Simple Simpson
Encyclopedia
"Simple Simpson" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons
' fifteenth season
. The episode aired on May 2, 2004. The concept is mainly inspired by (and parodies) the 2002 Spider-Man
movie, though it contains elements of other superhero
es as well. The title of this episode is a reference to the Mother Goose
nursery rhyme
, "Simple Simon
", in which the main character visits the pie man (as well as notes from Spider-Man
signed, as Homer did in the episode, "Simple Simon, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man"). The original concept of 'Pie Man' came from Emily Laurie, a friend of the writer who befriended a man named Chris Janson in Rockhampton, Australia (aka Pie Man). She brought the 'Pie Man' back to the states in 2003 where the concept was developed and manipulated into an episode.
watches a commercial about a contest that will allow the winner, the finder of a Golden Ticket, a trip to "Farmer Billy's Bacon Factory", and is intrigued by the commercial. Although Homer buys a surplus of bacon from the Kwik-E-Mart
, he is only able to find a silver ticket, which allows him to judge the upcoming pig competition at the county fair. At the fair, Lisa's
entry in the place setting competition is wrecked by the Rich Texan, angering Homer, who decides to teach the Rich Texan a lesson. Recalling a warning from Chief Wiggum that he will be arrested if he commits another felony assault, Homer disguises himself as a masked superhero, "The Pie
Man", and throws a pie
straight into the Rich Texan's face, leaving him humiliated and the crowd laughing. The next day, Lisa is seen drawing her favorite superhero - Pie Man. After Homer hears that the Comic Book Guy
has ripped off Bart, he arrives as the Pie Man (with a newer look) and throws a pie in his face. Nichelle Nichols
of Star Trek
, whom the Comic Book Guy invited for tea and some chit chat, suddenly shows up and is turned off by the pie on his face. This humiliates him in front of the kids and he runs away in tears.
The next day, the family watches the news and discovers that the Springfield Children's Hospital is going to be turned into a cosmetic surgery
clinic. Homer worries about the plight of the sick children. That same evening, two sick and coughing children are pushed away from the hospital by Mayor Quimby
. Chief Wiggum, believing that the Pie Man must be stopped because he does not do bike safety lectures, plans to capture him at the event. The Pie Man shows up, pie at the ready. Lenny (who tried to warn Homer), the Pie Man fans, and the other crowd members run for safety because the cops open fire, with Lou hitting Homer in the arm. Homer manages to escape rather flamboyantly. At home, Lisa enters the kitchen and sees Homer, still disguised as Pie Man. Lisa figures out that he is actually her father. Homer, unmasked, brings blindfolded Lisa to his Pie Cave (a.k.a. the basement) but Lisa is not surprised. He promises Lisa (who does not want him to get hurt again) that he will stop his pie avenging. Yet the next day at the power plant's employee cafeteria, Mr. Burns
is whipping Lenny and Carl, so that they will eat faster and return to work, and docks Homer a day's pay for being late, bald and stupid. As Homer goes through the serving line, he imagines the desserts talking to him, with the pies asking to be thrown and a piece of cake urging Homer to remember his promise to Lisa. Even though he remembers his promise to Lisa, Homer makes another appearance as Pie Man when Mr. Burns shuts down the employee showers and tells the naked men he has sold their clothes. Pieman arrives, pies Burns in the face and the men laugh at him, and Homer then flees. However, after watching the video surveillance
cameras, Burns sees that Pie Man has tired from his escape and fallen asleep on a couch. Turning around, he sees Pie Man sleeping on the couch in the room. Burns and Smithers
lock him in the employee detention center, and unmask him. Burns makes Homer his personal hitman
and threatens to reveal his identity to the rest of the city if he does not comply (Homer goes along with it because he does not want to wind up doing community service
).
His first task is to pie himself, then a girl scout
. Mr. Burns and Smithers come to the town square in disguise to Homer to show that his next assignment is to throw a pie in the face of the Tibetan Buddhism
spiritual teacher, the Dalai Lama (because according to Mr. Burns "all his talk of peace and love is honking off my Red Chinese masters"). However, at the Dalai Lama's show, Homer - disguised as Pie Man - can not go through with it since Lisa is present and is Buddhist herself. He reveals his identity to the public, but no one believes he could possibly be Pie Man; they all think he is just too dumb and greedy. The Dalai Lama then flies out of the building safely, and to give another lecture at Buffalo, New York
. Pie Man is now free from Mr. Burns' control for good. Later, we see Homer and Marge
snuggling in bed, and Marge says that she knew all along that Homer was the Pie Man (namely because it couldn't have been anyone else in the suit). While she laughs at this, Homer makes his way to the roof and states that whenever injustice and evil rears its head, Pie Man will return. Bart joins him as his trusty sidekick, the Cupcake
Kid. However, they are soon subjected to a great injustice by Marge...cleaning out the gutter.
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 15)
The Simpsons 15th season began on Sunday, November 2, 2003 with "Treehouse of Horror XIV".The season contains five hold-over episodes from the season 14 production line...
. The episode aired on May 2, 2004. The concept is mainly inspired by (and parodies) the 2002 Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
movie, though it contains elements of other superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es as well. The title of this episode is a reference to the Mother Goose
Mother Goose
The familiar figure of Mother Goose is an imaginary author of a collection of fairy tales and nursery rhymes which are often published as Mother Goose Rhymes. As a character, she appears in one "nursery rhyme". A Christmas pantomime called Mother Goose is often performed in the United Kingdom...
nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
, "Simple Simon
Simple Simon (nursery rhyme)
"Simple Simon" is a popular English language nursery rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 19777.-Lyrics:The rhyme is as follows;*Simple Simon was played by Charley Rogers in Babes in Toyland ....
", in which the main character visits the pie man (as well as notes from Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
signed, as Homer did in the episode, "Simple Simon, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man"). The original concept of 'Pie Man' came from Emily Laurie, a friend of the writer who befriended a man named Chris Janson in Rockhampton, Australia (aka Pie Man). She brought the 'Pie Man' back to the states in 2003 where the concept was developed and manipulated into an episode.
Plot
HomerHomer 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...
watches a commercial about a contest that will allow the winner, the finder of a Golden Ticket, a trip to "Farmer Billy's Bacon Factory", and is intrigued by the commercial. Although Homer buys a surplus of bacon from the Kwik-E-Mart
Kwik-E-Mart
The Kwik-E-Mart is a fictional chain of convenience stores in the animated television series The Simpsons. It is a parody of American convenience store chains, such as 7-Eleven and Circle K, and represents many myths and stereotypes of them. It is notorious for its high prices and the poor quality...
, he is only able to find a silver ticket, which allows him to judge the upcoming pig competition at the county fair. At the fair, Lisa's
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...
entry in the place setting competition is wrecked by the Rich Texan, angering Homer, who decides to teach the Rich Texan a lesson. Recalling a warning from Chief Wiggum that he will be arrested if he commits another felony assault, Homer disguises himself as a masked superhero, "The Pie
Pie
A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that covers or completely contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients....
Man", and throws a pie
Pieing
Pieing is the act of throwing a pie at a person or persons. This can be a political action when the target is an authority figure, politician, or celebrity and can be used as a means of protesting against the target's political beliefs, or against perceived arrogance or vanity. Perpetrators...
straight into the Rich Texan's face, leaving him humiliated and the crowd laughing. The next day, Lisa is seen drawing her favorite superhero - Pie Man. After Homer hears that the Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy
Comic Book Guy is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the second-season episode "Three Men and a Comic Book", which originally aired on May 9, 1991. He is the proprietor of a comic book store, The...
has ripped off Bart, he arrives as the Pie Man (with a newer look) and throws a pie in his face. Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols is an American actress, singer and voice artist. She sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton before turning to acting...
of Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
, whom the Comic Book Guy invited for tea and some chit chat, suddenly shows up and is turned off by the pie on his face. This humiliates him in front of the kids and he runs away in tears.
The next day, the family watches the news and discovers that the Springfield Children's Hospital is going to be turned into a cosmetic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
clinic. Homer worries about the plight of the sick children. That same evening, two sick and coughing children are pushed away from the hospital by Mayor Quimby
Joe Quimby
Mayor Joseph "Joe" Quimby, nicknamed "Diamond Joe," is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets an F". A member of the Democratic Party, Quimby is the mayor of Springfield, and is a...
. Chief Wiggum, believing that the Pie Man must be stopped because he does not do bike safety lectures, plans to capture him at the event. The Pie Man shows up, pie at the ready. Lenny (who tried to warn Homer), the Pie Man fans, and the other crowd members run for safety because the cops open fire, with Lou hitting Homer in the arm. Homer manages to escape rather flamboyantly. At home, Lisa enters the kitchen and sees Homer, still disguised as Pie Man. Lisa figures out that he is actually her father. Homer, unmasked, brings blindfolded Lisa to his Pie Cave (a.k.a. the basement) but Lisa is not surprised. He promises Lisa (who does not want him to get hurt again) that he will stop his pie avenging. Yet the next day at the power plant's employee cafeteria, Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
is whipping Lenny and Carl, so that they will eat faster and return to work, and docks Homer a day's pay for being late, bald and stupid. As Homer goes through the serving line, he imagines the desserts talking to him, with the pies asking to be thrown and a piece of cake urging Homer to remember his promise to Lisa. Even though he remembers his promise to Lisa, Homer makes another appearance as Pie Man when Mr. Burns shuts down the employee showers and tells the naked men he has sold their clothes. Pieman arrives, pies Burns in the face and the men laugh at him, and Homer then flees. However, after watching the video surveillance
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
cameras, Burns sees that Pie Man has tired from his escape and fallen asleep on a couch. Turning around, he sees Pie Man sleeping on the couch in the room. Burns and Smithers
Waylon Smithers
Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open...
lock him in the employee detention center, and unmask him. Burns makes Homer his personal hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
and threatens to reveal his identity to the rest of the city if he does not comply (Homer goes along with it because he does not want to wind up doing community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
).
His first task is to pie himself, then a girl scout
Girl Scouts of the USA
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
. Mr. Burns and Smithers come to the town square in disguise to Homer to show that his next assignment is to throw a pie in the face of the Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
spiritual teacher, the Dalai Lama (because according to Mr. Burns "all his talk of peace and love is honking off my Red Chinese masters"). However, at the Dalai Lama's show, Homer - disguised as Pie Man - can not go through with it since Lisa is present and is Buddhist herself. He reveals his identity to the public, but no one believes he could possibly be Pie Man; they all think he is just too dumb and greedy. The Dalai Lama then flies out of the building safely, and to give another lecture at Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. Pie Man is now free from Mr. Burns' control for good. Later, we see Homer and Marge
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...
snuggling in bed, and Marge says that she knew all along that Homer was the Pie Man (namely because it couldn't have been anyone else in the suit). While she laughs at this, Homer makes his way to the roof and states that whenever injustice and evil rears its head, Pie Man will return. Bart joins him as his trusty sidekick, the Cupcake
Cupcake
A cupcake is a small cake designed to serve one person, frequently baked in a small, thin paper or aluminum cup...
Kid. However, they are soon subjected to a great injustice by Marge...cleaning out the gutter.