The Old Man and the "C" Student

Last updated

"The Old Man and the 'C' Student"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 10
Episode 20
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Written by Julie Thacker
Production codeAABF16
Original air dateApril 25, 1999 (1999-04-25)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "Loose teeth don't need my help"
Couch gag The Simpsons find the rest of the cast in their living room watching TV.
Commentary Matt Groening
Mike Scully
George Meyer
Julie Thacker
Ron Hauge
Nancy Cartwright
Mark Kirkland
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Mom and Pop Art"		Next →
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love"
The Simpsons season 10
List of episodes

"The Old Man and the 'C' Student" is the twentieth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It first aired on Fox in the United States on April 25, 1999. In the episode, after offending the Olympic committee during their visit to Springfield Elementary, the school's students are committed to 20 hours of community service. Bart, along with his sister Lisa, is put in charge of Springfield's retirement home, where Bart notices the doldrums that the old people go through every day. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa's father Homer tries to sell springs.

Contents

"The Old Man and the 'C' Student" was directed by Mark Kirkland and was the first episode Julie Thacker wrote for The Simpsons. While Bart's storyline was pitched by Thacker, the B-story, involving Homer, was conceived by Thacker's husband Mike Scully, who also was an executive producer and the showrunner for the episode. Jack Lalanne guest-starred as himself in the episode.

On its original broadcast, "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" was seen by approximately 6.9 million viewers.

Following the release of The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season, the episode received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Plot

When Lisa writes a letter to the International Olympic Committee, they decide that Springfield will be home to the next Olympics. To honor the Olympics, there is a contest for the games' mascot. Homer creates a mascot for the Olympic Games named Springy, the Springfield Spring, which becomes the mascot (beating Patty and Selma’s mascot named Ciggy, a discus thrower made entirely of cigarettes and ashtrays) and everyone in Springfield prepares for the games. When the IOC inspects the town, things go well until Bart does a disparaging stand-up comedy routine, which only Principal Skinner, Homer, and the kids find funny. In response, the IOC refuses to let Springfield host the Olympics (they award it to Shelbyville), and Superintendent Chalmers blames Skinner for putting Bart on stage with his racy jokes. In order to avoid losing his job, Skinner makes every one of the school's students do 20 hours of community service. After sending Milhouse to collect medical waste on the beach and leaving Martin to start a basketball program between inter-city gangs, Skinner has Bart assigned to work at the Springfield Retirement Castle, where Lisa also works voluntarily. Bart is dismayed at how little the seniors are allowed to do.

Meanwhile, Homer gets 1,000 springs he intended to sell as Olympic mascots. He uses various get-rich-quick schemes to sell off the mascots, but fails miserably and gets abused due to Springfield's hatred of Bart's comedy routine and everyone including Marge being annoyed by the springs. Ultimately, he is forced to flush the springs down the toilet. At the time Lisa leads the seniors in "imagination time", but when she departs, Bart makes the seniors escape to get a taste of freedom. Bart takes the seniors on a trip on the town and on a boat ride, and Lisa is initially shocked to see these things happen, but nevertheless, she is quite impressed by what Bart does for the seniors. The seniors have fun until their boat crashes into Mr. Burns' schooner. The boat begins to sink and the seniors turn on Bart, but Grampa defends him, saying Bart gave them the best fun they have had in twenty years. However, the springs that Homer flushed down the toilet save them, causing the boat to bounce up at the surface long enough for the Coast Guard to rescue everyone. Bart finishes his community service time, but decides to help the seniors still enjoy themselves and spend more time with Grampa.

Production

Fitness expert Jack Lalanne guest-starred as himself in the episode. Jack LaLanne.jpg
Fitness expert Jack Lalanne guest-starred as himself in the episode.

"The Old Man and the 'C' Student" was directed by Mark Kirkland and was the first episode Julie Thacker wrote for The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on April 25, 1999. The episode's plot was based on a "disastrous" school program, in which students had to participate in community service in order to be allowed to advance to the next grade. Thacker, whose oldest daughter was a student at the school, was signed up to do community service at an old folks home in the town they lived in. It became the inspiration for the episode's A-story, while the B-story, which involved Homer selling springs, was conceived by Thacker's husband Mike Scully, an executive producer and the showrunner for the episode. [1]

In a scene in the episode, Lenny gets one of Homer's springs stuck in his eye. Lenny's eye injuries have since become a running gag, and "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" "started the trend", according to Thacker. [1] The "clunky, Up With People-type" dance that the students perform for the Olympic jury was partly demonstrated during the animatic by Simpsons writer George Meyer. When Meyer later watched the episode, he found out, to his "horror", that he had been given a choreographer credit at the end of the episode. [2] The episode features American fitness expert Jack Lalanne as himself. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that Lalanne was "very funny" and that he "gave a great performance". [3] Lalanne's lines were recorded separately from the series main cast members. [4]

Cultural references

The episode title is a reference to the 1952 novel and 1958 film The Old Man and the Sea. In the beginning of the episode, a sign reading "International Olympic Committee" can be seen. The logo below the text parodies the logo of the real International Olympic Committee. Because they did not want to "upset" the committee, the Simpsons staff slightly altered the logo by changing the colors and not making the rings interlock. [3] In a conversation with Marge, Lisa mentions the rest of her classmates wrote letters to the Backstreet Boys. In a scene in the episode, the old people can be seen watching an edited and over-dubbed version of the 1939 film Gone With the Wind . The nurse that works in the old folks home is based on Nurse Ratched from the 1975 American drama film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest . [5] The film is referenced again in a scene where Bart takes the old folks on a boat trip and a scene where a Native American chief in the old folk's home throws a sink through a window, and jumps out, mirroring the last scene in the film. [3] The character then returns, and hands Lisa a pamphlet that reads "Prop 217". The pamphlet is a reference to Proposition 217, a proposition that allowed Native Americans to operate casinos in certain states. It is also a reference to the day Scully and Thacker met, which was on February 17. [3] When Homer flushes the springs down the toilet, he sings to the tune of "99 Bottles of Beer".

The scene in which Smithers is drawing a portrait of Mr Burns is a reference to the 1997 drama film Titanic . [5] The scene where the old people celebrate their escape from the home is a reference to a sequence from The Beatles ' 1964 film A Hard Day's Night . Both are set to the group's song "Can't Buy Me Love", although in the episode the song is a cover performed by NRBQ. [3] [6] During the end credits, an album cover reading "A Bart Day's Night", a reference to The Beatles' album A Hard Day's Night , the film's soundtrack, is shown. "Can't Buy Me Love" also plays over the end credits. [7]

Reception and legacy

In its original American broadcast on April 25, 1999, "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" received a 6.9 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 6.9 million viewers. The episode finished in 41st place in the ratings for the week of April 19–25, 1999. [8]

On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set. Matt Groening, Mike Scully, George Meyer, Julie Thacker, Ron Hauge, Nancy Cartwright and Mark Kirkland participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode. [9]

Following its home video release, "The Old Man and the 'C' Student" received mostly positive reviews from critics.

Aaron Roxby of Collider gave it a positive review, calling it one the season's best episodes. He wrote "The Simpsons has always been great about addressing/mocking the way that our culture treats the elderly." [10] He added that Lenny's eye injury gave the episode "Extra points". [10]

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide described the episode as "A marvellous feel-good story" and "Very sweet, very endearing." [7] They added that the "stereotyped Olympic Committee debate" at the beginning of the episode is "marvellous", and concluded by describing the episode as "terrific". [7]

Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide was positive as well, writing "I gotta admit I like Springy, the Olympic mascot, and the spring-related aspects of the show entertain." [11] He added that the story involving Bart "offer more than a few good moments," and concluded by writing "Though the episode never quite excels, it’s pretty solid." [11]

James Plath of DVD Town called it an "okay" episode. [12]

Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News described the episode as "not-so-good," adding that "by this point, this show has expended just about every old folks joke there is." [13] However, he also wrote that "'I want some taquitos' never grows old." [13]

The episode gained attention in 2017 after the French representative of the International Olympic Committee said "Ah, but Paris would make a tres bon site for the next Olympic Games", when Paris was chosen to host the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 131st IOC Session that the beginning of the episode scene predicted the future event.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

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

Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television sitcom series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa was born as a character in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed her while waiting to meet James L. Brooks. Groening had been invited to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic Life in Hell, but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He named the older Simpson daughter after his younger sister Lisa Groening Bartlett. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family were moved to their own series on Fox, which debuted on December 17, 1989.

"Lisa's Rival" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 11, 1994. Winona Ryder guest stars as Allison Taylor, a new student at Springfield Elementary School. Lisa Simpson begins to feel threatened by Allison because she is smarter, younger, and a better saxophone player. The episode's subplot sees Homer steal a large pile of sugar from a crashed truck and sell it door-to-door. This episode was originally going to air as part of Season 5 but aired as a season six episode due to 1994 Northridge earthquake.

"Kamp Krusty" is the fourth season premiere of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 60th episode overall. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 24, 1992. In the episode, the children of Springfield attend Kamp Krusty, a summer camp named after Krusty the Clown. The camp is extremely unpleasant, leading to the campers rebelling against the camp director. Meanwhile, with the kids away, Homer and Marge enjoy more time together, and Homer becomes physically and emotionally healthier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa's First Word</span> 10th episode of the 4th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa's First Word" is the tenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on December 3, 1992. In the episode, as the Simpson family gathers around Maggie and tries to encourage her to say her first word, Marge reminisces and tells the story of Lisa's first word. Maggie's first word is voiced by Elizabeth Taylor.

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

"Treehouse of Horror IX", titled onscreen as "The Simpsons Halloween Special IX", is the fourth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox 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 "The 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa on Ice</span> 8th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons

"Lisa on Ice" is the eighth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was the first broadcast on Fox in the United States on November 13, 1994. In the episode, Lisa discovers that she possesses a skill for ice hockey. A rivalry between her and Bart ensues, as the siblings play for opposing teams.

"Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" is the eleventh episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 17, 1999. When Homer, Barney, Lenny, and Carl drunkenly vandalize Springfield Elementary School, it is blamed on the children of Springfield, prompting Chief Wiggum to impose a curfew. The children respond by setting up a pirate radio show in which they reveal the embarrassing secrets of Springfield's adults. The episode was written by Larry Doyle and directed by Mark Ervin. The concept behind the episode originates from show producer Mike Scully always wanting to do an episode where the children would be subject to a curfew.

"Marge Simpson in: 'Screaming Yellow Honkers'", or simply "Screaming Yellow Honkers", is the fifteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 21, 1999. After Homer purchases a Canyonero sports utility vehicle, he discovers he bought the model intended for women, so he gives the vehicle to Marge. Despite disliking it at first, Marge grows fond of it, and quickly develops road rage against other motorists. The episode was written by David M. Stern and directed by Mark Kirkland.

"Bart the Mother" is the third episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on September 27, 1998. In the episode, Bart accidentally kills a mother bird with a BB gun, and decides to hatch and take care of the two eggs he found in the bird's nest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brother's Little Helper</span> 2nd episode of the 11th season of The Simpsons

"Brother's Little Helper" is the second episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 1999. In the episode, Bart floods the school gymnasium and the schoolyard, which prompts the school's principal Seymour Skinner to diagnose Bart with ADHD. Bart is prescribed a psychostimulant drug called Focusyn, and initially starts paying more attention to his studies. After a while however, Bart starts turning psychotic and is convinced that Major League Baseball is watching over the people of Springfield.

"Kill the Alligator and Run" is the nineteenth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 30, 2000. In the episode, Homer has a nervous breakdown after taking a quiz that suggests he only has three years left to live. To calm himself down, he and the rest of the Simpson family go to Florida for vacation. There, they end up in the middle of a raucous spring break. Homer joins in on the party and ends up getting himself and his family in trouble for killing the state's beloved mascot, an alligator named Captain Jack. The Simpsons run from the law and take jobs at a small restaurant while hiding from the police.

"Simpsons Bible Stories" is the eighteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1999. It is the first of The Simpsons' now annual trilogy episodes, and consists of four self-contained segments. In the episode, the Simpson family falls asleep during a sermon in church. Marge dreams that she and Homer are Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Lisa dreams that she and her fellow Springfield Elementary School students are Hebrew slaves in Ancient Egypt and guides Moses to lead them to freedom, Homer dreams that he is King Solomon called to resolve a dispute between Lenny and Carl over the ownership of a pie, and Bart dreams he is King David, who has to fight Goliath's son, Goliath II.

"Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" is the twelfth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 1999, just after Super Bowl XXXIII and the premiere of Family Guy. In the episode, while buying new tires for his car, Homer meets a travel agent called Wally Kogen. After becoming friends, Kogen offers Homer a free bus ride to the Super Bowl, as long as he can find enough people to fill Kogen's bus. Several people, including Bart, tag along on what soon becomes a problematic trip. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa set out to find the missing parts of "Vincent Price's Egg Magic", a celebrity-endorsed craft kit.

"Make Room for Lisa" is the sixteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox 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.

"Maximum Homerdrive" is the seventeenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on March 28, 1999.

"Mom and Pop Art" is the nineteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first aired on Fox in the United States on April 11, 1999. In this episode, Homer inadvertently becomes a well-praised outsider artist after his failed attempts to build a barbecue pit. His exhibit goes to the Louvre, and after Mr. Burns buys his artwork, Homer becomes a success. However, after his new art appears in the "Art in America" show, Homer's artwork is criticized for being too repetitive of his first piece. After his recent failure, Homer tries to devise something groundbreaking, after hearing of Christo's art.

"Thirty Minutes over Tokyo" is the twenty-third and final episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on May 16, 1999. In the episode, after being robbed by Snake Jailbird, the Simpsons visit a money-saving seminar, where they learn ways to limit their expenses. Soon, the family can afford a cheap last-minute flight to another country, the only disadvantage being that they do not know where their plane tickets will bring them, which leads them to spend their vacation in Japan.

"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">Mike Scully</span> American writer and producer (born 1956)

Michael C. Scully is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom The Simpsons from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and long had an interest in writing. He was an underachiever at school and dropped out of college, going on to work in a series of jobs. Eventually, in 1986, he moved to Los Angeles where he worked as a stand-up comic and wrote for Yakov Smirnoff.

"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining, but the team fears he will cost them the league championship. In the subplot, Bart's "Down with Homework" T-shirt incites a school riot, so Principal Skinner implements a uniform dress code.

References

  1. 1 2 Thacker, Julie. (2007). Commentary for "The Old Man and the 'C' Student", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  2. ↑ Meyer, George. (2007). Commentary for "The Old Man and the 'C' Student", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Scully, Mike. (2007). Commentary for "The Old Man and the 'C' Student", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  4. ↑ Cartwright, Nancy. (2007). Commentary for "The Old Man and the 'C' Student", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  5. 1 2 Kirkland, Mark. (2007). Commentary for "The Old Man and the 'C' Student", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  6. ↑ Bates, James W.; Gimple, Scott M.; McCann, Jesse L.; Richmond, Ray; Seghers, Christine, eds. (2010). Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (1st ed.). Harper Collins Publishers. p. 511. ISBN   978-0-00-738815-8.
  7. 1 2 3 Warren Martyn & Adrian Wood. "The Old Man and the 'C' Student". BBC . Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  8. ↑ St. Paul Pioneer Press (MN) (April 29, 1999). "NIELSEN RATINGS". St. Paul Pioneer Press. p. 3A.
  9. ↑ "The Simpsons - The Complete 10th Season". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Roxby, Aaron (September 7, 2007). "DVD Review – THE SIMPSONS - Season 10". Collider. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  11. 1 2 Jacobson, Colin (August 20, 2007). "The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season (1998)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  12. ↑ Plath, James (August 17, 2007). "Simpsons, The: The Complete 10th Season (DVD)". DVD Town. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  13. 1 2 MacNeill, Jake (September 25, 2007). "The Simpsons: Season 10". Digital Entertainment News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
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.