Fancy Store-Bought Dirt

Simpsons: Pool 20

Happy "Washington's Birthday"!

Like monthly magazines, these are coming earlier and earlier. We might shift to a four-brackets-a-week schedule; then again, this one might just be a bonus. No new results to report: Pool 17 is going to be tough to sort out.

(See the category archive for other results.)

Pool 19 and Pool 18 are still open. (And of course Pool 17.) Pool 21 will go up some time on Wednesday.

As usual, I let a pseudorandom number generator choose six episodes, then post my on-the-spot rankings and observation. You comment, ideally with your own rankings. A week later I post my revised rankings, reserving the right to be autocratic (though in practice I almost always go with the consensus).

Numbers...
31: 7F18 (SI-218 / S02E18) Brush with Greatness
While Homer tackles his weight problem, Marge takes up painting, a skill which she gave up due to an obnoxious art teacher in high school, and ends up being commissioned to do a portrait of Mr. Burns. NOTES: Ringo Starr guest stars.
287: DABF13 (SI-1313 / S13E18) I Am Furious (Yellow)
Bart creates an Internet cartoon entitled "Angry Dad" that's based on Homer - who then becomes a laughing stock. Marvel Comics' Stan Lee guest stars as himself.
95: 1F12 (SI-512 / S05E14) Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
After objecting to the voice disk used on her new talking Malibu Stacy doll that demeans women, Lisa finds the creator and they produce a new doll that reflects the '90s. Kathleen Turner guest stars.
64: 9F04 (SI-404 / S04E05) Treehouse of Horror III
The Simpsons hold a Halloween Party, in which three stories are exchanged: In "Clown Without Pity," Bart receives, as a birthday present, a talking Krusty doll....from the House of Evil 'Your One Stop Evil Shop'. Next, in "King Homer," three words King Kong Klone. Finally, after being assigned to read a another book, Bart picks out an item from the occult section, and tries to raise the dead Snowball I, but instead cause the dead people to rise up in "Dial 'Z' For Zombies."
210: AABF03 (SI-1003 / S10E07) Lisa Gets an "A"
In discovering the joy of video gaming, Lisa neglects to study for her upcoming test, which she later relents to cheating upon in order to pass. But when the resulting grade raises the school's state average and qualifies it for financial aid, she is forced to to cover up all wrong-doing. Meanwhile, Homer raises a baby lobster to beat the high store prices of adults.
295: DABF18 (SI-1318 / S14E04) Large Marge
Marge mistakenly thinks Homer is eyeing other women. In an effort to uplift her appeal, she decides to get plastic surgery to look younger. But the surgery goes awry when Marge receives breast implants that were meant for a younger patient. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse catch an episode of Batman where Batman and Robin battle Clown Man -- who happens to look a lot like Krusty. Guest stars Adam West, Burt Ward, Susan Yezzi, Jan Hooks, and the Baha Men.

My first impressions:
I haven't seen "I Am Furious," though I have my suspicions about its quality. I have seen "Large Marge," and even relative to the rest of S14 it's appalling. (Nothing like "...and the Baha Men" to round out a guest star list.) That leaves four above-average (in my opinion) episodes to sort out.

Oh, who am I kidding? This pool has an obvious #1 and an equally obvious #2 (at least in my opinion). Not entirely certain which of the Lisa's is better, though the Smithers role in "Malibu Stacy" intrigues me. (Back when The Simpsons handled sexuality subtly and delicately.)

Preliminary rankings:
1. Treehouse III ("The frogurt is also cursed.")
2. Brush With Greatness
3. Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
4. Lisa Gets an "A"
"NR". I Am Furious (but given the other eps, I'm comfortable 5'ing it sight-unseen)
6. Large Marge

Posted by Matt Bruce at February 21, 2005 02:38 PM