Father Knows Worst
Encyclopedia
"Father Knows Worst" is the eighteenth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons
. It originally aired on the Fox network
in the United States on April 26, 2009. In the episode, Bart
and Lisa
start struggling in their academic and social lives at school and Homer
starts monitoring them and forcing them to do better, becoming a helicopter parent
. Meanwhile, Marge
discovers a sauna
in the basement. This was the first episode in over eight years written by Rob LaZebnik
.
, Bart
and Lisa
go to the carnival on the South-Side Sea Port, and Homer indulges in various varieties of kabobs
. While devouring them indiscriminately, he accidentally swallows a flaming stick. He tries to douse it out with water, but gets tricked by Bart into drinking lighter fluid (prompting Homer to strangle and breathe fire at him). Following a brief stint in a tongue cast, Homer's taste bud
s become hypersensitive
, making eating ordinary food an ordeal. Lisa remedies the problem by giving Homer cafeteria food from Springfield Elementary, which is so bland that a supertaster like Homer can tolerate it. Homer decides to dine at the elementary school (and even goes so far as to be a cafeteria server), much to the embarrassment of Bart.
While dining at the school, Homer meets a "helicopter mom
", who pressures her son Noah into succeeding by being near him at all times. She makes snide remarks about Homer's children, pointing out how dumb Bart is and how much of a social outcast Lisa is. Homer decides to become a "helicopter parent", fearing that his children's only ambition in life will be to serve children like Noah. Bart must build a balsa wood model to compete in a sculpture assignment, and Homer insists on helping. While shopping for balsa wood, Homer reveals that Bart will build the Washington Monument, but Principal Skinner
criticizes this as overly easy. In response, Homer purchases a model kit of Westminster Abbey
. He buys a book for Lisa entitled "Chicks with Cliques," and persuades her to try joining a clique
, first by declaring that dolphin
s swim in "cliques" and that the United States
was founded by a clique, and then by hosting a cellphone-decorating party for the popular girls.
Homer is convinced that Bart will not build the Abbey model correctly and insists on building it himself. He works late into the night and accidentally falls asleep. During a dream sequence, ghosts of some of the historical figures Homer imagines are buried in Westminster Abbey — including Oscar Wilde
, who is actually buried in Paris
— advise Homer to let Bart learn from his mistakes. Homer awakes to find he has accidentally crushed the model beyond recognition. At the competition, Superintendent Chalmers notes that Bart's model is the only one that does not appear "too perfect," and thus believes that Bart's model is the only one that was not constructed with the help of a parent, but Bart declines the award and reveals that Homer did all the work. Lisa too confesses to her father that she no longer wants to be popular, noting that "it's hard work being this shallow."
Meanwhile, Marge
changes the water heater in the basement and discovers a hidden sauna
, keeping it to herself out of fear that Homer will invite his friends and Moe (the latter of whom did not bring a towel because he thought the rest who "go Scandinavian"). Marge visits the sauna on a regular basis and is so deeply relaxed that she does not react when Homer tells her of Bart and Lisa's problems. After Bart declines the balsa model award and Lisa leaves her clique, Homer believes he has failed as a parent. Marge leads him downstairs to the sauna where they revel in steam and relaxation. In the end, Marge douses the sauna rocks with beer and as their towels fall off the two make love.
and was watched by 5.94 million viewers. Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict said "Father Knows Worst" is a "middle-of-the-road" Simpsons episode, as "it lands right in the middle between the best Simpsons episodes and the worst. Even though Marge and Maggie are completely wasted, and Lisa’s storyline barely gets off the ground, seeing Homer try at anything is good for a laugh, especially if that something is parenting and includes him imagining Marge water-skiing on a stegosaurus
. Not exactly a model episode, but a decent entry all the same." Robert Canning of IGN
enjoyed the episode. He said, "The main story was entertaining, and the random jokes throughout the episode added to the quality." He went on to say, "All in all, it's tough to complain when the story is solid and the jokes are funny." In addition, Dan Castellaneta
won the Primetime Emmy Award
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
for his role as Homer Simpson in this episode, marking his fourth win for that award.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. It originally aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on April 26, 2009. In the episode, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
start struggling in their academic and social lives at school and Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
starts monitoring them and forcing them to do better, becoming a helicopter parent
Helicopter parent
Helicopter parent is a colloquial, early 21st-century term for a parent who pays extremely close attention to his or her child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. The term was originally coined by Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay in their 1990 book...
. Meanwhile, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
discovers a sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
in the basement. This was the first episode in over eight years written by Rob LaZebnik
Rob LaZebnik
Rob LaZebnik is a television writer. He graduated from David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri and Harvard University. He currently works as a co-executive producer on The Simpsons and is credited with having written five episodes: "Treehouse of Horror XI" , "Homer vs...
.
Plot
HomerHomer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
go to the carnival on the South-Side Sea Port, and Homer indulges in various varieties of kabobs
Kebab
Kebab is a wide variety of meat dishes originating in Middle East and later on adopted by the Middle East, and Asia Minor, and now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab served on the skewer...
. While devouring them indiscriminately, he accidentally swallows a flaming stick. He tries to douse it out with water, but gets tricked by Bart into drinking lighter fluid (prompting Homer to strangle and breathe fire at him). Following a brief stint in a tongue cast, Homer's taste bud
Taste bud
Taste buds contain the receptors for taste. They are located around the small structures on the upper surface of the tongue, soft palate, upper esophagus and epiglottis, which are called papillae. These structures are involved in detecting the five elements of taste perception: salty, sour,...
s become hypersensitive
Supertaster
A supertaster is a person who experiences the sense of taste with far greater intensity than average. Women are more likely to be supertasters, as are individuals of Asian and African descent. The cause of this heightened response is currently unknown, although it is thought to be, at least in...
, making eating ordinary food an ordeal. Lisa remedies the problem by giving Homer cafeteria food from Springfield Elementary, which is so bland that a supertaster like Homer can tolerate it. Homer decides to dine at the elementary school (and even goes so far as to be a cafeteria server), much to the embarrassment of Bart.
While dining at the school, Homer meets a "helicopter mom
Helicopter parent
Helicopter parent is a colloquial, early 21st-century term for a parent who pays extremely close attention to his or her child's or children's experiences and problems, particularly at educational institutions. The term was originally coined by Foster W. Cline, M.D. and Jim Fay in their 1990 book...
", who pressures her son Noah into succeeding by being near him at all times. She makes snide remarks about Homer's children, pointing out how dumb Bart is and how much of a social outcast Lisa is. Homer decides to become a "helicopter parent", fearing that his children's only ambition in life will be to serve children like Noah. Bart must build a balsa wood model to compete in a sculpture assignment, and Homer insists on helping. While shopping for balsa wood, Homer reveals that Bart will build the Washington Monument, but Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
criticizes this as overly easy. In response, Homer purchases a model kit of Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. He buys a book for Lisa entitled "Chicks with Cliques," and persuades her to try joining a clique
Clique
A clique is an exclusive group of people who share common interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. A clique as a reference group can be either normative or comparative. Membership in a clique is typically exclusive, and qualifications for membership may be social or...
, first by declaring that dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s swim in "cliques" and that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was founded by a clique, and then by hosting a cellphone-decorating party for the popular girls.
Homer is convinced that Bart will not build the Abbey model correctly and insists on building it himself. He works late into the night and accidentally falls asleep. During a dream sequence, ghosts of some of the historical figures Homer imagines are buried in Westminster Abbey — including Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, who is actually buried in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
— advise Homer to let Bart learn from his mistakes. Homer awakes to find he has accidentally crushed the model beyond recognition. At the competition, Superintendent Chalmers notes that Bart's model is the only one that does not appear "too perfect," and thus believes that Bart's model is the only one that was not constructed with the help of a parent, but Bart declines the award and reveals that Homer did all the work. Lisa too confesses to her father that she no longer wants to be popular, noting that "it's hard work being this shallow."
Meanwhile, Marge
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
changes the water heater in the basement and discovers a hidden sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, keeping it to herself out of fear that Homer will invite his friends and Moe (the latter of whom did not bring a towel because he thought the rest who "go Scandinavian"). Marge visits the sauna on a regular basis and is so deeply relaxed that she does not react when Homer tells her of Bart and Lisa's problems. After Bart declines the balsa model award and Lisa leaves her clique, Homer believes he has failed as a parent. Marge leads him downstairs to the sauna where they revel in steam and relaxation. In the end, Marge douses the sauna rocks with beer and as their towels fall off the two make love.
Reception
The episode received a 4.5/6 Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
and was watched by 5.94 million viewers. Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict said "Father Knows Worst" is a "middle-of-the-road" Simpsons episode, as "it lands right in the middle between the best Simpsons episodes and the worst. Even though Marge and Maggie are completely wasted, and Lisa’s storyline barely gets off the ground, seeing Homer try at anything is good for a laugh, especially if that something is parenting and includes him imagining Marge water-skiing on a stegosaurus
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus is a genus of armored stegosaurid dinosaur. They lived during the Late Jurassic period , some 155 to 150 million years ago in what is now western North America. In 2006, a specimen of Stegosaurus was announced from Portugal, showing that they were present in Europe as well...
. Not exactly a model episode, but a decent entry all the same." Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
enjoyed the episode. He said, "The main story was entertaining, and the random jokes throughout the episode added to the quality." He went on to say, "All in all, it's tough to complain when the story is solid and the jokes are funny." In addition, Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
won the Primetime Emmy Award
Primetime Emmy Award
The Primetime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming...
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
for his role as Homer Simpson in this episode, marking his fourth win for that award.
External links
- The Simpsons Theme Song by Canvas, featured in the end credits