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Television Media

300 Episodes of the Simpsons 697

circletimessquare writes "As we approach 300 Episodes of the Simpsons, Entertainment Weekly tries to pick the 25 best episodes of The Simpsons (and the one episode they consider the worst). They do a pretty good job. But since "best of" lists like this one are always rife with debate and contention, I can't think of a better place than Slashdot to send up EW (pun partially intended)."
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300 Episodes of the Simpsons

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  • Not bad, but... (Score:2, Insightful)

    by lukpac ( 66596 )
    Homer's Phobia number 5? I wonder if they felt they had to throw in a later episode or two to make it more "balanced". While some of those aren't bad, I know I would have had more from seasons 2-6 or so.
    • Re:Not bad, but... (Score:5, Interesting)

      by The Only Druid ( 587299 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:23AM (#5240713)
      It says something about a show that the best episodes are almost exclusively from several years ago.

      Before I'm modded down for heresy, I adore The Simpsons. Yet, I still believe that the show was far greated from seasons 3-7 than from 8-today. The show has lost its ability to be intellectual at the same degree, in losing writers such as Conan O'Brian.

      Frankly, I'm not entirely sure they should keep making the series: Homer is now retarded (whereas he's merely simple in the beginning), Homer has no Job (or actually, he's had well over 70 jobs, as listed in a recent episode...which means roughly a quarter of the episodes have been "Homer becomes a "), they no longer make subtle erudite references...its falling apart.
      • Re:Not bad, but... (Score:3, Interesting)

        by EricWright ( 16803 )
        I agree that the writing has gone downhill, but I don't really think that Conan O'Brian had much to do with it. According to www.snpp.com, Conan only wrote 3 episodes (New Kid on the Block, Marge vs. the Monorail, Homer Goes to College) and 1 part of Treehouse of Horrors IV (Wraparounds).

        On one of the DVD commentary tracks, Matt Groening makes it sound like the true creative genious behind early Simpsons episodes was George Meyer. A lot of the great jokes/gags apparently came from him.
    • Dude, Homer's Phobia is without a doubt the best episode of all time. And I'm not just saying that 'cause I'm sitting in (the former) Bethlehem Steel's Burns Habor training center with an actual gay steelworker.
  • Excellent (Score:5, Insightful)

    by jayhawk88 ( 160512 ) <jayhawk88@gmail.com> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:04AM (#5240506)
    Last Exit to Springfield, Marge v. Monorail, and Cape Feare all in the Top 5? I hate to say it, but EW actually seems to have gotten things right.
  • by Elvisisdead ( 450946 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:05AM (#5240508) Homepage Journal
    Homer: "OK, no more deer for a week"
    Marge: " Homer, did you say deer or beer?"
    Homer: "Deer."
  • Bah! (Score:2, Funny)

    by RPoet ( 20693 )
    That site crashes my Mozilla.
    • Re:Bah! (Score:2, Funny)

      by Thurog ( 592871 )
      Interesting, as it features a Netscape Network toolbar on top.

      Viva la conspiracion!
  • by uglyjack ( 639541 )
    Oh dag. If they even try to put the Treehouse of Horrors on that list. The worst episode IS the bowling one with Marge and the french guy.
    • The Halloween ones are actually usually pretty good. I really liked the first one when they did their take of The Raven. Plus, you can't forget the drooling aliens.

      And I agree about the bowling one, it was kinda bad.
  • I've love the simpsons mostly due in part to their use of literary allusions, pop-culture, and stereotypes. But probably the funniest episode was the one where Troy McClure, aka Phil Hartman, explains the food chain, which shows a Shark jumping out of the water and eating a Gorilla hanging from a tree. Nearly peed my pants.
  • Anyone know what the cash register really says when they scan Maggie in the opening credits? It is not, I repeat not "NRA 4 EVER" as often rumored. (That was actually started by the creators in the first place... and we all know that cartoonists are shifty.) Anyway, someone with spare time and a DVD (or *cough* illegal *cough* copies on their computer) player might easily figure it out...
    • Re:NRA 4 EVER (Score:5, Informative)

      by gotroot801 ( 7857 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:12AM (#5240580) Homepage Journal

      From the List of Inquiries and Substantive Answers [snpp.com], aka the alt.tv.simpsons FAQ:

      How much does Maggie cost in the opening titles?

      Maggie is listed as costing $847.63, a figure once given as the amount of money required to raise a baby for one month in the US.

    • I have the DVDs for the first two seasons and have looked. I couldn't make out anything, and neither could my friend who is a Simpson's fanatic as well. I think that it might be possible that it only said NRA 4 EVER in one episode. Im waiting for the DVD's of the rest of the seasons to come out, before I give up on the search.
    • It says "$847.63", which was the officially published cost at the time of one month of baby raisin'.
    • Re:NRA 4 EVER (Score:4, Informative)

      by NaugaHunter ( 639364 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:27AM (#5240761)
      From List of Inquiries and Substantive Answers [snpp.com]:

      How much does Maggie cost in the opening titles?

      Maggie is listed as costing $847.63, a figure once given as the amount of money required to raise a baby for one month in the US.

      But the trivia question in The 138th Episode Spectacular said that the cash register read "NRA4EVER". What's going on here?

      The trivia questions in The 138th Episode Spectacular are gags made to troll the audience, just like the images of Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, and Sam Simon in the episode are not what those people really look like. The cash register question is a gag referring to the people who have labeled the show as "the most liberal on television" by portraying it as having an ultra-conservative slant.

  • Like Fine Wine... (Score:5, Interesting)

    by cancrman ( 24472 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:09AM (#5240548) Homepage
    The greatest thing about the Simpsons is how well the show has aged in syndication. I firmly believe that it takes 3-4 viewings of an ep to really catch all of the nuances. Even newer episodes, which some view as a bit weak, really shine in syndication. Hey it's either that or watch Fraiser reruns. That said, there are numerous omissions from this list.

    Other Classics:
    Two Bad Neighbors (s7)
    Bart vs. Australia (s6)
    Deep Space Homer (s5)
    Homers Enemy (s8)
    2 dozen and 1 greyhounds -- best song ever (see my vest)
    Brother From another Series -- "..those years at clown college" "I appreciate you not refer to Princeton that way"
    $pringfield "I think we'll keep those jars of urine"
    Colonel Homer "The don't call me Colonel Homer because I'm some dumbass army guy"

    Anyway, I could do this all day but I think you get my point. (Quotes courtesy of The Simpsons Archive [snpp.com]).

    As for eps that shouldn't have been included in the top 25: THOH, Spin-Off Special & Homer's Phobia. But this is purely subjective, so no flames please.

    I do agree with they're pick for worst ep though

    • I don't know if I agree with WEO. I think Gump Roast (S13E17) takes the cake there... very lame episode.

      My personal highlight was (I shamefully forgot the episode) the one where Homer, Marge and Lisa are rushing to the Springfield Tar Pits when Homer runs over a statue of a deer:

      H: D'oh!
      M: A deer!
      L: A female deer!

      Oy, that nearly made me spew the first time I saw it...
    • I agree with most of the above mentioned omissions from the list, although I feel that "Bart After Dark" (Burlesque House) and "Homer the Great" (Stonecutters) should have also made the list. These were some really great, and very funny episodes. Although I agree with the above suggestion that the Spin-off Special shouldn't have been included, I feel Homer's Phobia was a really great episode that dealt with a lot of typical sterotypes/reactions that the public has about gays.
      • Bart After Dark was a decent episode until the song. Then it became a great one. I'm a sucker for pretty much any of the musical eps. Homer's Phobia is a good ep, but not top 25 material. I can think of three other eps from Season 8 that top it: Homer's Enemy, Homer vs. 18th Amendment & You Only Move Twice. YOMT lies in my top 10. But like I said before, it's all subjective.
  • by Apreche ( 239272 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:09AM (#5240549) Homepage Journal
    I haven't looked at their picks yet, but I know the best episode ever.

    The halloween special with the shinning. It's got 3 super hilarious quotes and is overall the best episode ever.

    "no beer no tv make homer something something"
    "shhhh, you wanna get suuuued?"
    "that's willy's time!"
  • by scubacuda ( 411898 ) <scubacuda@gmaiREDHATl.com minus distro> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:09AM (#5240550)
    Definitely the one where Homer gets fat in order to collect unemployment.

    On a side note, I know that Conan O'Brian wrote several of them (like the monorail one, I think). Does anyone know/have a list of those? And did any other famous people (co)write them also?

  • Ralph (Wearing a sign taped to him saying "IDAHO"): I'm Idaho!

    Ralph: Help! She's touching my special area!

  • quotes (Score:5, Informative)

    by Lxy ( 80823 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:10AM (#5240563) Journal
    And of course, it wouldn't be complete without the top 50 Simpsons quotes:

    http://doheth.uzipp.com/opinion/50quotes.shtml [uzipp.com]
  • by VitrosChemistryAnaly ( 616952 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:11AM (#5240573) Journal
    Me post first? That's unpossible...
  • I can't believe they left that one off. :P

    I agree with the person above. It seems they felt obligated to include too many "newer" episodes.

    Oh well. Their website, their list, I guess.
  • Every time one of these lists comes out, there are ommissions and arguments that the ranking are out of whack.

    Nonetheless, why they failed to include the wonderfully poignant Lisa's Wedding [snpp.com] is beyond me.
  • Maybe is because I like a lot science fiction, but the two individual episodes that I most remember is the one where Homer go to the past and kill all dinosaurs (like in the sound of thunder, by Bradbury) and the one where Homer goes 4^H3D.
  • Did anyone else click on the link just to find out which one was considered the worst?
    • I sure did. I was disappointed, too. I consider Alone Again, Natura-Diddly to be the absolute worst episode in the history of the series. It was poorly written, poorly conceived, and just felt rushed and unnecessary. I understand why they thought they had to do it, but it would have been better if Maude had been relegated to background/lineless scenes.

      So, in self-mocking summation:

      Worst episode ever!

  • by mrpuffypants ( 444598 ) <mrpuffypants@@@gmail...com> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:14AM (#5240614)
    CBG: "Immediately after reading the 25 best episodes I was on the Internet registering my disgust and complaints."

    Bart: "But they provide you with free and quality content!"

    CBG: "Worst. Top 25 list. ever."
  • by objekt ( 232270 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:15AM (#5240618) Homepage
    is not on the list? Insanity!

    to quote Nate Patrin:
    This episode kicked hairy yellow butt, right from the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida bit to the Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag bit...
  • by Skyshadow ( 508 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:17AM (#5240640) Homepage
    What about that episode where they used a Roast of Homer by the Springfield Friar's Club as an excuse to have a clip show? It was *horrible*! How can *any* completely new episode be worse than a clip show?

    How, Marge? How?

    Besides, there were some real stinkers in the first season while they were still trying to find their voice and before the show went Homer-centric (in a fair world, Homer-centric should be a word).

  • by pubjames ( 468013 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:17AM (#5240641)
    My favourite line:

    (Mr Burns to Homer): "You're the fattest thing I've ever seen. And I've been on safari."
  • by Dugsmyname ( 451987 ) <thegenericgeek@@@gmail...com> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:18AM (#5240646) Homepage
    It's interesting that out of the top 25 episodes picked in this article, only 2 episodes are from seasons after 1997. The vast majority of episodes listed in this article are from 1993-1994.

    Have all of the creative juices stopped flowing into the Simpsons? Or have they just had a bad run of writers?
    • by GuyMannDude ( 574364 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @12:25PM (#5241952) Journal

      Have all of the creative juices stopped flowing into the Simpsons? Or have they just had a bad run of writers?

      I'm not sure what the difference between these two choices is. But there has definitely been not only a change in writing talent but also in attitude. I couldn't believe my eyes that someone voted "Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie" as one of the best 25. As a long time Simpsons fan, I was actually offended by that. The episode seemed designed to be a big "fuck you" to all the fans who were complaining about how the newer episodes were nowhere near as good as the past ones. I think the writers and producers would have been wise to listen to the feedback they were getting from fans. In fact, I just made this comment the other day about Star Trek [slashdot.org]. In the Poochie episode, Lisa finally goes off on a siloquoy (I know I spelled that wrong) about how Itchy and Scratchy is just as good as it's always been and that the falling ratings are just a result of being too successful for too long. This speech is obviously directed at unhappy fans of the Simpsons and telling them to shut the hell up and that their opinions are wrong (that the Simpsons is as good as it was in Conan's day). I couldn't believe the audacity of the writers!

      Also, I don't understand what the hell they were thinking about the episode anyhow. The whole plot is that Poochie is a terrible character and makes I&S even more unwatchable. So then the writers of the Simpsons force us to watch these lame I&S clips and this is supposed to be funny? This is kind of like those awful "annoying man" skits on Saturday Night Live. I guess writers seem to think that shoving annoying stuff at us is going to make us laugh out of nervousness or something. As I see it, the entire I&S&P episode was designed as a "fuck you" to the fans and nothing else. It wasn't even designed to be funny. Why it got voted in the top 25 is beyond me.

      GMD

  • by simong_oz ( 321118 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:18AM (#5240651) Journal
    hmmm ... seen the list, and while I agree with some (Mr Plow, Monorail, Homer Badman) it misses out some of my all-time favourites

    Deep Space Homer
    the one where Homer gets fat to work from home
    the episode where Bart wins the elephant
    any episode where Barney is sober

    and now for some classic simpsons quotes (all atributed to Homer of course - who else!):

    "I'm a white male, aged 18 to 49. *Everybody* cares what I think!"
    "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try."
    "I know I'm not usually a praying man, but if you're up there, Please Superman help me!"
    "Homer no function beer well without."
    "Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel."
    "To alcohol - the cause of, and solution to all of life's problems."

    and my all-time favourite ...

    "Maybe for once, someone will call me 'sir' without adding 'You're making a scene'." - Homer J Simpson
  • by xTK-421x ( 531992 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:18AM (#5240654) Homepage
    Homer the Great [snpp.com]

    Homer: I've always wondered if there was a god. And now I know there is -- and it's me.
    Marge: You're not a god, Homer.
    Lisa: Remember Dad, "All glory is fleeting."
    Homer: So?
    Lisa: "Beware the Ides of March."
    Homer: No!
    Lisa: Dad, I know you think you're happy now, but it's not going to last forever.
    Homer: Everything lasts forever.

    Homer Goes to College [snpp.com]

    Marge: [hearing modem noises] Ooh, what's wrong with this phone? it's making crazy noises.
    Nerd 2: [contemptuously] Those "crazy noises" are computer signals.
    Nerd 3: Yeah. Some guys at MIT are sending us reasons why Captain Picard is better than Captain Kirk.
    Nerd 1: Hah! They're outta their minds.
  • The worst one they claim (the one where bart goes to the indian casino and sees the future) isn't all that bad. It had some great jokes:
    Bart throws a firecracker in the fireplace.
    Indian: Hey! Stop that!
    Bart: Hey I got that on your reservation!
    Indian: That's crazytalk!
    Bart: No really!
    Indian: I know, its CrazyTalk. He's my brother


    Oh, and Tree House Horror V is the best episode ever!
  • Simpson Plot Lines (Score:2, Interesting)

    by Hypharse ( 633766 )
    Has anyone else noticed that the Simpson plots have gotten more and more insane? I guess they are running out of ideas, but there are some that if you think about make you go huuuuh? Like the one where they won the trip to africa off of an old animal crackers box. Or the one where Homer gets a webpage and ends up being drugged and taken to this special sanctuary. I know those are from a couple seasons ago, but I haven't had tv to watch the recent ones. I would assume they follow the same random act pattern. The beginning of the episode is usually totally different from the end. Like they'll have one plot line for the first 10 minutes with an odd occurence that completely shifts the plot line to something else; a two episodes in one type of thing. I'm rambling, but the point is the plot lines seem to be more "drug-induced".
  • Admittedly, there is plenty of room for everyone to have a favorite episode. But two that I feel should be mentioned are Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire [snpp.com] (the story of Santa's Little Helper) and Maggie Makes Three [snpp.com] (the story of what happened just before Maggie was born). These two episodes epitomize the side of the Simpsons that celebrates the family, a quality that I feel is too often overlooked by critics.
  • something something.
  • by goldspider ( 445116 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:23AM (#5240710) Homepage
  • Don't you mean "The Shining"?
  • Funniest part in a Simpsons episode EVER:

    The 3 frogs sitting in the pond going "Bud... Weis... Er" over and over then the alligator eats them and goes "Coors!" I laughed for a very long time after that one.
  • No discussion about the simpsons is complete without mention of www.snpp.com [snpp.com] (for springfield nuclear power plant), which is the largest database on the simpsons. It has descriptions of each episode, lists of errors, lists of references, essays, everything the simpsons related that anyone could ever want.
  • Simpson and Delilah (Score:3, Interesting)

    by TummyX ( 84871 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:26AM (#5240739)
    Got to be my all time favourite.

    It's the one where homer gets hair and suddenly becomes rich and successful. He has that assistant (Karl) who guides him to success.

    It highlights some facets of society and life so well.
  • I like the one where the Simpsons go to Japan and Homer walks through all the ricepaper walls.

    That cracks me up ever time I think about it (tear).

  • by Masem ( 1171 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:26AM (#5240745)
    Notice that most of the episodes on that list are pre-1996 (Season 8, IIRC), with only 5 or 6 of the 25 from latter seasons?

    There's a good reason for this: Seasons 7-9 was during the transition of the writing and production from one staff to another; the original staff had nearly all been there since the concept of the Simpson on the Trace Ullman show, while the new staff was much less versed with the humble beginnings of the show.

    Most long-time Simpsons fans that were on the net prior to that change immediately saw the changes that the show had made, and over the course of a few seasons, the fans no longer cared for the show. (I know a few of these people well, including some long time alt.tv.simpsons posters that simply dropped the show like a hot potato). The show became more cartoon-y, and less of a animated family sit-com. (That is, these people saw OFF as a show that could have been done live action if they really tried, but worked better as a cartoon; nowadays, most episodes can't be done live action as they involve too many abuses of the cartoon laws of physics). Plus there were changes in the emotional tone of the stories; the early seasons (at least from 3-7) had a good mix of comedy and emotion, but nearly all of the last 5 or 6 seasons have been strictly out and out comedy. They also changed the characters somewhat, making Homer more of a doofus as opposed to a not-so-bright father trying to do his best for the family, and making Lisa a political busybody, and most recently, dumbing down Marge. Too much focus on the external characters as well, and giving Homer all these crazy antics to do. Sure, if that's the way the show started as, then maybe it would be funny, but it's not the same as what most of us long-time fans would consider to be the heart of the Simpsons.

    What's amazing is that there's very few mainstream publications that mention how poor the Simpsons are *today* compared to a decade ago. They all praise the show, it constantly wins awards, etc. The problem is, the Simpsons is a cornerstone of FOX, and to remove it would cause significant problems for its ratings battle on Sunday nights.

    I think this list is at least some nod to how the Simpsons had good quality shows to start, and that the last several season have been 'blah' since. There have been good episodes of the last few seasons, or ones that could have worked; I do think "Homer's Phobia" is a good one to be on the list though a bit too high, if nothing else for the classic steel mill scene, and "A Day In the Life" which showed the same events, but from Homer's, Bart's, and Lisa's POV, could have worked if the zany adventures were held back a bit. But really, just like TNG and DS9 and the rest of the Trek universe, the Simpsons need to be retired. To see even 2 more seasons come out of the current staff is going to pull down the overall quality of the show even more.

    • What's amazing is that there's very few mainstream publications that mention how poor the Simpsons are *today* compared to a decade ago. They all praise the show, it constantly wins awards, etc.

      Well, take a look around you...frankly, most entertainment-oriented TV (vs. edumacational stuff like Discovery) these days is shit. The Simpsons has definitely slid waaay downhill in the last decade (is the new staff the Family Guy crew perchance?), but it's still hands-down the best show on television today.
    • by EricWright ( 16803 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:53AM (#5241021) Journal
      To paraphrase a well-known set of bumper stickers... A bad Simpsons episode is still better than a good Friends episode.
  • "I guess they're barking up the wrong bush!"
    - 'there it is homer, the smartest thing you'll ever say and there's no one around to hear it.'

    Seriously, that was my favourite episode. How they could not name it is beyond me. The gags were hilarious, and if you watch closely enough when his memoirs get trashed you see a mention of Dan Quayle.
    Brilliant!
  • and this poll proved it. Only 1 of the top 25 listed has come out within the last 5 years. All the rest were in the "golden years" (basically everything BEFORE 1998). Like a sun setting, The Simpsons is really past it's prime.

    What irks me is that The Family Guy had some real spunk and great writing, until it was cancelled (along with Futurama, which had a longer run). But I don't think it's reasonable to cancel those shows when King of the Hill and The Simpsons are still on. Is there no justice in the world?!

  • by taliver ( 174409 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:27AM (#5240755)
    Easily my favorite, if for just some of the lines:

    "In this house we obey they laws of thermodynamics"

    "I'll have no more of your Vasser bashing young lady."

    "I guess I'll just have to go hide in the crawl space"
    "I hate it when he does that."

    "There's just something so unwholesome about flying a kite at night."
  • Peaked Too Soon...! (Score:5, Interesting)

    by clickety6 ( 141178 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:28AM (#5240765)
    Plotting the TOp 25 by year we see:

    90 XXX
    91 X
    92 XXX
    93 XXXXXXX
    94 XXX
    95 X
    96 XX
    97 XXXX
    98
    99
    00
    01
    02 X

    Looks like they peaked early in 93 and, despite a brief revival in 97, its been downhill ever since.

    Or does anybody's best ever list contain items from 98 - 02 seasons?

  • Best Simpsons Site (Score:3, Informative)

    by msheppard ( 150231 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:28AM (#5240767) Homepage Journal
    Dunno if I'm giving away a good secret here, but in my expeirence the most extensive clearing house of simpson's information is:
    http://www.snpp.com [snpp.com]

    (Springfield Nuclear Power Plant)

    M@
  • by mattbot 5000 ( 645961 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:31AM (#5240801) Homepage
    The fact that The Simpsons is getting hype from Entertainment Weekly further proves this show lost its satrical bite (and relevance) a LONG time ago.
  • by lostboy2 ( 194153 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:32AM (#5240813)
    Homer: Doh!
    Lisa: A deer!
    Marge: A female deer!

    Perfect! Just perfect! :-)

  • Info (Score:5, Informative)

    by fizban ( 58094 ) <fizban@umich.edu> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:36AM (#5240839) Homepage
    For those with BRAVO, Inside the Actor's Studio will be having the cast of the Simpsons on this Sunday, February 9th at 8 pm (7 central).
    • D'oh...Conflict (Score:3, Informative)

      by cybermage ( 112274 )
      For those with BRAVO, Inside the Actor's Studio will be having the cast of the Simpsons on this Sunday, February 9th at 8 pm (7 central)

      For those planning on watching the Simpsons at 8pm Sunday, Bravo will be re-running it at midnight.
  • by John Harrison ( 223649 ) <(moc.liamg) (ta) (nosirrahnhoj)> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:51AM (#5241000) Homepage Journal
    I don't know about best episode ever, but the best scene ever was when Bart handed out the music for the opening hymn at church - In the Garden of Eden by I. Ron Butterfly. The poor organist had to play 28 minutes non-stop and then collapsed.
  • by thesolo ( 131008 ) <slap@fighttheriaa.org> on Thursday February 06, 2003 @10:59AM (#5241097) Homepage
    From SNPP.com [snpp.com]:

    "It should be noted that while Fox is promoting "Barting Over" as the official 300th episode, this is not exactly correct. In fact, the 300th episode to be aired will be "Strong Arms of the Ma," on February 2nd. "Barting Over" isn't the 300th produced episode either, as that title goes to "Strong Arms of the Ma" as well."

    We passed the 300th episode Milestone last Sunday! Anyone else celebrate?
  • by gosand ( 234100 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @11:14AM (#5241301)
    I know everyone has their favorite, but I think EVERYONE loves my favorite episode: Selma's Choice.

    Highlights:

    Aunt Gladys dies, they go to the funeral, and Selma wants a baby.

    Lionel Hutz has a good, small part. (You'd be surprised how often that works, you really would)

    Selma tries to find a man, including the pimply faced checkout boy.

    Homer gets sick from eating a really old, 10-foot hoagie.

    Because Homer is sick, the kids go to Duff Gardens with Selma. Classic stuff here, Lisa acid trips by drinking the water, Bart tries on Beer Goggles, the Seven Duffs, rapping Abe Lincoln, etc.

    Homercles cares not for beans!

    This episode kills me every single time I see it, and for some reason they don't run it very often in syndication. I literally watched for 2 years, 3 times a day trying to tape it. I finally downloaded it from the net. It is the 3rd season, so I am just waiting for the next DVD set to come out.

    The thing is, there are sooooo many good episodes. Even recent ones have their "classic" moments that crack me up. Best Show Ever!

  • by idfrsr ( 560314 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @11:59AM (#5241699)

    Why is there no wacking day?

    Barry White guest stars

    "Did you bring the pre-wacked snakes?"

    "Should I wack fast or slow, Marge?"

    "Oooh slow and then fast!"

    "There's nothing I like more than the sexy slither of the lady snake."

    "Wacking Day was originally started as an excuss to beat up the Irish"

    Not to mention, the classic wacking day kung fu practice by Homer, Bart driving Willy's tractor into superintendent Chalmers. Come on people it deserves at least an honourable mention.

  • Chili cookoff! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by smoondog ( 85133 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @12:38PM (#5242070)
    I think the chili cookoff episode (El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Homer [snpp.com]) is pretty darn good and was sadly overlooked for the list. Johnny Cash. Guatamalean Insanity Peppers. Space Coyote. Hot pants. Marge smokes. Homer dances and whines. Homer trips out. "I hope I didn't brain my damage"

    Its Different. Cool. Funny. How could they overlook it?

    -Sean
  • by Espectr0 ( 577637 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @12:57PM (#5242293) Journal
    Homer:
    "Welcome to the Internet, my friend.
    How can I help you ? "

    customer:
    " I am interested in upgrading my 28.8 KBaud
    Internet connection to a 1.5 MBit fiber optic T1 line.
    Will you be able to provide an IP router, that's
    compatible with my TokenRing Ethernet LAN
    configuration ? "

    (pause)

    Homer: Can i have some money now?

  • by PygmyTrojan ( 605138 ) on Thursday February 06, 2003 @01:28PM (#5242716)
    Quoteth www.snpp.com [snpp.com]:
    Note: Although Fox is promoting Feb. 16th's celebration as the night the 300th episode is airing, it is in fact THIS episode that is the 300th by count.

    Which is referring to last week's episode when Marge pumped some iron.

  • To my my mind, the Hank Scorpio episode ("You Only Move Twice"), where Homer goes to work for a supervillan, has to rank as one of the best, right up there with "Cape Feare". (It's also one of the few episodes were Homer is actually successful at his job.) And I also love The Prisoner parody episode ("The Computer Wore Menace Shoes"). I suppose you have to be a fan of The Prisoner to really apprecaite it, but really, what self-respecting geek isn't? ;-)

    Worst episode: Homer and Burns go up a mountain on a team-bulding exercise, which is almost completely devoid of laughs. It was so bad I suspected had it in the can for years and only used it as an "emergency" episode when the Korean animators were unable to complete the latest one on time. Runner up: The episode where Bart shoots a bird and feels all bad about it, which is totally false to his character.

Real programmers don't bring brown-bag lunches. If the vending machine doesn't sell it, they don't eat it. Vending machines don't sell quiche.

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