Wow, another Moe episode? While the story itself was dumb (and the B-plot dumber), this episode had more good jokes than any recent episode I can think of. Loved the scene with Ned and the Jesus fish. I imagine the writers had a ball making up all those reality show names.
Actually, I thought it was less dumb than I feared it would be when I saw they were “doing” American Idol.
I enjoyed them, and I loved the way “American Idol” got mentioned in the middle of all the others. But I wonder if coming up with all of them wasn’t the hardest part of writing this episode. On the DVD commentaries the writers sometimes mention how much they agonize over coming up with the little throwaway gags, like names on signs.
My first thought was “Ugh,…another Simon Cowell ep?”
I guess overall it wasn’t bad.
Perhaps the best Los Angeles joke ever: “Like someone stepped on New York and wiped their foot on the beach”.
That was my first reaction, too - but it turned out really well, I thought. Better than Moe Letter Blues and most of the other Moe shows moever the years.*
*Must kill Moe… WHEEEEEE! Ahem.
They’ve done so many episodes with Moe as the creepy depressive sadsack that it was fun to see him return to being the angry but sort of weirdly creative guy who would threaten to staple a flag to your butt and mail you to Iran. I thought being a reality TV judge fit surprisingly well with his character. And it was nice of The Simpsons to give a boost to a struggling little show like… what was it called again? Something Idol? Eric Idle strikes me as quintessentially British, but whatever. Not a really memorable episode, but it was funny. A pretty good end to a the best season since #7.
Loved hearing them play “Sweet Home Alabama,” because there weren’t any songs about Los Angeles. 
I found it oddly disconcerting that Jay Leno wasn’t voiced by Jay Leno. Jay Leno appeared on the show previously, voiced by Jay Leno, so to hear Jay Leno played by someone other than Jay Leno just didn’t feel like Jay Leno. Also, Jay Leno’s second line was clearly dubbed in later than Jay Leno’s first line, obvious because how else could Jay Leno reference the BP stuff, and also Jay Leno sounded different when Jay Leno said the second line.
Any good songs.
(Bracing for cavalcade of posters telling me I have no taste in music.)
**All I Wanna Do
California Dreamin’ *
Celluloid Heroes
Cracked Actor
Goin’ Back to Cali
Hooray for Hollywood
I Love L.A.
It’ll Chew You Up and Spit You Out / Still in Hollywood
L.A. Woman
Life in the Fast Lane
Los Angeles (Counting Crows)
Los Angeles (X)
Los Angeles, I’m Yours
Pico and Sepulveda
Screenwriter’s Blues
Sunset Grill
This Town
Under the Bridge
Walkin’ in L.A.
We Built This City **
**
- Of course this one wouldn’t work because it’s from the point-of-view of someone who’s far away from Los Angeles, but it’s such a good song.
** KIDDING!
10,000 Maniac’s City of Angels.