The Frying Game
Encyclopedia
"The Frying Game" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons
' thirteenth season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on May 19, 2002. In the episode, after accidentally killing an endangered screamapillar, Homer
is sentenced to two weeks of community service
. As part of his sentence, Homer delivers Meals on Wheels
to an old woman called Mrs. Bellamy, who subtly guilts him, and later Marge, into becoming her personal servant. One day, the two find Mrs. Bellamy dead in her house, having been stabbed by a man with braces who quickly escapes the murder scene. Being the only ones present when the police arrive, Homer and Marge are soon suspected for the murder.
"The Frying Game" was written by John Swartzwelder
and directed by Michael Polcino
. The screamapillar was conceived by the episode's writer, who pitched it to the other staff writers. It has since been described as a satire on the Endangered Species Act
a United States environmental law
passed during the 1970s. The idea that Homer's execution was in fact part of a reality game show was conceived by former staff writer George Meyer
. The episode features Frances Sternhagen
as Mrs. Bellamy and Carmen Electra
as herself. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 6.5 million viewers, finishing in 46th place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
decides to give Marge
a koi
pond for their anniversary, but an endangered "Screamapillar" takes refuge in the pond. Bound by law not to disturb it, Homer accidentally injures the loud, unsettling insect and is sentenced to community service
.
Homer begins delivering Meals on Wheels
to an elderly woman, Mrs. Bellamy, who takes a shine to him. She subtly guilts Homer and later, Marge, into becoming her personal servants. When Mrs. Bellamy turns up dead, having been stabbed with a pair of scissors, Homer and Marge are the prime suspects in the murder, even though they witnessed a man with braces leaving the murder scene, with Mrs. Bellamy's necklace. The people of Springfield are very suspicious of Homer and Marge, and Chief Wiggum does not believe their story. Finally, during an inspection of the house, Maggie
is found with Mrs. Bellamy's stolen necklace. Bart
, Lisa
and Maggie
are adopted by Cletus Spuckler
, who decides to change their "city names" to "Dingus, Squatford Junior, and Pamela E. Lee" (with Lisa apparently becoming Dingus).
Despite no lie detector
or DNA
test given, the two are sentenced to death in the electric chair
. In a successful bid to spare Marge, Homer says that he acted alone. As he is sitting in the electric chair, it is suddenly revealed to Homer that he is on a new reality TV show, Frame Up that airs on Fox TV
. The whole thing was just part of an elaborate hidden camera scheme, the "man with the braces" was the show's host, and Mrs. Bellamy is guest host Carmen Electra
in disguise. The Simpson parents are reunited with the kids, but Wiggum is furious that all of the time and resources that the police department used was wasted on what turned out to not even be a real case, and Homer is furious that he had to suffer so the show could get higher ratings. Carmen Electra tries to explain, but Homer is too busy looking at her chest.
and directed by Michael Polcino
. It was first broadcast on the Fox network
in the United States
on May 19, 2002. The screamapillar, the larva that the Simpsons find in their garden, was, according to current showrunner Al Jean
, Swartzwelder's "total conception." He pitched the idea to the Simpsons writing staff, and because they found it "hilarious," they decided to include it in the episode. Jean said that when people ask what sense of humor Swartzwelder has, the screamapillar is "one of the best examples." It was voiced by main cast member Dan Castellaneta
, who portrays Homer among other characters in the series. Because the screamapillar only communicates by screaming, its lines were recorded last during recording sessions, as the screaming would "burn out" Castellaneta's voice.
In a scene in the episode, Homer is on death row and eats his last meal. The meal consists solely of junk food like hamburgers and fried chicken. The scene came from an article that the writers had read, in which it said that death sentenced prisoners often requested junk food as their last meal. On the way to the electric chair, Homer meets a man resembling Michael Clarke Duncan
's character John Coffey in The Green Mile
. While recording lines for the episode, the staff were told that Duncan was visiting the Fox studios. Having not recorded the lines for the character yet, the staff asked Duncan if he wanted to voice the character, but he declined. The music that plays during the scene is also from The Green Mile. The idea that Homer's execution was in fact a reality show on Fox was conceived by former staff writer George Meyer
. According to fellow writer Matt Selman
, the writing staff liked the idea since reality shows were "really big" at the time. The episode features American actress Frances Sternhagen
as Mrs Bellamy, and glamour model Carmen Electra
as herself. According to Jean, Electra's character is "one of the most voluptuous figures" they have ever had on The Simpsons.
, creator Matt Groening
and the majority of people who work on the show state several times that they are very liberal, but some, such as John Swartzwelder
(the writer of this and many other The Simpsons episodes), are conservative. In his book The Really Inconvenient Truths: Seven Environmental Catastrophes Liberals Don't Want You to Know About- Because They Helped Cause Them, Iain Murray described "The Frying Game" as "subversively conservative," and wrote that it shows "The best popular explanation of the liberal environmentalist model for endangered species." In the episode, Homer buys a koi pond for Marge, only to find a screamapillar has taken residence in their garden. When Homer tries to squash it, an EPA official tells him that allowing an endangered species to die is a federal offense, under the "Reversal of Freedoms Act of 1994." Homer is forced to coddle the screamapillar, and when he accidentally squashes it, Homer is found guilty of "attempted insecticide and aggravated buggery." The "Reversal of Freedoms Act" is a reference to the Endangered Species Act
, an environmental law that Murray opined had "indeed become the Reversal of Freedoms Act." He continued, "Landowners who happened to have threatened or endangered species on their lands or who simply have habitat that might be used by endangered species are routinely prevented from using their lands or property. They are stopped from undertaking such activities as harvesting their trees, grazing their cattle, irrigating their fields, clearing brush along fence lines, disking firebreaks around their homes and barns, or building new homes.
, translating to approximately 6.5 million viewers. The episode finished in 46th place in the ratings for the week of May 13–19, 2002. On August 24, 2010, "The Frying Game" was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD
and Blu-ray set. Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, John Frink, Don Payne, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Michael Polcino and Deb Lacusta participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "The Frying Game" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide described the episode as "pretty good", writing "I like the obnoxious Screamapillar, and the way the Simpsons become seen as murderers also amuses. This allows S13 to move toward a satisfying conclusion." Nate Boss of Project-Blu praised the episode's ending in particular, writing "the ending to this episode is fucking , as it is a wonderful statement about society today, that has almost become prophetic. Can't and won't spoil it, but damn, great idea! (Yes, since there have been about eight more seasons, it's obvious they don't die. That's hardly a spoiler!)" DVD Verdict's Jennifer Malkowski gave the episode a B+, describing the episode's "highlight" as being "One of the reasons the Screamapillar is endangered, that it's 'sexually attracted to fire'."
On the other hand, giving the episode a negative review, Andre Dellamorte of Collider described it as "terrible". DVD Talk
's Ryan Keefer wrote a negative review as well, calling it "Definitely forgettable" and criticized it for "fall[ing] apart quickly." Ron Martin of 411Mania criticized the Screamapillar character, describing it as "just as annoying as Homer’s constant screaming earlier in the season
." Writing for IGN
, R.L. Shaffer described it as one of the worst episodes of the entire series, writing "Episodes like "Homer the Moe
," "The Frying Game," "The Old Man and the Key
," and "Sweets and Sour Marge
" represent some of the worst of 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...
The Simpsons (season 13)
The Simpsons thirteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between November 6, 2001 and May 22, 2002 and consists of 22 episodes. The show runner for the thirteenth production season was Al Jean who executive-produced 17 episodes...
. It first aired 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 19, 2002. In the episode, after accidentally killing an endangered screamapillar, 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...
is sentenced to two weeks of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. As part of his sentence, Homer delivers Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
to an old woman called Mrs. Bellamy, who subtly guilts him, and later Marge, into becoming her personal servant. One day, the two find Mrs. Bellamy dead in her house, having been stabbed by a man with braces who quickly escapes the murder scene. Being the only ones present when the police arrive, Homer and Marge are soon suspected for the murder.
"The Frying Game" was written by John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino is an animation director on The Simpsons. His brother, Dominic Polcino, is a former Simpsons director and currently works on Family Guy.-The Simpsons episodes:He has directed the following episodes:*"The Mansion Family"...
. The screamapillar was conceived by the episode's writer, who pitched it to the other staff writers. It has since been described as a satire on the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
a United States environmental law
Environmental policy of the United States
The environmental policy of the United States is federal governmental action to regulate activities that have an environmental impact in the United States...
passed during the 1970s. The idea that Homer's execution was in fact part of a reality game show was conceived by former staff writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
. The episode features Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen
Frances Hussey Sternhagen is an American actress. Sternhagen has appeared on and off Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.-Personal life:...
as Mrs. Bellamy and Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
as herself. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 6.5 million viewers, finishing in 46th place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
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...
decides to give 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...
a koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
pond for their anniversary, but an endangered "Screamapillar" takes refuge in the pond. Bound by law not to disturb it, Homer accidentally injures the loud, unsettling insect and is sentenced to community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
.
Homer begins delivering Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels
Meals on Wheels are programs that deliver meals to individuals at home who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. The name is often used generically to refer to home-delivered meals programs, not all of which are actually named "Meals on Wheels"...
to an elderly woman, Mrs. Bellamy, who takes a shine to him. She subtly guilts Homer and later, Marge, into becoming her personal servants. When Mrs. Bellamy turns up dead, having been stabbed with a pair of scissors, Homer and Marge are the prime suspects in the murder, even though they witnessed a man with braces leaving the murder scene, with Mrs. Bellamy's necklace. The people of Springfield are very suspicious of Homer and Marge, and Chief Wiggum does not believe their story. Finally, during an inspection of the house, 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...
is found with Mrs. Bellamy's stolen necklace. 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...
, 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...
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...
are adopted by Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Spuckler
Cletus Delroy Spuckler is a recurring character in the Fox animated series, The Simpsons, and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Cletus is Springfield's resident hillbilly stereotype. He is very messy and is usually portrayed wearing a white sleeveless shirt and pair of blue jeans.- Biography :Cletus was...
, who decides to change their "city names" to "Dingus, Squatford Junior, and Pamela E. Lee" (with Lisa apparently becoming Dingus).
Despite no lie detector
Lie Detector
"Lie Detector" is a CD single by The Reverend Horton Heat. It was released in October 1998 on Sub Pop.-Personnel:*Jim "Reverend Horton" Heath - lead vocals, guitar*Jimbo Wallace - upright bass, vocals*Scott Churilla - drums, vocals...
or DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
test given, the two are sentenced to death in the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
. In a successful bid to spare Marge, Homer says that he acted alone. As he is sitting in the electric chair, it is suddenly revealed to Homer that he is on a new reality TV show, Frame Up that airs on Fox TV
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...
. The whole thing was just part of an elaborate hidden camera scheme, the "man with the braces" was the show's host, and Mrs. Bellamy is guest host Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
in disguise. The Simpson parents are reunited with the kids, but Wiggum is furious that all of the time and resources that the police department used was wasted on what turned out to not even be a real case, and Homer is furious that he had to suffer so the show could get higher ratings. Carmen Electra tries to explain, but Homer is too busy looking at her chest.
Production
"The Frying Game" was written by John SwartzwelderJohn Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino
Michael Polcino is an animation director on The Simpsons. His brother, Dominic Polcino, is a former Simpsons director and currently works on Family Guy.-The Simpsons episodes:He has directed the following episodes:*"The Mansion Family"...
. It was first 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 19, 2002. The screamapillar, the larva that the Simpsons find in their garden, was, according to current showrunner Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, Swartzwelder's "total conception." He pitched the idea to the Simpsons writing staff, and because they found it "hilarious," they decided to include it in the episode. Jean said that when people ask what sense of humor Swartzwelder has, the screamapillar is "one of the best examples." It was voiced by main cast member Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, who portrays Homer among other characters in the series. Because the screamapillar only communicates by screaming, its lines were recorded last during recording sessions, as the screaming would "burn out" Castellaneta's voice.
In a scene in the episode, Homer is on death row and eats his last meal. The meal consists solely of junk food like hamburgers and fried chicken. The scene came from an article that the writers had read, in which it said that death sentenced prisoners often requested junk food as their last meal. On the way to the electric chair, Homer meets a man resembling Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan
Michael Clarke Duncan is an American actor, best known for his breakout role as John Coffey in The Green Mile, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award and a Golden Globe.- Early life :...
's character John Coffey in The Green Mile
The Green Mile (film)
The Green Mile is a 1999 American drama film directed by Frank Darabont and adapted by him from the 1996 Stephen King novel of the same name...
. While recording lines for the episode, the staff were told that Duncan was visiting the Fox studios. Having not recorded the lines for the character yet, the staff asked Duncan if he wanted to voice the character, but he declined. The music that plays during the scene is also from The Green Mile. The idea that Homer's execution was in fact a reality show on Fox was conceived by former staff writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
. According to fellow writer Matt Selman
Matt Selman
Matthew "Matt" Selman is an American writer and producer. Selman grew up in Massachusetts, attended the University of Pennsylvania and was editor-in-chief of student magazine 34th Street Magazine. After considering a career in journalism, he decided to try and became a television writer...
, the writing staff liked the idea since reality shows were "really big" at the time. The episode features American actress Frances Sternhagen
Frances Sternhagen
Frances Hussey Sternhagen is an American actress. Sternhagen has appeared on and off Broadway, in movies, and on TV since the 1950s.-Personal life:...
as Mrs Bellamy, and glamour model Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
as herself. According to Jean, Electra's character is "one of the most voluptuous figures" they have ever had on The Simpsons.
Theme
Jean has himself admitted in an interview that The Simpsons is of "liberal bent". In the DVD commentariesAudio 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...
, creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
and the majority of people who work on the show state several times that they are very liberal, but some, such as John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
(the writer of this and many other The Simpsons episodes), are conservative. In his book The Really Inconvenient Truths: Seven Environmental Catastrophes Liberals Don't Want You to Know About- Because They Helped Cause Them, Iain Murray described "The Frying Game" as "subversively conservative," and wrote that it shows "The best popular explanation of the liberal environmentalist model for endangered species." In the episode, Homer buys a koi pond for Marge, only to find a screamapillar has taken residence in their garden. When Homer tries to squash it, an EPA official tells him that allowing an endangered species to die is a federal offense, under the "Reversal of Freedoms Act of 1994." Homer is forced to coddle the screamapillar, and when he accidentally squashes it, Homer is found guilty of "attempted insecticide and aggravated buggery." The "Reversal of Freedoms Act" is a reference to the Endangered Species Act
Endangered Species Act
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the dozens of United States environmental laws passed in the 1970s. Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on December 28, 1973, it was designed to protect critically imperiled species from extinction as a "consequence of economic growth and...
, an environmental law that Murray opined had "indeed become the Reversal of Freedoms Act." He continued, "Landowners who happened to have threatened or endangered species on their lands or who simply have habitat that might be used by endangered species are routinely prevented from using their lands or property. They are stopped from undertaking such activities as harvesting their trees, grazing their cattle, irrigating their fields, clearing brush along fence lines, disking firebreaks around their homes and barns, or building new homes.
Release and reception
In its original American broadcast on May 19, 2002, "The Frying Game" received a 6.2 rating, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, translating to approximately 6.5 million viewers. The episode finished in 46th place in the ratings for the week of May 13–19, 2002. On August 24, 2010, "The Frying Game" was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and Blu-ray set. Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, John Frink, Don Payne, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Michael Polcino and Deb Lacusta participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "The Frying Game" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide described the episode as "pretty good", writing "I like the obnoxious Screamapillar, and the way the Simpsons become seen as murderers also amuses. This allows S13 to move toward a satisfying conclusion." Nate Boss of Project-Blu praised the episode's ending in particular, writing "the ending to this episode is fucking , as it is a wonderful statement about society today, that has almost become prophetic. Can't and won't spoil it, but damn, great idea! (Yes, since there have been about eight more seasons, it's obvious they don't die. That's hardly a spoiler!)" DVD Verdict's Jennifer Malkowski gave the episode a B+, describing the episode's "highlight" as being "One of the reasons the Screamapillar is endangered, that it's 'sexually attracted to fire'."
On the other hand, giving the episode a negative review, Andre Dellamorte of Collider described it as "terrible". DVD Talk
DVD Talk
DVD Talk is a website for DVD enthusiasts founded in January 1999 by Geoffrey Kleinman when DVDs and DVD players were first beginning to hit the market.The site started as an online forum, an email newsletter, and a page of DVD news and reviews...
's Ryan Keefer wrote a negative review as well, calling it "Definitely forgettable" and criticized it for "fall[ing] apart quickly." Ron Martin of 411Mania criticized the Screamapillar character, describing it as "just as annoying as Homer’s constant screaming earlier in the season
The Blunder Years
"The Blunder Years" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2001. The episode sees Homer, after being hypnotized by the hypnotist Mesmerino while having dinner at the restaurant Pimento Grove, reminded by a...
." Writing 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...
, R.L. Shaffer described it as one of the worst episodes of the entire series, writing "Episodes like "Homer the Moe
Homer the Moe
“Homer the Moe” is the third episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. The episode first aired on the Fox network on November 18, 2001. In the episode, Moe, following advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar...
," "The Frying Game," "The Old Man and the Key
The Old Man and the Key
"The Old Man and the Key" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on March 10, 2002. In the episode, Grampa Simpson falls in love with Zelda, an old woman who has just moved in to the senior home in which Grampa lives...
," and "Sweets and Sour Marge
Sweets and Sour Marge
"Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 20, 2002. In the episode, Homer gathers several of Springfield's citizens to participate in creating the biggest human pyramid in the world...
" represent some of the worst of The Simpsons."
External links
- "The Frying Game" at The Simpsons.com