The Bonfire of the Manatees

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"Bonfire of the Manatees" is the first episode of The Simpsons' seventeenth season. It originally aired September 11,2005. It was the first episode to air in September and first non-Halloween episode to start out the season since season 11's "Beyond Blunderdome". This was the second time this name for the episode was seen in Simpsons media. A mission in The Simpsons: Hit & Run, which predated this episode, was also titled "Bonfire of the Manatees". 11.1 million viewers tuned into this episode.

Plot

File:Bonfire filming.jpg

The "snuggle film" being filmed at the Simpsons house.

Homer gets into trouble with the local mob over football gambling debts. As compensation, Fat Tony wants to use the Simpson home for shooting the adult film Lemony Lick-It's A Series of Horny Events, with the participation of Carl and Lenny. Homer gets Marge and the kids to leave the house by sending them off to "Santa's Village". Marge and the kids return home to find the production is still underway. Marge, outraged by Homer's latest bit of idiocy, leaves. Homer, home alone with the kids tries to figure out what to do next. Just when Marge is about ready to reconcile with Homer, she encounters Dr. Caleb Thorn, a good-looking scientist with a passion for saving the endangered manatee. Homer and the kids go on a quest to find Marge and they stop and stay with their "country cousins" (their dog is Santa's Little Helper's brother). Meanwhile, Marge is finding herself while helping to save manatees. Homer tries to win Marge back by saving a herd of manatees from a gang of jet skiers. He attempts to organize the manatees to battle the gang, but they all flee. However, the gang is dispersed when Homer's country cousin shows up with a notarized court order. Despite his failure, Marge declares she is taking home "the real endangered species": "the devoted husband". The family decides to take a mini-vacation and Homer gets a manatee sent to the power plant to fill in for his job for the next few days. When the manatee is about to die of dehydration, Mr. Burns and Smithers help him by car wash|washing him like a car.

Production

The idea for the episode was pitched in 2003 during the writers' idea sessions for The Simpsons Movie. Al Jean suggested the idea of the family rescuing Manatees, and while it was rejected for the film, it was adapted into the script for the episode.

Cultural references

• The title is a take-off on the novel The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe.
• The title of the "snuggle film" Fat Tony wants to shoot ("Lemony Lick-It's A Series of Horny Events") is a spoof of the popular children's book series and movie Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.
• During the "snuggle film" shooting, Carl tells the director that he has a Foghorn Leghorn tattoo and showing it might lead to possible copyright infringement.
• The New Jersey band Folly released a song called 'Bonfire of the Manatees'.
• The song playing at the end, while Mr. Burns and Smithers wash the manatee dressed like Homer, is "Car Wash"

Reception

On May 11, 2008, Entertainment Weekly named Alec Baldwin's role as Caleb Thorn as the first of 16 great guest stars on The Simpsons.

References

es:Bonfire of the Manatees

← Season 16 Season 17 Episodes Season 18 →

The Bonfire of the Manatees • The Girl Who Slept Too Little • Milhouse of Sand and Fog • Treehouse of Horror XVI • Marge's Son Poisoning • See Homer Run • The Last of the Red Hat Mamas • The Italian Bob • Simpsons Christmas Stories • Homer's Paternity Coot • We're on the Road to D'ohwhere • My Fair Laddy • The Seemingly Never-Ending Story • Bart Has Two Mommies • Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife • Million-Dollar Abie • Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore • The Wettest Stories Ever Told • Girls Just Want to Have Sums • Regarding Margie • The Monkey Suit • Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play