Half-Decent Proposal

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The Simpsons episode

"Half-Decent Proposal"

Homer freaks when he sees Marge with Artie Ziff.

Episode no.

279

Prod. code

DABF04

Orig. airdate

Show runner(s)

"I will not bite the hand that feeds me Butterfingers. (A reference to the Butterfingers commercials starring the Simpsons characters and the backlash from the joke on Sweets and Sour Marge.)

Couch gag

The Simpsons come in just as two repo men take the couch away. Homer sobs loudly, Marge looks confused, and the kids sit on the floor to watch TV.

Guest star(s)

Jon Lovitz as Artie Ziff

Season 13
November 6, 2001 – May 22, 2002

List of all The Simpsons episodes

Seasons
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"Half-Decent Proposal" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' thirteenth season. The episode aired on February 10, 2002.

1 Plot
2 Cultural references
3 West Springfield
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Marge is irritated when Homer is snoring, causing her to sleep less. She sees Dr. Hibbert about the problem, and asks about a surgery, but he says it is expensive. Developing a sleep problem, she sleeps for a night with Patty and Selma, and hears on the news that her old boyfriend, Artie Ziff, is one of America's five richest people. She dictates an e-mail to Artie to congratulate him on his appearance, but Patty and Selma doctor it to use sex terms. Artie, who over the years seems to have devoped a rather frightening obsession with Marge (his house is decorated with a large number of 'Marge' sculptures/paintings), flies in his helicopter to the Simpson house to see Marge.

After arriving, Artie offers Marge a $1 million proposal to spend a weekend with him, just to see what life would be like if they were married. Marge rejects the offer, but eventually can no longer stand Homer's snoring. She chooses to spend the weekend so she can get the money for the surgery. They have a good time until Artie makes out with Marge in a fake prom made to mirror the one they attended in "The Way We Was". Homer, having just arrived to check up on them, is dejected, and leaves with Lenny. Little does Homer know that Artie tricked Marge into kissing him.

Lenny seems similarly dejected about his relationship with Carl; he and Homer get a job in an oil field in West Springfield, a likely death spot for the two of them. On the way there, they discuss the loves they left behind. All cacti resemble Marge to Homer, and Lenny mournfully points out Mount Carlmore that he carved one blissful summer. Meanwhile, Marge leaves Artie and discovers what Homer had done when she gets home.

While working on an oil rig, Lenny and Homer accidentally set fire to an ant, who in turn sets fire to all her ant companions, who jump in a puddle of oil to dowse the flames. Their brief sighs of relief are replaced with screams as the whole rig catches fire. Marge, Bart, and Lisa go with Artie and Carl to West Springfield to save Homer and Lenny. At first, they are reluctant, as Homer still thinks that Marge and Artie are having an affair and Lenny feels that there is nothing for him in Artie's helicopter. However, Artie finally admits defeat to Homer, saying that winning Marge's love was something that he could never accomplish, even with his billions. Carl reveals that he is in the helicopter, and Lenny is also saved. Homer and Marge's marriage is also saved when Artie offers a solution to Homer's snoring problem, a device which converts snoring to music and anti-Homer subliminal messages (though Artie seems to reveal himself soon after the messages start).

[edit] Cultural references

The music that is parodied on Homer's "sleeping" device is "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)" by Eurythmics.
When Artie arrives in his helicopter, the scene resemble the arriving of Dr. John Hammond in Jurassic Park.
In the opening scene with Comic Book Guy, two signed pictures of Mark Hamill can be seen on the wall.
As Marge flies away in the helicopter with Artie Ziff, the theme song to M*A*S*H plays and the scene pans out to a shot of Homer next to a stone message that reads, "Keep Your Clothes On". This is a nod to the final scene of the final episode of M*A*S*H, only the stone message read, "Good-Bye".
The title and storyline parody the 1993 movie Indecent Proposal.
When Homer is running to the fake prom, the background music is "Mrs. Robinson" from The Graduate.
Seeing the fake prom, Homer apparently gets confused between real life and Back to the Future, believing that if Marge and Artie kiss, he will never be born. The earlier scene in which Dondelinger stops Homer and asks if he has been drinking is similar to a scene between Mr Strickland and Biff Tannen in the movie.
The suit that Principal Skinner is wearing is a parody of Austin Powers.
The modem plays the song Georgy Girl by The Seekers.
While Marge is at Patty and Selma's house, they watch "Nooky in New York"—a parody of Sex and the City, which Selma mentions is a show about four women who act like gay men.
When Marge, Bart and Lisa find out that Homer is in West Springfield, Grampa comes in and says: "Did Homer bowl a perfect game again?" He is relating to the Season 11 episode, "Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder".