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Sideshow Bob Roberts
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"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons' sixth season. The episode's name is a take on the 1992 Tim Robbins mockumentary movie Bob Roberts. It is the fourth episode featuring Sideshow Bob, and his middle name is revealed as Underdunk. On the DVD version of this episode, the opening sequence goes from the show's title in the clouds straight to the credits on the TV, making it one of the few episodes that isn't one of the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes to contain neither a blackboard gag nor a couch gag.
PlotWhile serving his latest prison sentence,Sideshow Bob calls Birch Barlow, a local right-wing talk show host who authored the "well selling book" Only Turkeys Have Left Wings. He complains of being unfairly imprisoned and mistreated. Thanks to Barlow, all of Springfield sympathizes with Bob. Pressured by several protests, Mayor Quimby quickly releases Bob.
At a Springfield Republican meeting, Bob officially announces his candidacy for mayor of Springfield. Determined to keep the psychopath from becoming mayor, Bart and Lisa help campaign for Quimby. Mayor Quimby helps get the old folks' votes by naming a new expressway the "Matlock Expressway". Unfortunately, at a televised debate hosted by Larry King, Quimby's drowsiness (caused by extra drowsy flu medication) and sickly appearance, in which he runs his hand through his hair which causes him to appear to have 2 horns on his head and the television station adds flames to the background to make him look more evil, cause him to lose all support. The final results are 100% for Bob and 1% for Quimby (with a one percent margin of error).
Within days, the Simpsons wake up to construction occurring outside. Bob informs the family that their house is in the way of the new Matlock Expressway and that it will be demolished in 72 hours, along with any remaining Simpsons. Bart and Lisa begin to suspect that Bob somehow cheated in the election. Lisa goes through all the voter records but is unable to find any evidence that the election was rigged. Meanwhile, Bart discovers that he has not only failed the fourth grade, but thanks to Bob's efforts, he has been demoted to kindergarten. While Lisa reviews the records, someone leaves a message for her. They both go to a parking garage to meet with the whistle blower, who turns out to be Waylon Smithers.
Smithers explains that even though his boss supports Bob, the mayor's policies conflict with Smithers' "choice of lifestyle" (one of many times during this part of the show's run where it was hinted that Smithers was gay before it was finally confirmed later on). He knows where they can find evidence of electoral fraud since he worked on Bob's campaign at the behest of Mr. Burns. Smithers gives them the name of a person who voted for Bob, cryptically telling them "find him, and you'll find your answer." Lisa and Bart search the telephone listings for the name Smithers gave them, Edgar Neubauer, but cannot find him. They try the library next, without success. As Lisa and Bart begin to lose hope, Bart notices a tombstone in the nearby cemetery with the name "Edgar Neubauer." Lisa still has the voter records, which she pulls out at this time. She discovers that many of those listed as voting for Bob are in fact dead and buried in the Springfield Cemetery (even pets from the Pet Cemetery are listed as voting for Bob). At the trial that follows, Bart and Lisa trick Bob into confessing his crime by repeatedly aggravating him. Pushed to his limits, an exasperated Bob yells he rigged the election in front of the audience, and he is sent a minimum security prison by Judge Synder. The Simpsons get their house back, Quimby takes Bob's place as mayor, and Bart returns to the fourth grade.
Political satireThere are many sections of the show that satirize politics in the United States. In his talk show, Birch T. Barlow complains that Sideshow Bob has been unfairly imprisoned by the "liberal justice system", but conservatives usually argue that the "liberal justice system" is too soft on criminals. In Sideshow Bob's political ad the narrator talks about the liberal "revolving door prison system". The narrator points out that the liberal mayor released a man twice convicted of attempted murder, Sideshow Bob. The ad ends insisting that the viewer vote for the aforementioned two time convict for mayor. This satirizes the fact that politicians often turn against their own policies when it affects them, or their close friends in an adverse way.
The campaign ad is also a direct parody of the 1988 US Presidential campaign, when Michael Dukakis was attacked in an ad by George H. W. Bush for allowing the release of Willie Horton, a convicted rapist, when Dukakis was Governor of Massachusetts. In a further reference to Dukakis, Birch Barlow asks Mayor Quimby about what it would be like if his family were kidnapped. This is a reference to a similar question posed to Dukakis during the 1988 Presidential Campaign. Dukakis' response to this question is believed to have contributed to his losing the election.
Mayor Quimby boasts about building a new expressway to the members of the old folks home, but he quickly realises that it is not winning him any support. Grandpa Abraham Simpson points out that he only cares about fictional TV character Matlock, so mayor Quimby's aide quickly changes the diagram to show that it is called the "Matlock Expressway". This satirizes the fact that politicians continuously re-phrase, and rename their policies and plans for more appeal, despite the fact that is in fact the exact same expressway criticized a moment ago.
On the television airing of the political debate between Sideshow Bob and Mayor Quimby, Mayor Quimby's head is surrounded by fire and his hair was held upward at the front like two demons horns. TV networks and newspapers may favor candidates with policies which will be more favourable to them. Mayor Quimby's performance in the debate is similar to that of Nixon in the televised 1960 Presidential debate with Kennedy. Ironically, Nixon ran as a Republican, not a Democrat. The Simpsons debate was said to be broadcast by FOX, which was (and still is) run by a well-known conservative, Rupert Murdoch.
When Sideshow Bob is at the Elementary School, he performs tricks which entertain the children. This is a parody of how politicians use meaningless political tricks to gain election. Birch T. Barlow also publicly asked Sideshow Bob about his thoughts on a comment by "Les Wynan" and Bob's response was "he ought to do more thinkin' and less whinin'." Lisa knew that there was no such person as "Les Wynan" and that it was just a trick to showcase Bob's cleverness.
This episode reinforces the stereotypical Republican image through the local members of the party: the Blue-Haired Lawyer, Mr. Burns and even Count Dracula. Rainier Wolfcastle (a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Rich Texan, and Dr. Hibbert are also shown as members of the party. In other episodes, Helen Lovejoy, Ms. Hoover and Judge Snyder are seen sitting at the Republican table at its location. This episode, and many other episodes of the Simpsons, reinforces the stereotypical image of the Kennedy family members through Mayor Joseph Quimby, the antics of him and the members of his close family, as well as Joe Quimby's accent.
Shortly after this episode first aired, Matt Groening spoofed the Internet reaction to the story's political bent in a Life in Hell strip, in which he voiced his quiet pleasure in the discontent he had stirred up among the show's notoriously overreactive fanbase, who accused this episode of favoring one political party over another.
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