Tennis the Menace

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The Simpsons episode
"Tennis the Menace"

Episode no.	260
Prod. code	CABF07
Orig. Airdate	February 11, 2001
Show Runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Ian Maxtone-Graham
Directed by	Jen Kamerman
Chalkboard	"I will not publish the principal's credit report"
Couch gag	The floor is replaced with a thin sheet of ice, but the couch is still there. The family skates to the couch safely - except Homer, whose part of the couch falls through the ice after he sits.
Guest star	Andre Agassi as himself Pete Sampras as himself Venus and Serena Williams as themselves
Season 12 November 1, 2000 – May 20, 2001
Treehouse of Horror XI A Tale of Two Springfields Insane Clown Poppy Lisa the Tree Hugger Homer vs. Dignity The Computer Wore Menace Shoes The Great Money Caper Skinner's Sense of Snow HOMR Pokey Mom Worst Episode Ever Tennis the Menace Day of the Jackanapes New Kids on the Blecch Hungry, Hungry Homer Bye Bye Nerdie Simpson Safari Trilogy of Error I'm Goin' to Praiseland Children of a Lesser Clod Simpsons Tall Tales
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Tennis the Menace" is the twelfth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons and was the second episode to be digitally colored^{[citation needed]}. It aired on February 11, 2001.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Springfield Retirement Castle holds a talent show, which the Simpsons attend. Grampa wins the show after doing a bad version of "What's New, Pussycat?" His prize is an autopsy, which he wants Homer to get. Instead, Homer realizes that a certain kind of cemetery monument uses the same amount of cement as a tennis court, and so Homer decides to get the house a tennis court, even though they can hardly afford their own house. The court is very popular with Springfield's residents, and yet, these residents mock Homer and Marge for losing all the time (Lenny calls them the "Los Angeles Clippers of backyard tennis"). Marge gets even by entering Krusty's celebrity tournament, the "Krusty Kharity Klassic", with Bart. Homer makes his own revenge on Marge by entering the tournament with Lisa as his partner.

The tournament occurs, and in the stands are tennis pros Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Venus Williams, and Serena Williams. At the tournament, Homer replaces Lisa with Venus Williams. In response, Marge kicks Bart off her team, and Serena Williams becomes her partner. Ultimately, Serena and Venus replace Marge and Homer with Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, respectively. This forces the family to go back to the bench, reflecting that it's better to watch things than do things.

[edit] Cultural references

The title is a play on the comic strip Dennis the Menace.
The episode is notable partly for the competition that emerges between Homer and Bart over Marge, and Lisa indeed makes a reference to Oedipus.
When Andre Agassi introduces himself at the tennis match, Homer comments "The wrestler?," confusing him for professional wrestler Andre the Giant.
This episode reveals Kent Brockman's remarks are not really his.