Smoke on the Daughter
Encyclopedia
"Smoke on the Daughter" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons
' nineteenth season
. It was broadcast on March 30, 2008, and was written by Billy Kimball
(the only sole writing credit he has received for the show to date), and directed by Lance Kramer
. Lisa
becomes a ballerina
at an academy
and discovers her natural talent
is enhanced by second hand cigarette smoke
. Meanwhile, Homer
shows Bart
his secret room where he has secretly been making beef jerky and is torn when a family of raccoons steal it. During the first broadcast, the episode was watched by 7.10 million people.
sees a commercial for a ballet
academy, and reveals to Lisa
that she had always wanted to become a ballet dancer. Lisa encourages Marge to follow her dream, and she auditions for Chazz Busby's ballet academy. Marge makes a few mistakes during her try out, but Busby still lets her pass. Meanwhile, Homer
takes Bart
to the basement and introduces him to a secret room in which Homer has been making beef jerky
. When Marge keeps dancing poorly, Busby throws her out. When Lisa argues his decision, Busby notices Lisa's posture is perfect for a ballerina, and asks her to join his academy. Marge accepts the offer on Lisa's behalf. No matter how hard she practices, Lisa soon turns out to be terrible. While on break, Lisa accidentally inhales second hand smoke from the other ballerinas' cigarettes. When the break is over, Lisa enters the studio and performs better than ever, and deduces that second hand smoke
is what makes her excel.
Meanwhile, Homer offers to sell Apu
his beef jerky to increase Kwik-E-Mart
revenues despite Apu's Hinduism
— but it is a lost cause. Homer and Bart discover their beef jerky room is completely empty, and Apu leaves in disgust, refusing to do such business with Homer ever again. Homer discovers that a family of raccoon
s has made off with his jerky. That night, Lisa hallucinates of a cigarette-smoked shaped older version of her, who convinces her to continue smoking. While driving Lisa to ballet practice, Marge — who is proud of having a ballerina as a daughter — starts glowing about how she sees herself in Lisa (even mistaking Lisa for herself), and Lisa begins to suspect that Marge is living out her dream through her.
Homer follows one of the raccoons into the family's home under a tree stump and prepares to take them out (though Bart warns he never wins fights with animals, as his war with the worms proved — despite the fact Homer insists it was a tactical withdrawal), but cannot bring himself to do it after he sees their loving family. During a windy break, Lisa cannot inhale any smoke. She realizes her only other alternative is to actually smoke a cigarette, and picks one up. Right before she smokes it, Homer arrives and takes it away (he throws it on the ground, squishes it with his foot, and then shoots it with a gun 4 times, and he is shown to put the gun away into his jacket, which is also filled with other guns and weapons). Angry, he goes to tell Marge that Lisa needs to be taken out of the ballet academy, but discovers how proud she is of Lisa; Homer cannot bear to destroy Marge's happiness. He does, however, order Lisa to quit cigarettes, and decides to get Bart to keep an eye on her. When Bart informs Homer that Lisa is still addicted to smoke, Homer creates a plan involving one of the raccoons. On the night of the big ballet recital, the raccoon breaks into the changing room and steals all the cigarettes. On stage, all the ballerinas soon go out of control, and Lisa tells the appalled audience that ballet is something America
has forced onto children, and quits (although she implied that she was going to talk about smoking, which was the main message of this episode), prompting Busby to also quit. Lisa finally manages to overcome her smoke addiction using children's 'Hello Kitty' nicotine patches, Marge also learns not to live her dreams through her child, although Homer proves that he has yet to learn that moral (as he is forcing Bart to become a Mexican Wrester
).
thought that the episode was good and that it "started off very, very strongly" but commented that it seemed to lose its comedic pace as it progressed. He particularly enjoyed the episode's couch gag, stating that "It was a great reminder of the early, innocent days of cartoon comedy but with a modern Simpsons twist". He gave the episode a 7.2/10.
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 19)
The Simpsons nineteenth season originally aired on the Fox network between September 23, 2007 and May 18, 2008.-Production:The nineteenth season of The Simpsons is the first one produced after the movie and contained seven hold-over episodes from season 18's JABF production line...
. It was broadcast on March 30, 2008, and was written by Billy Kimball
Billy Kimball
-Personal life:He was born in New York City and graduated from Harvard College where he was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon. He is currently married to the former Alexandra Manuela Vargas Hamilton and has two daughters.-Career:...
(the only sole writing credit he has received for the show to date), and directed by Lance Kramer
Lance Kramer
Lance Kramer is an animation director on The Simpsons. He also worked as an assistant animator on Tom and Jerry: The Movie.-History:Kramer graduated from Bismarck High School in Bismarck, ND...
. 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...
becomes a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
at an academy
Academy
An academy is an institution of higher learning, research, or honorary membership.The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 385 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and skill, north of Athens, Greece. In the western world academia is the...
and discovers her natural talent
Skill
A skill is the learned capacity to carry out pre-determined results often with the minimum outlay of time, energy, or both. Skills can often be divided into domain-general and domain-specific skills...
is enhanced by second hand cigarette smoke
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
. Meanwhile, 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...
shows 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...
his secret room where he has secretly been making beef jerky and is torn when a family of raccoons steal it. During the first broadcast, the episode was watched by 7.10 million people.
Plot
While watching TV, 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...
sees a commercial for a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
academy, and reveals to 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...
that she had always wanted to become a ballet dancer. Lisa encourages Marge to follow her dream, and she auditions for Chazz Busby's ballet academy. Marge makes a few mistakes during her try out, but Busby still lets her pass. Meanwhile, 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...
takes 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...
to the basement and introduces him to a secret room in which Homer has been making beef jerky
Jerky (food)
Jerky is lean meat that has been trimmed of fat, cut into strips, and then been dried to prevent spoilage. Normally, this drying includes the addition of salt, to prevent bacteria from developing on the meat before sufficient moisture has been removed. The word "jerky" is a bastardization of the...
. When Marge keeps dancing poorly, Busby throws her out. When Lisa argues his decision, Busby notices Lisa's posture is perfect for a ballerina, and asks her to join his academy. Marge accepts the offer on Lisa's behalf. No matter how hard she practices, Lisa soon turns out to be terrible. While on break, Lisa accidentally inhales second hand smoke from the other ballerinas' cigarettes. When the break is over, Lisa enters the studio and performs better than ever, and deduces that second hand smoke
Passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
is what makes her excel.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is a character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Apu is the proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart, a popular convenience store in Springfield, and a friend of Homer Simpson. He is also...
his beef jerky to increase 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...
revenues despite Apu's Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
— but it is a lost cause. Homer and Bart discover their beef jerky room is completely empty, and Apu leaves in disgust, refusing to do such business with Homer ever again. Homer discovers that a family of raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s has made off with his jerky. That night, Lisa hallucinates of a cigarette-smoked shaped older version of her, who convinces her to continue smoking. While driving Lisa to ballet practice, Marge — who is proud of having a ballerina as a daughter — starts glowing about how she sees herself in Lisa (even mistaking Lisa for herself), and Lisa begins to suspect that Marge is living out her dream through her.
Homer follows one of the raccoons into the family's home under a tree stump and prepares to take them out (though Bart warns he never wins fights with animals, as his war with the worms proved — despite the fact Homer insists it was a tactical withdrawal), but cannot bring himself to do it after he sees their loving family. During a windy break, Lisa cannot inhale any smoke. She realizes her only other alternative is to actually smoke a cigarette, and picks one up. Right before she smokes it, Homer arrives and takes it away (he throws it on the ground, squishes it with his foot, and then shoots it with a gun 4 times, and he is shown to put the gun away into his jacket, which is also filled with other guns and weapons). Angry, he goes to tell Marge that Lisa needs to be taken out of the ballet academy, but discovers how proud she is of Lisa; Homer cannot bear to destroy Marge's happiness. He does, however, order Lisa to quit cigarettes, and decides to get Bart to keep an eye on her. When Bart informs Homer that Lisa is still addicted to smoke, Homer creates a plan involving one of the raccoons. On the night of the big ballet recital, the raccoon breaks into the changing room and steals all the cigarettes. On stage, all the ballerinas soon go out of control, and Lisa tells the appalled audience that ballet is something America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has forced onto children, and quits (although she implied that she was going to talk about smoking, which was the main message of this episode), prompting Busby to also quit. Lisa finally manages to overcome her smoke addiction using children's 'Hello Kitty' nicotine patches, Marge also learns not to live her dreams through her child, although Homer proves that he has yet to learn that moral (as he is forcing Bart to become a Mexican Wrester
Lucha libre
Lucha libre is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries...
).
Cultural references
- The episode's title references Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
's 1972 song "Smoke on the WaterSmoke on the Water"Smoke on the Water" is a song by the British hard rock band Deep Purple. It was first released on their 1972 album Machine Head. In 2004, the song was ranked number 426 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, and in March 2005, Q magazine placed "Smoke on the Water"...
". - The name of the character Chazz Busby is a reference to the famous director and choreographer of musicals Busby BerkeleyBusby BerkeleyBusby Berkeley was a highly influential Hollywood movie director and musical choreographer. Berkeley was famous for his elaborate musical production numbers that often involved complex geometric patterns...
, although his physical appearance is more similar to Joe Gideon, Bob FosseBob FosseRobert Louis “Bob” Fosse was an American actor, dancer, musical theater choreographer, director, screenwriter, film editor and film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction...
's alter-ego in All That JazzAll That JazzAll That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired by Bob Fosse's manic effort to edit his...
. - Angelica Button (who originally appeared in "The Haw-Hawed CoupleThe Haw-Hawed Couple"The Haw-Hawed Couple" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons eighteenth season and first aired December 10, 2006. In the episode, Bart becomes Nelson's new best friend and under Nelson's protection no one dares to mess with Bart. It was written by Matt Selman and directed by Chris Clements. In its...
") parodies the Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
series. First scenes of this episode are a reference to the midnight premiere of the last Harry Potter book. The title of the book is "Angelica Button and the Deadly Denouement" compared to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows released on 21 July 2007. - Bart's camouflage-faced appearance from the pile of leg warmers (to the song "The End"The End (The Doors song)"The End" is a song by The Doors. Originally written by Jim Morrison as a song about breaking up with girlfriend Mary Werbelow, it evolved through months of performances at Los Angeles' Whisky a Go Go into a nearly 12-minute opus on their self-titled album. The band would perform the song to close...
by The DoorsThe DoorsThe Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
) mirrors a sequence in the film Apocalypse NowApocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a 1979 American war film set during the Vietnam War, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The central character is US Army special operations officer Captain Benjamin L. Willard , of MACV-SOG, an assassin sent to kill the renegade and presumed insane Special Forces...
. - After Lisa quits ballet and rejects Busby, he puts on a bowler hatBowler hatThe bowler hat, also known as a coke hat, derby , billycock or bombin, is a hard felt hat with a rounded crown originally created in 1849 for the English soldier and politician Edward Coke, the younger brother of the 2nd Earl of Leicester...
and struts out of the theater to the song "On Broadway", referencing a dance sequence in All That JazzAll That JazzAll That Jazz is a 1979 American musical film directed by Bob Fosse. The screenplay by Robert Alan Aurthur and Fosse is a semi-autobiographical fantasy based on aspects of Fosse's life and career as dancer, choreographer and director. The film was inspired by Bob Fosse's manic effort to edit his...
. - The couch gag is a reference to the Wile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and Road RunnerWile E. Coyote and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese...
series. - The Simpsons watch CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
. In a parody of the character's dramatic pre-credits statements, Horatio CaineHoratio CaineHoratio Caine is a fictional character and the protagonist in the CBS crime drama CSI: Miami, portrayed by David Caruso. He is currently head of the crime lab, under the rank of Lieutenant of the MDPD.-Fictional character biography:...
explains a person's ability to commit murder from a long distance by saying, "Maybe, he reached out... and killed someone" and puts on his sunglasses. This is immediately followed by a "Won't Get Fooled AgainWon't Get Fooled Again"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
"-esque scream. - The CSI: MiamiCSI: MiamiCSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
episode The Simpsons watch has a similar plot as a Monk (TV Series) episode "Mr. Monk Is on the Air". - This episode title was also used on the WB sitcom Grounded for LifeGrounded for LifeGrounded for Life is an American television sitcom that debuted on January 10, 2001 as a mid-season replacement on the FOX Network. It was created by Mike Schiff and Bill Martin. It ran for two seasons on the network until being cancelled only two episodes into its third season...
, season 2, episode six, aired December 12, 2001, where Claudia takes up smoking and hides it from her husband and kids. - The end of the episode "Big Ballet" reference is a parody of the Big TobaccoBig TobaccoBig Tobacco is a pejorative term often applied to the tobacco industry in general, or more particularly to the "big three" tobacco corporations in the United States: Philip Morris , Reynolds American and Lorillard...
scandal in the early 1990s. - Lisa mentions a non-existent episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody mixed with a existing episode of That's So RavenThat's So RavenThat's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
(the final episode called "Where There's Smoke"). - Lisa declares at the dinner table, that she is "smoke free thanks to children nicotine patches" which resemble Hello KittyHello Kittyis a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
. - When Lisa was in the Ballet Practice, the behind song was Once Upon a Dream of Sleeping BeautySleeping BeautySleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
. - When Homer finds out Lisa smokes and is driving her home he makes a comment about a Sturgeon General telling people not to smoke (a possible reference to either the 1964 reportSmoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United StatesSmoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States was a landmark report published on January 11, 1964 by the Surgeon General's Advisory Committee on Smoking and Health, chaired by then-Surgeon General of the United States Luther Terry regarding the...
by the Surgeon General of the United StatesSurgeon General of the United StatesThe Surgeon General of the United States is the operational head of the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and thus the leading spokesperson on matters of public health in the federal government...
) or its 2006 report on second-hand smokingPassive smokingPassive smoking is the inhalation of smoke, called secondhand smoke or environmental tobacco smoke , from tobacco products used by others. It occurs when tobacco smoke permeates any environment, causing its inhalation by people within that environment. Exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke causes...
) after which he is corrected by Lisa ("A sturgeonSturgeonSturgeon is the common name used for some 26 species of fish in the family Acipenseridae, including the genera Acipenser, Huso, Scaphirhynchus and Pseudoscaphirhynchus. The term includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common...
is a fishFishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
"). - Bart's "Mexican Wrestler" name is "El Guapo" - the nickname of real-life retired mixed martial artsMixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
fighter Bas RuttenBas RuttenSebastiaan "Bas" Rutten is a retired Dutch mixed martial artist, Karate and Taekwondo blackbelt, and kickboxer. He was a UFC Heavyweight Champion, a three time King of Pancrase world champion, and finished his career on a 22 fight unbeaten streak...
. It is also the name of the villain in 1986 American comedy movie, Three Amigos. - On the first ballet practice the girls dance on Chopin's Valse from Op.64 No.2 in C minor.
Reception
The episode was watched by 7.10 million people; the number is not considered to be accurate, as the episode was broadcast on a special time (according to commercials). Richard Keller of TV Squad stated that he enjoyed the week's episode, but commented that it "wasn't as strong as the previous two." Robert Canning of IGNIGN
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...
thought that the episode was good and that it "started off very, very strongly" but commented that it seemed to lose its comedic pace as it progressed. He particularly enjoyed the episode's couch gag, stating that "It was a great reminder of the early, innocent days of cartoon comedy but with a modern Simpsons twist". He gave the episode a 7.2/10.