The Twisted World of Marge Simpson

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The Simpsons episode
"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson"

Episode no.	164
Prod. code	4F08
Orig. Airdate	January 19, 1997
Show Runner(s)	Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Writer(s)	Jennifer Crittenden
Director(s)	Chuck Sheetz
Chalkboard	"I am not licensed to do everything"
Couch gag	The couch is a giant whack a mole machine, a giant mallet pounds down at the family and constantly misses, until Homer's head pops out.
Guest star(s)	Jack Lemmon as Frank Ormand Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony
DVD commentary by	Matt Groening Josh Weinstein Chuck Sheetz
SNPP capsule
Season 8 October 27, 1996 – May 18, 1997
Treehouse of Horror VII You Only Move Twice The Homer They Fall Burns, Baby Burns Bart After Dark A Milhouse Divided Lisa's Date with Density Hurricane Neddy El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer) The Springfield Files The Twisted World of Marge Simpson Mountain of Madness Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show Homer's Phobia Brother from Another Series My Sister, My Sitter Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment Grade School Confidential The Canine Mutiny The Old Man and the Lisa In Marge We Trust Homer's Enemy The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase The Secret War of Lisa Simpson
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" is the eleventh episode from the eighth season of The Simpsons.

1 Synopsis
2 Cultural references
3 Trivia
4 External link

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Marge is a member of the Springfield Investorettes, along with other prominent Springfield ladies Edna Krabappel, Helen Lovejoy, Maude Flanders and Agnes Skinner. Marge is reluctant to invest money in high-risk ventures, so the other Investorettes kick her out of the group. At home, Lisa convinces Marge to "roll the dice" and beat the Investorettes at their own game. She decides to buy her own franchise.

Later on, at the Franchise Expo, she sees that the Investorettes have become members of the Fleet-A-Pita franchise. Marge decides to join the Pretzel Wagon franchise. Watching a Pretzel Wagon video, she sets up a makeshift office in her garage, and distributes flyers with Homer, Bart and Lisa's help. Finally, she makes the pretzels, which are approved by the resident "Pretzel inspector", Homer.

She sets up shop outside the Power Plant. However, the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van rolls up and steals all her business. Dejected, she leaves. Lisa suggests that she think big. So Marge holds Free Pretzel Day in the Springfield War Memorial baseball Stadium. A lot of people take the free pretzels, only to throw them at Mr. Burns, who won a new car (and injuring Whitey Ford into the bargain). Marge goes into depression.

Homer decides to take matters into his own hands and tries to find someone who can help Marge. After finding out that the Pretzel Wagon owner has died, he goes to church... to meet Fat Tony (who had set up an ad in the bulletin there). Fat Tony agrees to help Homer. The next day, Marge gets a large order for pretzels. Many snack-food vendors are pushed around and intimidated by the mob. Even the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van is blown up. Marge's business is booming!

Later, Fat Tony meets Homer and demands that he pay up for his "favor". Homer refuses. Later, Marge gets an order to some remote location. On the way, she encounters Fat Tony and his goons. He tells her about the deal he made with Homer and says he is entitled to a part of Marge's profits... just around 100%! Marge confronts Homer about this and he comes clean. Marge refuses to share her profits with the mob.

At home, knowing that the mob will be coming for the money, they make pretzels to calm themselves. When the mob arrives, Marge again refuses. Suddenly, the Investorettes show up, and this time, they have backup - the Japanese Yakuza. The mobsters and the Yakuza lay into each other. Marge and Homer withdraw into the house.

Homer apologises for his indiscretion, and Marge forgives him. The two gangs continue fighting...

[edit] Cultural references

The opening scene takes place at the "Municipal House of Pancakes", a reference to IHOP.
Agnes says, "Children are so fat today! Isn't there some way we can make money off that?"
It is suggested that Marge "can't keep up with the go-go 90s".
The song played during Fat Tony's rampage of terror against food stands is the song "The Lineman." However, in closed captioning, the lyrics to "Put a Lid on It" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers are seen.
The song that plays when the Investorettes (and Bart) are introduced as members the Fleet-A-Pita franchise is "New Attitude" by Patti Labelle.
Frank Ormand's "you'll be there" speech mirrors that of Tom Joad at the conclusion of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
Lemmon's portrayal of Frank Ormand is based on the character Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross, also played by Lemmon.

The names of Cletus' 26 kids are either celebrity kid names (Rumer, Scout) or are the fad names of the 90s (Cody, Dylan, Kaitlin) or come from video games (Q-Bert)

[edit] Trivia

One of the pretzels seen during the family's money-making sequence is in the shape of a U.S. dollar sign.
When the Fleet-a-Pita wagon arrives at the power plant, Mindy Simmons from the episode The Last Temptation of Homer can be seen in the crowd.

In a deleted scene on the Season 8 DVD boxset that can only be seen by pressing the "Left" button from "Play Episode" on the episode menu (highlighting a blinking light) and then Enter, it is revealed that the Yakuza were the Investorettes' revenge on Marge.