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Difference between revisions of "New Kids on the Blecch"

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{{Featured episode}}
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{{EpisodePrevNext|Day of the Jackanapes|Hungry, Hungry Homer}}
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{{quote|Bart's a rebel. And that's what I need for my new band, the "Party Posse".|[[L.T. Smash]]}}
 
{{episode
 
{{episode
|image=New_Kids_on_the_Bleech_Promo_Card.gif
+
|image=New Kids on the Blecch promo.png
 
|productionCode=CABF12
 
|productionCode=CABF12
|originalAirdate=February 25, 2001
+
|originalAirdate=February 25, [[2001]]
|blackboardText=I will not buy a presidential pardon
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|blackboardText="I will not buy a presidential pardon"
|couchGag=The family tunnels to the couch dressed in prison garb.
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|couchGag=The family (dressed in prison clothes) are being chashed by police searchlights as they tunnel to the couch and sit as normal.
|specialGuestVoices=[['N Sync]] as themselves
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|specialGuestVoices=[['N Sync]] as {{chs|'N Sync|themselves}}
 
|Written By=[[Tim Long]]
 
|Written By=[[Tim Long]]
|Directed By=
+
|Directed By=[[Steven Dean Moore]]
 +
|DVD features=yes
 +
|Episode Number=262
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''''New Kids on the Blecch''''' is an episode from the twelfth season of ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It features the members of the pop music group [['N Sync]].
+
"'''New Kids on the Blecch'''" is the fourteenth episode of [[Season 12]]. It first aired on February 25, [[2001]]. The episode was written by [[Tim Long]] and directed by [[Steven Dean Moore]]. [['N Sync]] guest star as {{chs|'N Sync|themselves}}.
  
 
== Synopsis ==
 
== Synopsis ==
By paralleling Rosie Ruiz's cheating in the 1980 Boston Marathon, Bart wins the Springfield's equivalent. When it is discovered Bart cheated, he finds himself in hot water with fellow competitors & spectators, so he accepts a stranger's offer to help him escape. The stranger reveals that his identity is ''[[L.T. Smash]]''. L.T. offers Bart a job in a boy band known as '''[[Party Posse]]'''. Bart accepts, and becomes Party Posse's 4th member, ''Caly'', joining ''Krit'' ([[Nelson Muntz]]), ''P.G.'' ([[Ralph Wiggum]]), and ''Wowz'' ([[Milhouse Van Houten]]). Party Posse quickly ascend to stardom, albeit using complex voice enhancers built by NASA. No one is aware of the voice enhancer's use, and as such Party Posse's success depends on the voice enhancer.
+
{{Desc|When a talent agency discovers the musical abilities of [[Bart]], [[Nelson]], [[Milhouse]] and [[Ralph]], it scurries to set them up as the next big boy band sensation, complete with a sinister subliminal propaganda campaign in mind: "Join the Navy".}}
  
The band releases a single titled ''[[Drop da Bomb!]]'', which contains a suspicious lyric; ''Yvan Eht Nioj.'' Lisa's growing suspicion around Party Posse, eventually results in her discovering the line is a subliminal recruiting message to join the Navy, as ''Yvan Eht Nioj'' is ''Join the Navy'' written backwards.  Lisa also discovers that L.T. Smash is, in reality, a lieutenant (named Lieutenant L. T. Smash), who is working for the government to recruit people for the navy.
+
== Plot ==
 +
[[File:New Kids on the Blecch promo 2.jpg|thumb|left|Alternate promo image]]
 +
After watching ''[[Great Moments in Olympic History]]'', [[Homer]] becomes inspired to run in the [[Springfield Marathon]]. During the final leg of the race, [[Bart]] puts on a costume and runs into the lead and wins. During the prize ceremony, a bird takes Bart's fake mustache off his face, revealing the ruse to everyone. The crowd gets angry and approaches Bart as [[L.T. Smash]] arrives in his car and tells Bart to get in. Bart decides to go with the stranger rather than face the angry mob and they get away to Bart's house.
  
Lisa points out her discoveries to Homer and Marge, but they dismiss her accusations as jealousy to Bart. The events come to a head when Party Posse perform a concert on an aircraft carrier, which only increases Lisa's suspicion towards the band. During the first song (which also contains subliminal messages), L.T. learns from his superior officer that [[MAD Magazine]]'s next issue will reveal Party Posse's secrets, which, until then, had been kept secret from the public. Concerned the magazine will end ''Project Boy Band'', L.T.'s superior officer shuts off the band's voice enhancer, exposing the groups's mediocre voices.  LT. becomes increasingly aggravated about his Superior Officers's actions, and threatens to send the carrier out to sea. When L.T.'s completes his threat, a terrified audience evacuate the carrier. With only Party Posse, L.T., and Homer on the ship (Homer was unfortunately in the toilet at the time), L.T. sends the ship to [[New York City]] in an attempt to attack MAD. Despite [['N Sync]]'s attempt to stop L.T., he destroys the MAD building with the ship's missiles, but L.T.'s actions appear to only reinvigorate the MAD workers. After L.T.'s criminal actions, he is arrested, and the potential of the fraudulent Party Posse remains unfulfilled.
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At the Simpson house, L.T. Smash reveals that he's putting together a boy band, the [[Party Posse]], and he wants Bart as part of it because of his bad boy behavior. Whilst Bart and Homer agree, [[Marge]] is reluctant until Bart and Homer pressure her to agree. Bart then goes to [[Classified Records]] with Smash where he meets his fellow band members; [[Milhouse]], [[Nelson]] and [[Ralph]]. Bart is initially surprised to find that his other band members are people from his school but he accepts it quickly. The Party Posse then begins to have dance lessons and records their first song, "[[Special Girl]]". During the recording, L.T. Smash turns on a voice enhancer to improve their singing voices.
  
== Trivia ==
+
The Party Posse holds their first live show at the [[Springfield Elementary School]] during an assembly. After this show, they meet {{Chs|'N Sync}} who heard about them and wanted to meet them and deliver them a gift basket. Later, Bart is getting a massage whilst the rest of the family watch the TV for the Party Posse's first music video, "[[Drop Da Bomb]]". [[Lisa]] found the video and song weird and started to look into it, finding that it was full of subliminal messaging to get people to join the Navy. Lisa then goes to tell L.T. Smash about this, only to find that he was actually Lieutenant Smash of the Navy and he was behind it. As Smash tells Lisa that she can't leave, Lisa walks out the building.
*Contrary to popular belief, [['N Sync]] did not provide the voices for Party Posse.  Two members of another Lou Pearlman boy band Natural provided some of the voices -- [[Marc Terenzi]] for Nelson and [[Michael 'J' Horn]] for Milhouse.
 
*This episode aired seven months before 9/11. During the scene in New York, the World Trade Center is briefly visible.
 
*In the episode "[[The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson]]", Bart visits the office of [[MAD magazine]] and [[Alfred E. Neuman]] leans out of an office door and demands a progress report on an article named "New Kids on the Blecch," which is the title of this episode. Both episodes involve New York City, MAD magazine, and the phrase "New Kids on the Blecch".
 
*A few seconds after L.T. Smash flips the switch on the aircraft carrier from "DE-COMMISSION" to "COMMISSION", the switch is again visible, but instead reads "MUSEUM" instead of "DE-COMMISSION" and "SHIP" instead of "COMMISSION".
 
*A similar plot line happened in an issue of the Simpsons comic book. Three major differences are Homer is making the Boy Band, Rod Flanders and Roy are part of the band (Milhouse is not.) and they are called "[[Five from Field]]"
 
  
== Cultural references ==
+
Lisa tells the family all about Smash's subliminal messaging as they go to the Party Posse concert onboard the [[USS Sea Spanker]]. The band starts to sing a song, "[[Let's Re-Up Tonight]]", when a [[Navy admiral]] tells Lt. Smash that he's shutting down the boy band project as ''{{ap|Mad|magazine}}'' magazine were about to publish an issue mocking the Party Posse and this would ruin the Party Posse's reputation and recruiting power. Angry at this, Smash takes control of the Sea Spanker and sets course for [[New York City]] to destroy [[Mad Magazine Headquarters]]. Upon arriving, 'N Sync catch up in a speed boat and start to teach the Party Posse a song and dance routine to diffuse the situation. However, Lt. Smash blows up the building before they can finish. After this, Smash is arrested and taken away.
*While reporting on the marathon, the "6" on [[Kent Brockman]]'s microphone appears to be the logo of the '''6''' line of the New York City Subway.
 
*The scene of a video-clip in which boys are raising a tetherball pole is a parody of a very famous war photograph ''Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima'' by Joe Rosenthal.
 
*The title is a pun on "[[New Kids on the Block]]" and "blecch", a word of disgust often used in [[MAD Magazine]], which is featured in the episode. This was also heard on "[[The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson]]" when Bart visits the MAD Magazine office in New York.
 
*While going over his checklist for the Party Posse, Lt. Smash has three things listed. The third thing says "Boogaloo... Electric". This is a reference to the 1984 film ''Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo'', which featured the electric boogaloo dancing style, or the band of the same name that made it famous in 1977.
 
*The video for "Drop Da Bomb" is apparently directed by [[Ang Lee]].
 
*In Mad Magazine, one man says, "Why don't we call it, ''Everybody Hates Raymond''?" This is a reference to the sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond''.
 
  
== Notes ==
+
At the end of the episode, 'N Sync talk about the Navy and how they protect people and ask for people to sign up, saying that they signed up J.C. yesterday. J.C. is then taken away. Over the end credits, live footage of 'N Sync recording their lines is shown off.
As opposed to the episode, "[[Bart vs. Australia]]", the Australian flag shown is accurate.
 
  
== Goofs ==
+
== Production ==
*The way 'Yvan eht nioj' is pronounced in this episode would, if played backwards, actually sound like "in te nævi" and not like "Join the Navy". The characters pronounce the words the way they are spelled backwards, rather than by pronouncing the actual sounds backwards which would yield
+
The idea of the episode came about because [[Mike Scully]] said that the writers weren't coming up with enough ideas for episodes. So [[Tim Long]] came back after the weekend with this episode idea. When Long pitched the story, he also said that they should get 'N Sync in there too. When the table read was done, none of the songs were written so the cast had to make up the tunes.<ref name="Long">{{Com|Long, Tim|New Kids on the Blecch|Twelfth|(2009).}}</ref> [[Chris Kirkpatrick]] of 'N Sync said that all the members agreed to go on the show almost immediately, with Chris being on vacation at the time of being asked.<ref name="Kirkpatrick">{{Com|Kirkpatrick, Chris|New Kids on the Blecch|Twelfth|(2009).}}</ref> [[Justin Timberlake]] recorded separately as he had been at a funeral at the time.<ref name="Long"/> L.T. Smash's voice was based on what [[Hank Azaria]] thought a marine trying to sound hip and cool would be like.<ref name="Azaria">{{Com|Azaria, Hank|New Kids on the Blecch|Twelfth|(2009).}}</ref> The singing voices of the band were chosen to be different from their regular voices because it would have been too hard on [[Nancy Cartwright]] who voices three of the four members.<ref name="Scully">{{Com|Scully, Mike|New Kids on the Blecch|Twelfth|(2009).}}</ref>  They ended up going with three members from the band {{W|Natural (band)|Natural}}; [[Ben Bledsoe]], [[Marc Terenzi]] and [[Michael "J" Horn]]. The fourth singing voice is [[Tony Battaglia]], who wrote the songs.<ref name="Long"/>
*When the singers sing "Yvan eht nioj," they hold the last syllable, "oj." When played backwards, they hold the last syllable of "Join the Navy," "vy."
 
*L.T. attacks the MAD building with the carriers missiles. No current carrier carries missile launchers (except on their planes).
 
  
== Quotes ==
+
Justin Timberlake didn't want to say "word".<ref name="Long"/> He would laugh and say that he would never say that word when asked to record it. In editing, they then thought it would be funny to use the take of him saying "word" over and over again at the end of his lines.<ref name="Scully"/> [[Chris Clements]] animated a lot of the 'N Sync scenes. To get the ball walking animation right, the animators got an exercise ball and walked on it. [[Gerald Clifford Rey]] animated the scene of [[Mad Magazine Headquarters]] getting blown up.<ref name="Moore">{{Com|Moore, Steven Dean|New Kids on the Blecch|Twelfth|(2009).}}</ref> The ending credits had live action scenes of 'N Sync in the recording studio which [[Michael Bridge]] helped put together.<ref name="Scully"/>
*'''Bart Simpson (deciding whether to get beat up by the angry mob or escape with the stranger):''' Mob, stranger, mob, stranger... Stranger.
 
*'''Bart Simpson:''' Who are you? <br/> '''L. T. Smash:''' Oh, you'll find out, in due time. <br/> '''Bart Simpson:''' Well it says here your name is L. T. Smash. <br/> '''L. T. Smash:'''  The time has come. I'm L. T. Smash.
 
*'''Bart Simpson:''' Rock on, Party Posse!
 
*'''Bart Simpson:''' Hello, Springfield! Now here's a song that your principal Skinner doesn't want us to play! <br/> '''Audience:''' Boo! <br/> '''Principal Skinner:''' That's not true! This assembly was my idea. I like your inoffensive brand of pop-rock! <br/> '''Bart Simpson:''' Screw you man, we're gonna play it anyway!
 
*'''L. T. Smash:''' Man, they're gonna be big... and you stood in their way! <br/> '''Principal Skinner:''' No I didn't. I even came in early and made orange drink! <br/> '''L. T. Smash:''' Orange drink? What, do you live with your mama? <br/> '''Principal Skinner:''' ''She'' lives with ''me''.
 
*'''Ralph Wiggum:''' I'm wearing a bath robe, and I'm not even sick!
 
*'''Lisa Simpson:''' What does it mean? <br/> '''Homer Simpson:''' Ah, It doesn't mean anything. It's like  ''Rama Lama Ding-dong'' or ''Give Peace a Chance]''.
 
* '''L. T. Smash:''' It's a three-pronged attack. Sub-liminal, liminal and super-liminal.<br/>'''Lisa:''' ''Super''liminal?<br/>'''L. T. Smash:''' I'll show you. (''Leans out of window'') Hey, ''you''! Join the Navy!<br/>'''Carl:''' Uh, yeah, all right.<br/>'''Lenny''': I'm in. <br/> '''L.T. Smash:''' Now that you know, Lisa, I'm afraid I can't let you leave. ''(sees Lisa outside, walking away)'' Oh.
 
*'''Nelson Muntz:''' They called me ''Smellson''. Ha ha! <br/> '''Homer Simpson:''' Smellson, that's funny 'cause you ''smell''.
 
*'''Milhouse:''' The [[Statue of Liberty]]? Where are we?!
 
*'''Homer:''' I'm the jealousy bug! I'm gonna get ya! Gonna get ya! <br/> '''Lisa:''' Ow. Cut it out! You're a grown man. <br/> '''Homer (sulking):''' I wanna go home now!
 
*'''Admiral:''' The Hippy Dream, again? <br />'''L. T. Smash:''' They've been getting less frequent, sir.
 
  
 +
== Reception ==
 +
In its original broadcast, "New Kids on the Blecch" was viewed by 18.1 million viewers with a 9.7 rating.<ref>[https://www.awn.com/news/us-primetime-tv-ratings-week-february-19-25-2001 Animation World Network - "U.S. Primetime TV Ratings For The Week Of February 19 – 25, 2001"]</ref> As of October [[2019]], the episode has a 7.2 rating on {{W|IMDb}}<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701190/ IMDb - "New Kids on the Blecch"]</ref> and a 8.0 rating on {{W|TV.com}}.<ref>[http://www.tv.com/shows/the-simpsons/new-kids-on-the-blecch-21168/ TV.com - "New Kids on the Blecch"]</ref>
 +
 +
In May [[2014]], a conspiracy theory started circulating that the Syrian rebellion was a foreign plot because the Syrian flag seen in the "Drop Da Bomb" video resembled the flag adopted by the Syrian opposition in the {{W|Syrian Civil War}}. However, the flag in the episode was actually the Independence flag.<ref>[https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/06/egyptian-tv-cites-simpsons-episode-as-proof-arab-spring-was-foreign-plot/?hp The New York Times - "Egyptian TV Cites ‘Simpsons’ Episode as Proof Arab Spring Was Foreign Plot"]</ref>
 +
 +
== References ==
 +
{{Reflist}}
 +
 +
{{Images|ep=yes}}
 
{{Season 12}}
 
{{Season 12}}
[[Category:Season 12]]
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[[Category:Episodes]]
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[[Category:2001]]
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[[Category:Bart episodes]]
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[[Category:Milhouse episodes]]
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[[Category:Nelson episodes]]
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[[Category:Ralph episodes]]
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[[Category:Musical episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Tim Long]]
 +
[[Category:Episodes directed by Steven Dean Moore]]
 +
 
 +
[[sv:New Kids on the Blecch]]

Revision as of 08:21, February 1, 2020

Season 12 Episode
261 "Day of the Jackanapes"
262
"New Kids on the Blecch"
"Hungry, Hungry Homer" 263
"Bart's a rebel. And that's what I need for my new band, the "Party Posse"."
L.T. Smash
"New Kids on the Blecch"
New Kids on the Blecch promo.png
Episode Information
DVD features


"New Kids on the Blecch" is the fourteenth episode of Season 12. It first aired on February 25, 2001. The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Steven Dean Moore. 'N Sync guest star as themselves.

Synopsis

"When a talent agency discovers the musical abilities of Bart, Nelson, Milhouse and Ralph, it scurries to set them up as the next big boy band sensation, complete with a sinister subliminal propaganda campaign in mind: "Join the Navy"."


Plot

Alternate promo image

After watching Great Moments in Olympic History, Homer becomes inspired to run in the Springfield Marathon. During the final leg of the race, Bart puts on a costume and runs into the lead and wins. During the prize ceremony, a bird takes Bart's fake mustache off his face, revealing the ruse to everyone. The crowd gets angry and approaches Bart as L.T. Smash arrives in his car and tells Bart to get in. Bart decides to go with the stranger rather than face the angry mob and they get away to Bart's house.

At the Simpson house, L.T. Smash reveals that he's putting together a boy band, the Party Posse, and he wants Bart as part of it because of his bad boy behavior. Whilst Bart and Homer agree, Marge is reluctant until Bart and Homer pressure her to agree. Bart then goes to Classified Records with Smash where he meets his fellow band members; Milhouse, Nelson and Ralph. Bart is initially surprised to find that his other band members are people from his school but he accepts it quickly. The Party Posse then begins to have dance lessons and records their first song, "Special Girl". During the recording, L.T. Smash turns on a voice enhancer to improve their singing voices.

The Party Posse holds their first live show at the Springfield Elementary School during an assembly. After this show, they meet 'N Sync who heard about them and wanted to meet them and deliver them a gift basket. Later, Bart is getting a massage whilst the rest of the family watch the TV for the Party Posse's first music video, "Drop Da Bomb". Lisa found the video and song weird and started to look into it, finding that it was full of subliminal messaging to get people to join the Navy. Lisa then goes to tell L.T. Smash about this, only to find that he was actually Lieutenant Smash of the Navy and he was behind it. As Smash tells Lisa that she can't leave, Lisa walks out the building.

Lisa tells the family all about Smash's subliminal messaging as they go to the Party Posse concert onboard the USS Sea Spanker. The band starts to sing a song, "Let's Re-Up Tonight", when a Navy admiral tells Lt. Smash that he's shutting down the boy band project as Mad magazine were about to publish an issue mocking the Party Posse and this would ruin the Party Posse's reputation and recruiting power. Angry at this, Smash takes control of the Sea Spanker and sets course for New York City to destroy Mad Magazine Headquarters. Upon arriving, 'N Sync catch up in a speed boat and start to teach the Party Posse a song and dance routine to diffuse the situation. However, Lt. Smash blows up the building before they can finish. After this, Smash is arrested and taken away.

At the end of the episode, 'N Sync talk about the Navy and how they protect people and ask for people to sign up, saying that they signed up J.C. yesterday. J.C. is then taken away. Over the end credits, live footage of 'N Sync recording their lines is shown off.

Production

The idea of the episode came about because Mike Scully said that the writers weren't coming up with enough ideas for episodes. So Tim Long came back after the weekend with this episode idea. When Long pitched the story, he also said that they should get 'N Sync in there too. When the table read was done, none of the songs were written so the cast had to make up the tunes.[1] Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync said that all the members agreed to go on the show almost immediately, with Chris being on vacation at the time of being asked.[2] Justin Timberlake recorded separately as he had been at a funeral at the time.[1] L.T. Smash's voice was based on what Hank Azaria thought a marine trying to sound hip and cool would be like.[3] The singing voices of the band were chosen to be different from their regular voices because it would have been too hard on Nancy Cartwright who voices three of the four members.[4] They ended up going with three members from the band Natural; Ben Bledsoe, Marc Terenzi and Michael "J" Horn. The fourth singing voice is Tony Battaglia, who wrote the songs.[1]

Justin Timberlake didn't want to say "word".[1] He would laugh and say that he would never say that word when asked to record it. In editing, they then thought it would be funny to use the take of him saying "word" over and over again at the end of his lines.[4] Chris Clements animated a lot of the 'N Sync scenes. To get the ball walking animation right, the animators got an exercise ball and walked on it. Gerald Clifford Rey animated the scene of Mad Magazine Headquarters getting blown up.[5] The ending credits had live action scenes of 'N Sync in the recording studio which Michael Bridge helped put together.[4]

Reception

In its original broadcast, "New Kids on the Blecch" was viewed by 18.1 million viewers with a 9.7 rating.[6] As of October 2019, the episode has a 7.2 rating on IMDb[7] and a 8.0 rating on TV.com.[8]

In May 2014, a conspiracy theory started circulating that the Syrian rebellion was a foreign plot because the Syrian flag seen in the "Drop Da Bomb" video resembled the flag adopted by the Syrian opposition in the Syrian Civil War. However, the flag in the episode was actually the Independence flag.[9]

References


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "New Kids on the Blecch".
Season 12 Episodes
Treehouse of Horror XI A Tale of Two Springfields Insane Clown Poppy Lisa the Tree Hugger Homer vs. Dignity The Computer Wore Menace Shoes The Great Money Caper Skinner's Sense of Snow HOMЯ Pokey Mom Worst Episode Ever Tennis the Menace Day of the Jackanapes New Kids on the Blecch Hungry, Hungry Homer Bye, Bye, Nerdie Simpson Safari Trilogy of Error I'm Goin' to Praiseland Children of a Lesser Clod Simpsons Tall Tales