Sideshow Bob Roberts
Encyclopedia
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons
' sixth season
, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer
returns as villain Sideshow Bob
, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud
. The episode was written by Bill Oakley
and Josh Weinstein
, and directed by Mark Kirkland
. Oakley and Weinstein drew inspiration for the episode from the Watergate scandal
, and included many cultural references to political films, as well as real-life events. These included the film All the President's Men
and the first televised debate between Richard Nixon
and John F. Kennedy
during the 1960 United States presidential election.
The episode was referenced in a course at Columbia College Chicago
titled: "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors". It received favorable reception in the media, including a positive mention in I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide and Green Bay Press-Gazette
. A review in Press & Sun-Bulletin
placed the episode as the seventh best of the series.
calls local right-wing talk show host Birch Barlow and complains of being unfairly imprisoned. Barlow and Springfield
's residents pressure Mayor Quimby into releasing Bob. Bob is soon unveiled as the Republican Party candidate for the Springfield mayoral election. Determined to keep Bob from becoming mayor, Bart
and Lisa
decide to campaign for Quimby. Unfortunately, due to Bob's charisma and Quimby's drowsy appearance at a televised debate, Bob wins the election by a massive margin.
The Simpsons awake to find that their house
is in the way of Bob's new "Matlock
Expressway" and that it will soon be demolished, which will leave the Simpsons homeless. Bob also forces Principal Skinner
to demote Bart to kindergarten
at Springfield Elementary School. Bart and Lisa begin to suspect that Bob somehow rigged the election. Lisa goes through the voting records but is unable to find any evidence that the election was rigged. Lisa receives a message from a whistleblower
, who turns out to be Waylon Smithers
, after Homer unintentionally exposes him from the cover of darkness due to his car lights. Bob's policies disagree with Smithers's "choice of lifestyle
" so he tells Bart and Lisa to find a voter named Edgar Neubauer, who will lead them to evidence of electoral fraud
.
Eventually, Bart discovers the name Edgar Neubauer on a tombstone at the cemetery. After he explains this to Lisa, she discovers that many of those listed as voting for Bob are in fact long dead
. At the trial that follows after Bart and Lisa reveal their story to the public, they trick Bob into confessing his crime by accusing him of being Barlow's political puppet, resulting in Bob blurting out that he was the mastermind of rigging the election. He then reveals his reason of doing it because of the town's stupidity between voting for either Democratic or Republican. The court then strips Bob of his position and sends him back to prison. The Simpsons get their house back, Quimby regains his job as mayor, Bart returns to the fourth grade, and the "Matlock Expressway" is put on hold. Bob vows revenge, though he quickly finds a new goal to be accomplished; helping the Yale
alumni inmates beat the Princeton
alumni at rowing.
, the writers included several jokes at the expense of the Democratic Party
, liberal
and conservative politics
, to try to be as neutral as possible. Writers Bill Oakley
and Josh Weinstein
were very interested in the Watergate scandal
and based a lot of the second act on that. Mark Kirkland
directed the episode.
The episode sees Kelsey Grammer
return as Sideshow Bob
for his fourth appearance. Clips from previous episodes featuring Bob were used to remind viewers who he was and what he had done. Bob's Cape Fear
musical cue from the episode "Cape Feare
" is also reused. Showrunner David Mirkin
found directing Grammer "a joy". Dr. Demento
also guest-starred, as did Larry King
for the second time, while Henry Corden
voices Fred Flintstone
. One of the prisoners in Bob's campaign advert is a caricature of producer Richard Sakai
. The "Les Wynan" joke was pitched by Mike Reiss
. The episode does not feature a chalkboard or couch gag, cutting straight from the clouds to the TV. Some syndication edits have included a couch gag.
Much of the episode is based on the Watergate scandal
, as well as other real life political events. The two Republicans who follow Bob around were based on H. R. Haldeman
and John Ehrlichman
, two of Richard Nixon
's closest advisors during Watergate. Sideshow Bob's campaign advert was based on the famous Willie Horton
political advertisement used by George H. W. Bush
during the 1988 United States presidential election. Birch Barlow's question to Mayor Quimby about whether his stance on crime would differ if it was his family being attacked is a reference to Bernard Shaw
's similar question to Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis
during the 1988 presidential debates. Quimby's appearance during the debate parodies Richard Nixon's appearance during his first televised debate with John F. Kennedy
during the 1960 presidential election. Nixon had recently recovered from a cold, and sweated considerably throughout, something that was detrimental to the impression he made in the debate.
Many political films are also referenced. The episode features several references to the film All the President's Men
, which chronicled Bob Woodward
and Carl Bernstein
's investigation of the Watergate scandal. These include the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, the music, and the clandestine meeting with Smithers in a parking garage. The end court scene, as well as Sideshow Bob's speech, echo the 1992 film A Few Good Men
, including Jack Nicholson
's speech with the line "You can't handle the truth". Bob's sudden confession that he did rig the election was a vague reference to "every episode of Perry Mason
". Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in Citizen Kane
. The title and several plot elements, including Bob entering Burns' meeting draped in an American flag, are references to the 1992 film Bob Roberts
.
The character Birch Barlow is a take-off of American talk show host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh
. Barlow mentions Colonel Oliver North
, Officer Stacey Koon
and advertising mascot Joe Camel
as being "intelligent conservative[s], railroaded by our liberal justice system". Also, the language spoken at Republican Party headquarters is inspired by Enochian, a language associated with occult
and Satanic
ceremonies.
The Springwood Minimum Security Prison is a parody of Allenwood Minimum Security Prison. When Lisa is driving, she is listening to "St. Elmo's Fire
" by John Parr
, a choice David Mirkin found "very sad". Archie Comics
characters Archie Andrews
, Reggie Mantle
, Moose Mason
and Jughead Jones
are shown throwing Homer on the Simpsons' lawn and warning him to "stay out of Riverdale
!" Some of the deceased voters are Buddy Holly
, Ritchie Valens
and The Big Bopper
, who all died in a plane crash
on February 3, 1959. The epitaph on The Big Bopper's gravestone is "Gooooodbye, Baby!" a reference to the opening line of his song "Chantilly Lace
" - "Hellooo Baby!". Finally, the Simpsons' home being demolished to make way for a bypass
is a very slight reference to the opening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
.
that the episode is a satire on "society's lazy, uninformed attitude about the electoral process," as well as "a comment on the role in society of a cadre of elites (the Republican party) who see themselves as naturally suited to lead." The episode also portrays Republicans as willing to break the law in order to achieve this; in this case, Bob commits electoral fraud. This is most displayed in Bob's line: "Your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king. That's why I did this: to protect you from yourselves."
Matthew Henry writes in the same book that the episode "well illustrates the battle of [political] ideologies...and its engagement with the politics of sexuality." He refers to the scene where Smithers intimates that Bob rigged the election; his motivation for whistleblowing is Bob's conservative policies, which disagree with his "choice of lifestyle", namely his homosexuality
. Henry concludes the scene shows that conservative politics and homosexuality "cannot coexist" and that the scene marks the point where Smithers' sexuality became "public and overtly political."
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide noted the episode was: "A stunningly outspoken political satire that drew considerable disapproval from the Republican Party when it was aired." Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz and John Hill of the Press & Sun-Bulletin
named "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as the seventh best episode of the show. Thomas Rozwadowski of Green Bay Press-Gazette
placed the episode among his list of the ten best episodes of the show which have lessons: "Corrupt politicians always get their comeuppance. Or not." He also highlighted Bob's campaign advert and Kent Brockman
's line: "And the results are in. For Sideshow Bob, 100 percent. For Joe Quimby, 1 percent. And we remind you, there is a 1 percent margin of error."
The episode has been used in a course at Columbia College Chicago
. The course entitled "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors" featured "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as one of the episodes used screened for the "What's (Not) Wrong with America? Critiquing the U.S. Government" topic.
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 6)
The Simpsons sixth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 4, 1994 and May 21, 1995 and consists of 25 episodes. The Simpsons is an animated series about a working class family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
returns as villain Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
. The episode was written by 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...
and 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...
, 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:...
. Oakley and Weinstein drew inspiration for the episode from the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, and included many cultural references to political films, as well as real-life events. These included the film All the President's Men
All the President's Men (film)
All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post...
and the first televised debate between Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
during the 1960 United States presidential election.
The episode was referenced in a course at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
titled: "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors". It received favorable reception in the media, including a positive mention in I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide and Green Bay Press-Gazette
Green Bay Press-Gazette
The Green Bay Press-Gazette is a newspaper whose primary coverage is of northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay. It was founded as the Green Bay Gazette in 1866 as a weekly paper, becoming a daily newspaper in 1871. The Green Bay Gazette merged with its major competitor, the Green Bay Free...
. A review in Press & Sun-Bulletin
Press & Sun-Bulletin
The Press & Sun-Bulletin is a daily newspaper serving the area around Binghamton, New York. It was formed by the 1985 merger of The Evening Press and The Sun-Bulletin. It is owned by the Gannett Company, who purchased The Binghamton Press in 1943 and The Sun-Bulletin in 1971.-External links:**...
placed the episode as the seventh best of the series.
Plot
In Springfield Prison, Sideshow BobSideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
calls local right-wing talk show host Birch Barlow and complains of being unfairly imprisoned. Barlow and 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...
's residents pressure Mayor Quimby into releasing Bob. Bob is soon unveiled as the Republican Party candidate for the Springfield mayoral election. Determined to keep Bob from becoming mayor, 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 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...
decide to campaign for Quimby. Unfortunately, due to Bob's charisma and Quimby's drowsy appearance at a televised debate, Bob wins the election by a massive margin.
The Simpsons awake to find that their house
742 Evergreen Terrace
742 Evergreen Terrace is the fictional street address in Springfield of the Simpson family home in the animated television series, The Simpsons and in the feature film The Simpsons Movie. In the series the house is currently owned by Homer Simpson...
is in the way of Bob's new "Matlock
Matlock (TV series)
Matlock is an American television legal drama, starring Andy Griffith in the title role of attorney Ben Matlock. The show originally aired from September 23, 1986 to May 8, 1992 on NBC, where it replaced The A-Team, then from November 5, 1992 until May 7, 1995 on ABC.The show's format was similar...
Expressway" and that it will soon be demolished, which will leave the Simpsons homeless. Bob also forces Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
to demote Bart to kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
at Springfield Elementary School. Bart and Lisa begin to suspect that Bob somehow rigged the election. Lisa goes through the voting records but is unable to find any evidence that the election was rigged. Lisa receives a message from a whistleblower
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
, who turns out to be 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...
, after Homer unintentionally exposes him from the cover of darkness due to his car lights. Bob's policies disagree with Smithers's "choice of lifestyle
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
" so he tells Bart and Lisa to find a voter named Edgar Neubauer, who will lead them to evidence of electoral fraud
Electoral fraud
Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. Acts of fraud affect vote counts to bring about an election result, whether by increasing the vote share of the favored candidate, depressing the vote share of the rival candidates or both...
.
Eventually, Bart discovers the name Edgar Neubauer on a tombstone at the cemetery. After he explains this to Lisa, she discovers that many of those listed as voting for Bob are in fact long dead
Ghost voter
Ghost voting is a political term which can have several meanings. It can refer to the practice of voters in a legislative body taking part in a vote while not physically there in person to cast their vote, because they were dead, or because they never existed....
. At the trial that follows after Bart and Lisa reveal their story to the public, they trick Bob into confessing his crime by accusing him of being Barlow's political puppet, resulting in Bob blurting out that he was the mastermind of rigging the election. He then reveals his reason of doing it because of the town's stupidity between voting for either Democratic or Republican. The court then strips Bob of his position and sends him back to prison. The Simpsons get their house back, Quimby regains his job as mayor, Bart returns to the fourth grade, and the "Matlock Expressway" is put on hold. Bob vows revenge, though he quickly finds a new goal to be accomplished; helping the Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
alumni inmates beat the Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
alumni at rowing.
Production
Although the episode primarily mocks the Republican PartyRepublican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, the writers included several jokes at the expense of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
and conservative politics
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
, to try to be as neutral as possible. Writers 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...
and 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...
were very interested in the Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
and based a lot of the second act on that. 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:...
directed the episode.
The episode sees Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
return as Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
for his fourth appearance. Clips from previous episodes featuring Bob were used to remind viewers who he was and what he had done. Bob's Cape Fear
Cape Fear (1962 film)
Cape Fear is a 1962 film starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen. It was adapted by James R. Webb from the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. It was directed by J. Lee Thompson, and released on April 12, 1962...
musical cue from the episode "Cape Feare
Cape Feare
"Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993, and has since been featured on DVD and VHS releases...
" is also reused. Showrunner David Mirkin
David Mirkin
David Mirkin is an American feature film and television director, writer and producer. Mirkin grew up in Philadelphia and intended to become an electrical engineer, but abandoned this career path in favor of studying film at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating, he became a stand-up...
found directing Grammer "a joy". Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
also guest-starred, as did Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
for the second time, while Henry Corden
Henry Corden
Henry Corden was a Canadian-born American actor and voice artist best-known for taking over the role of Fred Flintstone after Alan Reed died in 1977. His official debut as Fred's new voice was on the 1977 syndicated weekday series Fred Flintstone and Friends for which he provided voice-overs on...
voices Fred Flintstone
Fred Flintstone
Frederick Joseph “Fred” Flintstone, also known as Fred W. Flintstone or Frederick J. Flintstone, is the protagonist of the animated sitcom The Flintstones, which aired during prime-time on ABC during the original series' run from 1960-66. He is the husband of Wilma Flintstone and father of Pebbles...
. One of the prisoners in Bob's campaign advert is a caricature of producer Richard Sakai
Richard Sakai
Richard Sakai is an American producer best known for partnering with James L. Brooks and for his work on The Simpsons....
. The "Les Wynan" joke was pitched by Mike Reiss
Mike Reiss
Michael "Mike" Reiss is an American television comedy writer. He served as a show-runner, writer and producer for the animated series The Simpsons and co-created the animated series The Critic...
. The episode does not feature a chalkboard or couch gag, cutting straight from the clouds to the TV. Some syndication edits have included a couch gag.
Cultural references
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
, as well as other real life political events. The two Republicans who follow Bob around were based on H. R. Haldeman
H. R. Haldeman
Harry Robbins "Bob" Haldeman was an American political aide and businessman, best known for his service as White House Chief of Staff to President Richard Nixon and for his role in events leading to the Watergate burglaries and the Watergate scandal – for which he was found guilty of conspiracy...
and John Ehrlichman
John Ehrlichman
John Daniel Ehrlichman was counsel and Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under President Richard Nixon. He was a key figure in events leading to the Watergate first break-in and the ensuing Watergate scandal, for which he was convicted of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury...
, two of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's closest advisors during Watergate. Sideshow Bob's campaign advert was based on the famous Willie Horton
Willie Horton
William R. "Willie" Horton is an American convicted felon who, while serving a life sentence for murder, without the possibility of parole, was the beneficiary of a Massachusetts weekend furlough program...
political advertisement used by George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
during the 1988 United States presidential election. Birch Barlow's question to Mayor Quimby about whether his stance on crime would differ if it was his family being attacked is a reference to Bernard Shaw
Bernard Shaw (journalist)
Bernard Shaw is a retired American journalist and former news anchor for CNN from 1980 until his retirement in March 2001.-Early years:...
's similar question to Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
during the 1988 presidential debates. Quimby's appearance during the debate parodies Richard Nixon's appearance during his first televised debate with John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
during the 1960 presidential election. Nixon had recently recovered from a cold, and sweated considerably throughout, something that was detrimental to the impression he made in the debate.
Many political films are also referenced. The episode features several references to the film All the President's Men
All the President's Men (film)
All the President's Men is a 1976 Academy Award-winning political thriller film based on the 1974 non-fiction book of the same name by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the two journalists investigating the Watergate scandal for The Washington Post...
, which chronicled Bob Woodward
Bob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
and Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein
Carl Bernstein is an American investigative journalist who, at The Washington Post, teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did the majority of the most important news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations, the indictment of a vast number of...
's investigation of the Watergate scandal. These include the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, the music, and the clandestine meeting with Smithers in a parking garage. The end court scene, as well as Sideshow Bob's speech, echo the 1992 film A Few Good Men
A Few Good Men (film)
A Few Good Men is a 1992 drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore. It was adapted for the screen by Aaron Sorkin from his play of the same name. A courtroom drama, the film revolves around the trial of two U.S...
, including Jack Nicholson
Jack Nicholson
John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
's speech with the line "You can't handle the truth". Bob's sudden confession that he did rig the election was a vague reference to "every episode of Perry Mason
Perry Mason (TV series)
Perry Mason is an American legal drama produced by Paisano Productions that ran from September 1957 to May 1966 on CBS. The title character, portrayed by Raymond Burr, is a fictional Los Angeles defense attorney who originally appeared in detective fiction by Erle Stanley Gardner...
". Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. The title and several plot elements, including Bob entering Burns' meeting draped in an American flag, are references to the 1992 film Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts
Bob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election...
.
The character Birch Barlow is a take-off of American talk show host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
. Barlow mentions Colonel Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
, Officer Stacey Koon
Stacey Koon
Stacey Cornell Koon is a former sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department who became nationally notorious in the wake of the Rodney King incident...
and advertising mascot Joe Camel
Joe Camel
Joe Camel was the advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes from late 1987 to July 12, 1997, appearing in magazine advertisements, billboards, and other print media.-History:The U.S. marketing team of R. J...
as being "intelligent conservative[s], railroaded by our liberal justice system". Also, the language spoken at Republican Party headquarters is inspired by Enochian, a language associated with occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
and Satanic
Satanism
Satanism is a group of religions that is composed of a diverse number of ideological and philosophical beliefs and social phenomena. Their shared feature include symbolic association with, admiration for the character of, and even veneration of Satan or similar rebellious, promethean, and...
ceremonies.
The Springwood Minimum Security Prison is a parody of Allenwood Minimum Security Prison. When Lisa is driving, she is listening to "St. Elmo's Fire
St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)
"St. Elmo's Fire " is a song recorded by John Parr. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on 7 September 1985 and peaked at number six in the UK, Parr's home country....
" by John Parr
John Parr
John Parr is an English musician, best known for his 1985 US #1 hit single "St. Elmo's Fire". Parr has sold 10 million albums worldwide.-Biography:...
, a choice David Mirkin found "very sad". Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
characters Archie Andrews
Archie Andrews (comics)
Archie Andrews, created in 1941 by Vic Bloom and Bob Montana, is a fictional character in an American comic book series published by Archie Comics, as well as the long-running Archie Andrews radio series, a syndicated comic strip, The Archie Show, and Archie's Weird Mysteries.-Character and...
, Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle
Reggie Mantle is a fictional character in the Archie Comics book. His full name is given as Reginald Mantle, but he is usually called by his nickname Reggie, and sometimes refers to himself as "Mantle, The Magnificent." The character was introduced in 1942...
, Moose Mason
Moose Mason
Moose Mason is a fictional character in the Archie Comics universe. He attends Riverdale High School where he is typically depicted as the best athlete but the poorest student. His difficulties with school were later attributed to dyslexia...
and Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones
Jughead Jones is a fictional character in Archie Comics who first appeared in the comic in December 1941. He is the son of Forsythe II; although in one of the early Archie newspaper comic strips, he himself is identified as Forsythe Van Jones II...
are shown throwing Homer on the Simpsons' lawn and warning him to "stay out of Riverdale
Riverdale (Archie Comics)
Riverdale is a fictional town somewhere in the United States that is the setting for most of the various characters that appear in Archie Comics...
!" Some of the deceased voters are Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
, Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
and The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
, who all died in a plane crash
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
on February 3, 1959. The epitaph on The Big Bopper's gravestone is "Gooooodbye, Baby!" a reference to the opening line of his song "Chantilly Lace
Chantilly Lace (song)
"Chantilly Lace" is the name of a rock and roll song, written and originally performed by The Big Bopper in 1958. The Co-writers of the song were Jerry Foster and Bill Rice...
" - "Hellooo Baby!". Finally, the Simpsons' home being demolished to make way for a bypass
Bypass (road)
A bypass is a road or highway that avoids or "bypasses" a built-up area, town, or village, to let through traffic flow without interference from local traffic, to reduce congestion in the built-up area, and to improve road safety....
is a very slight reference to the opening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (book)
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the title of the first of six books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy comedy science fiction "trilogy" by Douglas Adams . The novel is an adaptation of the first four parts of Adams's radio series of the same name. The novel was first published in...
.
Themes and analysis
David L. G. Arnold comments in the book Leaving SpringfieldLeaving Springfield
Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture is a non-fiction compilation work analyzing the effect of the television program The Simpsons on society, edited by John Alberti. The book was published in 2004 by Wayne State University Press...
that the episode is a satire on "society's lazy, uninformed attitude about the electoral process," as well as "a comment on the role in society of a cadre of elites (the Republican party) who see themselves as naturally suited to lead." The episode also portrays Republicans as willing to break the law in order to achieve this; in this case, Bob commits electoral fraud. This is most displayed in Bob's line: "Your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king. That's why I did this: to protect you from yourselves."
Matthew Henry writes in the same book that the episode "well illustrates the battle of [political] ideologies...and its engagement with the politics of sexuality." He refers to the scene where Smithers intimates that Bob rigged the election; his motivation for whistleblowing is Bob's conservative policies, which disagree with his "choice of lifestyle", namely his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
. Henry concludes the scene shows that conservative politics and homosexuality "cannot coexist" and that the scene marks the point where Smithers' sexuality became "public and overtly political."
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Sideshow Bob Roberts" finished tied for 64th place in the weekly ratings for the week of October 3 to October 9, 1994 with a Nielsen rating of 8.6. It was the sixth highest rated show on the Fox Network that week.Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide noted the episode was: "A stunningly outspoken political satire that drew considerable disapproval from the Republican Party when it was aired." Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz and John Hill of the Press & Sun-Bulletin
Press & Sun-Bulletin
The Press & Sun-Bulletin is a daily newspaper serving the area around Binghamton, New York. It was formed by the 1985 merger of The Evening Press and The Sun-Bulletin. It is owned by the Gannett Company, who purchased The Binghamton Press in 1943 and The Sun-Bulletin in 1971.-External links:**...
named "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as the seventh best episode of the show. Thomas Rozwadowski of Green Bay Press-Gazette
Green Bay Press-Gazette
The Green Bay Press-Gazette is a newspaper whose primary coverage is of northeastern Wisconsin, including Green Bay. It was founded as the Green Bay Gazette in 1866 as a weekly paper, becoming a daily newspaper in 1871. The Green Bay Gazette merged with its major competitor, the Green Bay Free...
placed the episode among his list of the ten best episodes of the show which have lessons: "Corrupt politicians always get their comeuppance. Or not." He also highlighted Bob's campaign advert and Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman
Kent Brockman is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer and first appeared in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"...
's line: "And the results are in. For Sideshow Bob, 100 percent. For Joe Quimby, 1 percent. And we remind you, there is a 1 percent margin of error."
The episode has been used in a course at Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
. The course entitled "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors" featured "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as one of the episodes used screened for the "What's (Not) Wrong with America? Critiquing the U.S. Government" topic.
External links
- "Sideshow Bob Roberts" at The Simpsons.com