"
Mypods and Boomsticks" aka "
Mypods and Broomsticks" is the seventh episode of the
twentieth seasonThe Simpsons twentieth season aired on Fox from September 28, 2008 to May 17, 2009. With this season, the show tied Gunsmoke as the longest running American primetime television series in terms of total number of seasons...
of
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated television 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 eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
and first aired on
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
, November 30, 2008.
HomerHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father 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...
becomes suspicious of
BartBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous 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...
's new
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
friend, Bashir, and decides to invite his family for dinner; having offended them, Homer goes to their home to apologize but discovers what he believes to be a terrorist plot to blow up the Springfield Mall.
"
Mypods and Boomsticks" aka "
Mypods and Broomsticks" is the seventh episode of the
twentieth seasonThe Simpsons twentieth season aired on Fox from September 28, 2008 to May 17, 2009. With this season, the show tied Gunsmoke as the longest running American primetime television series in terms of total number of seasons...
of
The SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated television 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 eponymous family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie...
and first aired on
FoxThe Fox Broadcasting Company , commonly referred to as Fox , is an American television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, from 2004 to 2009 Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the 18–49 demographic...
, November 30, 2008.
HomerHomer Jay Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and father 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...
becomes suspicious of
BartBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous 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...
's new
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
friend, Bashir, and decides to invite his family for dinner; having offended them, Homer goes to their home to apologize but discovers what he believes to be a terrorist plot to blow up the Springfield Mall. Homer immediately goes on a rampage through Springfield to warn the residents about the impending disaster. In the episode's subplot, Lisa gets her very own MyPod (a parody of
iPodiPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched on . The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle. The iPhone can function as an iPod but is generally...
). It was written by
Marc WilmoreMarc Wilmore is a television writer, producer, and actor. In the early 1990s, he was a writer for In Living Color, and became a regular cast member in the final season. From 1999-2001, he served as a writer for the claymation series The PJs, and provided the voice of the character Walter...
and directed by
Steven Dean MooreSteven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 34 episodes of The Simpsons. Moore was also one of four sequence directors on The Simpsons Movie.-Season Eight:*"A Milhouse Divided"*"The Springfield Files"...
with
Shohreh AghdashlooShohreh Aghdashloo is an Oscar nominated, Emmy winning Iranian-American actress.-Early life:...
of
2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
guest starring as Bashir's mother, Mina. The episode was largely known for being the first episode of
The Simpsons to have
IslamIslam Islam Islam ( al-’islām,
[There are ten pronunciations of Islam in English, differing in whether the first or second syllable has the stress, whether the s is or , and whether the a is pronounced as in father, as in cat, or (when the stress is on the i) as in the a of sofa...]
portrayed in a large role.
Plot
During a trip to the mall,
LisaLisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child, and elder daughter, of the eponymous family. She is voiced by Yeardley Smith and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
obtains a "
MyPodiPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched on . The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle. The iPhone can function as an iPod but is generally...
" from Krusty at the Mapple Store. After
BartBartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous 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...
interrupts an
important messageStevenote is a colloquial term for keynotes by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, generally given at Apple events such as the Macworld Expo, the Apple Expo and the annual Worldwide Developers Conference...
from Mapple founder
Steve MobbsSteven Paul "Steve" Jobs is an American businessman, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs previously served as CEO of Pixar Animation Studios....
, insulting "Mapple's" user base, he runs into a
Muslim:A Muslim , , is an adherent of the religion of Islam. The feminine form is Muslimah . Literally, the word means "one who submits ". Muslim is the participle of the same verb of which Islam is the infinitive. Muslims believe that there is only one God, translated in Arabic as Allah...
boy from
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. Jordan shares borders with Syria to the north, Iraq to the northeast, Saudi Arabia to the east and south, the Gulf of Aqaba to the southwest,...
named Bashir and befriends him. After meeting Bashir, Homer is impressed by the boy's manners, but
LennyLenford "Lenny" Leonard, MPhys is a fictional character in the Fox animated series The Simpsons, and is voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the best friend of Carl Carlson and friend of Homer Simpson...
,
CarlCarlton "Carl" Carlson, MPhys is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons voiced by Hank Azaria. Along with Lenny, Carl is not just Homer's co-worker at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant but also his friend...
and
MoeMoe Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
convince him that all Muslims are terrorists, mostly from a
2424 is an American serial action/drama television series. Broadcast by Fox in the United States and syndicated worldwide, the show first aired on November 6, 2001, with an initial 13 episodes...
-like TV show. He invites Bashir's family over to dinner in an attempt to prove to expose them, but openly
discriminatesDiscrimination is a sociological term refering to treatment taken toward or against a person of a certain group that is taken in consideration based on class or category. The United Nations explains: "Discriminatory behaviours take many forms, but they all involve some form of exclusion or...
. While going to their home to apologize, Homer sees Bashir's father working with
TNTTrinitrotoluene , or more specifically, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, is a chemical compound with the formula C
6H
23CH
3. This yellow-coloured solid is a reagent in chemistry but is best known as a useful explosive material with convenient handling properties...
in his garage; due to a dream featuring the
GenieThe Genie is a fictional character and a protagonist from the Disney animated features canon movie Aladdin, as well as related series and sequels. He was portrayed by Robin Williams in the first film, though the role was later taken over by Dan Castellaneta after a contract dispute between Williams...
of
Aladdin, he decides to eavesdrop on Bashir's parents talking about Bashir's father's job as a demolition man, but misses part of the conversation and thinks that Bashir's father is a
suicide bomberA suicide attack is an attack intended to kill others and inflict widespread damage in the knowledge that oneself will die in the process...
.
He rushes to the Springfield Mall to warn the shoppers (except Patty and Selma), and sees Bart standing near a detonator with Bashir and his father. Homer tries to get rid of the dynamite by throwing it into the river, but it blows up a bridge which leads to the
Duff BeerDaleside is an independent brewery founded in 1988 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England.-Products:Daleside produce a wide range of beers, including Morocco Ale, a traditional spiced beer based on an Elizabethan recipe; Old Legover, a low abv Old Ale ; Monkey Wrench, a stronger Old Ale; Ripon...
brewery. However, it turns out Bashir's father was planning to blow up the empty Old Springfield Mall nearby. Homer apologizes, and the Simpson family throws a "Pardon My Intolerance" party for Bashir's family. Meanwhile, Lisa becomes obsessed with her new MyPod until she gets a
US$The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States. The U.S. dollar is normally abbreviated as the dollar sign, $, or as USD or US$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies and from others that use the $ symbol. It is divided into 100 cents .The U.S...
1200 "
MyBillA 300-page iPhone bill from AT&T Mobility mailed in a boxwas the subject of a viral video by Justine Ezarik which quickly became an Internet meme in August 2007....
". She goes to Mapple headquarters and begs Steve Mobbs to consider a reduced payment plan. Steve Mobbs offers Lisa a job at Mapple to help with her bill. Much to her chagrin, Lisa is given a job where she must stand on a street corner dressed as a MyPod, handing out Mapple pamphlets and telling people to "
Think Different"Think Different" is an advertising slogan created for Apple Computer in 1997 by the Los Angeles office of advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day.It was used in a famous television commercial, several print advertisements, and several television advertisements for Apple products. Apple's use of the...
ly."
Cultural references
The title of the episode is a reference to the 1971 Disney film
Bedknobs and BroomsticksBedknobs and Broomsticks is a musical film produced by Walt Disney Productions which combines live action and animation and was released in North America on December 13, 1971...
and a famous line from the film
Army of DarknessArmy of Darkness is a comedy horror/adventure film and the third installment in the Evil Dead series. Bruce Campbell stars as protagonist Ash Williams who finds himself in the Middle Ages where he must battle the undead in his quest to return home...
. The scene where Homer is on a flying carpet is a parody of the film
Aladdin; the
GenieThe Genie is a fictional character and a protagonist from the Disney animated features canon movie Aladdin, as well as related series and sequels. He was portrayed by Robin Williams in the first film, though the role was later taken over by Dan Castellaneta after a contract dispute between Williams...
also makes an appearance,
Dan CastellanetaDaniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American film, theatre and television actor, comedian, voice artist and television writer...
reprises the role of the genie. Castellaneta was also the voice of the Genie in the
Aladdin television and direct to video series. "
MyPodiPod is a brand of portable media players designed and marketed by Apple and launched on . The product line-up includes the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the video-capable iPod Nano, and the compact iPod Shuffle. The iPhone can function as an iPod but is generally...
", "
MyPhoneThe iPhone is an Internet and multimedia enabled smartphone designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Because its minimal hardware interface lacks a physical keyboard, the multi-touch screen renders a virtual keyboard when necessary...
", "
MyCubeThe Power Mac G4 Cube was a small form factor Macintosh personal computer from Apple Inc. It was sold from 2000 to 2001...
", "Mapple Store", "
Braniac BarThe Genius Bar is a tech support station located inside every Apple Retail Store, the purpose of which is to offer help and support for Apple products. Ron Johnson, the Senior Vice President for Retail, has often referred to the Genius Bar as the "heart and soul of our stores". Employees are...
", and "Mapple" are all parodies of Apple Inc. and its products. The CEO of Mapple is "Steve Mobbs", a parody of Apple Inc. CEO
Steve JobsSteven Paul "Steve" Jobs is an American businessman, and the co-founder and chief executive officer of Apple Inc. Jobs previously served as CEO of Pixar Animation Studios....
. The scene where
Comic Book GuyJeff Albertson, commonly known as Comic Book Guy, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the second-season episode "Three Men and a Comic Book", which originally aired on May 9, 1991. He is the proprietor...
throws a sledge hammer at the screen is a reference to the famous
"1984" Apple commercial"1984" is an American television commercial which introduced the Macintosh personal computer for the first time. It is now considered a watershed event and a masterpiece in advertising. It was directed by Ridley Scott, conceived by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow at Chiat/Day, Venice, and...
.
Reception
Robert Canning of
IGNIGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games...
praised the episode; as a whole, he called the episode funny and strong and "gave the now familiar 'suspected terrorist' plot a Simpsons twist," but called the remainder of the Mapple storyline less impressive. Canning ends his review by saying that minus Lisa's involvement after act one, it was a decently funny episode of
The Simpsons. He gave the episode a rating of 7.6/10. Daniel Aughey of
TV GuideTV Guide is a North American weekly magazine about television programming.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews. Some issues have also featured horoscope listings and crossword puzzles.-Annenberg/Triangle era: The...
also praised the episode for its jokes but lack of flow, calling it "one step behind".
Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books and popular culture. Unlike celebrity-focused publications US Weekly, People, and In Touch Weekly, EWs primary concentration is on entertainment...
's Five Best TV quotes of the week includes Bart's line of "Wow, all these years I've been petting lambs when I should have been shoving them in my mouth."
The
Council on American-Islamic RelationsThe Council on American-Islamic Relations is a non-governmental organization whose stated goals are to enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower Islam in the United States. CAIR is America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, working with civil rights organizations and...
praised the episode and sent a commending letter to
Matt GroeningMatthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell and the television series The Simpsons and Futurama....
. Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the council in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
, wrote "I applaud your effort in Sunday's episode of 'The Simpsons' to humanize American Muslims by challenging anti-Muslim sentiment in our society. [...] By introducing a professional Muslim family, the 'Mypods and Boomsticks' episode highlighted the diverse make-up of Springfield and brought to light how Americans can work toward mutual respect and inclusion by getting to know their neighbors." During the episode, Homer mistakenly calls God (
AllahAllah is the standard Arabic word for God. While the term is best known in the West for its use by Muslims as a reference to God, it is used by Arabic-speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, in reference to "God"...
) "Oliver", and the Islamic holy book (the
Qur'anThe Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam...
) "the Corona". A spokesperson for
BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
's Islamic Cultural Center and
London Central MosqueThe London Central Mosque is located near Marylebone station, the Baker Street Underground station, Regent's Park and Lords cricket ground in the City of Westminster, central north London, England. It was designed by Sir Frederick Gibberd, completed in 1978, and has a prominent golden dome...
has commented on the episode, telling U.K. newspaper
The Daily Star, "I hope Muslims take no notice of the show." Creator Groening defended the episode by saying, "Cartoons deal in stereotypes. We try to be sensitive."