Strong Arms of the Ma
Encyclopedia
"Strong Arms of the Ma" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons
' fourteenth season
which aired on February 2, 2003. It is the 300th episode to be broadcast.
garage sale
, where everything that he owns is for sale at extremely low prices. Homer
asks Rainier if he has anything that will increase in value when he dies and is shown an old weight-lifting set, complete with dumbbell
s and bench press
. Homer takes it and packs everything and everybody in the car in the style of a Tetris
game. The car ends up being so overpacked that Homer has no room in it and ends up being carried home by Rainier Wolfcastle in a baby harness built for an adult and used in the Rob Schneider movie My Baby is an Ugly Man!
On the way home, Marge
and the kids discover that Maggie
has soiled her diaper and needs a change. Marge quickly pulls into the Kwik-E-Mart
, and Apu
reluctantly allows her to use the restroom after smelling Maggie. Later, as Marge comes out with a much sweeter-smelling Maggie, a shady character in a Goofy
hat accosts her and threatens her with a gun. Finding only diapers in Marge's purse, he grabs Marge's pearl necklace and takes off. Marge, stunned, walks to her car in a daze and breaks down sobbing at the wheel in front of her kids.
The next day, they inform the police and Chief Wiggum declares he will investigate immediately. Later, as Marge is about to leave the house, Homer gives her some pepper spray
and some tips on how to handle an attacker. She pulls up to the Kwik-E-Mart, but she snaps when Ralph
greets her. She pepper-sprays him on impulse, and feeling guilty, drives back home where she feels safe. When she reaches home, Bart tells her she is parked over the mailman. Marge is a nervous wreck and cannot bring herself to cross the threshold of her house to help the mailman. Dr. Hibbert
goes to their home and diagnoses Marge with agoraphobia
. Homer and the kids try their best over the next few days to encourage her to go outside, but to no avail. Eventually, she moves into the basement. There, feeling a bit safer, she prepares breakfast for the family and sets up a bed for herself. One day, when she is alone at home, she eyes Rainier Wolfcastle's weight-lifting set and decides to use it to pass the time.
In two weeks, she builds herself up and even gets a well-defined washboard stomach (much to Homer's delight). Suddenly, she dashes out to the garden to get some lemons. Realizing that she is not afraid anymore, an overjoyed Marge starts running around town. Suddenly, she runs into her mugger, who sarcastically says "What you have done, living with fear?" (as Marge joyfully remarks that she isn't afraid any longer to everyone that she sees ahead.). Even though the mugger doesn't move a finger against Marge, she beats him to a bloody pulp out of revenge. Homer gleefully declares "It's like I'm married to Shaft
!" The cops arrive and arrest the crook. Marge starts exercising even more (to the theme from Rocky
). One day, as she jogs by an open-air gym at the beach, she runs into Ruth Powers, her old neighbor (from "New Kid on the Block
" and "Marge on the Lam
"). Ruth, pretty buffed herself from her years as "Miss Mexican Mafia" in prison, tells Marge that she owes it all to steroid
s. She talks Marge into using them, attacking her inability to stop trying to be stronger, and also advises Marge to enter a women's bodybuilding contest. Marge, using the steroids, exercises harder than ever, and becomes very muscular and estrogen
-depleted, resulting in a short temper and a new-found violent streak, which is quite harmful to everyone (including her family) next to her, especially due to her recent developed superhuman strength (evident when she stop and lifted the school bus with her bare hands). Homer, seeing these changes, finds himself less attracted to her. When Homer refuses Marge's sexual advances the night before the contest, she callously ignores his worries and then proceeds to pin him down and rapes him, before leaving him completely sore and exhausted to take care of the kids the next morning. She wins second place, which irritates Marge when her muscular ears overhear her family's unhappy conversation in the audience.
Later that night, at Moe's, Marge tells everyone at the bar that she is going to exercise and take more steroids so she will never come in second place again. Things get worse when Moe says to Marge that "I don't got enough booze to make you look good". She flies into an uncontrollable rage, beating up all comers (even taking out five sailors as they march in to fight her) and ultimately trashes the bar. Homer (who has been hiding in the back) comes out to confront his wife as she prepares to hurl Lenny. Terrified, Homer tells Marge that he misses the sweet, feminine woman he married. Marge, horrified with what she has done, apologizes, drops Lenny, and leaves with Homer. Moe, in order to cover the costs of repairing his bar, sets fire to it; however, Carl points out that he has not insured the place yet. Later, at the Simpson house, Marge burns the weight set in the furnace as the show ends. Homer asks if Marge is ready for a "real workout" which turns out to be a request to wax the car, after which he gets beaten by Marge into meekly saying that he was just kidding.
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 14)
The fourteenth season of the animated television series The Simpsons was originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States between November 3, 2002 and May 18, 2003. The show runner for the fourteenth production season was Al Jean, who executive produced 21 of 22 episodes. The other...
which aired on February 2, 2003. It is the 300th episode to be broadcast.
Plot
The Simpson family goes to Rainier Wolfcastle's bankruptcyBankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
garage sale
Garage sale
A garage sale, also known as a yard sale, rummage sale, tag sale, lawn sale, attic sale, moving sale, or junk sale, is an informal, irregularly scheduled event for the sale of used goods by private individuals, in which "block sales" are allowed, so that sellers are not required to obtain business...
, where everything that he owns is for sale at extremely low prices. 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...
asks Rainier if he has anything that will increase in value when he dies and is shown an old weight-lifting set, complete with dumbbell
Dumbbell
The dumbbell, a type of free weight, is a piece of equipment used in weight training. It can be used individually or in pairs .-History:...
s and bench press
Bench press
The bench press is an exercise of the upper body. For bodybuilding purposes, it is used to stimulate the pectorals, deltoids, and triceps. While on his or her back, the person performing the bench press lowers a weight to the level of the chest, then pushes it back up until the arm is straight...
. Homer takes it and packs everything and everybody in the car in the style of a Tetris
Tetris
Tetris is a puzzle video game originally designed and programmed by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. It was released on June 6, 1984, while he was working for the Dorodnicyn Computing Centre of the Academy of Science of the USSR in Moscow, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic...
game. The car ends up being so overpacked that Homer has no room in it and ends up being carried home by Rainier Wolfcastle in a baby harness built for an adult and used in the Rob Schneider movie My Baby is an Ugly Man!
On the way home, 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...
and the kids discover that 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...
has soiled her diaper and needs a change. Marge quickly pulls into 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...
, and Apu
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...
reluctantly allows her to use the restroom after smelling Maggie. Later, as Marge comes out with a much sweeter-smelling Maggie, a shady character in a Goofy
Goofy
Goofy is a cartoon character created in 1932 at Walt Disney Productions. Goofy is a tall, anthropomorphic dog, and typically wears a turtle neck and vest, with pants, shoes, white gloves, and a tall hat originally designed as a rumpled fedora. Goofy is a close friend of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck...
hat accosts her and threatens her with a gun. Finding only diapers in Marge's purse, he grabs Marge's pearl necklace and takes off. Marge, stunned, walks to her car in a daze and breaks down sobbing at the wheel in front of her kids.
The next day, they inform the police and Chief Wiggum declares he will investigate immediately. Later, as Marge is about to leave the house, Homer gives her some pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
and some tips on how to handle an attacker. She pulls up to the Kwik-E-Mart, but she snaps when Ralph
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring fictional character on the animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright. The son of Police Chief Wiggum and a classmate of Lisa Simpson, Ralph is best known as the show's resident oddball, and is noted for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior...
greets her. She pepper-sprays him on impulse, and feeling guilty, drives back home where she feels safe. When she reaches home, Bart tells her she is parked over the mailman. Marge is a nervous wreck and cannot bring herself to cross the threshold of her house to help the mailman. Dr. Hibbert
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius M. Hibbert, usually referred to as Dr. Hibbert, is a recurring character on the animated series The Simpsons. His speaking voice is provided by Harry Shearer and his singing voice was by Thurl Ravenscroft, and he first appeared in the episode "Bart the Daredevil". Dr...
goes to their home and diagnoses Marge with agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder defined as a morbid fear of having a panic attack or panic-like symptoms in a situation from which it is perceived to be difficult to escape. These situations can include, but are not limited to, wide-open spaces, crowds, or uncontrolled social conditions...
. Homer and the kids try their best over the next few days to encourage her to go outside, but to no avail. Eventually, she moves into the basement. There, feeling a bit safer, she prepares breakfast for the family and sets up a bed for herself. One day, when she is alone at home, she eyes Rainier Wolfcastle's weight-lifting set and decides to use it to pass the time.
In two weeks, she builds herself up and even gets a well-defined washboard stomach (much to Homer's delight). Suddenly, she dashes out to the garden to get some lemons. Realizing that she is not afraid anymore, an overjoyed Marge starts running around town. Suddenly, she runs into her mugger, who sarcastically says "What you have done, living with fear?" (as Marge joyfully remarks that she isn't afraid any longer to everyone that she sees ahead.). Even though the mugger doesn't move a finger against Marge, she beats him to a bloody pulp out of revenge. Homer gleefully declares "It's like I'm married to Shaft
John Shaft
John Shaft is a fictional character created by schoolteacher/screenwriter Ernest Tidyman as a sort of African American version of Ian Fleming's James Bond. He was portrayed by Richard Roundtree in the original 1971 film and its two sequels, with Samuel L. Jackson portraying his nephew in the 2000...
!" The cops arrive and arrest the crook. Marge starts exercising even more (to the theme from Rocky
Rocky
Rocky is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and both written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It tells the rags to riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
). One day, as she jogs by an open-air gym at the beach, she runs into Ruth Powers, her old neighbor (from "New Kid on the Block
New Kid on the Block
"New Kid on the Block" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons fourth season, which originally aired on November 12, 1992. After meeting his new neighbor, Laura, Bart develops a crush on her, only to later discover that she has a boyfriend, Jimbo Jones, whom he attempts to scare off so that he can...
" and "Marge on the Lam
Marge on the Lam
"Marge on the Lam" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons fifth season, which originally aired on November 4, 1993 on Fox. When Marge invites her neighbor, Ruth Powers to attend the ballet with her, the two become friends and begin to go out, making Homer jealous as he wants Marge to spend time with...
"). Ruth, pretty buffed herself from her years as "Miss Mexican Mafia" in prison, tells Marge that she owes it all to steroid
Steroid
A steroid is a type of organic compound that contains a characteristic arrangement of four cycloalkane rings that are joined to each other. Examples of steroids include the dietary fat cholesterol, the sex hormones estradiol and testosterone, and the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.The core...
s. She talks Marge into using them, attacking her inability to stop trying to be stronger, and also advises Marge to enter a women's bodybuilding contest. Marge, using the steroids, exercises harder than ever, and becomes very muscular and estrogen
Estrogen
Estrogens , oestrogens , or œstrogens, are a group of compounds named for their importance in the estrous cycle of humans and other animals. They are the primary female sex hormones. Natural estrogens are steroid hormones, while some synthetic ones are non-steroidal...
-depleted, resulting in a short temper and a new-found violent streak, which is quite harmful to everyone (including her family) next to her, especially due to her recent developed superhuman strength (evident when she stop and lifted the school bus with her bare hands). Homer, seeing these changes, finds himself less attracted to her. When Homer refuses Marge's sexual advances the night before the contest, she callously ignores his worries and then proceeds to pin him down and rapes him, before leaving him completely sore and exhausted to take care of the kids the next morning. She wins second place, which irritates Marge when her muscular ears overhear her family's unhappy conversation in the audience.
Later that night, at Moe's, Marge tells everyone at the bar that she is going to exercise and take more steroids so she will never come in second place again. Things get worse when Moe says to Marge that "I don't got enough booze to make you look good". She flies into an uncontrollable rage, beating up all comers (even taking out five sailors as they march in to fight her) and ultimately trashes the bar. Homer (who has been hiding in the back) comes out to confront his wife as she prepares to hurl Lenny. Terrified, Homer tells Marge that he misses the sweet, feminine woman he married. Marge, horrified with what she has done, apologizes, drops Lenny, and leaves with Homer. Moe, in order to cover the costs of repairing his bar, sets fire to it; however, Carl points out that he has not insured the place yet. Later, at the Simpson house, Marge burns the weight set in the furnace as the show ends. Homer asks if Marge is ready for a "real workout" which turns out to be a request to wax the car, after which he gets beaten by Marge into meekly saying that he was just kidding.
Cultural references
- The episode spoofs the film The GodfatherThe GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the 1969 novel by Mario Puzo. With a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola and an uncredited Robert Towne, the film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Sterling Hayden, John Marley, Richard...
, as Marge attacks her mugger and then kicks him to under a fire hydrant before onlooking spectators in a manner similar to Sonny CorleoneSonny CorleoneSantino "Sonny" Corleone is a fictional character in Mario Puzo's 1969 novel The Godfather and its 1972 film adaptation. He also appears as an infant, as a young boy, and an adult in The Godfather Part II....
beating up Carlo Rizzi. - The bar where Marge meets Ruth Powers is named 'Let's hear it for the Soy', a reference to the Deniece WilliamsDeniece WilliamsJune Deniece Chandler known by her stage name Deniece Williams is an American Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and record producer who achieved success in the 1970s and 1980s...
song "Let's Hear It for the Boy". - As Marge gulps down steroids in the manner of PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
eating spinach, the PopeyePopeyePopeye the Sailor is a cartoon fictional character created by Elzie Crisler Segar, who has appeared in comic strips and animated cartoons in the cinema as well as on television. He first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929...
theme plays. - After drinking the steroids and remarking over how there will be no repercussions, Marge's eyes turn green. Much like the famous transformation sequence in The Incredible Hulk.
- Marge's license plate reads the code for this episode.
- The scene where the mailman is about to read "Twilight Zone magazine" and finds out his glasses are broken is a spoof of The Twilight ZoneThe Twilight ZoneThe Twilight Zone is an American television anthology series created by Rod Serling. Each episode is a mixture of self-contained drama, psychological thriller, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, or horror, often concluding with a macabre or unexpected twist...
episode "Time Enough at LastTime Enough at Last"Time Enough at Last" is an episode of the American television anthology series The Twilight Zone. It was adapted from a short story by Lyn Venable , which had been published in the January 1953 edition of the science fiction magazine If: Worlds of Science Fiction...
"; the theme music plays during this scene. - As Marge attacks the bar patrons with a jukebox, three songs play, each changing as Marge hits a patron: they are, in succeeding order, "Love Is a BattlefieldLove Is a Battlefield"Love Is a Battlefield" is a song written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman, after Pat Benatar asked Chapman to write her a hit song. It was released as a single from Benatar's album Live from Earth. The single has been certified gold and is her highest charting single in the United States...
" by Pat BenatarPat BenatarPat Benatar is an American singer and four-time Grammy winner. She had considerable commercial success particularly in the United States...
, "At Last" by Etta JamesEtta JamesEtta James is an American blues, soul, rhythm and blues , rock and roll, gospel and jazz singer. In the 1950s and 1960s, she had her biggest success as a blues and R&B singer...
and "RelaxRelax (song)"Relax" is the debut single by British dance group Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in 1983. The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome ....
" by Frankie Goes to HollywoodFrankie Goes to HollywoodFrankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
. - In the scene when Marge fought all the bar lions, and is about to hurl Lenny, the song "Adagio for StringsAdagio for StringsAdagio for Strings is a work by Samuel Barber, arranged for string orchestra from the second movement of his String Quartet, Op. 11. Barber finished the arrangement in 1936, the same year as he wrote the quartet...
" by Samuel BarberSamuel BarberSamuel Osborne Barber II was an American composer of orchestral, opera, choral, and piano music. His Adagio for Strings is his most popular composition and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music...
, a song which is known for heard in the movie PlatoonPlatoon (film)Platoon is a 1986 American war film written and directed by Oliver Stone and stars Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe and Charlie Sheen. It is the first of Stone's Vietnam War trilogy, followed by 1989's Born on the Fourth of July and 1993's Heaven & Earth....
, plays in the background. - At the beauty contest, the announcer introduces the muscular women as the "Iron Maidens", a reference to rock band Iron MaidenIron MaidenIron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
. - At the beauty contest, the cowgirl contestant sings the Frankie LaneFrankie LaneFrankie Lane was an English former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He began his Football League career with Tranmere Rovers, before joining Liverpool, where he spent four years as reserve goalkeeper...
song, "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence," which was a theme to the 1962 movie of the same titleThe Man Who Shot Liberty ValanceThe Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 American Western film directed by John Ford and starring James Stewart and John Wayne. The black-and-white film was released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay by James Warner Bellah and Willis Goldbeck was adapted from a short story written by Dorothy M...
. - When the Sailormen leave Moe's badly beaten, Anchors aweighAnchors Aweigh"Anchors Aweigh" is the fight song of the United States Naval Academy, and strongly associated with the United States Navy, composed in 1906 by Charles A. Zimmerman with lyrics by Alfred Hart Miles. Zimmerman was at the time a Lieutenant, and had been bandmaster of the United States Naval Academy...
sounds, in a reference to 19411941 (film)1941 is a 1979 period comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and featuring an ensemble cast including John Belushi, Ned Beatty, John Candy, Toshiro Mifune, Christopher Lee and Dan Aykroyd...
. - When Marge runs down the street she screams "I'm not afraid", which is a reference to the movie Home Alone.
External links
- "Strong Arms of the Ma" at The Simpsons.com