Monty Can't Buy Me Love
Encyclopedia
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" is the twenty-first episode of The Simpsons
' tenth season
. It first aired on the Fox network
in the United States
on May 2, 1999. In the episode, Mr Burns is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield. In order to win the people's love, Burns gathers the help of Homer Simpson
, Professor Frink
and Groundskeeper Willie
to capture the Loch Ness monster.
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder
and directed by Mark Ervin. The idea for the episode was pitched by the Simpsons writing staff, who wanted to make an episode in which Mr Burns becomes a "thrillionaire," a millionaire who goes on thrilling adventures. Although it would originally be green, a mistake in the overseas animation led to the Loch Ness monster looking pink, a mistake that was ultimately too expensive to fix. In its original broadcast, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was seen by approximately 7.26 million viewers, and finished in 43rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following the release of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
wants Homer
, Bart
, Lisa
, and Maggie
to go for a walk. They agree when faced with the threat of having to talk to each other, and arrive at a Fortune Megastore
, a venture of wealthy Arthur Fortune (modelled on British entrepreneur Richard Branson
), who gives every one of his customers a dollar each. This embarrasses the unpopular Mr. Burns, who asks Homer to help him be loved by all.
As his first activity, Burns makes Homer throw silver dollars from the top of a tall building, which causes injuries. Next, he tries to make Homer donate money to the Springfield Hospital, but Homer is mistakenly believed to be the donor. Mr. Burns appears on a radio show called "Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch" and gets mocked by Rude. Feeling disappointed, Mr. Burns makes his newest plan, which is to go to Scotland
to capture the legendary Loch Ness Monster
with help from Homer, Professor Frink and Groundskeeper Willie. After some minor setbacks, Burns has Loch Ness
drained of water to expose the creature. After subduing the monster single-handed, Burns has it sent to Springfield to be unveiled, where "Nessie" turns out to be friendly and charms all of the spectators.
However, during the unveiling of the monster, Burns is blinded by camera flashes. He runs into a camera, which crashes and starts a fire: the crowd panic and flee. Following this disaster, Homer then cheers up Burns by pointing out that being loved means you have to be nice to people everyday but being hated means you do not have to do anything. Burns agrees with that logic, saying "I'm a selfish old crank--and that fits me like a Speedo!" In the aftermath of the incident, Homer and Burns give Nessie a job at the "Vegas Town Casino."
and directed by Mark Ervin. It originally aired on the Fox network
in the United States on May 2, 1999. The inspiration for the episode came from the concept of "thrillionaires", a term the Simpsons writers found in an issue of The Economist
to describe millionaires who "do really incredible stunts" and "go on amazing adventures." The episode's third act went through several incarnations, and the writers had a lot of ideas about what Burns should do once he has captured the Loch Ness monster. Eventually, the staff settled on the act's current iteration, which was conceived by Simspons writer George Meyer
. According to current showrunner Al Jean
, the color of the Loch Ness monster would originally be green, but when the overseas animation was completed, the Loch Ness monster had a "kind of pinkish" color. Because it would be to expensive to re-color all the cels in which the monster appears, the staff decided to air the episode as it was, even though the monster was in the wrong color. Inside the Fortune Megastore, Simpsons staff writer Ian Maxtone-Graham
can be seen.
The episode features American comedian and composer Michael McKean
as Jerry Rude, a parody on the radio personality Howard Stern
. Scully stated that McKean was "very funny" and that his Stern impression was "dead on the money." The Simspsons staff originally asked Stern if he wanted to guest-star in the episode, but he declined. Actor and producer Kevin Costner
was portrayed by series regular cast member Hank Azaria
, who voices Moe Szyslak
among other characters in the series. Azaria also played Arthur Fortune, a character based on British business magnate
Richard Branson
. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that Branson would have been a "great guest[-actor]" in the episode. The episode also features Groundskeeper Willie's father, even though Willie in an earlier episode said that he was killed for stealing a pig.
program Antiques Roadshow
. Arthur Fortune is a parody of Branson and Fortune Megastore is a reference to Branson's international record shop chain Virgin Megastores. On the cover of Billionare Beat, a magazine that Burns reads in the episode, business magnates Bill Gates
and Rupert Murdoch
can be seen. In a scene in the episode, Burns assumes that "Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club" is currently the most popular radio program. Don McNeill's Breakfast Club was a real radio program that, according to Scully, Swartzwelder used to listen to. Costner's film The Postman
is also referenced in the episode. Burns' unveiling of the Loch Ness Monster is ruined as the numerous camera flashes blind him, causing him to knock over some lights, starting a fire. This is a reference to the film King Kong
, although in the film the flashes enrage the captured gorilla Kong
, as opposed to his captor.
, translating to approximately 7.26 million viewers. The episode finished in 43d place in the ratings for the week of April 26-May 2, 1999. On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
box set. Mike Scully, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Ron Hauge and Matt Selman participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Currentfilm.com considered it to be "one of the best Mr. Burns-centric episodes ever," and that it has "some classic Burns moments, especially when Monty describes exactly what it took for him to capture the creature." Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, while the episode "doesn’t do a lot to expand the character," it "manages a reasonable number of yuks." He added that "A fun Howard Stern-esque character done by Michael McKean helps make this a nice show." David Plath of DVD Town wrote that the episode has "Some funny moments." Giving the episode a mixed review, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide said that the episode is "Very funny when it's funny, very poor when it isn't." They wrote that the best part of the episode is "the Scottish stuff," and "the idea that, once again, Burns is actually worried about his public image, as he was in 'The Joy of Sect
'." Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News gave the episode a negative review, and wrote that "the story takes too long to get going."
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 10)
The tenth season of the animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between August 23, 1998 and May 16, 1999. It contains twenty-three episodes, starting with "Lard of the Dance". The Simpsons revolves around a working class family that...
. It first aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 2, 1999. In the episode, Mr Burns is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield. In order to win the people's love, Burns gathers the help of Homer Simpson
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...
, Professor Frink
Professor Frink
Professor John Nerdelbaum Frink, Jr., or simply Professor Frink, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist and professor and is extremely...
and Groundskeeper Willie
Groundskeeper Willie
William McDougal, usually referred to as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on The Simpsons, voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is head groundskeeper at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is a Scottish immigrant, almost feral in nature and immensely proud of his homeland...
to capture the Loch Ness monster.
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by Mark Ervin. The idea for the episode was pitched by the Simpsons writing staff, who wanted to make an episode in which Mr Burns becomes a "thrillionaire," a millionaire who goes on thrilling adventures. Although it would originally be green, a mistake in the overseas animation led to the Loch Ness monster looking pink, a mistake that was ultimately too expensive to fix. In its original broadcast, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was seen by approximately 7.26 million viewers, and finished in 43rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following the release of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
On a normal afternoon, 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...
wants 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Maggie
Maggie Simpson
Margaret "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James...
to go for a walk. They agree when faced with the threat of having to talk to each other, and arrive at a Fortune Megastore
Virgin Megastore
Virgin Megastores is an international chain of record shops, founded by Sir Richard Branson on London's Oxford Street in early 1971. Virgin Megastores are best described today as entertainment retailers....
, a venture of wealthy Arthur Fortune (modelled on British entrepreneur Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
), who gives every one of his customers a dollar each. This embarrasses the unpopular Mr. Burns, who asks Homer to help him be loved by all.
As his first activity, Burns makes Homer throw silver dollars from the top of a tall building, which causes injuries. Next, he tries to make Homer donate money to the Springfield Hospital, but Homer is mistakenly believed to be the donor. Mr. Burns appears on a radio show called "Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch" and gets mocked by Rude. Feeling disappointed, Mr. Burns makes his newest plan, which is to go to Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
to capture the legendary Loch Ness Monster
Loch Ness Monster
The Loch Ness Monster is a cryptid that is reputed to inhabit Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is similar to other supposed lake monsters in Scotland and elsewhere, though its description varies from one account to the next....
with help from Homer, Professor Frink and Groundskeeper Willie. After some minor setbacks, Burns has Loch Ness
Loch Ness
Loch Ness is a large, deep, freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands extending for approximately southwest of Inverness. Its surface is above sea level. Loch Ness is best known for the alleged sightings of the cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, also known affectionately as "Nessie"...
drained of water to expose the creature. After subduing the monster single-handed, Burns has it sent to Springfield to be unveiled, where "Nessie" turns out to be friendly and charms all of the spectators.
However, during the unveiling of the monster, Burns is blinded by camera flashes. He runs into a camera, which crashes and starts a fire: the crowd panic and flee. Following this disaster, Homer then cheers up Burns by pointing out that being loved means you have to be nice to people everyday but being hated means you do not have to do anything. Burns agrees with that logic, saying "I'm a selfish old crank--and that fits me like a Speedo!" In the aftermath of the incident, Homer and Burns give Nessie a job at the "Vegas Town Casino."
Production
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was written by John SwartzwelderJohn Swartzwelder
John Swartzwelder is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series The Simpsons, as well as a number of novels. He is credited with writing the largest number of Simpsons episodes by a large margin...
and directed by Mark Ervin. It originally aired on the Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
in the United States on May 2, 1999. The inspiration for the episode came from the concept of "thrillionaires", a term the Simpsons writers found in an issue of The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
to describe millionaires who "do really incredible stunts" and "go on amazing adventures." The episode's third act went through several incarnations, and the writers had a lot of ideas about what Burns should do once he has captured the Loch Ness monster. Eventually, the staff settled on the act's current iteration, which was conceived by Simspons writer George Meyer
George Meyer
George A. Meyer is an American producer and writer. Raised in Tucson, Arizona in a Roman Catholic family, Meyer attended Harvard University. There, after becoming president of the Harvard Lampoon, he graduated in 1978 with a degree in biochemistry. Abandoning plans to attend medical school, Meyer...
. According to current showrunner Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
, the color of the Loch Ness monster would originally be green, but when the overseas animation was completed, the Loch Ness monster had a "kind of pinkish" color. Because it would be to expensive to re-color all the cels in which the monster appears, the staff decided to air the episode as it was, even though the monster was in the wrong color. Inside the Fortune Megastore, Simpsons staff writer Ian Maxtone-Graham
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Ian Maxtone-Graham is an American television writer and producer. He has written for Saturday Night Live and The Simpsons , and has also served as a co-executive producer and consulting producer for The Simpsons...
can be seen.
The episode features American comedian and composer Michael McKean
Michael McKean
Michael John McKean is an American actor, comedian, writer, composer and musician, perhaps best known for his portrayal of Squiggy's friend, Leonard 'Lenny' Kosnowski, on the sitcom Laverne and Shirley; and for his work in the Christopher Guest ensemble films, particularly as David St...
as Jerry Rude, a parody on the radio personality Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
. Scully stated that McKean was "very funny" and that his Stern impression was "dead on the money." The Simspsons staff originally asked Stern if he wanted to guest-star in the episode, but he declined. Actor and producer Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
was portrayed by series regular cast member Hank Azaria
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert "Hank" Azaria is an American film, television and stage actor, director, voice actor, and comedian. He is noted for being one of the principal voice actors on the animated television series The Simpsons , on which he performs the voices of Moe Szyslak, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief...
, who voices Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
among other characters in the series. Azaria also played Arthur Fortune, a character based on British business magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
Richard Branson
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that Branson would have been a "great guest[-actor]" in the episode. The episode also features Groundskeeper Willie's father, even though Willie in an earlier episode said that he was killed for stealing a pig.
Cultural references
In the beginning of the episode, the Simpsons watch a television program called Cash in Your Legacy, which is a parody on the PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
program Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow (U.S.)
Antiques Roadshow is an American television program broadcast on the Public Broadcasting Service Public television stations. The series features local antique owners who bring in items to be appraised by experts. Provenance, history and value of the items are discussed...
. Arthur Fortune is a parody of Branson and Fortune Megastore is a reference to Branson's international record shop chain Virgin Megastores. On the cover of Billionare Beat, a magazine that Burns reads in the episode, business magnates Bill Gates
Bill Gates
William Henry "Bill" Gates III is an American business magnate, investor, philanthropist, and author. Gates is the former CEO and current chairman of Microsoft, the software company he founded with Paul Allen...
and Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
can be seen. In a scene in the episode, Burns assumes that "Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club" is currently the most popular radio program. Don McNeill's Breakfast Club was a real radio program that, according to Scully, Swartzwelder used to listen to. Costner's film The Postman
The Postman (film)
The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film...
is also referenced in the episode. Burns' unveiling of the Loch Ness Monster is ruined as the numerous camera flashes blind him, causing him to knock over some lights, starting a fire. This is a reference to the film King Kong
King Kong (1933 film)
King Kong is a Pre-Code 1933 fantasy monster adventure film co-directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, and written by Ruth Rose and James Ashmore Creelman after a story by Cooper and Edgar Wallace. The film tells of a gigantic island-dwelling apeman creature called Kong who dies in...
, although in the film the flashes enrage the captured gorilla Kong
King Kong
King Kong is a fictional character, a giant movie monster resembling a gorilla, that has appeared in several movies since 1933. These include the groundbreaking 1933 movie, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, as well as various sequels of the first two films...
, as opposed to his captor.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on May 2, 1999, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received a 7.3 rating, according to Nielsen Media ResearchNielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre films and newspapers...
, translating to approximately 7.26 million viewers. The episode finished in 43d place in the ratings for the week of April 26-May 2, 1999. On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons - The Complete Tenth Season DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
box set. Mike Scully, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Ron Hauge and Matt Selman participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Currentfilm.com considered it to be "one of the best Mr. Burns-centric episodes ever," and that it has "some classic Burns moments, especially when Monty describes exactly what it took for him to capture the creature." Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, while the episode "doesn’t do a lot to expand the character," it "manages a reasonable number of yuks." He added that "A fun Howard Stern-esque character done by Michael McKean helps make this a nice show." David Plath of DVD Town wrote that the episode has "Some funny moments." Giving the episode a mixed review, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide said that the episode is "Very funny when it's funny, very poor when it isn't." They wrote that the best part of the episode is "the Scottish stuff," and "the idea that, once again, Burns is actually worried about his public image, as he was in 'The Joy of Sect
The Joy of Sect
"The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons ninth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 8, 1998. In the episode, a cult called the "Movementarians" takes over Springfield, and Homer and the rest of the Simpson family become members...
'." Jake McNeill of Digital Entertainment News gave the episode a negative review, and wrote that "the story takes too long to get going."
External links
- "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" The Simpsons.com