The Fat and the Furriest

Last updated

"The Fat and the Furriest"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 15
Episode 5
Directed by Matthew Nastuk
Written by Joel H. Cohen
Production codeEABF19
Original air dateNovember 30, 2003 (2003-11-30)
Guest appearance
Charles Napier as Grant Conor
Episode features
Couch gag In a parody of the opening of the 1960s sitcom, Get Smart , Homer follows a red line down stairs, out of an elevator, through double-doors that open automatically, in an elevator and into an ascending door to the telephone box. He falls onto the couch with the family already there.
CommentaryAl Jean
Joel H. Cohen
Matt Selman
Tim Long
Tom Gammill
Mike B. Anderson
Valentina Garza
Episode chronology
 Previous
"The Regina Monologues"
Next 
"Today I Am a Clown"
The Simpsons (season 15)
List of episodes

"The Fat and the Furriest" is the fifth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 30, 2003.

Contents

Plot

Homer goes to Sprawl-Mart, and he buys Marge a "Kitchen Carnival" for Mother's Day, a machine that houses a cotton candy maker, a vat of liquid caramel, and a deep fryer. Eventually Homer uses it to make a giant ball of deep-fried, caramel-covered, cotton candy. When it becomes too dirty and inedible, Marge orders him to take it to the dump. While there, he is confronted by a large grizzly bear, from whom he cowers. The bear eventually wanders off without attacking, annoyed by Homer's tearful cowering. The incident becomes well known due to a nearby hunter with a camera.

Homer becomes a nervous wreck, hallucinating and seeing bears like Winnie-the-Pooh, Paddington Bear, Smokey Bear, the Snuggle Bear, Teddy Grahams, the Chicago Bears, and an "Intensive Care Bear." To add insult to injury, the hunter's tape is shown on the news, and Homer is mocked by many. Homer hires the hunter, named Grant, to assist him in confronting the animal. Homer makes a near-useless suit of armor: despite Marge's objections, Bart, Lenny and Carl join him as they start on their quest.

The four of them make camp in the woods. As his homemade armor is hot, Homer eventually takes it off and bathes in a stream, where he is again attacked by the bear. With Bart, Lenny and Carl dancing to the radio and paying no attention, the bear drags Homer to his cave. Deciding to die facing the bear as a man, Homer later discovers that the bear is only angry and hostile because of the painful electrical prod that Grant attached to the bear's ear. To make sure of it, Homer takes the tag off the bear and tries it on himself, resulting in a lot of pain before taking it off. Because of being freed from the electrical prod, the bear reverts to his friendly state, licking Homer and giving him a bear hug as a thanks.

Realizing this, Homer becomes friends with the bear. In the meantime, Marge and Lisa have discovered Homer, Bart, and the suit of armor missing, and Marge hires Grant to help track Homer down, though Lisa disapproves of Grant's methods to take down the bear. Homer decides to take the bear to a nearby wildlife refuge, but on the way, they are attacked by Grant and other hunters. To ensure the bear's survival, Homer dresses the bear up in the homemade armor, which surprisingly resists the gunfire and allows the bear to reach the wildlife refuge where he is promptly attacked by Stampy the elephant, but then fights back against him for good. It is then the whole family declares to be proud of Homer for his efforts of saving the bear from the hunters, to which he responds that he loves nature.

Cultural references

The creation of bear-proof armor after surviving a bear attack (but not Homer's public cowardice) was inspired by Troy Hurtubise, whose story was told in the documentary Project Grizzly . [1] Sprawl-Mart is a parody of Wal-Mart. The Bible cartoon shown at Sprawl-Mart is a parody of the Christian animated series VeggieTales .

Related Research Articles

Troy James Hurtubise was a Canadian inventor and conservationist, noted for self-testing his often bizarre creations. These inventions included various ray generators, firepaste, the Ursus personal armour suit and the Trojan Ballistics Suit of Armor.

"The Strong Arms of the Ma" is the ninth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 2, 2003. It is the 300th episode to be broadcast; though "Barting Over" is indicated on-screen to be the 300th episode, it is actually the 302nd. In the episode, Marge develops agoraphobia in response to a traumatic mugging and overcomes the fear through exercise and bodybuilding, which leads to her taking anabolic steroids and experiencing a change in personality.

<i>Project Grizzly</i> (film) 1996 Canadian film

Project Grizzly is a 1996 documentary about Canadian inventor Troy Hurtubise. The film follows Hurtubise's obsession with researching the Canadian grizzly bear up close ever since surviving an early encounter with such a bear. The film was directed by Peter Lynch and produced by the National Film Board of Canada who approached Hurtubise after reading his 1990 book White Tape: An Authentic Behind the Scenes Look at Project Grizzly.

"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.

"On a Clear Day I Can't See My Sister" is the eleventh episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 6, 2005. A repeat of this episode also replaced the episode "The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star", which was supposed to air on April 10, 2005, due to the death of Pope John Paul II 8 days earlier.

"Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth 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 February 28, 1999. The main plot has Homer and Lisa embark on a spiritual journey via a sensory deprivation tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Fear the Roofer</span> 16th episode of the 16th season of The Simpsons

"Don't Fear the Roofer" is the sixteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 1, 2005, and guest-stars comedian Ray Romano and physicist Stephen Hawking. The episode is a parody of the 2001 film A Beautiful Mind.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Heartbroke Kid</span> 17th episode of the 16th season of The Simpsons

"The Heartbroke Kid" is the seventeenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Steven Dean Moore. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 1, 2005. Albert Brooks guest stars in the episode, playing the character Tab Spangler, as well as briefly reprising Jacques from "Life on the Fast Lane".

"Girly Edition" is the twenty-first episode in the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 19, 1998. In the episode, Lisa and Bart must co-anchor a new news program, though when Bart is seen as a more successful news anchor, Lisa becomes jealous and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, in the subplot, Homer gets a monkey helper because of his laziness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simpsons Christmas Stories</span> 9th episode of the 17th season of The Simpsons

"Simpsons Christmas Stories" is the ninth episode of the seventeenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 2005.

"Revenge Is a Dish Best Served Three Times" is the eleventh episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 28, 2007. It was written by Joel H. Cohen, and directed by Michael Polcino.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XVIII</span> 5th episode of the 19th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XVIII" is the fifth episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 4, 2007. In the eighteenth annual Treehouse of Horror episode, Bart harbors Kodos the alien in "E.T., Go Home," Homer and Marge are husband and wife assassins who try to take each other out in "Mr. & Mrs. Simpson," and Ned Flanders is given God-like powers during his demonstration on the wages of sin in "Heck House." It was written by Marc Wilmore and directed by Chuck Sheetz. Maggie Simpson does not appear in this episode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Homer of Seville</span> 2nd episode of the 19th season of The Simpsons

"Homer of Seville", also known as "The Homer of Seville", is the second episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 2007. In the episode, Homer gains an operatic ability to sing following an accident, and becomes a professional and famous opera star. While running from a mob of crazed fans, he is saved by Julia, a beautiful and dangerous stalker.

"Double, Double, Boy in Trouble" is the third episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 2008 and in the United Kingdom on November 30, 2008. Bart meets a rich boy named Simon Woosterfield, who happens to be Bart's exact look-alike. Because of this, the two decide to switch homes; Simon enjoys his time with the Simpsons while Bart discovers his rich new half-brother and sister are out to kill Simon, so they can inherit the vast Woosterfield family fortune. Former NFL football player Joe Montana guest stars as himself.

"Dial 'N' for Nerder", also known as "N is for Nerder", is the fourteenth episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 9, 2008. After a prank gone wrong, Bart and Lisa believe they have accidentally killed Bart's classmate Martin Prince. Meanwhile, Marge hires a TV show called Sneakers to spy on Homer and see if he is cheating on his diet. The episode was written by Carolyn Omine and William Wright and directed by Bob Anderson. During its first broadcast, the episode had an estimated 7.3 million viewers and received a 10 percent audience share.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes</span> 1st episode of the 20th season of The Simpsons

"Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes" is the first episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 28, 2008. In the episode, Homer meets bail bondsman Lucky Jim and Wolf the Bounty Hunter after getting charged for being involved in a fight, and they convince him to become a bounty hunter. In a twisted turn of events, he becomes Ned Flanders' partner. Meanwhile, Marge unknowingly begins working at an erotic bakery.

"The Spy Who Learned Me" is the twentieth episode of the twenty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The episode was directed by Bob Anderson and written by Marc Wilmore. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 6, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXV</span> 4th episode of the 26th season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXV" is the fourth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, the 25th episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials, and the 556th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 19, 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treehouse of Horror XXXII</span> 3rd episode of the 33rd season of The Simpsons

"Treehouse of Horror XXXII" is the third episode of the thirty-third season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 709th episode overall. It aired in the United States on Fox on October 10, 2021, and unlike the previous season, aired at the appropriate time to avoid conflict with Major League Baseball’s post-season, which stretched into November. The episode was directed by Matthew Faughnan, and written by John Frink.

References

  1. "Homer and Hurtubise". Baytoday.ca. November 21, 2003. Retrieved January 28, 2022.