Bolivian musician and writer Petrus Silón sits down with me to discuss one of his favorite episodes... And, really, this shows up on a lot of fan favorite lists. Not just because it's a good source of memes, but because it's a very well-written (and acted) story with a lot of real heart.
And, of course, Homer and the swear jar...another one in a long line of classic Simpsons sequences.
Petrus and I talk about that, and a couple of other fun things in this breezy chat.
Dig in.
Check out Petrus' band Oz on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2ZQdHCcJNVYddE05HrM85k
Also...
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Jason Pollock and I sit down to talk about this missed opportunity of an episode, which should be about Marge getting some much needed away time from her burden of a family, but is instead about Homer farting around the house and stuff while she's away.
And so, since the episode itself barely generates enough meat for scintillating conversation, we find ourselves drifting...talking about morning drive time DJs, and Indiana Jones movies, and popular genre TV shows that had surprisingly long runs... and so on.
It is, of course, a tangent-filled and very engaging little convo.
Dig in.
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Chris Prentice and I talk...FOOTBALL!!!
Well kind of...and I am referring to American Football, as opposed to what the rest of the world calls "Football," though we do name-drop that one too. We kind of talk about sports in general, and the audience interaction with competitive sports. In a word: gambling. And so on.
Because this is the episode where Homer discovers Lisa can always pick the winners. And they bond. Until Homer reveals he's a selfish ass.
In any case, sit back for a talk that delves into these topics and some historical background about the Sports commentator who inspired the episode's title.
It's all in fun.
Dig in.
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The Pensky File's Clay McCormack joins me this week to discuss a classic episode that pokes fun at media circuses and charity singles - like "We Are the World" and what not. Sting guest stars as himself and gets to headline a catchy tune.
We talk about that, and we also talk about bad birthday experiences or crummy gifts from well-meaning adults.
We even discuss Live Aid, Queen and the motion picture sensation Bohemian Rhapsody.
It's a really fun, breezy talk.
Dig in.
For more Clay, check out The Pensky File - https://thepenskyfile.com/ - I cannot recommend this enough. A cornucopia of fantastic podcasts awaits you.
Also follow him on Twitter - https://twitter.com/DeadMeatComic?s=20
And Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cmccormack414/
Also...
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And... check out some of the stuff that we talk about in the episode.
We Are The World: https://youtu.be/s3wNuru4U0I
Queen - Live Aid: https://youtu.be/EjXetWK-Ur8
Hear N' Aid - Stars: https://youtu.be/G5H94GHb-10
Pictures of Starving Children Sell Records: https://youtu.be/c7LwXoaj5q4
The second in the series of Simpsons flashbacks takes us back to the summer of 1980, as we see the circumstances that led to Bart's conception and the early days of Homer and Marge's marriage.
This is exactly the kind of episode Josh Fein and I tend to talk about and so here he is again, and we explore the series' approach to character development, attention to period detail, balance of sentiment and humor, and so on...
We also talk at length about the reality of being a young parent... And then we go off on tangents involving popular names for children, and the dangers of spoilers.
It's a chock-full episode, and so is our talk.
Dig in.
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Jim Laczkowski of The Director's Club joins me to talk about this episode, in which Homer Simpsons visits The Land of Chocolate. Well... that's not really the plot of the episode, but it's probably the one thing most people remember about it.
Jim and I discuss the ins and outs of this one episode, but we mostly discuss The Simpsons as a whole... Its cultural impact then and now, our relationships with it, etc...
Jim's a good guy and this is a good talk.
Dig in.
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Also... do follow Jim on Letterboxd as well - https://letterboxd.com/nowplayingjim/
And check out his podcast network - http://www.nowplayingnetwork.net/
And if you only pick one podcast, make it this one - http://www.directorsclubpodcast.com/
This week I'm joined by Sean Malloy of I Must Break...This Podcast, which is a great show about the career of Dolph Lundgren. But he's not here to talk about Lundgren, no, we're here to discuss a classic season three episode of The Simpsons, which features Aerosmith and an impossibly amazing drink taking the world by storm.
And then we go off on a tangent about Rocky IV, because yes - this is what we do.
In any case, it's an - as usual - fun talk.
Dig in.
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Also... Check out I Must Break...This Podcast! https://imustbreakthispodcast.wordpress.com/
Saturdays of Thunder is probably a minor classic, with more than one memorable gag, and a heartwarming story about Homer connecting with Bart.
But, for Chris Prentice and I, it's an excuse to go off on several adjacent tangents about Henry Winkler, Joel Silver action films and - of course - Michael Jackson... The thing is, his famous (infamous?) "Black or White" music video (or short film, if you prefer) originally premiered right after this episode. So, of course we can't help ourselves and we talk about that...at length, which leads us into talking about Macaulay Culkin and stuff like that...
Anyway, it is a good episode. That's what matters. And our talk is also good.
Dig in.
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Arianny Pilarte sits down with me this week, and we discuss Homer's very questionable parenting - which involves gross overcompensation after disappointing Lisa (again).
It's a sweet episode that doesn't forget to be very funny as well. We discuss our favorite gags... We talk about neglectful, emotionally distant parenting. We also talk about The Crown, because we both like that show. And we talk about a disgusting NYC coffee shop called Serendipity. And you'll have to listen to see why I called it disgusting.
Anyway... Good times.
Dig in.
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The Pensky File's Clay McCormack sits down with me to discuss the second Treehouse of Horror special. We both agree that it is superior to the first. But, is it as widely celebrated as some of the more famous ones? It seems that maybe this one has somehow slipped through the cracks. Or maybe it hasn't.
In any case, we go into detail as to the episode's best qualities. A good story is a good story, and it's an interesting challenge for the writers to deliver a satisfying horror comedy in 8-minute segments.
It's a good talk, so check it out.
For more Clay, check out The Pensky File - https://thepenskyfile.com/ - I cannot recommend this enough. A cornucopia of fantastic podcasts awaits you.
Also follow him on Twitter - https://twitter.com/DeadMeatComic?s=20
And Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cmccormack414/
Also...
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O Mein Poppa!
Chris Prentice and I sit down to talk about Krusty again. Namely, Krusty's tumultuous relationship with his dad - played by Jackie Mason.
And so, we discuss this episode that, while possessing a fair share of laughs, falls more on the sentimental side. It's a good story, and it's well-written and acted. But, more than anything else, it shows The Simpsons really starting to tap into the universe they've established - experimenting with a story that doesn't really focus on the family at all, but takes advantage of its rich supporting cast.
We also talk, briefly, about Caddyshack II. So... Trigger warning.
Dig in.
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It's another very funny episode of The Simpsons! Maybe this is not quite as memorable or "iconic" as some of the more classic segments, but the laughs are definitely there.
Josh Fein and I go over our favorite bits and pieces and, as it is the nature of the podcast, we go off on a bit of a tangent far as the hidden banality behind great events throughout history, which somehow leads to us briefly discussing Quantum Leap, among other things.
Of course we're nowhere near the "breaking point" of the series. But we're not quite at the "golden age" just yet.
It's a fun talk, in any case.
Dig in.
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Jason Pollock and I sit down to talk about arguably the first really funny episode of the series! Well, ok... Maybe that's an exaggeration. But it's the first genuinely good, funny episode that Pollock and I have talked about. And it's most definitely the first great episode of Season 3.
Pollock and I talk about that and we also go off on a couple of tangents about how stupid it is in this day and age to rail against "PC culture" and "Cancel Culture," when you consider that an episode like this - which is about a 10-year-old-boy who is working for the mafia and is put on trial for murder - is allowed to stream in its entirety and free of any disclaimers on Disney Plus.
That's definitely something to ponder. But also worth pondering is how good this episode really is, how much fun Joe Mantegna has playing Fat Tony and, well, how The Simpsons was once upon a time truly a landmark comedy series, which this episode is clear evidence of.
It's a fun discussion.
Dig in.
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And so, the third season just rolls along... And we are still seeing the remnants of season 2's production cycle as the series struggles to find its specific identity amidst the landscape of TV comedy. Some people consider "When Flanders Failed" a classic episode, others hate it... I suppose we fall somewhere in between.
Troy Anderson of AndersonVision.com joins me this week to discuss this often funny, sometimes maudlin...ultimately rather bland episode. And we find ourselves trailing off and discussing the sociopolitical global landscape in the fall of 1991, a time that saw The Soviet Union come to an end... And we eventually devolve into discussing the MPAA -- or is it MPA now? Just MPA? Why? Does it matter?
Does anything matter?
Dig in.
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And don't forget to check out Troy Anderson's website - https://andersonvision.com/
The Simpsons get political this week and, yes, so do we.
Josh Fein sits down with me to talk about this episode, which finds Lisa coming of age as she wakes up to the reality of corruption in the halls of DC. But the episode also gave us a chance to talk about political commentary in general...how media approached it then vs. how it approaches it now; and the intricacies of navigating discussions of global politics on social media, where not everyone is quite as informed as they claim (or wish) to be.
It's an engaging discussion.
Dig in.
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Well... Here we are at the season's end. And, as it was with season one, so too it is that Mike Drew Flynn is on hand... to discuss "Blood Feud," which although technically the "last" episode of Season 2, actually aired in the middle of the summer hiatus. And so, in essence almost serves as a kind of bridge into the next season...where The Simpsons really took off and began its tenure as the cultural benchmark and premiere source of social satire of the 1990s.
Flynn and I discuss this very funny episode, but more than anything we reflect on this particular time and place; and The Simpsons' place in the cultural zeitgeist. We reflect on the first two seasons of the show in general, and look forward to seeing where things take us in the seasons to come.
At this point, the podcast will go on a brief hiatus... But it will return (in its regular time slot of Thursday evenings) in mid December.
In the meantime, why not catch up with the first two seasons?
A good way to do that is by subscribing to The Erix Antoine Network on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ2AzQd3F3yfQ_kdoOM9Y_A
Or, assuming you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe to this podcast on whatever platform you're listening to right now.
If you are fully caught up, maybe you can check out my new podcast Discovering The X-Files. It's available on all the same platforms as this and will continue uninterrupted through the hiatus, twice a week - on Mondays and Fridays.
If you don't care for The X-Files but want to keep tabs on me anyway...
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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: ErixAntoineNet.simpsons@gmail.com
See you in December!
Stay safe.
It is my sincere pleasure to welcome The Pensky File's Clay McCormack to the podcast. We sat down for a balmy afternoon to discuss the episode "Three Men and a Comic Book," which was appropriate for us to discuss as longtime comic book aficionados ourselves (me as a reader/collector, him as someone who actually makes them).
The episode is very funny, of course, but it also presents an authentic portrayal of comic book fandom and accurately captures a young boy's obsession with procuring an elusive book - not as a collector, per se, but for the sheer thrill of the classic story contained inside.
Clay and I discuss that; and we also discuss our own personal relationships with comic books.
Something else that comes up, notably, is the marked differences between "classic" and "modern" Simpsons. The tone, the style of the jokes, etc. We almost get at the "why" for the dip in quality, if not necessarily the "when."
We talked for an hour, folks!
And it's a good talk.
Dig in.
For more Clay, check out The Pensky File - https://thepenskyfile.com/ - I cannot recommend this enough. A cornucopia of fantastic podcasts awaits you.
Also follow him on Twitter - https://twitter.com/DeadMeatComic?s=20
And Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cmccormack414/
And, while you're at it...
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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: ErixAntoineNet.simpsons@gmail.com
Jason Pollock sits down with me to discuss "The War of the Simpsons," in which Homer makes an ass of himself and almost destroys his marriage, until Marge decides to forgive him even though he has done nothing to atone for his selfishness and all around failure as a husband.
The episode explores some serious themes, and so Pollock and I have a bit of a serious discussion. And we discover that for all the episode's highlights, good writing and several funny moments, it just isn't that satisfying. Maybe it hits a bit close to home? For me as a part time drunk and for him as a full time teetotaler... Or maybe the writers' ambition exceeded their grasp - with an episode that has to run the gamut from slapstick comedy to a cynical observation of a broken marriage to seriously exploring the reality of living with an alcoholic and compulsive patriarch.
In any case, I guess my point is we talk about a lot of stuff...and there's a whole bunch to dig into.
So, dig in.
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Josh Fein is back to discuss "Lisa's Substitute," a heartwarming episode guest starring Dustin Hoffman in the title role.
The chief feature of the episode is that its a touching coming-of-age love story for Lisa, which gives Yeardly Smith the opportunity for emoting on a deeper level than she ever had up to that point in the series.
We discuss the episode's dramedy aspects, which were clearly and heavily influenced by James L. Brooks. But, also, we delve into the episode's chief source of comedy - the B story- in which Bart and Martin compete in an election for class president, leading to unfortunate results that might feel uncomfortably real in today's environment.
Do we get a bit heavy here? No not really. It's still a spirited discussion. So, by all means, dig in.
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My good buddy Chris Prentice is back, to discuss "Brush with Greatness," which is a very funny episode about Marge painting Mr. Burns in the nude.
There's more to it than that, of course. Primarily a poignant subplot about Homer wanting to shed a few pounds after getting stuck in a water slide.
Ringo Starr was the first Beatle to make an appearance on The Simpsons, as the object of teen Marge's affections, who comes in as a Deus Ex Machina to inspire her at the last minute to paint her heart out and make Mr. Burns "beautiful," even though he is a terrible man.
Chris and I talk about all of that...and the realities of being self-consciously overweight, and also about annoying DVD menus. And stuff.
Good times!
Dig in.
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If you'd like to be invited to the Discord chatroom, send an email, with your discord handle to: ErixAntoineNet.simpsons@gmail.com