Krusty Gets Kancelled
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"Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the final episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.
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[edit] Synopsis
One afternoon while Homer and Bart are watching The Springfield Squares, an arresting commercial is aired for something named "Gabbo." The advertisement is the start of a massive blitz around Springfield, to build interest in whatever "Gabbo" is. At one point, a distressed Rev. Lovejoy expresses his concern that the term "Gabbo" has fallen into common usage, in lieu of religious terms such as "worship" and "Jericho."
Finally, "Gabbo" is unveiled with great fanfare — he's a Howdy Doody-type ventriloquist's dummy with a voice like Jerry Lewis. Ventriloquist Arthur Crandall announces that Gabbo's new program will air in direct competition with the established The Krusty the Klown Show. Gabbo's catchphrase — "I'm a bad wittle boy" — instantly charms his intended audience.
Krusty vows to withstand the competition from the new program, but Gabbo's cutthroat tactics and fantastic reviews quickly erode Krusty's audience. Gabbo even steals away Krusty's signature cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show, since it would be exposed to far-higher ratings than the fast-fading Krusty. Krusty tries to fight back with a dummy of his own, but its gruesome appearance and poor condition (since it falls apart on the clown's lap) conspire to scare off the children. Eventually, Krusty's ratings hit rock bottom, and after being left to air a poorly produced "Worker and Parasite" cartoon ("Eastern Europe's favorite cat and mouse team"), his show is cancelled.
Left without work, Krusty falls on hard times and begins suffering from depression. Meanwhile, Bart and Lisa — all along unimpressed with Gabbo — decide the best way to get Krusty back into the public eye is twofold: Expose Gabbo as a flash-in-the-pan, and plan a huge prime-time special starring Krusty.
After Bart begins derailing Gabbo's success (by secretly turning on a studio camera, which catches Gabbo bad-mouthing his audience on-air), he and Lisa begin recruiting major celebrities to appear on Krusty's special: Bette Midler, Johnny Carson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Luke Perry (Krusty's "worthless half-brother"). Elizabeth Taylor is also asked to appear, but her agent, thinking Bart and Lisa to be pulling a prank, declines and sends them off, to Taylor's later regret.
The special — styled much like Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special — airs and is a huge success, ensuring Krusty's future success. Gabbo, meanwhile, has a "real boy operation" and quickly fades into oblivion.
[edit] Trivia
- This is, to the date, the episode of The Simpsons with most celebrity guest stars. Homer at the Bat has 9 athletes, while Homerpalooza has 3 musical groups that combine for 12 members.
- Marge does not speak a word in this episode. This is the only time in the history of the series that one of the family members (excluding Maggie) does not have a single line.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers played their performance for the episode in their underwear, which they have done in many concerts.
- According to DVD commentary for the episode, getting guest stars was extremely hard because many kept cancelling out. They also wrote parts for 4 different musical groups (including The Rolling Stones) before finally getting the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Barry White also appears in the Whacking Day episode.
- Bette Midler sings to Krusty in a similar vein to when she sang to Johnny Carson during his last episode of The Tonight Show.
- In the Mexican dub of this chapter, Luke Perry was renamed as other (unrelated) star Robert Redford for no given reason, adding to the confusion when a magazine shows the name of Perry.
[edit] Cultural references
- Ed Sullivan — The scene in which Krusty instructs the Red Hot Chili Peppers to change the lyrics to the song "Give It Away" is a reference to Sullivan instructing The Doors to change the lyrics to the song "Light My Fire."
- Elvis Presley's '68 Comeback Special — The Krusty Komeback Special is styled exactly like The King's prime-time special, aimed at getting him back into the spotlight after a sabbatical.
- The Great Gabbo — Gabbo gets his name from the title character (a ventriloquist who operates a dummy named Otto) of the 1929 film.
- The Hollywood Squares — The Springfield Squares is an obvious parody. The final moments of the segment, where a tidal wave knocks a stubborn Charley Weaver from his lower-left square (he had refused to leave, while the others fled), is a reference to an earthquake that shook up a 1971 taping of Squares and center square Paul Lynde remaining in his spot while everyone else ran off the stage. The Springfield Squares taping "on location" is much akin to the 1986 version frequently taping at outdoor locations in Florida.
- Howdy Doody — Gabbo's face looks just like the famous dummy (red hair, freckles), who hosted an afternoon children's program from 1947-1960.
- Pinocchio — A lyric in Gabbo's introductory song ("You're gonna like me") and the newspaper headline "Gabbo to have real boy operation" are references to the 1940 Disney film.
- "That ought to hold those little bastards" urban legend – Gabbo's statement referring to his audience as "little SOBs" (which is caught on live air, thanks to Bart) — and later, Kent Brockman's comment when he thought the station had cut to a commercial break — is a reference to this broadcasting urban legend. [1] The incident said to have inspired the urban legend had a children's radio (or television, depending on the source) host ending a program, then unaware the microphone was still live, uttered the infamous line, resulting in his near-immediate dismissal.
- The Tonight Show — Bette Midler's serenading Krusty is just like how Bette sang to Johnny Carson on Carson's next-to-last show. Their duet, however, is likely a reference to Midler's 1977 duet with Tom Waits on "I Never Talk To Strangers," which appeared on Waits' album Foreign Affairs (album).
[edit] Worker and Parasite
- Further information: Worker and Parasite
[edit] Additional characters
- Luke Perry also makes an appearance as a replacement for Sideshow Mel. He is apparently Krusty's worthless half-brother. He plays Sideshow Luke Perry, who features in a small scene where Krusty and Sideshow Luke Perry must build a balloon model. Luke Perry manages to make a 19th century carousel with just a couple of balloons. Krusty can only make a simple traditional horse, and Krusty becomes jealous and angry of his ability. In Krusty's imagination, Sideshow Luke Perry is shot from a cannon into a brick wall. Krusty's mind then shows the cover of a magazine called 'Peephole', in which Luke Perry's face has been humorously flattened, with the tagline "New look for Luke". When Krusty tries the act in real life, however, Luke is fired through a window, the Museum of Sandpaper, the Kwik-E-Mart's special sale of acid, and 'luckily' lands in a pillow factory (which is immediately demolished). He later appears in Moe's at the end, seemingly unharmed with only a small plaster on his forehead to suggest he has been hurt.
[edit] Quotes
- Mr Burns: Look, Smithers! Garbo is coming!
Smithers: Uh... Yes, sir.
- Squeaky Voiced Teen: Here's your taco mister. Whoops, it fell in the fryer, I'll get it out. (puts his hand in the fryer) Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!
- Squeaky Voiced Teen: Here's your taco, sir.
Krusty: I don't want it.
Squeaky Voiced Teen: But this comes out of my salary! If I had a girlfriend, she'd kill me!
- Bart: (upon seeing Krusty on the side of the road with a sign reading 'Will Drop Pants For Food') Huh! Oh no! Krusty are you making any money?
Krusty: Nah, That guy's giving it away for free! (points)
Crazy old man: Old grey mare she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be...
Later
(Krusty turns on TV and finds the Crazy Old Man in his underwear dancing)
Crazy old man on TV: Old grey mare she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be...
TV Announcer: And now the Crazy Old Man Singers.
Crazy Old Men: Old grey mare she ain't what she used to be, ain't what she used to be...
(cuts to Krusty staring and blinking)
- Bart: (Giving a toast to Krusty). To Krusty, the greatest entertainer in the world.....'cept maybe that guy, (camera pans to Johnny Carson balancing a plank with Jasper and Abe, playing checkers, on his head while tap dancing and playing the Simpsons theme tune on an accordion.)
Abe: Is this the bus to the civic centre?
- Krusty: Every time you watch my show, I'll send you $40! (holds up check to audience).
Disclaimer: Checks will not be honored.
- Reverend Lovejoy: Everyone is saying; "Gabbo this and Gabbo that". But, no one is saying; "Worship this and Jericho that"!
Jasper: What's this about Gabbo?
