Difference between revisions of "Bart Has Two Mommies"

Revision as of 13:54, October 11, 2006

Bart has Two Mommies is the fourteenth episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons. It aired on March 19, 2006, as the 370th episode overall.

Synopsis

Ned Flanders wins a new computer and offers it to Marge, as he has no use for it. In return, Marge babysits the Flanders children. With Marge spending so much time at The Flanders', Homer must look after Bart and Lisa. Homer takes the kids to an animal retirement home, but the trip goes awry when Toot-Toot the monkey pulls Bart into her cage and holds him hostage. Marge learns of the kidnapping when it is a breaking news report and she must figure out a way to get her son back.

Trivia

• Marge calls herself a "Star Wars" after making a Darth Vader mask out of a paper plate.
• Revealed: Mr. Teeny's real (monkey) name is Louis.
• Flanders used to run an internet company called FlanCrest Enterprises, yet in this episode he is scared of computers.
• Rod makes a paper plate mask of Todd and vice versa. This may be a reference to a Simpsons Halloween Comic, in which Rod dresses up as Todd and vice versa.
• Maude Flanders is shown looking down on her sons from heaven, saying "My little boy is growing up." Maggie Roswell voiced her, but was uncredited in the premiere airing. When it reaired, the credits were amended to include her name. Note: After several viewings of this episode, this scene has yet to be verified for its existence.
• When Marge speaks to Ned, she consults a Flanders-English dictionary, and Ned uses an English-Simpson dictionary.

Cultural references

• The title is a reference to the children's book Heather Has Two Mommies.
• Homer thinks the title creatures from Gremlins will be at the animal retirement home.
• Antonio Fargas makes an appearance as Huggy Bear (from Starsky and Hutch), who has mistakenly been caged in the animal retirement home. This is not Huggy Bear's first appearance on The Simpsons, but it's his first speaking role. In "Homie the Clown", we saw "The Son of the Guy who played Huggy Bear."
• Homer yells "Springfield High football rules!", paraphrasing a famous line from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.
• The scenes where Rod is struck by fear of heights parody Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo.
• Toot-Toot carrying Bart up the church steeple parodies King Kong.
• Ode to Joy was the music played when Rod and Todd got accustomed to the unconstrained see-saw.
• When Ned is covering his backyard with foam for safety of Rod and Todd, He sings a parody of the song "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses about making the yard safer.
• The Hamburglar reconciles differences with Mayor McCheese; both popular McDonalds children's characters.
• As Homer is crunched and mutilated as he goes through a series of gears "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott plays on the soundtrack. This was a signature tune used by Carl Stalling in many of his Warner Brothers cartoons, and later by Richard Stone. The sequence, visually, is also a tribute to Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times.
• In the same scene, which takes place in an old mill, his rubber duck barely escapes being crushed by the rotating gears. This scene is a tribute to the Disney classic "The Old Mill".

Quotes

• Bart: Why does God need our money?
  Homer: He has to finish paying off the planets. Did you see that ring He gave Saturn?

• Bart (as he and Rod climb down the church steeple): Don't let our hands touch it's gay.
  Rod: What does "gay" mean?
  Bart: Um, It means...you used to be afraid...but you're not anymore.
  Rod: (shouting down at Flanders) I'm gay, Daddy! I'm gay! Mrs. Simpson made me gay!
  Marge: (laughs nervously) I believe he's saying...he's okay.

• Homer: What are you talking about? Monkeys don't have feelings. If they did, my experiments on them would be cruel.

• Homer: (sarcastic tone) Oh, you're so right! I guess I should be more concerned with Bart's safety than covering my own butt! And maybe I'm talking like this because I can't stop! Help me, Lisa, I have serious mental problems!

• Ned: (gasp) A sliver from a band-aid wrapper! Call me Ned Zeppelin, but is one of my boys abraised and contused?!
  Todd: I cut myself on the knife playing Christian Clue.
  Rod: The secular humanist in the school house with misinformation!

• Rod (praying): And please thank Mrs. Simpson for giving as much fun as we had when Mommy was here.
  Marge: Aw.
  Todd (praying): And please ask Mommy to come to Daddy in a dream so he knows how to cut our sandwiches.
  Marge: Aw.
  Rod (praying): And please tell Mrs. Simpson it's rude to eavesdrop on our prayers.
  Marge: (surprised) Oh.
  Rod (praying): But we forgive her.
  Marge: Ooooo.

Broadcasting Information

USA/Canada

• 1st Airdate: Sunday, March 19, 2006
• 2nd Airdate: Sunday, June 25, 2006

UK

• 1st Airdate: Sunday, April 9, 2006
• 2nd Airdate: Friday, April 14, 2006 (Encore Screening)
• 3rd Airdate: Friday, June 2, 2006
• 4th Airdate: Friday, August 4, 2006
• 5th Airdate: Thursday, August 24, 2006

Australia

• 1st Airdate: Thursday, June 29, 2006