Take My Wife, Sleaze
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| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Take My Wife, Sleaze" | |
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| Episode no. | 234 |
| Prod. code | BABF05 |
| Orig. Airdate | November 28, 1999 |
| Show Runner(s) | Mike Scully |
| Writer(s) | John Swartzwelder |
| Director | Neil Affleck |
| Chalkboard | "I can't see dead people." |
| Couch gag | The family is sucked into a paper shredder. |
| Guest star(s) | John Goodman as Meathook, Henry Winkler as Ramrod, Jay North as himself, NRBQ as themselves, and jan Hooks as Manjula. |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 11 September 26, 1999 – May 21, 2000 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Take My Wife, Sleaze" is the eighth episode of the eleventh season of The Simpsons. It aired on November 28, 1999.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
The family visits Greasers Cafe where Homer and Marge win a dancing contest. Their prize is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. After Bart educates Homer on riding a motorcycle (which Homer likes doing), he forms a motorcycle gang with Moe, Lenny, Carl, and even Ned Flanders, which he names the Hell's Satans. They get in trouble all across Springfield, and are confronted by a real motorcycle gang named the Hell's Satans, which are based in Bakersfield.
After the true Hell's Satans arrive, the group—led by two men named Meathook and Ramrod—destroy things at the Simpson house. Fortunately, Marge is in the house to clean it as the motorcycle gang lives in the house (a la Happy Days), until she is captured by the real Hell's Satans. Homer goes after them and winds up at several biker bars, but does not like it at these bars. He encounters Marge at a campsite, where the group kidnaps her, until Homer comes in to attack the group, and he wins back Marge. Afterwards, Meathook and Ramrod say goodbye to Marge in hopes of finding new jobs.
[edit] Trivia
- Greaser's Cafe is a parody of Johnny Rockets.
- Herald Tribune headlines adorning the walls at Greaser's Cafe read:
"Milkshakes Popular"
"Beatles Unite!"
"Study: Teens Rarely Pregnant"
"Vietnam Situation Resolved"
"Hula Hoop Mishap Kills 3"
"We All Agree: Conformity is Best!
[edit] Cultural references
[edit] Greaser's restaurant
The 1950s-themed restaurant has a bunch of nostalgic themes, including:
- Commercial — Wolfguy Jack plugs the restaurant with numerous 1950s-era references, including:
- Coca-Cola — A popular soft drink at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
- Dick Clark — Host of American Bandstand.
- Television — Referring to the early days of television.
- Ford Thunderbird — The 1956 Ford Thunderbird that Wolfguy Jack and his assistant, Debbie Dunham, are riding in during the commercial is one of many seen at the restaurant.
- Headlines plastered on the walls throughout the restaurant include:
- The Beatles — Even though they didn't arrive until the 1960s, the explosive popularity of the English band is acknowledged.
- Hula hoops — A popular fad during the late 1950s.
- Milkshakes — A popular treat at 1950s-era teen hangouts.
- Vietnam War — Although it didn't reach its peak until the mid- to late-1960s, the war began in 1959 and is so acknowledged.
- Menu items — The following 1950s references are used for the menu items:
- Allen Ginsberg — Hamburgers named Allen Ginsbergers, for the beatnik writer.
- McCarthyism — The grilled cheese sandwiches are named Un-American cheese sandwiches, after Sen. Joe McCarthy's pejorative for people suspected of being Communists.
- Polio vaccine — The hot dogs are named polio dogs, after Jonas Salk's vaccine that would ultimately wipe out the dread disease.
- Dennis the Menace — Jay North reprises his role as the title character of the 1959-1963 situation comedy at Greaser's grand opening.
- Other restaurant franchises with 1950s-era gimmicks — Among others, Johnny Rockets, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Disney-MGM Studios, and Maid-Rite.
- Pulp Fiction — The dance contest at a 50s-themed restaurant is similar to the one in the 1994 movie.
- Wolfman Jack and Debbie Dunham — Restaurant proprieter Wolfguy Jack and his girlfriend are thinly veiled caricatures of the radio personality and the character from American Graffiti, respectively.
[edit] Other references
- American Gothic — The painting featuring Apu and Manjula standing in front of the Kwik-E-Mart (except Apu is holding a broom) is nearly identical to Grant Wood's famous painting.
- Friday the 13th — The Hell's Satans are staying at Camp Crystal Lake, which is named after the campground where Jason Voorhees terrorized teen-agers in the slasher film series.
- Guinness World Records — The TV special the family watches — complete with Lisa echoing criticism about the reliability of the records — is a takeoff of several Fox "Guinness" specials that had recently aired.
- Happy Days — Ramrod addressing Homer and Marge as "Mr. S" and "Mrs. S" is another reference to how the teen-agers addressed Howard and Marion Cunningham on the popular 1970s TV series. Also: The episode "Dance Contest", which was about just that.
- Hells Angels — The motorcycle gang Hell's Satans is a takeoff of the nationally known motorcycle club.
- "Jailhouse Rock" — "Mental House Rock", performed by Johnny Bobby (voice: Hank Azaria) is a parody of the Elvis Presley song.
- "Lucille" — NRBQ — in addition to their own songs like "Me and the Boys" and "Want You to Feel Good Too" — covers the Little Richard song.
- Movie swashbucklers — Homer and Meathook's fight, using motorcycles as weapons, is like many classic swashbuckling swordfights, such as Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone's duel in The Adventures of Robin Hood.
- Rebel Without a Cause — The movie Homer watches, about a rebellious biker named Jimmy, is a parody of the classic 1955 movie.
- South Park — Someone looking like Cartman's mother is on the cover of Crack Whore magazine.
- There's Something About Mary — The marquee on Springfield Church — "There's something about the Virgin Mary" — is a play on the 1998 movie title.
- Henny Youngman — The episode title is a play on the British-born comedian's best known line, "Take my wife — please!"
[edit] Goofs
- As Homer describes how the motorcycle gang ran away, "like little school girls with their tails between their legs", he is holding a fork. As he begins to wave his arms, his hand goes behind his head. When his hand returns to focus, the fork is gone.
[edit] Quotes
- Wolfguy Jack: Ayyyyy, remember the '50s? Remember television, Coca-Cola, and Dick Clark?
Homer: (gasps) I remember television!
Wolfguy Jack: Come join me, Wolfguy Jack, at Greasers Cafe, where it's 1955 every day of the year, baby!
Commercial announcer: Actual year may vary. Consult calendar for current year.
- Bart: (meeting Dennis the Menace star Jay North from the old TV show) Dennis the Menace?
Jay North: Yes, I was America's bad boy. I once hid my dad's hat. (laughs mischievously)
Bart: Uh-huh.
Jay North: And another time, I accidentally stepped in Mr. Wilson's flower bed. That was a two-part episode. (laughs mischievously)
Bart: I have to go.
- Homer (on the motorcycle): Homer makes motor sounds while pretending to be driving the motorcycle
Bart: Wow Homer, you're really bending the hell out of that kick-stand, why don't you take it out for a ride?
Homer: Promise not to laugh?
Bart: Yeah Dad, I promise.
Homer: I don't know how.
Bart: Bart starts laughing and falls to the ground then is still laughing that night even till tomorrow morning at the breakfast table.
- Meathook: There is only one reasonable way to settle this. You and me!!... in the Circle of Death!!!
Marge: Oh, I just swept the Circle of Death!
- Marge: Haven't any of you ever have a dream?
Ram Rod: Yeah I had a dream. I was in a beautiful garden, pounding the crap out of a shopkeeper! And then...
Marge: No, no. A dream of a good job, a wonderful family, and a home in the suburbs.
Meathook: Oh, man! To get all that, you'd have to kill like fifty people!
- Homer (hiding in a closet): Hello, police? Can you send a SWAT team to 742 Evergreen Ter...
Wiggum: Forget it, Simpson! Those pig noises you made really hurt my feelings! Looking like a pig as I do.
Homer: But you have so much inner-beauty.
Wiggum: Well, uh, be that as it may. Uh, the gang is wanted in eight other states and we have a little saying around here—let Michigan handle it. - (Homer watches his Tuesday morning movie: a teenager saddles up on his motorcycle)
Mother: Oh, I don't know what's come over Jimmy. He won't do his homework, he only salutes the flag with one finger, and he comes home every night with other people's blood on his shirt.
Father: He's a rebel, I tell ya. A rebel without a cause. Just like that boy in that popular movie we saw.
(film shows Jimmy and his gang wreaking havoc in a store)
Homer: Yeah, that's the life for me, Marge. Cruisin' and hasselin' shopkeepers.
Cop: When will you kids learn to be uncool like everyone else?
Jimmy: Never, Pops!
Homer: That's right! Never!
Jimmy: You can arrest me, but y'all never defeat the Cobras! Nothing can defeat a motorcycle gang! (shot of Jimmy in jail and "The End")
Homer: A gang? That's the answer!
Lisa: Answer to what?
Homer: Hey! Don't make me hassle you, Lisa! - Wiggum: "Hell's Satans", huh? I'm watching you punks!
Homer: Can't hassle us, pig! We're going the speed limit! Oink, oink, oink!
Carl: Yeah! Oink, oink, oink!
Wiggum: You'll make a mistake someday. Then, you're going straight to juvie.
Homer: You can lock us away, but you'll never defeat the Cobras!
Wiggum: The Cobras? I thought you were the Hell's Satans.
Homer: Um, oink, oink, oink, oink! (drives off)
[edit] Songs
- Mayonnaise and Marmalade
sung by NRBQ
You showed me everything, you took me by the hands.
Puppy dogs and Lincoln Logs and castles made of sand.
You gave me the courage to spread my newborn wings,
Like mayonnaise and marmalade and other spreadable things.
So I guess you are my hero, and theres something you should know,
I want to make it clear, so I'm gonna sing it slow.
If you weren't a man and my father, too,
I'd buy a diamond ring and then I'd marry you.
- Mental House Rock
sung by Hank Azaria as Johnny Bobby
Doctors threw a party at the looney bin.
You gotta be crazy if you wanna get in.
Napoleon is playin' his imaginary sax.
The dance floor's fillin' up with maniacs.
Lets rock. Do the Mental House Rock.
(chorus)
Let's rock. Do the Mental House Rock. If you won't dance with the Doc,
He'll give you electroshock.
If you won't with the Doc,
He'll give you electroshock.
Zap! Zap! Zap!
[edit] External links
- "Take My Wife, Sleaze" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
- "Take My Wife, Sleaze" at the Internet Movie Database
