How I Spent My Strummer Vacation
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" | |
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| Episode no. | 293 |
| Prod. code | DABF22 |
| Orig. Airdate | November 10, 2002 |
| Written by | Mike Scully |
| Directed by | Mike B. Anderson |
| Couch gag | The family (literally) jumps a shark. |
| Guest star | Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, and Brian Setzer as themselves |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 14 November 3, 2002 – May 18, 2003 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" is the second episode of The Simpsons' fourteenth season. The episode first aired on November 10, 2002.
In early 2003, this episode was voted the 22nd best Simpsons episode ever by Entertainment Weekly.
[edit] Synopsis
On a visit to Moe's, Homer has no money to pay for his beer and Moe won't give him any freebies. As a result, he goes around town doing alternate things to feel drunk (such as breathing thin air on top of a mountain, licking toads and giving blood). Moe feels guilty about earlier and gives Homer a free beer, but Homer is already heavily intoxicated. Moe, Lenny and Carl put Homer in a taxi cab to Homer's home. He is secretly being videotaped, and what he says on tape are some unpleasant things about Marge and the kids, as well as his dream of being a rock star. His family is not impressed with him, but soon realise that they do somewhat burden him. To make up for this, the family takes Homer to a Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp, run by the Rolling Stones. At the camp, Homer and a bunch of other Springfield citizens learn about rock music, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, and Brian Setzer. Homer likes the camp very much and goes wild. He learns different "rock 'n' roll" techniques, like Mick's walk, and how to showboat with the guitar (something that does not please Mick Jagger very much, considering it flies into his office and messes up his paperwork). Finally, the wannabe-rockstars have a mock rock concert, with Homer as the lead guitarist and singer. Homer, really into the rock fantasy, even jumps into the crowd, except that the crowd only contains the 6 musicians, who nearly get flattened by Homer's mass.
However, it does not last long as the camp was actually a one-week only camp. Homer's dream is shattered and does not want to leave. That is, until Mick Jagger offers Homer a chance to perform at a benefit gig, the "Concert for Planet Hollywood". Homer, excited to no end, gets passes for his friends so they can see him at the concert. But, Homer is shocked when he is asked to do the duties of a roadie. When he goes on stage to test the microphone, seeing his family and friends out there rooting for him, he sings a rock song and steals the show. This angers the rock stars, who attempt to run Homer off the stage with a big mobile fire-breathing devil's head. The devil's head goes out of control and plows into the audience.
The performers, feeling sorry about their actions, offer Homer an opportunity to perform at another benefit concert (for the victims of the recently messed-up gig), but he declines and prefers to perform at home instead. However, he starts moving around in the big devil's head, and takes Bart and Lisa to school in it, much to the fascination of the kids there
[edit] Trivia
- The scene at the beginning of the episode where Homer licks frogs to get drunk is reminiscent of the episode "Missionary: Impossible" in which, as a Missionary to the South Pacific, he attempts licking toads to stave off boredom.
- Strangely, Homer's time singing with the Be-Sharps is unmentioned here (though that was barbershop, not rock-and-roll), although he won a Grammy, enjoyed brief stardom, and met George Harrison.
- The songs include "Rip This Joint", "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)", and "She's So Cold", all by the Rolling Stones, "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz and "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello.
- When Homer is driving Bart and Lisa to school in the end of the show, Tom Petty's song The Last DJ can be heard playing.
- People at fantasy camp include Homer, Professor Frink, Gil, Otto, Dr. Hibbert, Herman, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief Wiggum, Barney Gumble, Kirk Van Houten, and Fat Tonys gangmember Legs.
[edit] Cultural references
- The cab videotaping Homer is a parody of Taxicab Confessions.
- The opening gag is a reference to TV shows "jumping the shark".
- The title refers to Joe Strummer of The Clash. This episode aired on November 2002, Strummer died the following month.
