Behind the Laughter Written by Tim Long & George Meyer
& Mike Scully & Matt Selman
Directed by Mark Kirkland
==============================================================================
Production code: BABF19 Original Airdate on FOX: 21-May-2000
Capsule revision A (22-Apr-2001)
==============================================================================
> "TV Guide" Synopsis {bg}
==============================================================================
[TV Guide Close-Up] In the sharp 11th-season finale, the Simpsons are
studied in a Behind the Music-style documentary depicting their rise to
stardom -- and the "private hell" that followed. VH1's Jim Forbes narrates
their story, beginning with the evolution of The Simpsons TV show, from
Homer's original idea called "My Funny Family." The series took off, but
the physical comedy took a toll on Homer, bringing an addiction to
painkillers. Wild spending, bad investments and tax problems ensued,
leading to an incident at the Iowa State Fair that split them up, and
prompted solo projects -- until Willie Nelson stepped in.
[TV Guide ad] When the Camera Stops ... Who Are the Real Simpsons?
Tonight, see a side of them you've never seen before! Bart: Eat My Shorts?
I'd never say that! Homer: Be quiet! And take your anti-growth hormones.
==============================================================================
> Title sequence
==============================================================================
Blackboard: I WILL NOT OBEY THE / VOICES IN MY HEAD
I WILL NOT OBEY at cutoff
Couch: The family runs to the couch, which has a coin box on the side
labeled, "MAGIC FINGERS." Bart drops a coin in the box, and
it starts vibrating with such vigor that it jiggles right out
of frame.
==============================================================================
> Did You Notice...
==============================================================================
Matthew Anscher:
... CBS isn't considered a "major" network?
... the clip that HRH Queen Elizabeth was watching was not from an actual
Simpsons episode?
... bubblegum recordings like "Simpsons Christmas Boogie" are considered
Thrash Metal by the National Association of Radio Arts and Sciences?
... the producers actually admitted that some of the past plotlines were
"gimmicky" and "nonsensical"?
... Dr. Hibbert apparently attended Baylor University with Willie Nelson?
... Woody Allen's skin is a lighter shade of yellow than all the other
yellow-skinned people in the Awareness Awards audience?
... the considerable amount of name-calling in this episode; calling
Grandpa a "coot," Dr. Hibbert a "meddler," and Gloria Allred "shrill"?
Nathan DeHoff:
... this is the first time anyone has referred to Homer strangling Bart as
child abuse?
Don Del Grande:
... the "Times Square" big screen TV was a Sorny?
... the picture that Meryl Streep spat upon didn't have Maggie?
... the painting behind Flanders is a print of "The Last Supper"
... Lenny and Carl's last names aren't listed?
... Comic Book Guy's first name isn't listed?
... "Sir" Gary Coleman?
... Joan Jett's star had a typewriter?
... "Krustophenia" is an LP, not a CD?
... the limousine everyone ignores has Santa Claus, the Pope, and an
astronaut?
... Homer says "frosty chocolate milkshakes", a catchphrase he hasn't used
in quite some time?
... at the Iowa state fair, Maggie wears Lisa-style shoes?
... at the thanksgiving dinner, Maggie and Grandpa are at the "kid table"?
... Homer explains why Lisa (and, presumably, Bart and Maggie) didn't get
older despite the show lasting longer than one year?
... they didn't explain a few things, like how Maggie always falls?
Darrel Jones:
... Mr. Burns' lawyer also works for Marge?
Joe Klemm:
... the picture of the Last Supper behind Flanders?
... the hard time that Homer and Rupert have signing the contract suggests
that they are left-handed?
... the Iron Giant statue behind CBG? [Eric Sansoni notes that "Iron
Giant" was directed by "Simpsons" alum Brad Bird -- Ed.]
James Reisdorf:
... this is the first time the opening "Simpsons" caption has ran twice in
the same show (excluding the "Thompsons" intro from "Cape Feare
(9F22)")?
... the little flashing words that show on the BTM "flash screen" are
different in the 3 times it shows up?
... Moe's name is misspelled as "Syzlak"? (Like who didn't notice that?)
... Nelson Mandela has a race car on his star?
... Homer not only takes Hammer's home, but takes on his look?
... Tom Kite and Stephen Hawkins are considered "trendy"? [{ma} adds Butch
Patrick to the list -- Ed.]
... Willie Nelson himself has been a subject of a BTM?
... the "Parade" cover looked like a big book?
... for the first time in awhile, there were complete full screen credits?
Benjamin Robinson:
... apparently, even Maggie made more money than Lisa?
... when Homer throttles Bart by the lakeside, Lisa closes her eyes and
puts her fingers in her ears?
==============================================================================
> Voice Credits
==============================================================================
- Starring
- Dan Castellaneta (Homer, Krusty, Ozzy Osbourne, Kodos, Abe, Woody Allen)
- Julie Kavner (Marge)
- Nancy Cartwright (Bart)
- Yeardley Smith (Lisa)
- Hank Azaria (Director, Moe, Carl, Comic Book Guy, Chief Wiggum, Apu,
Bobby (Renegade's Partner), Lawyer)
- Harry Shearer (Lenny, Principal Skinner, Second Director [?], Kang, Dr.
Hibbert)
- Special Guest Voice
- Gary Coleman (Himself)
- Jim Forbes (Narrator {jr})
- Stephen Hawking (Himself)
- Willie Nelson (Himself)
- Marcia Wallace (Edna Krabappel)
- Special Guest Appearance [Non-speaking roles]
- Buzz Aldrin (Himself)
- Tim Kite (Himself)
- Butch Patrick (Himself)
- Also Starring
- Tress MacNeille (Queen Elizabeth II, Richie Rich, Actress, Woman Partner,
Gloria Allred)
- Karl Wiedergott (Jimmy Carter, Huckleberry Hound)
==============================================================================
> Movie (and other) references
==============================================================================
+ "Behind the Music" (TV series)
- title a spoof
- story plot similar to show [See "Comments" for more -- Ed.]
- the opening title sequence and commercial "bumpers" were borrowed from
the show
- Jim Forbes does the announcing for the parody, like he has for all the
BTM's. (Except for one of them, which, ironically enough, was
Hammer's BTM) {jr}
- "The E! True Hollywood Story" (TV series) {jc}
- episode is thematically similar to this falling-Hollywood-star show
- "Entertainment Tonight" (TV series) {jr}
- ET runs weekend specials that also expose TV shows, some that take the
name "Behind the Laughter"
~ David Letterman's stint as Oscar host {bjr}
- Like Lisa's, his turn at hosting was thought by many to be ill-advised
+ "The Mod Squad" (TV series) {bjr}
- one of the family's favorite shows is "The Dreck Squad" ("dreck," or
"drek" is the Yiddish equivalent of "sh_t")
+ "Sheriff Lobo" (TV series) {bjr}
- "Sheriff Lowbrow" a spoof
+ "Ozzie and Harriet" (TV series) {bjr}
- entertainer and his family make a sitcom about the lives of the
entertainer and his family
+ Sam Peckinpah (director) {bjr}
- announcer calls Homer a "penniless Peckinpah"
+ "I Love Lucy" (TV series) {bjr}
- Homer's original demo tape similar in tone and setup
- Marge has that scarf tied around her head -- isn't this a "Lucy"
trademark?
+ Beatlemania
- the girls' reaction in the "hysteria room" mimics the reaction to the
Fab Four
- the Beatles' "Twist and Shout" plays in the background, for those who
didn't get the point
+ "Peanuts" (comic strip) {jk}
- Charlie Brown's trademark saying, "Good grief," becomes T-shirt fodder
for Bart
+ "Laugh-In" (TV series) {bjr}
- "you bet your sweet bippy," a catchphrase on this show
+ abortion debate {dp}
- a Bart T-shirt reads "LIfe begins at conception, man"
+ yellow fever (disease) {bjr}
- one of the trade papers' headlines was, "Yellow Fever," referring to
the Simpsons
+ "Quadrophenia" (album)
- "Krustophenia" a take-off of this Who album
- the cover is similar, too {dp}
+ "The Partridge Family" (TV series and recording group)
- music (not very good music at that) is sold to tie in to a TV show
{ma}
- "Lovely to Love Your Lovin'" sounds like something they would have
recorded {ma}
- clothes at the Iowa State Fair show
- "The Brady Bunch" (TV series) {dp}
- a sitcom family puts out albums
+ David Geffen/Geffen records (record producer and his company) {dp}
- it's mentioned that Geffen released the Simpsons' albums; Geffen did
release "The Simpsons Sing the Blues"
+ "Boogie Oogie Oogie" (Taste of Honey song) {jr}
- it's what the Simpsons songs are based on
+ the Grammies (music industry awards) {bjr}
- have made some controversial musical decisions. See "Personal
Comments & Observations" for more
+ Ozzy Osbourne (musician) {dj}
- bites the "head" off the Grammy trophy, the way he bit the head of a
bat [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]
- "American Beauty" (movie)
- shot of roses cascading about Simpsons is just like the famous scene
in this movie {jr}
- the black-and-white "shot" of the bag blowing the wind was an
imitation of a similar shot in the movie {ah}
~ "Friends" (TV series) {bjr}
- Bart pays Carl and Lenny to kiss; Rachel and Monica kiss so Chandler
and Joey will swap apartments with them
- Encyclopedia Britannica {jk}
- Encyclopedia Self-Destructica
+ "Who's Who in Springfield" ("Simpsons" souvenir poster) {ndc}
- poster appears when the narrator is talking about the quantity of
characters (it's the last one, with yellow background)
+ "Teen Wolf" and "Teen Wolf Too" (movies) {dp}
- Bart agrees to make "Teen Wolf III"
+ "Richie Rich" (comic book character) {ddg}
- Bart's "replacement"
- The Gap (chain of clothing stores) {jr}
- The whole "Swing/Rock" sequence mirrors the Gap's khaki ads that pay
homage (or is that mock?) to "Westside Story"
+ Everly Brothers split-up {vp}
- singers Don and Phil Everly split during an infamous concert at
Knott's Berry Farm in 1973 [See "Comments" section for more -- Ed.]
+ Habitat for Humanity (charitable organization) {bjr}
- at the state fair, Jimmy Carter's act is "Habitat for Hilarity"; in
real life, he works with this home-building group
+ "Looney Toons" (cartoon shorts) {bjr}
- after the fair, the Simpsons are written off with, "THAT'S ALL,
FOLKS," a Looney Toons catchphrase
+ "keeping it real" (phrase) {bjr}
- "Simpsons" replacement show called, "Peepin' It Real"
+ "Rent" (play) {bjr}
- Homer's sequel called, "Rent II: Condo Fever"
+ "Renegade" (TV series) {jc}
- Bart replaced Lorenzo Lamas as the star of this syndicated action show
+ "I Shot the Sheriff" (song) {dj}
- Marge does the lounge-act version of this song
- Latoya Jackson (singer) {jk}
- Lisa writes a tell-all book that's against the family
+ Sammy Hagar leaving Van Halen (a rock band) {jc}
- Willie Nelson is trying to get Sammy and Van Halen to get back
together
+ Pippi Longstocking (children's novel) {dj}
- the shot of Willie Nelson's ponytails on the magazine cover similar to
the cover of this book
==============================================================================
> Previous episode references
==============================================================================
- Clips in "Behind the Laughter" opening credits {bjr}
- [8F11] Shot of Bart falling down well
- [8F18] Shot of Maggie tossing pacifiers to babies (also in the bumpers)
- [8F22] Shots of Bart swiping the Homer's change
- [2F21] Shot of Marge as cop
- [4F11] Shot of Homer near toy shelf
- [5F20] Shot of Homer wrestling the lard hose (also in the commercial
bumpers)
- Homer gets punished {bjr}
- [7F06] Homer fails to leap Springfield Gorge
- [2F02] Homer stops wrecking ball
- [5F10] Bart hits Homer with chair
- [5F17] Wild ride in cherry-picker (in quad screen)
- [5F19] Para-sailing ride (in quad screen)
- [5F20] Homer fights Willie (in quad screen)
- [BABF04] Homer skis down mountain (in quad screen)
- Guest stars they've trotted out {bjr}
- [1F13] Buzz Aldrin
- [3F11] Tom Kite
- [4F23] Seymour Skinner
- [AABF18] Stephen Hawking
- [BABF03] Butch Patrick
- [BABF07] "Sir" Gary Coleman
- Clips used at the end of the show {ddg}
- [9F12] Bart hits Homer with a chair
- [9F12] Homer beat up in the street
- [3F21] Homer gets a cannonball in the stomach
- [4F11] Homer being attacked by reindeer
- [5F12] Homer tries to steal a car
- [5F17] Homer in a "cherry picker"
- [5F20] Willy attacks Homer
- [AABF04] Homer hit by a car from a delivery truck
- [AABF11] Homer upside-down in a plane
- [BABF04] Homer skiing
- [7F01] flying spit in slow motion {ddg}
- [1F01], [AABF19] Jimmy Carter appears {dj}
- [1F13] Buzz Aldrin appears {ddg}
- [2F02] An "anonymous", and easily identifiable, tipster is seen {dj}
- [3F11] Tom Kite appears {ddg}
- [3F20] Simpsons spoof those "musical family" shows {am}
- [3F21] the roadie holding Marge at the Iowa Fair looked like the roadie from
Hullabalooza {gc}
- [4F03], [4F15] The aborted couch gag is similar to the one actually used
before these eps {dj}
- [AABF20] Woody Allen appears {ma}
- [BABF03] Butch Patrick appears {ddg}
==============================================================================
> Freeze frame fun
==============================================================================
- Simpson Clips during the Behind the Laughter commercial ends {jk}
Bart Friend Falls In Love: Indiana Bart
Lard of the Dance: Homer getting sucked by vacuum cleaner
A Streetcar Named Marge: Maggie returning all the confiscated pacifiers
to the babies
The Springfield Connection: Marge's target practice
???: Lisa playing the sax
- Magazines the Simpsons appeared on {bjr}
"TV Guide," "Rolling Stone," "Coin Laundry News," and
"Short Hair Ideas"
- Words appearing in the bumpers {bjr}
Act I: SUCCESS FAME BEER CANDY
Act I -> II: SEX FAME BEER MILHOUSE
Act II -> III: LAWSUITS REDEMPTION HORMONES GRAPHICS
- Highway signs {bjr}
Hollywood Hollywood
90 miles 500 miles
- T-shirt sayings {bjr}
GOOD YOU LIFE
GRIEF, MAN. BET YOUR BEGINS AT
SWEET BIPPY, CONCEPTION,
MAN. MAN.
Each is in a speech balloon, with Bart as the speaker
- More newspaper headlines {bjr}
YELLOW FEVER
BUMPTIOUS BROOD BOFFO!
- Simpson estate gates, before ... {bjr}
HAMMERTIME
- ... and after modification {bjr}
HO MERTIME
- Simpson albums {bjr}
Simpsons Lovely to Love Simpsons
Boogie Your Lovin' Christmas Boogie
[family] [family] [family]
THE SIMPSONS
- They don't get no respect {bjr}
Santa Claus The Pope
Astronaut Driver
[front of car]
- Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame {bjr}
MILTON BERLE
[TV]
JOAN JETT
[typewriter]
NELSON MANDELA
[race car]
THE SIMPSONS
[TV Victrola]
[inverted Olympic]
[ rings ]
- Tax evasion headline {bjr}
FEDS TO SIMPS: PAY UP!
- CHARACTERS IN THE PICTURE (the one immediately following the one with just the Simpsons) {ddg}
- Back Row: Troy McClure, Dr. Hibbert, Chief Wiggum, Groundskeeper Willy,
Radioactive Man, Reverend Lovejoy, Lunch Lady Doris, Snake, Bumblebee
Man, Captain McAllister, Dr. Nick Riviera, Lionel Hutz, Professor Frink,
Sideshow Bob, Mayor Quimby
- Middle Row: Homer, Patty, Selma, Comic Book Guy, Otto, Krusty the Clown,
Apu, Moe, Barney, Principal Skinner, Ned Flanders, Mrs. Krabappel, Marge
- Front Row: Bart, Maggie, Nelson, Dolph, Kearny, Jimbo, Mr. Burns,
Smithers, Ralph Wiggum, Hans Moleman, Lisa, Grandpa, Milhouse, Itchy &
Scratchy, Santa's Little Helper, Snowball II
- Bart Simpson's mug shot {bjr}
SIMPSON, B. 9LF2149
- Iowa state fair poster {bjr}
IOWA STATE FAIR
[wheat ear] PRESENTS [wheat ear]
THE
[picture of] SIMPSONS
[the family] LIVE
--------------------
OPENING ACT
--------------------
JIMMY CARTER'S
HABITAT FOR HILARITY
- Another newspaper headline {bjr}
THAT'S ALL, FOLKS!
- Marge's marquee {bjr}
JUST MARGE
(AND FRIENDS)
- Lisa's book {bjr}
WHERE ARE
MY RESIDUALS?
[ angry Lisa in ]
[directors' chair]
LISA SIMPSON
- "Parade" cover {bjr}
PARADE
[FAMILY]
They're Back!
==============================================================================
> Animation, continuity, and other goofs
==============================================================================
* In this "history", Homer and Marge lived in the house before Bart was born,
but in "actuality", when Bart was born, they lived somewhere else? {ddg}
* Home Improvement, one the shows the family watched before they made their
own show, didn't premiere until 1991, one-and-a-half years after the
Simpsons.
* Bart the Daredevil premiered in December, thus it is very doubtful that
they filmed it in April.
* The "aborted couch scene" looks like the one first used in 4F03, which
first appeared in November of 1996, yet the caption said it was first
attempted in 1992. {ddg}
c When OFF are doing the "aborted couch gag", The aliens say they have ballet
tickets, but in the captioning, they have theater tickets. {tpl}
= When Bart was getting his pedicure, where did his shoe and sock go? {gc}
+ This episode gets the order of episodes out of whack. Wiggum appeared long
before the Captain. {jd}
c When the family are eating Thanksgiving dinner, Marge calls Lisa a little
snitch, but in captioning, she calls Lisa a little (bleep). {tpl}
==============================================================================
> Reviews
==============================================================================
Wilson Banswell: The writers addressed some strange things in this episode.
Such as why there are so many crappy weird tripped up episodes. And why
Homer must be crushed, squished, pounded, and destroyed in every episode.
You would think this episode would suck because of all the meta refs, but
to a hard core fan, it was great. I loved how the writers told us what we
knew all along, that the guest appearances are crammed down their throats!
And the ending was great. My expectations were high, but they were
exceeded. One final note, all those metaphors were great! (A+)
Arup Baral: A truly excellent episode. Not only did it leave me ROTFL, its
self-parody was so thick that it very much defines season 11 or the show
itself for that matter. The Acts I and II were the strongest, but the
whole episode was the most solid in many a season. The fact that they
recognize the zany plots of recent seasons (Principal and the Pauper) and
the use of guest stars to boost ratings. Without a doubt, the best of the
season. If this were my last meal (last episode of the series), I would
tell the warden to bring on the electric chair! (A+)
Nate Birch: Well I didn't think the current batch of writers could do it, but
they've actually managed to produce a truly classic episode. The whole
concept of having a behind the scenes episode of the Simpsons was great,
but the writers managed to take it and do more with it than I could have
imagined. While watching this episode it really felt like I was watching a
"behind the scenes" show you might see on E! or something, and the episode
never strayed from that. Despite the different format the family was all
nicely in character, and this episode was funny as hell. It had a great
mix of both slapstick and more intelligent humor and was filled with tons
of great META refs and inside jokes for us more informed Simpsons fans.
Explaining the low quality of recent episodes as being a result of cast
problems and Homer's painkiller addiction was brilliant. Hopefully at
least a few of the season 12 episodes will be this good. (A+)
Nathan DeHoff: I'm kind of surprised that it took this long before "The
Simpsons" did the "What if the characters were portrayed by real actors?"
thing, which has become sort of a cartoon tradition by this point.
Overall, they did this quite well, complete with hilariously pathetic
narration, and lots of amusing gags. In a way, though, it suffered from
standard Season 11 narration, in that the writers seemed to want to go in
every possible direction with the idea. For instance, I wish they would
have focused a bit more on "behind-the-scenes" moments for actual episodes,
which they did quite well for "Bart the Daredevil" and "The Principal and
the Pauper." Instead, however, they decided to throw in some moments from
"episodes" that never really existed. Sure, they were funny (Richie Rich
as Bart was great), but I kind of wish they had concentrated their focus a
little more. (A-)
Don Del Grande: one of the best episodes in the series, and I believe it's
because they weren't stuck with the "usual rules of Springfield" that they
can bend in Halloween specials as well. Of course, this could be a real
sign that they're really starting to run out of ideas ... (A)
Tony Hill: What the hell was that? Why do they expect us to take them
seriously when they no longer do so themselves? As a parody of the
documentaries about old TV which is now the rage, this was passable, but as
a canonical episode of OFF this was an abomination. When has it ever been
suggested that the Simpsons are actors playing themselves on TV? This
treatment of the Simpsons cast is not faithful to the dramatic context. I
give it an (F)
Darrel Jones: Season Eleven, which was a great year, is closing out with a
bang. Let's hope they can come up with more wonderful, original concepts
for Season Twelve. Several great moments and gags; Taco's tribute to Falco
will become an all-time classic gag. 9/10 (A)
Adam Long: Well, I was expecting this one to be the best of the season, and
it was by a longshot. This episode far outshone most episodes of the past
two seasons, with the possible exception of Simpsons Bible Stories. The
phony off-screen life of OFF was creatively woven, with laughs coming
non-stop. In fact, I'd say this was arguably the funniest episode ever.
The little "Behind the Music" touches added a lot as well. And I don't
think any of us were expecting the location of Springfield to be given
away, but that didn't upset me, since there are only so many "Where is
Springfield" gags you can do, and the fact that they've been hiding it for
11 years, then just come right out and say it gets points for sheer shock
value. I was a little worried after last week's episode, but this one got
me looking forward to Season 12. (A+)
Paul Melnyk: As many put it, a bizarre and unique episode. This being the
5th clip show, I think it's definitely one of the fresher ones. One main
reason this episode was good was because they didn't do the show at all.
There was some great effects work for the "Behind The Music" parody, and
the animated clips representing metaphors were very amusing. I do wish
they could have done more references on the actual show itself though, but
none the less, a good finale. (B)
Michael Nusair: I don't know what to say about this episode. I just really
don't like the idea behind it. For me, the idea that OFF are actually
actors portraying themselves on a fictional show takes away something from
the rest of the episodes. I know that this is an off-continuity episode,
like "The Simpsons Spin-off showcase," but it still seems wrong to me. As
it stands, "Behind the Laughter" was essentially just a string of loosely
connected gags, most of which didn't really work for me. I did laugh a
couple of times, but I still think that this wasn't a good idea for an
episode. When I watch an episode of the Simpsons, I don't want to think of
OFF as fictional characters playing fictional characters in a fictional
show for other fictional characters and real people, and ... Ummm ... This
isn't making much sense. But I think you know what I mean. Let's just say
I didn't like it, and leave it at that. (D+)
Damian Penny: I thought this episode was the most brilliant half hour of
television I have ever seen, Simpsons or otherwise. This show is often at
its best when it pokes fun at its own popularity, and this one does that
well -- not to mention jabbing at "biography" shows like "Behind the
Music". And there are simply too many big laughs to list here, but ...
"Momma Mia", "Simpsons Christmas Boogie" playing over the closing credits,
Richie Rich replacing Bart for 9 episodes, "Krustophenia" ... the only
downside to this episode is that, when the show eventually airs its final
episode, it will somehow have to top this one. Grade: (A+)
Abhi Ray: Too bad this episode didn't reach the high level of meta-humor and
wit from "138th Episode Spectacular." This episode should have had more
comments about past episodes instead of made-up episodes, and the idea of
the Simpsons being actors kind of confused me. Nevertheless, this was a
funny enough episode, with a great Behind the Music parody, and I really
enjoyed the painkillers joke. (B)
Eric Sansoni: This episode's concept is almost irresistible. The energy
level is high, and some devices like the past episode tie-ins work great.
But the satire doesn't approach the "138th Episode" or "Spin-off Showcase"
level. Lots of shots are too perfect to fit the documentary style and many
of the gags, like Jimmy Carter breakdancing, don't exactly rock. The rise
to fame, reminiscent of The Monkey's Paw, is enjoyable. But the breakdown
and reunion of the family, which should have been the emotional center,
feel obligatory and underdeveloped. "Behind the Music's" goal is to reveal
the humanity behind the celebrity. Here the writers go overboard
projecting celebrity onto these familiar humans, obscuring the most
involving aspect. (B+)
Robin Steinmann: A nice seasons final in which they took OFF out of their
usual reality to fool around a bit for a quite enjoyable spoof. Not really
a classic episode, but still better than a lot of S11. I'm quite sure it
wasn't meant to be taken serious, it was just a lightweight good-bye for
the summer. (B)
Yours Truly: "Behind the Laughter" exhibits one of the strongest blurrings of
fantasy and reality that we've seen on "The Simpsons," and does a pretty
good job of it, too. All the bases of the Hollywood expos� form are
covered, from Homer's painkiller addiction, to family bickering, to Lisa's
tell-all book, to the hilariously over-the-top metaphors. In fact, there's
so much material, some of the plot points get the short shrift. Sketchy
presentation aside, "Behind the Laughter" is an enjoyable episode. As the
announcer might say, we may never look at the Simpsons in the same way
again. Or will we? Yes, we will. (B)
AVERAGE GRADE: B+ (3.37) Std Dev.: 1.1536 (21 reviews computed)
==============================================================================
> Comments and other observations
==============================================================================
>> Meta-reference corner
Damian Penny: The episode mentions the more outrageous plots the show has
come up with, and as an example shows "The Principal and the Pauper", voted
worst episode of all time in an a.t.s. poll.
Benjamin Robinson adds these: The announcer claims that the cast has
ballooned over the years. In the real-life Ullman shorts, there were few
people outside the core family shown. Now, it's a cast of hundreds.
The show also "trotted out" a bunch of "trendy guest stars." This, too, is
a source of complaint.
In her tell-all book, Lisa claims Homer slipped her anti-growth hormones.
This explains why the kids never age!
The Sunday strip is mentioned. Bart mocks its quality, as many people on
the newsgroup did.
>> Behind the scenes
Benjamin Robinson: "Tell-all" expos�s revealing the secrets of movie stars,
recording artists, and television actors have been a cottage industry for
almost as long as we've had movie stars, recording artists, and television
actors. One trendy series in this mold is the VH-1 network's "Behind the
Music," which traces the rise and fall formerly popular musical acts.
I'll confess to only seeing part of one "Behind the Music," but really the
format of this show doesn't differ much from its brethren. An [actor |
group of actors on a TV series | musician or group] scores big with a new
[movie | song | series]. A quick ride to the top brings fame and riches,
but also trouble in the form of [drugs | booze | loose spending | bad
management | internal strife]. As the subject's fame evaporates, he or she
goes through [rehab | divorce | the morgue]. Assuming the subject hasn't
died, he or she moves on to [home life | related career in production |
unrelated career | undefined].
Curiously, despite the similarity in plotlines, people never complain about
plot recycling, the way they do on, say, "The Simpsons." Shows like this
remain a sure bet for popularity, partly because the tawdry underside of
celebrity is strangely fascinating, and partly to reassure ourselves that
our idols are as human and vulnerable as us unknowns.
James Reisdorf adds: The popularity of BTM spawned its own little brother,
BTM2 (using the "trendy" initials), which generally profiles current/recent
artists whose pasts aren't storied enough to warrant them a spot on the
original BTM. Several past musical guest stars on the Simpsons, like
Willie Nelson, have been on BTM's before.
>> Yeah, but I hear he's got a really sweet mansion for sale
Benjamin Robinson: MC Hammer (real name: Stanley something-or-other) might
make a good "Behind the Music" subject, if he hasn't been on the show
already. [Rich Bunnell points out that Hammer was the subject of "Behind
the Music's" second episode -- Ed.] He had a big hit in "Can't Touch This,"
a rap/hip-hop tune that sampled a bass line from Rick James' "Superfreak."
In the video, he wore these amazingly puffy pants, that resembled the
bottom half of a skydiving suit, only with sequins. Bart models these, and
does some Hammer dance moves, when the family takes over his old house.
With that out of the way, Michael Nusair asks the important question: What
happened to MC Hammer, anyway?
... and Daniel L. Dreibelbis answers: from what I remember, after the
phenomenal success of his PLEASE HAMMER DON'T HURT 'EM album, he then
managed to commit every possible mistake in the book when it came to his
career. For instance, his follow-up recording: when it was charged he was
a musical lightweight who just used other people's riffs, he responded with
the two-record 2 LEGIT TO QUIT in which he wrote all the songs himself with
no samples. The result was one of the biggest jinxes since the second
Knack album. He then further alienated his audience by doing a blatantly
sexy video for the next release which featured a male dancer who was, well,
check out the unit on that one. Last I had heard, several months ago he
filed for bankruptcy due to some bad investments.
Lord Thistlewick: And, I believe he is now a minister of some sort.
Andrew Levine: Newsweek says he's coming out with a new album. Here's to
hoping it'll blow Vanilla Ice's second album completely out of the water.
>> Speaking of one-hit wonders
Darrel Jones does just that: Taco and Falco are both one-hit-wonder acts from
the 1980's. The Indonesian Taco's one hit was a synth-heavy remake of the
1930's song "Puttin' on the Ritz". Austrian Falco, who is indeed dead
(killed in an auto accident a couple years back), will forever be
remembered for his tribute to a more famous Austrian, "Rock Me Amadeus".
The later song was parodied in the "Dr. Zaius" song from [3F15].
>> Art imitates life
Joe Klemm writes about the Simpsons' real-life albums: Before the two
official Simpsons soundtracks, OFF did an album called "The Simpsons Sing
the Blues." Released in late 1991, the album features such bits as raps
songs by Bart, cover songs by the family, and an extended version of the
"Moaning Lisa Blues" (from Moaning Lisa). The album was a success, and it
was followed by "The Yellow Album," though it would be years before it
would be released due to long delays.
>> "Nine out of ten heavy-metal rockers engage in crazy antics"
Darrel Jones writes: Ozzy Osbourne is the former lead singer of metal gods
Black Sabbath. As a solo act, he's attracted a wide following. At one of
his gigs, he bit the head off of a bat, thinking it was dead and stuffed.
In fact, it was very much alive, and worse still, was also poisonous. This
little incident (which the biting of the Grammy referred to) has earned a
permanent blotch in Ozzy' career.
>> Life imitates Art
The Simpsons on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Nah, it couldn't be. Or could
it? Joe Klemm explains: In 2000, Fox will be having a major celebration
to commemorate the Simpsons 10th anniversary. To kick off the festivities,
the city of Hollywood, on the exact day the show premiered ten years ago,
added the family to the Walk of Fame, a Hollywood feature where the names
of celebrities are seen on the stars that make up the sidewalk of
Hollywood. The Simpsons now joined such famous animated characters as
Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny in being part of the Walk of Fame, thus showing
that they have something very special.
>> Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Susan B. Anthony!
Benjamin Robinson writes: Susan B. Anthony was a famous women's rights
activist. Today, she is probably more famous for being on the Anthony
silver dollar of 1979-80 than for her suffragist activities. The dollar
was a big fiasco for the Mint, partly because people preferred the
traditional paper dollar, and partly because it the coin too closely
resembled a quarter. (It may be mean, but it's true: Anthony's portrait
closely resembled President Washington's.) The "Susan B. Anthony Man"
comic shows the hero holding a shield that resembles the Anthony dollar
coin.
>> The man with no name
Kay Eliz asks: Why does everyone on the show keep calling Captain McAllister
"the sea captain"? Okay, only two times that I've noticed, but I haven't
heard him called Captain McAllister since the first episode he was in. Did
the writers forget that he has a name or do they think that since he's not
a really regular character, it's easier for the audience to recognize who
they're talking about if they just refer to him by what he is? Or are they
trying to forget that he ever had a name because they think it's more fun
for him to not have one, like Comic Book Store Guy?
Nathan DeHoff responds: I really don't know, but they do similar stuff with
Bumblebee Man, who was identified as "Pedro" in "Team Homer."
>> The Not-Quite-Forever-ly Brothers
The Simpsons aren't the only family to suffer a messy public breakup, as
Darrel Jones explains: The Everly Brothers, real-life brothers Don and
Phil Everly, were a rockabilly (think early Elvis) act that was widely
popular in the late 1950's and early 1960's. By the end of the 1960's,
though, they were reduced to performing on the "has-been" circuit.
Tensions were also building between the two. In a performance at Knott's
Berry Farm in 1973, one of the two suddenly stormed off the stage in the
middle of a performance. Similar to OFF's disastrous Iowa State Fair gig,
the two spent the next decade apart. But in 1983, Don and Phil reconciled
in public, and have been together ever since.
>> Continuity
Nathan DeHoff: I think this episode was MORE out of continuity than the
Halloween episodes, in that the Halloween ones have the characters act
essentially the same way, but in far-out situations. Also, the first few
had "framing" sequences that COULD have fit into regular continuity.
"Behind the Laughter," on the other hand, portrayed the Simpsons as typical
celebrities who just ACTED like their regular selves when the cameras were
running.
While obviously not within regular series continuity, I think this one
could possibly be considered consistent with one other episode. That would
be "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase," which also treated the characters as
real people. One could possibly also make a case for "The 138th Episode
Spectacular" as another episode to fit this continuity, but it seemed like
only Troy McClure was considered "real" in that one.
>> Those Eternal Threads. Or are they?
- Where is Springfield
Brad Forman asks: Is that true? Do you think they finally revealed where
Springfield is located? Or is that just where "the cast" of the show is
from? What do you all think?
John Obenauer does some serious sleuthing: To see whether Kentucky is the
only state to have both a Springfield and a Shelbyville, I wasted lots of
valuable time checking MapQuest for every state that had these two cities.
The results are AR [Arkansas], IL [Illinois], IN [Indiana], KY [Kentucky],
MI [Michigan], MO [Missouri], TN [Tennessee], and TX [Texas]. Then I
looked up which states allow first cousin marriages (which supposedly
Shelbyville was founded to allow). 31 states forbid these marriages, and
surprisingly, Kentucky is one of them. States that have no prohibition
against first cousin marriages are AL [Alabama], AK [Alaska], CA
[California], CO [Colorado], CT [Connecticut], FL [Florida], GA [Georgia],
HI [Hawaii], MD [Maryland], MA [Massachusetts], NJ [New Jersey], NM [New
Mexico], NY [New York], RI [Rhode Island], SC [South Carolina], TN
[Tennessee], TX [Texas], VT [Vermont], VA [Virginia], and DC [District of
Columbia] (if you count DC as a state). The overlap in these lists are
Texas and Tennessee, interestingly enough. But maybe Kentucky allowed them
at the time Shelbyville was founded. I don't remember what year they said
Jebediah founded Springfield (and his partner founded Shelbyville), but
first-cousin marriages were ruled illegal in Kentucky in 1868.
References, for those who want to similarly waste their time:
<http://www.law.state.ky.us/civil/bkmarriage.html#Marriage between cousins>
<http://courses.ksu.edu/spring1999/SASW/ANTH510/lecture/sld008.html>
Kyle Noskoviak: In addition to Springfield and Shelbyville in KY, there is a
town called "Simpsonville" not 10 miles down the road from Shelbyville.
Stewart Askew adds: The Simpsons from Northern Kentucky?!? I like the fact
that they only mentioned it in passing so that only the attentive would
catch it. And of course, if you look, there is a Shelbyville right north
of it, a Hogdenville (close enough to Ogdenville) just west, and a
Simpsonville not far from Shelbyville! My only question is ... Where the
hell is North Haverbrook?
Jesse Cook: Lets just hope there isn't a 742 Evergreen Terrace or someone
will be covered in calls from crazy fans after tonight.
Not a problem, writes "Doomsdave": According to Mapqust.com, there is no 724
Evergreen Terrace in Springfield Kentucky. It [also] shows that
Springfield, KY is 42 miles from Shelbyville, KY with 2 towns between them!
not exactly neighbors, but KY may be the only state that contained both in
close proximity. No Capital City though.
Don Del Grande wonders: But since when is Kentucky in "the heartland"?
Sam Alexander: The Simpsons' beach is an OCEAN BEACH. It not only has whales
in it, it also (in several episodes) is used as a transportation/trade
route. Remember the shipment of Hot Pants in the "soul mate" episode?
Remember the time Willy was deported because of the illegal immigrant laws?
The fact that there's a rocky shoreline and a lighthouse (even one operated
by E.A.R.L) clearly shows oceanfront. There (for the geographically
impaired) is NO OCEAN in Kentucky. [In addition,] there's no Evergreen
Terrace (nor Evergreen St., Ct., Ave., Blvd., etc) in Springfield KY. And
Texas is only 1200 miles away from Springfield KY, not 2000 like Hank Hill
said during his cameo in the "football" episode.
Not so fast, says Kieran Murphy: My atlas must be wrong. It doesn't show
Kentucky with a coastline on the pacific. Which it obviously does if a
submarine can sail from Springfield harbor to Russia across the Pacific.
So it's Washington, Oregon or California if I know my geography. But of
course it isn't.
IT'S NOT REAL.
David Levy agrees: This wasn't a regular episode! Kang and Kodos were
featured, for goodness sake! Do you take the Halloween episodes seriously?
The Simpsons do NOT live in northern Kentucky. The "actors" who portray
"the Simpsons" do.
This is very simple: There is no state that fits the all of various
characteristics which have been exhibited over the years. The Simpsons
live in Springfield, U.S.A., an amalgam of our entire nation.
Like many of the recent jokes (including several in this episode alone) one
of the main purposes was to rile up the show's rabid fans. Guess what? It
worked.
So does Benjamin Robinson: Although I resolved not to read the reviews before
seeing the episode, I couldn't help but notice the activity about
Springfield, Kentucky. Okay, I heard it, you heard it, and everyone else
heard it, so I won't belabor the point here. I will say this episode is
non-canonical. (Note that, among other things, it flatly contradicts the
other non- canon behind-the scenes episode, "The Simpsons 138th Episode
Spectacular (3F31).") Any "facts" you heard here, including the Simpsons'
home state, are suspect.
Besides, don't you think the producers would have made a bigger deal of
this? Look at all the hoopla surrounding the revelation of Homer's middle
name, which was a "smaller" mystery. I predict the "Where is Springfield"
crowd will be debating the Simpsons' location for years to come.
Don Del Grande points out some inconsistencies with the Kentucky location and
past episodes: 5F03: It's less than 2000 miles from "Springfield, KY" to
"Arlen, TX" regardless of where Springfield can be in Kentucky or Arlen is
in Texas
BABF08: Every place that's 12 miles from Kentucky is in the USA
Dr. Trole Ling: The writers had the same motivation as trolls with that
little Northern Kentucky ... they knew there was a 'slight' argument for
the Simpsons to live in Kentucky. But their real motivation was just to
stir things up and get people talking ... Just like those damn trolls!
Jeremy Vitrano: it also shows how none of you can take a JOKE!!! This whole
episode was a JOKE!!! The Simpsons are not really actors!!! I now HATE
the state of Kentucky!!! IT'S IN REVELATIONS, PEOPLE!!!
I've had my moment.
Eric May: God, everyone is just obsessed with the joke about Kentucky. If
you actually listened and looked at where they were talking about ... you
can see they were talking about there NEW HOME.
They moved to Kentucky!!!! There NEW HOME is in KENTUCKY! Not the town.
Jeremy Vitrano agrees: Since they said it at the end I took that as meaning
that they (the "actors") ended up moving there later. So where the
original house was in "real life" was left unnamed.
Bill McNeal: Just because I'm a New Yorker doesn't mean that I'm from New
York. The title just _describes_ me without referencing where I live.
Eric Sansoni: I don't understand the uproar over this Kentucky thing. Were
people not paying enough attention to the show to realize the whole point
was to reveal who the Simpsons were behind the scenes of their show, not on
it? Just because Kentucky is where the real-life Simpsons live, does not
mean that is where their show is set. The vast majority of films and shows
are recorded in locations that do not match the fictional location they
represent. For example, Rumble in the Bronx was filmed in Canada.
Michael Nusair: Yeah, but I'm pretty sure they said that they filmed the
"show" in the same house they actually lived in. I guess later they moved
into MC Hammer's house, but that was still in plain view of their other
house -- the one they filmed the show in.
"The Incarnate": No, they only said they did that for Homer's 'My Funny
Family'. I think that if they got a show, they would build them a house
set on the studio lot or whatever, since they sure couldn't build all the
other sets they needed for the show inside the house.
Plus, it only said that they were "a Northern Kentucky family". Not that
the show was set there, and not even that they (the Simpsons actors) still
lived there. That could mean that they used to live in Kentucky, and moved
somewhere else before they even started the show.
Eric Sansoni: But my point is it doesn't matter where they filmed it. It
could still be in their original house in Kentucky. But that doesn't mean
that's the same place they call the setting of their fictional universe.
They might film some gritty New York drama in Chicago. If Luke Skywalker
never named the planet he lived on, you wouldn't assume it's Earth just
because you found out the show was filmed on the Tunisian desert of Earth.
So The Simpsons might film a story about a quirky town in Oregon back at
their home in Kentucky. Just because they've never told us if it's Oregon
or something else doesn't mean you should assume it's set in Kentucky, just
because behind-the-scenes you found out it's filmed there.
Adam Long looks at the bigger picture: You know, after reading all these
posts I've come to realize that the Kentucky thing is the greatest "Where
is Springfield?" gag ever, since this time it's not arguing if the
suspected state fits topographically, but rather it's arguing whether the
episode was "real" or not, which is even more pointless. The writers sure
do know how to shake this group up.
Tony Garossino: Yes that's right people OFF does not live in the real world.
There is no five corners in the real world, there is no way the Simpsons
could live in a town that switches from the east to the west coast weekly.
They don't live in Kentucky, they live in Springfield. Springfield
represents any town America, it's not located at any specific place because
it's not real. Saying they live in Kentucky is like saying that the entire
family is inside out because of a Halloween episode. The season finale was
not in continuity, got it?
A lady named Gina argues: There was never an intentional real-life location
of Springfield from the shows inception, there is no "master plan" for the
Simpsons so like everything else you see in the show, facts are dependent
on the writer who pens each individual episode -- and after that, each
"fact" is just another fictional segment of a fictional series which,
however creative its beginnings and whatever satire and wit has been
injected into it, still exists only to expose you to about 10 minutes of
advertising per week.
Dale G. Abersold answers: Okay, here's the deal, Gina. On the one hand, you
score highly for perceiving that the "Where is Springfield" thing is a
running gag written by many different hands over the course of the years.
On the other hand, your powers of observation have served you less well as
far as reading the collective minds of Simpsons fandom. You have missed
the fact that the "Where is Springfield" thing is something that people
actually do for fun.
Eric Endres: After the nonchalantly wonderful way that KY was revealed as
Springfield's state, whether you think of last night's ep as being out of
continuity or not (and I don't think it has to be thought of that way, in
the way the Halloween eps are ...), I think they should stick with KY as
the state. I mean, it's been 11 seasons now. There are, or should be,
other running gags to explore and expand. And they can probably even get a
good gag or two out of swinging the opposite way with the whole thing now
and then; i.e. Kentucky signs 'suddenly' seem to be everywhere, the school
kids sing a big ode to Kentucky during an assembly, etc. All as part of
the background of whatever else is going on, but noticeable enough to be
yet another subtle extension of the whole gag.
David Levy: This was "Behind the Laughter", a documentary. Right? Even if
you refuse to accept that last night's episode took place outside of the
program's regular continuity, how about these possibilities: (occurring
within the fictional storyline)
The Simpsons are tired of being swarmed by fans, so they requested that the
announcer deliberately mention the incorrect state. OR the announcer (or
the typist of his script) simply made a mistake.
I'm done being reasonable! Now I'm playing your game, people! It feels
good to be stubborn! :)
Eli K. Eldridge theorizes: It was all a clever deception. The Simpsons are
not from Springfield, KY or ANY Springfield in the US of A at all. They
are in fact from Wilmington, Delaware. You see, the mention of vacationing
there was just a clever ruse to explain their presence if they are ever
detected.
Tongue (presumably) in cheek, "Hoff" contributes: hi, i'm logged in from a
salt mine in khazakstan. i'm seven hundred feet below the surface, and a
three-day uphill snowy trek from the nearest electrical socket. but, i
just heard that the Simpsons live in Kentucky ... da? nyet?
Ben Kruse: I though the Kentucky line was hilarious and knew that some people
would take it as fact. Don't, it's a bit. In fact, let's rest the whole
"Which State" debate all together, there is no answer.
I would like to recommend the following debates to take its place:
Will this show ever end seeing that the writing is still Grade-A verbal
art?
How does Rupert Murdoch put up with this abuse?
Who does Ted Turner think he is?
Reasons a Simpsons movie is a bad idea.
Why won't the Emmy's let "The Simpsons" into the Outstanding Comedy Series
category?
Professor Frink, Man or Super-Man?
Dale G. Abersold has the last word: I maintain that there is no such place as
Kentucky.
- No, really. Where *is* Springfield?
Dino Scoppettone: The bet here is that in one of the first episodes next
season, there will be a throwaway line that completely contradicts the
"Behind the Laughter" line.
[Actually, we didn't even have to wait that long. For the repeat airing on
July 12, the voice-over changed to, "Southern Missouri family" -- Ed.]
Maximilien Robespierre points out: It's dumb for the writers to think anyone
would believe they are from Missouri, considering Springfield Elementary
was moved from there brick by brick. Not only that, but Abe will be deep
in the cold ground before he recognizes Missourah!
Rebekah Garringer: When they first played Behind the Laughter I laughed so
hard at the Kentucky line. I thought that the writers threw it in to keep
everyone at ATS buzzing all summer long. Now that they have changed the
line to Missouri, I'm sure of it. I can just see them laughing at all of
us and thinking we need to get a life.
Arup Baral: Ahh, somehow they switched it up on us. I knew it wasn't
Northern Kentucky. I think it'll change every rerun.
Chris Palm: Something tells me when it goes into syndication there'll be
different lines for each individual state. For instance, when it airs in
Boston, it may very well be eastern Massachusetts.
Bill McNeal: Yes, it will change EVERY time it's aired. Which means that the
episode can only be aired 48 more times for the rest of eternity, right?
Don Del Grande writes: It'll probably be like "Lisa the Greek" -- when it
makes it to syndication, it will go back to "northern Kentucky". And when
the Season 10 DVDs come out (probably sometime between 2005 and 2010),
they'll probably have two audio tracks where the only difference is that
one says Kentucky and the other Missouri
From the Great White North, J. C. White reports: Canadian Global network
affiliates and NTV Newfoundland aired the original "Northern Kentucky"
ending of the Behind the laughter episode last night. So far, I've seen
the "Southern Missouri" ending only on Fox.
R. M. Crusoe has what might be the best answer: Personally I think
Springfield is just a state of mind. Springfield is all around you. How
many times have you gone into a Kwik-E-Mart and paid Apu for a Squishee?
Can anyone really say that Edna Crabapple was never their teacher in grade
school? Everybody has listened to Bleeding Gums Murphy, or met Barney
Gumble, or had a run-in with Chief Wiggum. And there is certainly a little
Bart in all of us. Look around ... Jebediah Springfield is probably
immortalized in bronze somewhere in your town, even of the name on the
plaque is different. Who was Bozo? Why, just a cheap-ass wannabe Krusty
imitation. Didn't you watch Itchy and Scratchy on TV when you were a kid?
Sure you did. Your mind is just playing tricks on you, trying to tell you
that the names were "Tom" and "Jerry". Now really ... what the hell kind
of names for a cat and a mouse are THOSE? Look around you, fellow
Springfielders. You ARE wherever you perceive yourself to BE.
>> Miscellaneous, Etc.
Eric Sansoni reports this episode scored a 9.0 (and a 15 share) Neilsen
ratings. He goes on to say, "Despite the season finale hype, these ratings
are about average for the year, and in many cases lower than other episodes
this year."
Damian Penny: Telemundo [is a] Spanish-language US television network.
==============================================================================
> Quotes and Scene Summary {jp}
==============================================================================
% We pass through the "P" in the Simpsons logo again and go to a still shot
% of OFF on the couch in the "ta-da" pose. A narrator talks.
Narr.: They were the first family of American laughter...
[Magazine covers featuring the Simpsons]
...surfing a tidal wave of hilarity...
[A crowd of people in a street guffaws at a projected image of Marge
vacuuming]
...onto the sands of superstar bay. But behind the chortles, this
funny fivesome was trapped in a private hell.
[A photo of the Simpsons driving on the Simpsons driving on the beach
turns negative and black and white, then burns]
Homer: [interviewed backstage] Everybody wanted a piece of us.
Marge: [interviewed on the lawn] They told us what to wear, how to dress,
which clothes we should put on.
Bart: [interviewed at the playground] The cops found me driving on the
sidewalk.
Lisa: [interviewed in her room] I had no business hosting the Oscars. After
the show, Meryl Streep spit on me!
[Slow motion shot of Meryl Streep's spit flying through the air; spit
hits a picture of Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa on the Simpsons'
fireplace; it falls to the floor and breaks into four pieces, one
with each person]
Narr.: Tonight: the Simpsons as you've never seen them before, on "Behind the
Laughter".
[A hammer comes in from offscreen and breaks each fragment of the
picture further]
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% The theme song for "behind the Laughter" comes on, which is the theme from
% VH1's "Behind the Music". Negative tinted monochromatic clips from The
% Simpsons are shown: Marge shoots a pistol from "The Springfield
% Connection", Homer stares blankly from "Homer's Phobia", Homer vacuums his
% eyeball from "Lard of the Dance", Bart runs from Homer down the stairs from
% "Bart's Friend Falls in Love", Lisa plays her new saxophone from "Lisa's
% Sax", Maggie doles pacifiers to waiting babies from "A Streetcar Named
% Marge", and Bart falls down a well from "Radio Bart".
%
% Bird's eye view of Springfield, as the narrator identifies this as the
% site of the family's journey into show business. As he introduces the
% children, we see old home movies of what they were like as babies.
% Young Bart puts a water hose in car's gas tank; Marge yanks it out.
% Sometime during the winter, young Lisa walks out on the snow's surface,
% then sinks into it; Marge digs her out. Finally, Maggie scribbles with
% a marker all over Homer, who is sleeping on the couch; Marge runs over,
% but, indifferent, lets it continue.
Marge: Nobody told us how tough it is to raise kids. They almost drove me to
fortified wine.
Homer: Then we figured out we could park them in front of the TV. That's how
I was raised, and I turned out TV.
Ned: [interviewed on his couch] I'd see 'em sitting on that couch all day
long, just staring at that Hollywood hogwash.
Homer: Our favorite show was "Hollywood Hogwash", but we also loved "The Dreck
Squad"...
Marge: ..."The Malarkeys", "Dumbin' it Down"...
Lisa: ..."Sheriff Lowbrow"...
Bart: ..."Home Improvement"...
Homer: ...but we never saw people like *us* on TV.
Bart: TV families were always hugging and tackling issues.
Marge: Homer kept saying he could do a more realistic family show. Finally I
said, "So do it. Either [bleep] or get off the pot."
Narr.: And [bleep] he did. Using his home as the studio and his family as the
cast, this penniless Peckinpah shot a crude five minute video.
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% Footage of the film. It is shot in black and white in the foyer, facing the
% dining room.
Homer: My Funny Family, take 1. [claps clapboard, runs out front door]
And ... action! [comes in again] Honey, I'm home. The boss is
coming to dinner and I need a clean shirt.
Marge: I haven't done the laundry yet.
Homer: Mama mia! Now I'll have to do it! [walks over to a washing
machine in the hallway and pours detergent in]
Lisa: Dad, that's too much detergent--
Homer: Not now, I'm busy turning on this washing machine.
[suds flow from the top of the machine and start filling the
room; Maggie makes a shocked expression as the suds surround
her]
Bart: [comes in the front door wearing a fake mustache and a sash
labeled "Boss"] Simpson! Where's my dinner?!
Homer: Mama mia!
-- "Behind the Laughter"
Lisa: It was amazing how fast Dad betrayed his vision of a realistic show.
Marge: Okay, the material was a little corny, but Homer and I had real
chemistry onscreen.
Homer: Every day I thought about firing Marge ... you know, just to shake
things up.
-- The family discuss their early film test, "Behind the Laughter"
% Homer drives to Hollywood, but discovers from the destination road signs
% that his distance is increasing. He makes a U-turn across the highway
% median.
%
% Things don't get much easier when Homer finally arrives in Hollywood.
% ABC, NBC, and Telemundo all reject the Homer's pilot. As luck would
% have it Marge's hairdresser was also the Fox network's president.
% He evidently agrees to hear Homer's pitch, and Fox likes it enough to
% order thirteen episodes. Footage shows Homer and Rupert Murdoch's
% hands signing their first names on a Perpetual Service Agreement form.
% Mr. Murdoch needs a little coaching to get the job done.
%
% The show is an immediate hit. A bunch of girls scream hysterically at
% a television showing Bart skateboarding ... in a hysteria ward. Some
% workers come in with giant hoses and blast them with streams of water.
%
% Bart figures he know the show would be a hit when he saw a kid at
% school wearing a Bart Simpson T-shirt (emblazoned with one of Fox's
% clever slogans.) Lisa is suddenly invited to the other kids' birthday
% parties, whether she knows the birthday kid or not.
Narr.: "The Simpsons" was a smash. Viewers couldn't get enough of the show's
fractured take on the modern family.
Bart: The funniest stuff came right out of real life.
[Rehearsal footage: Homer and Bart sit on the front couch]
Homer: Son, let's go out for frosty chocolate milkshakes.
Bart: Cowabunga, dude!
Director: And, cut.
Bart: Dad, I've never said "cowabunga" in my life! Your script
sucks!
Homer: Why, you little...! [chokes Bart]
Director: Hey, that's funny!
[Homer and Bart think for a moment, then continue the
strangling as an act]
Homer: And that horrible act of child abuse became one of our most beloved
running gags.
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% A conveyor belt transports figurines of Homer throttling Bart through
% a factory.
Narr.: With Simpson merchandise selling like crazy and Simpson gin wetting
whistles worldwide, the money was pouring in.
[The Simpsons, their dog, cat, and fish roll around in the cash
filling the living room]
Marge: We were using fifty dollar bills as toilet paper, and toilet paper as
dog toilet paper.
[A cement mixer fills the Simpson house with caviar and the whole
family throws it around and eats it]
Narr.: Convinced that the good times would never stop rolling, the Simpsons
moved out of their trademark house and into M.C. Hammer's.
[The house is lowered by helicopter onto a hill; using a mallet,
Homer changes the sign on the gate from "HammerTime" to
"Ho merTime"]
Bart: We found a secret room that was filled to the ceiling with parachute
pants. I'm wearing some now! [moonwalks and splits while beatboxing]
Narr.: But pants or no pants, the Simpsons were flying high.
-- The Simpsons enjoy good times, "Behind the Laughter"
Krusty: [interviewed in his dressing room] Yeah, I've seen all the overnight
sensations -- Brad Hall, Rich Hall, Rich Little, Little Richard -- but
the Simpsons blew 'em all away. They even had a hit record, meanwhile
Krustophenia sits on the shelf!
Lisa: None of us had ever sung before, but Mr. Geffen believed in us.
All Simpsons: [playing tambourines in recording studio and singing]
We're gonna groove tonight
We'll make you feel alright
Simpsons Boogie
Narr.: "Simpsons Boogie", "Lovely to Love Your Lovin'", and "Simpsons
Christmas Boogie" went mega-platinum and swept the Grammys.
[Grammy Awards ceremony]
Ozzy Osbourne: Right, and the award for best hardcore thrash metal goes
to [opens envelope] "Simpsons Christmas Boogie"?!
[The Simpsons get up to accept their 16th or so award as
the audience applauds; Osbourne bites the funnel off
the award and its base squirts blood]
-- Simpsons musical endeavors, "Behind the Laughter"
% Lisa, Marge, Homer, Bart, and Maggie lie in a grassy field as roses fall on
% them.
Narr.: For America's favorite family, everything was coming up roses ... but
those roses contained ready-to-sting bees. When we come back--
Homer: I want to set the record straight -- [deliberately] I thought ... the
cop ... was a prostitute. [nods]
Narr.: When "Behind the Laughter" continues.
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% [End of Act One. Act Time: 7:08 Running Time: 7:08]
%
% After one season on the air, "The Simpsons" is a smash both in America
% and abroad. Even the Queen of England is amused by the family's
% antics.
%
% A parade is arranged for the family. Crowds in the street cheer as the
% Simpsons pass by in a convertible; the enthusiasm stops when they pass
% by and the pope, Santa Claus, and an astronaut come by.
Narr.: But behind the streamers and confetti, storm clouds were gathering.
[Storm clouds block the sun]
*Figurative* storm clouds.
[The clouds leave]
Moe: [interviewed in the bar] Oh, Homer was spending money like a teenage
Arab -- heh. He bought me a Rolex and, uh, Cashmere jeans. I felt
kinda guilty 'cause I was always trying to score with his wife. So,
when do we start filming? [looks at camera] ...Oh.
Lenny: [interviewed on the curb outside Moe's alongside Carl] Even Bart was
throwing dough around. He paid me and Carl a thousand bucks to kiss
each other.
Carl: Hey, did we ever get that money?
Narr.: But reckless spending and interracial homoeroticism were just volume
one of the Encyclopedia Self-Destructica.
[The book explodes]
-- The start of money trouble, "Behind the Laughter"
Narr.: Even more harrowing were the events of one April afternoon.
[An April calendar pops out of a jack-in-a-box]
Bart: The script originally called for *me* to jump the gorge, but I had been
up all night paying people to kiss, so Dad volunteered to do the stunt.
Homer: [watching the gorge jump from "Bart the Daredevil"] Everything was
going great at first; I felt like I was king of the world.
Homer: [on tape] I'm king of the world! Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!
Homer: Right about here I realize something's wrong. Yup, there I go.
[rolling down the cliff] Then came the rocks -- jagged rocks, hitting
me with their jags.
Narr.: The sequence became an instant comedy classic, but what the audience
didn't see was the unfunny aftermath.
[In the hospital, Homer, with many casts, tries to walk using
handrails but snaps his other leg. He collapses to the ground
screaming, but when the nurse dumps pills in his mouth, he stops]
Somehow, Homer became addicted to painkillers. It was the only way he
could perform the bone-cracking physical comedy that made him a star.
["Little Big Mom": Homer gets hit in the crotch with mounds of snow
when skiing; "Lard of the Dance": Willie pounds Homer in the vent;
"When You Dish Upon a Star": Homer falls through a skylight; "Lost
Our Lisa": mayhem in the cherry picker; "Sideshow Bob Roberts":
Homer rams into the chimney clinging to a wrecking ball; "A Milhouse
Divided": Bart breaks a chair on Homer]
Homer: Why did I take much punishment? Let's just say that fame was like a
drug, but what was even more like a drug was the drugs.
-- Homer's drug addiction, "Behind the Laughter"
% In spite of the behind-the-scenes issues, the family's star kept rising
% "like a plastic bag caught in an updraft." Speaking of star's the
% Simpsons are awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, near Milton
% Berle, Nelson Mandela, and the Cheerios Honey Bee.
%
% Although the awards kept rolling in, the Simpson's earnings kept
% rolling out. Comic Book Guy reports that when Lisa tried to buy a
% rare comic at his store, the check "bounced higher than Rubber Girl."
Narr.: Where did the money go? Marge lost much of the family fortune
investing in birth control products.
Marge: I learned something -- when people reach for their diaphragm, they
don't want to see my picture.
-- Some lessons are easier than others, "Behind the Laughter"
Narr.: As the Simpsons' money dwindled, their expenses soared. From the
original group of five, the cast ballooned to dozens, then hundreds.
Wiggum: [interviewed outside his police car] I'd never acted before in my
life, but, uh, if the sea captain could be in the show, why not me?
I've even got a catch phrase -- N'yeah! Wah! Wah-wah-wah! No, I
lost it.
Narr.: Then, another bombshell: an anonymous tipster alerted Uncle Sam that
the Simpsons were evading their income taxes.
Apu: [interviewed in a shadow in the Kwik-E-Mart] Yes, I finked on Homer,
but, you know, he deserved it. Never have I seen such abuse of the
take-a-penny/leave-a-penny tray.
Narr.: The tax men were merciless.
[IRS men vacuum Homer's gold jewelry off him; another tows
away the mansion with a tractor.
Homer: Hey, they can't take our house; my potbellied pig is in there!
[sobbing] Oh, Mr. Porky....
-- The money trouble worsens, "Behind the Laughter"
Narr.: Inevitably, the behind-the-scenes turmoil took its toll on their TV
series.
Director: And action!
[aborted couch gag: OFF sits down on the couch in western
clothes, but Bart is missing]
Hold on, cut.
[the family grumbles]
Bart, if it's not too much trouble....
Bart: [being massaged and having his toenails files, he talks into a
cellular phone] Fine, I'll do "Teen Wolf Three". I've got fair
weather friends to feed. [high fives man holding the phone]
Lisa: Dad, I want to go to bed. Aren't there child labor laws?
Homer: [defensive] Who told you about those laws? Was it Marge?
Marge: Hey, you've been riding me all day. Why don't you poop in your
hat?
Kang: Are you going to need us tonight?
Kodos: I have ballet tickets, not that they'll do much good now.
-- Trouble on the set, "Behind the Laughter"
% The family's troubles took their toll on the show. Plots became more
% gimmicky and outlandish, as in "The Principal and the Pauper." Trendy
% guest stars, like Stephen Hawking, Butch Patrick, and Gary Coleman
% appear in a bid to boost the ratings.
%
% But that wasn't all. Bart judges a Miss Hawaiian Tropic beauty contest
% at the Sheraton Haleakalualea. On the way home, he gets into a scuffle
% with the flight attendants on a Hawaiian Airlines jet. He's led off the
% plane in handcuffs, covering his face in shame. While cools his heels in
% rehab, his friend Richie Rich substituted for him on TV. Ratings for
% the show plateau, then sharply plummet.
Narr.: Desperate to polish their tarnished image, the family agreed to a live
appearance at the Iowa State Fair.
Lisa: Right from the start I had a bad feeling about that gig.
Narr.: It was an evening that none of them would ever forget ... or would
they? No.
[On an outdoor stage at the fair, the Simpsons come out wearing
large ceramic heads of themselves [see comments section], then
they take them off]
Homer: Hello, Iowa! Does anyone have a doughnut?
[uproarious laughter]
Marge: Now Homer, this is no time to be thinking about food.
Bart: Yeah, forget the doughnuts, we're here to *go* nuts!
...musically, that is.
Lisa: What kind of songs should we play?
Marge: Something that swings, with the beat of New Orleans.
Homer: No, something that rocks! That's the sound of today!
Marge: Swings!
Homer: Rocks!
Girls: Swings!
Boys: Rocks!
Narr.: Sadly, this argument was not part of the act.
Homer: I'll kill you!
Marge: You don't have the guts, little man!
Lisa: [takes microphone] Folks, we're just having a little family tiff,
if you'll just bear with us --
Bart: Oh, shut up! Always trying to act so mature! I'm glad you make
the least money!
Lisa: Oh, that's it! [tackles Bart]
[The rest of the family starts fighting]
Narr.: Before a riot could break out, Jimmy Carter came to the rescue with his
comedy break dancing.
Carter: [singing] Got a brother named Billy
And my teeth look silly
Break it down, now [break dances]
[the audience cheers for Carter while security restrains the
Simpson family; the ceramic Homer head rolls off the stage and
smashes in slow motion]
Narr.: The dream was over. Coming up: was the dream really over? Yes it was.
Or was it? And Homer finds a new passion: dusting and polishing mixing
boards. [Homer does] When "Behind the Laughter" continues.
-- Tempers flare at the Iowa State Fair, "Behind the Laughter"
% [End of Act Two. Act Time: 7:41 Running Time: 14:49]
Narr.: The Simpsons' TV show started out on a wing and a prayer, but now the
wing was on fire, and the prayer had been answered ... by Satan. After
the state fair fiasco, none of the family were speaking to each other.
Fox put the show on hiatus and replaced it with hidden camera footage
from the dressing room at Ann Taylor.
Homer: That slugfest at the state fair was really a blessing. It gave us a
chance to pursue solo projects. I returned to my first love: the
legitimate theater.
[Rent II: Condo Fever: Two young women stand in front of a door]
Artist: As a young female artist, I really love living in this east
village loft.
[knock on door]
Oh, that must be our new landlord, Mr. Stingly.
Homer: [comes through the door dressed in black, a cape, top hat and
fake mustache; laughs evilly; sings] Where is the rent? I must
have the rent. Dollars, dimes, and nickels -- I need them all
right now!
Homer: [holding a piece of fake wall with a bite out of it] I literally chewed
the scenery.
-- Homer's solo project, "Behind the Laughter"
% The other family members also had solo projects. Bart replaced Lorenzo
% Lamas on "Renegade." Marge created a nightclub act that featured
% her rendition of "I Shot the Sherriff." She closes the song by telling
% the audience, "the next time you see a sheriff, shoot him ... a smile!"
Narr.: Lisa "sang", too, in a tell-all book blasting the family.
[Lisa talks on a stage about her book "Where Are My Residuals"]
Lisa: To prolong the run of the series, I was secretly given antigrowth
hormones.
[reporters gasp]
Homer: That's ridiculous. How could I even get all five necessary drops into
her cereal? [pause] What?
-- Lisa's solo project, "Behind the Laughter"
% Needless to say, the book does nothing to mend the growing divisions
% between the family members. In fact, nobody really seemed to get along.
% That Thanksgiving, everyone brought his or her lawyer to dinner. Even
% the most innocuous comments brought the threat of lawsuits and counter-
% suits.
It was the best Thanksgiving ever. I mean, emotionally, it was terrible,
but the turkey was so moist!
--Homer's Thanksgiving with lawyers, "Behind the Laughter"
Narrator: The carcass of the Simpsons' empire had been picked clean, but then
came help from an unexpected source.
Hibbert: [interviewed at his desk] I knew there was only one person who could
reunite this troubled clan: my old fraternity brother, Willie
Nelson.
W.Nelson: [interviewed in his bus; robot arms braid his hair] I'd do anything
for Kegmeister Julius, so I cooked up a phony awards show. [robot
display reads "hair jam"] Not again! Time saver, my ass!
Bart: When Willie asked me to be a presenter at the New Awareness Awards,
I had to think about it ... for about a microsecond!
Marge: You just don't say no to the redheaded stranger ... and when I heard
that it was for awareness, that sealed the deal!
Narrator: Would Willie's fence-mending eggs bear fruit? Or would his olive
branch be torn apart by woodpeckers of mistrust?
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% At the New Awareness Awards presentation, Willie Nelson hosts. A man
% finishes playing a song.
Narr.: That night, fate wore a cummerbund ... of suspense!
W.Nelson: Thank you, Taco, for that loving tribute to Falco. Now, to
present the award for most violent rap group, Homer Simpson!
[Homer walks on from left stage]
And Marge Simpson!
[Marge and Maggie walk on from right stage]
Homer: What's she doing here?!
W.Nelson: And Bart and Lisa Simpson!
[Bart is lowered from a crescent moon and Lisa rises out of
the floor]
Lisa: Hey, what's going on?
W.Nelson: Well, I'll be honest. The New Awareness Awards are all an
elaborate sham.
W.Allen: [in audience, with many awards] What? I knew it was too good
to be true. [throws awards to floor]
[The Simpsons turn their backs to each other]
Lisa: So this whole thing was just a trick to get us back together.
W.Nelson: Well, I'm also trying to patch thing up between Van Halen and
Sammy Hagar.
[In the audience, they humph and turn their backs]
But the main thing is for you folks to stop this silly feud,
isn't that right, people?
[The crowd cheers, then chants "hug"; the Simpsons eventually
do and the audience cheers again; Willie Nelson's two
ponytails raise a la Pippi Longstocking]
-- The Simpsons reunite, "Behind the Laughter"
% The Simpsons sit on a grassy hill beside a pond.
Narr.: The Simpsons' bitter past was forgotten, and now the future looks
brighter than ever for this northern Kentucky (*) family.
[(*) Replaced with "southern Missouri" on subsequent airings;
see "Comments" section for more]
Homer: We put all the craziness behind us, and now it's time to get back to
what matters: the show ... and the Sunday comic strip.
Marge: Which Homer writes himself.
Bart: So you *know* it's great! [winks]
Homer: Why you little...! [chokes Bart]
Narr.: So whether choking their son or poking some fun, the Simpsons will keep
on gagging for years to come.
-- "Behind the Laughter"
% The Simpson family watch a man editing an episode. On the monitor, they sit
% in the living room.
Marge: I can't believe it! We won another contest!
Homer: The Simpsons are going to Delaware!
Lisa: I want to see Wilmington!
Bart: I want to visit a screen door factory!
Homer: [to editor] This'll be the last season.
[editor nods]
-- Scene from next season of The Simpsons, "Behind the Laughter"
Narr.: Next week, on "Behind the Laughter": Huckleberry Hound.
H.Hound: I was so gay ... but I couldn't tell anyone.
-- Preview for the next episode, "Behind the Laughter"
% [End of Act Three. Act time: 5:21 Running time: 20:10]
%
% Over the credits, clips of Homer's stunts from past episodes are shown while
% "Simpsons Christmas Boogie" plays. From "Brother from the Same Planet": Tom
% beats up Homer. From "Homerpalooza": Homer takes a cannonball to the gut.
% From "Homer's Phobia": reindeer knock Homer around as he holds Bart in the
% air. From "Lard of the Dance": Willie strangles Homer with the hose. From
% "Kidney Trouble": a car falls on Homer. From "A Milhouse Divided": Bart
% breaks a chair on Homer as he bathes. From "I'm With Cupid": Homer hangs
% from the plane and crashes into a bunch of stuff. From "Little Big Mom":
% Homer skiing. From "Lost our Lisa": a drawbridge closes on Homer's head.
% From "Dumbbell Indemnity": Homer jumps out of Moe's running car, rolls down
% a hill, and back into the car, which falls off a cliff onto the water.
The Simpsons: We're gonna groove tonight
We'll make you feel alright
Simpsons Christmas Boogie
We're dancing to the beat
We'll make you move your feet
Simpsons Christmas Boogie
Simpsons Christmas Boogie
Simpsons Christmas Boogie
-- Simpsons Christmas Boogie, "Behind the Laughter"
% [Credits Time: 0:53]
==============================================================================
> Contributors
==============================================================================
{ah} Aaron Hirshberg
{am} Arjun Minstrel
{bjr} Benjamin Robinson
{ddg} Don Del Grande
{dj} Darrel Jones
{dp} Damian Penny
{gc} George Cutlip
{jc} Jeff Cross
{jd} Joey Denatsate
{jk} Joe Klemm
{jp} Jerry P.
{jr} James Reisdorf
{ma} Matthew Anscher
{ndc} Nicolas Di Candia
{tpl} T. P. Liang
{vp} V. Paterno
==============================================================================
> Legal Mumbo Jumbo
==============================================================================
This episode capsule is Copyright 2001 Benjamin Robinson. It is not to be
redistributed in a public forum without consent from its author or current
maintainer (capsules@simpsonsarchive.com). All quoted material and episode summaries
remain property of The Simpsons, Copyright of Twentieth Century Fox. All
other contributions remain the properties of their respective authors. The
Quote and Scene Summary itself is Copyright 2001 Jerry P. This capsule has
been brought to you by the producers of "Peepin' It Real!"
This work is dedicated to Raymond Chen, James A. Cherry, Ricardo Lafaurie,
Frederic Briere, and all of those who made episode capsules what they are
today.