The Real Housewives of Fat Tony
Encyclopedia
"The Real Housewives of Fat Tony" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons
' twenty-second season
. It aired on the Fox network
in the United States on May 1, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Marge Simpson
and one of her older sisters, Selma, who falls in love with mobster Fat Tony
(Fit Tony). Selma later begins the glamourous lifestyle associated with being in the Mafia and the couple agree to marry each other. The marriage leads to tension between Marge and Selma. Fat Tony later invites Homer & Marge to his mansion in New Jersey
, in hopes of mending the sisters' relationship. Meanwhile, Bart acquires an ability to trace the location of truffles, which leads Lisa to attest to her growing greed for eating truffles.
This episode was written by Dick Blasucci, and directed by Lance Kramer
. The episode was met with a mixed to negative response from television critics, with much criticism going to the cultural references and the main storyline. It garnered a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode featured a guest appearance from Joe Mantegna
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series.
, much to her discontent. She makes several sarcastic
remarks towards Tony, enraging him in the process. This prompts him to order his local mafia
to abduct and kidnap her. They set her up for interrogation at an abandoned warehouse, in which she shoots out more sarcastic remarks. Fat Tony falls in love with her humor, and later grants her the chance to get liposuction
. Afterwards, the couple go on a date off the coast of New Jersey
, on which he proposes to Selma. She agrees to the proposal, and they end up getting married.
After the party
, tension rises between Marge
and Selma after the couple place Homer
and his family in an undesirable location. To offer his apologies, Fat Tony later invites the Simpson family to his mansion
over on the shore of New Jersey
. After meeting a few relatives, the couples spend time together. While on the beach at dusk, Selma reveals to Marge that she was envious that she was not in a happy marriage, and asks for Marge's support of her marriage. Marge finds out that Fat Tony is married to another woman
, so she tells Selma about this. Selma confronts Fat Tony about the claims, and he reveals to her that he initially proposed to her to be his comare. Tony's wife abruptly crashes into his yard, only to fight with Selma at the end.
Meanwhile, Bart
and Lisa
are walking in the forest when Bart sniffs out a truffle. After talking with Luigi about the truffles for Luigi restaurant, Lisa then uses Bart to find more truffles. Eventually, when they cannot find truffles, Bart sniffs out one in Lisa's bedroom. Instead of selling them as planned before, Lisa has been eating them. They feel sorry for Luigi's pig, who did not get to eat any, so give it the last one that Lisa had. The pig then proves this was a bad idea by going berserk and tearing through Luigi's restaurant to eat more of them.
who last directed a Simpsons episode in the season twenty-one episode, "To Surveil with Love
". It was written by Dick Blasucci, in his first episode of the series.
This episode featured a guest appearances from Joe Mantegna
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series. Mantegna reprised his role as Fat Tony, in his second appearance in the season as the first was in the episode "Donnie Fatso
". Alongside with her role as Marge, Julie Kavner
provided the voices for Patty and Selma Bouvier. This is the first time that Kavner reprised her role as Patty and Selma since the season twenty-one episode, "Moe Letter Blues
".
", which was viewed by 4.996 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic. "The Great Simpsina" was the lowest rated episode in the series' history. The episode was also preempted in several regions on the west coast by a breaking news
story about the death of Osama bin Laden
.
The episode was met with a mixed to negative response from television critics. Ariel Ponywether of Firefox News Ponywether's review was mixed not positive, she was quite negative about the sub-plot. She felt that it was a decent episode, noting that it was "funny, but not that much." Ponywether ultimately gave the episode a 'B+' grade. Eric Hochberger of TV Line gave it a 2.5 out of 5 stars, as he gave much criticism to the main plot of the episode. He deemed it as a "mediocre version of Jersey Shore
". Hochberger also expressed discontentment for the sub-plot of the episode, stating that it "didn't tie in at all with the main storyline." In his review for this episode, he harshly criticized the jokes featured in the episode. He opined: "While I'm usually a fan of the mob boss jokes that Fat Tony
appearances bring, they've pretty much been beaten to death by this show. Plus, this has been the second weak Fat Tony episode this season after the terrible "Donnie Fatso
". Maybe it's time to retire this character from headlining episodes until the writers come up with a story worthy of telling." Simon Abrams of The A.V. Club
reacted negatively to the episode, giving it a 'C' grade. He criticized the writer's capabilities of writing as in his opinion, that they are not funny. However, Abrams was more positive on the subplot, saying that it was decent. Ciara Moyna of Daemon's TV thought the jokes featured in the episode were highly overused and generally fell flat.
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 22)
The Simpsons twenty-second season began airing on Fox on September 26, 2010 and ended on May 22, 2011. The Simpsons was renewed for at least two additional seasons during the twentieth season leading up to this season. The cast is currently signed through the 25th season. On November 11, 2010, the...
. It 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 on May 1, 2011. This episode mainly centers around Marge Simpson
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 one of her older sisters, Selma, who falls in love with mobster Fat Tony
Fat Tony
Marion Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Joe Mantegna and first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer"...
(Fit Tony). Selma later begins the glamourous lifestyle associated with being in the Mafia and the couple agree to marry each other. The marriage leads to tension between Marge and Selma. Fat Tony later invites Homer & Marge to his mansion in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, in hopes of mending the sisters' relationship. Meanwhile, Bart acquires an ability to trace the location of truffles, which leads Lisa to attest to her growing greed for eating truffles.
This episode was written by Dick Blasucci, and directed by Lance Kramer
Lance Kramer
Lance Kramer is an animation director on The Simpsons. He also worked as an assistant animator on Tom and Jerry: The Movie.-History:Kramer graduated from Bismarck High School in Bismarck, ND...
. The episode was met with a mixed to negative response from television critics, with much criticism going to the cultural references and the main storyline. It garnered a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic. The episode featured a guest appearance from Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series.
Plot
Selma is greeted by Fat Tony at the DMVDepartment of Motor Vehicles
In the United States of America, a Department of Motor Vehicles is a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing. Similar departments exist in Canada...
, much to her discontent. She makes several sarcastic
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
remarks towards Tony, enraging him in the process. This prompts him to order his local mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
to abduct and kidnap her. They set her up for interrogation at an abandoned warehouse, in which she shoots out more sarcastic remarks. Fat Tony falls in love with her humor, and later grants her the chance to get liposuction
Liposuction
Liposuction, also known as lipoplasty , liposculpture suction lipectomy or simply lipo is a cosmetic surgery operation that removes fat from many different sites on the human body...
. Afterwards, the couple go on a date off the coast of New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, on which he proposes to Selma. She agrees to the proposal, and they end up getting married.
After the party
Party
A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, or recreation. A party will typically feature food and beverages, and often music and dancing as well....
, tension rises between 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 Selma after the couple place 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...
and his family in an undesirable location. To offer his apologies, Fat Tony later invites the Simpson family to his mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
over on the shore of New Jersey
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
. After meeting a few relatives, the couples spend time together. While on the beach at dusk, Selma reveals to Marge that she was envious that she was not in a happy marriage, and asks for Marge's support of her marriage. Marge finds out that Fat Tony is married to another woman
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
, so she tells Selma about this. Selma confronts Fat Tony about the claims, and he reveals to her that he initially proposed to her to be his comare. Tony's wife abruptly crashes into his yard, only to fight with Selma at the end.
Meanwhile, 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...
are walking in the forest when Bart sniffs out a truffle. After talking with Luigi about the truffles for Luigi restaurant, Lisa then uses Bart to find more truffles. Eventually, when they cannot find truffles, Bart sniffs out one in Lisa's bedroom. Instead of selling them as planned before, Lisa has been eating them. They feel sorry for Luigi's pig, who did not get to eat any, so give it the last one that Lisa had. The pig then proves this was a bad idea by going berserk and tearing through Luigi's restaurant to eat more of them.
Production
"The Real Housewives of Fat Tony" first aired on May 1, 2011 in the United States. This episode was directed by Lance KramerLance Kramer
Lance Kramer is an animation director on The Simpsons. He also worked as an assistant animator on Tom and Jerry: The Movie.-History:Kramer graduated from Bismarck High School in Bismarck, ND...
who last directed a Simpsons episode in the season twenty-one episode, "To Surveil with Love
To Surveil With Love
"To Surveil with Love" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It premiered on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States on May 2, 2010 as the 461st episode of the whole series. In the episode, radiation seeps out of Homer's gym bag after a bomb squad blows it up and...
". It was written by Dick Blasucci, in his first episode of the series.
This episode featured a guest appearances from Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
, as well as several recurring voice actors and actresses for the series. Mantegna reprised his role as Fat Tony, in his second appearance in the season as the first was in the episode "Donnie Fatso
Donnie Fatso
"Donnie Fatso" is the ninth episode of the twenty-second season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. The plot revolves around an FBI agent, who helps Homer go undercover to infiltrate Fat Tony's mob...
". Alongside with her role as Marge, Julie Kavner
Julie Kavner
Julie Deborah Kavner is an American film and television actress, comedian and voice artist. Noted for her role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, she also voices other characters for the show, including Jacqueline Bouvier, and Patty and Selma Bouvier.Born in Los...
provided the voices for Patty and Selma Bouvier. This is the first time that Kavner reprised her role as Patty and Selma since the season twenty-one episode, "Moe Letter Blues
Moe Letter Blues
"Moe Letter Blues" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 9, 2010. In this episode, Homer, Reverend Lovejoy, and Apu Nahasapeemapetilon receive a letter from Moe stating that he will steal one of their wives...
".
Reception
The episode was first broadcasted on May 1, 2011, and it was viewed by 6.109 million viewers upon its original airing. While this episode achieved a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic, according to the Nielson ratings. The episode's total viewership and ratings were significantly up from the previous episode, "The Great SimpsinaThe Great Simpsina
"The Great Simpsina" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons twenty-second season. It aired on April 10, 2011. It was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Chris Clements...
", which was viewed by 4.996 million viewers upon its initial airing, and garnered a 2.3 rating in the 18-49 demographic. "The Great Simpsina" was the lowest rated episode in the series' history. The episode was also preempted in several regions on the west coast by a breaking news
Breaking news
Breaking news, also known as a special report or news bulletin, is a current event that broadcasters feel warrants the interruption of scheduled programming and/or current news in order to report its details. Many times, breaking news is used after the news network has already reported on this story...
story about the death of Osama bin Laden
Death of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
.
The episode was met with a mixed to negative response from television critics. Ariel Ponywether of Firefox News Ponywether's review was mixed not positive, she was quite negative about the sub-plot. She felt that it was a decent episode, noting that it was "funny, but not that much." Ponywether ultimately gave the episode a 'B+' grade. Eric Hochberger of TV Line gave it a 2.5 out of 5 stars, as he gave much criticism to the main plot of the episode. He deemed it as a "mediocre version of Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore (TV series)
Jersey Shore is an American reality television series that premiered on MTV on December 3, 2009 in the United States. The series follows the lives of eight housemates spending their summer at the Jersey Shore in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Season 2 followed the cast escaping the cold northeast...
". Hochberger also expressed discontentment for the sub-plot of the episode, stating that it "didn't tie in at all with the main storyline." In his review for this episode, he harshly criticized the jokes featured in the episode. He opined: "While I'm usually a fan of the mob boss jokes that Fat Tony
Fat Tony
Marion Anthony "Fat Tony" D'Amico is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Joe Mantegna and first appeared in the third season episode "Bart the Murderer"...
appearances bring, they've pretty much been beaten to death by this show. Plus, this has been the second weak Fat Tony episode this season after the terrible "Donnie Fatso
Donnie Fatso
"Donnie Fatso" is the ninth episode of the twenty-second season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on December 12, 2010. The plot revolves around an FBI agent, who helps Homer go undercover to infiltrate Fat Tony's mob...
". Maybe it's time to retire this character from headlining episodes until the writers come up with a story worthy of telling." Simon Abrams 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...
reacted negatively to the episode, giving it a 'C' grade. He criticized the writer's capabilities of writing as in his opinion, that they are not funny. However, Abrams was more positive on the subplot, saying that it was decent. Ciara Moyna of Daemon's TV thought the jokes featured in the episode were highly overused and generally fell flat.