Behind the Laughter
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"Behind the Laughter" is an Emmy winning episode from the eleventh season of The Simpsons. It is presented in a narrative format, with Jim Forbes as narrator. The episode portrays the Simpson family as actors playing themselves on a sitcom, and tells the (partially fictional) story of how The Simpsons began. This episode won Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour).
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[edit] Synopsis
Done in the style of "Behind the Music," the popular VH1 biography show, this non-canon episode begins with the Simpson family history and how they got into show business. The first part of the fake documentary follows the family from their weak beginnings to their exceptional prosperity. A television show, a recording contract, a lot of awards, and countless wealth follow Homer's inadequate video "pilot."
However, problems begin to arise as the Simpsons' fame continues. After a funny stunt causes him injury (the cliff plummet from "Bart the Daredevil," after a montage of Homer injury clips), Homer becomes addicted to prescription painkillers, Marge makes some senseless business investments, and Bart goes to rehab. The IRS examines soon after and takes away their house (called "Homertime", since it belonged to rapper MC Hammer before he went bankrupt and was called "Hammertime"). Then, the family gets into a big dispute and splits up at the Iowa State Fair.
Fox is forced put the show on hiatus, since none of the Simpsons will talk to each other. The members go their independent ways: Homer follows a career in the proper theater; Barts replaces Lorenzo Lamas as the star of the syndicated action show Renegade; Marge makes a nightclub act; and Lisa writes a tell-all book about her experiences. Bringing the family back together seems hopeless until country singer Willie Nelson puts on a phony awards show in order to reconcile the family. They hug and forget past wrongs in a sensitive reunion. Again, they look with hope to the many years of episodes of the Simpsons to come...or not.
Last images show Homer Simpson giving orders to the editing of "the last season" of the Simpsons series. The sentences we can hear on the editing screen were used for season 12's last episode, Simpsons Tall Tales.
[edit] Trivia
- During the "Behind the Laughter" title sequence, words can be seen in the back. They are: Success, Fame, Beer, Candy, Money, Drugs, Women, Donuts, Sex, Milhouse, Lawsuits, Redemption, Hormones, and Graphics.
- CBS, ABC, NBC, PBS and Telemundo are the major networks to whom Homer tries to sell his demo tape.
- The people at the parade cheer for the Simpsons more than Santa Claus, the Pope, and an astronaut, probably meant to be Neil Armstrong.
- In an episode entitled "Disorder in the Court", Richie Rich appears as Bart. (This was also the title of a Three Stooges two-reeler).
- When the narrator says "Fate wore a cummerbund of suspense", captions read "Certainty was a no-show".
- This episode offers some explanation as to why the Simpsons children do not seem to age: Lisa accuses them of giving her anti-growth drugs, to prolong the series.
- In the UK, "Behind the Laughter" was the last episode of The Simpsons shown by the BBC before Channel 4 began terrestrial broadcasts of the series in November 2004. It was shown on BBC Two on 20 January 2004, and repeated on 7 May. [1]
- At the end of the episode (while the Simpson family is sitting on a small hill), the narrator states: "The Simpsons' bitter past was forgotten, and now the future looks brighter than ever for this northern Kentucky family." On a second airing, the line was changed to state the family lives in Missouri rather than Kentucky.
- Simpsons Boogie, Lovely to Love Your Lovin', and Simpsons Christmas Boogie (which wins a Grammy Award for "Best Hardcore Thrash Metal") are the Simpsons records that go "mega platinum".
- The "scene" from an upcoming episode, which was meant to be a joke, was in fact used in a later episode. The audio from the scene was recorded again for "Simpsons Tall Tales".
- The following episode in the (fake) "Behind the Laughter" series is a biography of cartoon star Huckleberry Hound. In the advance Hound confess he's homosexual. "I was so gay ... but I couldn't tell anyone."
- Homers quote “Every day I thought about firing Marge. You know, just to shake things up.” Is a possible reference to early consideration of killing Marge off.
- The episode reveals that Julius Hibbert attended Baylor University with Willie Nelson (as revealed by the picture of the two as frat brothers, although this information may be non-canon)
- Another non-canon scene shows Homer & Marge moving to their new house before Bart was born, but in the canon plot Homer was living with Marge's family before Bart was born. When he was, they moved into an apartment, and then moved to their present house when Marge was pregnant with Lisa.
- During a scene in this episode, Lisa is seen eating caviar, even though she is a vegetarian.
- "Simpsons Christmas Boogie" (2000) (file info) — play in browser (beta)
- Problems playing the files? See media help.
[edit] Cultural references
- The format of the episode parodies VH1's Behind the Music documentary series. Jim Forbes, who narrates this episode, narrated the VH1 program.
- For their show at the Iowa State Fair, the Simpsons wear costumes that are very similar to the Partridge Family's performing outfits.
- Lisa writing a tell-all book is a parody of the phenomenon that has the grown up children of celebrities writing spiteful, scandalous, tell-all books about their famous parents (like Christina Crawford did with Mommie Dearest.)
- Lisa revealing that Homer used drugs to keep her from aging is a reference the rumours surrounding Gary Coleman's parents doing the same thing to their child actor son.
- The cover of the Krustophenia record is a parody of The Who's Quadrophenia.
- The Encyclopedia Self Destructica is a reference to the Encyclopedia Britannica.
- The Simpsons are featured on several magazines, including TV Guide, Rolling Stone, Coin Laundry News, and Short Hair Ideas.
- The Grammy win could be a reference to the 1989 Grammys, when Jethro Tull beat out Metallica for the Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance award.
- Like his alleged dove- and bat-biting incidents, Ozzy Osbourne bites the top off of a Grammy and the trophy starts spurting blood.
- While watching The Simpsons, the Queen of England is eating a TV dinner. This is reference to the fact that Queen Elizabeth II was a fan of Dallas, and had made public that she often watched the show while eating a TV dinner to let people see her in a more down to earth role.
- At the Iowa State Fair, "Jimmy Carter's Habitat for Hilarity" is the opening act for the Simpsons' show.
- Homer's IRS woes may refer to either Redd Foxx or M.C. Hammer (whose estate Homer purchases). As it happens, guest star Willie Nelson has had his own well-publicized income tax troubles.
- Another motive of the phony awards show was to reunite Sammy Hagar with Van Halen, who are shown in the crowd scoffing at each other, following Hagar's departure from the band in 1996. They would reunite (although not permanently) in 2004.
- Nelson's braids fly up just like Pippi Longstocking's pigtails after helping to reunite the Simpsons.
- There are two very subtle Beatles references: the picture that crashes is the parody of A Hard Day's Night that appeared at the end of "The Old Man and the "C" Student", and girls at the hysteria ward screaming to "Twist and Shout".
- A popular fan website with the same name was developed in 2002 by Jon Levin. The site was shut down a year later.
[edit] External links
- "Behind the Laughter" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
- "Behind the Laughter" at the Internet Movie Database
