The Ziff Who Came to Dinner
Encyclopedia
"The Ziff Who Came to Dinner" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons
' fifteenth season
, and the third of four episodes written by Simpsons voice actor Dan Castellaneta
and his wife, Deb Lacusta
. The episode aired on March 14, 2004.
takes Bart
and Lisa
to a movie and he has to bring Ned Flanders
' children with him, because Ned has taken the senior citizens for ice cream to celebrate Jasper's birthday. However, at the Googolplex Theatre, every kid-friendly movie is sold out, and Rod and Todd will not let Homer see a raunchy comedy called Teenage Sex Wager since it is one of many movies condemned by a Christian publication called "What Would Jesus View?". After listening to Lenny mention he had a small part in the horror movie The Redeadening as a gardener, Homer takes the kids to see the movie. The movie is very scary, causing it to scare Bart and Lisa at home, who think they hear noises from the attic. But when they look in the attic, their fears scare them away. When Bart and Lisa arrange to have Homer and Marge look in the attic, they discover Artie Ziff living there.
Artie Ziff explains that he was living in the attic because he ran an unsuccessful internet business, Ziffcorp, and lost all his money after spending it on many extravagant items which then got repossessed. He said he came to the family house because he thought Marge
was the closest thing to him. Artie says he wants to stay in the Simpson house until he gets back on his feet, as long as he promises to be on his best behavior. Artie arranges to stay in the Simpson house. He connects with Lisa by reading her The Corrections. He then tries to buy ice cream for Bart, but, when Artie's credit card gets cut up, he attempts to hang himself (which does not work as the noose is not on his neck tight enough to kill him). Homer gets Artie down and takes him to Moe's.
Marge sees on the news that the SEC is looking for Artie Ziff. Meanwhile, Artie is playing poker
with Homer and his friends. Homer wins 98% of Artie's company's outstanding stock. The SEC sweeps in to arrest Ziff, but Homer says he owns 230 million shares of Ziffcorp, making him the majority stockholder. To protect himself, Artie has Homer take the blame. Homer is taken into SEC custody, and placed on trial.
When Homer is on trial (and naturally makes a fool of himself after failing to understand the Fifth Amendment), Marge blames Artie for Homer being put on trial and further adds that no one likes Artie because he only thinks of himself. Homer is eventually found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. Marge kicks Artie out of the house and tells him she never wants to see him ever again. Visiting Moe's Tavern, Artie encounters Patty and Selma, and Selma comes to take Artie to her apartment after he mentions putting Homer in prison. As they spend the night together, Artie makes a plan to turn over his corporate books in order to admit he is the real crook. Ziff turns himself in, and Homer is released from prison. The family takes one last look at their "Uncle Artie", who is using a squirt bottle to put out the prisoners' cigarettes, much to their anger.
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 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
, and the third of four episodes written by Simpsons voice actor 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,...
and his wife, Deb Lacusta
Deb Lacusta
-Personal life:Lacusta is the wife of The Simpsons star Dan Castellaneta...
. The episode aired on March 14, 2004.
Plot
HomerHomer 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...
takes 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...
to a movie and he has to bring Ned Flanders
Ned Flanders
Nedward "Ned" Flanders, Jr. is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the next door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally...
' children with him, because Ned has taken the senior citizens for ice cream to celebrate Jasper's birthday. However, at the Googolplex Theatre, every kid-friendly movie is sold out, and Rod and Todd will not let Homer see a raunchy comedy called Teenage Sex Wager since it is one of many movies condemned by a Christian publication called "What Would Jesus View?". After listening to Lenny mention he had a small part in the horror movie The Redeadening as a gardener, Homer takes the kids to see the movie. The movie is very scary, causing it to scare Bart and Lisa at home, who think they hear noises from the attic. But when they look in the attic, their fears scare them away. When Bart and Lisa arrange to have Homer and Marge look in the attic, they discover Artie Ziff living there.
Artie Ziff explains that he was living in the attic because he ran an unsuccessful internet business, Ziffcorp, and lost all his money after spending it on many extravagant items which then got repossessed. He said he came to the family house because he thought 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...
was the closest thing to him. Artie says he wants to stay in the Simpson house until he gets back on his feet, as long as he promises to be on his best behavior. Artie arranges to stay in the Simpson house. He connects with Lisa by reading her The Corrections. He then tries to buy ice cream for Bart, but, when Artie's credit card gets cut up, he attempts to hang himself (which does not work as the noose is not on his neck tight enough to kill him). Homer gets Artie down and takes him to Moe's.
Marge sees on the news that the SEC is looking for Artie Ziff. Meanwhile, Artie is playing poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
with Homer and his friends. Homer wins 98% of Artie's company's outstanding stock. The SEC sweeps in to arrest Ziff, but Homer says he owns 230 million shares of Ziffcorp, making him the majority stockholder. To protect himself, Artie has Homer take the blame. Homer is taken into SEC custody, and placed on trial.
When Homer is on trial (and naturally makes a fool of himself after failing to understand the Fifth Amendment), Marge blames Artie for Homer being put on trial and further adds that no one likes Artie because he only thinks of himself. Homer is eventually found guilty and sentenced to ten years in prison. Marge kicks Artie out of the house and tells him she never wants to see him ever again. Visiting Moe's Tavern, Artie encounters Patty and Selma, and Selma comes to take Artie to her apartment after he mentions putting Homer in prison. As they spend the night together, Artie makes a plan to turn over his corporate books in order to admit he is the real crook. Ziff turns himself in, and Homer is released from prison. The family takes one last look at their "Uncle Artie", who is using a squirt bottle to put out the prisoners' cigarettes, much to their anger.
Cultural references
- The Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to DinnerThe Man Who Came to Dinner is a comedy in three acts by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939 at the Music Box Theatre in New York City. It then enjoyed a number of New York and London revivals. The first London production was staged at The Savoy Theatre starring Robert...
: The episode title is a parody of this comedy. - Powers of TenPowers of TenPowers of Ten is a 1968 American documentary short film written and directed by Charles and Ray Eames. The film depicts the relative scale of the Universe in factors of ten . The film is an adaptation of the book Cosmic View by Dutch educator Kees Boeke, and more recently is the basis of a new...
: The couch gag where the scene pans out until it reaches outer space, with the stars turning into atoms, molecules, and DNA helices, until it goes back to the initial couch scene. - The Wild ThornberrysThe Wild ThornberrysThe Wild Thornberrys is an American animated television series that aired on Nickelodeon. It was rerun in the USA on Nickelodeon and occasionally The N until 2009 and Nicktoons until 2007...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called The Wild Dingleberries. - The Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the ChristThe Passion of the Christ is a 2004 American drama film directed by Mel Gibson and starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus. It depicts the Passion of Jesus largely according to the New Testament Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called The Fashion of the Christ. - American PieAmerican Pie (film)American Pie is a 1999 teen comedy film written by Adam Herz. American Pie was the directorial film debut of brothers Paul and Chris Weitz, and the first film in the American Pie film series...
: The movie Homer wants to see (before Rod and Todd object) is called Teenage Sex Wager, which is the premise to this raunchy late 1990s teen movie. - My Big Fat Greek WeddingMy Big Fat Greek WeddingMy Big Fat Greek Wedding is a 2002 Canadian and American romantic comedy film written by and starring Nia Vardalos and directed by Joel Zwick. The film is centered on Fotoula "Toula" Portokalos , a middle class Greek American woman who falls in love with a non-Greek upper middle class "White...
: Homer thinks there is a movie called My Big Fat Greek Salad. - Finding NemoFinding NemoFinding Nemo is a 2003 American comi-drama animated film written by Andrew Stanton, directed by Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich and produced by Pixar. It tells the story of the overly protective clownfish Marlin who, along with a regal tang called Dory , searches for his abducted son Nemo...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called Eating Nemo. - 2 Fast 2 Furious2 Fast 2 Furious2 Fast 2 Furious is a 2003 street racing action film directed by John Singleton. It is the second film in The Fast and the Furious film series following The Fast and the Furious . It stars Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Devon Aoki, and Chris Bridges; and was directed by John Singleton. The...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called 3 Fast 3 Furious. - Return to the Planet of the ApesReturn to the Planet of the ApesReturn to the Planet of the Apes is a short-lived animated series, by DePatie-Freleng Enterprises in association with 20th Century Fox Television, based upon Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle. Boulle's novel had previously been adapted in a series of movies, beginning with the 1968 Planet of the...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called Return to Ape Valley. - HulkHulk (film)Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called The Unwatchable Hulk. - From Justin to KellyFrom Justin to KellyFrom Justin to Kelly is a 2003 American romantic comedy musical film starring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the first season of American Idol...
: One of the movies at the Googleplex is a fictitious fourth sequel to this early 2000s flop film. - Ghost RatGhost RatGhost Rat is a Trojan horse for the Windows platform that the operators of GhostNet used to hack into some of the most sensitive computer networks on Earth. It is a cyber spying computer program...
(or Ghost Dog): One of the movies at the Googleplex is called Ghost Frat. - A Kiss Before Dying: One of the movies at the Googleplex is called "A Kiss Before Boring".
- Freddy vs. JasonFreddy vs. JasonFreddy vs. Jason is a 2003 American slasher film directed by Ronny Yu. The film is a crossover between the A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th franchises...
and the Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case of Brown vs The Board of Education: One of the movies at the Googleplex combines these two titles to make Freddy vs. Jason vs. The Board of Education. - The MatrixThe MatrixThe Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
: Two of the movies at the Googleplex are called A Matrix Christmas and You're In The Matrix, Charlie Brown. - "Rapper's DelightRapper's Delight"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
": The song sung by the rap group at the ice cream parlor sounds like this groundbreaking 1980s rap song. - Rosemary's BabyRosemary's BabyRosemary's Baby is a 1967 best-selling horror novel by Ira Levin, his second published book. Major elements of the story were inspired by the publicity surrounding the Church of Satan of Anton LaVey which had been founded in 1966.-Plot summary:...
: the music playing during "The Redeadening" sounds like the one from this American horror film. Other reference is to Mortem's Macabre song "Lullaby". - The Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch ProjectThe Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur footage. The film was produced by the Haxan Films production company. The film relates the story of three student filmmakers The Blair Witch Project is a 1999 American horror film pieced together from amateur...
: Lisa filming her expedition into the attic with Bart, crying into the camera as she hears off-screen noises, and how the camera was dropped on its side as she runs away. - Village of the DamnedVillage of the Damned (1960 film)Village of the Damned is a 1960 British science fiction film by German director Wolf Rilla. The film is a fairly faithful adaptation of the novel The Midwich Cuckoos by John Wyndham. The lead role of Professor Gordon Zellaby was played by George Sanders. This film was #92 on Bravo's 100 Scariest...
, Child's Play, and The OthersThe Others (2001 film)The Others is a 2001 psychological horror film by the Spanish-Chilean director Alejandro Amenábar, starring Nicole Kidman. It is inspired partly by the novella The Turn of the Screw....
: The Redeadening is an almagam of these three movies involving evil children and a possessed doll attacking people. - CoralineCoralineCoraline is a horror/fantasy novella by British author Neil Gaiman, published in 2002 by Bloomsbury and Harper Collins. It was awarded the 2003 Hugo Award for Best Novella, the 2003 Nebula Award for Best Novella, and the 2002 Bram Stoker Award for Best Work for Young Readers...
: the murdering doll which tells the daughter to kill her mother which later kills Lenny by sewing his eyes shut with buttons (though the film version didn't come out until 2009, the novel was published in 2002). - EnronEnronEnron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. Before its bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, Enron employed approximately 22,000 staff and was one of the world's leading electricity, natural gas, communications, and pulp and paper companies, with...
: Artie Ziff's company going bust and cheating its shareholders is reminiscent of this company and its downfall. - Charlie and the Chocolate FactoryCharlie and the Chocolate FactoryCharlie and the Chocolate Factory is a 1964 children's book by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of the eccentric chocolatier, Willy Wonka....
: Lisa tells Artie Ziff that Homer thinks this Roald Dahl children's book is real and is searching for the chocolate factory described in the book. - The Blue Man Group: While Homer is carted off by the SEC, he tells Moe to tell his family that he joined this performance art troupe.
- A Spy in the House of Love: Moe Szyslak refers to Artie Ziff as "He's like a spy in the house of Moe."
Previous episode references
- At Moe's, the four men seated are characters who have previously appeared on The Simpsons who have been voiced by Jon Lovitz:
- Jay Sherman, the New York film critic from the season six crossover episode "A Star is BurnsA Star is Burns"A Star Is Burns" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 5, 1995. In the episode, Springfield decides to hold a film festival, and famed critic Jay Sherman is invited to be a judge...
" and the ABC/FOX animated sitcom The CriticThe CriticThe Critic is an American prime time animated series revolving around the life of film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by actor Jon Lovitz. It was created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, both of whom had worked as writers on The Simpsons. The Critic had 23 episodes produced, first broadcast on ABC in 1994,...
. - Llewelyn Sinclair, the director/acting coach to "Oh, Streetcar!" on the season four episode, "A Streetcar Named MargeA Streetcar Named Marge"A Streetcar Named Marge" is the second episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1992. In the episode, Marge wins the role of Blanche DuBois in a musical version of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire...
". - Aristotle Amadopoulos, the Shelbyville Nuclear Plant owner from two season three episodes: "Homer DefinedHomer Defined"Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 17, 1991. In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from meltdown by choosing a button to a counting rhyme...
" and "Homer at the BatHomer at the Bat"Homer at the Bat" is the seventeenth episode of The Simpsons third season, which originally aired February 20, 1992. The episode follows the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant softball team, led by Homer, having a winning season and making the championship game. Mr. Burns makes a large bet that the...
". - Professor Lombardo, the Learning Annex art teacher from the season two episode, "Brush with GreatnessBrush with Greatness"Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 11, 1991. In the episode, Marge revives her high school-era interest in painting by enrolling in an art class after getting encouraged by Lisa...
".
- Jay Sherman, the New York film critic from the season six crossover episode "A Star is Burns
- Homer rests his soda on Lisa's head the same way he rested his can of beer on Bart's head during the flashback on the season four episode, "Lisa's First WordLisa's First Word"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of...
". - The premise of Bart and Lisa exploring the attic after hearing strange noises coming from it was previously touched in the story "The Thing and I" from Treehouse of Horror VIITreehouse of Horror VII"Treehouse of Horror VII" is the first episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired October 27, 1996. In the seventh annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode, Bart discovers his long-lost twin, Lisa grows a colony of small beings and Kang & Kodos impersonate Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in...
. - Homer previously babysat Rod and Todd Flanders on season 12's "Children of a Lesser ClodChildren of a Lesser ClodChildren of a Lesser Clod is the 20th episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. In the episode, after spraining his knee during a basketball game, Homer begins taking care of the neighborhood kids to cure his boredom, prompting jealousy from Bart and Lisa, who feel that Homer is giving the kids the...
".