Duffless
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"Duffless" is the 16th episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.
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[edit] Synopsis
The episode opens at the school science fair, with Bart presenting a Go-Go Ray. He zaps all the teachers, causing them to dance uncontrollably. Principal Skinner declares "First Prize" over and over, while Bart's dream fades out to Lisa saying into Bart's ear "First prize...first prize..." She explains she was "just screwing with [his] mind."
At breakfast, Lisa shows the family her science fair project: a genetically engineered tomato she hopes will cure world hunger. Bart's actual project is the effect of cigarettes on canines, mainly Santa's Little Helper. Meanwhile, Homer plans to duck out of work and go on a tour of the Duff brewery. Homer refuses to let Barney drive home after the tour, but is himself arrested for drunk driving; his license is revoked, and he must attend traffic school and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
After school 3 days before the science fair, Lisa leaves her super tomato under Bart's care for a moment, who takes the opportunity to hurl it at a bent-over Skinner. Lisa appeals to Marge Simpson for help, who suggests she run a hamster through a maze. She takes the idea to heart, but instead of just testing the intelligence of a rodent, she pits a hamster against an unknowning Bart to find out which is smarter. After two tests, the hamster leads 2-0.
In bed, Marge gives Homer a magazine quiz about his drinking. Hearing his answers, she asks him to give up beer for a month, to which he finally agrees. Homer reminisces about the time he first drank beer, passing out listening to Queen, and is taunted by TV commercials and the fact that watching baseball sober is "boring."
Meanwhile Bart finds Lisa's project notes and hides them. He plans to lead her on a treasure hunt to get them back but she finds them after just a minute. At the science fair, Lisa's project and chance for revenge are both ruined by Bart's project: "Can hamsters fly planes?". Lisa tries to protest that the project has no scientific merit, but everyone ignores her. A cute hamster flying a miniature plane wins over Skinner, who hands Bart the winning ribbon for real, much to Lisa's dismay.
At Homer's first AA meeting, he is kicked out by Reverend Lovejoy after confessing that his desperation led him to "sneak into the football stadium and suck the dirt underneath the bleachers". He also exhibits more positive changes, such as losing weight. After 30 days, a thirsty Homer rushes back to Moe's, money in hand, all the while Marge asking him to stay home instead. He goes anyway and, after seeing the long faces already at the bar, seeing how alcohol has ruined the lives of Barney and the other barflies, heads home. The episode closes with Homer and Marge riding a bike into the sunset.
[edit] Trivia
- First use of the phrase, "Yoink!"
- This episode reveals Hans Moleman is 31 years old and looks elderly because of his alcoholism.
- Ned Flanders claims he has not drank alcohol for 4,000 days in this episode.
- Bart's Go Go Ray's dances are The Jerk,Monkey,Mashed Potato,Swim,and The Freddie.
- At the Duff Factory two flavors of Duff are introduced Duff Lite and Duff Dry along with normal Duff.But they all come from the same pipe meaning they are all the same.
- The episode makes reference to the obvious pressure of the beer companies in using the lure of sex to promote beer sales. Homer sees several bikini-clad women while he is trying to sober up and keep his promise to Marge.
- Homer's driver's license is showed briefly in court room and it reveals that his birth date is May 12, 1956, which happens to be a Saturday.
[edit] Censorship
- In the British airing of this episode after the death of Princess Diana, the part where Barney says, "Hey, that looks like Princess Di!", then drives up to get a better look and says, "Oh, wait, that's just a pile of rags!" was cut.
[edit] Cultural references
- Bart imitates Curly and Moe of The Three Stooges.
- Homer sings a parody of the Frank Sinatra song "It Was a Very Good Year"
- Bart imitates the infamous James Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, turning in a chair and petting a hamster.
- The announcer at the baseball game sounds much like legendary announcer Vin Scully.
- Homer and Marge sing the B.J. Thomas song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" at the end of the episode, in a similar fashion to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
- Lisa's line, "Oh, uh... I was just thinking of a joke I saw on Herman's Head", was a reference to the show Herman's Head, which co-starred Yeardley Smith (Lisa's voice actress).
- Patty and Selma hold a Supperware (an obvious spoof of Tupperware) meeting in the Simpson home. In Airplane!, Elaine (played by Julie Hagerty) shows a native tribe the same thing, also called Supperware.
- When Bart reaches for both the muffins and goes into relapse, it is a parody of A Clockwork Orange after Alex is finished with the Ludivico technique and reaches for a naked womens breasts.
- In the Duff TV ad, a group of women were leading an anti-sexism protest in front of the McMahon and Tate building -- a parody of the McMann and Tate advertising agency from Bewitched.
[edit] External links
- "Duffless" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
