Selma's Choice

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The Simpsons episode
"Selma's Choice"
Episode no.	72
Prod. code	9F11
Orig. Airdate	January 21, 1993
Show Runner(s)	Al Jean & Mike Reiss
Writer(s)	David M. Stern
Director	Carlos Baeza
Chalkboard	"I will not yell "She's Dead" at roll call."
Couch gag	The Simpson family is caught by a net on the ground.
Guest star(s)	Phil Hartman
SNPP capsule
Season 4 September 24, 1992 – May 13, 1993
Kamp Krusty A Streetcar Named Marge Homer the Heretic Lisa the Beauty Queen Treehouse of Horror III Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie Marge Gets a Job New Kid on the Block Mr. Plow Lisa's First Word Homer's Triple Bypass Marge vs. the Monorail Selma's Choice Brother from the Same Planet I Love Lisa Duffless Last Exit to Springfield So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show The Front Whacking Day Marge in Chains Krusty Gets Kancelled
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Selma's Choice" is the 13th episode of The Simpsons' fourth season.

1 Synopsis
2 Trivia
3 Cultural References
4 Goofs
5 Quotes
6 See also
7 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After Great Aunt Gladys dies, the Simpsons attend the funeral and subsequent reading of the will. On the video will, Great Aunt Gladys warns Patty and Selma not to die alone without a husband and children as she did. Selma starts to worry that her biological clock may be ticking, and decides to find a way to become pregnant. Selma tries video dating and eventually considers an anonymous sperm donor.

Meanwhile, Homer promises Bart and Lisa that they will go to Duff Gardens, a popular amusement park, but Homer becomes ill after eating a spoiled sandwich. Selma volunteers to take the two. Lisa begins to hallucinate after drinking some "water" in an aquatic ride and Bart is arrested by park security. After these negative experiences caring for Bart and Lisa for a day, Selma decides she can live without children, and adopts Jub-Jub, Gladys' iguana, instead.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Trivia

On the April 11, 2006 episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, former Simpsons writer Conan O'Brien revealed, in an interview with Hank Azaria, that he came up with the name Jub-Jub for the iguana, as it was a phrase he used to break awkward silences.

[edit] Cultural References

The title of the episode is a reference to the book (and the film) Sophie's Choice.
Duff Gardens is a parody of another amusement park owned by a brewing company, Busch Gardens.
When Lisa drinks the 'water' on the Duff boat ride, she begins to hallucinate and sees Selma as a monster with a pair of snarling teeth where her shoulder is, a nod to the artistic style of Ralph Stedman the artist for various novels by Hunter S. Thompson.
The song and ride of that Bart, Lisa and Selma go on, is a parody of the ride and song "It's A Small World" at Disneyland.
Marge's flashback is based on The Prince of Tides.
After Lance Murdock jumps some flaming school buses, he is asked what he going to do next. He replies "I'm going to Duff Gardens", a reference to the slogan "I'm Going to Disneyland!"
When Lisa yells 'I am the Lizard Queen', this is a reference to Jim Morrison (lead singer of the 60's rock band 'The Doors'), who used to refer to himself as 'the Lizard King'.

[edit] Goofs

If Gladys is Jacqueline Bouvier's sister how can her last name be Bouvier (assuming that Jacqueline got the name from her husband)? If Patty, Selma and Marge's last name is Bouvier it means that they got their name from their father (if you look at the Bouvier Family Tree in The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album you can see that his name was Clancy Bouvier), so Bouvier would be the last name of their father's sister. Unless, of course that Jacqueline's maiden name was also Bouvier (possibly), but that seems to be a bit of a stretch.

[edit] Quotes

Priest: He was a good man, he was a kind man. He gave to his community and asked little in return. He never-- (a man whispers something in his ear) That's a woman? Dear Lord! (chuckles sheepishly): Well, I guess most of what I said can be salvaged.
Patty: Take a seat, bozo. And that eulogy better not show up on the bill. I'll keep this short. Gladys lived alone, died alone. I guess you could say she was a role model for Selma and me. She wasn't a rich woman...
(everyone leaves)
Patty: ...but she was rich in spirit.
(a shrimpy man returns)
Shrimpy Man: Forgot my hat.
Patty: I can't believe Auntie Gladys is really gone.
Selma: Her legend will live forever.
Homer: (imagining) Yeah. The legend of the dog-faced woman. (laughs hysterically, aloud) Legend of the dog-faced woman! Oh, that's good!
Marge: Homer, that's very rude of you.
Homer: What? D'oh!
Selma: Aunt Gladys was right. There's something missing in our lives.
Patty: Don't worry. We'll get that barking dog record tomorrow.
Barney: All done!
Nurse: Thank you, sir.
Barney: Always a pleasure. What a beautiful little girl!
Baby: (Burps)
Other babies: (Burp)
Homer: Marge, I'd like to be alone with the sandwich for a moment.
Marge: Are you going to eat it?
Homer: (after a pause) Yes.

(During Selma's date with Hans Moleman at a restaurant)

Hans: (Straining to read what his menu says) Combed...biscuits...chicken...yellow...mailman..
Waitress: You're reading the wine list, sir..
Hans: Very good.

Officer: We found this one swimming naked in the fermentarium.
Lisa: I am the Lizard Queen!
Homer: That Yentl puts the "she" in yeshiva!

(the Simpsons learn that Aunt Gladys has died and the trip to Duff Gardens is postponed)

Homer: But I wanna go to Duff Gardens right now!
Marge: Oh Homer, stop pouting!
Homer: I'm not pouting, I'm mourning. (muttering to himself) Stupid dead woman.

Gladys: To my sister, Jackie, I leave my pet iguana, Jub-Jub.
Gramma Bouvier: Why didn't she just leave me the bowel obstruction that killed her.

(The family is in the car going to the funeral.)

Homer and Bart: On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese, I lost my poor meatball-
Marge: If you don't mind, we're on our way to a funeral!
Homer: Ding dong, the witch is dead!
Bart: Which old witch?
Homer: The Wicked Witch!
Marge: HOMER!

(Whilst Selma, Bart and Lisa are riding on the Duff tunnel ride)

Bart: Hey, Lise, I dare you to drink the water...
Lisa: I'm not sure that is water.
Bart: (Starts making "chicken" noises) Chicken!
Lisa: Bart! Quit it! Quit it! QUIT IT!
Selma: Bart, be quiet. Lisa, drink the water.

(Lisa scoops some of the liquid in her hand and sips it. She then groans and rolls her eyes back. Everything starts to accelerate into a speeding blur of sound and light)

(Psychedelic music starts to play in the background)

Lisa: They're all around me! There's no way out! There's no way out, I tell you!

(Lisa turns to face Selma, who, in her hallucination, looks like a grotesque green-skinned monster.
Selma What's wrong? Oh, you just put your head right here...

(Selma shows her shoulder, which a small creature grows out of, bearing sharp teeth and growling. Lisa screams and backs away to the end of the boat, swinging the paddle at Selma and Bart whilst laughing maniacally)