Hard Times

Hard Times is a Coca-Cola commercial that aired during Super Bowl XLIV, and features characters from The Simpsons.
== Plot ==
A newscaster (voiced by Maurice LaMarche) reports on (and jokes about) the loss of all of Mr. Burns' fortune. The television that the story is shown on gets carried away by Lenny and Carl. Mr. Burns watches in deep depression as all of his possessions get sold off and taken away by other citizens of Springfield (even Patty and Selma take away Smithers). He stands outside the padlocked gate of his mansion, which gets carried away by helicopters.
Later, a depressed Mr. Burns takes a walk in Springfield Park and watches a few Springfield citizens getting along: Nelson pushing Martin on the swing, Krusty pushing Plopper on the swing, Smithers nail-polishing Patty's nails while she and Selma are sun-tanning with two Cokes beside them, and Clancy Wiggum and Snake walking together handcuffed with a Coke in Wiggum's left hand and a Coke in Snake's right hand.
Mr. Burns then passes by Maggie and Gerald getting along (looking at each other while sucking pacifiers), and behind him, Gil is running a Coke stand and gives Apu armfuls of Cokes while Otto, Jonathan Frink, Jr, Horatio McCallister, Lindsey Naegle, Disco Stu, Mrs. Krabappel and Groundskeeper Willie are waiting in line for Coke. Behind Apu, Manjula, the octuplets, Helen, Reverend Lovejoy, Moe, Barney, Sanjay, Raphael and Princess Kashmir are hanging out.
He is about to hand over Cokes to the group behind him, but notices Mr. Burns walking in sorrow. Apu has an idea to cheer him up, so he walks towards Mr. Burns and offers him a Coke. Mr. Burns smiles, takes a sip of his Coke, catches a football and gets carried by Lenny and Carl as Homer, Marge and Bart look at him. Bart shakes a Coke bottle and gives it to Homer, who is excited about it, opens it, and gets sprayed by the Coke.
Many different others are getting along, too: Ned, Rod and Todd riding a tandem bicycle, Skinner and Agnes jogging, Grampa feeding pigeons, Janey jump roping with Sherri and Terri, Jasper using a metal detector, Disco Stu dancing, Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake, Mr. Teeny, Bumblebee Man, Sideshow Mel, Corporal Punishment and Tina Ballerina playing, Dr. Hibbert having a barbecue with Bernice Hibbert, Dr. Hibbert's first son, Dr. Hibbert's second daughter and Dr. Hibbert's second son, Otto hacky sacking, Lisa, Richard, Allison Taylor, Database, White-Haired Girl, Lewis Clark, Becky and Wendell maypole dancing, and Jimbo flying a kite made out of the artwork that he purchased from Mr. Burns' sale with Milhouse riding inside it. As the camera pans upwards to the Coca-Cola logo with their slogan at the time (Open Happiness) in the middle of the sky, the kite bumps into the logo, and Milhouse apologizes to it as he and the kite float down.
== Video ==
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Category:Commercials
Category:Real World Articles