Sunday, Cruddy Sunday
Encyclopedia
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' tenth season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on January 31, 1999, just after Super Bowl XXXIII
. In the episode, while buying new tires for his car, Homer
meets a travel agent called Wally Kogen. After becoming friends, Kogen offers Homer a free bus ride to the Super Bowl, as long as he can find enough people to fill Kogen's bus. Several people, including Homer's son Bart
, tag along what soon becomes a problematic trip. Meanwhile, Homer's wife Marge
and their daughter Lisa
set out to find the missing parts of "Vincent Price
's Egg Magic," a celebrity-endorsed craft kit.
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was directed by Steven Dean Moore
and written by George Meyer
, Brian Scully
, Mike Scully
and Tom Martin
, the first credit Martin received for the series. Scully jokingly said that the episode was "thrown together[...] without thought or structure" by the writers. For the subplot, the writers tried to come up with the "most boring thing" Lisa and Marge could do to pass time. The episode features several guest-stars, including comedian Fred Willard
, country singer Dolly Parton
, Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch
, sports commentators Pat Summerall
and John Madden
, and former American football
players Troy Aikman
, Rosey Grier
and Dan Marino
. All guest-stars played themselves, except for Willard who portrayed Kogen. The episode pokes fun at folk singer Burl Ives
, former United States president Bill Clinton
as well as the series' fans, among other things.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 11.5 million viewers, making it the tenth most watched program of the week as well as the second most watched scripted program on the network the night it aired. The episode was released on home video for the first time in 2004, and in 2007, the episode was again released as part of the DVD set The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season. Following its broadcast, the episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
After its original broadcast, however, a scene in the episode became a subject of controversy. The scene in question shows three scantily clad women who, in a suggestive manner, clean a car. At the end of the scene, the camera zooms into one of the women's necklace, which has a Christian cross
attached to it. A voice-over is then heard, saying "the Catholic church. We've made a few... changes." The scene garnered scrutiny from the American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization The Catholic League
, whose members sent hundreds of angry letters to the Fox network, demanding any mention of Catholicism in the episode be excised. In September the same year, when the episode was supposed to repeat, the Catholic League asked Fox if they could censor the scene, which the network agreed to. The network's decision was criticized by journalists and staff members, and the censored version of the episode is still in syndication.
, Lisa
and the students of Springfield Elementary go on a field trip to the post office
, Bart gets a Val-U-Qual coupon
book as a souvenir, which he gives to Homer
as a birthday present. Homer uses one of his coupons at a tire business on a free wheel balancing, and is told by the "customer care specialist" that his car will not take a balance, and that he will need four new tires because they cannot legally let customers drive off with faulty tires. Homer accepts and meets a man named Wally Kogen, a travel agent who only came into the business to use the phone and ends up getting the "road king package", and the two form a bond. They go to Moe's for a beer, watching a special on the Super Bowl
. Wally says his travel agency has a charter bus going to the game and suggests to Homer that he can fill the bus and ride for free. They ask Moe to come to the Super Bowl and he agrees, as do other prominent men of Springfield
.
The posse, led by Homer and Bart, go to the Super Bowl at Miami
's Pro Player Stadium
on the charter bus and arrive for pre-game festivities. Expecting to get in the game, they are stopped when a scalper offers them tickets. Homer receives the tickets after he threatens to give the man a caning
. They check in, but realize that the tickets they have are counterfeit, since they were printed on a cracker. When Bart sees the halftime show costumes they use them to knock over the guards and rush into the stadium. However, stadium security confronts them, and they are locked up in the stadium jail. Homer's posse is freed when Dolly Parton
(whom Kogen knows) uses her extra-strength makeup remover to dissolve the lock and release them. As they are freed, they run into a skybox
suite and get a view of the game, until the skybox's owner Rupert Murdoch
arrives and confronts them. Homer's posse flee to the field, until they get lost in the sea of players when they win the Super Bowl. The group ends up in the locker room, and everyone has a Super Bowl ring on one of their hands at game's end.
Meanwhile, Marge
and Lisa try to find their own activity at home. They use the crafting kit, "Vincent Price
's Egg Magic", until they realize that the product was shoddy because the feet were not included. Despite the kit being from 1967, Marge decides to call the help-line number listed on the box. Surprisingly, she is greeted with the voice of Vincent Price — who assures her that his grandson Jody will bring the missing feet to them. Lisa expresses surprise, believing Price to be dead. The episode ends with John Madden and Pat Summerall
analyzing the events of the episode. Despite endorsing the character Wally Kogen and the subplot, they are infuriated by a Super Bowl episode guest starring Dolly Parton that does not feature "any football or singing". Madden declares the episode a slap to the show's fanbase, who he says have taken "so much nonsense" from the program. They eventually leave on a bus driven by Vincent Price.
and co-written by former staff writers Tom Martin
, George Meyer
, Brian Scully
and executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1999, right after Super Bowl XXXIII
. "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was the first episode that Martin received a writing credit for, and in the DVD audio commentary for the episode, he stated that he "loved" writing the episode. The writing process for the episode was "kind of unusual," since the writers "threw it [the episode] together" without, Scully quipped, thinking of "things such as thought and structure." A scene in the episode shows Homer buying new tires for his car. The scene was written by Brian Scully, who had been scammed by a Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
dealer. The episode's subplot was the result of the Simpsons writers trying to find activities for Marge and Lisa to participate in while Bart and Homer were at the Super Bowl. According to Martin, the writers were trying to come up with "the most boring thing" Marge and Lisa could do to pass time. After hearing cast member Dan Castellaneta
's impression of Vincent Price
, the writer's found the impression to be so funny that they based the subplot on the fictional crafts set "Vincent Price's Egg Magic".
In a scene in the episode, Homer and Kogen are in Moe's tavern, discussing their favourite football teams with Moe. When Moe mentions that his favourite team is the Atlanta Falcons, he holds a glass in front of his mouth, obscuring his lip movements. He then passes the same glass to Homer, who does the same. Originally, the characters would be saying something else, however, because the staff wanted the episode to be "current," new dialogue was recorded for the scene. Because there was no time to animate the scene from scratch, the staff simply made the characters hold a glass in front of their mouths while saying their lines. The song that plays during the bus trip to the Super Bowl was performed by NRBQ
. The episode also features British rock band Blur
's "Song 2
", which plays during the "race" to the stadium.
The episode features American comedian Fred Willard
as Wally Kogen. Scully stated that, for many years, the Simpsons staff had wanted Willard to guest-star in an episode, and that they had been looking for a character for Willard to portray. Scully also stated that Willard was "great fun" to have on the show. Wally Kogen's name is taken from two former writers on The Simpsons; the character's first name, Wally, is taken from Wallace Wolodarsky
, and the character's last name, Kogen, is taken from Jay Kogen
. The episode also features former football players Rosey Grier
, Troy Aikman
and Dan Marino
as themselves. Scully stated that, when athletes guest-star in television shows, their performances are "not always the greatest," however, he asserted, Aikman, Grier and Marino were all "really funny" and "did a great job." Country singer Dolly Parton
guest-starred as herself as well. Scully stated that he was "shocked" by how short Parton was, however he added that she was "very nice" and "thrilled" to be in the episode. Also featured in the episode is Rupert Murdoch
, creator of the Fox Broadcasting Company. Originally, the writers wanted Murdoch to be portrayed by cast member Dan Castellaneta
, the voice of Homer among other characters in the series. However, after a while, the writers decided to ask if Murdoch would guest-star as himself. Scully comments that the writers were "impressed" that Murdoch would introduce himself as a "billionare tyrant" in the episode.
The episode pokes fun at the dwindling popularity of Bill Clinton
's presidency at the time. In their list 15 Simpsons Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras, Genevieve Koski, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Sean O'Neal, Kyle Ryan, and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club
wrote "By the time this episode aired [...], the nation had endured more than a year of the Lewinsky scandal
. The episode debuted a month after the House impeached Clinton, but less than two weeks before the Senate's impeach/acquit vote, so an air of uncertainty lingered over an otherwise lightweight episode about Homer organizing a Super Bowl trip." In a scene in the episode, Clinton calls to congratulate the Super Bowl victors from the Oval Office, but is distracted by Al Gore
measuring a window. As Scully recalls, at the time, the Simpsons writers were confident Gore would win the 2000 presidential election
, which eventually was won by George W. Bush
.
The episode also comments on the series' fanbase. Near the end of the episode, Madden and Summerall provide the following analysis:
In his book Leaving Springfield, John Alberti writes about the exchange: "This conversation begins with conventional football game patter used to comment on the episode, but then takes an abrupt turn when Madden realizes, in spite of the humor, that the episode did not live up to expectations (which he has not originally noticed)."
The episode title is a reference to the film Sunday Bloody Sunday
(1971). The couch gag is a reference to James Cameron
's 1997 film Titanic
. The beginning of the episode shows Bart's grade visiting a post office. Their tour guide is modeled after American actor and folk singer Burl Ives
, whom director Moore is a fan of. "Vincent Price's Egg Magic" is a parody on celebrity-endorsed craft kits which were popular during the 60's and which, according to Meyer, do not exist anymore. The decision to have Price endorse an egg crafts product is based on Price's role as Eggman in the sixties' series Batman
. The sequence featuring a man called Rudy being refused entry to the group's bus because he is "too small to go to the Super Bowl" is a reference to the 1993 film Rudy
about football player Rudy Ruettiger. Dolly Parton says she will be joined by actor Rob Lowe
and dance group Stomp
for her performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, while the Super Bowl features a booth called "Take a Leak with NFL
Greats"; the players shown participating are Ricky Watters
and Jim Plunkett
.
of Family Guy
. On September 14, 2004, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", along with the season 1
episode "Homer's Night Out
", the season 11
episode "The Mansion Family
" and the season 13
episode "Homer the Moe
", were released on a DVD set called The Simpsons - Gone Wild. On August 7, 2007, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was again released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set. Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Tom Martin, Matt Selman and Steven Dean Moore participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
's 1983 song "Legs
". Although they had come up with the commercial's premise, they were not sure of what its tagline
would be. Eventually, Martin, one of the episode writers, suggested "The Catholic Church... we've made a few changes." It got the biggest laugh from the other writers and was subsequently included in the episode.
The scene garnered scrutiny from members of The Catholic League, an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization because of its depiction of Catholicism. The league had criticized The Simpsons' depiction of Catholicism before, namely in the episode "Lisa Gets an 'A'", which aired the year before. The scene included an exchange between Bart and Marge that the League felt was hurtful to Catholics. William A. Donohue, the president of the league, wrote Fox a letter asking them to explain why the dialogue was in the show. After failing to receive an answer several times, Donohue was at last given a reply written by Thomas Chavez, manager for broadcast standards and practices. The league were not satisfied with Chavez' answer. After "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" aired, the Catholic League issued an article in their news magazine Catalyst. In it, they mentioned the scene in "Lisa Gets an 'A'", and wrote that The Simpsons had "struck again, big time" with the Super Bowl commercial in "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday". They wrote that they had sent a complaint to Chavez regarding the scene, and encouraged others to do the same; "We wrote to Mr. Chavez again, but we also told him that he’d be hearing from you, too. So don’t disappoint us."
received several angry letters and e-mails from concerned Catholics, who were uneasy with the commercial scene. According to Scully, the letters were worded the same, and all started with "My family and I have always enjoyed The Simpsons, until last night..." Nevertheless, the letters provoked a reaction from The Simpsons staff, and in an interview, Scully said, "We got a couple of hundred letters, and it was very obvious from reading a majority of them that [the Catholic letter writers] had not seen the show. Some of them were from third-graders, all saying the same thing: 'Please don't make fun of my religion.' Which we all know third-graders are very adamant about."
Several months later, the Catholic League contacted Fox again, asking that the word "Catholic" be excised from the voice-over when the episode repeated in September 1999 on the network, as well as in its subsequent syndicated airings. The network agreed, and Roland MacFarland, Fox's vice president of broadcast standards, ordered Scully to cut the word from the episode or eliminate all reference to religion. Scully refused, and after a long argument, MacFarland offered to replace the protesting denomination with a Protestant substitute - Methodist, Presbyterians or Baptists. Scully then asked MacFarland "What would be the difference changing it to another religion, and wouldn't that just be offending a different group of people?", to which MacFarland replied that Fox had had already had trouble with the Catholics earlier that season.
Following the complaints, Fox removed any mention of Catholicism from the scene, resulting in the line "The church..." Scully was reportedly furious with Fox's actions. In an interview in Los Angeles Times
, Scully said, "people can say hurtful things to each other about their weight, their race, their intelligence, their sexual preference, and that all seems up for grabs, but when you get into religion, some people get very nervous." Marisa Guthrie of Boston Herald
also criticized the network, describing it as "caving in" to the Catholic League's protests. She wrote, "Hollywood has always been gun shy of controversy, but recent displays of self-censorship on the part of entertainment industry executives make us cringe [...] Granted Catholics, as a group have endured an ample amount of bashing, but The Simpsons is an equal opportunity offender." Howard Rosenberg, a writer for Los Angeles Times, criticized Fox's actions as well. He argued that the network had a biased opinion towards Catholicism and that, had the scene mentioned a different religion, it would have been accepted. He also wrote, "Given its famous flaunting of sleaze and death-defying motorcycle leaps, the big news here is that Fox has standards. Its latest production is Censors Who Kill Jokes."
In an issue of Catalyst, the Catholic League responded to Rosenberg's article. They argued that Rosenberg was biased against Catholics, in that he was content with the series lampooning Catholicism, but not other religions. They wrote, "all along we have been told by Fox that none of our complaints were valid because none of the material was truly offensive. But now we have a Fox executive producer disingenuously giving away his hand by protesting why it should be okay to offend another group of people with the same material he initially said wasn’t offensive to Catholics! And isn’t it striking that Rosenberg is upset with the fact that the double standard—which now, for the first time works positively for Catholics—is a real problem. Never do we remember Rosenberg protesting the double standard that allows 'artists' to dump on Catholics while protecting most other segments of society from their assaults." The League also complimented the members' participation, writing, "It only goes to prove what can be done when Catholics get actively involved."
The controversy surrounding the scene has since been referenced in later episodes of the series. In the season 11 episode "Behind the Laughter
", Bart is featured on tee-shirts saying "Life starts at conception, man!", and in another episode, Waylon Smithers
rushes into a downtown church to confess his sins, only to find Police Chief Wiggum has been listening in on him. While the censored version of "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is still in syndication, it was left uncensored on its release on The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set.
s Gregory Hardy named it the third best episode of the show with a sports theme. Phillip Stephenson of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
called the episode "classic," and Susan Dunne of The Hartford Courant
described it as "debauched but hilarious." The Cincinnati Post
' s Greg Paeth noted that the episode is a critical favorite.
On the other hand, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide gave the episode a more mixed review. He wrote: "Like most guest star-ridden episodes, this one gets a bit gimmicky to fit in all the cameos." He found the self-referential ending "fails to become clever and instead just seems silly." However, he wrote that the episode "includes a few goods bits, especially the phone call in which Homer convinces Lenny to go to the game." Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News wrote that the episode is "so jam-packed with guest celebrity voices that they ran out of room for a plot. Or humor." Chris Barsanti of Filmcritic.com gave a negative review as well, and wrote that the episode is "lost amid a flurry of celebrity walk-ons and lazy jokes."
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 10)
The tenth season of the animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between August 23, 1998 and May 16, 1999. It contains twenty-three episodes, starting with "Lard of the Dance". The Simpsons revolves around a working class family that...
. It first aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on January 31, 1999, just after Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. In the episode, while buying new tires for his car, 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...
meets a travel agent called Wally Kogen. After becoming friends, Kogen offers Homer a free bus ride to the Super Bowl, as long as he can find enough people to fill Kogen's bus. Several people, including Homer's son 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...
, tag along what soon becomes a problematic trip. Meanwhile, Homer's wife 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...
and their daughter 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...
set out to find the missing parts of "Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
's Egg Magic," a celebrity-endorsed craft kit.
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
and written by George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
, Brian Scully
Brian Scully
Brian Scully is an American television writer and producer.Scully initially worked as a TV salesman before eventually getting a job writing on Out of This World...
, Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
and Tom Martin
Tom Martin (writer)
Tom Martin is an American television writer. He grew up in Southern California and attended Rolling Hills High School and Indio High School. He graduated from University of California, Irvine in 1987 with degrees in Economics and Political Science. While at UC Irvine he ran on the Track and Cross...
, the first credit Martin received for the series. Scully jokingly said that the episode was "thrown together[...] without thought or structure" by the writers. For the subplot, the writers tried to come up with the "most boring thing" Lisa and Marge could do to pass time. The episode features several guest-stars, including comedian Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
, country singer Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, Fox CEO Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, sports commentators Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
and John Madden
John Madden (American football)
John Earl Madden is a former American professional football player in the National Football League, a former Super Bowl-winning head coach with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League and later the NFL, and a former color commentator for NFL telecasts. In 2006, he was inducted into...
, and former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
players Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
, Rosey Grier
Rosey Grier
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Christian minister, and former professional American football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary...
and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
. All guest-stars played themselves, except for Willard who portrayed Kogen. The episode pokes fun at folk singer Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, former United States president Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as well as the series' fans, among other things.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 11.5 million viewers, making it the tenth most watched program of the week as well as the second most watched scripted program on the network the night it aired. The episode was released on home video for the first time in 2004, and in 2007, the episode was again released as part of the DVD set The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season. Following its broadcast, the episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.
After its original broadcast, however, a scene in the episode became a subject of controversy. The scene in question shows three scantily clad women who, in a suggestive manner, clean a car. At the end of the scene, the camera zooms into one of the women's necklace, which has a Christian cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
attached to it. A voice-over is then heard, saying "the Catholic church. We've made a few... changes." The scene garnered scrutiny from the American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization The Catholic League
Catholic League (U.S.)
The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, often shortened to the Catholic League, is an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization...
, whose members sent hundreds of angry letters to the Fox network, demanding any mention of Catholicism in the episode be excised. In September the same year, when the episode was supposed to repeat, the Catholic League asked Fox if they could censor the scene, which the network agreed to. The network's decision was criticized by journalists and staff members, and the censored version of the episode is still in syndication.
Plot
When BartBart 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...
, 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...
and the students of Springfield Elementary go on a field trip to the post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, Bart gets a Val-U-Qual coupon
Coupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
book as a souvenir, which he gives to 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...
as a birthday present. Homer uses one of his coupons at a tire business on a free wheel balancing, and is told by the "customer care specialist" that his car will not take a balance, and that he will need four new tires because they cannot legally let customers drive off with faulty tires. Homer accepts and meets a man named Wally Kogen, a travel agent who only came into the business to use the phone and ends up getting the "road king package", and the two form a bond. They go to Moe's for a beer, watching a special on the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. Wally says his travel agency has a charter bus going to the game and suggests to Homer that he can fill the bus and ride for free. They ask Moe to come to the Super Bowl and he agrees, as do other prominent men of 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...
.
The posse, led by Homer and Bart, go to the Super Bowl at Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
's Pro Player Stadium
Dolphin Stadium
Sun Life Stadium is an American football stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, a suburb of Miami. It is the home stadium of the Miami Dolphins National Football League team, and the University of Miami Hurricanes football team. It also hosts the Orange Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. It...
on the charter bus and arrive for pre-game festivities. Expecting to get in the game, they are stopped when a scalper offers them tickets. Homer receives the tickets after he threatens to give the man a caning
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
. They check in, but realize that the tickets they have are counterfeit, since they were printed on a cracker. When Bart sees the halftime show costumes they use them to knock over the guards and rush into the stadium. However, stadium security confronts them, and they are locked up in the stadium jail. Homer's posse is freed when Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
(whom Kogen knows) uses her extra-strength makeup remover to dissolve the lock and release them. As they are freed, they run into a skybox
Luxury box
A Luxury box is a special seating section located within stadiums, arenas and other sporting and entertainment venues. They are typically located in the midsection of a stadium grandstand, usually providing the best views of the event...
suite and get a view of the game, until the skybox's owner Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
arrives and confronts them. Homer's posse flee to the field, until they get lost in the sea of players when they win the Super Bowl. The group ends up in the locker room, and everyone has a Super Bowl ring on one of their hands at game's end.
Meanwhile, 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...
and Lisa try to find their own activity at home. They use the crafting kit, "Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
's Egg Magic", until they realize that the product was shoddy because the feet were not included. Despite the kit being from 1967, Marge decides to call the help-line number listed on the box. Surprisingly, she is greeted with the voice of Vincent Price — who assures her that his grandson Jody will bring the missing feet to them. Lisa expresses surprise, believing Price to be dead. The episode ends with John Madden and Pat Summerall
Pat Summerall
George Allen "Pat" Summerall is a former American football player and television sportscaster, having worked at CBS, Fox, and ESPN.Summerall is best known for his work with John Madden on NFL telecasts for CBS and Fox.-High school:...
analyzing the events of the episode. Despite endorsing the character Wally Kogen and the subplot, they are infuriated by a Super Bowl episode guest starring Dolly Parton that does not feature "any football or singing". Madden declares the episode a slap to the show's fanbase, who he says have taken "so much nonsense" from the program. They eventually leave on a bus driven by Vincent Price.
Production
"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was directed by Steven Dean MooreSteven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
and co-written by former staff writers Tom Martin
Tom Martin (writer)
Tom Martin is an American television writer. He grew up in Southern California and attended Rolling Hills High School and Indio High School. He graduated from University of California, Irvine in 1987 with degrees in Economics and Political Science. While at UC Irvine he ran on the Track and Cross...
, George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
, Brian Scully
Brian Scully
Brian Scully is an American television writer and producer.Scully initially worked as a TV salesman before eventually getting a job writing on Out of This World...
and executive producer and former showrunner Mike Scully
Mike Scully
Mike Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school...
. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on January 31, 1999, right after Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was the first episode that Martin received a writing credit for, and in the DVD audio commentary for the episode, he stated that he "loved" writing the episode. The writing process for the episode was "kind of unusual," since the writers "threw it [the episode] together" without, Scully quipped, thinking of "things such as thought and structure." A scene in the episode shows Homer buying new tires for his car. The scene was written by Brian Scully, who had been scammed by a Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
The Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is an American tire company founded by Harvey Firestone in 1900 to supply pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheeled transportation common in the era. Firestone soon saw the huge potential for marketing tires for automobiles. The company...
dealer. The episode's subplot was the result of the Simpsons writers trying to find activities for Marge and Lisa to participate in while Bart and Homer were at the Super Bowl. According to Martin, the writers were trying to come up with "the most boring thing" Marge and Lisa could do to pass time. After hearing cast member Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
's impression of Vincent Price
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price, Jr. was an American actor, well known for his distinctive voice and serio-comic attitude in a series of horror films made in the latter part of his career.-Early life and career:Price was born in St...
, the writer's found the impression to be so funny that they based the subplot on the fictional crafts set "Vincent Price's Egg Magic".
In a scene in the episode, Homer and Kogen are in Moe's tavern, discussing their favourite football teams with Moe. When Moe mentions that his favourite team is the Atlanta Falcons, he holds a glass in front of his mouth, obscuring his lip movements. He then passes the same glass to Homer, who does the same. Originally, the characters would be saying something else, however, because the staff wanted the episode to be "current," new dialogue was recorded for the scene. Because there was no time to animate the scene from scratch, the staff simply made the characters hold a glass in front of their mouths while saying their lines. The song that plays during the bus trip to the Super Bowl was performed by NRBQ
NRBQ
NRBQ is an American rock band founded in 1967. It is known for its live performances, containing a high degree of spontaneity and levity, and blending rock, pop, jazz, blues and Tin Pan Alley styles. Its best known line-up is the 1974–1994 quartet of pianist Terry Adams, bassist Joey Spampinato,...
. The episode also features British rock band Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
's "Song 2
Song 2
"Song 2" is a song by English alternative rock band Blur, the second track on and second single released from their fifth album Blur in April 1997...
", which plays during the "race" to the stadium.
The episode features American comedian Fred Willard
Fred Willard
Fred Willard is an American actor, comedian, and voice over actor, best known for his improvisational comedy skills. He is known for his roles in the Christopher Guest mockumentary films This is Spinal Tap, Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration as well as...
as Wally Kogen. Scully stated that, for many years, the Simpsons staff had wanted Willard to guest-star in an episode, and that they had been looking for a character for Willard to portray. Scully also stated that Willard was "great fun" to have on the show. Wally Kogen's name is taken from two former writers on The Simpsons; the character's first name, Wally, is taken from Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
, and the character's last name, Kogen, is taken from Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
. The episode also features former football players Rosey Grier
Rosey Grier
Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier is an American actor, singer, Christian minister, and former professional American football player. He was a notable college football player for Pennsylvania State University who earned a retrospective place in the National Collegiate Athletic Association 100th anniversary...
, Troy Aikman
Troy Aikman
Troy Kenneth Aikman is a former American football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. The number one overall draft pick in 1989, Aikman played twelve consecutive seasons as quarterback with the Cowboys...
and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
as themselves. Scully stated that, when athletes guest-star in television shows, their performances are "not always the greatest," however, he asserted, Aikman, Grier and Marino were all "really funny" and "did a great job." Country singer Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
guest-starred as herself as well. Scully stated that he was "shocked" by how short Parton was, however he added that she was "very nice" and "thrilled" to be in the episode. Also featured in the episode is Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
, creator of the Fox Broadcasting Company. Originally, the writers wanted Murdoch to be portrayed by cast member Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, the voice of Homer among other characters in the series. However, after a while, the writers decided to ask if Murdoch would guest-star as himself. Scully comments that the writers were "impressed" that Murdoch would introduce himself as a "billionare tyrant" in the episode.
Themes and cultural references
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's presidency at the time. In their list 15 Simpsons Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras, Genevieve Koski, Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Sean O'Neal, Kyle Ryan, and Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
wrote "By the time this episode aired [...], the nation had endured more than a year of the Lewinsky scandal
Lewinsky scandal
The Lewinsky scandal was a political sex scandal emerging in 1998 from a sexual relationship between United States President Bill Clinton and a 25-year-old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky. The news of this extra-marital affair and the resulting investigation eventually led to the impeachment of...
. The episode debuted a month after the House impeached Clinton, but less than two weeks before the Senate's impeach/acquit vote, so an air of uncertainty lingered over an otherwise lightweight episode about Homer organizing a Super Bowl trip." In a scene in the episode, Clinton calls to congratulate the Super Bowl victors from the Oval Office, but is distracted by Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
measuring a window. As Scully recalls, at the time, the Simpsons writers were confident Gore would win the 2000 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, which eventually was won by George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
.
The episode also comments on the series' fanbase. Near the end of the episode, Madden and Summerall provide the following analysis:
In his book Leaving Springfield, John Alberti writes about the exchange: "This conversation begins with conventional football game patter used to comment on the episode, but then takes an abrupt turn when Madden realizes, in spite of the humor, that the episode did not live up to expectations (which he has not originally noticed)."
The episode title is a reference to the film Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)
Sunday Bloody Sunday is a 1971 British drama film directed by John Schlesinger and starring Murray Head, Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch. It tells the story of a free-spirited young bisexual artist and his simultaneous relationships with a female recruitment consultant and a male Jewish doctor...
(1971). The couch gag is a reference to James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's 1997 film Titanic
Titanic (1997 film)
Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal...
. The beginning of the episode shows Bart's grade visiting a post office. Their tour guide is modeled after American actor and folk singer Burl Ives
Burl Ives
Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives was an American actor, writer and folk music singer. As an actor, Ives's work included comedies, dramas, and voice work in theater, television, and motion pictures. Music critic John Rockwell said, "Ives's voice .....
, whom director Moore is a fan of. "Vincent Price's Egg Magic" is a parody on celebrity-endorsed craft kits which were popular during the 60's and which, according to Meyer, do not exist anymore. The decision to have Price endorse an egg crafts product is based on Price's role as Eggman in the sixties' series Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
. The sequence featuring a man called Rudy being refused entry to the group's bus because he is "too small to go to the Super Bowl" is a reference to the 1993 film Rudy
Rudy (film)
Rudy is a 1993 American sports film directed by David Anspaugh. It is an account of the life of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, who harbored dreams of playing football at the University of Notre Dame despite significant obstacles...
about football player Rudy Ruettiger. Dolly Parton says she will be joined by actor Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
and dance group Stomp
Stomp (dance troupe)
Stomp is a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance.-History and performances:...
for her performance during the Super Bowl halftime show, while the Super Bowl features a booth called "Take a Leak with NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Greats"; the players shown participating are Ricky Watters
Ricky Watters
Richard "Ricky" James Watters is a former American football running back who played for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. Watters played college football at the University of Notre Dame where he played wide receiver on the...
and Jim Plunkett
Jim Plunkett
James William "Jim" Plunkett is a former American football quarterback who played college football for Stanford University, where he won the Heisman Trophy, and professionally for three National Football League teams: the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders. ...
.
Broadcast and re-releases
In its original American broadcast on January 31, 1999, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" received an 11.6 rating, meaning it was seen by approximately 11.5 million viewers. It finished in 10th place in the ratings for the week of January 25–31, 1999, making it the second most watched scripted program on Fox, after the premiereDeath Has a Shadow
"Death Has a Shadow" is the first episode of the animated series Family Guy. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States after Super Bowl XXXIII on January 31, 1999. The episode is based on series creator Seth MacFarlane's original pitch to Fox, The Life of Larry, and is a remake of...
of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
. On September 14, 2004, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday", along with the season 1
The Simpsons (season 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
episode "Homer's Night Out
Homer's Night Out
"Homer's Night Out" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired on March 25, 1990. It was written by Jon Vitti and directed by Rich Moore. In the episode, Bart orders a mail-order spy camera, which he uses to secretly take a photograph of Homer dancing with an exotic...
", the season 11
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
episode "The Mansion Family
The Mansion Family
"The Mansion Family" is the twelfth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 23, 2000, and was watched in around 11.3 million homes during the broadcast. In the episode, Mr...
" and the season 13
The Simpsons (season 13)
The Simpsons thirteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between November 6, 2001 and May 22, 2002 and consists of 22 episodes. The show runner for the thirteenth production season was Al Jean who executive-produced 17 episodes...
episode "Homer the Moe
Homer the Moe
“Homer the Moe” is the third episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. The episode first aired on the Fox network on November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar...
", were released on a DVD set called The Simpsons - Gone Wild. On August 7, 2007, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" was again released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set. Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Tom Martin, Matt Selman and Steven Dean Moore participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Background
The beginning of the episode's third act shows Marge and Lisa watching a Super Bowl commercial. In his book The gospel according to the Simpsons, Mark I. Pinsky described the commercial: "A car pulls into a windblown gas station in the middle of nowhere. The driver gets out and, seeing no one, honks the horn for service. Out of the station file three buxom, scantily clad young women provide 'service.' One lifts the hood suggestively while another slides the gas pump nozzle into the tank in an image too obvious to ignore, but the driver's eyes are riveted to a shiny cross dangling from one woman's quivering cleavage as the rock music soars. What is this all about? The voice-over explains: 'The Catholic Church: We've made a few... changes.'" The scene was inspired by real-life Super Bowl commercials in which, according to Scully, "you don't know what the product is" because there is "so much going on [in the commercial]." It was also based on the music video for the American rock band ZZ TopZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
's 1983 song "Legs
Legs (song)
"Legs" is a song performed by the band ZZ Top from their 1983 album Eliminator. The song was released as a single in 1984 and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States...
". Although they had come up with the commercial's premise, they were not sure of what its tagline
Tagline
A tagline is a variant of a branding slogan typically used in marketing materials and advertising. The idea behind the concept is to create a memorable phrase that will sum up the tone and premise of a brand or product , or to reinforce the audience's memory of a product...
would be. Eventually, Martin, one of the episode writers, suggested "The Catholic Church... we've made a few changes." It got the biggest laugh from the other writers and was subsequently included in the episode.
The scene garnered scrutiny from members of The Catholic League, an American Catholic anti-defamation and civil rights organization because of its depiction of Catholicism. The league had criticized The Simpsons
Censorship
Following the episode's broadcast, the Fox networkFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
received several angry letters and e-mails from concerned Catholics, who were uneasy with the commercial scene. According to Scully, the letters were worded the same, and all started with "My family and I have always enjoyed The Simpsons, until last night..." Nevertheless, the letters provoked a reaction from The Simpsons staff, and in an interview, Scully said, "We got a couple of hundred letters, and it was very obvious from reading a majority of them that [the Catholic letter writers] had not seen the show. Some of them were from third-graders, all saying the same thing: 'Please don't make fun of my religion.' Which we all know third-graders are very adamant about."
Several months later, the Catholic League contacted Fox again, asking that the word "Catholic" be excised from the voice-over when the episode repeated in September 1999 on the network, as well as in its subsequent syndicated airings. The network agreed, and Roland MacFarland, Fox's vice president of broadcast standards, ordered Scully to cut the word from the episode or eliminate all reference to religion. Scully refused, and after a long argument, MacFarland offered to replace the protesting denomination with a Protestant substitute - Methodist, Presbyterians or Baptists. Scully then asked MacFarland "What would be the difference changing it to another religion, and wouldn't that just be offending a different group of people?", to which MacFarland replied that Fox had had already had trouble with the Catholics earlier that season.
Following the complaints, Fox removed any mention of Catholicism from the scene, resulting in the line "The church..." Scully was reportedly furious with Fox's actions. In an interview in Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Scully said, "people can say hurtful things to each other about their weight, their race, their intelligence, their sexual preference, and that all seems up for grabs, but when you get into religion, some people get very nervous." Marisa Guthrie of Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
also criticized the network, describing it as "caving in" to the Catholic League's protests. She wrote, "Hollywood has always been gun shy of controversy, but recent displays of self-censorship on the part of entertainment industry executives make us cringe [...] Granted Catholics, as a group have endured an ample amount of bashing, but The Simpsons is an equal opportunity offender." Howard Rosenberg, a writer for Los Angeles Times, criticized Fox's actions as well. He argued that the network had a biased opinion towards Catholicism and that, had the scene mentioned a different religion, it would have been accepted. He also wrote, "Given its famous flaunting of sleaze and death-defying motorcycle leaps, the big news here is that Fox has standards. Its latest production is Censors Who Kill Jokes."
In an issue of Catalyst, the Catholic League responded to Rosenberg's article. They argued that Rosenberg was biased against Catholics, in that he was content with the series lampooning Catholicism, but not other religions. They wrote, "all along we have been told by Fox that none of our complaints were valid because none of the material was truly offensive. But now we have a Fox executive producer disingenuously giving away his hand by protesting why it should be okay to offend another group of people with the same material he initially said wasn’t offensive to Catholics! And isn’t it striking that Rosenberg is upset with the fact that the double standard—which now, for the first time works positively for Catholics—is a real problem. Never do we remember Rosenberg protesting the double standard that allows 'artists' to dump on Catholics while protecting most other segments of society from their assaults." The League also complimented the members' participation, writing, "It only goes to prove what can be done when Catholics get actively involved."
The controversy surrounding the scene has since been referenced in later episodes of the series. In the season 11 episode "Behind the Laughter
Behind the Laughter
"Behind the Laughter" is the twenty-second episode of The Simpsons eleventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on May 21, 2000. In the episode, which is a parody of the VH1 series Behind the Music, the Simpson family are portrayed as actors on a sitcom, and their...
", Bart is featured on tee-shirts saying "Life starts at conception, man!", and in another episode, 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...
rushes into a downtown church to confess his sins, only to find Police Chief Wiggum has been listening in on him. While the censored version of "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is still in syndication, it was left uncensored on its release on The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set.
Critical reviews
Following its broadcast, "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" received mostly positive reviews from critics. In his review of the The Simpsons - Gone Wild DVD set, David Packard of DVD Verdict wrote: "This episode has always been one of my favorites, and while the following episode ["The Mansion Family"] is a nice inclusion as well, this episode is the best on the disc. The hilarious gags come at a slam-bang pace, and they're occasionally edgy." He especially liked the set-piece in the post office, as well as the Super Bowl commercial. Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide called the episode "A thoroughly enjoyable romp through what happens when a bunch of lads go for a Sunday out at the ball game." They enjoyed the guest-stars, writing "both Dolly Parton and, bizarrely, Rupert Murdoch - spice things up nicely," however they were most fond of Fred Willard as Wally Kogen. "A shame he doesn't join our regulars," they wrote. James Plath of DVD Town wrote that the episode is "funny," and Ian Jane of DVD Talk found the episode "amusing." 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 third best episode of the show with a sports theme. Phillip Stephenson of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
called the episode "classic," and Susan Dunne of The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is a morning newspaper for most of the state north of New Haven and east of Waterbury...
described it as "debauched but hilarious." The Cincinnati Post
The Cincinnati Post
The Cincinnati Post is a discontinued afternoon daily newspaper that was published in Cincinnati, Ohio. Distributed in Northern Kentucky as The Kentucky Post, it was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. Since the 1980s, its editorial stance was usually conservative. The Post published its final...
On the other hand, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide gave the episode a more mixed review. He wrote: "Like most guest star-ridden episodes, this one gets a bit gimmicky to fit in all the cameos." He found the self-referential ending "fails to become clever and instead just seems silly." However, he wrote that the episode "includes a few goods bits, especially the phone call in which Homer convinces Lenny to go to the game." Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News wrote that the episode is "so jam-packed with guest celebrity voices that they ran out of room for a plot. Or humor." Chris Barsanti of Filmcritic.com gave a negative review as well, and wrote that the episode is "lost amid a flurry of celebrity walk-ons and lazy jokes."
External links
- "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" at The Simpsons.com