Four Great Women and a Manicure
Encyclopedia
"Four Great Women and a Manicure" is the twentieth episode of the twentieth season of The Simpsons
. It was broadcast on the Fox network
in the United States on May 10, 2009. It is the first Simpsons episode in history to have four acts instead of the usual three. The episode tells four tales of famous women featuring Simpsons characters in various roles: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I
, Lisa as Snow White
, Marge as Lady Macbeth
and Maggie
as Howard Roark from Ayn Rand
’s The Fountainhead
.
Jodie Foster
performs the voice of Maggie Simpson
. The title is a reference to the 1994 movie Four Weddings and a Funeral
. The episode is the lowest-rated episode in terms of viewers in the show's history. It is the only episode in the history of the show in which Bart Simpson
is not seen or mentioned (not counting the opening credits). It is also the second episode (after "Mona Leaves-a
") to first air on Mother's Day and deal with women or mothers.
takes Lisa
to a salon for her first manicure, prompting a debate as to whether a woman can simultaneously be smart, powerful and beautiful.
, with Selma Bouvier playing the Queen.
Various royal suitors wish to win the hand of Queen Elizabeth, including a flamboyant King Julio of Spain. The Queen rejects his advances and King Julio vows revenge on England, summoning the Spanish Armada
. Meanwhile, Walter Raleigh
, played by Homer
, falls for Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting, played by Marge
.
When Elizabeth catches the two making out, she sentences them to execution. They are saved at the last minute when Moe
dashes in, reporting the arrival of the Spanish Armada. Homer leads an English naval offense against the Armada, defeating them by accidentally setting the lone English warship on fire, which then spreads to the entire Spanish fleet. Queen Elizabeth knights him and then proclaims, "I don't need a man, for I have England" (with Moe sarcastically quipping, "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that").
, with herself in the title role.
Her version features the dwarves Crabby (Moe), Drunky (Barney
), Hungry (Homer), Greedy (Mr. Burns), Lenny (Lenny), Kearney (Kearney) and Doc (...tor Hibbert
), following the appearance of the Blue-Haired Lawyer who tells Lisa that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
has been copyright
ed by the Walt Disney Corporation, prompting Lisa to change the characters to avoid being sued. When the wicked queen (Lindsey Naegle) learns from her magic HD television that Snow White is fairer than she is, she dispatches her huntsman (Groundskeeper Willie
) to murder the young maiden. However, Willie the huntsman cannot bring himself to cut out her heart (or to cut out a pig's heart or to cut a heart out of construction paper) and Snow White runs away to the forest, seeking shelter in the dwarves' cottage. She keeps house for them while they work in the mines but the wicked queen, disguised as an old woman, physically forces Snow White to eat a poisoned apple. She escapes the dwarves, only to be brutally lynched
by an angry group of woodland animals. In Lisa's version, Snow White doesn't need a man to wake her but is brought back to life by a female doctor.
.
Marge (parodying Lady Macbeth) is frustrated with everything. Not only does she have to clean the costumes worn by the other actors, but also Homer doesn't have the title role in a Springfield production of Macbeth
and instead plays a tree. She convinces him to murder the lead actor, Sideshow Mel. Homer follows her command and then assumes the role of Macbeth
. However, his performance receives unfavorable reviews, even compared with other actors with no lines. Furious, Marge orders Homer to continue his killing spree until he is the only actor left.
While scrubbing the blood from the costumes, Marge is visited by the angry spirits of the actors she has had murdered. She tries to put the blame on Homer, but they refuse to believe her. The spirits are well aware that he was a mere puppet in her plans and level their anger at her. Finally, they kill Marge by causing a fright-induced heart attack in revenge. In her memory (or rather, by her spirit force, since she apparently has not learned her lesson or anything from the experience), Homer performs a stirring soliloquy in the empty theater. Marge's ghost appears in the audience and raves that he has finally given a great performance. She is overjoyed and urges him to appear in more Shakespearean plays by tossing scripts in front of him. However, much to her chagrin, Homer decides to kill himself
so he does not have to audition any more. He is rather pleased to spend the rest of his eternity being lazy and forces a frustrated Marge to learn her lesson the hard way.
is depicted as "Maggie Roark," representing Howard Roark from Ayn Rand
's The Fountainhead
.
Maggie's architectural brilliance is squashed by an oppressive pre-school teacher (Ellsworth Toohey) who encourages only conformity. She builds several famous landmarks (such as The Taj Mahal
in India
and The Bird's Nest
in Beijing
, China
) out of blocks and other toys, all of which are destroyed by Toohey (to the strains of Beethoven's 9th symphony, 2nd movement
), who disapproves of the superiority of her creations over those of the other children. During a Parents' Day at Mediocri-Tots Day Care Center, Maggie dazzles everyone with her rendition of the Empire State Building and ends up on trial for expressing herself. During the trial, Maggie (voiced by Jodie Foster
) defends herself by stating that the creative people of her time have never compromised their talent for the sake of others and neither will she. Years later, Maggie is shown as a successful architect who opens a daycare center dedicated to letting babies express themselves freely...
's Starry Night on the nail salon wall, scolding her for "soiling" the wall and not realizing the irony.
) is picking a bed to sleep on.
"). It was, however, the second most watched show of the night on Fox after Family Guy.
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 was broadcast 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 May 10, 2009. It is the first Simpsons episode in history to have four acts instead of the usual three. The episode tells four tales of famous women featuring Simpsons characters in various roles: Selma as Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, Lisa as Snow White
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
, Marge as Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
and Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
as Howard Roark from Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
’s The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and brought her fame and financial success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide....
.
Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
performs the voice of Maggie Simpson
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
. The title is a reference to the 1994 movie Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Four Weddings and a Funeral is a 1994 British comedy film directed by Mike Newell. It was the first of several films by screenwriter Richard Curtis to feature Hugh Grant...
. The episode is the lowest-rated episode in terms of viewers in the show's history. It is the only episode in the history of the show in which Bart Simpson
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...
is not seen or mentioned (not counting the opening credits). It is also the second episode (after "Mona Leaves-a
Mona Leaves-a
"Mona Leaves-a" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on May 11, 2008. The episode features the death of Homer's mother, Mona Simpson. Homer is reunited with his mother, Mona, but isn't willing to forgive her for all the times she left him as a child...
") to first air on Mother's Day and deal with women or mothers.
Plot
MargeMarge 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...
takes 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...
to a salon for her first manicure, prompting a debate as to whether a woman can simultaneously be smart, powerful and beautiful.
Queen Elizabeth I
In the first tale, Marge tells the story of Queen Elizabeth IElizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
, with Selma Bouvier playing the Queen.
Various royal suitors wish to win the hand of Queen Elizabeth, including a flamboyant King Julio of Spain. The Queen rejects his advances and King Julio vows revenge on England, summoning the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
. Meanwhile, Walter Raleigh
Walter Raleigh
Sir Walter Raleigh was an English aristocrat, writer, poet, soldier, courtier, spy, and explorer. He is also well known for popularising tobacco in England....
, played by 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...
, falls for Queen Elizabeth's Lady in Waiting, played by 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...
.
When Elizabeth catches the two making out, she sentences them to execution. They are saved at the last minute when Moe
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
dashes in, reporting the arrival of the Spanish Armada. Homer leads an English naval offense against the Armada, defeating them by accidentally setting the lone English warship on fire, which then spreads to the entire Spanish fleet. Queen Elizabeth knights him and then proclaims, "I don't need a man, for I have England" (with Moe sarcastically quipping, "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that").
Snow White
In the second tale, Lisa tells the story of Snow WhiteSnow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
, with herself in the title role.
Her version features the dwarves Crabby (Moe), Drunky (Barney
Barney Gumble
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a fictional character on the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. The character is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". He is the town drunk and Homer Simpson's best friend. His capacity for...
), Hungry (Homer), Greedy (Mr. Burns), Lenny (Lenny), Kearney (Kearney) and Doc (...tor Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
), following the appearance of the Blue-Haired Lawyer who tells Lisa that Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Snow White
"Snow White" is a fairy tale known from many countries in Europe, the best known version being the German one collected by the Brothers Grimm...
has been copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ed by the Walt Disney Corporation, prompting Lisa to change the characters to avoid being sued. When the wicked queen (Lindsey Naegle) learns from her magic HD television that Snow White is fairer than she is, she dispatches her huntsman (Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
) to murder the young maiden. However, Willie the huntsman cannot bring himself to cut out her heart (or to cut out a pig's heart or to cut a heart out of construction paper) and Snow White runs away to the forest, seeking shelter in the dwarves' cottage. She keeps house for them while they work in the mines but the wicked queen, disguised as an old woman, physically forces Snow White to eat a poisoned apple. She escapes the dwarves, only to be brutally lynched
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
by an angry group of woodland animals. In Lisa's version, Snow White doesn't need a man to wake her but is brought back to life by a female doctor.
Lady Macbeth
In the third tale, Marge relates a story of ruthless ambition, embodied by Lady MacbethLady Macbeth
Lady Macbeth may refer to:*Lady Macbeth, from William Shakespeare's play Macbeth**Queen Gruoch of Scotland, the real-life Queen on whom Shakespeare based the character...
.
Marge (parodying Lady Macbeth) is frustrated with everything. Not only does she have to clean the costumes worn by the other actors, but also Homer doesn't have the title role in a Springfield production of Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
and instead plays a tree. She convinces him to murder the lead actor, Sideshow Mel. Homer follows her command and then assumes the role of Macbeth
Macbeth (character)
Macbeth is the title character in William Shakespeare's Macbeth . The character is based on the historical king Macbeth of Scotland, and is derived largely from the account in Holinshed's Chronicles , a history of Britain. Macbeth is a Scottish noble and a valiant military man. He is portrayed...
. However, his performance receives unfavorable reviews, even compared with other actors with no lines. Furious, Marge orders Homer to continue his killing spree until he is the only actor left.
While scrubbing the blood from the costumes, Marge is visited by the angry spirits of the actors she has had murdered. She tries to put the blame on Homer, but they refuse to believe her. The spirits are well aware that he was a mere puppet in her plans and level their anger at her. Finally, they kill Marge by causing a fright-induced heart attack in revenge. In her memory (or rather, by her spirit force, since she apparently has not learned her lesson or anything from the experience), Homer performs a stirring soliloquy in the empty theater. Marge's ghost appears in the audience and raves that he has finally given a great performance. She is overjoyed and urges him to appear in more Shakespearean plays by tossing scripts in front of him. However, much to her chagrin, Homer decides to kill himself
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
so he does not have to audition any more. He is rather pleased to spend the rest of his eternity being lazy and forces a frustrated Marge to learn her lesson the hard way.
Maggie Roark
In the final tale, MaggieMaggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
is depicted as "Maggie Roark," representing Howard Roark from Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
's The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and brought her fame and financial success. More than 6.5 million copies of the book have been sold worldwide....
.
Maggie's architectural brilliance is squashed by an oppressive pre-school teacher (Ellsworth Toohey) who encourages only conformity. She builds several famous landmarks (such as The Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white Marble mausoleum located in Agra, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal...
in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and The Bird's Nest
Beijing National Stadium
Beijing National Stadium, also known officially as the National Stadium, or colloquially as the Bird's Nest , is a stadium in Beijing, China. The stadium was designed for use throughout the 2008 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.-History:...
in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
) out of blocks and other toys, all of which are destroyed by Toohey (to the strains of Beethoven's 9th symphony, 2nd movement
Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)
The Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125, is the final complete symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1824, the symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire, and has been adapted for use as the European Anthem...
), who disapproves of the superiority of her creations over those of the other children. During a Parents' Day at Mediocri-Tots Day Care Center, Maggie dazzles everyone with her rendition of the Empire State Building and ends up on trial for expressing herself. During the trial, Maggie (voiced by Jodie Foster
Jodie Foster
Alicia Christian "Jodie" Foster is an American actress, film director, producer as well as a former child actress....
) defends herself by stating that the creative people of her time have never compromised their talent for the sake of others and neither will she. Years later, Maggie is shown as a successful architect who opens a daycare center dedicated to letting babies express themselves freely...
Ending
...but the rest of the story is interrupted when Marge stops Maggie from painting Vincent van GoghVincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh , and used Brabant dialect in his writing; it is therefore likely that he himself pronounced his name with a Brabant accent: , with a voiced V and palatalized G and gh. In France, where much of his work was produced, it is...
's Starry Night on the nail salon wall, scolding her for "soiling" the wall and not realizing the irony.
Cultural references
Goldilocks and the Three Bears is parodied when Snow White (LisaLisa 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...
) is picking a bed to sleep on.
Reception
This episode was watched by 5.16 million viewers, making it not only the least watched episode of the twentieth season but also the second in all the series' history (after "Million Dollar MaybeMillion Dollar Maybe
"Million Dollar Maybe" is the eleventh episode of the twenty-first season of the animated comedy series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on January 31, 2010. In this episode, Homer wins $1 million in the lottery...
"). It was, however, the second most watched show of the night on Fox after Family Guy.