Life on the Fast Lane
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Simpsons episode | |
| "Life on the Fast Lane" | |
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|---|---|
| Episode no. | 9 |
| Prod. code | 7G11 |
| Orig. Airdate | March 18, 1990 |
| Writer(s) | John Swartzwelder |
| Director | David Silverman |
| Guest star(s) | Albert Brooks as Jacques |
| SNPP capsule | |
| Season 1 December 17, 1989 – May 13, 1990 |
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| List of all Simpsons episodes... | |
"Life on the Fast Lane" was the ninth Simpsons episode released on television. It premiered on March 18, 1990. The episode deals with Marge becoming infatuated with Jacques, a French bowling instructor.
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[edit] Synopsis
Marge's 34th birthday is today. Her gifts include a gallon of cheap "French" perfume from Bart and a (surprisingly exquisite) homemade macaroni-and-glue card from Lisa. However, Homer has completely forgotten about the date, and has to visit the Springfield Mall to buy Marge a last-minute gift. He impulsively settles on an expensive bowling ball. The birthday party takes place at the Singing Sirloin, a restaurant featuring singing waiters, recommended by Patty and Selma. Marge is highly insulted that her primary "gift" is something Homer selfishly wants for his own use (he even had the ball engraved with his name!) But to spite him, she says she will keep it and use it anyway.
Marge goes bowling for her first time ever, but is very unsuccessful at bowling. She meets Jacques, a handsome French bowling instructor in the next lane, who introduces himself to her and invites her for bowling lessons. She falls in love with Jacques, even when she is married to Homer. They also go for a brunch date and meet Helen Lovejoy, who makes her first appearance on the show, threatening Marge, but Jacques insists he and Marge are learning bowling together.
Jacques invites Marge to his apartment. Later on, Marge realizes she is doing the wrong thing, and she goes over to the power plant to see Homer. They exit with her in his arms.
[edit] Trivia
- Occasionally, this episode is called "Jacques to Be Wild". When the episode was originally planned, it called for Albert Brooks to voice "Björn" (a parody to Björn Borg), a Swedish tennis instructor, but Matt Groening thought it would be better to make Brooks' character French. The title was, therefore, originally "Bjorn to Be Wild".
- Albert Brooks is credited under the name "A. Brooks" in this episode, as with all his other appearances on The Simpsons.
- When Homer and the kids "clean-up" Bart and Homer pass the pizza box twice each.
- The stores Homer passes in the Springfield Mall are The International House of Answering Machines, The Jerky Hut (too salty), The Ear Piercery, The Caramel Corn Warehouse (too corny), and Girdles n' Such Fancy Lingerie (too exciting).
- Among the past birthday gifts Homer has given to Marge are a tackle box and a Connie Chung calendar.
- Marge's shoe size is 13 AA.
- Jacques strangely loses his French accent when he calls out, "Four onion rings!"
- The moon is seen to have three craters on it, much like a bowling ball when Jacques is dropping her off.
- Jacques takes Marge to Shorty's Coffee Shop for brunch.
- This is Helen Lovejoy's and Lenny's first appearance.
- Jacques lives at the Fiesta Terrace.
- Jacques appears again in The Simpson's 7th Season episode "Team Homer" and makes a brief cameo as a bowler in the past in "And Maggie Makes Three" He also appears in the "Do the Bartman" music video dancing with various women.
- The plot of this episode was submitted to the Dear Abby column disguised as a real-life problem. [1]
- At one point, creator Matt Groening sited this as his favourite episode (to the surprise of many fans).
[edit] Cultural References
- The title is a pun on The Eagles' song "Life in the Fast Lane". The initial title ("Bjorn To Be Wild") was meant to be a play on Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild".
- When Homer comes home after buying the bowling ball for Marge, he whistles the tune of In the Hall of the Mountain King by Edvard Grieg, just as Peter Lorre's character did in the 1931 film M
- Lisa and Bart begin to go through something similar to the "12 stages of divorce for kids" from Matt Groening's book "Childhood is Hell" of the Life in Hell series. Lisa says there are "eight separate stages". She is shown experiencing stage three, fear, and "mired" in stage five, self-pity. Bart is shown experiencing stage two, denial, as well as fear.
- The scene near the end parodies the film An Officer and A Gentleman, and contains the same music, "Up Where We Belong".
[edit] Awards
- This episode won an Emmy in 1990, becoming the first Simpsons episode to win the award.
