“Why, Homer, you silly goose. The weed whacker’s just for the edges. You’re going to be out here all day.” – Ned Flanders
“I’m almost done.” – Homer Simpson
Posts Tagged ‘When Flanders Failed
24
May
19
Makeup Quote of the Day
17
Jun
18
Makeup Quote of the Day
“What’d you swipe?” – Jimbo Jones
“An ‘I Love Lefty’ shot glass.” – Dolph
“Left handed pinking shears.” – Kearney
“Pinking shears? Let’s go to the food court and steal some baked potatoes.” – Jimbo Jones
04
Oct
17
Quote of the Day
“Yo, sensei, can I go to the bathroom?” – Bart Simpson
“You can if you believe you can.” – Akira
24
Aug
17
Quote of the Day
“You know, if you gave Ned Flanders a chance…” – Marge Simpson
“Oh, here we go again. Look, I don’t care if Ned Flanders is the nicest guy in the world. He’s a jerk! End of story.” – Homer Simpson
“Well, we can’t hold it against him just because he has things a little better than we do.” – Marge Simpson
“Excuse me? Better? Thanks a lot, Marge. You really put me in my place.” – Homer Simpson
06
Oct
16
Quote of the Day
“Homer Simpson’s on the phone.” – Woman
“Tell him I went out.” – Man
“He needs you to help Ned Flanders.” – Woman
“Ned Flanders is in trouble!?” – Man
24
Dec
15
Quote of the Day
“Huzzah for the shopkeep!” – C.M. Burns
“Huzzah!” – Springfieldians
“Homer, affordable tract housing made us neighbors, but you made us friends.” – Ned Flanders
“To Ned Flanders, the richest left handed man in town.” – Homer Simpson
03
Oct
15
Saturday Morning Cartoons
“Don’t you think you should get a little fresh air and maybe some exercise?” – Marge Simpson
“Yeah, but what are you gonna do?” – Bart Simpson
In the early days, when the show routinely came in for social criticism from cranky old people, the writers liked to use Marge as a way to shoot back. The most famous example of this was “Marge’s” letter to then First Lady Barbara Bush, but they often worked it into episodes as well.
The quote above comes right after Marge asks Bart how many hours of TV he watches per day, and he casually replies “Six. Seven if there’s something good on“. That’s the show heaping scorn on brow-furrowing magazine articles and solemn pieces on 60 Minutes and the like about how television is terrible. It then really drives the point home:
“Marge, TV gives so much and asks so little. It’s a boy’s best friend.” – Homer Simpson
“That’s the problem. Even as we speak, millions of children are staring at the TV instead of getting some much needed exercise. Those children’s parents should be ashamed of themselves.” – Marge Simpson
This is The Simpsons being meta before that was even a term people used. Marge is parroting all the criticisms, while Homer is listing the simple reasons those critics will always be ignored. The whole thing ends with Homer asking Marge to apologize to the television after it gives Bart the idea to enroll in karate class.
Despite being on teevee, The Simpsons is perfectly happy to agree that television is terrible for people. It just isn’t going to pretend to care. What it is going to do is make fun of people who do care by showing how utterly ineffective all their shame throwing is. The joke, as with so many of their best, is on all of us.
charliesweatpants.com
(The crotch really does wear out too fast.)
The Mob Has Spoken