You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee

"You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" is the sixteenth episode of the 25th season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons, and the 546th episode of the series. The episode was written by Michael Price and aired on March 30, 2014, on Fox.^[1] The title is from the refrain "don't have to live like a refugee" from the 1980 song "Refugee" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Homer also sings a parody of Foreigner's 1981 song "Juke Box Hero".^[2][3]

Plot

At the school assembly, Principal Skinner tells the student body that he's teaching about history but the kids boo. Skinner clarifies that the assembly is on living history. The kids still boo. When actors dressed as Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglass prepare for a debate, the kids become agitated and begin heckling them. After the disaster of an assembly in which Lincoln threw punches at the kids and Douglass tried to escape, Superintendent Chalmers yells at Skinner once more with feeling. Because the students do not show respect, Chalmers suggests holding a speech contest on their heroes and getting Stuffwich's Sub Sandwiches to sponsor it. Skinner dresses up as a sandwich to introduce the sandwich rep as a hero. The sandwich rep tells Bart he's a hero as he no longer eats as much as he did before. A contest is then held, and whoever wins the contest will receive a four-year scholarship. The night of the speech Nelson starts off with his mom's boyfriend as his hero, but Nelson then reveals that “Uncle Rob” was named because he robbed them.

Lisa looks at her speech report on Marie Curie and knows that she has this in the bag, but when Martin gets behind the podium to announce his heroine as Madame Curie, Lisa scurries away to cry in the hallway. When Bart finds Lisa, he advises his sister to do her speech on their father. Despite Lisa's doubts, she sets her speech up perfectly even to the amazement of Homer. After the speech, Lisa wins over the crowd, however, Chalmers declares that both Lisa and Martin have tied, so the scholarship money will go back to the general fund and that both kids' speeches will be posted online. As Homer basks in the glory of heroism, it turns out that he is not the only one who has noticed his (apparent) heroism as the video of the speech goes viral, so much so, that he is called to referee games in the World Cup in Brazil.

During the plane ride there, while Marge attempts to learn Portuguese, the pilot becomes so annoyed he calls Marge disrespectful for even trying and for that he punishes them with turbulence. At the World Cup, Homer referees the teams without a hitch, and although Homer was called for this job because of his morals, corruption soon follows with attempted bribery. The Simpsons family goes out to get to eat at a local establishment. Marge is trying desperately to order everything in the "native language". Homer heads out after a bite of only the meat off the skewers to get some fresh air. While out on his fresh air break, he is greeted by a gentlemen dressed quite suavely who opens a briefcase full of a large amount of cash and asks Homer if he is certain he can’t be swayed. Homer says he won't do it and that he has changed a lot in the last few days and leaves. They vow they will get to him. Homer continues to be an honest referee despite the players trying to bribe him when he gives them red cards, stacks of money in his pillows put there by the sharply dressed man, there is even action on the bribe cam.

Homer wants to know where Marge has gone. Bart says she has gone to practice her Portuguese and is found at an ATM frustrating the very long line of people behind her as she is determined to do it all in Portuguese instead of English. Back at the hotel, Homer is telling the bellhop to give away the bribes - the donuts to the staff and release he pig and the bowling ball into the wild. He seems exhausted by all of this. Bart questions whether it is difficult to turn all the bribes down. Homer admits that it is, but knowing that Lisa chose him as her hero, he has no other choice. Bart ponders what kind of person he is himself, and whether to destroy Homer’s happiness forever. Bart decides to tell him the truth about Lisa’s speech; that he never really was her hero.

Homer leaves to go drink til there’s no more pain in his soul. He ends up at the Barra, drinking his sorrows away. Devastated and in despair, it is the perfect time for him to now start to accept bribes from the same man that has been following him the entire time. They start formulating a plan to “fix” the 2014 FIFA World Cup Final. Homer doesn’t care as Marge is always complaining for him to fix things.

During the World Cup Final (Germany vs. Brazil) Homer has been bribed to fix the game so that the Brazilians win. In return, they will give Homer one million dollars. Homer realizes he can bet that money and double it. Lisa is listening in and begs Homer not to cheat. He thinks it is funny for her to try and tell him about deception. Homer is hurt and Lisa understands but tells him that he has taken the actions to become her hero now. A Brazilian player known as "El Divo" goes down in the game and appears to be hurt. Homer, listening to Lisa, thinks he is guilty of diving and is faking injury. Ultimately, the Germans win the World Cup.

The gangsters are just about to kill Homer when Marge comes running in; she has something to say - and does so in fluent Portuguese. She tells the gangsters to leave Homer alone; she loves him, but he should have never been a referee. All Homer cares about is being a hero to Lisa. She begs the gangsters to please forgive him. The gangster is impressed, but is still going to kill Homer. Marge keeps begging him; she is a mother, and asks if he has a Mother. The gangster's mother happens to be a lady on the plane that Lisa traded seats with so the older lady could watch premium HBO. So the Simpsons are owed a debt that can never be repaid. The Simpsons are free to go. They go to the Cemitério São João Batista to pay their respects to El Divo.

The Simpsons are later seen in the middle of the marsh lands and rivers of the Amazon. They are enjoying all the beauty of the nature around them...and Homer admires a clearing of a section of rainforest in order to make way for a Krusty Burger.

Reception

Dennis Perkins of The A.V. Club gave the episode a C, saying "Going into tonight’s episode “You Don’t Have To Live Like A Referee,” there was a lot of potential comic ammo to go around. For one, it’s the Simpsons’ first trip back to Brazil since the infamous season 13 episode “Blame It On Lisa” which angered the Brazilian tourist board so badly that there was a lawsuit in the works. Throw in some of the old reliable Homer/Lisa relationship dynamic (ever the most dramatically evocative on the show), and all the pieces were there to assemble a memorable episode. That what eventually emerged was one of the most perfunctory of the season is genuinely a bummer."^[4] Teresa Lopez of TV Fanatic gave the episode three out of five stars, saying "Aside from a touching story, the episode featured some hilarious scenes and sight gags. For one, Kearney placing an "admire me" note on Homer's back (instead of the usual "kick me" sign) during Lisa's speech was nice touch. But that one paled in comparison to the montage of creative bribe offers in Brazil. It was an amusing way to make fun of the rampant corruption found in World Cup competitions."^[5]

The episode received a 1.9 rating and was watched by a total of 3.91 million people, making it the second most watched show on Animation Domination that night, beating Bob's Burgers and American Dad! but losing to Family Guy with 4.17 million.^[6]

References