# Can someone put a Simpsons quote in context for me? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 19, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928 "2002-10-19T01:54:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/1 "2002-10-19T01:54:18Z")
I downloaded a soundbite from somewhere that I think is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s Groundskeeper Willie saying, “Yeah! If elected mayor, my first act will be… to kill the whole lot of ya! And burn your town to cinders!” I don’t think I’ve ever seen the episode that came from, and I keep wondering what the situation was when he said that. Could some devoted fan put it in context for me? Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/2 "2002-10-19T02:49:46Z")
The episode was [Bart’s Inner Child](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/1F05.html). Willie was standing at the podium during the town’s “Do What You Feel” festival. Willy: If elected mayor, my first act will be to kill the whole lot of you and burn your town to cinders! Workman: [whispering] The mike’s on. Willy: I know it’s on! ---
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/3 "2002-10-19T05:34:05Z")
Just to help clarify, Willie was setting up the stage mic for the festival (bet you didn’t know he was roadie) and was presumbably testing it, saying the stuff about the “killing the lot of you.” We assume that he assumes the mic isn’t on, so it becomes twice as funny when we find out he knew it was. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/4 "2002-10-19T17:52:15Z")
It’s also funny because, as everyone knows, Scotsmen are homicidal maniacs. Which makes it odd that he’d be employed in an elementary school. (And, apparently, handyman at the church. “Miracles are your department, Reverend,” and so forth.) ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/5 "2002-10-19T22:18:03Z")
I think it might also be a reference to when Reagan stood before some microphones during a soundcheck and said, “My fellow Americans, I am pleased to announce that I have just signed into law legislation making Russia illegal. We begin bombing in 10 minutes.” Not realizing that reporters were there and recording his pronouncement! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/6 "2002-10-19T22:24:09Z")
He really DID that?! He’s even dumber than I thought! Er, Reagan, not Willy. Willy would make a much better politician. He’d get the janitor vote. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/7 "2002-10-19T22:33:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\*He really DID that?! He’s even dumber than I thought! Er, Reagan, not Willy. Willy would make a much better politician. He’d get the janitor vote. \*\* Yeah, he really did that. I first heard the recording when I was in high school. The radio station I listened to played the clip, and then went straight into music. Having just woken up to hear Reagan announce Armageddon, followed by music, I damn near shit myself. I did a quick google search, but was unable to come up with a clip on-line. You’d think that someone out there would have that. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2002, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/8 "2002-10-19T23:08:12Z")
There was also the time when Bush the Younger, during his campaign, remarked to the guy standing next to him that a certain reporter in the audience was “a world-class asshole,” not realizing that the mic was on. ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/9 "2002-10-20T00:18:51Z")
The remark was to Cheney, who responded, “Yeah, big time.” It was about a New York Times reporter. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/10 "2002-10-20T01:20:57Z")
Ahem. It was “major-league asshole”, and I’m disappointed Bush didn’t just say that to the guy’s face. Oh well. Now, as for Willie… I think it’s been made pretty clear that he hates everyone in Springfield - probably because they deported him at one point - so I can understand why he’d wanna kill everyone. ---
**Author:** ![AmbulanceChaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@AmbulanceChaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AmbulanceChaser)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/11 "2002-10-20T01:34:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\*He really DID that?! He’s even dumber than I thought! Er, Reagan, not Willy. Willy would make a much better politician. He’d get the janitor vote. \*\* Actually, I found it pretty funny. I accidentally stumbled upon Bill O’Reilly’s radio show one day, and in a montage of “political outtakes” (i.e., “I did not have sex with that woman,” “no controlling legal authority,” etc.) is the Reagan “Ladies and gentlemen, the bombing begins in 10 minutes” clip. Can’t say much for O’Reilly’s show, but the open is pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Bob\_Scene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Bob\_Scene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bob_Scene)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/12 "2002-10-20T06:16:50Z")
I want to thank you all for enlightening me about the Willie quote. For those of you who are interested, here’s something in return. [This page](http://www.webcorp.com/video/) has the audio clip of Reagan announcing that he’s just outlawed Russia and that the bombing begins in five minutes. ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-someone-put-a-simpsons-quote-in-context-for-me/132928/13 "2002-10-21T00:19:09Z")
A couple years ago Bryant Gumble had some guest on the Early Show. Bryant thought his microphone was off. He said, in reference to his guest: “He’s a fucking idiot”. Guess what, Gumble, your mic was still on. :eek: