Sleeping With the Enemy
"Sleeping With the Enemy" is an episode from the sixteenth season of The Simpsons.
Synopsis
Template:Spoiler Lisa's friends at school tease her about her big butt, causing her to become self conscious about her weight. Homer only makes matters worse when he tells her about the "Simpson butt", something that all Simpsons have. He goes on to draw himself the way an animator would, starting with circles, then filling in the rest of the details (there is also an inside joke here: Homer draws his hair and ear forming the initials MG "for some reason" as he narrates; Matt Groening was originally considering drawing Homer this same way, but then realized that it would be too distracting to the viewers, according to a commentary from a Simpsons DVD set). Bart brings home a test with a grade of 100, eagerly expecting a party that was promised to him if he ever got a 100. However, Homer thinks Bart forged the test, and is not easily willing to give up. Bart gets his "party", which is attended by Aunt Patty and Selma, Grampa (who is sleeping in an armchair), Grandma Bouvier, Ralph, and Martin. Milhouse can only attend via speakerphone because he has the measles. Bart doesn't enjoy the party one bit and to make matters worse, Lisa runs up to her room crying when Marge offers her a big slice of cake.
Marge begins to think her kids don't appreciate her anymore, so when she finds Nelson eating tadpoles from a fountain in the park, she decides to become a mother figure in his life and spend some quality time with him. She brings Nelson home and pays him to do some chores. Nelson's mother finds this out and doesn't want Marge giving them any "charity". Later that night, Nelson's mom has left town, and Nelson, having no place else to go, decides to stay with the Simpsons. Marge lets him sleep in Bart's room, forcing Bart to sleep on the floor, underneath his bed.
Late one night, Nelson is singing about his long lost father, while Lisa, unable to take anymore starvation, is stuffing herself with an entire cake, that actually says "Happy Labor Day Lenny. The next day, Nelson helps Lisa get back at Sherri and Terri for teasing her. Nelson unleashes a skunk, which sprays both of them, while Lisa and the rest of the children point and sing a modified version of Jingle Bells (see song below). Both twins are horrified and run off screaming. When Lisa and Nelson return home, they find Nelson's father, who Bart found working at a freak show in a circus. It turns out that Nelson's dad had really gone to the Kwik-E-Mart (as Nelson had made previous references to), where he had gotten a severe allergic reaction from eating a chocolate bar full of peanuts. Coincidentally, the circus had made a stop in the Kwik-E-Mart parking lot, and found Nelson's father, thinking he was some kind of half human, half monkey beast. Nelson's mother finally returns, after going to Hollywood and getting the lead role in Macbeth, playing Lady Macbeth. At the conclusion of this episode, Nelson goes back to live with his family and Lisa still has an unhealthy obsession with her weight, although Homer tells her to say that everything is fine.
Trivia
- This episode marks the second time Bart achieved an 'A' in his school work. The first time was in "Homer vs. Dignity".
- This episode introduces the second genetic condition Lisa has inherited from Homer, the Simpson Butt. The first is stubbiness (abnormally short, thick fingers). Bart has the Simpson stupidity gene, which affects the family males, and will possibly lose his hair later in life.
- However Bart's condition with the gene seem temporary as it is shown in another episode that he becomes Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But then again, since Lisa becomes president in the future, it may be nepotism. On the other hand, Bart shows amazing intelligence in present episodes, too. Out-smarting Sideshow Bob, figuring out how to save the snakes on Whacking Day, getting the lemon tree back in a Trojan Horse method, giving advanced knowlegde about George Washington in the French and Indian war, and learning other languages are just a few examples. His pranks take brains and in Separate Vocations when Bart becomes hall moniter, his grades go up showing that he only stuggles because he doesn't pay attention, not because he's dumb, so Lisa becoming president doesn't matter. Bart condition doesn't seem temporary, he doesn't seem to have the gene at all.
- Martin's drawing of President Eisenhower at the party included former Canadian Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent, who was in office during Eisenhower's presidency. This is the first time that a Canadian Prime Minister has ever been mentioned/shown in animated form on The Simpsons and it is ironic that they chose one of the lesser known Prime Ministers.
Cultural References
- The title of the episode is taken from a 1991 movie of the same name.
- When Nelson's dad is in the freak show it is a clear reference to the David Lynch film, The Elephant Man. A true life story of a man named Joseph Carey Merrick.
Goofs
- Marge acts ignorant of Nelson's home situation, though she learned about it back in "Bart of War" when Homer led him, Bart, and several other neighborhood boys in the Pre-Teen Braves. Recall, as Nelson hugged a tree mistaking it for his dad, Marge mused, "I can see why he left."
- Bart's capitals test has 13 answers to 12 questions - amongst all the correct capitals is 'Little Rock' (the capital of Arkansas, which is not a question on the test). It also makes no mention of Kentucky's capital Frankfurt, which Homer later finds amusing.
Quotes
- Ralph: Bart is my bestest boyfriend!
- (Homer draws himself to show Lisa)
Homer: Daddy's got one big circle here...one up here...two big sexy circles for eyes...one macho muzzle...snappy new outfit...and for some reason, my hair and ear form an M and a G.
- (Homer ties a sweater around his butt to prove Lisa that he looks thinner, but he looks fatter)
Homer (pretending to be his butt in a high-pitched voice): Homer, you're wasting away to nothing! You simply must eat something! (in normal voice) Well, you're the boss! (takes a bite of a sandwich) (high-pitched voice) Ooh, I love to see my man eat!
- Lisa(Lisa is using a skipping rope) 65..66..67...
Sherri: Lisa, are you counting how many days it takes to wash your huge butt?!
Lisa: I can't hear you!
Terri: That's because your butt blocks your ears!
Lisa: That doesn't make any sense!
Sherri: Neither does your butt!
- Bart: I won! P-A-R-T, party!
- Ralph (playing Duck Duck Goose): Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck...
- Nelson: Ha-ha! (nervously) I'm starting to let down my guard...ha-ha!
- (sung (to the tune of Jingle Bells) by the children ridiculing Sherri and Terri)
Sherri smells, Terri smells
Stinky all the way
Stink stink stink
Stink stink stink
One-horse open sleigh!
- Nelson: This sandwich rocks! My tadpoles seem crude by comparison.
- (after Nelson enters the Simpsons' home)
Marge: Can I get you a glass of milk?
Nelson: Cow milk?
Marge: Mm hm.
- (when Bart sees Nelson at his home)
Bart: My mom? My bully? My God!!
- Nelson: (To Marge) Thanks Mrs. S, today didn't totally suck nard.
