Pygmoelian
Encyclopedia
"Pygmoelian" is the sixteenth episode of the eleventh season
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000. In the episode, after getting his face censored out on the Duff Beer
calendar for not being photogenic, Moe Szyslak
gets plastic surgery and becomes the star of a popular soap opera.
, who had set off the fire alarm early in the morning, the family goes to a festival sponsored by Duff Beer
. While there, they see Moe Szyslak
enter a "Beer-tender" competition. Moe wins the contest during the "Toss Your Drunk" challenge and gets his photo taken for a calendar, only to have it censored out with stickers. Realizing how ugly he is, Lenny and Carl suggest that Moe gets plastic surgery
. He agrees, but is reluctant when he is there. After his surgery, Moe has a very handsome face. In response, he confronts old adversaries, including the producers of a soap opera, It Never Ends, complaining that he never got the part of the character Dr. Tad Winslow because of his ugliness. Incidentally, the actor who plays Dr. Tad Winslow demands he get a raise in his salary, but it is rejected by the producers. In response, the producer makes Moe the new Dr. Tad Winslow.
Meanwhile, while Moe is acting, Bart
and Lisa
discover that Maggie
's Duff Days elephant
balloon has blown away in the wind. They go after it until it ends up in a gay Republican coalition's
office, and they see the pink elephant from the balloon as their mascot. They then give Lisa a bumper sticker telling her to vote for "A Gay President in 2084" (which, according to them, is a realistic goal).
The soap opera goes well, until Moe learns from top-secret future plot lines that his character will be killed off in a skydiving accident as a result from a coma (a color mixture) shortly after being forced to by Countessa. On the air, Homer and Moe reveal the future plots such as Gabriella's baby shower being invaded by terrorists, Sister Bernadette starting a softball team, and Prof. Galloway's stepsister planning to dominate International Perfume and Wine (all "with sexy results"). The producer angrily tells Moe that his character was only supposed to die in a dream, and then she fires him. As he walks off the set, a set piece falls on his new face, which returns to his old one. In a deus ex machina
, things go back to normal
when Moe returns to his tavern, but the episode gets cut short when Moe wonders why the accident on the set of It Never Ends turned his handsome face back to his normal face instead of an entirely new one.
as part of the eleventh season of The Simpsons (1999–2000). In a 2007 article, Slant
critic Ed Gonzales noted that the episode "largely concerns Moe getting plastic surgery but also features Bart and Lisa chasing a pink elephant around town and straight into a meeting for gay Republicans—a seemingly arbitrary bit of nonsense that connects succinctly with the theme of identity in which a person changes their face only to realize the efficiency of their old one."
for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.
Reception of the episode from critics has been generally positive. Ed Gonzales of Slant called it a "great episode." While reviewing the eleventh season of The Simpsons, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented the episode "peaks early, as the scenes at 'Duff Days' provide the most amusement. Otherwise, it’s a pretty mediocre show. It’s nice to see a focus on Moe for once, but the tale itself fails to really ignite. Though not a poor episode, it’s pretty flat after the opening." In 2009, writers for IGN
listed a line by Moe from this episode among their top eight favorite Moe quotes. The line was "Yeah, hey, I've got a gift. As a child, I was bitten by the acting bug. Then it burrowed under my skin and laid eggs in my heart. Now those eggs are hatching and I... the feeling is indescribable." Homer responds to this by saying "I know what you mean. Our dog had that." The IGN writers commented that "We've never heard anyone describe their life's passion as a parasitic infestation, and we hope we never have to. The cherry on top of this little nugget of Moe goodness is Homer's nonchalant reaction. He's probably used to Moe's strange, gross remarks by now."
The Simpsons (season 11)
The Simpsons 11th season originally aired between September 1999 and May 2000, beginning on Sunday, September 26, 1999, with "Beyond Blunderdome". The show runner for the 11th production season was Mike Scully...
of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons
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 in the United States on February 27, 2000. In the episode, after getting his face censored out on the Duff Beer
Duff Beer (The Simpsons)
Duff Beer is a fictional brand of beer in the animated series The Simpsons. It is Homer Simpson's beer of choice. It is a parody of stereotypical commercial beer: very cheaply priced, poor-quality, and advertised everywhere...
calendar for not being photogenic, Moe Szyslak
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"...
gets plastic surgery and becomes the star of a popular soap opera.
Plot
After being tricked into evacuating the house by 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...
, who had set off the fire alarm early in the morning, the family goes to a festival sponsored by Duff Beer
Duff Beer (The Simpsons)
Duff Beer is a fictional brand of beer in the animated series The Simpsons. It is Homer Simpson's beer of choice. It is a parody of stereotypical commercial beer: very cheaply priced, poor-quality, and advertised everywhere...
. While there, they see Moe Szyslak
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"...
enter a "Beer-tender" competition. Moe wins the contest during the "Toss Your Drunk" challenge and gets his photo taken for a calendar, only to have it censored out with stickers. Realizing how ugly he is, Lenny and Carl suggest that Moe gets plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
. He agrees, but is reluctant when he is there. After his surgery, Moe has a very handsome face. In response, he confronts old adversaries, including the producers of a soap opera, It Never Ends, complaining that he never got the part of the character Dr. Tad Winslow because of his ugliness. Incidentally, the actor who plays Dr. Tad Winslow demands he get a raise in his salary, but it is rejected by the producers. In response, the producer makes Moe the new Dr. Tad Winslow.
Meanwhile, while Moe is acting, 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...
discover that 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...
's Duff Days elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
balloon has blown away in the wind. They go after it until it ends up in a gay Republican coalition's
Log Cabin Republicans
The Log Cabin Republicans is an organization that works within the Republican Party to advocate equal rights for all Americans, including gays and lesbians in the United States with state chapters and a national office in Washington, D.C...
office, and they see the pink elephant from the balloon as their mascot. They then give Lisa a bumper sticker telling her to vote for "A Gay President in 2084" (which, according to them, is a realistic goal).
The soap opera goes well, until Moe learns from top-secret future plot lines that his character will be killed off in a skydiving accident as a result from a coma (a color mixture) shortly after being forced to by Countessa. On the air, Homer and Moe reveal the future plots such as Gabriella's baby shower being invaded by terrorists, Sister Bernadette starting a softball team, and Prof. Galloway's stepsister planning to dominate International Perfume and Wine (all "with sexy results"). The producer angrily tells Moe that his character was only supposed to die in a dream, and then she fires him. As he walks off the set, a set piece falls on his new face, which returns to his old one. In a deus ex machina
Deus ex machina
A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly inextricable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.-Linguistic considerations:...
, things go back to normal
Reset button technique
The reset button technique is a plot device that interrupts continuity in works of fiction. Simply put, use of a reset button device returns all characters and situations to the status quo they held before a major change of some sort was introduced...
when Moe returns to his tavern, but the episode gets cut short when Moe wonders why the accident on the set of It Never Ends turned his handsome face back to his normal face instead of an entirely new one.
Production and themes
"Pygmoelian" was written by Larry Doyle and directed by Mark KirklandMark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American director. He has directed 69 episodes, from 1990-present, of The Simpsons, more than any other person.-Career:...
as part of the eleventh season of The Simpsons (1999–2000). In a 2007 article, Slant
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
critic Ed Gonzales noted that the episode "largely concerns Moe getting plastic surgery but also features Bart and Lisa chasing a pink elephant around town and straight into a meeting for gay Republicans—a seemingly arbitrary bit of nonsense that connects succinctly with the theme of identity in which a person changes their face only to realize the efficiency of their old one."
Release
The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 2000. On October 7, 2008, it was released on DVD as part of the box set The Simpsons – The Complete Eleventh Season. Staff members Mike Scully, George Meyer, Larry Doyle, Matt Selman, Carolyn Omine, and Mark Kirkland participated in the DVD audio commentaryAudio commentary
On disc-based video formats, an audio commentary is an additional audio track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with video...
for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.
Reception of the episode from critics has been generally positive. Ed Gonzales of Slant called it a "great episode." While reviewing the eleventh season of The Simpsons, DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented the episode "peaks early, as the scenes at 'Duff Days' provide the most amusement. Otherwise, it’s a pretty mediocre show. It’s nice to see a focus on Moe for once, but the tale itself fails to really ignite. Though not a poor episode, it’s pretty flat after the opening." In 2009, writers for 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...
listed a line by Moe from this episode among their top eight favorite Moe quotes. The line was "Yeah, hey, I've got a gift. As a child, I was bitten by the acting bug. Then it burrowed under my skin and laid eggs in my heart. Now those eggs are hatching and I... the feeling is indescribable." Homer responds to this by saying "I know what you mean. Our dog had that." The IGN writers commented that "We've never heard anyone describe their life's passion as a parasitic infestation, and we hope we never have to. The cherry on top of this little nugget of Moe goodness is Homer's nonchalant reaction. He's probably used to Moe's strange, gross remarks by now."
External links
- "Pygmoelian" at The Simpsons.com