Simpsons Episode Reference Guide 1. Homer meets Gerald Ford: In episode thirteen of season seven, Two Bad Neighbors, George Bush senior moves in across the street from the Simpsons (there happens to be a mansion across the street that's for sale). Homer and Bush don't get along, so at the end of the episode, Bush moves out, and Gerald Ford moves in. Homer happens to be outside when Ford's moving trucks arrive, so he invites Homer over for beer and nachos. 2. Homer goes on tour with the Smashing Pumpkins: In episode twenty-four of season seven, Homerpalooza, Homer does technically go on tour with the Smashing Pump- kins, but not as a musician. Rather, he accidentally gets hit in the stomach with a pig, a guy working for Lollapalooza sees him, and decides to hire him as a freak (specifically, he fires a cannon ball at Homer who takes it in the stomach). He then goes on tour with Lollapalooza as a freak act. While backstage, he meets the Smash- ing Pumpkins. 3. Homer goes to outer space: In episode fourteen of season five, Deep Space Homer, Homer wins a competition to go to space. The competition comes to exist because Homer calls NASA to complain about their boring spacecraft launches. Coinciden- tally, the NASA folks are discussing at that very moment their low ratings. They de- cide that what people want to see is an ordinary person in space (cf. the tragic Chal- lenger Shuttle Mission and Christa McAuliffe). Homer fits the bill, and so he gets to go into space as a passenger to boost TV ratings for NASA's televised spacecraft launches. 4. Homer wins a grammy: In the first episode of season five, Homer's Barbershop Quar- tet, Homer forms a barbershop quartet with Principal Skinner, Apu and Barney called the Be Sharps. They write a hit song, and win a Grammy in the "Outstanding Soul, Spoken Word, or Barbershop Album of the Year" category. This episode is un- realistic, and a parody of the Beatles rise to (and fall from) fame, but the important thing to note is that several times in this episode, and in the entire series, the writers of The Simpsons deride the Grammy as an illegitimate award. (Note: The picture on the wall shows David Crosby handing Homer and his quartet the award. He was the presenter for the category.) 5. Homer gets a house: In the twelfth episode of season three, I Married Marge, Homer accidentally gets Marge pregnant. Aside from everything else that happens, Homer tells his father what's happened, and his father, far from being upset, is delighted, claiming that "[t]he fish jumped right in the boat, and all you gotta do is whack her English 100 Peterson, Fall 2008—1 with the oar". As a present to Homer, Homer's dad sells his own house and gives Homer all the money so that he and Marge can afford the house of their dreams (the same one they're living in when Grimes pays them a visit). Incidentally, it's in this same episode that Homer gets his job at the nuclear power plant. He doesn't get it simply by showing up the day the plant opens, however. Being underqualified, Homer is at first turned away. Towards the end of the episode, though, Homer, with new-found determination, marches straight up to Mr. Burns, owner of the nuclear power plant, and forcefully tells him that he will be completely and totally subservi- ent to him. Mr. Burns is impressed with his attitude, calling Homer "feisty, yet spineless", and decides to hire him on the spot. Source: Paakkinen, Jouni. "The Simpsons Archive." The Simpsons Archive. Jan. 1, 2007. Oct. 1, 2008. <http://www.snpp.com/>. English 100 Peterson, Fall 2008—2.