There's No Disgrace Like Home
Encyclopedia
"There's No Disgrace Like Home" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons
' first season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States on January 28, 1990. In the episode, Homer
becomes ashamed of his family after a catastrophic company picnic and decides to enroll them in therapy. The therapist struggles to solve their problems but eventually gives up and refunds their payment. It was an early episode, showing early designs for a few recurring characters. The episode is inspired by the comedy of Laurel and Hardy
and features cultural references to films such as Citizen Kane
and Freaks
as well as the Batman
television series. Critics noted that the characters acted differently from the way they would in later seasons. In the UK, the BBC chose it as the first episode to be aired when they started showing the series.
takes his family to the company picnic at the expansive estate of his boss, Mr. Burns, who fires any employee whose family members are not enjoying themselves. Homer sees that Burns is drawn towards a family that treats one another with love and respect and tells his family to behave themselves. However, Bart
and Lisa
run wild on the grounds, and Marge
gets drunk on the alcoholic punch. Homer laments his unruly family as they leave the picnic.
Homer tells everyone that he is going to turn them into a respectable family. He insists they sit at the dinner table to eat instead of the couch in front of the TV. When the rest of the family insist that they are not really so bad, Homer takes them on a walk around the neighborhood, where they see other families living in harmony, and one family thinks they are prowlers and chases them away with a shotgun
. Depressed, Homer goes to Moe's Tavern, where he sees a commercial for Dr. Marvin Monroe's Family Therapy Center. When he hears that Dr. Monroe guarantees "family bliss or double your money back," Homer immediately makes an appointment.
To pay for the expensive treatment, Homer spends the kids' college funds and pawns
the TV. Dr. Monroe attempts to engage the family in traditional treatments, but they seem untreatable. Dr. Monroe suggests a radical treatment, and hooks the family up to electrode
s, telling them to send an electrical shock to each other when they feel upset, in the hopes that they will begin to associate hurtful behavior with the painful shocks. However, the family immediately begins shocking each other mercilessly
, overloading the machine and causing a brownout
in the building. Shocked that his plan didn't go as planned, Dr. Monroe unplugs the machine, admits that he cannot help the Simpsons, deeming them incurable. He then gives them double their money back, telling them to leave and never tell anyone else they were here. Homer uses the money to purchase a better TV than the one they pawned, finally earning his family's love and respect.
in the previous episode, "Homer's Odyssey". Originally, the character was influenced by Ronald Reagan
, a concept which was later dropped. The idea that he would greet his employees using index cards was inspired by the way Reagan would greet people. The episode marks the first time Burns says "release the hounds".
The episode marked the first appearance of Dr. Marvin Monroe and Itchy & Scratchy; the latter had previously appeared in the shorts. Eddie and Lou also appeared for the first time, although Lou is yellow instead of black, as he would later become. Lou was named after Lou Whitaker, a former Major League Baseball
player.
The idea behind the shock-therapy scene was based on Laurel and Hardy
throwing pies at each other. The scene was rearranged in the editing room; it played out differently when first produced. The edits to this scene were preliminary, but well-received, and remained unchanged in the finished product.
's mansion from the 1941
film Citizen Kane
. The family refer to it as "stately Burns Manor", a reference to the Batman
TV series. In addition, there is a reference to Freaks
, the Tod Browning
cult
horror film
, in the repetition of the line "one of us". When Marge gets drunk, she sings Dean Martin's
"Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine
". The shock-therapy scene is reminiscent of the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange
.
of 11.2, equivalent to approximately 10.3 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Married... with Children
. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, note: "It's very strange to see Homer pawning the TV set in an attempt to save the family; if this episode had come later Marge would surely have taken this stance." They continue, "A neat swipe at family counseling
with some great set pieces; we're especially fond of the perfect version of the Simpsons and the electric-shock aversion therapy." In a DVD
review of the first season, David B. Grelck gave the episode a rating of 2.0/5.0, placing it as one of the worst of the season. Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review that the episode is "[his] least favorite episode of Season One" and further commented: "Homer feels embarrassed by the others? Marge acts poorly in public and doesn’t care about the upkeep of the family? Lisa (Yeardley Smith) engages in pranks and silliness? This ain’t the family we’ve grown to know and love."
This episode was one of the first seen by British
viewers. It was the first episode to be broadcast on terrestrial television by the BBC
on November 23, 1996 on a Saturday at 5:30pm, because the episodes were shown out of order. The episode was screened with five million viewers, slightly less than the show, Dad's Army
, which previously held the timeslot. The episode also faced competition from ITV
's screening of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
The shock-therapy scene appeared in the 1990
film Die Hard 2
.
". It was released in the US on the VHS release The Best of The Simpsons, Vol. 1 (1997), paired with "Life on the Fast Lane
". It was later re-released in the US in a collector's edition boxed set of the first three volumes of The Best of The Simpsons collections. It was re-released in the UK as part of VHS boxed set of the complete first season, released in November 1999. The episode's debut on the DVD format was as a part of The Simpsons season one DVD set, which was released on September 25, 2001. Groening, Jean, and Reiss participated in the DVD's audio commentary
. A digital edition of the series' first season was published December 20, 2010 in the United States containing the episode, through Amazon Instant Video and iTunes
.
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 1)
The Simpsons first season originally aired between December 17, 1989 and May 13, 1990, beginning with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The show runners for the first production season were Matt Groening, James L...
. 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 on January 28, 1990. In the episode, 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...
becomes ashamed of his family after a catastrophic company picnic and decides to enroll them in therapy. The therapist struggles to solve their problems but eventually gives up and refunds their payment. It was an early episode, showing early designs for a few recurring characters. The episode is inspired by the comedy of Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
and features cultural references to films such as Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
and Freaks
Freaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
as well as the Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
television series. Critics noted that the characters acted differently from the way they would in later seasons. In the UK, the BBC chose it as the first episode to be aired when they started showing the series.
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...
takes his family to the company picnic at the expansive estate of his boss, Mr. Burns, who fires any employee whose family members are not enjoying themselves. Homer sees that Burns is drawn towards a family that treats one another with love and respect and tells his family to behave themselves. However, 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...
run wild on the grounds, and 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...
gets drunk on the alcoholic punch. Homer laments his unruly family as they leave the picnic.
Homer tells everyone that he is going to turn them into a respectable family. He insists they sit at the dinner table to eat instead of the couch in front of the TV. When the rest of the family insist that they are not really so bad, Homer takes them on a walk around the neighborhood, where they see other families living in harmony, and one family thinks they are prowlers and chases them away with a shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
. Depressed, Homer goes to Moe's Tavern, where he sees a commercial for Dr. Marvin Monroe's Family Therapy Center. When he hears that Dr. Monroe guarantees "family bliss or double your money back," Homer immediately makes an appointment.
To pay for the expensive treatment, Homer spends the kids' college funds and pawns
Pawnbroker
A pawnbroker is an individual or business that offers secured loans to people, with items of personal property used as collateral...
the TV. Dr. Monroe attempts to engage the family in traditional treatments, but they seem untreatable. Dr. Monroe suggests a radical treatment, and hooks the family up to electrode
Electrode
An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit...
s, telling them to send an electrical shock to each other when they feel upset, in the hopes that they will begin to associate hurtful behavior with the painful shocks. However, the family immediately begins shocking each other mercilessly
Sadistic personality disorder
Sadistic personality disorder is a diagnosis which appeared only in an appendix of the revised third edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . The current version of the DSM does not include it, so it is no longer considered a valid...
, overloading the machine and causing a brownout
Brownout (electricity)
A brownout is an intentional drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system used for load reduction in an emergency. The reduction lasts for minutes or hours, as opposed to short-term voltage sag or dip. The term brownout comes from the dimming experienced by lighting when the voltage sags...
in the building. Shocked that his plan didn't go as planned, Dr. Monroe unplugs the machine, admits that he cannot help the Simpsons, deeming them incurable. He then gives them double their money back, telling them to leave and never tell anyone else they were here. Homer uses the money to purchase a better TV than the one they pawned, finally earning his family's love and respect.
Production
The episode shows telltale signs of being one of the earliest produced. The characters act completely differently to how they do in later seasons; Lisa, for example, is undisciplined and short-tempered, while Homer is the voice of reason; these roles are reversed in later episodes. It was an early episode for Mr. Burns, who was voiced by Christopher CollinsChristopher Collins
Christopher Charles Collins , also known as Chris Latta, was an American actor, voice artist and comedian, perhaps best known as the voice of Cobra Commander on the G.I. Joe animated series and as the voice of Starscream in the first Transformers animated series...
in the previous episode, "Homer's Odyssey". Originally, the character was influenced by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, a concept which was later dropped. The idea that he would greet his employees using index cards was inspired by the way Reagan would greet people. The episode marks the first time Burns says "release the hounds".
The episode marked the first appearance of Dr. Marvin Monroe and Itchy & Scratchy; the latter had previously appeared in the shorts. Eddie and Lou also appeared for the first time, although Lou is yellow instead of black, as he would later become. Lou was named after Lou Whitaker, a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player.
The idea behind the shock-therapy scene was based on Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy
Laurel and Hardy were one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double acts of the early Classical Hollywood era of American cinema...
throwing pies at each other. The scene was rearranged in the editing room; it played out differently when first produced. The edits to this scene were preliminary, but well-received, and remained unchanged in the finished product.
Cultural references
The scene in which the family enters Burns' Manor contains two cultural references. The Manor resembles Charles Foster KaneCharles Foster Kane
Charles Foster Kane is a fictional character and the subject of Orson Welles' 1941 film Citizen Kane. Welles played Kane , with Buddy Swan playing Kane as a child...
's mansion from the 1941
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
film Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles' first feature film...
. The family refer to it as "stately Burns Manor", a reference to the Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
TV series. In addition, there is a reference to Freaks
Freaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
, the Tod Browning
Tod Browning
Tod Browning was an American motion picture actor, director and screenwriter.Browning's career spanned the silent and talkie eras...
cult
Cult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
, in the repetition of the line "one of us". When Marge gets drunk, she sings Dean Martin's
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
"Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine
Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine
Hey, Brother, Pour the Wine is a 1964 compilation album by Capitol Records released after Dean Martin moved to Reprise Records. It collects several non-LP singles and album tracks recorded by Dean while with Capitol.-Track listing:...
". The shock-therapy scene is reminiscent of the 1971 film A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "There's No Disgrace Like Home" finished forty-fifth in ratings for the week of January 22–28, 1990, with a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 11.2, equivalent to approximately 10.3 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Married... with Children
Married... with Children
Married... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from television critics. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, note: "It's very strange to see Homer pawning the TV set in an attempt to save the family; if this episode had come later Marge would surely have taken this stance." They continue, "A neat swipe at family counseling
Family therapy
Family therapy, also referred to as couple and family therapy, family systems therapy, and family counseling, is a branch of psychotherapy that works with families and couples in intimate relationships to nurture change and development. It tends to view change in terms of the systems of...
with some great set pieces; we're especially fond of the perfect version of the Simpsons and the electric-shock aversion therapy." In a 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....
review of the first season, David B. Grelck gave the episode a rating of 2.0/5.0, placing it as one of the worst of the season. Colin Jacobson at DVD Movie Guide said in a review that the episode is "[his] least favorite episode of Season One" and further commented: "Homer feels embarrassed by the others? Marge acts poorly in public and doesn’t care about the upkeep of the family? Lisa (Yeardley Smith) engages in pranks and silliness? This ain’t the family we’ve grown to know and love."
This episode was one of the first seen by British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
viewers. It was the first episode to be broadcast on terrestrial television by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on November 23, 1996 on a Saturday at 5:30pm, because the episodes were shown out of order. The episode was screened with five million viewers, slightly less than the show, Dad's Army
Dad's Army
Dad's Army is a British sitcom about the Home Guard during the Second World War. It was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft and broadcast on BBC television between 1968 and 1977. The series ran for 9 series and 80 episodes in total, plus a radio series, a feature film and a stage show...
, which previously held the timeslot. The episode also faced competition from ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's screening of Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
The shock-therapy scene appeared in the 1990
1990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
film Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2
Die Hard 2 is a 1990 action film and the second in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by Renny Harlin, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane...
.
Home release
The episode was released first on home video in the United Kingdom, as part of a VHS release titled The Simpsons Collection; the episode was paired with season one episode "Bart the GeneralBart the General
"Bart the General" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons first season, which premiered on the Fox network on February 4, 1990. The episode deals with Bart's troubles with the bully, Nelson Muntz. Bart chooses to go to war with Nelson uniting the neighborhood children against him...
". It was released in the US on the VHS release The Best of The Simpsons, Vol. 1 (1997), paired with "Life on the Fast Lane
Life on the Fast Lane
"Life on the Fast Lane", also known as "Jacques To Be Wild", is the ninth episode of The Simpsons first season, which originally aired on March 18, 1990. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by David Silverman. Albert Brooks guest starred as Jacques, a French bowling instructor, with...
". It was later re-released in the US in a collector's edition boxed set of the first three volumes of The Best of The Simpsons collections. It was re-released in the UK as part of VHS boxed set of the complete first season, released in November 1999. The episode's debut on the DVD format was as a part of The Simpsons season one DVD set, which was released on September 25, 2001. Groening, Jean, and Reiss participated in the DVD's audio commentary
Audio 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...
. A digital edition of the series' first season was published December 20, 2010 in the United States containing the episode, through Amazon Instant Video and iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
External links
- "There's No Disgrace Like Home" at The Simpsons.com