The Burns Cage

Last updated

"The Burns Cage"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 27
Episode 17
Directed by Rob Oliver
Written by Rob LaZebnik
Production codeVABF10
Original air dateApril 3, 2016 (2016-04-03)
Guest appearance
George Takei as himself
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "If Villanova doesn't win, we lose everything"
Couch gag Homer texts emojis to the family, and then someone says it needs a payoff. The developers' credits are then shown on the phone instead of the television.
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Marge-ian Chronicles"
Next 
"How Lisa Got Her Marge Back"
The Simpsons season 27
List of episodes

"The Burns Cage" is the seventeenth episode in the twenty-seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons , and the 591st episode of the series overall. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 3, 2016.

Contents

In the episode, Waylon Smithers finally comes out as gay to his boss Mr. Burns, who rejects his love. Other characters attempt to find a boyfriend for Smithers, and he falls for Julio. Meanwhile, Milhouse competes against a new boy for the lead role in a school production of Casablanca, so he can act alongside his own unrequited love, Lisa. Openly gay actor George Takei makes a cameo as himself, and the episode features a variety of cultural references, including to Grindr, Vladimir Putin, Equus and the films of Humphrey Bogart.

The episode was written by Rob LaZebnik, inspired by when his teenage son Johnny came out. Critical reception was positive: the emotionally touching aspects of LaZebnik's script and Harry Shearer's portrayal of Smithers were praised. However, criticisms included the plot possibly ending the innuendo-driven humor involving Smithers' secret love of Burns, and an assumption that the character was being retconned due to changing attitudes on homosexuality since the series' debut. The episode was covered by international media.

Plot

Smithers almost declares his love for Mr. Burns after he saves Burns' life in a skydiving accident, but Burns reaffirms his indifference and ingratitude for him. Angry and heartbroken, Smithers treats Homer, Lenny and Carl harshly, so they decide to find Smithers a boyfriend so he'll be better-tempered. They invite potential partners to meet Smithers at a gay men's singles' party, where a neck massage from Julio snaps Smithers out of his bad mood. The two fall for each other, Smithers gives Homer time off with pay for this and Smithers resigns his job at the power plant. [1]

Smithers becomes troubled on a trip to Julio's homeland of Cuba when Julio's carnival outfit resembles Burns; Julio notices and asks Smithers if he is committed to their relationship, and Smithers admits that he is not. Back in Springfield, Burns' attempts to find a new assistant prove disastrous, and his only option is to rehire Smithers. He meets Smithers with money and other enticements to lure him back, but Smithers states that he is not swayed. Burns then says he has kept a secret bottled up: that Smithers' performance review is "excellent". They hug and reconcile. [1]

Meanwhile, Springfield Elementary put on a production of Casablanca , in which Lisa gets the lead role of Ilsa. Milhouse wants the male lead role of Rick because of his love for Lisa, but he is challenged by a new boy, Jack DeForest, who dresses, acts and speaks like Humphrey Bogart. Milhouse enlists the bullies to beat up Jack, but Jack wins the fight. Principal Skinner sees this violence and declares that Milhouse will play Rick instead of Jack; Lisa is angered as Milhouse is a terrible actor. Marge tells Lisa that it is important to encourage people who are not skilled by telling them that they are, using the example of Homer. Milhouse does give a great performance and the production is a success, but in the end, it is revealed that Jack was disguised as Milhouse; he and Lisa leave hand-in-hand. [1]

In an epilogue, Milhouse goes to Moe's Tavern, where Smithers teaches him that romantic setbacks are part of the search for love, and make the pursuit of it worthwhile even if (clearly referring to himself) the odds are that true love will never be found. Moe tells the pair that he only searches for gold, not girls, and embarks on a treasure hunt with Jack and Groundskeeper Willie.

Production

Writer Rob LaZebnik was inspired by his son, who came out as gay while at high school. Rob LaZebnik by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Writer Rob LaZebnik was inspired by his son, who came out as gay while at high school.

Smithers' unrequited love for Mr. Burns is a long-running gag on The Simpsons; the producers once joked that he was not gay, but "Burns-sexual". [2] Rolling Stone described the character's sexual orientation as the show's "worst-kept secret", noting how in one episode he had a vacation at an all-male resort, and in another he wore "rainbow-striped short shorts" in Springfield's gay district. [2] In September 2015, in an interview to promote the 27th season, executive producer Al Jean announced that "we actually do a lot with Smithers this year", adding that two episodes would deal with the character's sexuality, including one in which he becomes tired of Burns not appreciating him. [3]

Writer Rob LaZebnik told the New York Post that the episode was inspired by his son Johnny, who came out as gay while at high school: "I am a Midwestern guy, so I don’t tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve, but I thought, 'What better way to tell my son I love him than to write a cartoon about it?'". [4] He added that he pitched the storyline three years earlier, and got approval for his script from his son. [4] Smithers' coming out is low-key, as was Johnny's; he told the Post that as he was "the gayest little kid", his parents were not surprised by his sexual orientation. [4] The episode aired five days before Johnny's 22nd birthday, and he said he would have a viewing party because the episode would be "particularly meaningful" to him. [4] The elder LaZebnik stated his opinion that LGBTQ-related television can have a "real impact on people's thinking". [4]

Cultural references

The character Jack DeForest is based on Humphrey Bogart, whose own middle was DeForest, and the episode makes references to several of his films, most visibly Casablanca. Humphrey Bogart in Invisible Stripes trailer.jpg
The character Jack DeForest is based on Humphrey Bogart, whose own middle was DeForest, and the episode makes references to several of his films, most visibly Casablanca .

The episode's title comes from the 1996 LGBT-related comedy film The Birdcage , in which Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria plays a Guatemalan housekeeper; his portrayal of Cuban bartender Julio in this episode is similar. [5]

In the chalkboard gag in the episode's opening sequence, Bart backs the Villanova Wildcats, who won the 2016 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship Game the day after the episode aired. Fans wondered why the show's staff were supporting Villanova over the North Carolina Tar Heels; one Internet writer hypothesized that it was a reference to the season 9 episode "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson", in which after one of his typical alcoholic binges, Barney Gumble can only recall "giving a guest lecture at Villanova, or maybe it was a street corner." [6]

The episode includes a variety of cultural references. Among Smithers' paintings of Burns is a parody of a photograph of Russian president Vladimir Putin riding a horse while bare-chested. [7] Smithers likens Homer, Lenny and Carl to The Three Stooges, and Homer chooses Smithers' potential partners via the gay dating app Grindr. [5] At the party, George Takei asks another man if he wants to hear "horror stories" about his Star Trek co-star William Shatner, and he is pleased that the man does not know who Shatner is. [5] A billboard outside the school's production of Casablanca advertises that the kindergarten are putting on a production of zoophilia-themed play Equus the following night. [7] The end sequence with the treasure hunt pays homage to Bogart's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The African Queen . [7]

Reception

"The Burns Cage" scored a 1.0 rating in the 18–49 demographic, and was watched by 2.32 million viewers, making it Fox's highest rated show of the night. [8] [9]

Harry Shearer's performance as Smithers was described by one critic as "touching". Harry Shearer at RT4.jpg
Harry Shearer's performance as Smithers was described by one critic as "touching".

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a B+, commenting that casual viewers would have already presumed that Smithers had come out. He described Harry Shearer's performance and LaZebnik's script as "touching". [5]

Tony Sokol of Den of Geek felt that Smithers coming out was good for social acceptance, but would end the comedy around his sexuality, which is based on double entendre. He wrote that the love story had "a few subversive laugh lines" but more "missed opportunities". He added that the school's production of Casablanca was disappointing compared to the series' previous adaptations of A Streetcar Named Desire and Planet of the Apes , and gave his opinion that the Bogart homages ruined the opportunity to do better parodies of his films. However, he noted that the season had a better quality of animation. [7]

Writing in British progressive magazine the New Statesman , Anna Leszkiewicz felt that the episode was not about "coming out", as the innuendo concerning Smithers' sexuality had been running for decades. She felt it was retconning the series, which had made arguably homophobic jokes around the character, for modern sensitivities; this was likened to how Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling revealed that Albus Dumbledore was gay after the series had finished. Leszkiewicz concluded that it was progress – for the show more than for the LGBT community – that homosexuality was being treated in a more mature way on The Simpsons, but that the change should have been made at least a decade ago. [10]

The episode was covered by international media outlets including the BBC, [11] The Australian , [12] Die Welt , [13] La Stampa , [14] Jornal de Notícias , [15] El Mundo, [16] and L'Avenir. [17]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waylon Smithers</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Waylon Joseph Smithers Jr., usually referred to by the names Mr. Smithers, or simply Smithers, is a recurring character in the animated sitcom The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. His first appearance was in the episode of "Homer's Odyssey", although his voice could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the consummate executive and personal assistant of Springfield Nuclear Power Plant's owner Mr. Burns, and is usually treated unfairly.

"There's Something About Marrying" is the tenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. In the episode, Springfield legalizes same-sex marriage to increase tourism. After becoming a minister, Homer starts to wed people to make money. Meanwhile, Marge's sister Patty comes out as a lesbian and reveals she is going to marry a woman named Veronica. The episode title is a play on the Farrelly brothers' 1998 romantic comedy There's Something About Mary.

Politics is a common theme in the animated sitcom The Simpsons, and this phenomenon has had some crossover with real American politics. The local politics of the fictional town Springfield feature prominently in many episodes, and character archetypes represent different political concepts within a community. The show satirizes ideas across the political spectrum, though overall it is described as having left-wing and anti-establishment bias. Politicians have been caricatured in many episodes of The Simpsons, including an episode following President George H. W. Bush in response to his public criticism of the show. References to the show also feature in real-world politics. The Simpsons addresses contemporary issues including substance abuse, the economy, education, environmentalism, gun politics, health politics, LGBT rights, immigration, and criminal justice. Episodes of the show have also caused international political dispute for its portrayal of foreign countries.

"Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 350th episode overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 17, 2005. In the episode, Bart and Lisa stumble into Professor Frink's basement, and he gives them a look into their future as teenagers getting ready for their high school graduation.

"Homer vs. Dignity" is the fifth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 26, 2000. In the episode, Mr. Burns hires a cash-strapped Homer as his "prank monkey", paying him to play pranks on others and humiliate himself in public.

"Last Tap Dance in Springfield" is the twentieth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 2000. In the episode, Lisa decides to sign up for tap dancing lessons after being inspired by a film about a girl who enters a tango contest and wins. Meanwhile, Bart and Milhouse hide out at the mall to escape going to summer camp. "Last Tap Dance in Springfield" was written by Julie Thacker, who based it on her own experiences with dance classes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's Date with Density</span> 7th episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's Date with Density" is the seventh episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 15, 1996. It was written by Mike Scully and directed by Susie Dietter. The episode sees Lisa develop a crush on Nelson Muntz. When they start dating and Lisa is unable to reform him, she ends their relationship. In the subplot, Homer uses an autodialer in a telemarketing scheme that annoys all of Springfield's residents.

"Three Men and a Comic Book" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 9, 1991. In the episode, Bart finds the rare first issue of Radioactive Man for sale at a comic book convention. Unable to afford it, he convinces Martin and Milhouse to pool their money to buy the valuable comic, only to see it destroyed by their selfishness and inability to share. This episode contains the first appearance of the Android's Dungeon and its owner, Comic Book Guy, voiced by Hank Azaria, and the concept of "Bartman", later featured in the spin-off comic book series Bartman and the episode "Bartman Begins".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bart's Friend Falls in Love</span> 23rd episode of the 3rd season of The Simpsons

"Bart's Friend Falls in Love" is the twenty-third episode of the third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 7, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milhouse Van Houten</span> Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise

Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series The Simpsons voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's childhood best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School. He is insecure, gullible, and is often led into trouble by Bart, who takes advantage of his friend's naïveté. Milhouse is a regular target for school bully Nelson Muntz and his friends Jimbo Jones, Dolph Starbeam and Kearney Zzyzwicz. He has an unrequited crush on Bart's sister, Lisa, which is a common plot element.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rob LaZebnik</span> American television producer and writer

Rob LaZebnik is an American television writer.

"The Daughter Also Rises" is the thirteenth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz and written by Rob LaZebnik. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 12, 2012.

"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.

"Days of Future Future" is the eighteenth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 2014. It was written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Bob Anderson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXX</span> 4th episode of the 31st season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXX" is the fourth episode of the thirty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 666th episode overall as well as the thirtieth Treehouse of Horror episode. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 20, 2019. The episode was written by J. Stewart Burns, and was directed by Timothy Bailey.

<i>The Simpsons</i> season 33 Season of television series

The thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons premiered on Fox on September 26, 2021 and ended on May 22, 2022. The season consisted of twenty-two episodes. On March 3, 2021, the season was ordered alongside a 34th season. It was produced by Gracie Films and 20th Television Animation. Executive producer Matt Selman replaced executive producer Al Jean as primary showrunner this season although Jean continued to be showrunner for several episodes each season.

"Diary Queen" is the twelfth episode of the thirty-second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 696th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on February 21, 2021. The episode was directed by Matthew Nastuk and written by Jeff Westbrook.

"Portrait of a Lackey on Fire" is the eighth episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 714th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on November 21, 2021. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by Rob LaZebnik and Johnny LaZebnik. Its title is a reference to the French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019).

The Simpsons has historically been open to portrayals of LGBT characters and settings, and it has routinely challenged heteronormativity. It was one of several animated television shows in the United States that began introducing characters that were LGBT, both openly and implied, in the 1990s. While early episodes involving LGBT characters primarily included them through the use of stereotypes, The Simpsons developed several prominent LGBT characters over its run. Producers of the show, such as Matt Groening and Al Jean, have expressed their opinion that LGBT representation in media is important, and that they seek to actively include it. Some characters, such as Julio, were created with their sexual orientation in mind, with it being central to their character. The show expanded its roster of openly LGBT characters through episodes in which prominent characters Patty Bouvier and Waylon Smithers came out in seasons 16 and 27, respectively. Additionally, producer Al Jean has stated that Lisa Simpson is possibly polyamorous.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Valentine, Evan (April 3, 2016). "'The Simpsons' Recap: Smithers Comes Out — and Starts Dating a Longtime Character!". Us Weekly. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  2. 1 2 Kreps, Daniel (April 2, 2016). "'Simpsons' Character Smithers to Come Out as Gay in New Episode". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  3. Holpuch, Amanda (September 28, 2015). "The Simpsons' Smithers to finally come out as gay, producer reveals". The Guardian. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Hegedus, Eric (April 1, 2016). "'Simpsons' Smithers gay reveal was inspired by the writer's son". The New York Post. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Perkins, Dennis (April 3, 2016). ""The Burns Cage" · The Simpsons · TV Review The Simpsons handles Smithers' coming out with surprising subtlety". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  6. Allen, Scott (April 4, 2016). "Villanova scores a shout-out from 'The Simpsons' before national title game". Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Sokol, Tony (April 3, 2016). "The Simpsons: The Burns Cage Review". Den of Geek. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  8. Porter, Rick (April 5, 2016). "Sunday final ratings: ACM Awards and all scripted shows hold". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
  9. Bibel, Sara (February 18, 2015). "Sunday Final Ratings: No Adjustments for 'Saturday Night Live – 40th Anniversary', 'The Bachelor' or 'CSI' Finale". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  10. Leszkiewicz, Anna (April 5, 2016). "The Smithers question: why do we keep retrofitting progressive narratives in pop culture?". New Statesman. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  11. "Smithers comes out as gay on The Simpsons". BBC. April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  12. Cooper, Lorna (April 5, 2016). "The Simpsons' Smithers comes out as gay". The Australian. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  13. "Smithers gesteht Montgomery Burns seine Liebe" [Smithers confesses his love to Montgomery Burns]. Die Welt (in German). April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  14. "Coming out nei Simpson, finalmente Smithers si è dichiarato gay" [Coming out on The Simpsons, Smithers finally declares that he is gay]. La Stampa (in Italian). April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  15. "Smithers sai do armário nos Simpsons" [Smithers comes out of the closet on The Simpsons]. Jornal de Notícias (in Portuguese). April 4, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  16. "La razón por la que Smithers ha salido del armario en Los Simpson" [The reason why Smithers has come out of the closet on The Simpsons]. El Mundo (in Spanish). April 6, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
  17. ""Les Simpson": l'épisode où Waylon Smithers fait officiellement son coming-out" [The Simpsons: the episode where Smithers officially comes out]. L'Avenir (in French). April 5, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2016.