Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield
Encyclopedia
"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" is the 14th episode of The Simpsons
' seventh season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 1996. In the episode, Marge
buys a Chanel
suit and is invited to join the Springfield Country Club
. Marge becomes obsessed with trying to fit in, but soon realizes that it has changed her personality and that she was happier being her old self. She decides she would rather go back to the way things were than continue to pursue high social ambitions.
The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Susie Dietter
. It was the first time a female writer and director were credited in the same episode. Tom Kite
guest starred in the episode, and he "really enjoyed" recording his parts for it. The episode's title is a parody of the 1989 film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 8.8, and was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
wrecks the old one while trying to change the channel), Marge purchases a $90 Chanel
suit at a discount fashion store, and without any special place to wear it, she runs errands around town in it. At the Kwik-E-Mart
, she meets an old high school acquaintance, Evelyn Peters, who invites Marge to the Springfield
Country Club
. Marge begins visiting the country club, and works hard to fit in with the snobbish members, finding less time for her children and spending it all socializing and altering her suit to appear like multiple outfits.
Meanwhile, Homer takes a fondness to golf
, meeting PGA Tour
professional Tom Kite
, who considers Homer to be a natural. When Mr. Burns discovers Homer showing off his impressive skills in a bathroom at work, he has Waylon Smithers
schedule a match for the two. Burns appears to be an amazing player before it is revealed that Smithers has been cheating on his behalf for decades by secretly placing a ball on the green for each shot. Homer wants to reveal the truth, but is told that Mr. Burns will block the family's Country Club entry if he goes public.
On the eve of the gala ball in which the family will be granted membership in the country club, Marge accidentally destroys the suit, and rushes back to the outlet mall to find another dress. Being unable to find one, she heads to a Chanel store to purchase an expensive replacement. As they approach the country club, she impatiently berates her family, who are hurt by her haughty new perceptions of them. Marge relents and realizes that her desire to fit in has changed her personality and that she was happier being her old self. She decides she would rather go back to the way things were than continue to pursue high social ambitions.
The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Susie Dietter
. It was the first time a female writer and director was credited in the same episode. The episode's title is a parody of the film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
. The first script of the episode was too long and it had to be cut down. Dietter remembered that it "took on a more serious tone" because they had to keep the parts that were essential to the story and cut the many "throwaway gags". Bill Oakley
, the show runner
of The Simpsons at the time, praised the episode for having a "terrific" story that "really comes together well". Oakley said that he and his partner Josh Weinstein
wanted to have more "emotionally" based episodes this season that still had humor in them. He thought Crittenden did a "good job" at that and he thought the episode "came out well".
Marge's dress was modeled on an actual Chanel dress, and also the type of dresses that former First Lady
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
used to wear. The show's creator, Matt Groening
, was worried that such a detailed dress would look "weird" on a Simpsons character because they are "simply designed" and their clothing is "very generic". He ended up liking the design, though, and Dietter thought it looked "good" on Marge. Oakley also liked the design and thought the cut on Marge was "flattering". The country club women's clothes were changed in every scene, something Dietter thought was hard to do because the animators had to come up with new designs.
Tom Kite
guest starred in the episode as himself. He said that he "really enjoyed" recording his parts for it. "It was a lot of fun trying to imagine exactly what Homer's golf swing is going to look like. My number one fear is that Homer will end up having a better golf swing than I do - heaven forbid!", he added.
of 8.8. The episode was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files
, Beverly Hills, 90210
, My Cousin Vinny
, and Married... With Children
.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, summed it up as follows: "Marge looks great in her Chanel, the golf scenes between Homer and Mr. Burns are brilliant, and there are many true, touching moments as Marge struggles valiantly to improve herself. Yet again, it's tempting for the viewer to urge Marge on and get the hell away from the family." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said that he does not know if he "accepts" the episode as being "in character" for Marge. He said that it borrows liberally from The Flintstones
, but he "likes it anyway". Jacobson added that the episode "jabs the idle rich nicely", and he enjoys the golf scenes with Homer. The program succeeds despite a few problems." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Mr. Burns's demand for his tires to be revulcanized at the gas station. The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B. The authors of the book Homer Simpson Goes to Washington, Joseph Foy and Stanley Schultz, wrote that in the episode, "the tension of trying to demonstrate a family's achievement of the American Dream
is satirically and expertly played out by Marge Simpson".
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 7)
The Simpsons seventh season originally aired on the Fox network between September 17, 1995 and May 19, 1996. The show runners for the seventh production season were Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein who would executive produce 21 episodes this season. David Mirkin executive produced the remaining...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 4, 1996. In the episode, 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...
buys a Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
suit and is invited to join the Springfield Country Club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
. Marge becomes obsessed with trying to fit in, but soon realizes that it has changed her personality and that she was happier being her old self. She decides she would rather go back to the way things were than continue to pursue high social ambitions.
The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Susie Dietter
Susie Dietter
Susan E. Dietter, usually credited as Susie Dietter, is an American director, known primarily for her work on television cartoons. She has directed episodes of the popular series Futurama, Baby Blues, The Simpsons, Recess and The Critic. She also worked as an animator for the modern-day Looney...
. It was the first time a female writer and director were credited in the same episode. Tom Kite
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994....
guest starred in the episode, and he "really enjoyed" recording his parts for it. The episode's title is a parody of the 1989 film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills is an American black comedy film released in 1989. Co-written and directed by Paul Bartel, Scenes re-unites Bartel with his Eating Raoul co-stars Mary Woronov and Robert Beltran...
. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from fans and television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 8.8, and was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Plot
While at the Ogdenville Outlet Mall buying a new TV (after Grampa SimpsonAbraham 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...
wrecks the old one while trying to change the channel), Marge purchases a $90 Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
suit at a discount fashion store, and without any special place to wear it, she runs errands around town in it. At the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
, she meets an old high school acquaintance, Evelyn Peters, who invites Marge to the Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
Country Club
Country club
A country club is a private club, often with a closed membership, that typically offers a variety of recreational sports facilities and is located in city outskirts or rural areas. Activities may include, for example, any of golf, tennis, swimming or polo...
. Marge begins visiting the country club, and works hard to fit in with the snobbish members, finding less time for her children and spending it all socializing and altering her suit to appear like multiple outfits.
Meanwhile, Homer takes a fondness to golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, meeting PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
professional Tom Kite
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994....
, who considers Homer to be a natural. When Mr. Burns discovers Homer showing off his impressive skills in a bathroom at work, he has Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open...
schedule a match for the two. Burns appears to be an amazing player before it is revealed that Smithers has been cheating on his behalf for decades by secretly placing a ball on the green for each shot. Homer wants to reveal the truth, but is told that Mr. Burns will block the family's Country Club entry if he goes public.
On the eve of the gala ball in which the family will be granted membership in the country club, Marge accidentally destroys the suit, and rushes back to the outlet mall to find another dress. Being unable to find one, she heads to a Chanel store to purchase an expensive replacement. As they approach the country club, she impatiently berates her family, who are hurt by her haughty new perceptions of them. Marge relents and realizes that her desire to fit in has changed her personality and that she was happier being her old self. She decides she would rather go back to the way things were than continue to pursue high social ambitions.
Production
Susie Dietter
Susan E. Dietter, usually credited as Susie Dietter, is an American director, known primarily for her work on television cartoons. She has directed episodes of the popular series Futurama, Baby Blues, The Simpsons, Recess and The Critic. She also worked as an animator for the modern-day Looney...
. It was the first time a female writer and director was credited in the same episode. The episode's title is a parody of the film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills
Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills is an American black comedy film released in 1989. Co-written and directed by Paul Bartel, Scenes re-unites Bartel with his Eating Raoul co-stars Mary Woronov and Robert Beltran...
. The first script of the episode was too long and it had to be cut down. Dietter remembered that it "took on a more serious tone" because they had to keep the parts that were essential to the story and cut the many "throwaway gags". Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley
Bill Oakley is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at high school; Oakley then attended Harvard University and was Vice President of the Harvard Lampoon...
, the show runner
Show runner
Showrunner is a term of art originating in the United States and Canadian television industry referring to the person who is responsible for the day-to-day operation of a television seriesalthough such persons generally are credited as an executive producer...
of The Simpsons at the time, praised the episode for having a "terrific" story that "really comes together well". Oakley said that he and his partner Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series The Simpsons. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans High School; Weinstein then attended Stanford University and was editor-in-chief of the...
wanted to have more "emotionally" based episodes this season that still had humor in them. He thought Crittenden did a "good job" at that and he thought the episode "came out well".
Marge's dress was modeled on an actual Chanel dress, and also the type of dresses that former First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier "Jackie" Kennedy Onassis was the wife of the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy, and served as First Lady of the United States during his presidency from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. Five years later she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle...
used to wear. The show's creator, Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, was worried that such a detailed dress would look "weird" on a Simpsons character because they are "simply designed" and their clothing is "very generic". He ended up liking the design, though, and Dietter thought it looked "good" on Marge. Oakley also liked the design and thought the cut on Marge was "flattering". The country club women's clothes were changed in every scene, something Dietter thought was hard to do because the animators had to come up with new designs.
Tom Kite
Tom Kite
Thomas Oliver Kite, Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course architect. He spent 175 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 1989 and 1994....
guest starred in the episode as himself. He said that he "really enjoyed" recording his parts for it. "It was a lot of fun trying to imagine exactly what Homer's golf swing is going to look like. My number one fear is that Homer will end up having a better golf swing than I do - heaven forbid!", he added.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" finished 64th in the ratings for the week of January 29 to February 4, 1996, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen 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 8.8. The episode was the fifth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
, 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...
, My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny
My Cousin Vinny is a 1992 American comedy film written and produced by Dale Launer, directed by Jonathan Lynn and starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, Lane Smith, Bruce McGill and Fred Gwynne...
, and Married... With Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
.
Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, summed it up as follows: "Marge looks great in her Chanel, the golf scenes between Homer and Mr. Burns are brilliant, and there are many true, touching moments as Marge struggles valiantly to improve herself. Yet again, it's tempting for the viewer to urge Marge on and get the hell away from the family." DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said that he does not know if he "accepts" the episode as being "in character" for Marge. He said that it borrows liberally from The Flintstones
The Flintstones
The Flintstones is an animated, prime-time American television sitcom that screened from September 30, 1960 to April 1, 1966, on ABC. Produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, The Flintstones was about a working class Stone Age man's life with his family and his next-door neighbor and best friend. It...
, but he "likes it anyway". Jacobson added that the episode "jabs the idle rich nicely", and he enjoys the golf scenes with Homer. The program succeeds despite a few problems." Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict considered the best part of the episode to be when Mr. Burns's demand for his tires to be revulcanized at the gas station. The website concluded its review by giving the episode a grade of B. The authors of the book Homer Simpson Goes to Washington, Joseph Foy and Stanley Schultz, wrote that in the episode, "the tension of trying to demonstrate a family's achievement of the American Dream
American Dream
The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States in which freedom includes a promise of the possibility of prosperity and success. In the definition of the American Dream by James Truslow Adams in 1931, "life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each...
is satirically and expertly played out by Marge Simpson".
External links
- "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" at The Simpsons.com