Elementary School Musical (The Simpsons): Difference between revisions
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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Elementary School Musical (''The Simpsons'')}} |
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{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
{{Infobox Simpsons episode |
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| image = |
| image = |
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| caption = |
| caption = |
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| season = 22 |
| season = 22 |
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| episode = |
| episode = 1 |
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| director = [[Mark Kirkland]] |
| director = [[Mark Kirkland]] |
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| writer = [[Tim Long]] |
| writer = [[Tim Long]] |
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| production = MABF21 |
| production = MABF21 |
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| airdate = |
| airdate = {{Start date|2010|09|26}} |
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| guests = [[Jemaine Clement]] as Ethan Ballantyne |
| guests = *[[Jemaine Clement]] as Ethan Ballantyne |
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*[[Bret McKenzie]] as Kurt Hardwick |
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*[[Lea Michele]] as herself |
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*[[Cory Monteith]] as himself |
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*[[Amber Riley]] as herself |
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*[[Ira Glass]] as himself |
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*[[Stephen Hawking]] as himself |
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| blackboard = "When I slept in class, it was not [[Inception|to help Leo DiCaprio]]"<ref name="Hawking">{{cite web|url=http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/glee-stars-on-the-simpsons-thats-all-1574265.story|title='Glee' stars on 'The Simpsons': That's all?|publisher=Wonderwall|work=[[Zap2it]]|date=2010-09-26| |
| blackboard = "When I slept in class, it was not [[Inception|to help Leo DiCaprio]]"<ref name="Hawking">{{cite web|url=http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/glee-stars-on-the-simpsons-thats-all-1574265.story|title='Glee' stars on 'The Simpsons': That's all?|publisher=Wonderwall|work=[[Zap2it]]|date=2010-09-26|access-date=2012-01-07|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130129105634/http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/glee-stars-on-the-simpsons-thats-all-1574265.story|archive-date=2013-01-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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| couch_gag = A banner appears above the couch celebrating the show's 22nd season. A Fox executive approaches the family with a cupcake, takes a bite, and walks away, disappointing the family. |
| couch_gag = A banner appears above the couch celebrating the show's 22nd season. A Fox executive approaches the family with a cupcake, takes a bite, and walks away, disappointing the family. |
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| commentary = |
| commentary = |
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| prev = |
| prev = [[Judge Me Tender]] |
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| next = |
| next = [[Loan-a Lisa]] |
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}} |
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"'''Elementary School Musical'''" is the [[The Simpsons |
"'''Elementary School Musical'''" is the [[The Simpsons season 22|twenty-second season]] premiere of the American animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. It originally aired on the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox network]] in the United States on September 26, 2010. In this episode, [[Krusty the Clown]] invites [[Homer Simpson|Homer]] to the [[Nobel Peace Prize|Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony]] in [[Oslo]]. Later turning out to be a hoax, Krusty is sued by the [[International Court of Justice]] for his many instances of public indecency. Meanwhile, [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] takes [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] to a performing arts camp for a week. |
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The episode was written by [[Tim Long]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. Upon airing, it was met with mixed reception from television critics. "Elementary School Musical" was viewed by 7.8 million viewers and attained a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to [[Nielsen ratings]]. The episode features guest appearances |
The episode was written by [[Tim Long]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. Upon airing, it was met with mixed reception from television critics. "Elementary School Musical" was viewed by 7.8 million viewers and attained a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to [[Nielsen ratings]]. The episode features guest appearances by [[Lea Michele]], [[Amber Riley]], and [[Cory Monteith]] from the musical television show ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'', as well as [[Flight of the Conchords|Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie]], [[Ira Glass]], and [[Stephen Hawking]]. |
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==Plot== |
==Plot== |
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As [[Homer Simpson|Homer]], [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]], and her friends watch the announcement of the year's [[Nobel Prize]] winners, they are astounded to hear that [[Krusty the Clown]] has won the Peace Prize. Krusty picks Homer to accompany him to [[Oslo]] for the awards ceremony, and Homer decides to take [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] with him. Their plane lands in [[The Hague]], and it is revealed that the Peace Prize announcement was a ruse to bring Krusty there so he could be tried by the [[International Court of Justice]] for his deplorable public behavior over the years, such as dropping a monkey from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and stealing the act from a local clown in The Hague. Homer and Bart search desperately for any evidence to show that Krusty has made a genuine [[Humanitarianism|contribution to humanity]], and eventually argue that his refusal to perform at [[Sun City, North West|Sun City]] because he wanted [[potato chips]] led directly to the [[South Africa]]n [[Government of South Africa|government]]'s decision to [[Nelson Mandela#Victor Verster Prison and release: 1988–90|release Nelson Mandela]] from prison. Even though these two incidents are not connected in any way, the court accepts this argument and frees Krusty, who immediately seeks out the nearest place to buy [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] — the courthouse cafeteria. |
As [[Homer Simpson|Homer]], [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]], and her friends watch the announcement of the year's [[Nobel Prize]] winners, they are astounded to hear that [[Krusty the Clown]] has won the Peace Prize. Krusty picks Homer to accompany him to [[Oslo]] for the awards ceremony to ensure that his jokes will be met with laughter, and Homer decides to take [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] with him. Their plane lands in [[The Hague]], and it is revealed that the Peace Prize announcement was a ruse to bring Krusty there so he could be tried by the [[International Court of Justice]] for his deplorable public behavior over the years, such as dropping a monkey from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and stealing the act from a local clown in The Hague. Homer and Bart search desperately for any evidence to show that Krusty has made a genuine [[Humanitarianism|contribution to humanity]], and eventually argue that his refusal to perform at [[Sun City, North West|Sun City]] because he wanted [[potato chips]] led directly to the [[South Africa]]n [[Government of South Africa|government]]'s decision to [[Nelson Mandela#Victor Verster Prison and release: 1988–90|release Nelson Mandela]] from prison. Even though these two incidents are not connected in any way, the court accepts this argument and frees Krusty, who immediately seeks out the nearest place to buy [[Cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] — the courthouse cafeteria. |
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Meanwhile, Marge surprises Lisa by sending her to a performing arts camp for a week. She eagerly immerses herself there in music and theater, meeting several campers who love to break into song and two guitar-playing hipster counselors, Ethan and Kurt. When Marge takes her home at the end of the week, Lisa has trouble readjusting to normal life and looks for a chance to express her newly awakened creative side. She runs away from home and seeks out Ethan and Kurt in "Sprooklyn", described by the counselors as the "artistic hotbed of Springfield". However, she soon learns that they have grossly exaggerated the area, which is really a run-down slum, and that they actually work at a sandwich shop. They sing a song about the difficulties of being an artist, during which Krusty gets beaten up for accidentally announcing he is the [[Informant#Jailhouse informants|prison snitch]]. Ethan and Kurt encourage her to return to her family and think about trying to make an artistic name for herself when she is older. As Marge arrives to take Lisa home, Ethan and Kurt show off a mural that they have painted in her honor, which takes up an entire side of a building. |
Meanwhile, Marge surprises Lisa, who is despondent about Bart attending the Peace Prize ceremony instead of her, by sending her to a performing arts camp for a week. She eagerly immerses herself there in music and theater, meeting several campers who love to break into song and two guitar-playing hipster counselors, Ethan and Kurt. When Marge takes her home at the end of the week, Lisa has trouble readjusting to normal life and looks for a chance to express her newly awakened creative side. She runs away from home and seeks out Ethan and Kurt in "Sprooklyn", described by the counselors as the "artistic hotbed of Springfield". However, she soon learns that they have grossly exaggerated the area, which is really a run-down slum, and that they actually work at a sandwich shop. They sing a song about the difficulties of being an artist, during which Krusty gets beaten up for accidentally announcing he is the [[Informant#Jailhouse informants|prison snitch]]. Ethan and Kurt encourage her to return to her family and think about trying to make an artistic name for herself when she is older. As Marge arrives to take Lisa home, Ethan and Kurt show off a mural that they have painted in her honor, which takes up an entire side of a building. |
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==Production== |
==Production== |
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"Elementary School Musical" was written by [[Tim Long]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. The episode features guest appearances from [[Lea Michele]], [[Cory Monteith]], and [[Amber Riley]] from the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2010/08/02/14900196-zap.html|title='Glee' cast meets 'The Simpsons'|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|work=Jam! Showbiz|author=Porter, Rick|date=2010-08-02| |
"Elementary School Musical" was written by [[Tim Long]] and directed by [[Mark Kirkland]]. The episode features guest appearances from [[Lea Michele]], [[Cory Monteith]], and [[Amber Riley]] from the [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] series ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2010/08/02/14900196-zap.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712102720/http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2010/08/02/14900196-zap.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=July 12, 2012|title='Glee' cast meets 'The Simpsons'|publisher=[[Canadian Online Explorer]]|work=Jam! Showbiz|author=Porter, Rick|date=2010-08-02|access-date=2010-08-02}}</ref> The three previously revealed their appearances on [[Twitter]] in February 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Neil Patrick Harris Guest Stint on GLEE Seems Likely|url=http://tv.broadwayworld.com/article/Neil_Patrick_Harris_Guest_Stint_on_GLEE_Seems_Likely_20100225#ixzz0vUAMi5Fs|website=Broadway World|date=2010-02-25|access-date=2010-08-02}}</ref> Physicist [[Stephen Hawking]] also made an appearance.<ref name="Hawking" /> [[Flight of the Conchords]] members [[Jemaine Clement]] and [[Bret McKenzie]] first rehearsed their lines over the phone with [[Nancy Cartwright]], the voice of Bart, before flying to the United States to record their parts for the show.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=[[Fairfax New Zealand|Stuff]]|work=[[The Dominion Post (Wellington)|The Dominion Post]]|title=Bret and Jemaine's guest turn|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/tv/4090288/Bret-and-Jemaines-guest-turn|date=2010-09-03|access-date=2010-09-03}}</ref> Clement, a fan of the show since it first aired as [[The Simpsons shorts|shorts]] on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'', said that he and McKenzie would play new characters, rather than themselves.<ref name=guardian>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/29/jemaine-clement-flight-of-conchords|title=Jemaine Clement: 'I was in a public park replicating gay porn pics in my underpants'|author=Fox, Killian|date=2010-08-29|access-date=2010-09-03|work=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> He continued: |
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The opening sequence features [[Otto Mann]] in a ''[[Partridge Family]]''-like bus, while the [[chalkboard gag]] makes a reference to the film ''[[Inception]]''.<ref name="tvsquad">{{cite web |url=http://www. |
The opening sequence features [[Otto Mann]] in a ''[[Partridge Family]]''-like bus, while the [[chalkboard gag]] makes a reference to the film ''[[Inception]]''.<ref name="tvsquad">{{cite web |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2010/09/27/the-simpsons-season-22-episode-1-season-premiere-recap/ |title='The Simpsons' Season 22, Episode 1 (Season Premiere) Recap |author=Trechak, Brad |date=2010-09-27 |work=HuffPost TV |access-date=2022-01-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130106032545/http://www.aoltv.com/2010/09/27/the-simpsons-season-22-episode-1-season-premiere-recap/ |archive-date=2013-01-06 }}</ref> The ''[[Glee (TV series)|Glee]]'' cast members sing a version of "[[Good Vibrations]]" by the [[Beach Boys]].<ref name="a.v.">{{cite news|url=https://www.avclub.com/elementary-school-musical-harder-better-faster-br-1798166044|title="Elementary School Musical"/"Harder, Better, Faster, Browner"/"And Then There Were Fewer"|last=VanDerWerff|first=Emily|date=2010-09-27|newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=2022-01-13}}</ref> [[Krusty the Clown]] had a [[Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy|Super Bowl "nip slip"]], appeared on ''[[The Electric Company]]'' and was seen using a child as a human shield in a similar manner to the character [[Greg Stillson]] from ''[[The Dead Zone (novel)|The Dead Zone]]''.<ref name="tvsquad"/> Lisa listens to ''[[This American Life]]'', a public radio program voiced by [[Ira Glass]]. Also, Ethan and Kurt have a map of [[Middle-earth|Middle Earth]] on the wall of their apartment.<ref name="tvsquad"/> Krusty's comment that "I ain't gonna play Sun City" is a reference to [[Steven van Zandt]]'s famous [[Sun City (song)|protest song]]. |
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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"Elementary School Musical" was initially broadcast on September 26, 2010 in the United States as part of the animation television night on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. Upon airing, the episode was viewed by 7.8 million households |
"Elementary School Musical" was initially broadcast on September 26, 2010, in the United States as part of the animation television night on [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]. Upon airing, the episode was viewed by 7.8 million households. "Elementary School Musical" garnered a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to the [[Nielsen ratings]].<ref name=ratings>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/27/tv-ratings-sunday-night-football/65217 |title=TV Ratings: Sunday Night Football Wins; Simpsons, Cleveland Show, Family Guy, Makeover, Housewives All Down vs. Last Season's Premieres |author=Gorman, Bill |date=2010-09-27 |work=[[TV by the Numbers]] |access-date=2010-09-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930202123/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/27/tv-ratings-sunday-night-football/65217 |archive-date=2010-09-30 }}</ref> "Elementary School Musical" ranked twenty-third in the 18–49 demographic for the week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 |title=TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: 'Sunday Night Football', 'Glee,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Dancing with the Stars' Top Premiere Week |author=Seidman, Robert |date=2010-09-28 |work=TV by the Numbers |access-date=2010-09-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001090902/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 |archive-date=2010-10-01 }}</ref> |
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"Elementary School Musical" garnered a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to the [[Nielsen ratings]].<ref name=ratings/> |
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⚫ | Emily VanDerWerff of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a 'C+' grade. Although she expressed satisfaction towards many aspects of the episode, such as the character development of Lisa Simpson, VanDerWerff criticized the songs performed in the episode. In response to the appearance of [[Jemaine Clement]] and [[Bret McKenzie]] of the [[Flight of the Conchords]], she stated: "I have no idea if the writers wrote new songs for the two guys in Flight of the Conchords to sing [...] but the songs they sang were pretty weak."<ref name="a.v."/> Similarly, VanDerWerff was critical of the guest appearances of Michele, Riley, and Monteith, and stated: "Bringing in the ''Glee'' kids to sing a take on "[[Good Vibrations]]" that was, frankly, awful mostly just felt like an attempt to have guest stars in nothing parts so they could be promoted.<ref name="a.v."/> |
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"Elementary School Musical" ranked twenty-third in the 18–49 demographic for the week.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 |title=TV Ratings Broadcast Top 25: ‘Sunday Night Football’, ‘Glee,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Top Premiere Week |author=Seidman, Robert |date=2010-09-28 |work=TV by the Numbers |accessdate=2010-09-28 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001090902/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/09/28/tv-ratings-broadcast-top-25-sunday-night-football-glee-greys-anatomy-dancing-with-the-stars-top-premiere-week/65498 |archivedate=2010-10-01 |df= }}</ref> |
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Television critics were polarized with "Elementary School Musical". |
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⚫ | Similarly, Eric Hochberger of ''TV Fanatic'' wrote, "We actually loved Bret and Jemaine doing what they do best last night: playing characterized versions of themselves. Unlike the ''Glee'' kids, our favorite duo from New Zealand were given decent songs and some pretty great lines."<ref name=tvfan/> Hochberger gave the episode a 3.5 out of 5 stars.<ref name=tvfan>{{cite web |title=The Simpsons Season Premiere Review: "Elementary School Musical"|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/09/the-simpsons-review-elementary-school-musical/|first=Eric|last=Hochberger|work=TV Fanatic|date=2010-09-27|access-date=2011-12-10}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Emily VanDerWerff of ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' gave the episode a 'C+' grade. Although she expressed satisfaction towards many aspects of the episode, such as the character development of Lisa Simpson, VanDerWerff criticized the songs performed in the episode. In response to the appearance of [[Jemaine Clement]] and [[Bret McKenzie]] of the [[Flight of the Conchords]], she stated: "I have no idea if the writers wrote new songs for the two guys in Flight of the Conchords to sing [...] but the songs they sang were pretty weak."<ref name="a.v."/> Similarly, VanDerWerff was critical of the guest appearances of Michele, Riley, and Monteith, and stated: "Bringing in the ''Glee'' kids to sing a take on "[[Good Vibrations]]" that was, frankly, awful mostly just felt like an attempt to have guest stars in nothing parts so they could be promoted.<ref name="a.v."/> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | Similarly, Eric Hochberger of ''TV Fanatic'' wrote, "We actually loved Bret and Jemaine doing what they do best last night: playing characterized versions of themselves. Unlike the ''Glee'' kids, our favorite duo from New Zealand were given decent songs and some pretty great lines."<ref name=tvfan/> Hochberger gave the episode a 3.5 out of 5 stars.<ref name=tvfan>{{cite web |title=The Simpsons Season Premiere Review: "Elementary School Musical"|url=http://www.tvfanatic.com/2010/09/the-simpsons-review-elementary-school-musical/|first=Eric|last=Hochberger|work=TV Fanatic|date=2010-09-27| |
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==References== |
==References== |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_22#Elementary_School_Musical|"Elementary School Musical"}} |
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{{Portal|The Simpsons}} |
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*{{IMDb episode|1628648|Elementary School Musical}} |
*{{IMDb episode|1628648|Elementary School Musical}} |
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{{The Simpsons episodes|22}} |
{{The Simpsons episodes|22}} |
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[[Category:The Simpsons |
[[Category:The Simpsons season 22 episodes]] |
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[[Category:2010 American television episodes]] |
[[Category:2010 American television episodes]] |
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[[Category:Cultural depictions of Stephen Hawking]] |
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[[Category:Musical television episodes]] |
[[Category:Musical television episodes]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Television episodes set in summer camps]] |
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[[Category:Flight of the Conchords]] |
[[Category:Flight of the Conchords]] |
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[[Category:Television episodes written by Tim Long]] |
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[[Category:Television episodes directed by Mark Kirkland]] |
Latest revision as of 05:50, 3 January 2025
"Elementary School Musical" | |
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The Simpsons episode | |
Episode no. | Season 22 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
Written by | Tim Long |
Production code | MABF21 |
Original air date | September 26, 2010 |
Guest appearances | |
| |
Episode features | |
Chalkboard gag | "When I slept in class, it was not to help Leo DiCaprio"[1] |
Couch gag | A banner appears above the couch celebrating the show's 22nd season. A Fox executive approaches the family with a cupcake, takes a bite, and walks away, disappointing the family. |
"Elementary School Musical" is the twenty-second season premiere of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 26, 2010. In this episode, Krusty the Clown invites Homer to the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony in Oslo. Later turning out to be a hoax, Krusty is sued by the International Court of Justice for his many instances of public indecency. Meanwhile, Marge takes Lisa to a performing arts camp for a week.
The episode was written by Tim Long and directed by Mark Kirkland. Upon airing, it was met with mixed reception from television critics. "Elementary School Musical" was viewed by 7.8 million viewers and attained a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to Nielsen ratings. The episode features guest appearances by Lea Michele, Amber Riley, and Cory Monteith from the musical television show Glee, as well as Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, Ira Glass, and Stephen Hawking.
Plot
[edit]As Homer, Lisa, and her friends watch the announcement of the year's Nobel Prize winners, they are astounded to hear that Krusty the Clown has won the Peace Prize. Krusty picks Homer to accompany him to Oslo for the awards ceremony to ensure that his jokes will be met with laughter, and Homer decides to take Bart with him. Their plane lands in The Hague, and it is revealed that the Peace Prize announcement was a ruse to bring Krusty there so he could be tried by the International Court of Justice for his deplorable public behavior over the years, such as dropping a monkey from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and stealing the act from a local clown in The Hague. Homer and Bart search desperately for any evidence to show that Krusty has made a genuine contribution to humanity, and eventually argue that his refusal to perform at Sun City because he wanted potato chips led directly to the South African government's decision to release Nelson Mandela from prison. Even though these two incidents are not connected in any way, the court accepts this argument and frees Krusty, who immediately seeks out the nearest place to buy marijuana — the courthouse cafeteria.
Meanwhile, Marge surprises Lisa, who is despondent about Bart attending the Peace Prize ceremony instead of her, by sending her to a performing arts camp for a week. She eagerly immerses herself there in music and theater, meeting several campers who love to break into song and two guitar-playing hipster counselors, Ethan and Kurt. When Marge takes her home at the end of the week, Lisa has trouble readjusting to normal life and looks for a chance to express her newly awakened creative side. She runs away from home and seeks out Ethan and Kurt in "Sprooklyn", described by the counselors as the "artistic hotbed of Springfield". However, she soon learns that they have grossly exaggerated the area, which is really a run-down slum, and that they actually work at a sandwich shop. They sing a song about the difficulties of being an artist, during which Krusty gets beaten up for accidentally announcing he is the prison snitch. Ethan and Kurt encourage her to return to her family and think about trying to make an artistic name for herself when she is older. As Marge arrives to take Lisa home, Ethan and Kurt show off a mural that they have painted in her honor, which takes up an entire side of a building.
Production
[edit]"Elementary School Musical" was written by Tim Long and directed by Mark Kirkland. The episode features guest appearances from Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, and Amber Riley from the Fox series Glee.[2] The three previously revealed their appearances on Twitter in February 2010.[3] Physicist Stephen Hawking also made an appearance.[1] Flight of the Conchords members Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie first rehearsed their lines over the phone with Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart, before flying to the United States to record their parts for the show.[4] Clement, a fan of the show since it first aired as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show, said that he and McKenzie would play new characters, rather than themselves.[5] He continued:
Yeah, we were over the moon. We don't play ourselves, because most people won't know who we are, but they'll look like yellow versions of ourselves. We play counsellors at an arts camp that Lisa's going to. It's pretty fun. We just went to a studio and recorded it, but, yeah, we were really flattered.[5]
The opening sequence features Otto Mann in a Partridge Family-like bus, while the chalkboard gag makes a reference to the film Inception.[6] The Glee cast members sing a version of "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys.[7] Krusty the Clown had a Super Bowl "nip slip", appeared on The Electric Company and was seen using a child as a human shield in a similar manner to the character Greg Stillson from The Dead Zone.[6] Lisa listens to This American Life, a public radio program voiced by Ira Glass. Also, Ethan and Kurt have a map of Middle Earth on the wall of their apartment.[6] Krusty's comment that "I ain't gonna play Sun City" is a reference to Steven van Zandt's famous protest song.
Reception
[edit]"Elementary School Musical" was initially broadcast on September 26, 2010, in the United States as part of the animation television night on Fox. Upon airing, the episode was viewed by 7.8 million households. "Elementary School Musical" garnered a 3.7/8 rating in the 18–49 demographic, according to the Nielsen ratings.[8] "Elementary School Musical" ranked twenty-third in the 18–49 demographic for the week.[9]
Television critics were polarized with "Elementary School Musical".
Emily VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club gave the episode a 'C+' grade. Although she expressed satisfaction towards many aspects of the episode, such as the character development of Lisa Simpson, VanDerWerff criticized the songs performed in the episode. In response to the appearance of Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie of the Flight of the Conchords, she stated: "I have no idea if the writers wrote new songs for the two guys in Flight of the Conchords to sing [...] but the songs they sang were pretty weak."[7] Similarly, VanDerWerff was critical of the guest appearances of Michele, Riley, and Monteith, and stated: "Bringing in the Glee kids to sing a take on "Good Vibrations" that was, frankly, awful mostly just felt like an attempt to have guest stars in nothing parts so they could be promoted.[7]
In contrast, Brad Trechak of TV Squad felt that the "Elementary School Musical" was an enjoyable start to the twenty-second season of the series, and retorted that the appearances of Clement and McKenzie was the highlight of the episode.[6]
Similarly, Eric Hochberger of TV Fanatic wrote, "We actually loved Bret and Jemaine doing what they do best last night: playing characterized versions of themselves. Unlike the Glee kids, our favorite duo from New Zealand were given decent songs and some pretty great lines."[10] Hochberger gave the episode a 3.5 out of 5 stars.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "'Glee' stars on 'The Simpsons': That's all?". Zap2it. Wonderwall. September 26, 2010. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
- ^ Porter, Rick (August 2, 2010). "'Glee' cast meets 'The Simpsons'". Jam! Showbiz. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
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