and prays before shooting the basket, and he makes it. He declares he will donate his money to "Bibles for Belgians." The Rich Texan then gives Ned an extra $100,000 for his generous attitude. Adding to Homer's fury, Ned gets to drive home in the Wienermobile
.
The following day, Homer asks Ned what his secret is, and Ned replies it is hard work, clean living and a little prayer doesn't hurt, Homer ignores the first two which require effort in favour of prayer. Later, Homer cannot find the remote control
and prays to God to help him find it. He finds it under the couch and is able to switch away from a Ken Burns
documentary to the "Monkey Olympics." Homer sees that his prayers are working, and sets up a prayer station in his workstation at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
After Homer prays for a new snack treat (resulting in Bacon
Fudge
after two trucks collide), prays to help Bart with his homework, and asks God to help him unblock the sink, Marge
then tells Homer that he can't ask God to do every little thing for him, which he bluntly refuses to consider. A plumber who comes to examine the sink finds the pipes full of roots and points out that the moisture is ruining the drywall, which crumbles at his touch.
On Sunday, Homer is walking towards the church and looking up, talking to God. Not looking where he is going, he falls down into a shallow hole, reserved for the Nativity Scene. A shady lawyer is walking by, and convinces Homer to sue the church. Homer goes through with this because he needs the money to fix the pipes and drywall. While in court, the Blue-Haired Lawyer shows a video of Homer's stupidity to prove he is accident prone, but the jury (led by Cletus
) still finds in Homer's favor. Homer is granted $1,000,000, but the church cannot pay this. Instead, Homer receives the deed to the church and, despite Marge's objections, moves the family there, displacing Reverend Lovejoy, who relectantly accepts an invitation to stay with Ned Flanders
and his family.
Homer immediately commences watching TV in his underwear, drinking beer out of a Communion
chalice, and using a crucifix as an air-guitar when he sings the KISS
song I Was Made For Lovin' You
. He kicks out an Alcoholics Anonymous
meeting, telling them that the room now belongs to the dog
. Marge tells Homer that he is not being a good Christian, and Homer decides to repay them by throwing a big party.
Meanwhile, Reverend Lovejoy has set up a temporary church in Barney's Bowl-A-Rama. Only a very few faithful, including Marge and the Flanders family, still attend. Constant interruptions of his sermon cause Lovejoy to give up hope and leave town.
The church becomes a bar and hangout for the townspeople, complete with drinking, poker, violence, fires, and worship of idols. Ned observes that they have broken all Ten Commandments
. As Marge worries that Homer is incurring God's wrath, a rainstorm begins and Homer is struck by lightning. The town begins to flood, and the townspeople flee to the roof of the church. Homer tries praying again but the flood keeps rising. Reverend Lovejoy returns in a helicopter and leads everyone in prayer, asking God to forgive them for letting themselves be led by a "demon in blue pants."
The flood subsides, and Lisa explains that the rain is actually the result of soot in the air from the earlier bonfire, and the lack of trees in Springfield caused the flood. Bart asks what made the rain stop, and Lisa shrugs and says "I don't know, Buddha
?" The final scene shows God, Buddha and Colonel Sanders
in heaven eating popcorn chicken.
s Gregory Hardy named it the thirteenth best episode of the show with a sports theme.
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 is the 301st episode of the Simpsons in broadcast order; in production order, this is the 299th.
In the episode, 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...
discovers that praying can solve problems, and uses this to his advantage. After breaking his leg near the church, Homer sues the church and ends up receiving the deed to own it when the church was unable to pay him $1,000,000 as granted, where he would have used the money to repair the house's pipes and drywall. Under his ownership, the church becomes a hangout for townspeople, where the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
are all broken, much to Reverend Lovejoy's dismay when he decides to leave Springfield after losing his church.
Plot
The episode starts with The Simpsons visiting The Springfield Square Garden to watch a WNBAWomen's National Basketball Association
The Women's National Basketball Association is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. It currently is composed of twelve teams. The league was founded on April 24, 1996 as the women's counterpart to the National Basketball Association...
game. The announcer offers a $50,000 prize for shooting a half-court basket
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
. 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...
presumes he is the winner, since he is sitting in Section A, Row 12, Seat 16. His ticket however turns out to be for the following day's "WNFL" match and, to his dismay, the real winner is 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 kneels and prays before shooting the basket, and he makes it. He declares he will donate his money to "Bibles for Belgians." The Rich Texan then gives Ned an extra $100,000 for his generous attitude. Adding to Homer's fury, Ned gets to drive home in the Wienermobile
Wienermobile
A "Wienermobile" is an automobile shaped like a hot dog on a bun that is used to promote and advertise Oscar Mayer products. It was created in 1936 by Oscar's nephew, Carl G. Mayer, and variants are still used by Oscar Mayer today. In 2004, Oscar Mayer announced a contest whereby customers could...
.
The following day, Homer asks Ned what his secret is, and Ned replies it is hard work, clean living and a little prayer doesn't hurt, Homer ignores the first two which require effort in favour of prayer. Later, Homer cannot find the remote control
Remote control
A remote control is a component of an electronics device, most commonly a television set, used for operating the television device wirelessly from a short line-of-sight distance.The remote control is usually contracted to remote...
and prays to God to help him find it. He finds it under the couch and is able to switch away from a Ken Burns
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
documentary to the "Monkey Olympics." Homer sees that his prayers are working, and sets up a prayer station in his workstation at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
After Homer prays for a new snack treat (resulting in Bacon
Bacon
Bacon is a cured meat prepared from a pig. It is first cured using large quantities of salt, either in a brine or in a dry packing; the result is fresh bacon . Fresh bacon may then be further dried for weeks or months in cold air, boiled, or smoked. Fresh and dried bacon must be cooked before eating...
Fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
after two trucks collide), prays to help Bart with his homework, and asks God to help him unblock the sink, 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...
then tells Homer that he can't ask God to do every little thing for him, which he bluntly refuses to consider. A plumber who comes to examine the sink finds the pipes full of roots and points out that the moisture is ruining the drywall, which crumbles at his touch.
On Sunday, Homer is walking towards the church and looking up, talking to God. Not looking where he is going, he falls down into a shallow hole, reserved for the Nativity Scene. A shady lawyer is walking by, and convinces Homer to sue the church. Homer goes through with this because he needs the money to fix the pipes and drywall. While in court, the Blue-Haired Lawyer shows a video of Homer's stupidity to prove he is accident prone, but the jury (led by Cletus
Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was...
) still finds in Homer's favor. Homer is granted $1,000,000, but the church cannot pay this. Instead, Homer receives the deed to the church and, despite Marge's objections, moves the family there, displacing Reverend Lovejoy, who relectantly accepts an invitation to stay 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 family.
Homer immediately commences watching TV in his underwear, drinking beer out of a Communion
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
chalice, and using a crucifix as an air-guitar when he sings the KISS
KISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
song I Was Made For Lovin' You
I Was Made For Lovin' You
I Was Made for Lovin' You" is a song by American hard rock band Kiss, originally released on their 1979 album Dynasty. It was released as the A-side of their first single from the album. It was the band's second Gold single, selling over 1 million copies. The single was certified Platinum in the...
. He kicks out an Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous is an international mutual aid movement which says its "primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety." Now claiming more than 2 million members, AA was founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio...
meeting, telling them that the room now belongs to the dog
Santa's Little Helper
Santa's Little Helper is a recurring character in the American animated television series The Simpsons. He is the pet greyhound of the Simpson family. The dog was introduced in the first episode of the show, the 1989 Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", in which his owner abandons...
. Marge tells Homer that he is not being a good Christian, and Homer decides to repay them by throwing a big party.
Meanwhile, Reverend Lovejoy has set up a temporary church in Barney's Bowl-A-Rama. Only a very few faithful, including Marge and the Flanders family, still attend. Constant interruptions of his sermon cause Lovejoy to give up hope and leave town.
The church becomes a bar and hangout for the townspeople, complete with drinking, poker, violence, fires, and worship of idols. Ned observes that they have broken all Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
. As Marge worries that Homer is incurring God's wrath, a rainstorm begins and Homer is struck by lightning. The town begins to flood, and the townspeople flee to the roof of the church. Homer tries praying again but the flood keeps rising. Reverend Lovejoy returns in a helicopter and leads everyone in prayer, asking God to forgive them for letting themselves be led by a "demon in blue pants."
The flood subsides, and Lisa explains that the rain is actually the result of soot in the air from the earlier bonfire, and the lack of trees in Springfield caused the flood. Bart asks what made the rain stop, and Lisa shrugs and says "I don't know, Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
?" The final scene shows God, Buddha and Colonel Sanders
Colonel Sanders
Harland David "Colonel" Sanders was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant chain, now re-branded as KFC...
in heaven eating popcorn chicken.
Reception
The Orlando SentinelOrlando Sentinel
The Orlando Sentinel is the primary newspaper of the Orlando, Florida region. It was founded in 1876. The Sentinel is owned by Tribune Company and is overseen by the Chicago Tribune. As of 2005, the Sentinel’s president and publisher was Kathleen Waltz; she announced her resignation in February 2008...
s Gregory Hardy named it the thirteenth best episode of the show with a sports theme.
External links
- "Pray Anything" at The Simpsons.com