Beware My Cheating Bart

Last updated

"Beware My Cheating Bart"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 23
Episode 18
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Written byBen Joseph
Production codePABF11
Original air dateApril 15, 2012 (2012-04-15)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "The true location of Springfield is in any state but yours"
Couch gag A Bill Plympton cartoon shows Homer falling in love with the couch, then leaving it when he falls for Marge, followed by the couch's descent into stripping and prostitution in order to support itself and its baby couch. When the couch tries to commit suicide by throwing itself into a garbage truck, Homer saves it and takes it home to the family; the baby couch becomes Maggie's play chair.
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Them, Robot"		Next →
"A Totally Fun Thing That Bart Will Never Do Again"
The Simpsons (season 23)
List of episodes

"Beware My Cheating Bart" is the eighteenth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Ben Joseph. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 15, 2012. The title refers to the song "Be Still My Beating Heart" by Sting.

Contents

Plot

During a day out in the mall, Homer chooses to drop Milhouse and Bart at a children's movie so he can eat at the food court. The boys run into the bullies (who are there to see a gory Hong Kong horror film remake called "Crawlspace") and Bart is forced to chaperone Jimbo Jones' girlfriend Shauna while she sees a Jennifer Aniston movie. Both of them leave shortly after seeing the only part of the movie that appeals to Shauna (the man's ass) and they hang out in the mall. Bart covers for Shauna when she shoplifts and when they escape from an incompetent mall cop, Shauna says that Bart is pretty cool and shows her appreciation by flashing her breasts in front of him, leaving him both traumatized and smitten with her. Both decide to enter a romantic relationship behind Jimbo's back, but he figures out what's going on soon afterwards. Both attempt to hide from a vengeful Jimbo at Comic Book Guy's store, while the bully decides to stake out Bart's home with help from an oblivious Marge, leaving Bart to come home and face Jimbo's wrath. Shauna breaks up with both of them after some good advice from Lisa, and Bart receives his punishment (being held upside down from his treehouse to have the "fear of God put into him") from Jimbo.

Meanwhile, Homer is persuaded to buy a state-of-the-art treadmill from a crafty salesman. When Lisa shows Homer that he can access television shows wirelessly, he takes advantage of the machine and develops an obsession with watching an old television show called Stranded , instead of working out. Eventually Marge, in a fit of rage, gives away all the spoilers of the episodes Homer has not watched yet. He is initially furious at Marge and hints at their marriage failing, but a romantic evening planned by her resolves matters.

Production

The original U.S. broadcast version contained a title card with "Now Entering Oregon" under the title followed by the chalkboard gag saying "The true location of Springfield is in any state but yours." It was a response to reactions to a Matt Groening interview in which he revealed that the name of Springfield was inspired by Springfield, Oregon, which was widely misinterpreted as Groening revealing that The Simpsons' Springfield was located in Oregon. [1] Executive producer Al Jean stated that it was misinterpretation of something Groening had said for decades in that parts of the show were inspired by his childhood in Oregon. Prior to the episode's airing, he also joked that they would address it in this episode. [2]

The couch gag was created by animator Bill Plympton. [3] [4] Jean described the gag as "sweet" where it shows Homer having a previous romantic relationship with the couch. [2]

Cultural references

The television show Stranded that Homer watches is a parody of the television series Lost . [4] Bart and Shauna's dating montage has scenes that parody the films The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy . [5]

Reception

Viewing figures

The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 15, 2012. It was watched by approximately 4.864 million people during this broadcast. [6]

Critical response

Rowan Kaiser of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C+, praising the couch gag "in an episode that was anything but memorable otherwise." [4]

Teresa Lopez of TV Fanatic gave the episode 3.5 out of 5 stars. She found the idea of Shauna showing her breast to Bart to be disturbing and that the courtship was not believable. She highlighted the subplot of Homer watching a parody of Lost. [5]

Awards and nominations

The couch gag was nominated for Best Animated Short Subject at the 40th Annie Awards. [7]

Related Research Articles

Springfield (<i>The Simpsons</i>) Fictional city in animated TV sitcom The Simpsons

Springfield is the primary fictional setting of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and related media. It is an average-sized, fictional city within an unknown state in the United States. The fictional city's geography, surroundings, and layout are flexible, often changing to accommodate the plot of any given episode.

"Bart the Genius" is the second episode of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 14, 1990. It was the first episode written by Jon Vitti. It is the show's first normal episode as well as the first to use the signature title sequence, though this version is much different from the one subsequently used, from the second season to the twentieth season. In the episode, Bart cheats on an intelligence test and is declared a genius, so he is sent to a school for gifted children. Though he initially enjoys being treated as a genius, he begins to see the downside of his new life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror IX</span> 4th episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror IX" is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 25, 1998. This is the ninth Treehouse of Horror episode, and, like the other "Treehouse of Horror" episodes, contains three self-contained segments: In "Hell Toupée", Homer gets a hair transplant and is possessed by the spirit of an executed criminal; in "Terror of Tiny Toon", Bart and Lisa are trapped in a special, extremely violent episode of The Itchy & Scratchy Show; and in "Starship Poopers", Marge reveals that Maggie is the product of a one-night stand with the alien Kang.

"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie bullies Homer by attacking him with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John Swartzwelder and was the first episode to be directed by Jim Reardon. Alex Rocco makes his first of three guest appearances as Roger Meyers, Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Kid on the Block</span> 8th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"New Kid on the Block" is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 12, 1992. After meeting his new neighbor, Laura, Bart falls in love with her, only to later discover that she has a boyfriend, Jimbo Jones, whom he attempts to scare off so that he can have a relationship with Laura. Meanwhile, Homer sues the Sea Captain Horatio McCallister after being kicked out of his all-you-can-eat restaurant while still hungry.

<i>The Simpsons</i> opening sequence Opening sequence of the TV series The Simpsons

The Simpsonsopening sequence is the title sequence of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It is accompanied by "The Simpsons Theme". The first episode to use this introduction was the series' second episode "Bart the Genius".

"Bart Stops to Smell the Roosevelts" is the second episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 2, 2011. The episode was the first to feature Superintendent Chalmers as the central character and Chalmers' flashbacks references the films The Breakfast Club and Fight Club. In the episode, Principal Skinner challenges Superintendent Chalmers to take over Bart's education after one of his pranks. Chalmers accepts and starts teaching Bart about Theodore Roosevelt and manliness. After he takes Bart and his friends on an unauthorized field trip which results in one of the children breaking an arm, Chalmers is fired. Bart and his friends then take over the school in an effort to save his job.

"At Long Last Leave" is the fourteenth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 500th episode overall of the series. In the episode, the Simpsons discover that the inhabitants of Springfield have grown tired of them and have secretly decided to throw them out of the city. After being evicted from Springfield, the family members end up in a rugged place without rules and regulations called the Outlands. There, they briefly come across their neighbor Julian Assange, who created WikiLeaks. Assange guest-starred in the episode as himself and recorded his lines over the phone while under house arrest in Britain, while waiting for the results of Assange v Swedish Prosecution Authority.

"Moonshine River" is the first episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Tim Long. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 2012.

"Dangers on a Train" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 530th episode overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Michael Price. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 2013. The name of the episode is a reference to the film Strangers on a Train.

"The Fabulous Faker Boy" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 528th episode overall. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Brian McConnachie. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 2013. Justin Bieber, Bill Hader, Jane Krakowski, and Patrick Stewart are credited as guest stars. The name is a pun on The Fabulous Baker Boys.

"What Animated Women Want" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 525th episode overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by J. Stewart Burns. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 2013. The name is a take on that of the film What Women Want.

"Black Eyed, Please" is the fifteenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 523rd episode overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Schofield and written by John Frink. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 10, 2013. The name is a pun on black-eyed peas and the band of the same name.

"YOLO" is the fourth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 534th episode of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 2013. The episode was written by Michael Nobori and directed by Mike Frank Polcino.

"Luca$" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 547th episode of the series. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 6, 2014. It was written by Carolyn Omine and directed by Chris Clements.

"The Kids Are All Fight" is the nineteenth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 571st overall episode of the series. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Rob LaZebnik. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 26, 2015.

"Orange Is the New Yellow" is the twenty-second and final episode of the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 596th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan and written by Eric Horsted. It aired in the United States on Fox on May 22, 2016. The title is a spoof of the book and the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXVII</span> 4th episode of the 28th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXVII" is the fourth episode of the twenty-eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, the 27th episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials, and the 600th episode of the series overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Joel H. Cohen. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 16, 2016.

"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is the sixteenth episode of the thirtieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 655th episode overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Jeff Westbrook. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 10, 2019.

"Manger Things" is the 16th episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 700th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on March 21, 2021. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Rob LaZebnik.

References

  1. ↑ Busis, Hillary (April 16, 2012). "Forget Oregon: 'The Simpsons' reveals where Springfield REALLY is". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Schneider, Michael (April 12, 2012). "Exclusive: Nope, Springfield is Not in Oregon, Clarifies The Simpsons' Matt Groening". TV Guide . Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  3. ↑ O'Neill, Phelim (October 27, 2015). "The Simpsons: are the couch gags the only things left worth watching?". The Guardian . Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 Kaiser, Rowan (April 16, 2012). "'Beware My Cheating Bart'". The A.V. Club . Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Lopez, Teresa (April 16, 2012). "The Simpsons Review: Stranded in Pre-Adolescence". TV Fanatic. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
  6. ↑ Gorman, Bill (April 16, 2012). "TV Ratings Sunday: 'NYC 22' Starts Low, 'Titanic' Pulls 'GCB' To Series Low". TV by the Numbers . Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Drew (December 4, 2012). "'Brave,' 'Rise Of The Guardians,' 'Wreck-It Ralph' Lead Annie Awards Nominations". IndieWire . Retrieved August 5, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.