Love, Springfieldian Style

"Love, Springfieldian Style" is the twelfth episode of the nineteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 17, 2008, three days after Valentine's Day. It includes three self-contained stories about romance. The three tales are parodies of Bonnie and Clyde, Lady and the Tramp and Sid and Nancy.^[1]

Plot

The episode begins on a Valentine's Day afternoon. As a Valentine's Day treat, Homer takes Marge to a carnival, where they leave the kids in order to spend the day with one another in the Tunnel of Love. Inside, the two enjoy each other's company; however, Bart attempts to spoil his parents' happiness by filling the water with Jell-O, causing Homer and Marge's boat to stop. Trapped, Homer decides to pass time by telling Marge the story of Bonnie and Clyde.

Bonnie and Clyde

In 1933, during the

After tricking a citizen (Flanders) into helping them, the two garner intense popularity across the country. The citizen they tricked soon realizes what had happened and betrays them to the police after learning they are an unmarried couple. The Texas officers soon arrive, and the police gun Bonnie and Clyde down. While being shot, Bonnie tells Clyde that she is looking for a man with more excitement, and that they would never have been together.

Back at the Tunnel of love, Bart and Lisa arrive at Homer and Marge's boat and want them to tell a child-friendly story. Marge tells the story of Shady and the Vamp.

Shady and the Vamp

Vamp (Marge) is a royal and luxurious female dog. Shady (Homer) is in love with Vamp and eyes her from a distance, vowing that he will win her. After Shady is trampled by a mob of children, Vamp comforts him, and he asks her out for dinner. The two go to

In a musical number entitled "Any Minute Now" (featuring canine versions of

• The title of the episode is a take-off of Love, American Style.
• The song played at the beginning of the episode is "L-O-V-E" by Nat King Cole.
• In the Bonnie and Clyde segment, the radio actors performing "The Bonnie and Clyde Hour" are drawn to resemble George Burns and Gracie Allen.^[2] The "Robby Robin" character is a parody of Woody Woodpecker.^[2]
• The "Shady and the Vamp" segment refers to the 1955 Disney movie Lady and the Tramp. The whole segment is uniquely animated in the painted art style that is reminiscent of Disney features. Coincidentally, "Homer" was another name considered for the character of Tramp.
• The dog Groundskeeper Willie takes into the gas chamber is based on Disney's character, Goofy.^[2]
• The final segment is a reference to the romance of
  Dave Vanian of The Damned
  ) are also seen in the bar.
• In the Bonnie and Clyde segment, when rebuffing Cletus, Marge says, "This is Texas, the future home of Hakeem Olajuwon", who would be famous in the 1990s playing for Texas-based NBA team Houston Rockets.
• In the Sid and Nancy segment, when at the bar, the song that the Sex Pistols (Bart, Nelson,
  Martin changes the jukebox song to "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers
  (prompting punishment by the bullies).
• The song played during the drug/chocolate montage is "
  The Buzzcocks
  .
• When one of the punks in the CBGB crowd comments that Sid and Nancy's song does not make him feel angry, but instead makes him feel his anger ebb; his mohawk goes down into an emo-style fringe.
• The song played at the end (transition to the credits) is a parody of "Taxi to Heaven" from the movie Sid and Nancy, originally performed by Pray for Rain.

Censorship

This episode was first broadcast in the

External links

• "Love, Springfieldian Style" at
  IMDb