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Difference between revisions of "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"

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{{episode
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{{Episode
|image = Go_Lisa.jpg
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|image= Lisa spelling.png
|Episode Number = 301
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|number= 303
|productionCode = EABF07
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|season=14
|originalAirdate = February 16, 2003
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|snumber=12
|couchGag = Homer draws the family on the couch using an [[wikipedia:Etch A Sketch|Etch A Sketch]].
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|prodcode= EABF07
|specialGuestVoices = [[George Plimpton]] as [[George Plimpton (character)|himself]]
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|airdate= February 16, [[2003]]
|Written By = [[Kevin Curran]]
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|couchgag= Homer draws the family on the couch using an {{W|Etch A Sketch}}.
|Directed By = [[Nancy Kruse]]
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|guests= [[George Plimpton]] as {{Ch|George Plimpton|himself}}
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|showrunner=[[Al Jean]]
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|writer= [[Kevin Curran]]
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|director= [[Nancy Kruse]]
 
|DVD features=yes
 
|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
"'''I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can'''" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons' fourteenth season.
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"'''I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can'''" is the twelfth episode of [[season 14]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the three-hundred and third episode overall. It originally aired on February 16, [[2003]]. The episode was written by [[Kevin Curran]] and directed by [[Nancy Kruse]]. It guest stars [[George Plimpton]] as {{Ch|George Plimpton|himself}}.
  
==Synopsis==
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== Synopsis ==
Lisa participates in the Spellympics, but Homer is busy traveling cross-country as Krusty Burger test-markets a new sandwich. Lisa is confident that she will win, until she learns that the contest is rigged against her.
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{{Desc|Lisa participates in the Spellympics, but Homer is busy traveling cross-country as Krusty Burger test-markets a new sandwich. Lisa is confident that she will win, until she learns that the contest is rigged against her.}}
  
 
== Plot ==
 
== Plot ==
[[Bart]] is watching a program featuring a well-endowed female vampire, [[Booberella]]. [[Homer]] sees a commercial for a new [[Krusty Burger]] sandwich, called the "[[Ribwich]]", where the meat is from an unidentified animal and even the ribs are made of meat. He is sold immediately and can't wait for it to come to [[Springfield]]. The next day, the vacations are over, and the kids are back in school. [[Principal Skinner]] couldn't be happier (though [[Groundskeeper Willie]] is less than enthusiastic after his paycut). During the assembly, Skinner announces that the school is holding a spelling bee for all the students. At the end of it all, [[Lisa]] wins it and gets a "scale model of the planet Mars", which in actuality is just a kickball with the word "Mars" written on it; but, more importantly, she is selected to go to the state Spelling Bee finals. If she wins that, she will make it to the "Spellympics" Olympics of Spelling.
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[[Bart]] is watching ''[[Matinee of Blood and Commercials]]'', starring [[Booberella]], where the film ''[[Frankenstein and the Harlem Globetrotters Meet the Mummy and the Washington Generals]]'' is shown. After the film, a trailer for [[Krusty Burger]] is shown, where the new [[Ribwich]] is revealed. [[Homer]] immediately decides that he wants the new burger. Soon after, the new school year starts. [[Principal Skinner]] makes every kid in school do a spelling bee. The final ended up between Lisa and [[Milhouse]], and Milhouse messed up his word. Lisa then spelled her word correctly, becoming the winner. Lisa was then entered into the spelling bee state finales.
  
Lisa is excited at the prospect of winning a state Spelling Bee and that learning does have its merits. Later, as Homer walks around town, he sees that the Ribwich has come to the Krusty Burger in Springfield. After sampling one, he gets addicted and eats many, drooling all over the place. Lisa, meanwhile, wins the state Spelling Bee (cheered on by her own cheering section) and qualifies for the Spellympics, to be held in [[Calgary]]. [[Marge]] suggests they celebrate by watching a movie, but Homer says he can't make it as he has "important daddy business", which turns out to be going to Krusty Burger with [[Lenny]] and [[Carl]] to eat more Ribwiches. Unfortunately, the Ribwiches are no longer in stock as it was only a limited-time-only sandwich. Homer is shattered, but a "Ribhead" (a fan of the Ribwich) tells him that it is being tested in other markets and shows him a tour schedule. Homer decides to follow a group of Ribheads as they track the release of the Ribwich.
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Homer goes past the Krusty Burger when he sees [[Rib-It]], the mascot for the Ribwich. Homer goes up to Rib-It and tries some of the sauce on him, before he goes into Krusty Burger and orders several Ribwiches. At the state spelling bee, Lisa wins, moving on to the finals. Homer tells Lisa that he won't be able to go to her celebration as he has daddy stuff to take care of. Homer, [[Lenny]], and [[Carl]] go to Krusty Burger to get Ribwiches, only to find that they stopped selling them at that restaurant. A [[Ribhead|man]] tells Homer that he's part of a group that goes on tour around the country to Krusty Burgers to eat Ribwiches, and Homer decides to join them.
  
At the Spellympics, hosted by George Plimpton, Lisa wins the semi-finals and secures a spot in the finals, but Homer says he still cannot attend, as he wants to eat Ribwiches in the last release in San Francisco. The other two finalists are Sun Moon, an Asian girl, and Alex, a really cute little boy with big round glasses, whom everyone likes. George Plimpton takes Lisa aside and gives her a speech about the low ratings that Spelling Bees generate, thanks to the dominance of reality shows. He tells her to take a dive and let Alex win. She is shocked and refuses to do it. George tells her that if she does it, she will be given a free scholarship into any Seven Sisters college of her choice; plus, she gets a free George Plimpton hotplate. Now, Lisa is torn between wanting to win the Spellympics and free college.
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Around town, Lisa has become a minor celebrity due to her competing in the [[Spellympics]]. She gets a bigger locker at school and [[Kent Brockman]] reports on her on the news. Lisa goes on a training exercise, running around town and spelling words for the townspeople to get ready for the competition.
  
That night, she dreams of the Seven Sisters (in an ancient Greek setting), where each Seven Sister college tries to lure her to her college (Plimpton also appears to add "and a hotplate!"). She wakes up and asks Marge whether they can afford to send her to college. Marge is unsure, but promises to do whatever it takes to get Lisa into college. Despite Marge's reassurances, Lisa is still uneasy.
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[[File:Lisa rock carving.png|250px|thumb|left|The rock carving made for Lisa.]]
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At the Spellympics, {{Ch|George Plimpton}}, the host of the event, announces the start of the Spellympics. Another of the entrants, {{ap|Alex|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can}}, proved to be a hit with the crowd as he was adorable. Eventually, the competition got down to three contestants remaining; Alex, [[Sun Moon]], and Lisa. George Plipmton invites Lisa to go see him in private where he reveals that he wants Alex to win the Spellympics and wants Lisa to throw the contest for him. In return for throwing the contest, she would get entry to any of the Seven Sisters colleges that she wants. Lisa refuses, not wanting to throw the competition. That night, Lisa has a dream where each of the Seven Sisters, in human form, tells her that she could go to them. Lisa wakes up and doesn't know what to do.
  
At San Francisco, Homer pigs out on all the Ribwiches that he can find. Suddenly, a limousine pulls up and Krusty pops out of the sun-roof and informs all the Ribheads that the Ribwich can no longer be made, as the animal from which it is made is now extinct, mentioning that it was made of a small animal with "more legs (than a cow)." He tosses the last one into the crowd. Homer catches it and fights off all the other Ribheads. A few Ribheads make offers. When one Italian Ribhead promises him "the lease-a of my car", Homer suddenly remembers Lisa and the Spellympics. He gives the Italian his Ribwich, grabs the car keys and takes off in guy's sportscar, giving the Italian "buyer's remorse" after finishing the Ribwich.
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In [[San Francisco]], where the final day of the Ribwich is located, Homer and the other Ribheads find out that Krusty Burger will no longer be making the burger due to the animal used to make it having gone extinct. Krusty then throws the final Ribwich into the crowd, which Homer grabs. Before he eats it though, he is reminded of Lisa and trades the Ribwich for a car so he can go to the Spellympics finals. At the finals, Sun Moon is given the word "whether", which was intended to throw her off. She was then eliminated after she started to spell "weather". Alex then took the stage and spelled "rigged", getting through. When Lisa takes the stage, Homer enters the crowd and tells her that he made it to see her in the final. Lisa then decides to not throw the competition and tells everyone that Plimpton wanted her to throw the Spellympics. She then goes on to spell her word, but misspells it accidentally. Lisa gets eliminated and George Plimpton tells her that she gets nothing.
  
Meanwhile, the Spellympics finals are underway. Lisa is still unsure about what to do. George Plimpton deliberately asks Sun Moon to spell "whether/weather" and confuses her with the sentence (he uses them both), and disqualifies her when she starts "W-E...". Next is Alex's turn. He gets the word "rigged" and spells it correctly. Finally, Lisa steps up and is asked to spell "intransigence". She is about to start, when Homer shows up and shouts encouragingly at her. Lisa, happy that Homer came, tells everyone that she was told to take a dive and proceeds to spell the word, but she spells it "I-N-T-R-A-N-S-I-G-A-N-C-E". She is disqualified and George tells her that now she gets nothing (for squealing) and leaves.
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The Simpsons drive home where Marge and Homer try to make her feel better about doing the right thing. When they arrive home, they find that the people of Springfield have gathered outside to celebrate her getting through to the finals. [[Mayor Quimby]] tells Lisa that she's the biggest winner the town has ever seen and reveals that they carved Lisa into a mountain to commemorate her success.
  
On the way back to Springfield, Lisa is crestfallen at having lost the Spellympics. Homer tries to cheer her up, but she feels that she has let down the whole town. However, on reaching home, she finds that half the town has assembled at the Simpson residence to felicitate her. Mayor Quimby tells her that even though she did not win first prize, she has done better than anyone else in Springfield (even outachieving the Springfield woman who once dated Charles Grodin!) They have even carved out her likeness in a mountain nearby. Lisa is thrilled to bits.
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== Production ==
 +
[[Al Jean]] decided to put "301st Episode" in the title screen of the episode because he thought it would be funny to celebrate the 301st episode as a bigger deal. However, the episode that the show called the 300th, "[[Barting Over]]", was actually the 302nd because Fox wanted to air it on a certain date. The episode was originally to have a segment where Bart realized it was the last day of Summer and he had a list of stuff to do before school started. This was cut because the episode was too long. However, it later got used in the [[season 17]] episode "[[The Monkey Suit]]", although Al didn't tell the writer, [[J. Stewart Burns]].<ref name="Jean">{{Com|Jean, Al|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can|Fourteenth|(2011).|link=Al Jean}}</ref>
  
 +
The Ribwich side story was suggested by [[Matt Selman]], and he wanted to do something where people similar to {{W|Deadhead}}s followed the Ribwich around the country. Selman later found out that people did start to follow the {{W|McRib}} and other burgers around the country, just like in the episode.<ref name="Selman">{{Com|Selman, Matt|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can|Fourteenth|(2011).|link=Matt Selman}}</ref> The scene where Homer first tries the Ribwich is a parody of ''{{W|Requiem for a Dream}}'' and the animators watched the film to get the scene right.<ref name="Silverman">{{Com|Silverman, David|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can|Fourteenth|(2011).|link=David Silverman}}</ref>
  
 +
This is the first episode where [[Barney]] goes back to being an alcoholic after going sober.<ref name="Dan">{{Com|Castellaneta, Dan|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can|Fourteenth|(2011).|link=Dan Castellaneta}}</ref> The character Alex was originally a Russian boy called "Spellcheck".<ref name="Curran">{{Com|Curran, Kevin|I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can|Fourteenth|(2011).|link=Kevin Curran}}</ref> Al Jean changed the character from the draft.<ref name="Jean"/>
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<gallery>
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File:EABF07 Script.jpg
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</gallery>
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== Reception ==
 +
Keith Plocek of ''{{W|LA Weekly}}'''s Squid Ink blog called the episode the second best food episode. He said that the star of the episode was the Ribwich, ignoring the episode's A-plot.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131014224742/http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2011/11/simpsons_food_episodes_tomacco.php?page=3 LA Weekly - "Top 10 Simpsons Food Episodes: Tomacco Ribwich with a Side of Guatemalan Insanity Peppers + Skittlebrau"] (archived on {{W|Wayback Machine}})</ref>
 +
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As of April [[2021]], the episode has a 7.2 rating on {{W|IMDb}}.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701134/ IMDb - "I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can"]</ref>
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== References ==
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{{Reflist}}
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{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{season 14}}
 
{{season 14}}
[[Category:Episodes]]
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[[Category:Season 14]]
 
 
[[Category:2003]]
 
[[Category:2003]]
 
[[Category:Lisa episodes]]
 
[[Category:Lisa episodes]]
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[[Category:Homer episodes]]
 
[[Category:Education-themed episodes]]
 
[[Category:Education-themed episodes]]
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[[Category:12-rated episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Kevin Curran]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Nancy Kruse]]
  
[[sv:I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can]]
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[[sv:I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can]]

Revision as of 06:59, June 1, 2021

Season 14 Episode
302 "Barting Over"
303
"I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"
"A Star Is Born Again" 304
"I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"
Lisa spelling.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 303
Season number: S14 E12
Production code: EABF07
Original airdate: February 16, 2003
Couch gag: Homer draws the family on the couch using an Etch A Sketch.
Guest star(s): George Plimpton as himself
Showrunner: [[Al Jean]]
Written by: Kevin Curran
Directed by: Nancy Kruse
DVD features



"I'm Spelling As Fast As I Can" is the twelfth episode of season 14 of The Simpsons and the three-hundred and third episode overall. It originally aired on February 16, 2003. The episode was written by Kevin Curran and directed by Nancy Kruse. It guest stars George Plimpton as himself.

Synopsis

"Lisa participates in the Spellympics, but Homer is busy traveling cross-country as Krusty Burger test-markets a new sandwich. Lisa is confident that she will win, until she learns that the contest is rigged against her."


Plot

Bart is watching Matinee of Blood and Commercials, starring Booberella, where the film Frankenstein and the Harlem Globetrotters Meet the Mummy and the Washington Generals is shown. After the film, a trailer for Krusty Burger is shown, where the new Ribwich is revealed. Homer immediately decides that he wants the new burger. Soon after, the new school year starts. Principal Skinner makes every kid in school do a spelling bee. The final ended up between Lisa and Milhouse, and Milhouse messed up his word. Lisa then spelled her word correctly, becoming the winner. Lisa was then entered into the spelling bee state finales.

Homer goes past the Krusty Burger when he sees Rib-It, the mascot for the Ribwich. Homer goes up to Rib-It and tries some of the sauce on him, before he goes into Krusty Burger and orders several Ribwiches. At the state spelling bee, Lisa wins, moving on to the finals. Homer tells Lisa that he won't be able to go to her celebration as he has daddy stuff to take care of. Homer, Lenny, and Carl go to Krusty Burger to get Ribwiches, only to find that they stopped selling them at that restaurant. A man tells Homer that he's part of a group that goes on tour around the country to Krusty Burgers to eat Ribwiches, and Homer decides to join them.

Around town, Lisa has become a minor celebrity due to her competing in the Spellympics. She gets a bigger locker at school and Kent Brockman reports on her on the news. Lisa goes on a training exercise, running around town and spelling words for the townspeople to get ready for the competition.

The rock carving made for Lisa.

At the Spellympics, George Plimpton, the host of the event, announces the start of the Spellympics. Another of the entrants, Alex, proved to be a hit with the crowd as he was adorable. Eventually, the competition got down to three contestants remaining; Alex, Sun Moon, and Lisa. George Plipmton invites Lisa to go see him in private where he reveals that he wants Alex to win the Spellympics and wants Lisa to throw the contest for him. In return for throwing the contest, she would get entry to any of the Seven Sisters colleges that she wants. Lisa refuses, not wanting to throw the competition. That night, Lisa has a dream where each of the Seven Sisters, in human form, tells her that she could go to them. Lisa wakes up and doesn't know what to do.

In San Francisco, where the final day of the Ribwich is located, Homer and the other Ribheads find out that Krusty Burger will no longer be making the burger due to the animal used to make it having gone extinct. Krusty then throws the final Ribwich into the crowd, which Homer grabs. Before he eats it though, he is reminded of Lisa and trades the Ribwich for a car so he can go to the Spellympics finals. At the finals, Sun Moon is given the word "whether", which was intended to throw her off. She was then eliminated after she started to spell "weather". Alex then took the stage and spelled "rigged", getting through. When Lisa takes the stage, Homer enters the crowd and tells her that he made it to see her in the final. Lisa then decides to not throw the competition and tells everyone that Plimpton wanted her to throw the Spellympics. She then goes on to spell her word, but misspells it accidentally. Lisa gets eliminated and George Plimpton tells her that she gets nothing.

The Simpsons drive home where Marge and Homer try to make her feel better about doing the right thing. When they arrive home, they find that the people of Springfield have gathered outside to celebrate her getting through to the finals. Mayor Quimby tells Lisa that she's the biggest winner the town has ever seen and reveals that they carved Lisa into a mountain to commemorate her success.

Production

Al Jean decided to put "301st Episode" in the title screen of the episode because he thought it would be funny to celebrate the 301st episode as a bigger deal. However, the episode that the show called the 300th, "Barting Over", was actually the 302nd because Fox wanted to air it on a certain date. The episode was originally to have a segment where Bart realized it was the last day of Summer and he had a list of stuff to do before school started. This was cut because the episode was too long. However, it later got used in the season 17 episode "The Monkey Suit", although Al didn't tell the writer, J. Stewart Burns.[1]

The Ribwich side story was suggested by Matt Selman, and he wanted to do something where people similar to Deadheads followed the Ribwich around the country. Selman later found out that people did start to follow the McRib and other burgers around the country, just like in the episode.[2] The scene where Homer first tries the Ribwich is a parody of Requiem for a Dream and the animators watched the film to get the scene right.[3]

This is the first episode where Barney goes back to being an alcoholic after going sober.[4] The character Alex was originally a Russian boy called "Spellcheck".[5] Al Jean changed the character from the draft.[1]

Reception

Keith Plocek of LA Weekly's Squid Ink blog called the episode the second best food episode. He said that the star of the episode was the Ribwich, ignoring the episode's A-plot.[6]

As of April 2021, the episode has a 7.2 rating on IMDb.[7]

References


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can".
Season 14 Episodes
Treehouse of Horror XIII How I Spent My Strummer Vacation Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade Large Marge Helter Shelter The Great Louse Detective Special Edna The Dad Who Knew Too Little The Strong Arms of the Ma Pray Anything Barting Over I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can A Star Is Born Again Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington C.E. D'oh 'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky Three Gays of the Condo Dude, Where's My Ranch? Old Yeller-Belly Brake My Wife, Please The Bart of War Moe Baby Blues