Editing G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)

"'''G.I. (Annoyed Grunt)'''", i.e., "G.I. [[D'oh!]]", is the fifth episode of the [[The Simpsons (season 18)|eighteenth season]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It was written by [[Daniel Chun]], directed by [[Nancy Kruse]], and guest stared [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as a stringent Army Colonel 

==Plot==
After two [[United States Army|Army]] [[Military recruitment|recruiters]] fail to recruit [[Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], [[List of Springfield Elementary School students#Dolph|Dolph]] and [[Kearney (The Simpsons)|Kearney]], they realize that no teenagers of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] want to join the army, so they visit [[Springfield Elementary School]] to enlist kids into the [[Delayed Entry Program]] so that upon reaching the [[age of majority]], they will automatically be enlisted.  

An excited [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] comes home from school and shows [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] and [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] his pre-enlistment form. Marge is instantly appalled at the idea of Bart joining the Army when he turns 18, so she sends Homer down to the Army Recruitment Center to make them cancel Bart’s pre-enlistment. Homer forces the two Army Recruiters to tear up Bart’s pre-enlistment contract, but in the process, the Army Recruiters convince him to join the Army instead.

At the [[Military base|post]] Homer infuriates the [[colonel]]. While the majority of recruits are assigned to the [[infantry]], Homer is assigned to [[OPFOR]] during the Army's [[Military exercise|war games]] along with the other recruits considered too stupid to be cannon-fodder. At the war games, when live ammo is to be tested on them, Homer, thinking it was [[Chinese New Year]], accidentally exposes his unit's location by launching a [[flare]]. The flare blinds the soldiers, who were all wearing night vision goggles. Homer and his unit soon escape into Springfield with the Army close behind. The Army declares [[martial law]] in Springfield. Homer's unit hides in [[Moe's Tavern]], but Moe betrays them in exchange for a large wad of cash. Homer escapes through a hole in the floor of the basement and makes his way to his own home, although the rest of his unit is captured. Soon, he is pursued through the house by a [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]] until (in a scene reminiscent of the [[Looney Tunes]] gags) he blows it up. Homer hides out at the Retirement Castle.

Marge rallies the Springfield community with a phone tree to coordinate resistance to the occupiers, in order to make a plan. The citizens [[Mickey Finn (drugs)|spike]] the town [[reservoir]] with [[alcohol]], intoxicating the occupying force. The colonel's resulting [[hangover]] is so great he reluctantly surrenders to the townsfolk, stipulating only that Homer finish his [[enlistment]]. Homer does so by becoming a recruiter at the Springfield Mall.

==Cultural references==
*The title is a reference to [[G.I. Joe]].  "Grunt" is United States military slang for an [[infantry]] soldier. 'Annoyed grunt' is the script notation for Homer's favorite exclamation, [[D'oh]].
*When the colonel has the recruits do push-ups while Homer eats donuts, it is referencing a scene in the movie ''[[Full Metal Jacket]]''. The movie is again referenced when Homer wonders if the drill sergeant will ask him "what his major malfunction is".
*The Army recruitment film shown at Springfield Elementary uses "Arise, Ye Russian People" from Prokofiev's soundtrack for ''[[Alexander Nevsky (film)|Alexander Nevsky]]'' before switching to [[Led Zeppelin]]'s "[[Communication Breakdown]]."
*Milhouse asks about ''[[The Doodlebops]]'', a popular children's show.
*The music playing during the assault course is the song [[Toy Soldiers (song)|Toy Soldiers]] by [[Martika]].
*When the mini-helocopter blows up, "[[Looney Tunes|That's all Folks]]" appears in the enemy screen

==Reception==
Robert Canning of IGN.com hated the episode, calling it "painfully unfunny", and "the show's attempt to satirize the state of the U.S. military simply crossed the line of good taste". He concluded that it was "by far" the worst episode of the season, and "quite possibly" the worst episode in the entire of ''The Simpsons'' history.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/796/796072p1.html|title=The Simpsons: Season 18 Review|accessdate=2007-06-15|date=2007-06-14|author=Robert Canning|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref>