Difference between revisions of "Take My Wife, Sleaze"

Revision as of 00:24, May 3, 2008

"Take My Wife, Sleaze" is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons.

Plot

The family visits Greasers Cafe where Homer and Marge win a dancing contest. Their prize is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. After Bart educates Homer on riding a motorcycle (which Homer likes doing), he forms a motorcycle gang with Moe, Lenny, Carl, and even Ned Flanders, which he names the Hell's Satans. They get in trouble all across Springfield, and are confronted by a real motorcycle gang named the Hell's Satans, which are based in Bakersfield.

After the true Hell's Satans arrive, the group—led by two men named Meathook and Ramrod—destroy things at the Simpson house. Fortunately, Marge is in the house to clean it as the motorcycle gang lives in the house (a la Happy Days), until she is captured by the real Hell's Satans. Homer goes after them and winds up at several biker bars, but does not like it at these bars. He encounters Marge at a campsite, where the group kidnaps her, until Homer comes in to attack the group, and he wins back Marge. Afterwards, Meathook and Ramrod say goodbye to Marge in hopes of finding new jobs.

Cultural references

Greaser's restaurant

The 1950s-themed restaurant has a bunch of nostalgic themes, including:

• Commercial — Wolfguy Jack plugs the restaurant with numerous 1950s-era references, including:
  • Coca-Cola — A popular soft drink at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
  • Dick Clark — Host of American Bandstand.
  • Television — Referring to the early days of television.
  • Ford Thunderbird — The 1956 Ford Thunderbird that Wolfguy Jack and his assistant, Debbie Dunham, are riding in during the commercial is one of many seen at the restaurant.
• Headlines plastered on the walls throughout the restaurant include:
  • The Beatles — Even though they didn't arrive until the 1960s, the explosive popularity of the English band is acknowledged.
  • Hula hoops — A popular fad during the late 1950s.
  • Milkshakes — A popular treat at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
  • Vietnam War — Although it didn't reach its peak until the mid- to late-1960s, the war began in 1959 and is so acknowledged.
• Menu items — The following 1950s references are used for the menu items:
  • Allen Ginsberg — Hamburgers named Allen Ginsbergers, for the beatnik writer.
  • McCarthyism — The grilled cheese sandwiches are named Un-American cheese sandwiches, after Sen. Joe McCarthy's pejorative for people suspected of being Communists.
  • Polio vaccine — The hot dogs are named polio dogs, after Jonas Salk's vaccine that would ultimately wipe out the dread disease.
• Dennis the Menace — Jay North reprises his role as the title character of the 1959-1963 situation comedy at Greaser's grand opening.
• Other restaurant franchises with 1950s-era gimmicks — Among others, Johnny Rockets, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney-MGM Studios, and Maid-Rite.
• Pulp Fiction — The dance contest at a 50s-themed restaurant is similar to the one in the 1994 movie.
• Wolfman Jack and Debbie Dunham — Restaurant proprietor Wolfguy Jack and his girlfriend are thinly veiled caricatures of the radio personality and the character from American Graffiti, respectively.

Other references

• American Gothic — The painting featuring Apu and Manjula standing in front of the Kwik-E-Mart (except Apu is holding a broom) is based on Grant Wood's famous painting.
• Friday the 13th — The Hell's Satans are staying at Camp Crystal Lake, which is named after the campground where Jason Voorhees terrorized teen-agers in the slasher film series.
• Guinness World Records — The TV special the family watches — complete with Lisa echoing criticism about the reliability of the records — is a takeoff of several Fox "Guinness" specials that had recently aired.
• "Jailhouse Rock" — "Mental House Rock", performed by Johnny Bobby (voice: Hank Azaria) is a parody of the Elvis Presley song.
• Rebel Without a Cause — The movie Homer watches, about a rebellious biker named Jimmy, is a parody of the classic 1955 movie.
• The title is a reference to an old joke used by stand-up comedians "Take my wife, please".