Tuesday Miscellanea

I was scrolling through TV channels before I started to cook dinner and found "Sideshow Bob Roberts" on The Simpsons--one of my favorite episides. Sideshow Bob is released from prison and runs for Mayor of Springfield. A campaign ad: Mayor Quimby supports revolving-door prisons. Mayor Quimby even released Sideshow Bob--a man twice convicted of attempted murder. Can you trust a man like Mayor Quimby? Vote Sideshow Bob for Mayor. 

Bob wins. Lisa and Bart can't understand how so many people can vote for one convicted felon and so few vote for another. How did Bob do it? By counting votes of dead people. Bart's conclusion: "Oh my God--the dead have risen and they're voting Republican." I laughed out loud. 

Later we watched "Homer Badman" another favorite from Season Six. Homer is accused of sexual harassment when he is reaching for the Gummy Venus de Milo he stole from the candy convention (which had stuck to the babysitter's butt.) A highlight of the 57 hours of  round the clock coverage outside the Simpson estate is when Marge puts out the cat--possibly because it was harassed--we don't know. Homer also sings "Under the Sea" where "there'll be no accusations, just friendly crustaceans." 

Good times.

The Mets are playing the second part of the subway series in Yankee Stadium. At the top of the 9th, the Mets are up 9-3. It had been 7-0 with lots of Mets homeruns, but the Mets manage to let the Yankees get back in the game. They need to hold on.  

Another Week Passes

Today's dreary, rainy Saturday reminded me of Lousy Smarch Weather. At least Jace and I had two beautiful walking days this week: we returned to Cranbury Park and walked the latest portions of the Norwalk River Valley Trail in Norwalk.

My thoughts this week have been focused on Kindred and Vanderpump Rules. Sorry Octavia Butler to include both in the same sentence. I am a Gemini--my twins are Castor and Pollux: maybe I have both a high and low brow approach to entertainment.

I finished Kindred earlier this week and wrote a post about it. I keep thinking about the book.

Then there's Vanderpump Rules. Bravo has devoted about half of its airtime to the show, and I've watched many hours of the marathons (while doing laundry or cleaning.) I'm not usually a big fan of the reunion shows, but I wouldn't miss this year's. 

There will be a few posts on these topics to come. 

Lousy Smarch Weather

Just a few days ago, temperatures were flirting with 70 degrees. Today it rained and snowed. Luckily it started a few hours later than predicted, and I was able to take Lola to Oyster Shell for a walk. More rain and snow are predicted for Saturday. Ugh. 

Oh well, I can watch this clip and laugh.

Would Have Been's...

Today would have been Opening Day of baseball. The Mets would have hosted the World Champion Washington Nationals. Spring training stopped about two weeks ago, and I actually forgot about baseball. Me, forget about baseball--it's unpossible (thank you Ralph Wiggum.)

Many other events, tournaments, even seasons have been canceled. I heard a story on the radio today about a guy who turned 21. Since he couldn't celebrate at a bar, his parents set one up in a garage. His father was the bouncer who checked his ID; his mother poured him a shot.

We all have to do what we can.

Changing the Billboards

Lola and I often go to Mathews Park in the morning and then take the Norwalk River Valley Trail to Oyster Shell Park.  One day last week we saw a truck along the trail; workers were up on one of the billboards. Later I saw the new billboard: Norwalk Hospital is now part of Nuvance Health.

I didn't know what that meant--besides another consolidation--but it got me thinking about Leave it to Beaver--of all things. I remembered an episode in which Beaver and a friend saw steam coming from a billboard advertising soup. Beaver said there was real soup in the bowl on the billboard, but his friend said no. I remember Beaver's friends were Gilbert and Whitey. (Beaver's brother Wally's friends were Eddie and Lumpy.) Going to IMDB, I see that my memory was pretty good. 

More recently, there was a Simpsons episode that featured a billboard. The episode led to a memorable version of "Kids" and a curfew imposed by senior citizens. The episode didn't make it to the list of my favorite episodes, but it had its moments.

I also remember a movie Good Neighbor Sam that involved billboards. My sister recommended it  to me. Reading IMDB comments, I see there is some offensive domestic violence dialogue in the movie. I don't remember that, but I haven't seen the movie in a long time. I remember a farce with a crazy driving scene, and a late night billboard defacing trip.

By the way, I did see Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, but I'm focused on comedies here. Three Billboards could be another post.

Another Anniversary

I was waiting to get my oil changed today and caught a newscast that today is the 25th anniversary of the first Simpson episode. It's also the origin tale of Santa's Little Helper. 

I'm sure I didn't watch the premiere episode. I hadn't even heard of the Simpsons because I didn't watch Tracey Ullman. When Jeff first put on The Simpsons, I thought it would be silly or immature. It didn't take the show long to make me change my mind.

We're still watching. The quality of the show has deteriorated, but some of the individual segments are good.

Diatribe of a Mad Housewife

a.k.a. Marge Simpson writes a novel.

I enjoy when TV shows depict writing. My favorite is Lucy's Real Gone with the Wind. Roseanne is another character who has literary leanings. At one point, she revisits her old dreams of writing. I like that they returned to Roseanne's writing in the last episode, even though I don't like what they did with it.

Like Lucy, Marge writes a bad novel. She arbitrarily sets it in Nantucket, in "whaling times" based on a painting in her living room. Her anger with Homer leads her to write the lead character's husband as a drunken lout. Ned's appearance at an opportune time leads to his role as a romantic hero.

The Simpsons return to a writing theme in "The Book Job"--one of my favorite Simpsons episodes.

Simpsons Marathon Continues

Today is the tenth day of the marathon. I can't pinpoint when the Simpsons went downhill; I've never figured out my favorite season.

Yesterday I caught one of my favorite episodes: Season 18's 24 Minutes, a parody of 24 and Springfield's Counter Truancy Unit. Lisa and her team save the school bake sale from a stink bomb.

I also set the DVR to record The Book Job from Season 23. I had saved that on our old DVR.

Other favorite episodes:

Moaning Lisa and Life on the Fast Lane from Season 1

Season 3's Homer at the Bat and Black Widower

A Streetcar Named Marge, I Love Lisa and Last Exit to Springfield from Season 4

Cape Feare from Season 5

Sideshow Bob Roberts and Homer Badman from Season 6

Radioactive Man, A Fish Called Selma, Bart on the Road and Summer of 4 Ft. 2 from Season 7

A Millhouse Divided and Brother from Another Series from Season 8

Season 11's Take My Wife Sleaze with the romantic line,  "My wife is not a doobie, to be passed around from person to person! I made a sacred vow, on my wedding day, to bogart her for the rest of my life." (Thanks IMDB.)

Trilogy of Error, New Kids on the Blecch and Skinner's Sense of Snow (I especially love the title of the latter) from Season 12

She of Little Faith from Season 13

Season 18's 24 Minutes

The Book Job from Season 23

I made this list looking at the FXX marathon schedule as well as The Simpsons wiki.  I may have missed a few and may change my mind depending on my mood. I didn't list any Treehouse of Horror episodes even though I could list some individual segments as favorites. "When are they going to get to the fireworks factory?" is one of our favorite quotes; it's from The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show from Season 8.  I love many of the Itchy and Scratchy cartoons and all appearances of Troy McClure.

I guess things went downhill from Season 12--that's the last season I had more than one favorite. Trilogy of Error is my all-time favorite episode. I've listed 23 here. Maybe someday I'll select my top 10.

Every Simpsons Episode Ever

Channel FXX is now showing a marathon of every Simpsons episode, 25 seasons of 552 episodes over 12 days. It started at 10 AM on Thursday.

There was no way I could or would want to watch all the episodes. But it's fun to catch some when I'm at home. I especially enjoyed seeing "A Streetcar Named Marge" from Season Four. Only the Simpsons would imagine a musical of A Streetcar Named Desire.

I'll keep tuning in to see what's next.

RIP Marcia Wallace

As I was driving home today, I heard that Marcia Wallace had died. I watched her on the original Newhart show, but mostly remember her as Edna Krabappel from The Simpsons.

I loved Edna. She was a disillusioned teacher, a romantic, a realist and knew the difference between DC and Marvel comics (her explanation for breaking up with Comic Book Guy--he understood completely.) In other words, Edna was a well-rounded, gray character. Marcia Wallace gave her life with her voice.