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"The Old Man and the "C" Student"

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

"The Old Man and the "C" Student" is the twentieth episode of season 10. It originally aired on April 25, 1999. The episode was written by Julie Thacker and directed by Mark Kirkland.

Synopsis

After causing his fellow townspeople to lose the Olympic Games, Bart is forced to slave away his time helping the elderly residents of the local retirement home. Guest starring Jack LaLanne.

Plot

Lisa Simpson writes a letter to the Olympic Society for a school project. The Olypmic Society then decides to hold the next Olympics in Springfield. There is a mascot competition and Homer makes a mascot called Springy, which wins the competition. Everyone prepares for the IOC arrival at Springfield Elementary. The arrival goes well at first until Bart goes on stage with his racist comedy routine which greatly insults the members of the IOC. In response, Springfield loses the chance to host the Olympics. Superintendent Chalmers blames Skinner for letting Bart on stage and doing the routine in the first place. Skinner is then ordered to make every last child in the school do 20 hours of community service and Bart has to work at Springfield Retirement Castle.

Meanwhile Homer gathers up the 1,000 springs he had intended to sell as mascots. He then tries to sell them to Principal Skinner's home where he is punched by Principal Skinner and Agnes Skinner due to Bart's comedy routine. He also tries to sell them at Moe's, injuring Lenny and Moe in the process. Meanwhile at Springfield Retirement Castle, Lisa, who has been volunteering there for a year, is leading "Imagination time" with the elders. Bart believes that the seniors are being mistreated, as they have to do what they are told, and they have no free will. Bart comes in and tells them leave the Retirement Home and the Seniors start having fun. At the Simpson's house, Marge tells Homer to get rid of the springs, after seeing Homer's ideas of what to use them for (self flipping burgers, and turning Maggie into a basketball). Homer flushes the springs down the toilet (althoug Marge would rather he dispose of them properly).

Bart takes all the seniors on a cruise but soon the boat crashes into Mr. Burns' yacht. Moments later, the boat starts rapidly sinking into the water. The boat hits the springs and bounces back up and everyone is saved.

Columbine

The episode aired less than a week after the Columbine High School massacre, which occurred on the 20th. The massacre was perpetrated by classmates and friends Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Because of this, millions of American households watched news channels.