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Difference between revisions of "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"

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{{episode
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{{Tab}}
|image=fake homer.jpg
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{{EpisodePrevNext|Brother's Little Helper|Treehouse of Horror X|season=11|number=229}}
|productionCode=AABF21
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{{Episode
|originalAirdate=October 24, 1999
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|image= Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner promo.png
|blackboardText=I Am not the Last Don
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|number= 229
|couchGag=The Simpsons sit down as normal. Marge notices the name “Matt Groening” written on the carpet, gets up, and wipes the name off. A caricature of Matt Groening (wearing a tacky orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt) comes in and rewrites his name on the floor.
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|season=11
|specialGuestVoices= [[Ed Asner]] as [[Lifeways Editor]]
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|snumber=3
|Written By=[[Al Jean]]
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|prodcode= AABF21
|Directed By=[[Nacy Kruse]]
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|airdate= October 24, [[1999]]
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|blackboard= "I am not the Last Don"
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|couchgag= The Simpsons sit down as normal. Marge notices the name "[[Matt Groening]]" written on the carpet, gets up, and wipes the name off. A caricature of Matt Groening (wearing a tacky orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt) comes in and rewrites his name on the floor.
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|guests= [[Ed Asner]] as the [[Lifeways editor]]
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|showrunner1= Mike Scully
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|writer= [[Al Jean]]
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|director= [[Nancy Kruse]]
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|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"'''Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?'''" is the third episode of the [[List of The Simpsons episodes#Season 11|eleventh season]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It aired on [[October 24]], [[1999]].  
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"'''Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?'''" is the third episode of [[season 11]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the two-hundred and twenty-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on October 24, [[1999]]. The episode was written by [[Al Jean]] and was directed by [[Nancy Kruse]]. It guest stars [[Ed Asner]] as the [[Lifeways editor]].
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== Synopsis ==
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{{Desc|[[Homer]] gets the perfect side job when he becomes the chief restaurant critic for [[The Springfield Shopper]] newspaper. He loves the perks, but can barely write a complete sentence. When [[Lisa]] helps out by ghosting his columns, Homer becomes the most powerful—and feared—critic in town. Soon Homer earns the wrath of every restaurant owner in [[Springfield]] and they join together in a plot to kill him with a poisonous éclair. Can Homer survive this death by chocolate (and butter, and custard)?}}
  
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
[[Springfield Elementary School]] takes a trip to [[The Springfield Shopper]] headquarters and there [[Homer]] goes off the tour where he was supposed to with [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] when he smells food. Homer then finds out the newspaper food critic [[Mimi]] is leaving and Homer eats the food at the party and sings a song about food and the editor is so impressed he hires Homer to be a food critic. Homer starts by writing an example review on the typewriter but it is dumb and Lisa decides to type up reviews on her computer and Homer would send them in (just like what Bart and Lisa did with [[Grandpa]] in [[The Front]].). However, Homer gives all the restaurants good reviews and then talks to his fellow critics who say they sometimes have to give bad reviews. Homer then takes this too seriously and gives every restaurant bad reviews and Lisa quits ghost writing for Homer and starts being nasty and every restaurant owner in [[Springfield]] wants to kill Homer. Their plan is that a french chef will bake a poison eclair for Homer, and Homer will eat it and die as Homer will be at the eat-off reviewing all the restaurant stands. There, Homer sees the eclair but it is a good thing Lisa is there with him and tells him the eclair is going to kill him but Homer ignores and Lisa says it is low fat and Homer drops it and it falls in Moleman's gruel and then Homer destroys the eat-off and everyone chases him.
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The kids of [[Springfield Elementary School]] take a trip to [[The Springfield Shopper]] headquarters. Homer is accompanying [[Bart]] and [[Lisa]] on the tour, but wanders off on his own when he smells food, and ends up crashing the newspaper food critic's retirement party. Homer eats the food at the party and sings a song about it; the editor is so impressed he hires Homer to be a food critic. Homer starts by writing an example review on the typewriter, but it's terrible. Lisa decides to help - She takes the nonsense Homer dictates to her and translates it into eloquent reviews, typing them up on her computer then giving them to Homer to send in (just like Bart and Lisa did with [[Grampa]] in "[[The Front]]").
  
== Cultural references ==
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Homer gives all the restaurants good reviews, resulting in a massive surge in obesity of town residents including Ned and Maude Flanders, [[Lenny]], [[Otto]], [[Sideshow Mel]] and [[Mr. Burns]] (whose shins break under his new weight). He later talks to his fellow critics who say they sometimes have to give bad reviews. Homer being how he is takes this too seriously and gives every restaurant (and Marge) bad reviews. An angry Lisa quits ghost writing for Homer, while his unfair reviews anger every restaurant owner in [[Springfield]], making them want to kill him.  
*The title references the 1967 film, ''[[Guess Who's Coming to Dinner]]''.
 
*Homer's song about food resembles, in part, the tune "I Feel Pretty", from ''[[West Side Story (film)|West Side Story]]''.
 
*The typewriter without an "e" refers to the film ''[[Misery (film)|Misery]]''
 
*Props seen at Planet Springfield: [[Herbie]] from ''[[The Love Bug]]'', the coffee mug from ''[[Heartbeeps]]'', the cane from ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', a script from ''[[The Cable Guy]]'', an alien resembling one from ''[[Mars Attacks!]]'' (but pink), a model of the [[RMS Titanic|Titanic]], models of an [[X-Wing]] and TIE fighters, and a statue of [[C-3PO]].
 
*When Lisa and Homer discuss the language to use in his first review Homer attempts to augment nouns with "groin-grabbingly". Lisa offers the word "transcendent" to which Homer replies "What about groin-grabbingly transcendent?". "Groin Grabbingly Transcendent" is the name of a song by [[Jason Becker]] on his album ''[[The Blackberry Jams]]''.
 
*The episode was also the second episode of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' to feature a reference to the movie ''[[The French Connection (film)|The French Connection]]'' (The first was "[[The Springfield Connection]]").
 
*Luigi references the "horse head" scene from ''[[The Godfather]]''.
 
*Homer typing the same thing over and over spoofs the [[1980 in film|1980 film]] ''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]''.
 
*''[[Citizen Kane]]'' is referenced multiple times throughout the episode, such as the "cane from ''Citizen Kane''" and the scene where Homer tells Lisa "people will think what I tell them to think", and that she "can't do this to me, I'm Homer Simpson!" as she leaves the room.
 
  
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Their plan is for a French chef/assassin to bake a poison éclair for Homer, who will eat it once he reaches the man's stand at an upcoming eat-off event. When the day comes, during the competition, Bart overhears the chefs talking about their plot and tells Marge and Lisa. Homer sees the éclair, but Lisa tells him it is going to kill him. Homer declares he would rather die than not eat the pastry, but then Lisa says it is low fat. He screams in horror and drops it into [[Hans Moleman]]'s gruel, then destroys the eat-off, and everyone chases him.
  
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{{season 11}}
  
{{season 11}}
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[[Category:1999]]
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[[Category:Homer episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Al Jean]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Nancy Kruse]]
  
[[Category:Season 11]]
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[[sv:Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?]]
[[Category:Episodes]]
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[[de:AABF21]]

Latest revision as of 14:06, March 28, 2024

Season 11 Episode
228 "Brother's Little Helper"
229
"Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"
"Treehouse of Horror X" 230
"Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"
Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner promo.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 229
Season number: S11 E3
Production code: AABF21
Original airdate: October 24, 1999
Chalkboard gag: "I am not the Last Don"
Couch gag: The Simpsons sit down as normal. Marge notices the name "Matt Groening" written on the carpet, gets up, and wipes the name off. A caricature of Matt Groening (wearing a tacky orange and yellow Hawaiian shirt) comes in and rewrites his name on the floor.
Guest star(s): Ed Asner as the Lifeways editor
Showrunner: Mike Scully
Written by: Al Jean
Directed by: Nancy Kruse
DVD features


"Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?" is the third episode of season 11 of The Simpsons and the two-hundred and twenty-ninth episode overall. It originally aired on October 24, 1999. The episode was written by Al Jean and was directed by Nancy Kruse. It guest stars Ed Asner as the Lifeways editor.

Synopsis[edit]

"Homer gets the perfect side job when he becomes the chief restaurant critic for The Springfield Shopper newspaper. He loves the perks, but can barely write a complete sentence. When Lisa helps out by ghosting his columns, Homer becomes the most powerful—and feared—critic in town. Soon Homer earns the wrath of every restaurant owner in Springfield and they join together in a plot to kill him with a poisonous éclair. Can Homer survive this death by chocolate (and butter, and custard)?"


Plot[edit]

The kids of Springfield Elementary School take a trip to The Springfield Shopper headquarters. Homer is accompanying Bart and Lisa on the tour, but wanders off on his own when he smells food, and ends up crashing the newspaper food critic's retirement party. Homer eats the food at the party and sings a song about it; the editor is so impressed he hires Homer to be a food critic. Homer starts by writing an example review on the typewriter, but it's terrible. Lisa decides to help - She takes the nonsense Homer dictates to her and translates it into eloquent reviews, typing them up on her computer then giving them to Homer to send in (just like Bart and Lisa did with Grampa in "The Front").

Homer gives all the restaurants good reviews, resulting in a massive surge in obesity of town residents including Ned and Maude Flanders, Lenny, Otto, Sideshow Mel and Mr. Burns (whose shins break under his new weight). He later talks to his fellow critics who say they sometimes have to give bad reviews. Homer being how he is takes this too seriously and gives every restaurant (and Marge) bad reviews. An angry Lisa quits ghost writing for Homer, while his unfair reviews anger every restaurant owner in Springfield, making them want to kill him.

Their plan is for a French chef/assassin to bake a poison éclair for Homer, who will eat it once he reaches the man's stand at an upcoming eat-off event. When the day comes, during the competition, Bart overhears the chefs talking about their plot and tells Marge and Lisa. Homer sees the éclair, but Lisa tells him it is going to kill him. Homer declares he would rather die than not eat the pastry, but then Lisa says it is low fat. He screams in horror and drops it into Hans Moleman's gruel, then destroys the eat-off, and everyone chases him.


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?".
Season 11 Episodes
Beyond Blunderdome Brother's Little Helper Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? Treehouse of Horror X E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder Eight Misbehavin' Take My Wife, Sleaze Grift of the Magi Little Big Mom Faith Off The Mansion Family Saddlesore Galactica Alone Again, Natura-Diddily Missionary: Impossible Pygmoelian Bart to the Future Days of Wine and D'oh'ses Kill the Alligator and Run Last Tap Dance in Springfield It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge Behind the Laughter