Stealing First Base
Encyclopedia
"Stealing First Base" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons
' twenty-first season
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States
on March 21, 2010. In this episode, Bart falls in love with a girl named Nikki from a second fourth grade class, but when he kisses her, Nikki begins treating Bart like dirt. Meanwhile, First Lady
Michelle Obama
teaches Lisa that there is no shame in being an overachiever, and Nelson Muntz
teaches a blind boy how to be a schoolyard bully.
The episode was written by John Frink
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
. The episode was also watched by 5.69 million households and received a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 Nielsen Rating. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. The episode guest stars Sarah Silverman
as Nikki and Angela Bassett
as Michelle Obama.
fourth grade class is merged with another fourth grade class when teacher Mrs. Krabappel
is absent. In the crowded classroom, Bart is forced to sit by a new student named Nikki. At first they dislike each other, until Nikki admires Bart's artistic skills. Bart seeks romance advice from Homer
, who passes him off to Grandpa Abe. Grandpa advises Bart to kiss Nikki. However, when Bart does so after the two skateboard
together, she recoils in disgust. Nikki's attorney parents threaten to sue the school unless it is declared an "affection-free environment". Superintendent Chalmers causes a play in which Willie plays Nikki and Skinner plays Bart, meaning they are forced to kiss. Bart is confused at the outcome of this seemingly innocent action, and his confusion is later amplified when Nikki hides in his locker and kisses him again.
Meanwhile, Lisa becomes more popular when she receives an F on a test, but becomes unpopular again when it is revealed that her test was mistakingly given to Ralph
and really got an A +++, both tests were mixed up as the F grade was supposed to be given to Ralph who had written Lisa's name on his test. She blog
s about being ostracized as an overachiever
, and her post is noted by a mysterious blogger known as Flotus
1 who turns out to be First Lady
Michelle Obama
. Obama drops by Springfield Elementary to give a speech about the importance of academics and recommends that the students should be nice to Lisa and other overachievers, including Martin Prince
and Allison Taylor.
Bart and Nikki have been watching this speech from the roof, and Bart confesses to Nikki that he does not understand her ever-changing moods. They argue and Bart stumbles, falling off the roof. Nikki says "I love you," but seeing that Bart is breathing treats him badly again. Bart stops breathing again, but the school's "no touch" policy prevents anyone from performing CPR
. Nikki defies the policy and revives Bart via mouth-to-mouth. When Bart awakes, Nikki's mood changes yet again and Bart remains in a state of complete confusion over female behavior. He tells her he does not care what happens between her and him, but then changes his mind and yells out "I love you!" after she kisses him once again.
Throughout the episode, Nelson Muntz has befriended a blind
boy and teaches him how to laugh at the misfortunes of others. At the end, the blind boy tricks Nelson into believing that a punch he sustained after insulting Nelson restored his sight. When he reveals to Nelson that this was a prank and laughs Nelson's signature "haw haw", Nelson is as impressed as he is touched by the achievement.
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
, his second director credit for the season after "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
". The episode features guest star Sarah Silverman
as Nikki (Bart's crush
) and Angela Bassett
as Michelle Obama
.
(1953), Gone with the Wind
(1939), The Quiet Man
(1952), Lady and the Tramp
(1955), Planet of the Apes
(1968), On Golden Pond
(1981), Ghost
(1990), Spider-Man
(2002), Star Trek (2009), Beauty and the Beast
(1987-1990), The Public Enemy
(1931), WALL-E
(2008), Alien 3 (1992), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and an All in the Family
(1971-1979) episode in which Sammy Davis Jr. guest starred. The sequence, and the accompanying musical score, are a nod to Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
(1988), directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
, with score by Ennio Morricone
. The Itchy & Scratchy cartoon is a parody of the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi
.
of Family Guy
.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
criticized the episode, calling the harassment storyline "pointless and stupid" although praised the Nelson plot. However, Jason Hughes of TV Squad praised the storyline, writing "I applaud the series for facing such an issue with such intensity, and handling it with humor and compassion". Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode an 8 out of 10, saying that "Nikki turned out to be a fun and memorable character." Overall he stated: "Although "Stealing First Base" fed us some old ideas, it did so with a lot of great bits...and some very strong guest voices." Ariel Ponywether of FireFox News gave the episode an B- saying that "Taking the above into consideration, I can only give “Stealing First Base” a mild recommendation. It’s funny but the fact that it grates on the nerves prevents me from raving about it wholeheartedly.".
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...
The Simpsons (season 21)
The Simpsons twenty-first season aired on Fox from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010. It was the first of two seasons that the show was renewed for by Fox, and also the first season of the show to air entirely in high definition....
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on March 21, 2010. In this episode, Bart falls in love with a girl named Nikki from a second fourth grade class, but when he kisses her, Nikki begins treating Bart like dirt. Meanwhile, First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
teaches Lisa that there is no shame in being an overachiever, and Nelson Muntz
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
teaches a blind boy how to be a schoolyard bully.
The episode was written by John Frink
John Frink
John Frink is an American television writer and producer. He has written several episodes of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, many of which he co-wrote with his former writing partner Don Payne. Frink and Payne started their career in television writing for the short-lived sitcom Hope...
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
. The episode was also watched by 5.69 million households and received a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 Nielsen Rating. The episode received mixed reviews from critics. The episode guest stars Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
as Nikki and Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Michelle Obama.
Plot
Bart'sBart 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...
fourth grade class is merged with another fourth grade class when teacher Mrs. Krabappel
Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character from the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Marcia Wallace. She is a 4th grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.- Profile :...
is absent. In the crowded classroom, Bart is forced to sit by a new student named Nikki. At first they dislike each other, until Nikki admires Bart's artistic skills. Bart seeks romance advice from 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...
, who passes him off to Grandpa Abe. Grandpa advises Bart to kiss Nikki. However, when Bart does so after the two skateboard
Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an action sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard.Skateboarding can be a recreational activity, an art form, a job, or a method of transportation. Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2002 report...
together, she recoils in disgust. Nikki's attorney parents threaten to sue the school unless it is declared an "affection-free environment". Superintendent Chalmers causes a play in which Willie plays Nikki and Skinner plays Bart, meaning they are forced to kiss. Bart is confused at the outcome of this seemingly innocent action, and his confusion is later amplified when Nikki hides in his locker and kisses him again.
Meanwhile, Lisa becomes more popular when she receives an F on a test, but becomes unpopular again when it is revealed that her test was mistakingly given to Ralph
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
and really got an A +++, both tests were mixed up as the F grade was supposed to be given to Ralph who had written Lisa's name on his test. She blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s about being ostracized as an overachiever
Overachievement
Overachievers are individuals who "perform better or achieve more success than expected." The implicit presumption is that the "overachiever" is achieving superior results through excessive effort...
, and her post is noted by a mysterious blogger known as Flotus
First Lady of the United States
First Lady of the United States is the title of the hostess of the White House. Because this position is traditionally filled by the wife of the president of the United States, the title is most often applied to the wife of a sitting president. The current first lady is Michelle Obama.-Current:The...
1 who turns out to be First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
. Obama drops by Springfield Elementary to give a speech about the importance of academics and recommends that the students should be nice to Lisa and other overachievers, including Martin Prince
Martin Prince
Martin Prince, Jr. is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Russi Taylor. Martin is Bart Simpson's classmate, and is Lisa Simpson's rival in intelligence, as well as Nelson Muntz's favorite target for bullying...
and Allison Taylor.
Bart and Nikki have been watching this speech from the roof, and Bart confesses to Nikki that he does not understand her ever-changing moods. They argue and Bart stumbles, falling off the roof. Nikki says "I love you," but seeing that Bart is breathing treats him badly again. Bart stops breathing again, but the school's "no touch" policy prevents anyone from performing CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
. Nikki defies the policy and revives Bart via mouth-to-mouth. When Bart awakes, Nikki's mood changes yet again and Bart remains in a state of complete confusion over female behavior. He tells her he does not care what happens between her and him, but then changes his mind and yells out "I love you!" after she kisses him once again.
Throughout the episode, Nelson Muntz has befriended a blind
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
boy and teaches him how to laugh at the misfortunes of others. At the end, the blind boy tricks Nelson into believing that a punch he sustained after insulting Nelson restored his sight. When he reveals to Nelson that this was a prank and laughs Nelson's signature "haw haw", Nelson is as impressed as he is touched by the achievement.
Production
The episode is written by John FrinkJohn Frink
John Frink is an American television writer and producer. He has written several episodes of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, many of which he co-wrote with his former writing partner Don Payne. Frink and Payne started their career in television writing for the short-lived sitcom Hope...
and directed by Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore
Steven Dean Moore is an animation director who has directed 35 episodes of The Simpsons, in addition to several episodes of the long running Nicktoon programme Rugrats...
, his second director credit for the season after "O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
O Brother, Where Bart Thou?
"O Brother, Where Bart Thou?" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons 21st season. It first aired on December 13, 2009. In this episode, Bart goes on a quest to get a baby brother out of jealousy of the sisterly bond Lisa has with Maggie....
". The episode features guest star Sarah Silverman
Sarah Silverman
Sarah Kate Silverman is a Jewish American comedian, writer, actress, singer and musician. Her satirical comedy addresses social taboos and controversial topics such as racism, sexism, and religion....
as Nikki (Bart's crush
Puppy love
Puppy love is an informal term for feelings of love or infatuation felt by young people during childhood and adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring, worshipful affection that may be felt by a puppy. 'Simple infatuation is often called a "crush" or "puppy love"...
) and Angela Bassett
Angela Bassett
Angela Evelyn Bassett is an American actress. She has become well known for her biographical film roles portraying real life women in African American culture, including singer Tina Turner in the motion picture What's Love Got to Do with It, as well as Betty Shabazz in the films Malcolm X and...
as Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
.
Cultural references
In the scene where Nikki performs CPR on Bart, recreations of kissing scenes from a variety of films and television shows are shown. These scenes are (in order); From Here to EternityFrom Here to Eternity
From Here to Eternity is a 1953 drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel of the same name by James Jones. It deals with the troubles of soldiers, played by Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Borgnine stationed on Hawaii in the months leading up to the...
(1953), Gone with the Wind
Gone with the Wind (film)
Gone with the Wind is a 1939 American historical epic film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer-winning 1936 novel of the same name. It was produced by David O. Selznick and directed by Victor Fleming from a screenplay by Sidney Howard...
(1939), The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man is a 1952 American Technicolor romantic comedy-drama film. It was directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen and Barry Fitzgerald. It was based on a 1933 Saturday Evening Post short story by Maurice Walsh...
(1952), Lady and the Tramp
Lady and the Tramp
Lady and the Tramp is a 1955 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on June 22, 1955, by Buena Vista Distribution. The fifteenth animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, it was the first animated feature filmed in the CinemaScope widescreen...
(1955), Planet of the Apes
Planet of the Apes (1968 film)
Planet of the Apes is a 1968 American science fiction film directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, based on the 1963 French novel La Planète des singes by Pierre Boulle. The film stars Charlton Heston, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Maurice Evans, James Whitmore, James Daly and Linda Harrison...
(1968), On Golden Pond
On Golden Pond (1981 film)
On Golden Pond is a 1981 American drama film directed by Mark Rydell. The screenplay by Ernest Thompson was adapted from his 1979 play of the same title. Henry Fonda won the Academy Award in what was his final film role. Co-star Katharine Hepburn also received an Oscar, as did Thompson for his...
(1981), Ghost
Ghost (film)
Ghost is a 1990 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg. It was written by Bruce Joel Rubin and directed by Jerry Zucker.-Plot:...
(1990), Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
(2002), Star Trek (2009), Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast (TV series)
Beauty and the Beast is an American drama series which first aired on CBS in 1987. Creator Ron Koslow's updated version of the fairy tale has a double focus: the relationship between Vincent , a mythic, noble man-beast, and his Catherine , a savvy assistant District attorney in New York; and a...
(1987-1990), The Public Enemy
The Public Enemy
The Public Enemy is a 1931 American Pre-Code crime film starring James Cagney and directed by William A. Wellman. The film relates the story of a young man's rise in the criminal underworld in prohibition-era urban America...
(1931), WALL-E
WALL-E
WALL-E, promoted with an interpunct as WALL•E, is a 2008 American computer-animated science fiction film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and directed by Andrew Stanton. The story follows a robot named WALL-E, who is designed to clean up a waste-covered Earth far in the future...
(2008), Alien 3 (1992), The Godfather: Part II (1974), and an All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
(1971-1979) episode in which Sammy Davis Jr. guest starred. The sequence, and the accompanying musical score, are a nod to Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
Nuovo cinema Paradiso , internationally released as Cinema Paradiso, is a 1988 Italian drama film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore...
(1988), directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Giuseppe Tornatore
-Life and career:Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo.He worked initially as a freelance photographer...
, with score by Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone, Grand Officer OMRI, , is an Italian composer and conductor, who wrote music to more than 500 motion pictures and television series, in a career lasting over 50 years. His scores have been included in over 20 award-winning films as well as several symphonic and choral pieces...
. The Itchy & Scratchy cartoon is a parody of the 1982 film Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke....
.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Stealing First Base" was watched by 5.69 million households getting a 2.8/8 in the 18-49 Nielsen Rating. The episode came in second in its time slot and was the second most-watched show on Fox that night, after a new episodePeter-assment
"Peter-assment" is the fourteenth episode of the eighth season of the animated comedy series Family Guy. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on March 21, 2010. The episode follows Peter after he becomes a paparazzo, and begins to annoy the citizens and local celebrities in Quahog, and...
of Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
.
Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
criticized the episode, calling the harassment storyline "pointless and stupid" although praised the Nelson plot. However, Jason Hughes of TV Squad praised the storyline, writing "I applaud the series for facing such an issue with such intensity, and handling it with humor and compassion". 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...
gave the episode an 8 out of 10, saying that "Nikki turned out to be a fun and memorable character." Overall he stated: "Although "Stealing First Base" fed us some old ideas, it did so with a lot of great bits...and some very strong guest voices." Ariel Ponywether of FireFox News gave the episode an B- saying that "Taking the above into consideration, I can only give “Stealing First Base” a mild recommendation. It’s funny but the fact that it grates on the nerves prevents me from raving about it wholeheartedly.".