Superstar Celebrity Microphone

The Superstar Celebrity Microphone.

The Superstar Celebrity Microphone is a toy microphone that can be used to send voices over the radio. Homer gave one to Bart as a birthday present.

History

A scene from the TV ad.

Bart's birthday was approaching, and Homer didn't know what to get him. Then he saw the Superstar Celebrity Microphone advertised on TV, became enthralled with it, and ordered one for Bart. Bart, however, was less than enthusiastic about the microphone, not even taking it out of the box, but instead using it to prop his window open. When Homer saw this, he got the microphone out and demonstrated it, singing off-key and talking loudly, which made Lisa cover her ears, elicited howls from Santa's Little Helper, and confused Marge because the feedback and distortion made it impossible to understand Homer. Bart was disappointed in Homer's demonstration, and Homer was even more disappointed, thinking that the microphone gift was a complete flop.

However, Marge got an idea: She also tried using the microphone, speaking in a much quieter voice, and Bart was impressed with the results, even though Marge was surprised at how she sounded. Bart then played a series of pranks with the microphone, thoroughly enjoying it until the last one backfired.

Bart's pranks

Bart played the following pranks with the Superstar Celebrity Microphone:

• Making Homer think that Martians had invaded Earth. (Homer first got mad, then was touched when he realized that Bart actually enjoyed the gift.)
• Making Marge think that Maggie was talking (by hiding a radio under Maggie's pillow).
• Eavesdropping on Lisa's conversation with one of her friends by placing the microphone under her bed and listening to the radio in another room.
• Placing a radio under Mrs. Krabappel's chair and making farting noises when she sat down.
• Posing as God for the benefit of Rod and Todd Flanders (Bart saw them listening to the radio and went into action): Making Rod attempt to walk through the wall and making both of them take all the cookies from their kitchen and leave them on the Simpsons' porch.
• Placing a radio down an old well near Springfield Elementary School to make Groundskeeper Willie (and, as it turned out, the whole town) think that a little boy named Timmy O'Toole had fallen into the well. (The prank backfired when Bart figured he was about to be caught, tried to retrieve the radio, and ended up falling into the well for real.)

Behind the Laughter

• The Superstar Celebrity Microphone and its TV ad are parodies of Ronco's "Mr. Microphone" and its advertising, often seen on TV during the 1970s.
• The microphone is also based on the children's electronics product line "My First Sony", which appeared in the late 1980s. One of the products strongly resembles Bart's microphone and amplifier.

Appearances

• Episode – "Radio Bart"
• Episode – "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" (archival footage)
• Video game – The Simpsons: Hit & Run

Gallery

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  Homer attempts to demonstrate the microphone.

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  Bart pranks Homer.

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  Bart pranks Rod and Todd.