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Difference between revisions of "Brush with Greatness"

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{{episode
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{{Tab}}
|image=blank.png
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{{EpisodePrevNext|Old Money|Lisa's Substitute}}
|productionCode=7F18
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{{Quote|Hey Mom, these paintings are good. While I know first-hand how fragile young talent is, I'd love to hear the particulars of how your gift was squashed.|[[Lisa]] to [[Marge]]}}
|originalAirdate=April 11, 1991
+
{{Episode
|blackboardText="I will not hide behind the Fifth Amendment
+
|name= Brush with Greatness
|couchGag=The family hops on the couch in such a manner that it tips it on its side, and Maggie sits on the top.
+
|image= Brush with Greatness promo.jpg
|specialGuestVoices=Ringo Starr as himself, Jon Lovitz as Professor Lombardo, and the doughnut delivery man.  
+
|caption = {{Ch|Ringo Starr}} looking at one of Marge's many paintings of him.
|Written By=Brian K. Roberts
+
|number= 31
|Directed By=Jim Reardon
+
|season=2
 +
|snumber=18
 +
|prodcode= 7F18
 +
|airdate= April 11, [[1991]]
 +
|blackboard= "I will not hide behind the Fifth Amendment"
 +
|guests= [[Ringo Starr]] as {{Ch|Ringo Starr|himself}}<br>[[Jon Lovitz]] as [[Professor Lombardo]]
 +
|showrunner1= James L. Brooks
 +
|showrunner2= Matt Groening
 +
|showrunner3= Sam Simon
 +
|writer= [[Brian K. Roberts]]
 +
|director= [[Jim Reardon]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"Brush with Greatness" is the 18th episode from the second season of The Simpsons. The episode aired on April 11, 1991.
+
'''"Brush with Greatness"''' is the eighteenth episode of [[Season 2]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the thirty-first episode overall. It originally aired on April 11, [[1991]]. The episode was written by [[Brian K. Roberts]] and was directed by [[Jim Reardon]]. It guest stars [[Ringo Starr]] as {{Ch|Ringo Starr|himself}} and [[Jon Lovitz]] as [[Professor Lombardo]].
  
==Synopsis==
+
== Synopsis ==
After Bart and Lisa see Krusty do his show at the Mt. Splashmore water park, they ask Homer if they can go there. Homer gets annoyed, but reluctantly decides to take them there. The family goes to Mt. Splashmore, where they ride H2WHOA!, a crowded water slide. As Homer goes on H2WHOA!, he gets lodged in a section of a pipe. After the rescue crew removes him from the ride, with the help of a large crane, he realizes that he needs to lose weight and announces that he will go on a diet.
+
{{Desc|[[Marge]]'s interest in art is reawakened when [[Homer]] finds old portraits of Ringo Starr that Marge painted when she was a teenager. She takes an art class at the local college, wins an art competition, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of [[Mr. Burns]]. Meanwhile, Homer begins exercising after getting stuck in a water park ride and humiliated on the evening news.}}
  
While Homer is looking for his weights, Bart stumbles on paintings of Ringo Starr that Marge made as a student in high school, when she had a crush on him. Lisa asks Marge what her painting talent was as a schoolgirl, and she says that as a high school student, she was scolded for doing a painting of Ringo Starr. She also recalls sending a painting to him for an "honest opinion", which she also recalls never actually got a response. Lisa suggests that Marge take a painting class at Springfield Community College, which she does. She makes a painting of Homer, which her professor, Lombardo, praises. It wins the college art show.
+
== Plot ==
 +
After [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] see [[Krusty]] do his show at the [[Mt. Splashmore]] water park, they ask Homer if they can go there. [[Homer]] gets annoyed, but reluctantly decides to take them there. The family goes to Mt. Splashmore, where they ride H2WHOA!, a crowded water slide. As Homer goes on H2WHOA!, he gets lodged in a section of a pipe, and after a rescue crew removes him from the ride, with the help of a large crane, he realizes that he needs to lose weight and announces that he will go on a diet.
  
Mr. Burns wants Marge to paint his portrait for the Burns Wing of the Springfield Art Museum. She reluctantly agrees, as long as Burns insists that the painting portray him as a beautiful man. While Burns heckles Marge as she does the painting, Homer finds out that he weighs 239 pounds, which is 21 less than what it previously was. After Burns insults Homer, Marge insists that he leave the house and is ready to quit until Homer encourages Marge to finish the painting and she gets a reply from Ringo Starr, who is decades behind on answering his fanmail, praising her artwork. She finishes the painting, and at the opening of the Burns Wing, she unveils the painting. The painting depicts a naked, frail, and weak Burns. The people are shocked, until Marge explains that it depicts what Burns actually is: a vulnerable human being which will, one day, be no more. Everyone, even Burns, who is at first outraged but then accepts his new glory, praises Marge's painting.
+
While Homer is looking for his weights, Bart stumbles on paintings of {{Ch|Ringo Starr}} that [[Marge]] made as a student in high school, when she had a crush on him. Lisa asks Marge what her painting talent was as a schoolgirl, and she says that as a high school student, she was scolded for doing a painting of Ringo Starr. She sent a painting to Starr for an "honest opinion," but never got a response. Lisa suggests that Marge take a painting class at Springfield Community College, which she does. She makes a painting of Homer, which her teacher, [[Professor Lombardo]], praises. It wins the college art show.
.
 
Also noted is that when Carl speaks in the episode, it is the voice of Lenny speaking as Carl.
 
  
==Appearances==
+
Meanwhile, [[Mr. Burns]] grows exasperated as a number of hired artists fail to paint a suitable portrait of him for installation in the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts. After seeing Marge's winning painting in the newspaper, [[Smithers]] has Mr. Burns consider Marge. She reluctantly agrees, and Burns insists that the painting portray him as a beautiful man. During the sessions to paint him, Burns constantly heckles different members of the Simpsons family, causing Marge's patience to wear thin. When Homer announces that he weighs 239 pounds, which means he's lost 21 pounds, Burns insults Homer and belittles his weight-loss efforts by calling him "the fattest thing he's ever seen." That's the last straw for Marge, and she tells Mr. Burns to leave the house, saying that she can finish the picture without him.
===Characters===
 
* [[Krusty the Clown]]
 
* [[Sideshow Mel]]
 
* [[Bart Simpson]]
 
* [[Lisa Simpson]]
 
* [[Homer Simpson]]
 
* [[Marge Simpson]]
 
* [[Maggie Simpson]]
 
* [[Dr. J. Loren Pryor]]
 
* [[Weasels|Black Weasel]]
 
* [[Scott Christian]]
 
* [[Santa's Little Helper]]
 
* [[Female TV Reporter]]
 
* [[Kent Brockman]]
 
* [[Mr. Schindler]] (flashback)
 
* [[Patty and Selma Bouvier|Selma Bouvier]] (flashback)
 
* [[Patty and Selma Bouvier|Patty Bouvier]] (flashback)
 
* [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]]
 
* [[Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon]] (mentioned)
 
* [[Professor Lombardo]]
 
* [[Snowball II]]
 
* [[Mr. Burns]]
 
* [[Waylon Smithers]]
 
* [[Carl Carlson]]
 
* [[wikipedia:Ringo Starr|Ringo Starr]]
 
* [[Weatherby]]
 
* [[Barney Gumble]]
 
* [[Moe Szyslak]]
 
* [[Julius Hibbert]]
 
* [[Elizabeth Hoover]]
 
  
===Vehicles===
+
Marge concedes that given Mr. Burns' personality, she can't paint a beautiful picture of him. Homer encourages Marge to finish the painting, and in the mail she gets a reply from Ringo Starr, who answered her letter, apologizing for replying late and praising the picture she had sent him years earlier. Now inspired, Marge finishes the painting of Mr. Burns, and at the opening of the Burns Wing, she unveils the painting. The painting depicts a naked, frail, and weak Burns. The people are shocked, until Marge explains that it depicts what Burns actually is: Despite all his evil, he is at the end of it all a vulnerable human being which will, one day, be no more, something as beautiful as anything else in the world. Everyone, even Burns, who is at first outraged but then accepts his new glory, praises Marge's painting.
* [[Orange Station Wagon]]
 
* [[Burns' Limo]]
 
  
===Locations===
+
== Production ==
* [[Mt. Splashmore]]
+
The episode was written by [[Brian K. Roberts]] and directed by [[Jim Reardon]]. Ringo Starr guest stars as himself (the first member of ''The Beatles'' to appear on the show) as well as [[Jon Lovitz]].
* [[742 Evergreen Terrace]]
 
* [[Springfield High School]] (flashback)
 
* [[Bouvier House]] (flashback)
 
* [[Springfield Community College]]
 
* [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant]]
 
* [[wikipedia:Liverpool|Liverpool]]
 
* [[Springfield Palace of Fine Arts]]
 
  
 +
<gallery>
 +
File:7F18 Script.jpg
 +
</gallery>
 +
 +
== Reception ==
 +
"Brush With Greatness" has received almost universal critical acclaim for TV critics and is often cited as a "superb episode". The episode finished thirty-seventh in the ratings for the week it aired, with a Nielsen rating of 12.0.
 +
 +
== In other languages ==
 +
{{LanguageBox
 +
|hu=yes
 +
|huName=Csak egy ecsetvonás
 +
|huTrans=Just a brush stroke
 +
|it=yes
 +
|itName=Spennellando alla Grande
 +
|itTrans=Brushing great
 +
|br=yes
 +
|brName=Capricha no Retrato
 +
|brTrans=Put Some Effort on the Portrait
 +
|de=yes
 +
|deName=Marges Meisterwerk
 +
|deTrans=Marge's masterpiece
 +
|jp=yes
 +
|jpName=マージは芸術家
 +
|jpTrans=Marge the Artist
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Season 2}}
 
{{Season 2}}
[[Category: Season 2]]
+
 
[[Category:Episodes]]
+
[[Category:1991]]
[[pt:Capricha no retrato]]
+
[[Category:Marge episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Mr. Burns episodes]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes written by one time writers]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes directed by Jim Reardon]]
 +
 
 +
[[de:Marges Meisterwerk]]
 +
[[sv:Brush With Greatness]]

Latest revision as of 14:01, March 28, 2024

Season 2 Episode
030 "Old Money"
031
"Brush with Greatness"
"Lisa's Substitute" 032
"Hey Mom, these paintings are good. While I know first-hand how fragile young talent is, I'd love to hear the particulars of how your gift was squashed."
Lisa to Marge
"Brush with Greatness"
Brush with Greatness promo.jpg
Ringo Starr looking at one of Marge's many paintings of him.
Episode Information
Episode number: 31
Season number: S2 E18
Production code: 7F18
Original airdate: April 11, 1991
Chalkboard gag: "I will not hide behind the Fifth Amendment"
Guest star(s): Ringo Starr as himself
Jon Lovitz as Professor Lombardo
Showrunners: James L. Brooks
Matt Groening
Sam Simon
Written by: Brian K. Roberts
Directed by: Jim Reardon
DVD features


"Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of Season 2 of The Simpsons and the thirty-first episode overall. It originally aired on April 11, 1991. The episode was written by Brian K. Roberts and was directed by Jim Reardon. It guest stars Ringo Starr as himself and Jon Lovitz as Professor Lombardo.

Synopsis[edit]

"Marge's interest in art is reawakened when Homer finds old portraits of Ringo Starr that Marge painted when she was a teenager. She takes an art class at the local college, wins an art competition, and is commissioned to paint a portrait of Mr. Burns. Meanwhile, Homer begins exercising after getting stuck in a water park ride and humiliated on the evening news."

Plot[edit]

After Bart and Lisa see Krusty do his show at the Mt. Splashmore water park, they ask Homer if they can go there. Homer gets annoyed, but reluctantly decides to take them there. The family goes to Mt. Splashmore, where they ride H2WHOA!, a crowded water slide. As Homer goes on H2WHOA!, he gets lodged in a section of a pipe, and after a rescue crew removes him from the ride, with the help of a large crane, he realizes that he needs to lose weight and announces that he will go on a diet.

While Homer is looking for his weights, Bart stumbles on paintings of Ringo Starr that Marge made as a student in high school, when she had a crush on him. Lisa asks Marge what her painting talent was as a schoolgirl, and she says that as a high school student, she was scolded for doing a painting of Ringo Starr. She sent a painting to Starr for an "honest opinion," but never got a response. Lisa suggests that Marge take a painting class at Springfield Community College, which she does. She makes a painting of Homer, which her teacher, Professor Lombardo, praises. It wins the college art show.

Meanwhile, Mr. Burns grows exasperated as a number of hired artists fail to paint a suitable portrait of him for installation in the Springfield Museum of Fine Arts. After seeing Marge's winning painting in the newspaper, Smithers has Mr. Burns consider Marge. She reluctantly agrees, and Burns insists that the painting portray him as a beautiful man. During the sessions to paint him, Burns constantly heckles different members of the Simpsons family, causing Marge's patience to wear thin. When Homer announces that he weighs 239 pounds, which means he's lost 21 pounds, Burns insults Homer and belittles his weight-loss efforts by calling him "the fattest thing he's ever seen." That's the last straw for Marge, and she tells Mr. Burns to leave the house, saying that she can finish the picture without him.

Marge concedes that given Mr. Burns' personality, she can't paint a beautiful picture of him. Homer encourages Marge to finish the painting, and in the mail she gets a reply from Ringo Starr, who answered her letter, apologizing for replying late and praising the picture she had sent him years earlier. Now inspired, Marge finishes the painting of Mr. Burns, and at the opening of the Burns Wing, she unveils the painting. The painting depicts a naked, frail, and weak Burns. The people are shocked, until Marge explains that it depicts what Burns actually is: Despite all his evil, he is at the end of it all a vulnerable human being which will, one day, be no more, something as beautiful as anything else in the world. Everyone, even Burns, who is at first outraged but then accepts his new glory, praises Marge's painting.

Production[edit]

The episode was written by Brian K. Roberts and directed by Jim Reardon. Ringo Starr guest stars as himself (the first member of The Beatles to appear on the show) as well as Jon Lovitz.

Reception[edit]

"Brush With Greatness" has received almost universal critical acclaim for TV critics and is often cited as a "superb episode". The episode finished thirty-seventh in the ratings for the week it aired, with a Nielsen rating of 12.0.

In other languages[edit]

Language Name Translation
Germany.png Deutsch "Marges Meisterwerk" Marge's masterpiece
Italy Flag.png Italiano "Spennellando alla Grande" Brushing great
Brasil Flag.png Português "Capricha no Retrato" Put Some Effort on the Portrait
Hungary flag.png Magyar "Csak egy ecsetvonás" Just a brush stroke
Flag of Japan.png 日本語 "マージは芸術家" Marge the Artist


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Brush with Greatness".
Season 2 Episodes
Bart Gets an "F" Simpson and Delilah Treehouse of Horror Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish Dancin' Homer Dead Putting Society Bart vs. Thanksgiving Bart the Daredevil Itchy & Scratchy & Marge Bart Gets Hit by a Car One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish The Way We Was Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment Principal Charming Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Bart's Dog Gets an "F" Old Money Brush with Greatness Lisa's Substitute The War of the Simpsons Three Men and a Comic Book Blood Feud