Trash of the Titans
"Trash of the Titans"
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Episode Information
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"Trash of the Titans" is the 200th episode of the series which aired during Season Nine. This episode guest stars the popular rock group from Ireland, U2.
Plot
The executives of Costingtons department store invent a new holiday to improve summer sales known as "Love Day", a holiday combining the colorful heartful theme of Valentine's Day with the commercial gift buying of Christmas. After the Simpsons celebrate Love Day, the trash starts to pile up but the family refuse to take it outr until the trash spills, which Homer makes it do. When Homer is forced to take out the trash, the garbage truck passes the house. Homer insults the garbagemen and, because of his refusal to apologize, the Simpsons' trash service is cut off. Garbage begins to pile up in the Simpsons' front yard, until one day Homer wakes up to find all the garbage gone. Homer thinks that he won until he learns that Marge wrote an apology letter to the sanitation commissioner, forging Homer's name. Homer goes to see the sanitation commissioner, Ray Patterson (voiced by Steve Martin) to get his apology letter back. Ray politly gives the letter back but Homer won't stand for it and after a brief, pointless argument, Homer decides to run for sanitation commissioner himself to spite Patterson.
Homer's campaign never gets off the ground. Offering some advice, Moe suggests Homer offer the new slogan "Can't Someone Else Do It?" Homer convinces the town that by voting for him they would get services such as round-the-clock trash pickup and emergency cleanup service. Homer wins the election in a landslide and gets straight to work implementing his new ideas. After only a month in office, however, his department goes bankrupt due to the expenses of his "crazy promises". In order to pay his garbagemen, Homer allows other cities across the country to dump their garbage under Springfield for a price. The trash quickly begins to pile up and unearth itself, flooding garbage all over Springfield. Homer is horsewhipped and removed from his position. The town tries to get Ray Patterson back but he instead amusedly leaves the town in its mess after essentially saying "I told you so." With no other option, Mayor Quimby has no choice but to move the town five miles down the road, truck-lifting all the houses and buildings.
Characters
- Mr. Costington (debut appearence)
- Marge Simpson
- Homer Simpson
- Bart Simpson
- Lisa Simpson
- Maggie Simpson
- Ned Flanders
- Rod Flanders
- Ray Patterson
- Selma Bouvier
- Patty Bouvier
- Wiseguy
- Moe Szyslak
- Lenny Leonard
- Carl Carlson
- U2
- Otto Mann
- Jasper Beardley
- Sideshow Mel
- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
- Sea Captain
- Kirk Van Houten
- Edna Krabappel
- Elizabeth Hoover
- Groundskeeper Willie
- Herman
- Cletus Spuckler
- Mrs. Glick
- Professor Frink
- Dr. Hibbert
- Chief Clancy Wiggum
- Ruth Powers
- Lionel Hutz
- Sarah Wiggum
- Krusty the Clown
- Barney Gumble
- Dr. Nick
- Kearney
- Mayor Quimby
- Snowball II
- Todd Flanders
- Agnes Skinner
- Brandine Spuckler
- Linda McCartney (dedicated to memory of herself)
Quotes
- Marge: "Homer, that crazy lady who lives in our trash pile attacked me again."
- Homer: "That's not how she tells it."
- Bono: "What the!..Bloody Hell"
- Paul McGuiness (U2 Manager): "Who are you? This is off limits."
- Homer (with Irish Accent): "Potato Man."
- Paul McGuiness: "Where the bloody hell have you been? Get in there!"
- Homer has taken over the widescreen. The shots of the U2 bandmembers disappear and are replaced by Homer
- Homer: Hey there everyone. I know you like your music but that you are also concerned about the race for sanitation commissioner. I am here to give you the 911!
- Homer walks out on stage and is booed
- Bono: Hold on people, he is talking about waste management! And that issue effects the whole damn planet!
- Other members of U2 roll their eyes as Bono is going off on a political rant
- Larry: 'Ere we go again! Want to duck out to Moe's for a pint?
- The Edge: May I come?
- Larry: Let me think about it....No.
- The Edge: Wankers.
- Homer wins the election. He gets the news looking at a newspaper dispenser
- Newspaper headline: SIMPSON WINS IN LANDSLIDE. Says "crazy promises" key to victory.
- Homer: Woo hoo!
- Lisa: Dad, are you not going to buy it?
- Homer: 50¢? Not likely.
- An angry Mayor Quimby comes into Homer's office
- Mayor Quimby: Simpson, you idiot! You spent the year's budget in a month! Your department is broke!
- Homer: Wait! I do believe I have the perfect plan!
- Quimby: You had better, because those garbagemen will not work for free!
- Homer: DOH!
Cultural references
- Clash of the Titans: The episode's title is a play on that of the 1981 film.
- Ray Patterson's remarks about how he is moving away from Springfield and the people can wallow in the mess they made by electing Homer was reference to a 1990 show in Las Vegas where Redd Foxx was billed. Twelve people were in attendance. Foxx was introduced via a band that played the theme music to "Sanford & Son", whereupon an angry Foxx stated he would not perform for such a meager audience and walked off. The band, unsure of what to do, played the "Sanford & Son" theme music once again.
Trivia
- U2 are shown to be touring in the Pop Mart tour, which coincided with the release date of the episode. They play "Pride (In The Name of Love)", with images of Homer being beaten up by security staff on the screens behind them, ironically as the lines "in the name of love" are being sung.
