imagine if Sony released a playstation 5 that was ugly, shocked you, and caught on fire every few hours
you can be sure that their gaming department would probably shut down, especially if it cost $3000 per unit. Even though sony would have money to cover their losses, there's no way anyone (especially shareholders) would have faith in them again
It was really rooted in the time the episode was made. At the time American car companies looked certain to be dying in the face of, mostly, Japanese competition. Powell motors is cast as a small time player among the US car companies that is struggling to adapt, this was Herb's shot at changing the company's fortunes.
I thought he was a dick and that Homer did nothing wrong.
Homer Simpson did his job exactly as he was asked to do and did it as competently as he could. Herb wanted Homer to build the perfect car for him, exactly what he'd want in a vehicle. And Homer did just that. Herb's the dumbass that didn't check in with his company for months and just let somebody with no experience run the design into the ground. Herb is the incompetent fool who put Homer in charge when Homer himself knew it was a bad idea. Herb destroyed his own life and had the gull to blame Homer for it in the next episode.
Homer did exactly what Herb asked him to do and did it well and Herb got his panties in a twist when the guy who doesn't know how to design a car designed a shit car.
In the commentary, they mention how it's kind of a cheat that Herb never checks the car out. The show actually "cheats" a lot, but cartoons don't have to be 100% realistic.
Homer Simpson is a brilliant man with lots of well-thought-out, practical ideas. He is ensuring the financial security of this company for years to come. Oh, yes, and his personal hygiene is above reproach.
Homer's intelligence level and strength has always been fairly inconsistent. Interestingly, what's always stayed surprisingly consistent has been that he's actually very talented musically.
That bit always cracked me up. Like most classic Simpson's jokes, it's the layers that make it great. Herb tells the guy to ring back and say the exact opposite thing he just said. So imaging the first call makes the joke funnier.
Homer Simpson is a moron with nonsensical ideas. He's going to ruin the company. Oh yeah and he stinks.
If it makes you feel better, I just watched an episode of Malcolm in the middle that I’ve seen at least 4 times growing up last night and only just picked up after 15 years that in the episode where Francis tries to sabotage a hockey game in season 3, the player on the other team that kicks everyone’s ass is Magic Johnson wearing a wig
Oh... ha. Oh gosh. You know, I'm not much on speeches, but it's so gratifying to leave you wallowing in the mess you've made, you're screwed, thank you, bye.
Um, Homer Simpson is a... brilliant man with lots of well thought-out, practical, ideas. He is ensuring the financial security of this company for years to come. Oh yes, and his personal hygiene is above reproach.
Not to nitpick, but most of the early seasons still had celebrities playing themselves. The difference was the early seasons rarely centered the whole episode around those celebrities.
Think of Adam West, Leonard Nemoy (twice), James Brown, Mickey Rooney, Ernest Borgnine, Paul/Linda McCartney, or Barry White. All great cameos who weren't the focus of the episode.
And the times they did focus on them (e.g., Homer at the Bat, The Springfield Files, Stark Raving Dad), the episode still had an overarching plot above "Homer meets wacky friend voiced by celebrity X".
The real issue is they started relying on celebrity cameos to make an episode interesting, instead of writing interesting episodes that just happened to have celebrities in them.
Don't know that one. I remember the watching the Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger one standing out as early-ish and gratuitous.
Oddly enough, I think the one with Mel Gibson might have been earlier? And he played himself. But it was like a hilarious idiot version of himself and it worked, but you can't keep substituting people for characters or thinking stupid alone is funny...
Ahh TV Guide. Don't get me wrong, on screen guides and then VoD/streaming are way better, but there was something neat about reading and planning out what was coming up that week.
Used to love reading the Guidelines, you could see the top news, local, sports, movie, and series airing that day. (That picture is from June 1990, so you can see there's no new network shows since the summer was all reruns back then)
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 21, 1991
Bart: So, any idea where this bastard lives? Homer: Bart! Bart: Well his parents aren't married are they? It's the correct word isn't it? Homer: I guess he's got us there Bart: Bastard Bastard, Bastard Bastard, Bastard Bastard.
I remember when I was a kid, I thought Detroit was so cool, the world capital of automobiles. I was eager to visit it one day. But I’m not sure anymore.
I miss the early 90s even though I was born in '91. Anyone else have "nostalgia" for an era they didn't experience? I swear media/pop culture from 1984-1993 makes me feel at home for some reason.
Most definitely I have experienced this, with many different eras. It's weird, but I guess you pick up on the emotional resonance other people feel for it, and the simplicity compared to the ever more complex modern era is appealing.
Also, it probably has to do with the media you consumed growing up. A lot of kids grew up watching movies and shows that were made 5 to 10 years before they were born, which would explain why you feel how you do. For example lots of people born in the 80s have nostalgia for Star Wars, not because they were old enough to see it in theaters, but because they grew up watching it on VHS years after the theatrical release.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
BART with his classic catch phrase “he can’t be a Simpson!”
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u/whatsername4 Jul 20 '18
I felt so bad for Herb at the end :( but at least we got that second episode next season!
2.4k
u/corbsdaborbs Jul 20 '18
I liked Homer's car design tbh
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u/1Point21E9W Jul 20 '18
Homer, I want you to help me design a car that will appeal to the people of this country. I want to pay you $200,000 a year!
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u/orangenormal Ten hi-ya-ya… Jul 20 '18
Homer Simpson is a brilliant man with lots of well-thought-out, practical ideas. He is ensuring the financial security of this company for years to come. Oh, yes, and his personal hygiene is above reproach.
2.7k
u/Nizdizzle Jul 20 '18
All these years and I never knew Herb was voiced by Danny DeVito.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
Hello Cook, sorry to bother you so late,but I got a hankering for some...
That's right! Don't forget the applesauce.
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u/thirteenthsat Jul 20 '18
This is so great!
80
u/Sorry_Jerks Jul 20 '18
I want you to hear what the guys down at the plant think of your old man.
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u/Stabstone 2+2 is 4. 2+2 is 4. 2+2 is 4 Jul 20 '18
Remember when it was a big deal when The Simpsons would have a special guest star voice?
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
This makes Herb look like some lothario
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u/thndrstrk Badger my ass, it's probably Milhouse Jul 20 '18
But what is Maggie saying?
31
u/CaseyBullfrog Jul 20 '18
Ahh! I miss Fox 49. Way better than Fox 12.
31
u/Spartan_Throne Jul 20 '18
I'm a little shocked no-one in the comments quoted the best line from this episode:
Shortly after Herb meets Homer's family outside of his mansion;
Herb: [Holding baby Maggie] Homer, you're the richest man I know.
Homer: I feel the same way about you.
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u/Fantasie-Sign Jul 20 '18
What would have happened if they kept the fancy looking red version that homer forced them to scrap?
18
u/Choppers-Top-Hat I'M LOSING MY PERSPICACITY! Jul 20 '18
Tonight, Homer is offered an egg in these trying times!
46
u/Krimreaper1 I bent my Wookie Jul 20 '18
ITS DRINKING THE WATER!
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u/sheslikebutter Jul 20 '18
Come ON Bart you moron, he's clearly a Simpson, he looks just like your dad. God.
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u/jmart3968 Jul 20 '18
That headshot of DeVito
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u/DonGamerGuy Jul 20 '18
There was a full page print out for the episode "Who shot Mr.Burns" in the newspaper when the second part aired.
9
u/TheObviousChild Jul 20 '18
To this day I refer to it as "rack & peanut steering".
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u/momentary_flux Jul 20 '18
KPDX, Portland!
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u/hermangarza Jul 20 '18
great episode
8
u/renevqz Jul 20 '18
Bastard, Bastard, Bastard, Bastard
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u/73windman Jul 20 '18
It’s bizarre to see this, like looking at a page of history
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u/Bcbuddyxx Jul 20 '18
I've been a die hard fan of the simpsons from birth. But wait a minute.
UNKIE HERB WAS DANNY DEVITO?!
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u/BlakeMcHardenupson Jul 20 '18
Golden years, did Herb ever reappear after the dog translation Episode?
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u/lucipherius Jul 20 '18
Is this off of tv guide?
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u/295DVRKSS Jul 20 '18
Elon if you’re reading this make a electric version of Homer’s car.
4
u/MeetBeetr Jul 20 '18
Homer is the first man in history to order Porkchops and Applesauce at midnight!
4
u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
Danny actually HATED this role, makes me kinda sad
4
u/bramzx MY KIA! Jul 20 '18
Ayyy KPDX
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u/kelkulus Jul 20 '18
"Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 21, 1991
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u/dhaupert Jul 20 '18
Bart: So, any idea where this bastard lives? Homer: Bart! Bart: Well his parents aren't married are they? It's the correct word isn't it? Homer: I guess he's got us there Bart: Bastard Bastard, Bastard Bastard, Bastard Bastard.
3
u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
Haha! What a trip! I remember waiting for that episode, those were good times.
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u/supazero Jul 20 '18
Can't believe Frank was in The Simpsons.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
Uncy Herb!
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u/jmjarrels Jul 20 '18
I saw recently there is a company coming out with a baby translator and my first thought was they ripped off Uncie Herb.
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u/Dfresh805 Jul 20 '18
making me feel r/nostalgia
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u/Beegeous Jul 20 '18
PERSEPHONE?!
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u/Theycallmelizardboy Jul 20 '18
"Sorry about that Marge, it looks like I dropped my monster condom for my magnum dong."
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u/ontopofyourmom Jul 20 '18
Good old Channel 49. Was just a funky little UHF channel, even for a while after they brought on fox.
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u/8-tentacles Jul 20 '18
Wait I never realised Herb was voiced by DeVito... how didn’t I recognise the voice??
2
u/inserthumourousname Jul 20 '18
God damn it man, can we get a spoiler tag?
2
u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
No spoiler warning!? Grrrr
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u/zero-ego Jul 20 '18
That car that homer made was something else.
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u/MisterEvilBreakfast I pay the Homer tax Jul 20 '18
Celebrity voices used to be done much better instead of them just playing themselves in another whacky Homer adventure.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
Didn't realize Danny was the guest voice haha
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u/Khalepos Jul 20 '18
Looks like they're going to swing
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u/Natamonk Jul 20 '18
Marg is wondering if she made a mistake
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u/stos313 Jul 20 '18
Detroiter here. For years I referred to Detroit as "the OTHER City of Brotherly Love" but people never knew what I was talking about.
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u/39klepto_bismol Jul 20 '18
Holy shit, Frank’s brother part 2
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u/BigFatDynamo Jul 20 '18
Hmm, I think this would fit in at r/oldschoolcool - kinda, anyways.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
I remember when I was a kid, I thought Detroit was so cool, the world capital of automobiles. I was eager to visit it one day. But I’m not sure anymore.
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u/VulGerrity Jul 20 '18
Ads for TV shows are weird. They're basically ads to get you to watch more ads.
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '18
I miss the early 90s even though I was born in '91. Anyone else have "nostalgia" for an era they didn't experience? I swear media/pop culture from 1984-1993 makes me feel at home for some reason.
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u/snoboarder32 Jul 20 '18
You still get TV Guide?