Difference between revisions of "Natural Born Kissers"

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"Natural Born Kissers"

Episode Information Showrunner: [[{{{showrunner}}}]]

"Natural Born Kissers" is the season finale of The Simpsons' ninth season and originally aired on the Fox network on May 17, 1998.[1] Homer and Marge discover that the fear of getting caught while making love is a turn on and start making love in public places. It was the first episode written by Matt Selman and was also the only episode to be directed by Klay Hall. Some networks, including the UK's Sky One and Canada's CBC, list the episode by the title: "Margie, May I Sleep With Danger?"

Plot

It is Homer and Marge's eleventh wedding anniversary and Grampa does not arrive at the Simpsons house to babysit the children. As a result, they decide take Bart, Lisa and Maggie to a fancy restaurant with them. However, Bart objects and takes the family to a family restaurant shaped like an airplane, which spoils Homer and Marge's evening together. Later that evening, Homer and Marge attempt to have sexual intercourse, but lack enthusiasm. The following day, it is discovered Homer left the freezer door open, causing the refrigerator motor to burn out. Homer and Marge make their way to a hardware store to buy another motor, but the car gets stuck in the muddy driveway in the miuddle of farm country. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa stay at the Springfield Retirement Castle with Grampa, and they discover a metal detector in his closet. Later in the episode, they use they uncover a suppressed, happy ending to the film Casablanca in which Ilsa Lund and Rick marry. The Old Jewish Man steps forward to reveal that in his younger days, he was a studio executive that had tacked that happy ending onto the picture. He then gives Bart and Lisa twenty dollars to re-bury it, along with another film reel labeled, "It's a Wonderful Life: Killing Spree Ending".

Homer and Marge rush into the nearest barn to avoid a sudden storm. A farmer discovers the barn door is open and suspects trespassers. He enters the barn, nearly catching Homer and Marge, who are hiding in the hay loft, but leaves after failing to locate them. When the coast is clear, Homer and Marge have inspired sexual intercourse in the hay loft. They think their marriage has been recharged and go for a romantic weekend at a Bed and Breakfast, but soon fall into their old patterns. However, a maid walks in on them and they conclude they are both aroused when they risk being caught during intimate moments.

Their love life is recharged and one day they begin to have sex on the same miniature golf course windmill where Bart was conceived. This time they come too close to being caught, and while they manage to escape, they have to flee through Springfield in the nude. In the end, the two are seen in an football stadium, and a naked photograph of Homer and Marge appears in the local newspaper.^[1][2][3]

Production

"Natural Born Kissers" was the first episode written by Matt Selman, who partly based it on his parent's marriage.^[4] The episode was the only time that Mike Scully ever got a call from Fox where they suggested not doing the episode. They were worried about the sexual content, the nudity and how it was going to be handled. It was the first episode to ever receive an M (15+) rating in Australia.^[5] They disliked several of the phrases used in the episode, such as the term "ass forkin'".^[4] In an interview, Matt Groening said "The network censors couldn't believe it, and neither could I: the cow at the peephole while Homer and Marge make love in a hayloft; neighbors groping Homer when he and Marge are caught nude inside the windmill at the Sir Putts-A-Lot mini golf course; Homer dangling naked from a hot-air balloon, his ass dragging against the glass of a Crystal Cathedral-like church."^[6] The producers fought the censors and in the end, very little of the script was changed.^[4] Marge's behind is also shown on television for the first time.^[5] Marge and Homer in the golf course is a reference to the season 3 episode "I Married Marge", although in that episode they are in a castle, rather than a windmill.^[4]

The idea for the episodes couch gag came from Dan Castellaneta's niece, who was given a special credit for it.^[7]

Cultural references

The airplane restaurant "Up, Up and Buffet!" is based on a submarine shaped restaurant that was near the Fox studio named "Dive".^[5] The supposed alternate ending to the 1942 film Casablanca is shown in the episode, and the Old Jewish Man gives Bart and Lisa a copy of It's A Wonderful Life with a "killing-spree ending".^[2] The song played over the end credits is "Rock the Casbah" by The Clash.^[2]

Reception

Matt Groening listed the episode as being his eighth favorite episode,^[6] and the aroused cow is one of his all-time favorite act break jokes.^[8] The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "a superb episode which actually makes Marge and Homer's love life seem very real; everyone needs a bit of spice now and again, and they find theirs. The balloon trip is hysterical, and the attempts to explain their behaviour to a very worldly-wise Bart and Lisa are magnificent."^[2]

Trivia/Goofs

• The windmill was in such a place that it should off chopped of Principal Skinner's head as well as Lincoln's.

• When the cloud of dust gathers, Ned Flanders seems to peek at the escaping Homer and Marge, but doesn't seem to notice afterwards.

Freeze Frame Fun

• The bag in the freezer says "ARF BAG".

• Marge isn't fully turned around when she started to run, and you get a ... sneak peek.