22 Short Films About Springfield

"22 Short Films About Springfield" is the twenty-first episode of Season 7 and aired on April 14, 1996. This is one of several episodes which are considered anthology episodes that features mini-stories.

Synopsis

The episode is about the untold stories of many people of Springfield, focusing mainly on recurring characters.

Plot

Prologue

The episode opens with Bart and Milhouse spitting off of a bridge, and wondering about the lives of other people in Springfield. The remainder of the episode consists of a variety of short stories focusing on different supporting characters, as well as the Simpsons family. A few of these segments feature their own title cards or theme songs (Some of which were cut for time and released on the 7th season DVD.) At other times, the segments simply segue from one to the next.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's Story

Sanjay asks Apu to go to a party. so Apu leaves the store for the next five minutes. During this period, he eats a semi-cooked hot dog, dances to the song "Freakaziod" by Midnight Star, has sex with a woman in a tool shed, and falls into a pool with other partygoers. He heads back to the Kwik-E-Mart with a minute to spare. He opens the door to the store, and discovers that Hans Moleman was inside during the 4 minutes Apu was away. Moleman demands his 4 minutes of time back, but quickly lets it go, claiming he would just waste them.

Lisa's First story

While skateboarding, Bart accidentally throws gum into Lisa's hair while she puts a beer can into a recycling bin. Marge tries to get the gum out of Lisa's hair with peanut butter and mayonnaise. Lisa then goes outside to let the mix sink in, but is chased around by a swarm of bees.

Mr Burns' Story

Mr. Burns and Smithers are on a tandem bike ride and Smithers gets stung by a bee but also has an allergic reaction after claiming that he is deadly allergic to bee stings. Mr. Burns orders Smithers to pedal to the hospital while in great pain, but in the end they crash right at the Hospital's door, and paramedics pick up the unconscious Mr. Burns instead of the ailing Smithers. Dr. Nick walks by and simply exclaims that Smithers needs booze, and drops pocket change on an ailing Smithers.

Dr Nick's Story

Dr. Nick walks into the medical boardroom to have a meeting about his gross incompetence. Suddenly, a doctor walks in and tells them that a lunatic with a scalpel (Abraham Simpson) is demanding to see a quack. The board members turn to look at Dr. Nick. Dr. Nick walks though the door giving Grandpa Simpson a nonsensical diagnosis: that Abe's skeleton is trying to escape his body. He performs an improvised treatment by shocking Abe with the wires of a nearby surgery light. The grateful board allows Dr. Nick to keep his medical license, and he celebrates by offering free nosejobs to everyone, (starting with Jasper).

Moe's Story

Moe asks Barney if he recalls Moe quipping that he'll have to send away to NASA to calculate Barney's bar tab. The results came in, and Moe tells Barney that he owes 14 billion dollars (He initially claims that it was $70,000,000,000 until he realized that that was actually the cost for the Voyager Spacecraft). Barney gives Moe $2,000, which Moe says is halfway there. Snake then comes and tries to rob Moe. Moe quickly runs into a room behind him with a 3 inch thick bulletproof glass window. While Moe is behind the bulletproof glass, Snake jumps over the counter, and steals from the cash register to pay off his student loans. Moe wonders how much air he has behind the bulletproof glass, and shortly after collapses.

Skinner's Story

Principal Skinnner has invited Superintendent Chalmers to his house for dinner, but his roast burns and he resorts to ordering fast food from Krusty Burger and disguise it as his own cooking. While trying to come up with fake explanations to explain his actions while covering up his lie, Skinner forgets to turn off the oven and sets his house on fire. After Chalmers leaves, Skinner has to get his mother out of the fire.

Homer's Story

Homer is walking Santa's Little Helper, and holding Maggie and some groceries at the same time and comes across a newspaper vending machine. The paper has an article regarding a new donut tax. Concerned about the donut tax, Homer buys a paper while juggling around Maggie, etc., and accidentally locks Maggie in the newspaper vending machine. After finding only train flattened coins in his pocket, Homer tries to put a note on Santa's Little Helper about Maggie being trapped, however it was written in cheese whiz and Santa's Little Helper licks it off of the paper. Homer tries to pull Maggie out through the little space that the door opens, but pulls off Maggie's clothing accidentally. So Maggie is still in the bender and Homer decides to just steal the vending machine with Maggie still inside.

Chief Wiggum's Story

Clancy Wiggum is at Krusty Burger with Eddie and Lou, and they discuss the similarities and differences of McDonalds and Krusty Burger, and the food they sell. Wiggum later leaves and goes to get some donuts. This story is also a parody from Pulp Fiction, when Vincent tells Winnfield what the quarter-pounder with cheese is called in Paris (Royal Burger).

Bumblebee Man's Story

Bumblebee Man returns from his show and decides to relax at home. However, he encounters a bunch of disasters (Similar to his show) that cause him to accidentally destroy his house and his wife divorces him out of anger.

Snake and Wiggum's Story

Snake is driving his car listening to a rock version of the Simpsons theme song while Chief Wiggum is idioctly walking down the street eating doughnuts. Wiggum notices Snake, and Snake runs him over impulsively. Wiggum chases after Snake and they indirectly wind up in Herman's Military Antiques. Herman captures them at gunpoint. This story is a parody from a Pulp Fiction scene.

Reverend Lovejoy's Story

Reverend Lovejoy walks his dog and has it relieve itself on Ned Flanders's front yard. Ned comes out onto his yard, and Lovejoy scolds his dog as if his dog was doing its business on accident.

Lisa's Second Story

Marge is still trying to remove the gum out of Lisa's hair. After Ned suggests freezing it out, he accidentally mashes more hair into it. Soon, everyone comes in to the Simpson's kitchen to offer suggestions: Dr. Hibbert, Lionel Hutz, Sideshow Mel, Otto, Captain McAllister and Uter.

Cletus' Story

Cletus finds a pair of boots and gives them to Brandine for her job interview, but she refuses to accept them, as they may scuff up the topless runway at the place she's trying to get a job at. Brandine tells Cletus to put them back where they came from. Cletus climbs a telephone pole and hangs them over the power lines where he found them. Cletus decides to shout to his mother to get off of the roof while he's up there.

Milhouse's Story

Milhouse goes into Comic Book Guy's store to go to the bathroom but Comic Book Guy tells Milhouse that he must purchase something to go to the bathroom. Milhouse decides to buy a Hamburgler's comic for 75 cents. His father Kirk comes in and is appalled that Milhouse is just buying comics, he takes Milhouse to another place. He and Milhouse go into Herman's Military Antiques to get Milhouse to a restroom.

Herman's Story

Herman Hermann has captured Snake and Wiggum, who are tied up, and is now holding a shotgun and waiting for Zed to get here. Milhouse and his dad come in so that Milhouse can go to the bathroom. While Kirk is trying to make small talk with Herman, he gets tied up with Snake and Wiggum. Milhouse hits Herman from behind with a spiked flail, knocking him unconscious.

Lisa's Third Story

Lisa goes to Jake the Barber to get her hair cut. With a small bald spot from the hair getting cut, she gets it restyled, which makes Lisa look more like a real person. She leaves the barber shop, and Nelson laughs at her hair.

Nelson's Story

Nelson laughs at Lisa's new hair and Mrs. Glick, who trips and falls into a trash can and a tall man driving a Volkswagen Beetle. The tall man stops his car and gets out. He chases after Nelson, and pulls down his pants and makes him walk down the street to teach Nelson a lesson. Nelson is being splattered by ketchup and mustard by Bart and Milhouse, who are standing on top of an overpass.

Ending

Bart and Milhouse walk away, with the conclusion that everybody has their own story to tell, with not enough time to tell them all. Out of nowhere Professor Frink appears and tries to tell his story, but is cut short by the end credits.

The two following stories go through the entire episode by connecting to several segments:

Lisa's Story

While skateboarding, Bart accidentally throws gum into Lisa's hair while she puts a beer can into a recycling bin. Marge tries to get the gum out of Lisa's hair with penut butter and mayonnaise. Lisa then goes outside to let the mix sink in, but is chased around by a swarm of bees. After escaping them Marge is still trying to remove the gum out of Lisa's hair. After Ned suggests freezing it out, he accidentally mashes more hair into it. Soon, everyone comes in to the Simpson's kitchen to offer suggestions: Dr. Hibbert, Lionel Hutz, Sideshow Mel, Otto, Captain McAllister and Uter. Lisa goes to Jake the Barber to get her hair cut. With a small bald spot from the hair getting cut, she gets it restyled, which makes Lisa look more like a real person. She leaves the barber shop, and Nelson laughs at her ridiculous hair.

The Herman Situation

Moe asks Barney if he recalls Moe quipping that he'll have to send away to NASA to calculate Barney's bar tab. The results came in, and Moe tells Barney that he owes 14 billion dollars. Barney gives Moe $2,000, which Moe says is halfway there. Snake then comes and tries to rob Moe. Moe quickly runs into a room behind him with a 3 inch thick bulletproof glass window. While Moe is behind the bulletproof glass, Snake jumps over the counter, and steals from the cash register to pay off his student loans. Moe wonders how much air he has behind the bulletproof glass, and shortly collapses. Meanwhile Chief Wiggum is at Krusty Burger with Eddie and Lou and Eddie, Lou and Wiggum discuss the similarties and diffences of McDonalds and Krusty Burger, and the food they sell. Wiggum later leaves and goes to get some donuts.

Snake is driving his car listening to a rock version of the Simpsons theme song while Chief Wiggum is idioctly walking down the street eating doughnuts. Wiggum notices Snake, and Snake runs him over impulsively. Wiggum chases after Snake and they indirectly wind up in Herman's Military Antiques. Herman captures them at gunpoint, beats them up and waits for Zed to get here so "the party can begin". Milhouse goes into Comic Book Guy's store to go to the bathroom but Comic Book Guy tells Milhouse that he must purchase something to go to the bathroom. Milhouse decides to buy a Hamburgler's comic for 75 cents. Kirk comes in and appalled that Milhouse is just buying comics, he takes Milhouse into Herman's Military Antiques to get him to a restroom. A confused Herman agrees. While Kirk is trying to make small talk with Herman, he gets tied up with Snake and Wiggum. Milhouse hits Herman from behind witha a spiked flail, knocking him unconscious. Wiggum escapes as the others wonders over the weird situation.

Production notes

The very tall man is a caricature of Simpsons writer Ian Maxtone-Graham. He is voiced by Hank Azaria.
The episode was inspired by "The Adventures of Ned Flanders" segment at the end of "The Front".

Legacy

Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "22 Short Films About Springfield".

The episode inspired Simpsons creator Matt Groening to come up with a concept of a possible spin-off series called Tales from Springfield, about the recurring characters of Springfield, along with the stories of young Homer. The idea has still not been made a reality.

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Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two) • Radioactive Man • Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily • Bart Sells His Soul • Lisa the Vegetarian • Treehouse of Horror VI • King-Size Homer • Mother Simpson • Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming • The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular • Marge Be Not Proud • Team Homer • Two Bad Neighbors • Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield • Bart the Fink • Lisa the Iconoclast • Homer the Smithers • The Day the Violence Died • A Fish Called Selma • Bart on the Road • 22 Short Films About Springfield • Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" • Much Apu About Nothing • Homerpalooza • Summer of 4 Ft. 2