See Homer Run
"See Homer Run" is the sixth episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons. The synopsis is a takeoff of the 2003 California recall election.
Synopsis
On Father's Day, Homer is impressed by Bart's gift – a Leather Buddy multi-function knife – but Lisa's gift (a book she created, with caricatures of herself and Homer as unicorns) doesn't go over so well. In a half-hearted attempt to make Lisa feel better, Homer hangs the book on the refrigerator, but it quickly becomes a water-soaked glob of paper.
Lisa takes out her frustrations at school, and her parents are called to talk with Principal Skinner. School psychiatrist Dr. Pryor determines Lisa has a development disorder, which can only be resolved by Homer trying to make amends. He does so by deciding to dress as the Safety Salamander and giving safety talks at school. However, a fireworks display during a school assembly causes a fire.
Meanwhile, Bart – on a dare from the bullies – steals a "Bart Blvd." street sign. This leads to a fiery multi-car pileup when Cletus is unable to find Bart Boulevard. Police cars, fire trucks and ambulances race to the scene but crash into the wreck, making matters worse.
Homer, still dressed in his Safety Salamander costume, runs to the rescue, extricating people who were trapped in their cars just before the pileup explodes in a fireball. Homer gets a rousing reception, and Mayor Quimby is blamed for the bumbling response. Springfield residents pick apart Quimby's administration for other failures, and demand a recall election.
On Lisa's suggestion, Homer decides to run for mayor, playing on his popularity as the Safety Salamander. However, Marge washes the costume, and it falls apart during a debate forum, disappointing the crowd. Eventually, none of the new candidates gain enough of the vote to oust Mayor Quimby. However, Lisa confides in Homer that she is very proud of him and glad he is her father.
Trivia
- This is the first indication (discarding the non-canonical "Treehouse of Horror XVI") that Groundskeeper Willie was not actually killed by his cousin's attack several episodes ago, in "The Girl Who Slept Too Little".
- None of the candidates win because of less than 5% support. This is in line with "Two Bad Neighbors", where George H. W. Bush says that Springfield has the lowest voter turnout in the country.
- Revealed: Dolph is Jewish, and the Crazy Cat Lady's real name is Eleanor Abernathy.
- This is the first appearance of both Dr. J. Loren Pryor (the school psychiatrist), and Freddy Quimby (Mayor Quimby's nephew) in many years. The voices of each character are not audibly different from their original forms (particularly Quimby).
- The stalker-like wedding album scene with Moe reveals that he is still obsessive for Marge.
- The contents of the Leatherbuddy include: a wrench; an umbrella; a troll doll; a plunger; a remote control; a whisk; a cellphone; a weathervane; a trumpet and finally a gun.
- Homer also ran for mayor in an issue of Simpsons Comics, thought the plots are disimilar.
- The boys stealing The Scream is a reference to one of The Scream paintings being stolen from the Munch Museum in 2004.
Cultural references
- 2003 California recall election – The Springfield mayoral recall election is an obvious parody of the 2003 California recall election, which saw incumbent governor Gray Davis ousted and replaced by Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- See Arnold Run – The episode title is a play on the movie about Arnold Schwarzenegger's campaign for California governor.
- The Station nightclub fire — A pyrotechnics show, which caps Homer's "Safety Salamander" presentation at school, starts the stage curtains on fire, under similar circumstances as the deadly 2003 fire before a Great White concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Everyone is able to escape the Springfield Elementary School fire, however.
- Superman – Homer's line – "This looks like a job for a father trying to win back his daughter's love!" is a play on Superman's signature phrase, "This looks like a job for Superman!"
Quotes
- Mayor Quimby (hijacking a plane): Take this plane wherever girls are going wild! audio clip
- Aide: Mayor Quimby, your twelve years as mayor have been corrupt and full of scandals.
Quimby: Who are you?
Aide: I'm your chief of staff.
Quimby: I knew I should have put my nephew in that position.
Aide: I am your nephew. - Quimby: Dear God, every wacko, nutcase and Disco Stu in this town is gonna run against me.
- Kent Brockman: Hundreds of Springfielders are running for mayor, including yours truly Kent Brockman. Coming up, a common household fabric could kill you! Find out when you vote for Kent Brockman.
- Lisa: How is your tail doing that?
Homer: I don't know. - Kearney: Way to give into peer pressure!
Dolph: Hey, Milhouse! Cool kids ride bikes with their eyes closed!
Milhouse: (off camera) I'm cool!
(we hear him biking...as well as the inevitable results involving a train)
Dolph (shocked): Uh, I'm late for Hebrew school. - Kent Brockman: Now, our first question is to Eleanor Abernathy, also known as the "Crazy Cat Lady". If you were mayor, what would be your primary concern?
Eleanor: (unintelligible staggering) Small business incentives! (unintelligible staggering) Corporate accountability! (unintelligible staggering) Cats in everyone's pants! - Homer: I will run for mayor!
Lisa: And I will be your campaign manager!
Homer: And I will find out what a mayor does! (Pulls out a bottle of beer) Expand my brain, learning juice. audio clip - Kent: Homer, what about these allegations about you strangling your son?
(holds up a photo of Homer strangling Bart in front of a banner that says "Good luck at the press conference, Dad!")
Homer: Why should this election be determined by a photo taken hours ago? audio clip - Rainer Wolfcastle: Who else should be mayor but me! A steroid-abusing, pot-smoking, women groping, son of a Nazi, washed-up movie star! (crowd cheers) I think we should keep an open mind toward stem-cell research. (crowd boos)File:Simpsons the scream.JPGDolph shows The Scream he just stole
- Miss Springfield: Imagine me! The mayor! Then no one will laugh at my singing. (high pitched and very terrible singing voice) I'm proud to be an American...
- Skinner: I hold in my hand a sticker with a frowning face. Don't make me affix it to your file.
Lisa: (mocking him) "Don't make me affix it to your file"!
Skinner (gets hit with a dodge ball): I'm peeling off the back. (gets hit with a shoe) Don't make me do this! (gets hit with a saxophone) You leave me no choice.
(Skinner puts the sticker on Lisa's file. The lights begin flickering overhead)
Skinner: Willie, rats are gnawing at the wires again.
Willie: Shut up, man! I'm making me ramen noodles! - Bart: Check it out, I stole the sign!
Dolph: Check it out, we stole The Scream!
Kearney: Put that away! It creeps me out! - Brandine: Cletus, turn left on Bart Boulevard!
Cletus: I told ya, there t'ain't (sic) no "Bart Boulevard"!
Brandine: Too late. Baby's already out. Get your huntin' knife and cut the umbrellica cord. - Homer: To open another present now would be like following the London Philharmonic with Jessica Simpson.
- (Moe is pasting his own face onto pictures of Marge and Homer's wedding)
Moe (to the tune of 'Here Comes The Bride'): Here comes the Moe / with a pretty girl/ 'cause these are things that happened in real life.
Barney Hey, Moe, can we get a beer?
Moe: Shut up and hand me more Moe heads.
Broadcasting Information
- 1st Airdate: Sunday, November 20, 2005
- 2nd Airdate: Friday, December 30, 2005
- 3rd Airdate: Sunday, June 18, 2006 (Aired on Father's Day)
