Simpson Safari
"Simpson Safari" | ||
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Couch gag The family and a lot of acrobats form a kickline, which turns the living room into a large circus extravaganza. | | |
Commentary | Mike Scully Ian Maxtone-Graham Matt Selman Tim Long Yeardley Smith Mark Kirkland Michael Marcantel | |
"Simpson Safari" is the seventeenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 1, 2001. When the Simpsons run out of food thanks to a bag boy strike, the family finds an old box of Animal Crackers in their attic. In the box is a golden cracker that was part of a contest conducted by the owners of Animal Crackers. Finding out that anyone that found the golden cracker would win a trip to Africa, Homer shows it to the company's owners, who refuse to honor the prize. When he is injured by one of the box's sharp corners however, the family is given a free trip to Africa as compensation.
Although "Simpson Safari" was written by John Swartzwelder, the idea for the episode was pitched by a former staff writer Larry Doyle. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland, who had been to Africa as a child. Because of his visit there, Kirkland attempted to make the episode look as authentic as possible, even though the Simpsons trip to Africa was "all over the place" geographically.
The episode features Frank Welker as all the animals in Africa. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.7 million viewers, finishing in 42nd place in the ratings the week it aired.
Following its broadcast, the episode received mixed reviews from critics. The episode was also nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series in 2001.
Plot
While Marge takes Maggie to the hospital after Maggie swallows an issue of Time magazine whole, Homer, Bart and Lisa go grocery shopping. Homer and other shoppers at the store mistreat the bag boys, which results in every bag boy and server in Springfield going on strike, which extends to knocking self-packed grocery bags out of the hands of customers. When the Simpsons run out of food in their home, the family follows Santa's Little Helper into the attic, where he finds a 30-year-old box of animal crackers.
Homer bites into a solid-gold giraffe, which is the winning contest piece for a trip to Africa. The animal cracker company initially refused to honor the prize because the contest ended a number of years ago. But when Homer is hit in the eye by a sharp corner of the box, the company gives the Simpsons their Africa trip in order to avoid a lawsuit.
The family lands in
The Simpsons try to hold off the poachers, but eventually, they break into the sanctuary. The poachers are revealed to be Greenpeace activists, who prove that Dr. Bushwell is a chimp slave master, exploiting their labor at a nearby diamond mine. Worried that the Simpsons will report her to the authorities, Dr. Bushwell offers everyone diamonds as a bribe – which all the Simpsons except Lisa happily accept. On the plane ride back to Springfield, it is revealed that their former tour guide, Kitenge, is now president of the country, with the former president now the Simpsons' flight attendant.
Production
"Simpson Safari"'s setpiece shows some of Springfield's citizens mistreating the bag boys in a grocery store, prompting the bag boys to go on strike. The sequence was inspired by an
Mark Kirkland, who had visited Africa before, served as the director for "Simpson Safari". When he was sixteen years old, Kirkland spent six weeks in Kenya with a film crew that was making a documentary film called A Visit to a Chief's Son. When he first read the script, he found that the episode was "all over the place" geographically. "It would be like in the United States, saying: 'I walked out of Grand Central Station and then I turned left and was standing on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.' The locations are just all over the place" he said in the episode's DVD commentary.[3] Still, Kirkland strove to make the episode look as realistic as possible by drawing influence from his experience in Kenya.
For example, the steering column on Kitenge's
In a scene in the episode, the Simpsons are floating down a river on a shield. At one point, the family is seen by two Africans, who speak in
Release
In its original American broadcast on April 1, 2001, "Simpson Safari" received a 7.5 rating, according to
Former The Simpsons' showrunner Mike Reiss stated, at an April 2007 talk in Bristol, Connecticut, that "Simpson Safari" is one of two of the show's episodes that he dislikes.[8]
Following its home video release, "Simpson Safari" received mixed reviews from critics.
In his review of The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season, Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide described the episode as "lousy".[9] While he admitted that he found a couple of scenes funny, he argued that the episode over relied on broad gags and "never threatens to become inspired or amusing".[9] He concluded by describing the episode as "disappointing".[9]
Writing for Bullz-Eye.com, Will Harris gave the episode a negative review as well. He argued that the premise was "ridiculous", and that the episode "remind[s] longtime fans that the show's days of complete comedic perfection are behind them."[10]
On the other hand, DVD Verdict's Mac McEntire was entertained by the episode. Although he mostly enjoy episodes that are "down-to-Earth" and emphasize the Simpson family, McEntire wrote that the "less realistic, more over-the-top crazy" episodes like "Simpson Safari" comprises the season's best episodes.[11]
DVD Talk's Jason Bailey wrote that "Simpson Safari" makes use of one of his favorite story elements that he called a "wandering storyline". "Their habit of using the first act as a red herring, only semi-connected to the rest of the show, is ingenious and hilarious", he wrote.[12] "'Simpson Safari', for example, begins with an extended bit about a bagboy strike, which leads the family to desperate culinary measures, which then leads Homer to a box of animal crackers in the attic, which then leads to the discovery of a prize inside the box for the safari trip that encompasses the rest of the episode. They'd been doing this kind of thing for years, but it still plays".[12]
References
- ^ Maxtone-Graham, Ian. (2009). Commentary for "Simpson Safari", in The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Selman, Matt. (2009). Commentary for "Simpson Safari", in The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Kirkland, Mark. (2009). Commentary for "Simpson Safari", in The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- ^ a b c Scully, Mike. (2009). Commentary for "Simpson Safari", in The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
- MediaNews Group. Associated Press. April 5, 2001. p. 3E.
- ^ "The Simpsons". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- Allrovi. Retrieved July 31, 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Drzewiecki, James (April 19, 2007). "'Simpson' writer returns to a familiar scene". The Bristol Press.
- ^ a b c Jacobson, Colin (September 2, 2009). "The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season (2000)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ^ Harris, Will. "The Simpsons: The Twelfth Season". Bullz-Eye.com. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ^ McEntire, Mac (September 9, 2009). "The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2011.
- ^ a b Bailey, Jason (August 18, 2009). "The Simpsons: The Twelfth Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved July 31, 2011.