Catching up on The Simpsons, we find Krusty the Clown trying to market his patented brand of hard liquor, Homer Simpson rising to executive management level at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and Bart's new-found literary interests taking a surprising turn. Unfortunately, the main idea of a Mad Men homage needs the help of Bart's second adventure into the world of literature in as many weeks to save it.
Homer Simpson, Account Man
All is not going well at the market research-driven party to promote Absolut Krusty, hosted at the Simpsons' home. Homer has invited Mr. Burns to the party, but instead of the disaster it promises to be, the two sing "Come Josephine In My Flying Machine" (Now That's What I Call Music 1910) and Homer is rewarded by a promotion to account manager, replacing the seasoned and retiring veteran Robert Marlowe (John Slattery).
As Homer moves up the corporate ladder, he finds himself drifting away from his family, so much so that Bart has to read Lisa's bedtime story. The book is Little Women, and for Bart, the adventure is just beginning.
We're Still Using These Plot Conventions?
We are 493 episodes into The Simpsons now, and even I know that the idea of Homer being promoted (or otherwise moving to a better job) has been done before. I got this joke without ever seeing an episode of Man Men. While it is funny - and Homer's disconnected, desolate speech on the couch is wonderfully realized by Dan Castellaneta - the joke is resolved too simply. Will Homer choose his job over his family (who provide him with love and sex)? After 23 years on the air, the show should be able to figure out how to answer that question better than it did in "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants".
You Know It's Bad When Little Women Come To The Rescue
Bart's discovery, and enjoyment, of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women fares better. The bullies liking the book was an easy gag, but Dolph's confession that his fists are sisters, one named "Pocahantas" and the other "Sacagawea" was inspired. It's always nice to see Lisa be anything other than the precocious child prodigy, so her snuggling with a stuffed rabbit was hilarious (as was her impatience with Bart's inability to pronounce the word "impatient").
But I think the problem with "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants" is that it seems to be an obligatory Simpsons parody episode. The target was Man Men, and the episode was written around that. The jokes are good, overall; but unlike the stellar "The Book Job", this episode didn't tell its own story, instead hoping that we'd find the idea of The Simpsons doing Man Men funny on its own right.
It wasn't.
The Simpsons, "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants": 6/10. Some decent jokes, but the riff on Mad Men is a few years too late to make this episode a keeper.
Michael Perera - The only rule in writing is honesty. If you're honest, the words will write themselves.
