From: c8923075@frey.newcastle.edu.au (Chris Baird)
Subject: [*] Weekly discussion summary
X-Issue: volume 1 number 5
Keywords: simpsons discussionette
Organization: Springfield State Penitentiary
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 18:49:32 GMT

In a vain attempt to encourage interesting discussions, and as a service
to those readers who find wading through zillions of articles one of the
less attractive aspects of alt.tv.simpsons, here's a brief recap of the
past week's discussion,,

[NB: Much of the information in this digest comes from episodes still to
air in most parts of the world, so consider this a `spoiler' warning.]

The 201 articles posted in the week until 25-Jan-93 were mostly
concerned with ``Marge vs. the Monorail'' and ``Selma's Choice''.

    + With the Springfield Monorail reveiling itself to be a recycled
      exhibit from the 1964 New York World Trade Fair, it turns out that
      Lyle Lanley must have got the thing from Disney!  The actual monorail
      was designed and built by a Californian engineering firm named `WED';
      the engineering wing of Walter Elias Disney's company.
    + Southerners battled over the honour of having their state ridiculed
      by their favourite tv programme. (Crooked Governors and lax toxic
      waste dumping aren't specific enough to name just <one> state in the
      USA...)
    + Homer's bizarre monorail conductors uniform was inspired by a helmet-
      less Darth Vader.
    + The valentines heart carved into the tree in 9F10 undoubtably belongs
      to Homer and Marge (Bouvier), but the unintelligible lettering duped
      a few, who saw it involving (Wayland) Smithers and Monty Burns.
    + A unverified source reports that `The Simpsons' will make their
      syndicated television debut in September 1994.
    + The obscure building references in 9F10: Springfield Town Hall
      (Monticello), Jebediah's Hut (a poster advertising the Washington DC
      Metrorail system?), Lanley Institute (Port America), the monorail
      track (the `ramp to nowhere' near Baltimore).  A plausible connection
      is most of these were failed development projects.
    + The motive for bringing up the subject of giant ants around Leonard
      Nimoy is his cameo appearance in the movie `Them!'
    + A possible goof in Jebediah Springfield's birth-hut being located in
      the town he's meant to have founded.  [I say it was relocated. -cjb]
    + Not one mention of the Olympics, but unfortunately it looks like the
      World Trade Fair has filled the niche.
    + A consensus that Springfield was situated firmly in the US north mid-
      west in the week that ``Marge vs. the Monorail'' aired.
    + An explanation for Jebediah's log cabin exploding in a ball of flame
      when the tree fell on top of it -- the large amount of toxic waste
      Mr. Burns must've hidden inside.
    + Homer holds the Springfieldian record for the most cigarettes smoked
      at once. (cf: the file photo used in Kent's report.)
    + In the inimitable alt.tv.simpsons fashion, we sought the origins of
      Nimoy's ``My work here is done.''  Likewise for the Marlon Brando
      impersonation.
    + The Emmy Award people have finally given in, and decided that
      nominations are now to be based on `Content, not form.'  This gives
      `The Simpsons' a chance at the best comedy series category.
    + A multitude of people have yet to master judicious editing of
      quotations in their follow-up articles.
    + ``Lisa the Greek'' is to air in North America on January 28th.
    + Maggie's affinity with Nature.
    + For those who might have missed it, Lyle Lanley was developed from a
      character in the broadway musical `The Music Man', written by
      Merideth Wilson.  The movie version starred the late Robert Preston.
    + Lurleen's voice now has the distinctive timbre of Doris Grau.
    + In his latest `Life in Hell' (published 15-Jan-93) MG settles the
      matter once-and-for-all to the spelling of Homer's ``D'ohh''
      ...but for how long?
    + The confrontations between Major Quimby and Chief Wiggum; nominations
      they are reminiscent of JFK and J. Edgar Hoover, and/or developed
      from Quinn Martin police dramas.
      The City charter that they argue over has a (no doubt intentional)
      likeness to the USA's Declaration of Independence.  The signatures
      were scattered around in the same pattern as the DoI, and Jebediah
      Springfield's clearly takes the place of John Handcock's.
    + A writer with a fondness for assonance must have chosen to use
      Lyle Lanley and Lurleen Lumpkin in the same episode...
    + The commercials for ``Marge vs. the Monorail'' have Krusty the Klown
      on the runaway monorail screaming he's going to die a Virgin; this
      disappeared before the final assembly.
    + The highly prized `most contrived reference of the week' award goes
      to ``They referred to The Simpsons in the Inauguration festivities.''
    + To cover up for the goof of Dr. Hibbert being in two places at the
      same time, his long-lost twin brother must have rode on the monorail...
    + It was suggested there `might' be a parallel with the Springfieldians
      arguing over the money from Mr. Burn's fine, and the Alaskans' doing
      likewise with the Exxon payment.
    + Secret messages are hidden in the eye-chart from ``Principal Charming''.
    + `The Great Potato Chip Debate of 1993'; the 2nd potato chip that
      Homer ate from Gladys bouvier's prized collection was identified as
      the WWII Iwo Jima monument.
    + A possible slip of the script?  Marge's mother's surname is Bouvier,
      yet her unmarried sister used the same surname.  To date, the most
      convincing explanation is the Bouvier women, sans Marge, keep their
      maiden name when they marry. (This would account for the `Bouvier'
      family quilt from ``Bart's Dog gets an F''.)
      Naming Marge's mother `Jackie' should make it clear why the creators
      chose this particular surname.
    + Mention that the significance of including Norman Fell (Mr. Roper
      from `Three's Company') in the cast for `The Erotic Adventures of
      Heracles' is a remark about has-been actors who wind up doing cameos
      in soft-core porn (or cartoons. ;)
    + The words for Robert Frost's `The Road not Taken'.
    + What must be an amazing coincidence if it wasn't deliberate.
      In ``A Streetcar Named Marge'', Bart asked if there were any jive-
      talking robots and frontal nudity.  A forereference to ``Selma's
      Choice'' ?
    + A practical explanation for Lisa's reaction to the canal water; she
      was under the influence of ergot intoxication -- a frequent problem
      when hops are stored in poorly maintained silos.

-- 
Chris Baird,,  <c8923075@mystra.newcastle.edu.au>
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons