Boy Meets Curl
Encyclopedia
"Boy Meets Curl" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons
' twenty-first season
. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 2010. In this episode, Homer
and Marge Simpson
form a mixed-doubles
curling
team with Agnes and Seymour Skinner
, which is chosen to play in the 2010 Winter Olympics
. Meanwhile, Lisa
begins collecting pins shaped like Olympic mascots, but her obsession soon turns to desperation.
With the Winter Olympics being held in Canada
, the writers wanted an Olympic-themed episode that could air during the Games. The script was written by Rob LaZebnik
, who considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled. However, he decided a curling episode would allow for the plot to revolve around Homer and Marge. In order to try to make the depiction of curling in the episode accurate, the writers visited a curling club and tried the sport themselves. They also consulted with a number of curlers. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz
, while sportscaster Bob Costas
guest-starred in the episode.
Airing during the Olympics, the episode was watched by 5.87 million viewers and had a Nielsen rating
of 2.6. The episode received positive reviews from critics, and CTV Olympics
reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode.
and Homer
's plans for a romantic date night fall through when Homer is forced to stay longer than expected at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to fix a leak in one of the plant's nuclear processing pipes. Looking for a romantic activity after walking out of a movie starring Ben Affleck
, they find an ice rink
and decide to do some skating. However, they are unable to rent skates because it is curling
night. They decide to try it and discover their innate talent for the sport — particularly Marge, who has years of experience sweeping floors. Agnes and Seymour Skinner
notice and invite Marge and Homer to join their mixed-doubles
team. It is announced that mixed-doubles has been added to the Winter Olympics
as a demonstration sport
, and the Skinner-Simpson team qualifies for the United States curling trials. Agnes cautions Marge not to let emotions get in the way of winning, relating how a fetal kick by an unborn Seymour foiled her chances at winning gold in pole vault at the 1952 Summer Olympics
in Helsinki
. At the trials, Marge's talented sweeping earns the team a win and a trip to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver
.
Meanwhile, at the trials, Lisa is given an Olympic mascot pin. Lisa puts it on her shirt and decides it "looks lonely" and buys another, but her interest in them quickly spirals out of control. The Simpsons arrive in Vancouver, where Agnes insists that Homer be cut from the team. Marge insists she can compensate for his weak throws, but she injures her right shoulder while sweeping to secure a win in the semifinals. She is told that she will never curl again and that the American team must concede the gold medal game to Sweden
. Lisa's pin collection grows, and when she runs out of money, she trades her pearl necklace to a vendor in exchange for a pin from the 1924 Winter Olympics
in Chamonix, France
. Bart
discovers Lisa busking
on a street corner, having relinquished her dress in favour of wearing her pins at all times, and offers to help her kick her pin-collecting addiction. He manages to retrieve her necklace by tricking the pin vendor with "Fatov," a phony mascot "created" in advance for the 2014 Winter Olympics
in Sochi
, Russia
; the mascot is really Homer's jowls, clipped by Bart from his driver's license.
As Marge prepares to leave Vancouver, she reveals to Homer that she is left-handed, but has always used her right hand to avoid seeming unusual (due to years of using her right hand, it renders her cross-dominant); she has enough dexterity to change Maggie's diaper and dress her one-handed. They decide to re-participate in the gold medal match and defeat Sweden, winning the gold medal, and Agnes softens her attitude of unyielding contempt toward her son after he breaks his broom and has to drop out. Marge and Homer agree that they had a great date night.
—his fourth writing credit—, who originally considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled. However, he decided a curling episode would allow for the plot to revolve around Homer and Marge and explore the issues of spouses competing together. The writers used some artistic license
, because although curling
is an Olympic sport, mixed-doubles, which is featured in the episode, is not an Olympic event. However, in the episode, it is explained that the event is being held as a demonstration sport
. Curling had previously been shown in the season 13
episode "The Bart Wants What It Wants
", when the family visits Toronto
. In order to try to make the depiction of curling in the episode accurate, the writers visited a curling club and tried the sport themselves. They also consulted with four-time American mixed curling champions Brady and Cristin Clark, as well as Rick Patzke, the chief operating officer of the United States Curling Association
, who felt that the writers took a "genuine interest" in the sport.
On the issue of whether competitive curlers would be offended by the episode, LaZebnik said "When you hear The Simpsons is going to do their take on your sport, you naturally get a little alarmed, But we ended up being respectful I would say, even, surprisingly respectful. Both Homer and Marge take it seriously." Some curlers, including the Clarks and Patzke, felt that the exposure the sport received was beneficial. Cristin Clark said "Although Homer Simpson probably isn't the ideal athlete I would want to see representing our sport, I just think it's great exposure." Canadian curler Randy Ferbey
, a four-time world champion
, said "I'm sure they're going to somehow make a mockery of it like they do every other thing, but I think you need to take it with a grain of salt. It brings attention to our sport and I think it's wonderful. The more curling on TV, whether it's in an animated form or real form, the better."
Sportscaster Bob Costas
guest-starred in the episode as a caricature of himself.
's version of Henry V
. Across the street from the Olympic curling trials are the "National Curly trials", in reference to Curly Howard
from The Three Stooges. The Medicine Woman who appeared in The Simpsons Movie
appears in the streets of Vancouver, and Homer refers to her as his former therapist. The opening ceremonies in the episode are directed by Ivan Reitman
, described by announcer Bob Costas as Canada's "most famous director". During the parade of athletes, nations are called to the tune of the theme song
from Ghostbusters
, which was directed by Reitman.
of 2.6, with a 7% share of the audience. The episode came in third in its timeslot, but was the second-most viewed show on the Animation Domination lineup after Family Guy
.
Robert Canning of IGN
gave the episode an 8.4/10 saying it was "Impressive" and "With or without the timeliness of the story and setting, 'Boy Meets Curl' was a fast and funny episode certain to be a highlight of the season". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
gave the episode an A, the best grade of the night, saying "Simpsons was one of their best episodes in a long time, and it continues a season that's had some pretty good episodes overall. I wouldn't put this on The Simpsons' top tier, but I think it's definitely on that next tier down, episodes that maybe don't have the most original plots but do have solid jokes throughout. Even the Bart and Lisa B-plot, involving Lisa getting a sudden addiction to Olympic pin collecting, starts out kind of bland and gets better and better as Lisa's jones grows." Jason Hughes of the TV Squad gave the episode a positive review as well saying "All in all, it was a weird time out of Springfield this week, with some highlight moments sprinkled throughout". Steve Tilley of the Toronto Sun
wrote "Sure, the episode was probably funnier for Canadians and curlers (and maybe Harry Potter fans) than anyone else, but it did prove Homer has got a bit of meteorological, psychic in him: 'Pack your winter coat, we're going to Canada's warmest city!'"
Bob Costas
received praise for his appearance, particularly for his line "This is the sort of bittersweet melodrama Olympic coverage feeds on. I admit, we're vampires who suck on shattered dreams." Jason Hughes of TV Squad called the line "about as accurate a description [of Olympic broadcasters] as I've ever seen."
CTV Olympics
reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode. American men's team coach Phill Drobnick said "The team watched it together and we gave it two thumbs up, they did a great job and it was reaching out to a new audience for our sport, so that's always great for us too." American team alternate Chris Plys
said "They didn't make a mockery of the sport, which is nice. Curling catches a lot of abuse."
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
The Simpsons (season 21)
The Simpsons twenty-first season aired on Fox from September 27, 2009 to May 23, 2010. It was the first of two seasons that the show was renewed for by Fox, and also the first season of the show to air entirely in high definition....
. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 2010. In this episode, Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Marge Simpson
Marge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
form a mixed-doubles
Mixed curling
Mixed curling, also known as Coed curling, is the sport of curling, when played by men and women together. Some community and school level curling is mixed, while most top-level curling championships are divided into men's and women's divisions. A normal mixed team consists of 2 men and 2 women...
curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
team with Agnes and Seymour Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
, which is chosen to play in the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
. Meanwhile, Lisa
Lisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
begins collecting pins shaped like Olympic mascots, but her obsession soon turns to desperation.
With the Winter Olympics being held in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the writers wanted an Olympic-themed episode that could air during the Games. The script was written by Rob LaZebnik
Rob LaZebnik
Rob LaZebnik is a television writer. He graduated from David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri and Harvard University. He currently works as a co-executive producer on The Simpsons and is credited with having written five episodes: "Treehouse of Horror XI" , "Homer vs...
, who considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled. However, he decided a curling episode would allow for the plot to revolve around Homer and Marge. In order to try to make the depiction of curling in the episode accurate, the writers visited a curling club and tried the sport themselves. They also consulted with a number of curlers. The episode was directed by Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz
Chuck Sheetz is an animation director on The Simpsons. He was the producer on 'What's new, Scooby-Doo?", the director of the TV series, Recess. He has also done work on Bobby's World, Rocko's Modern Life, King of the Hill, Recess, and Welcome to Eltingville in addition to directing the Drawn...
, while sportscaster Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
guest-starred in the episode.
Airing during the Olympics, the episode was watched by 5.87 million viewers and had a Nielsen rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 2.6. The episode received positive reviews from critics, and CTV Olympics
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode.
Plot
MargeMarge Simpson
Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
and Homer
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's plans for a romantic date night fall through when Homer is forced to stay longer than expected at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant to fix a leak in one of the plant's nuclear processing pipes. Looking for a romantic activity after walking out of a movie starring Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
, they find an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
and decide to do some skating. However, they are unable to rent skates because it is curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
night. They decide to try it and discover their innate talent for the sport — particularly Marge, who has years of experience sweeping floors. Agnes and Seymour Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
notice and invite Marge and Homer to join their mixed-doubles
Mixed curling
Mixed curling, also known as Coed curling, is the sport of curling, when played by men and women together. Some community and school level curling is mixed, while most top-level curling championships are divided into men's and women's divisions. A normal mixed team consists of 2 men and 2 women...
team. It is announced that mixed-doubles has been added to the Winter Olympics
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games is a sporting event, which occurs every four years. The first celebration of the Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The original sports were alpine and cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating...
as a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
, and the Skinner-Simpson team qualifies for the United States curling trials. Agnes cautions Marge not to let emotions get in the way of winning, relating how a fetal kick by an unborn Seymour foiled her chances at winning gold in pole vault at the 1952 Summer Olympics
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland in 1952. Helsinki had been earlier given the 1940 Summer Olympics, which were cancelled due to World War II...
in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
. At the trials, Marge's talented sweeping earns the team a win and a trip to the Winter Olympics in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.
Meanwhile, at the trials, Lisa is given an Olympic mascot pin. Lisa puts it on her shirt and decides it "looks lonely" and buys another, but her interest in them quickly spirals out of control. The Simpsons arrive in Vancouver, where Agnes insists that Homer be cut from the team. Marge insists she can compensate for his weak throws, but she injures her right shoulder while sweeping to secure a win in the semifinals. She is told that she will never curl again and that the American team must concede the gold medal game to Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Lisa's pin collection grows, and when she runs out of money, she trades her pearl necklace to a vendor in exchange for a pin from the 1924 Winter Olympics
1924 Winter Olympics
The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France...
in Chamonix, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Bart
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
discovers Lisa busking
Busking
Street performance or busking is the practice of performing in public places, for gratuities, which are generally in the form of money and edibles...
on a street corner, having relinquished her dress in favour of wearing her pins at all times, and offers to help her kick her pin-collecting addiction. He manages to retrieve her necklace by tricking the pin vendor with "Fatov," a phony mascot "created" in advance for the 2014 Winter Olympics
2014 Winter Olympics
The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially the XXII Olympic Winter Games, or the 22nd Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event scheduled to be celebrated from 7 to 23 February 2014, in Sochi, Russia with some events held in the resort town of Krasnaya Polyana. Both the Olympic and...
in Sochi
Sochi
Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated just north of Russia's border with the de facto independent republic of Abkhazia, on the Black Sea coast. Greater Sochi sprawls for along the shores of the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; the mascot is really Homer's jowls, clipped by Bart from his driver's license.
As Marge prepares to leave Vancouver, she reveals to Homer that she is left-handed, but has always used her right hand to avoid seeming unusual (due to years of using her right hand, it renders her cross-dominant); she has enough dexterity to change Maggie's diaper and dress her one-handed. They decide to re-participate in the gold medal match and defeat Sweden, winning the gold medal, and Agnes softens her attitude of unyielding contempt toward her son after he breaks his broom and has to drop out. Marge and Homer agree that they had a great date night.
Production
With the 2010 Winter Olympics occurring in Vancouver, the writers wanted an Olympics-themed episode that could air during the Games. The script was written by Rob LaZebnikRob LaZebnik
Rob LaZebnik is a television writer. He graduated from David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri and Harvard University. He currently works as a co-executive producer on The Simpsons and is credited with having written five episodes: "Treehouse of Horror XI" , "Homer vs...
—his fourth writing credit—, who originally considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled. However, he decided a curling episode would allow for the plot to revolve around Homer and Marge and explore the issues of spouses competing together. The writers used some artistic license
Artistic license
Artistic licence is a colloquial term, sometimes euphemism, used to denote the distortion of fact, alteration of the conventions of grammar or language, or rewording of pre-existing text made by an artist to improve a piece of...
, because although curling
Curling at the Winter Olympics
Curling was included in the program of the inaugural Winter Olympic Games in 1924 in Chamonix. The results of that competition were not considered official by the International Olympic Committee until 2006. Curling was a demonstration sport at the 1932 Games, and then again after a lengthy absence...
is an Olympic sport, mixed-doubles, which is featured in the episode, is not an Olympic event. However, in the episode, it is explained that the event is being held as a demonstration sport
Demonstration sport
A demonstration sport is a sport which is played to promote itself, most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events.Demonstration sports were officially introduced in 1912 Summer Olympics, when Sweden decided to include glima, traditional Icelandic wrestling, in the...
. Curling had previously been shown in the season 13
The Simpsons (season 13)
The Simpsons thirteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between November 6, 2001 and May 22, 2002 and consists of 22 episodes. The show runner for the thirteenth production season was Al Jean who executive-produced 17 episodes...
episode "The Bart Wants What It Wants
The Bart Wants What It Wants
"The Bart Wants What it Wants" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2002. In the episode, Bart befriends Rainier Wolfcastle's daughter, Greta...
", when the family visits Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In order to try to make the depiction of curling in the episode accurate, the writers visited a curling club and tried the sport themselves. They also consulted with four-time American mixed curling champions Brady and Cristin Clark, as well as Rick Patzke, the chief operating officer of the United States Curling Association
United States Curling Association
The United States Curling Association is the national governing body of the sport of curling in the United States. The goal of the USCA is to grow the sport of curling in the United States and win medals in competitions both domestic and abroad. Curling’s recent popularity has swelled the USCA to...
, who felt that the writers took a "genuine interest" in the sport.
On the issue of whether competitive curlers would be offended by the episode, LaZebnik said "When you hear The Simpsons is going to do their take on your sport, you naturally get a little alarmed, But we ended up being respectful I would say, even, surprisingly respectful. Both Homer and Marge take it seriously." Some curlers, including the Clarks and Patzke, felt that the exposure the sport received was beneficial. Cristin Clark said "Although Homer Simpson probably isn't the ideal athlete I would want to see representing our sport, I just think it's great exposure." Canadian curler Randy Ferbey
Randy Ferbey
Randy Ferbey is a Canadian curler from Sherwood Park, Alberta.Ferbey is a six-time Canadian champion and a four-time World Champion....
, a four-time world champion
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
, said "I'm sure they're going to somehow make a mockery of it like they do every other thing, but I think you need to take it with a grain of salt. It brings attention to our sport and I think it's wonderful. The more curling on TV, whether it's in an animated form or real form, the better."
Sportscaster Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
guest-starred in the episode as a caricature of himself.
Cultural references
Homer's speech before he and Marge begin curling is a parody of the St Crispin's Day speech from Kenneth BranaghKenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
's version of Henry V
Henry V (play)
Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
. Across the street from the Olympic curling trials are the "National Curly trials", in reference to Curly Howard
Curly Howard
Jerome Lester "Jerry" Horwitz , better known by his stage name Curly Howard, was an American comedian and vaudevillian. He is best known as a member of the American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges, along with his older brothers Moe Howard and Shemp Howard, and actor Larry Fine...
from The Three Stooges. The Medicine Woman who appeared in The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
appears in the streets of Vancouver, and Homer refers to her as his former therapist. The opening ceremonies in the episode are directed by Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman
Ivan Reitman, OC is a Canadian film producer and director. He is known for the comedies he has directed and produced, especially in the 1980s and 1990s.He is the owner of The Montecito Picture Company, founded in 2000.-Early life:...
, described by announcer Bob Costas as Canada's "most famous director". During the parade of athletes, nations are called to the tune of the theme song
Ghostbusters (song)
"Ghostbusters" is a 1984 song recorded by Ray Parker, Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11 in 1984, and stayed there for three weeks...
from Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, which was directed by Reitman.
Reception
In its original American broadcast, "Boy Meets Curl" was viewed by 5.87 million viewers and got a Nielsen ratingNielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of 2.6, with a 7% share of the audience. The episode came in third in its timeslot, but was the second-most viewed show on the Animation Domination lineup after Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
.
Robert Canning of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the episode an 8.4/10 saying it was "Impressive" and "With or without the timeliness of the story and setting, 'Boy Meets Curl' was a fast and funny episode certain to be a highlight of the season". Todd VanDerWerff of The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the episode an A, the best grade of the night, saying "Simpsons was one of their best episodes in a long time, and it continues a season that's had some pretty good episodes overall. I wouldn't put this on The Simpsons' top tier, but I think it's definitely on that next tier down, episodes that maybe don't have the most original plots but do have solid jokes throughout. Even the Bart and Lisa B-plot, involving Lisa getting a sudden addiction to Olympic pin collecting, starts out kind of bland and gets better and better as Lisa's jones grows." Jason Hughes of the TV Squad gave the episode a positive review as well saying "All in all, it was a weird time out of Springfield this week, with some highlight moments sprinkled throughout". Steve Tilley of the Toronto Sun
Toronto Sun
The Toronto Sun is an English-language daily tabloid newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its daily Sunshine Girl feature and for what it sees as a populist conservative editorial stance.-History:...
wrote "Sure, the episode was probably funnier for Canadians and curlers (and maybe Harry Potter fans) than anyone else, but it did prove Homer has got a bit of meteorological, psychic in him: 'Pack your winter coat, we're going to Canada's warmest city!'"
Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
received praise for his appearance, particularly for his line "This is the sort of bittersweet melodrama Olympic coverage feeds on. I admit, we're vampires who suck on shattered dreams." Jason Hughes of TV Squad called the line "about as accurate a description [of Olympic broadcasters] as I've ever seen."
CTV Olympics
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
reported that Olympic curlers largely enjoyed the episode. American men's team coach Phill Drobnick said "The team watched it together and we gave it two thumbs up, they did a great job and it was reaching out to a new audience for our sport, so that's always great for us too." American team alternate Chris Plys
Chris Plys
Christopher Plys is an American curler. Plys, who started to curl in 1998, used to curl with Aanders Brorson, Matt Perushek, and Matt Hamilton. He has been in six State Curling Championships, taking first in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009...
said "They didn't make a mockery of the sport, which is nice. Curling catches a lot of abuse."
External links
- "Boy Meets Curl" at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...