Pranksta Rap

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The Simpsons episode
"Pranksta Rap"
Episode no.	344
Prod. code	GABF03
Orig. Airdate	February 13, 2005
Written by	Matt Selman
Directed by	Mike B. Anderson
Couch gag	The family enters the living room dressed as chess pieces.
Guest star	50 Cent as himself and Dana Gould as Barney Fife
SNPP capsule
Season 16 November 7, 2004 – May 15, 2005
Treehouse of Horror XV All's Fair in Oven War Sleeping with the Enemy She Used to Be My Girl Fat Man and Little Boy Midnight Rx Mommie Beerest Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass Pranksta Rap There's Something About Marrying On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister Goo Goo Gai Pan Mobile Homer The Seven-Beer Snitch Future-Drama Don't Fear the Roofer The Heartbroke Kid A Star Is Torn Thank God It's Doomsday Home Away from Homer The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Pranksta Rap" is the ninth episode of the The Simpsons' sixteenth season, which originally aired February 13, 2005. It was written by Matt Selman and directed by Mike B. Anderson.

[edit] Synopsis

Bart Simpson sees a commercial for the rap show "Murder 4 Life" and decides to go, even though his sister Lisa is disappointed that he has become "another lame suburban kid who loves rap". Bart's father Homer has no qualms of letting Bart buy the ticket himself, as long as Bart doesn't block the TV. Later, when Homer's wife Marge sees Bart wearing Ghetto-like clothing, she finds out about the hip-hop show and, along with Homer, cuts a rap forbidding him from going. However, Bart feels that since he bought his own ticket, he is an adult and decides to go to the show.

While the concert's underway, the microphone of the main singer, Assault Weapons Magazine's "Man of the Year" Alcatraaaz, falls into his hands. Alcatraaaz challenges him to use it or step off. Bart, not one to step down, gets up on stage and cuts a rap (which basically disses Homer), making him an instant hit with the crowd. Impressed with this "little yellow cracker", Alcatraaaz gives him a ride in his Hummer-limo. As they drive, they see 50 Cent in his own Hummer-limo, who advises Bart to stay in school (however, that does not count as community service). When Bart gets home, Alcatraaaz gives him a free jersey.

However, as he passes by the window, he overhears Marge and Homer talking. They have discovered his little escapade and are waiting for him (Homer with his belt in hand). Bart decides that he should face the music like an adult... or lie his way out of it like a kid. So he climbs up to his treehouse and, removing his incriminating jersey, starts writing a note. He then ties the note round a rock and throws it through the window, right where Homer and Marge are standing. Marge reads it, which says that he has been kidnapped and that they should await further instructions. While Marge is shocked that Bart has been kidnapped, Homer is more upset that they have "to await further instructions".

The whole community comes out in support of the Simpsons. Chief Clancy Wiggum declares, in a press conference, that the kidnapper will not get away, as he himself is on the case. This brings peals of laughter from the assembled reporters, one of whom asks if they should prepare for Bart's funeral already. Despite Wiggum's assurances, no one believes that he can solve the case. Later, he withdraws to his office and muses over all his failures as a cop. He feels so depressed that he turns to the bottle... of maple syrup, with a plate of pancakes. As he eats, Barney Fife (of the The Andy Griffith Show) "communicates" with him, through the TV, urging him to put all his efforts into solving this case. Wiggum, thus encouraged, decides to do so.

Meanwhile, Milhouse Van Houten plays frisbee by himself, feeling blue that Bart is not there to watch him do it. Bart makes an appearance and tells him his scheme. Milhouse lets Bart crash at his dad's place in the rundown "Bachelor Arms" apartments. As Bart prepares popcorn, he calls his family, disguising his voice, acting as the kidnapper. Wiggum is at the Simpsons' place, listening in with a recorder. After the call, he plays it back and hears the popcorn popping in the background. He identifies it as "Chintzy Pop" (a very cheap popcorn). After a (non-snack-related) visit to the Kwik-E-Mart, he discovers that there are only two people cheap enough to buy that brand - himself and Milhouse's father Kirk.

While Kirk enjoys his popcorn in his apartment, the cops raid the place and find Bart there. Kirk is arrested on charges of kidnapping and Bart is returned to his relieved parents. Wiggum is hailed a hero in Springfield for having solved the case ("No, really!", according to the papers). He is promoted to Police Commissioner, and in turn, he promotes Lou to police chief and Eddie to "Lou".

Bart and Wiggum are given a parade. Milhouse confronts Bart, telling him that his dad went to jail because of Bart. Bart feels guilty and confesses to Wiggum, later in Wiggum's office. However, Wiggum tells Bart to keep the lie, as everyone's a winner (even though he is in prison, Kirk gets a cleaner home, three meals a day and single women are cheering for him).

Later, as Lisa sits outside, she sees crows hovering around the treehouse. When she investigates, she finds Bart's jersey there and realises that Bart had not been kidnapped at all. She shows the jersey to Homer, who tells her she did the right thing by showing it to him. He then throws it in the fireplace to burn up the evidence. Apparently, Hollywood has paid him a lot of money (which he has already wasted) to make a movie on Bart's "kidnapping". Then, inexplicably, he burns up his own shirt and pants.

Lisa goes to Bart's nemesis, Principal Seymour Skinner, and tells him the story. Without hesitation, he agrees to expose Bart as a fraud. But first, they will need proof. So they decide to go Alcatraaaz's mansion and find out from the rapper himself. However, Wiggum gets wind of their snooping, so he meets with Homer, Bart and Kirk and they decide to cover the whole thing up, before they all lose. Wiggum even has had jackets made for the cover-up, though they can never wear them.

Later, Lisa and Skinner go to Alcatraaaz's place and ask him for video footage of Bart at the rap show. They even get the time and date off of different people's "bling", as seen in the footage. They now have proof that Bart was actually at the show, at the same time the kidnapping was supposed to have occurred. Wiggum, accompanied by Homer and Bart, bursts in, gun drawn, demanding the tape. However, Alcatraaaz's entourage respond in kind, by "yanking out their pieces". Wiggum withdraws, since his gun isn't even loaded.

Homer and Bart try to convince Lisa and Skinner of how this lie has made people happier. Homer, flamboyantly trying to tell Lisa to "be cool", accidentally wrecks a big-screen TV, prompting the entourage to level their guns at him. However, Alcatraaaz tells them all to relax, and using the infinite wisdom of the street, has the perfect solution: HOUSE PARTY!!

The house party is a big hit, with many rappers and hip-hop artists in attendance. Bart and Wiggum are made the centre of attention. Lisa still wonders whether this is right, but Homer tells her not to worry about it, and then he cannon-balls into the pool. Skinner asks Alcatraaaz about his chances of being in the rapper's entourage. Alcatraaaz tells him that they already have someone similar - Superintendent Chalmers, who orders Skinner to "step off, dog!". Everyone - except Skinner - laughs at him, but he needs the money because his wife is very sick.

[edit] Trivia

• TV Guide claimed that Dave Chappelle would guest star in this episode.
• Early reports said that Bart had recorded a song with 50 Cent, but those reports seem to have been false.
• The picture Bart has of Homer appears to be when Homer fell down Springfield Gorge in "Bart the Daredevil".
• While searching for remote in the beginning of the episode Homer finds a picture of "Lenny" inside Marge's hair, although everyone seems to ignore that.
• Bart's Rap lyrics:

"Don't critique my technique/ I'm no geek, I make the principal nervous/ my friends can confirm this, I'll bust a spitwad in your epidermis./ You can trace my remorse to its supersize source/ a hungry hungry hypocrite named Homer of course/ my old man's pathetic/ damn is his head thick, the gas from his ass is carcinogenic/ and every day I pray his DNA ain't genetic."

• Ironically, 50 Cent's much-hyped guest appearance in this episode lasts a matter of seconds, and has no bearing at all on the plot.

[edit] Cultural references

• Barney Fife of The Andy Griffith Show fame appears during Wiggum's dream on a television set much like Don Knotts did to Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville.
• The jokes about Kirk getting trailer time with Springfield's craziest chicks is a reference to the many jailed serial killers (such as Susan Smith) who have placed ads looking for a partner and gotten thousands of responses.
• Chief Wiggum calls Bart "Bratty Hearst" after Bart asks Wiggum not to arrest Milhouse's dad. This name is a reference to Patty Hearst, the newspaper heiress who was kidnapped in 1974 and who eventually bonded with her captors, famously helping them in the armed robbery of a bank.
• The Salad of the Christ is a parodic cross-pollination of The Passion of the Christ and VeggieTales.
• When Bart is in his room he has a page of raps he's written and is writing one down, a parody of Eminem in the movie 8 Mile.
• The scene in which Chief Wiggum analyzes the audio recording of Bart and Marge's phone conversation is very similar to the Gene Hackman character Harry Caul in The Conversation (1974). Even the setup of Wiggum's "Lab" is similar to Caul's dingy warehouse workstation.