Simpson and Delilah
"Simpson and Delilah" is the second episode of The Simpsons' second season, airing on October 18, 1990.
Contents
Synopsis
Homer Simpson realizes he does not have much hair and he wants a hair cure drug, Dimoxinil, so badly after seeing a commercial on TV, calling it a "miracle breakthrough". He visits a store which sells Dimoxinil, but it costs $1,000, and Homer cannot afford that. At work, Lenny suggests Homer pay for Dimoxinil through the company medical insurance plan. Homer arranges to get the Dimoxinil through a shady deal in an alley with the doctor who offered the Dimoxinil for $1,000. He applies the drug, and the next day, Homer wakes up with hair. At work, Mr. Burns surveys the security monitors to find a new person to promote to an executive promotion. He sees Homer with hair and chooses Homer for the job.
As he is about to become an executive, Homer tries to look for a good secretary, but all the applicants fail until Homer finds a man, Karl, who applies. Homer eventually picks Karl, and they go shopping for a suit. At the power plant's board meeting, Homer finds a good suggestion to improve the low productivity and decrease the record high worker accident rate: Give people more tartar sauce when they have fishsticks every Tuesday. Mr. Burns approves Homer's proposal, and accidents have, according to Smithers, decreased by the number of accidents that Homer himself is known to have caused last month. With Burns impressed with Homer's efforts, he gives him the key to the executive washroom.
Ironically, as Homer is given the key, Smithers exposes Homer's phony medical insurance form, and sees Homer's reason he got Dimoxinil was to keep his brain from freezing. Burns asks Homer to give a speech to the executives, and at the same time it happens, Smithers discovers that Homer has bilked the power plant's insurance plan out of $1000. Smithers fires Homer on the spot, but Karl admits he did it, and he is fired, and forgives Homer. When he gets home, Bart Simpson|Bart uses Homer's Dimoxinil bottle in order to have a beard. Bart accidentally spills Homer's bottle, and he is mad. The next day, Homer arrives at the meeting, doing his speech with Karl's help, with Karl actually coming to say goodbye to the girls in the typing pool. Homer presents his speech, but the people who see it reject him. He is asked to come to Mr. Burns' office, and Burns mentions he was happier on his days with hair. In the end, Homer gets his regular job back, and Marge consoles him.
Trivia
- Dimoxinil is a spoof on a similar product, Minoxidil, which was originally used for high blood pressure, and later became Rogaine.
- The title comes from the Bible story "Samson and Delilah".
- The character "Karl" was played by openly gay actor Harvey Fierstein, and it is at least implied that "Karl" is also gay. This mark the beginning of a trend of several LGBT characters on The Simpsons.
- This also features the first animated male-on-male kiss.
Quotes
- Sign at The Royal Majesty Clothing For the Obese or Gangly Gentlemen, the store where Homer buys his suits: YOU RIP IT, YOU BUY IT.
- Homer: (strangling Bart) BOY! MUST! DIE!
Bart: I love you, Dad!
Homer: D'oh! (stops strangling) Dirty trick. Okay, I'm not going to kill you, but I'm going to tell you three things that are gonna haunt you for the rest of your days. You've ruined your father, you've crippled your family, and baldness is hereditary!
Bart: It is?! - Mr. Burns (after hearing about how much Homer defrauded the company for his Dimoxomil): BLAST HIS HIDE TO HADES!!
- [After hearing Dimoxinil is one thousand dollars]
Homer: A thousand bucks!? I can't afford that!
Salesclerk: Hmm...well, we do have a product which is more in your price range, however...
[pulls out giant jug labeled "Hair in a Drum" with a twenty dollar price sticker]
Salesclerk: I must assure you, that any hair growth you experience while using it will be purely coincidental. audio clip
