I loved the line by the crusty old clown. “Why do I keep asking for a nickel? That’s like a thousand bucks in 2010 money!”
When was this? I don’t remember seeing that.
I liked the freeze frame bit afterward where they show the footnote in the book.
It was in the the magazine Milford was reading under the sassparilla tree.
As a vexillologist, the using of the maple leaf flag for Canada in a story set in civil war era (when there was barely a “Canada” to speak of), a flag only created in 1965, bugged me, but I realize that there are very few uber-flag-geeks like me out there, and using the correct flag (ie the Union Jack) would cause more "huh"s, so I grudgingly let it go.
Yes, it’s a pointless nit.
Overall, thoguh I enjoy the episode because, contrary to Markxxx’s opinion, I like the THOH and other ones which take the Simpsons out of canon and into a fantasy. Mainly because they used up all the possible plots for current day Simpsons wihtout stretching the bounds of believability, they did that about 17 seasons ago (really, what average person meets all the famous people and does all the stuff Homer (just to name one character) does wihtout becoming the unquestioned most famous guy in town?) It showed spark (and the “March to Selma” line was my fave.)
That went by too fast for me to see. What did it say?
A very entertaining episode. I loved Colonel Burns insisting that they play the waltz in 4, and the chaos that ensued.
It’s long. In so many words, it says that the clown often said things to no one in particular, and that he would then say they were jokes, although Eliza never reported anybody laughing at them. It goes on to say that Mabel doesn’t see the humor in them either, but she’s including them since Eliza repeated all of them to her. It ends, “Enjoy, people of the future!”
I noticed that too, but I just put it down to “this sets the scene quickly and easily.” And it does; they’re in Canada (or the country that will become Canada). True, the Union Jack would have been correct, but may have raised more questions that would distract viewers unfamiliar with the history of British North America: “Why, if they’re in Canada, aren’t they using a Canadian flag?”
Same nitpicky kind of thing happened in The Untouchables, with Kevin Costner. At one point, Costner and his FBI boys are in the bootleggers’ warehouse, surrounded by cases of whisky smuggled in from Canada. Viewers can tell, because the cases are painted with the maple leaf as it appears on the Canadian flag–which, as you note, wasn’t designed until the early 1960s, finally being introduced in 1965. But again, it sets the scene quickly and easily: this is whisky smuggled in from Canada. No more questions about the whisky’s provenance need be raised. Now, what is the FBI going to do about it?
They possibly could have made another flag, maybe one with a bear throttling a lumberkack or something, as a joke.
I thought it was a decent episode. The two things that really stood out for me was the waltz being move to 4/4 time and all the stuff in the attic.
Thanks. That’s awesome!
Or a boot kicking somebody in the buttocks, like the Australian flag.
Wall Street Journal often refers to Obama as Mr. Obama. They did the exact same for Mr. Bush as well. So does the Economist. Just an FYI.
Not a great episode but always nice to see Groundskeeper Willy.
It reads:
In hindsight it’s surprising that Mabel wrote about Virgil coming to their house but didn’t mention the fact that she married him, went to Canada with him, and had his son. On the other hand I liked the divorce settlement joke - Mabel gets one of his shoes, with a note reading “I’m keeping the laces,” which for some reason frustrates both Mabel and Virgil.
No, it wasn’t just you. I felt that it was a very lame episode overall. The whole thing just seemed so forced, hamfisted, and awkward to me. shrug Maybe the tone of the humor no longer resonates with me, I don’t know.
Well, interracial marriage was a major taboo back then and she did want people to buy the cookbook.
Stupid question: I hadn’t seen the episode so I’m wondering how do they take care of the fact that the Simpson women are all successful (researchers, doctors, etc)?
They ignored it. Just as they ignored the fact that half of Lisa’s ancestors are Bouviers (and another quarter are from Homer’s mom’s lineage, etc.)
“After them!”
“Well, obviously.”
“Well you didn’t say it.”
I’m fully aware that the number of smiles cracked, and LOLs laughed, is a function not only of the quality of the episode but also of the mood I am in when I watch it. But I liked this one.