Fat Man and Little Boy (The Simpsons)

"Fat Man and Little Boy" is the fifth episode of the 16th season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 12, 2004.[1]

"Fat Man and Little Boy"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 16
Episode 5
Directed byMike B. Anderson
Written byJoel H. Cohen
Production codeFABF21
Original air dateDecember 12, 2004
Guest appearance(s)

Eric Idle as Declan Desmond

Episode features
Couch gagThe Simpsons sit on the couch as normal. The camera zooms out to reveal that the couch is attached to the lure of an anglerfish (that looks like the one from the film Finding Nemo), which swallows the family.
CommentaryMatt Groening
Al Jean
Matt Selman
Tim Long
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Joel H. Cohen
Michael Price
Mike Scully
Mike B. Anderson

The episode was directed by Mike B. Anderson and written by Joel H. Cohen.[1]

Plot

After losing his last baby tooth, Bart does not enjoy playing with his toys anymore and feels that he is maturing. To get out of his depression and express his emotions, Bart writes sarcastic and insulting phrases on his T-shirts. The shirts make him popular in town, and Bart sets up a stand in front of his house selling them. His business is shut down for not having a vending license, and he goes to a retailer's convention to obtain one. While leaving, he meets Goose Gladwell, a Willy Wonka-type salesman who sells joke products. Bart agrees to sell his shirts at Gladwell's store, making him the primary source of income in the family after Homer quits his job.

Fearing that Bart has replaced him, Homer decides to nurture Lisa. They quickly bond, and Homer sees her entry for the science fair: a history of nuclear physics and a scale model of the first nuclear reactor. However, Martin shows them his project, a childlike robot. Homer helps Lisa ensure her project's victory by stealing plutonium from the power plant and building a working Class II plutonium fission reactor. Meanwhile, Bart learns that Gladwell has sold the rights to the shirts. Homer stands up for Bart by threatening to detonate his nuclear reactor and destroy Gladwell's store. Gladwell accepts defeat, giving Bart and Homer all the money he has. As they leave, Bart thanks Homer for straightening things out.

Cultural references

The title of the episode references the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki: "Fat Man" is the bomb dropped on Nagasaki, while "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima. At the start of the episode, Lisa and Janey sing "Miss Susie." Bart finds that the Tooth Fairy has donated in his name to the United Way of America, rather than giving him a quarter. The toys that Bart disposes of are based on Spirograph, Etch A Sketch, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Monopoly, Parcheesi, Silly Putty, and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. He gives his toys a Viking funeral, and the Sea Captain quotes Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay". Marge and Homer list "support our troops" and "Keep On Truckin'" as examples of T-shirt slogans. Moe asks if Bart has any T-shirts with "Calvin peeing on Hobbes." This references the newspaper comic Calvin and Hobbes, and a series of bootleg stickers depicting Calvin urinating on various logos and symbols.[2] The designs on Krusty's T-shirt line include Itchy dressed as Austin Powers, SpongeBob SquarePants, and a Confederate, and Scratchy modeled after Osama bin Laden. Lisa's model of science history contains displays of scientists Marie Curie, Wilhelm Röntgen, and Albert Einstein. Goose Gladwell looks similar to Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and he sells the rights to Bart's shirts to The Walt Disney Company.

The episode features various real-life songs. "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas plays as Bart carries his toys to the ocean, and "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred is heard over a montage of Bart walking around town with his shirts. The introduction to Krusty's T-shirt display is accompanied by "Get Ready for This" by 2 Unlimited. Gladwell's car horn is a variation of "La Cucaracha." "The Pink Panther Theme" is set to a scene of Homer sneaking into the power plant.

Reception

ReviewStream wrote that "only the Simpsons can combine a Willy Wonka look-a-like[sic], a Robert Frost poem, and a Viking funeral all into one episode."[3]

References
  1. "FAT MAN AND LITTLE BOY". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  2. "Read This: The tasteless history of the peeing Calvin decal". News.
  3. "The Simpsons: Season 16, Episode 5 - Fat Man and Little Boy review". www.reviewstream.com.
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