HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: A Streetcar Named Marge
Date: 2 Oct 92 16:34:28 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dep't., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
In-reply-to: dranney@vern.informix's message of 02 Oct 92 01:47:12 -0400


In article <1992Oct2.054712.27893@informix.com> dranney@vern.informix
(David Ranney) writes (quoting me):

   >"A is A."  I thought I was gonna die.

   Perhaps I'm showing my own density here but...

   Was that some sort of Ayn Rand in-joke?

   I didn't get it.

Yes, Ayn Rand was a "philosopher" who claimed that a complex system of
epistemology, aesthetics, ethics, metaphysics and politics could be
derived from the simple, "self-evident" proposition that A == A.  Her
philosophical system is widely regarded as "right-wing," whatever that
means.

I don't personally have a problem with accepting "A == A" as
axiomatic, but I, personally, find the next few steps (near-axiomatic)
of her derivations are a little thin.  As a matter of personal
philosophy (just to disclose my personal bias on this), I don't
disagree with most of her major conclusions and I find that most
criticisms of her philosophy are shallow and miss the point entirely.
I'm sure that, in the next few days, I will have ample opportunity to
point out the flaws in such criticisms, disclaiming all the while any
deep admiration for Rand or her philosophical work.

I used "philosopher" in quotes above, not out of contempt for Rand--
quite the contrary, I regard her as worthy of study for a number of
reasons, not the least of which is the tremendous influence her books
have had over such a large number of people.  I just don't consider
her main contribution to society to be her "Objectivist" philosophy,
with the exception of the extolling of strong individualism in an age
of collectivism.  Now, her social criticism, on the other hand, ranges
from perceptive to downright brilliant, and she had a real knack for
cutting through the bullshit on a lot of issues.  Anyone who doubts
this is referred to her savage review (today it would be called a
"deconstruction") of B.F. Skinner's opus of mental masturbation,
"Beyond Freedom and Dignity."

ObSimpsons: No one has noted yet the torn-up program Homer played with
at the performance.  (Not at this site, anyway.)  This is a direct
"Citizen Kane" reference, but I can't claim credit for spotting it on
my own: I was alerted to it by the Tom Shales review I posted here
recently.
--
 From the catapult of:              |+| "If anyone disagrees with anything I
   _,_  J. D. Baldwin, Comp Sci Dept|+| say, I am quite prepared not only to
 _|70|___:::)=}-  U.S. Naval Academy|+| retract it, but also to deny under
 \      /   baldwin@usna.navy.mil   |+| oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From: bob@yenta.alb.nm.us (Bob Knight)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Kamp Krusty DYN
Date: 27 Sep 92 19:39:08 GMT
Organization: yenta unix pc, rio rancho, nm

bwatson@nyx.cs.du.edu (bruce watson) writes:

>Was that a software reference as Bart said; "Some of my books are in
>the original wrappers".

I doubt it---probably just a reference to Bart's unambitious study habits.

>Chief Starving Bear Weight Loss Center -- Is this Biosphere II ?

It looked more like a prison camp.  Not enough glass for Biosphere II.

>"Our nature hikes have become grim death marches" A reference to all those
>WWII movies, especially _Back to Bataan_?

No doubt.

>Bruce Watson  wats@nyx.cs.du.edu  Toy Cows, Toy Cows in Africa, Toy Cows
                                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If you have any wild idea where this song came from, please air it on
alt.tv.northern-exposure!

Bob Knight
bob@yenta.alb.nm.us
Albuquerque, NM
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: flaps@dgp.toronto.edu (Alan J Rosenthal)
Subject: Ben Hur ref'd again?
Organization: Dynamic Graphics Project, University of Toronto
Distribution: alt
Date: 27 Sep 92 20:22:45 GMT


I thought the wallet-making scene reminiscent of some of the rowing scenes in
Ben Hur, with the pattern the kids were sitting in, and the beating on the
drums.  I'm not sure if I'm right on this, except there have been references
to Ben Hur before.  Also, at the end the drummer sped up like they did in the
movie for "ramming speed"; was there any meaning to this?  Did it refer to the
exhortation to make wallets faster?  (Or do I have the wrong movie?  that would
be embarassing..)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: jroberts@shade.UWaterloo.ca (J. P. Robertson)
Subject: Yet another possible reference in ASNM
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 4 Oct 1992 22:18:15 GMT



Perhaps a tenuous reference, but...  Peanuts (the comic strip).

At the daycare centre, Maggie tried sucking her thumb (but didn't like
it), and another kid had a blue security blanket - ie. reference to
Linus Van Pelt.  Also, when the kids were building a pile of stuff
to reach the locker (their first, failed, attempt), a toy grand piano
was used - just like Schroeder's.

I'd be more certain if one of the babies had a Charlie Brown zig-zag
shirt on.  Comments?

P.S.  Some one posted that Bart said, "pain in my Gulliver".  Wasn't that
supposed to be "Pardon me, Gov'ner"?
---
Jeff Robertson
4A Systems Design Engineering
University of Waterloo
"Nothing is easy." - Jethro Tull
From: sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: A Streetcar Named Marge
Date: 2 Oct 92 19:33:30 GMT
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana

baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin) writes:

>"A is A."  I thought I was gonna die.

Could somebody explain this joke to me, please?



                 --Steve Stelter
                   sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: avison@cheshire.oxy.edu (James Bothwell Avison)
Subject: Re: Streetcar: Les Miz ref?
Organization: Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041 USA.
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 1992 17:08:10 GMT

Speaking of Les Miz reference, the name "Oh, Streetcar" reminds me of
a musical entitled "Oh, Calcutta!"  Conincidence?  Probably, since "Oh,
Calcutta" was the first nude musical, and Apu didn't bare it all for us...
				James
From: rjc@onion.princeton.edu (Raymond Chen)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Closing credits music (Was: Re: 9f24: New title track?)
Date: 27 Sep 92 17:50:50 GMT
Organization: Abject Admirers of Lisa Simpson

As Chris Baird is painfully aware, my local station puts an annoying
voice-over on top of the closing credits.  I know this also used to
the case for the San Francisco FOX station.

Al Wesolowsky asks:
>What other 'digressions' have there been for the closing titles?

[7g06] (Moaning Lisa) Bleeding Gums Murphy plays the sax.
[7g08] (Simpsons Roasting...) OFF sing a carol.
[7f05] (Dancin' Homer) Tony Bennett sings the Capital City song.
[7f11] (One Fish...) Homer watches bowling.
[7f12] (The Way We Was) Homer sings horribly.
[7f24] (Stark Raving Dad) Bart and Michael sing Lisa's Birthday Song.
[8f02] (Treehouse .. 2) A spooky version of the Simpsons theme.
[8f08] (Flaming Moe) Aerosmith performs "Young Lust".
[8f12] (Lisa the Greek) Marching band plays the Simpsons and Gracie themes.
       The Gracie "Shhh" is a ref's whistle.
[8f13] (Homer at the Bat) Terry Cashman sing's "Talkin' Baseball".
       The Gracie "Shhh" is the crack of a bat.

and Kamp Krusty, recently aired.

My favorite is easily [7f11].  I bet when it first aired, everybody just
sat there on the couch (optionally munching on snacks) watching Homer
just sit there on the couch munching on snacks watching television.

It just goes to show, ``There's a little Homer Simpson in all of us.''[7g03]

(I can imagine the writers laughing to themselves, "And they'll all
just sit there STARING AT THE TELEVISION SET LIKE AN IDIOT!")

And a capsule-related note:  Upon closer inspection, my computer is
in much sicker shape than originally diagnosed.  Consequently, my
capsule-writing duties have been suspended indefinitely.
--
Raymond ``Dear God, just give me one channel!''[7f13] Chen
From: andre@avalanche.Canada.Sun.Com (Andre Giroux # let me outta here)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: DYN:french canadian nuns ??
Date: 1 Oct 92 13:24:02 GMT
Reply-To: andre@avalanche.Canada.Sun.Com
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Hi...
I am not sure about this but, in Milhouse's girlfriend episode. When Samantha
goes to St-something, she says it's held by french canadian nuns. Later when
you see bart and Milhouse in the schoolyard, you can hear in the background
"la Marseillaise", France's national anthem !!!! not quite accurate, but funny
anyways

ag


---
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I know a lot of people who used to ski, I don't know anyone who used to
 snowboard"

 - from K2 Gyrator add

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: david.CLark@analog.COM (David Clark)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Birds movie ref.
Date: 2 Oct 1992 08:44:57 -0400
Organization: Widener University Mail/News Gateway
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.widener.edu


 In the scene where Homer tiptoes through the babies, it reminds our Simpson
viewing clan of Aliens II, where Sigourney (sp?) Weaver find the nest of
eggs and must get Newt ( I think that's his name) out of there. But, the 
shot of Hitchcock walking his dog outside the school tends to make me think
it was a ref. of The Birds. Either way, it was damn funny!!!

 Also, Maggie's musical talent seems to be like Lisa's. Where she was playing
Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies" on her xylophone. I thought that was great!

        Just my $.02 worth.
             Dave (Isn't that a new flavor of mace?) Clark
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: bwatson@nyx.cs.du.edu (bruce watson)
Subject: 'Streetcar Named Marge' - 8f18
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 17:22:32 GMT

No one mentioned: Fried Chicken, extra skin.

"We have a place for babies like you, the box." In the 'Great Escape'
wasn't it called the 'cooler'?

"I'm living in a cuckoo clock." Clockwork Orange?

Did anyone get the lyrics to the opening number of the play--the
song about New Orleans? ...all I got was: Stinking, puking vile...
I used to live there. It isn't that bad.

Man, if you line that (Otto's tatoo), you should see my butt -- Cher?

Krusty Brand Slender Vittles

Marge's projects: ..... the whole Lamaze thing.

--
Bruce Watson  wats@nyx.cs.du.edu  Toy Cows, Toy Cows in Africa, Toy Cows
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: ctalbott@mksol.dseg.ti.com (christopher j talbott)
Subject: Re: Kamp Krusty Vague Reference?
Organization: Texas Instruments
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 20:57:58 GMT

In article <Bv74nL.87J@news.cso.uiuc.edu>, madera@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu (Gangster) writes:
|> Bart's locker combination, 36-24-36...wasn't this the measurement
|> Sir Mix-a-lot wanted on a 5'3" woman in the song, "Baby Got Back?"
|> 
|> Just wondering...
|> 
|> --
|> Felix "The Gangster of Love" Madera 		 madera@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu
|> ============================================================================
|> "They say, `Don't be afraid of flying...you'll go when it's your time...';
|>  what if we're up there when it's the pilot's time...?" - Robin Harris

Not to burst any bubbles here, but 36-24-36 is more a reference to the 
"classic" female figure (most Playboy centerfold measurements hover around
those numbers), and that reference is FAR older than any flash-in-the-pan
rap artist's controversial single.  However, it's interesting to note that
those bust-waist-hip measurements usually work "best" on a woman about 5'8".

-Chris
-- 
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// Chris Talbott     ///////// ctalbott@mksol.dseg.ti.com ///////
/// Software Designer ///////// chris@ews7.dseg.ti.com     ///////
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
/// "There are very few personal problems that cannot be        //
///  solved through a suitable application of high explosives." //
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
From: jwlr@monet.cc.rochester.edu (James Willer)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Birds movie ref.
Date: 5 Oct 92 15:05:27 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

> In the scene where Homer tiptoes through the babies, it reminds our Simpson
>viewing clan of Aliens II, where Sigourney (sp?) Weaver find the nest of
>eggs and must get Newt ( I think that's his name) out of there. But, the 
>shot of Hitchcock walking his dog outside the school tends to make me think
>it was a ref. of The Birds. Either way, it was damn funny!!!

I can't believe no one has mentioned it yet, but....

Could it be possible that Aliens also paying homage to The Birds?

"Well, duh!" Marge Simpson (I forget which episode)

			James Willer
{the opinions above are probably NOT those of
 anyone at all}
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: dave@admiral.uucp (Dave Litchman)
Subject: Re: [8F24] Kamp Krusty
Organization: The Admiral's Unix System & The Grid BBS
Distribution: alt
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1992 18:02:01 GMT

In article <1992Sep25.054413.24299@CSD-NewsHost.Stanford.EDU> flournoy@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Raymond Suke Flournoy) writes:
>  Yeah, I really thought you could see a difference in the animation.
>From the way the characters moved, to some subtle changes in their
>facial expressions, the show had a somehow different look.  Was this
>the first episode done by the new company, or is this just my
>imagination?

Well, the 'Gracie Films' logo was still on the end of the episode. That's the
company that they're going to be replacing, right? Maybe they changed their
minds. 

And the animation *style* looked the same to me, if not the quality.


-- 
"Dammit Jim, I'm a free man, not a number!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ray, when somebody asks you if you're a god, you say YES!" -- Winston Zeddmore
From: baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Review of Kamp Krusty and Streetcar Named Marge
Date: 30 Sep 92 13:13:54 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dep't., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
In-reply-to: AH.PBL@forsythe.stanford.edu's message of 29 Sep 92 18:15:48 -0400

AH.PBL@forsythe.stanford.edu (Mark) writes:
>In article <BALDWIN.92Sep29113655@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil>,
>baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin) writes:
>>
>>Tune in early enough for tonight's season premiere, at 8 on Channel 5,
>>and you'll see some big, big stars make cameo appearances during the
>>opening credits.  [??? --jd]
>
>  I believe that he's talking about 'The Flintstones'.

Of course he was, I was too dense to get this.  Someone on this group had 
said something about an entirely new opening sequence, and I thought that
maybe a whole idea had been discarded or delayed, but that the new opening
had been shown to critics (such things happen all the time).

>>The only complaint that might be leveled at the first two shows of the
>>new season is that there's no sign of Montgomery Burns, the
>>hilariously evil overlord of the nuclear power plant where Homer
>>works.  We can only hope he'll return soon.
>
>  Agreed.  Also, no mention of Itchy & Scratchy in the next episode.
>  Of course, I'm looking forward to "I&S: The Movie" in a few weeks.

Well, it shouldn't need to be said that I am looking forward to "Itchy
and Scratchy:  The Movie" but of course I won't rest until there is a
24-hour Itchy and Scratchy cable channel.
--
 From the catapult of:              |+| "If anyone disagrees with anything I
   _,_  J. D. Baldwin, Comp Sci Dept|+| say, I am quite prepared not only to
 _|70|___:::)=}-  U.S. Naval Academy|+| retract it, but also to deny under
 \      /   baldwin@usna.navy.mil   |+| oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: jacobw@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Jacob Solomon Weinstein)
Subject: Re: A Streetcar Named Marge
Originator: news@nimaster
Organization: Princeton University
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 01:29:45 GMT

In article <BvGywC.KLC@news.cso.uiuc.edu> sjs28257@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Steve Stelter) writes:
>
>
>     Well, what we had here tonight was, IMHO, a fairly mediocre episode.
>Its bad points were cancelled out by its good points (and vice versa).

Whoa! I thought this was, by far, one of the funniest episodes I've
seen. And, I might note, so did the several folks I was watching it
with.

>     Obviously, the episode drew much of its humor from "A Streetcar
>Named Desire," and I would imagine that those viewers who were familiar
>with the play (or film) probably got a lot more out of this episode than
>those of us who aren't.  As it is, I probably missed out on a lot of
>in-jokes and references.

This is undoubtably true. In general, actually, the humor was pretty
in-jokey - the Ayn Rand Day Care Center, the shot of Alfred Hitchcock
walking his dog, and, of course, all the "Streetcar Named Desire" jokes.
Since I got most of the in-jokes, though, I loved every minute of the episode.
The "Kindness of Strangers" number was on of the funniest, sharpest pieces of 
satire I've seen on TV.
From: zorro@picasso.ocis.temple.edu (John Grabowski)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Review of Kamp Krusty and Streetcar Named Marge
Date: 2 Oct 92 03:52:00 GMT
Organization: Temple University
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

> They're a family to be valued, any way you look at them.

I wonder if George Bush agrees?    :-)


John
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: dave@admiral.uucp (Dave Litchman)
Subject: Re: J. O. Z. J. Springfield,, (Was: 8F24  Kamp Krusty)
Organization: The Admiral's Unix System & The Grid BBS
Date: Fri, 02 Oct 1992 18:26:09 GMT

In article <1aelk9INNmqu@cs.widener.edu> c8923075@mystra.newcastle.edu.au (Chris Baird) writes:
>
>Bruce Watson tried to mislead everyone with:
>> 
>> "Jebediah Obediah Zacariah Jenadiah Springfield."
>
>It should be:
>  "Jebediah Obadiah Zachariah Jedediah Springfield."

I believe he had the spelling of "Obediah" correct...


-- 
"Dammit Jim, I'm a free man, not a number!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
"Ray, when somebody asks you if you're a god, you say YES!" -- Winston Zeddmore
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: rcarter@nyx.cs.du.edu (Ron Carter)
Subject: Re: Streetcar blows!
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 92 03:48:21 GMT

Dr. Vincent Vaugn writes:
>... I watched this episode with a bunch of my friends, and, quite
>frankly, none of us were impressed...
>
>Jon Lovitz was wonderful as the voice of the crazy play producer.

Jon Lovitz was great, but he didn't get to speak his `Thespian' line
of `I was ACTING!' at all...

>Basically, the "Great Escape" and "Streetcar .." references went
>way ... over our heads--we all missed most of the jokes in them,
>including the "Birds" references, because none of us had ever seen
>these movies/plays/books/etc.

Ummm... if these references went over your heads, you aren't going
to like almost any of the Simpsons...  One of the marks of the
show are refs to -exactly- such things...

>...my friends and I consider ourselves fairly well educated but we
>just didn't understand the humor if it was in this episode.

Well educated, and -broadly- educated are two different things...
To -really- enjoy The Simpsons, it helps to have a `Jack (or Jill)
of all trades' kind of knowledge base...
--
Ron Carter |   Denver | Center for the Study of Creative Intelligence
  Director | Colorado | "A ... mind stretched by a new idea can never
rcarter@nyx.cs.du.edu | go back to its original dimensions."  -Holmes
From: nardi@csserverb.scs.usna.navy.mil (Peter A. Nardi)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: $$$$ for taping Simpsons
Date: 29 Sep 92 17:15:50 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dep't., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD
In-reply-to: g-martin1@uiuc.edu's message of 29 Sep 92 04:51:32 GMT

In article <BvBpHx.Awn@news.cso.uiuc.edu> g-martin1@uiuc.edu (Gregory A. Martin) writes:

>  1) I will offer $$$$ to anyone willing to tape future Simpsons episodes
>     for me, provided they are satellite-quality recordings (SVHS or
>     I could even live with good VHS SP) and the episodes are complete
>     (opening and closing credits, every frame of animation). Someone
>     who records from satellite would be ideal on both counts.
>
>					   Greg Martin
>					   g-martin1@uiuc.edu

Isn't this illegal-in a rather big way?  I suppose taping the show for your
private use is one thing, but offering (or soliciting) money is quite another.
Wait long enough and maybe Fox Video will sell you High Quality Simpsons 
Episodes on tape.

pete
nardi@csserverb.scs.usna.navy.mil
From: jwlr@monet.cc.rochester.edu (James Willer)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Re: Streetcar blows!
Date: 5 Oct 92 20:07:18 GMT
Organization: University of Rochester - Rochester, New York

lyford@dagny.webo.dg.com (Lyford Beverage) writes:

>By the way, did anyone else think that Troy MacClure (one of my favorite bit
>parts) did not sound like himself in this episode?

I noticed that too. I wonder what it means....

			James Willer
{the opinions above are probably NOT those of
 anyone at all}
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
From: cmag10@zx1.Darkcrystal.Cyberspace (toersi)
Subject: requesting simpsons-list
Organization: University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Fri, 2 Oct 1992 10:33:22 GMT


Hi.

(second try, second chance... :| )

For those who got offended by my .sig here's another request without:

Can anyone please mail me the list posted a few months ago, which
contains all simpsons episodes ever shown on tv in the US?

thanx in advance...

toersi
(cmag10@zx1.hrz.uni-dortmund.de or cmag10@ddohrz11.bitnet)
From: baldwin@csservera.scs.usna.navy.mil (J.D. Baldwin)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: A Streetcar Named Marge
Date: 2 Oct 92 00:39:00 GMT
Organization: Comp. Sci. Dep't., U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD

"A is A."  I thought I was gonna die.
--
 From the catapult of:              |+| "If anyone disagrees with anything I
   _,_  J. D. Baldwin, Comp Sci Dept|+| say, I am quite prepared not only to
 _|70|___:::)=}-  U.S. Naval Academy|+| retract it, but also to deny under
 \      /   baldwin@usna.navy.mil   |+| oath that I ever said it." --T. Lehrer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons