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| {{Infobox Simpsons episode | {{Infobox Simpsons episode | ||
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| image = Bart Sells His Soul.png | ||
| | image_upright = 1.07 | |||
| | image = ] | |||
| | image_alt = A depicted scene from the episode, when Milhouse mocks Bart over the ownership of his soul as he holds up the paper. | |||
| | |
| caption = Promotional artwork for the episode | ||
| | episode_no = 132 | |||
| | |
| season = 7 | ||
| ⚫ | | episode = 4 | ||
| | airdate = October 8, 1995<ref>{{cite news | last =FOX.com | title ="Bart Sells His Soul" | work =The Simpsons.com | publisher =www.thesimpsons.com | url =http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0703.htm | accessdate =2009-03-31 }}</ref> | |||
| | |
| director = ] | ||
| | writer = ] | | writer = ] | ||
| | |
| production = 3F02 | ||
| | airdate = {{Start date|1995|10|08}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Bart decides to sell his soul to Milhouse for five |url=http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0703.htm |access-date=2009-03-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225042054/http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/0703.htm |archive-date=2009-02-25 }}</ref> | |||
| | blackboard = "I am not a lean, mean, spitting machine" | | blackboard = "I am not a lean, mean, spitting machine" | ||
| | couch_gag = The Simpsons drive to the couch in motorized clown carts<ref name="martyn" /> | | couch_gag = The Simpsons drive to the couch in motorized clown carts.<ref name="martyn" /> | ||
| {{ListGenBot-SourceEnd}} | |||
| | commentary = ]< |
| commentary = ]<br />Bill Oakley<br />Josh Weinstein<br />Greg Daniels<br />Wes Archer<br />] | ||
| | prev = ] | |||
| ⚫ | | |
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| | next = ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| "'''Bart Sells His Soul'''" is the fourth episode of |
"'''Bart Sells His Soul'''" is the fourth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It first aired on ] in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, ] scornfully dismisses the concept of the ], and to show he is serious in his ] he agrees to ] to ]. However, after several strange events make him think he really has lost his soul, he desperately tries to regain it. | ||
| "Bart Sells His Soul" was written by ], who was inspired by an experience from his youth where he had purchased a bully's soul. Director ] and his team of animators visited ] for examples to use in Moe's family restaurant. The episode includes cultural references to the 1968 song "]" by ], which is played during the show (as "In the Garden of Eden"), and ] poet ], as well as a ] of ]'s 1970 book '']'' | |||
| The episode was critically acclaimed and is regarded as one of the series' best. The creative team of ''The Simpsons'' puts the episode among the top five best episodes of the series, and series creator ] cited "Bart Sells His Soul" as one of his favorite episodes. Writers from the fields of ], ], ], and ] cited the episode in books discussing ''The Simpsons'' and the show's approach to the nature of the soul. It has also been used by secondary schools in religious education courses as a teaching tool. | |||
| ==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
| As punishment for changing the church's opening hymn as a prank to "]" by ], ] makes ] clean the ] pipes; ] also receives the same punishment for snitching on Bart. Bart is furious with Milhouse, who defends himself by saying he did not want his soul to go to hell. Bart declares that there is no such thing as a ], prompting him to sell to Milhouse for $5 a paper which reads "Bart Simpson's Soul". ] warns Bart that he will regret selling his soul, but he dismisses her fears. | |||
| Bart experiences several unusual phenomena, such as ]s refusing to open for him and no longer finding any humor in ]. He begins to fear that he really has lost his soul and tries to get it back from Milhouse, who refuses to return it for less than $50. After having a nightmare and being taunted by Lisa, Bart again desperately tries to persuade Milhouse to return his soul, going so far as to travel across town after the Van Houten family moved out of their house due to fumigation. Milhouse informs Bart that he traded the paper to ] at the ] for ALF-themed POGs. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | The next morning, Comic Book Guy tells Bart that he sold the paper, but refuses to reveal its new owner. Saddened, Bart walks home in the rain and prays to God for his soul in his bedroom. When the paper floats down in front of him, Bart discovers that Lisa bought his soul to return it to him. While she explains philosophers' views on the human soul, Bart eats the paper, overjoyed at getting his soul back. | ||
| Bart tries to get his soul back from Milhouse, who refuses to return it for less than $50. That night, Bart has a ] about being the only child in ] to not have a soul. Lisa also taunts Bart with a dinnertime ], leading him to make a desperate, all-out attempt to get the piece of paper back. Bart travels across town to where Milhouse and his parents are staying with his grandmother. The visit turns out to be fruitless; Milhouse had traded it to the ] at the Android's Dungeon. A frustrated Bart camps the rest of the night in front of the Android's Dungeon in order to be at the shop when it opens. | |||
| ⚫ | In the subplot, ] tries to expand his ] by turning his bar into a ] ] with the name Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag. However, Moe's surly personality proves to be unfitting for him running a family restaurant; that, along with the stress of running the business by himself, ultimately unnerves him, and he soon snaps at a little girl. The horrified customers abandon the restaurant, forcing Moe's to revert to a run-down tavern. | ||
| ⚫ | The |
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| ==Production== | ==Production== | ||
| The episode was written by ] |
"Bart Sells His Soul" was the second episode to have ] and ] as executive producers. Oakley and Weinstein wanted to start the season with episodes that had an emotional bias in an effort to center the Simpson family.<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video | people=Weinstein, Josh|date=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The episode was written by ], who originally had an idea for a plot that dealt with racism in Springfield. The writers did not think ''The Simpsons'' was the right forum for it, so Daniels suggested the idea of selling someone's soul, which originated in his childhood.<ref name="Weinstein"/> In ], Daniels encouraged a bully to sell him his soul for 50 cents, and then convinced classmates to frighten the bully into buying his soul back for an inflated price. Daniels repeated this ploy, but stopped when he realized that the only other person in history who has profited off others' souls was ], and that "scared" him.<ref name="Daniels">{{cite video | people=Daniels, Greg|date=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In the opening scene of the episode, the congregation of the First Church of Springfield are tricked into singing "]" by ]. Daniels had originally intended for the song to be "]" by British rock band ], but the producers were unable to obtain the rights for it to be featured in the episode.<ref name="Daniels"/> | ||
| The episode was directed by ]. |
The episode was directed by ]. Archer and his team of animators went to the restaurant chain ] to get inspiration for the background designs of Moe's family restaurant. He said it was "quite a task" to transform Moe's Tavern into a family-oriented establishment. Archer added that he was not "quite happy" with the result, and that they could have designed it "a little better".<ref name="Archer">{{cite video | people=Archer, Wesley|date=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Weinstein recalled that there was contention between the animators about the way Moe looked in the episode. Moe's original design includes a missing tooth, but Weinstein and Oakley felt that it did not "look right" because Moe was such a prominent character in the episode.<ref name="Weinstein" /> Archer showed the original design of Moe from the first season to the show runners, and said: "Here, look. He's got a missing tooth!", but the scenes that had Moe with a missing tooth in them were still reanimated.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video | people=Oakley, Bill|date=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Archer was disappointed with the dream sequence in which Bart sees his friends playing with their souls. Archer said that he had forgotten to tell the animators to make the souls transparent, so they were painted blue instead.<ref name="Archer"/> ] pitched the joke restaurant title "The Texas Cheesecake Depository."<ref name="sprcon">{{cite book |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |last2=Klickstein |first2=Mathew |title=Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons |date=2018 |publisher=Dey Street Books |isbn=978-0-06-274803-4 |page=73|location=New York City}}</ref> | ||
| The episode's ending, where Bart eats the piece of paper containing his soul, ultimately became a reoccurring gag in the series, involving characters eating paper. Notable episodes involving this include, "]", where Lionel Hutz eats the scale logo on his newspaper advert, "]" where Marge eats a book's page containing the ending of Joan of Arc's story, "]", where Homer turns assorted mail into a burger patty and eats it, and "]", where he eats a copy of The Amazing Spider-Man Issue 1, in front of Comic Book Guy, for Mr. Burns' amusement. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Cultural references== | ||
| ⚫ | On the DVD commentary for the episode, Daniels cited ]'s 1985 film '']'' as an influence on |
||
| ⚫ | During an argument between Lisa and Bart, Lisa quotes ]an poet ] |
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| ==Themes== | ==Themes== | ||
| Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in his 2003 book '']'' that "a good deal of enjoyment" is to be had from the episode, due to "the exposure of the hypocrisy behind 'the finance of salvation' and the ambivalent operations of the commercial world".<ref name="alberti">{{cite book | last =Koenigsberger | first =Kurt M. | editor =Alberti, John | title =] | publisher =Wayne State University Press | year =2003 | pages = | isbn =0-8143-2849-0 }}</ref> ], a fellow of ], believes that when Lisa lectures Bart about the soul, she "shows a degree of theological sophistication which is simply not tolerated in Britain."<ref name="cupitt">{{cite news | last =Cupitt | first =Don | title =Face to Faith: The Simpsons in search of Jesus |newspaper=] | date =February 24, 2001 }}</ref> Paul Bloom and David Pizarro wrote in the 2006 book '']'' that although Lisa does show "healthy religious skepticism", she still believes in an eternal soul.<ref name="brown" /> However, Lisa tells Bart at the end of the episode, "some philosophers believe that no one is born with a soul; you have to earn one through suffering, and thought, and prayer".<ref name="brown" /> Bloom and Pizarro acknowledge: "Indeed, some philosophers and theologians say that without belief in a soul, one cannot make sense of the social concepts on which we rely, such as ] and ]."<ref name="brown">{{cite book | last =Brown | first =Alan S. |author2=Chris Logan | title =] | publisher =BenBella Books | year =2006 | page =73 | isbn = 1-932100-70-9}}</ref> | |||
| M. Keith Booker cites the episode in his book ''Drawn to Television'', while discussing ''The Simpsons'' treatment of religion.<ref name="booker">{{cite book | last =Booker | first =M. Keith | title =Drawn to television: prime-time animation from the Flintstones to Family |
M. Keith Booker cites the episode in his 2006 book ''Drawn to Television'', while discussing ].<ref name="booker">{{cite book | last =Booker | first =M. Keith | title =Drawn to television: prime-time animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy | publisher =Greenwood Publishing Group | year =2006 | page =65 | isbn =0-275-99019-2 }}</ref> Booker cites a scene from the episode where Milhouse asks Bart what religions have to gain by lying about concepts such as the existence of a soul{{snd}}and then the scene cuts to Reverend Lovejoy counting his money; Booker believes that this implies that religions create mythologies so that they can gain money from followers. He juxtaposes this with Bart's realization later in the episode that "life suddenly feels empty and incomplete" without a soul, which suggests "either that the soul is real or it is at least a useful fiction".<ref name="booker" /> Mark I. Pinsky and Samuel F. Parvin discuss the episode in their book ''The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study'', and use examples from it to stimulate discussion among youth about the nature of the soul.<ref>{{cite news | last =Ostling | first =Richard N. (]) | title =What's Next For Bored Sunday School Classes? – The Simpsons | work =] | page =3F | date =August 10, 2002 }}</ref> Pinsky and Parvin note Bart's statement to Milhouse from the beginning of the episode: "Soul{{snd}}come on, Milhouse, there's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the ] or ]", and then suggest questions to ask students, including whether they know individuals that agree with Bart, and their views on the existence of a soul.<ref name="gospel">{{cite book | last =Pinsky | first =Mark I. | author2 =Samuel F. Parvin | title =The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study | publisher =Westminster John Knox Press | year =2002 | pages = | isbn =978-0-664-22590-2 | url =https://archive.org/details/gospelaccordingt0000pins_c1g6/page/27 }}</ref> | ||
| | last =Ostling | first =Richard N. (]) | title =What's Next For Bored Sunday School Classes? - The Simpsons | work =] | page =3F | date =August 10, 2002 }}</ref> Pinsky and Parvin cite Bart's statement to Milhouse from the beginning of the episode: "Soul — come on, Milhouse, there's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the ] or ]," and then suggest questions to ask students including if they know individuals that agree with Bart, and their views on the existence of a soul.<ref name="gospel">{{cite book | last =Pinsky | first =Mark I. | coauthors =Samuel F. Parvin | title =The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study | publisher =Westminster John Knox Press | year =2002 | pages =27-29 | isbn =9780664225902 }}</ref> | |||
| In '']'', ] quotes Bart's revelation to Lisa that he sold his soul to Milhouse for five dollars and used the money to buy sponges shaped like dinosaurs. |
In the 2004 book '']'', ] quotes Bart's revelation to Lisa that he sold his soul to Milhouse for five dollars and used the money to buy sponges shaped like dinosaurs.{{sfn|Turner|2005|p=125}} After Lisa criticizes Bart for selling his soul, Bart responds: "Poor gullible Lisa. I'll keep my crappy sponges, thanks."{{sfn|Turner|2005|p=125}} Turner comments: "Here Bart is the epitome of the world-weary hipster, using the degraded language of modern marketing to sell off the most sacred parts of himself because he knows that some cheap sponge is more real, hence more valuable, than even the loftiest of abstract principles."{{sfn|Turner|2005|p=125}} | ||
| ⚫ | ==Cultural references== | ||
| ⚫ | On the DVD ] for the episode, writer Greg Daniels cited ]'s 1985 film '']'' as an influence on Bart's night-time trek to retrieve his soul from Milhouse, only to experience a series of unusual encounters.<ref name="Daniels" /> Reverend Lovejoy leads his congregation in a hymnal version of the song "]", by ],<ref name="goldmark">{{cite book | last =Goldmark | first =Daniel |author2=Yuval Taylor | title =The cartoon music book | publisher =Chicago Review Press | year =2002 | page =254 | isbn =1-55652-473-0 }}</ref> titled "In the Garden of Eden", by "I. Ron Butterfly".<ref>{{cite news | last =von Sternberg | first =Bob | title =The gospel according to HOMER | work =] | page =05B | date =May 30, 1998 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Randolph|first1=Laurel|title=Cooking The Simpsons: Million Dollar Birthday Fries|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/08/cooking-the-simpsons-million-dollar-birthday-fries.html|access-date=August 26, 2016|magazine=]|date=August 17, 2016|archive-date=August 26, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826231114/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2016/08/cooking-the-simpsons-million-dollar-birthday-fries.html}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | During an argument between Lisa and Bart, while discussing the relationship between laughter and the soul, Lisa quotes ]an poet ], and Bart responds "I am ''familiar'' with the works of Pablo Neruda."<ref name="alberti" /> Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in '']'': "While Bart may be familiar with the canon of Chilean poetry, the joke takes its force in part from the probability that ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> viewers are not."<ref name="alberti" /> Bart begins a prayer to God with "Are you there, God? It's me, Bart Simpson". This is an allusion to the 1970 book '']'', by ].<ref name="alberti" /> During a piggyback fight with ], ] exclaims, "I'm Master Blaster," referencing the fearsome Thunderdome athlete from the 1985 film '']''. The chalkboard gag is a reference to the advertising slogan of the lean mean grilling machine by George Foreman. The title of '']'' episode "Skinless in Seattle" is a reference to the 1993 film '']''. When Ned Flanders says, "Well, I expect that type of language at ], but not here!", it is a reference to Denny's ] in the early 1990s. | ||
| ==Reception== | ==Reception== | ||
| In its original broadcast, "Bart Sells His Soul" finished 43rd in the ratings for the week of October 2–8, 1995, with a ] of 8.8, equivalent to approximately 8.4 million viewing households. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week after '']'', '']'', and '']''.<ref name="Ratings">{{cite news|title=Nielsen Ratings|work=]|page=6|date=October 12, 1995 }}</ref> | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Since airing, "Bart Sells His Soul" has received critical acclaim. In July 2007, an article in the '']'' notes that "Bart Sells His Soul" is seen as one of "the most popular episodes in ''Simpsons'' history".<ref>{{cite news |last=Young |first=Susan |title=Simpsons' creators pick perfect time to sent Springfield sillies to big screen |newspaper=] |page=Section: TV Film |date=July 26, 2007}}</ref> Noel Holston of the '']'' highlighted the episode in the paper's "Critic's choice" section.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holston |first=Noel |title=Critic's choice |newspaper=] |page=08E |date=December 30, 1995}}</ref> The '']'' described "Bart Sells His Soul" as "a particularly good episode" of ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{cite news |title=There's Never Too Much Time On My Hands |newspaper=] |page=A–7 |date=February 5, 2000}}</ref> The '']'' highlighted the episode in the season seven DVD release, along with the conclusion of "]" and "]".<ref>{{cite news |title=Get out! |newspaper=] |page=1D |date=December 13, 2005}}</ref> The '']'' called it one of the "show's most memorable episodes",<ref>{{cite news |title=Simpsons' magnificent seven |newspaper=] |page=F03 |date=April 2, 2006}}</ref> as did '']''.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=John |title=dvd reviews |newspaper=] |page=047 |date=April 20, 2006}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | The '']'' described the episode as "one of the darkest episodes of the Simpsons".<ref>{{cite news |
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| ⚫ | The '']'' described the episode as "one of the darkest episodes of the Simpsons".<ref>{{cite news |title=Shows are not afraid to take on politics and religion |newspaper=] |date=October 9, 2004 |url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13645057_ITM |access-date=2009-04-02 |via=AccessMyLibrary |archive-date=July 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717183509/http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13645057_ITM |url-status=live }}</ref> In their section on the episode in the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood comment: "Undoubtedly the most disturbing episode of the series, with Bart's nightmare of losing his soul{{snd}}illustrated by a macabre playground where all the souls of his playmates are visible, and his is tagging along with Milhouse{{snd}}more frightening than funny. ... An illustration of just how far the series could go by this point."<ref name="martyn">{{cite book|last=Martyn|first=Warren|author2=Adrian Wood|title=I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide|publisher=Virgin Books|date=February 10, 2000|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page4.shtml|isbn=0-7535-0495-2|access-date=December 20, 2019|archive-date=April 27, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030427140024/https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season7/page4.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> | ||
| ⚫ | In 2003, the episode was listed by '' |
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| ⚫ | The episode remains well-received among ''Simpsons'' staff. In April 2003, the episode was listed by the ''Simpsons'' creative team as one of the top five best episodes of the series, along with "]", "]", "]", and "]".<ref>{{cite news | last =McMullen | first =Marion | title =WEEKEND: WEEKEND TV: Woo-hoo! – 300 and not out — The Simpsons Creative Team's Top Five Episodes | work =] | date =April 19, 2003 |url= https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-100387513}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Mayer | first =Cathy | title =There's no business like Doh! business | work =] | date =April 19, 2003 |url= https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-100387000}}{{dead link|date=July 2021}}</ref> In a 2005 interview, ''Simpsons'' creator ] said he doesn't "have a single favorite" episode but cited "Bart Sells His Soul" and "]" as among episodes he loves.<ref>{{cite news | last =Porter | first =Rick | title =Groening ponders the future of 'The Simpsons' |work=Zap2it| via=Southern Illinoisan | page =7C | date =April 28, 2005 }}</ref> Bart's voice actress ] stated "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her top three episodes together with "]" and "]".<ref name="Cartwright">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3939359.stm|title=Voice of Bart Simpson steps into limelight|work=BBC|author=Oakes, Keily|access-date=2009-04-04|date=July 30, 2004|archive-date=October 12, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012211944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3939359.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Lisa's voice actress ] stated in an interview that "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her favorite episodes along with "]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhiSuXBGiak| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211115/ZhiSuXBGiak| archive-date=2021-11-15 | url-status=live|title=Yeardley Smith on one of her favorite episode of "The Simpsons" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG| website=]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> | ||
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| ⚫ | Commenting on the episode's themes in ''The A.V. Club'', Erik Adams writes that "If 'Bart Sells His Soul' has anything to say about the value of the human spirit, it's glimpsed in those final moments of Bart and his see-through Buddy ramming into Martin's rowboat. Obeying an authority figure like Lovejoy only does so much for the soul. Being true to yourself is much more spiritually nourishing." He adds that "I often think I quote 'The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show' more than any other episode, until I rewatch 'Bart Sells His Soul.'"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Erik |date=February 2, 2014 |title=The Simpsons (Classic): "Bart Sells His Soul" |website=] |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-bart-sells-his-soul-1798179409 |access-date=July 30, 2023 |archive-date=July 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230719143715/https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-bart-sells-his-soul-1798179409 |url-status=live }}</ref> The episode has been used in church courses in ] and in the ] about the nature of a soul,<ref>{{cite news | title =Religion Notes | work =] | date =February 21, 2004 |page=D4 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | last =Radnedge | first =Aidan | title =Sunday school turns to Homer Simpson | work =East Sussex County Publications | date =February 10, 2004 }}</ref> and was shown by a minister in ] in one of his sermons.<ref>{{cite news | title =Kirk minister puts Simpsons in pulpit | newspaper =] | date =October 9, 2004 | url =http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-13645058_ITM | access-date =2009-04-02}} (archived at AccessMyLibrary.com)</ref> A 2005 report on religious education in secondary schools, by the United Kingdom education regulator ] (Ofsted), noted that the episode was being used as a teaching tool.<ref>{{cite news | last =Harris | first =Sarah | title =On 7th day, God created.. |newspaper=Sunday Territorian | page =047 | date =January 1, 2006 }}</ref> | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| ⚫ | {{Portal|The Simpsons}} | ||
| * ] | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{ |
{{Reflist|30em}} | ||
| '''Bibliography''' | |||
| {{refbegin}} | |||
| * {{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=] |edition=1st revised |year=2005 |location=Cambridge |publisher=] |oclc=670978714 |isbn=978-0-306-81448-8}} | |||
| {{refend}} | |||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| ⚫ | {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_7#Bart_Sells_His_Soul|"Bart Sells His Soul"}} | ||
| {{Portal|The Simpsons|Simpsons tv icon.svg}} | |||
| * {{Snpp capsule|3F02}} | |||
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| *{{ |
* {{IMDb episode|id=0763025}} | ||
| * at The Simpsons.com | |||
| *{{Amg movie|229055}} | |||
| *{{imdb title|id=0763025|title=Bart Sells His Soul}} | |||
| *, at ] | |||
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| {{The Simpsons episodes|7}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 00:36, 31 December 2024
4th episode of the 7th season of The Simpsons
| "Bart Sells His Soul" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
 Promotional artwork for the episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 4 | ||
| Directed by | Wes Archer | ||
| Written by | Greg Daniels | ||
| Production code | 3F02 | ||
| Original air date | October 8, 1995 (1995-10-08) | ||
| Episode features | |||
| Chalkboard gag | "I am not a lean, mean, spitting machine" | ||
| Couch gag | The Simpsons drive to the couch in motorized clown carts. | ||
| Commentary | Matt Groening Bill Oakley Josh Weinstein Greg Daniels Wes Archer David Silverman | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| The Simpsons season 7 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses the concept of the soul, and to show he is serious in his skepticism he agrees to sell his soul to Milhouse. However, after several strange events make him think he really has lost his soul, he desperately tries to regain it.
"Bart Sells His Soul" was written by Greg Daniels, who was inspired by an experience from his youth where he had purchased a bully's soul. Director Wes Archer and his team of animators visited Chili's for examples to use in Moe's family restaurant. The episode includes cultural references to the 1968 song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, which is played during the show (as "In the Garden of Eden"), and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, as well as a parody of Judy Blume's 1970 book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
The episode was critically acclaimed and is regarded as one of the series' best. The creative team of The Simpsons puts the episode among the top five best episodes of the series, and series creator Matt Groening cited "Bart Sells His Soul" as one of his favorite episodes. Writers from the fields of religion, philosophy, popular culture, and psychology cited the episode in books discussing The Simpsons and the show's approach to the nature of the soul. It has also been used by secondary schools in religious education courses as a teaching tool.
Plot
As punishment for changing the church's opening hymn as a prank to "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, Reverend Lovejoy makes Bart clean the organ pipes; Milhouse also receives the same punishment for snitching on Bart. Bart is furious with Milhouse, who defends himself by saying he did not want his soul to go to hell. Bart declares that there is no such thing as a soul, prompting him to sell to Milhouse for $5 a paper which reads "Bart Simpson's Soul". Lisa warns Bart that he will regret selling his soul, but he dismisses her fears.
Bart experiences several unusual phenomena, such as automatic doors refusing to open for him and no longer finding any humor in Itchy and Scratchy. He begins to fear that he really has lost his soul and tries to get it back from Milhouse, who refuses to return it for less than $50. After having a nightmare and being taunted by Lisa, Bart again desperately tries to persuade Milhouse to return his soul, going so far as to travel across town after the Van Houten family moved out of their house due to fumigation. Milhouse informs Bart that he traded the paper to Comic Book Guy at the Android's Dungeon for ALF-themed POGs.
The next morning, Comic Book Guy tells Bart that he sold the paper, but refuses to reveal its new owner. Saddened, Bart walks home in the rain and prays to God for his soul in his bedroom. When the paper floats down in front of him, Bart discovers that Lisa bought his soul to return it to him. While she explains philosophers' views on the human soul, Bart eats the paper, overjoyed at getting his soul back.
In the subplot, Moe tries to expand his customer base by turning his bar into a family theme restaurant with the name Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag. However, Moe's surly personality proves to be unfitting for him running a family restaurant; that, along with the stress of running the business by himself, ultimately unnerves him, and he soon snaps at a little girl. The horrified customers abandon the restaurant, forcing Moe's to revert to a run-down tavern.
Production
"Bart Sells His Soul" was the second episode to have Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein as executive producers. Oakley and Weinstein wanted to start the season with episodes that had an emotional bias in an effort to center the Simpson family. The episode was written by Greg Daniels, who originally had an idea for a plot that dealt with racism in Springfield. The writers did not think The Simpsons was the right forum for it, so Daniels suggested the idea of selling someone's soul, which originated in his childhood. In high school, Daniels encouraged a bully to sell him his soul for 50 cents, and then convinced classmates to frighten the bully into buying his soul back for an inflated price. Daniels repeated this ploy, but stopped when he realized that the only other person in history who has profited off others' souls was Satan, and that "scared" him. In the opening scene of the episode, the congregation of the First Church of Springfield are tricked into singing "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly. Daniels had originally intended for the song to be "Jesus He Knows Me" by British rock band Genesis, but the producers were unable to obtain the rights for it to be featured in the episode.
The episode was directed by Wes Archer. Archer and his team of animators went to the restaurant chain Chili's to get inspiration for the background designs of Moe's family restaurant. He said it was "quite a task" to transform Moe's Tavern into a family-oriented establishment. Archer added that he was not "quite happy" with the result, and that they could have designed it "a little better". Weinstein recalled that there was contention between the animators about the way Moe looked in the episode. Moe's original design includes a missing tooth, but Weinstein and Oakley felt that it did not "look right" because Moe was such a prominent character in the episode. Archer showed the original design of Moe from the first season to the show runners, and said: "Here, look. He's got a missing tooth!", but the scenes that had Moe with a missing tooth in them were still reanimated. Archer was disappointed with the dream sequence in which Bart sees his friends playing with their souls. Archer said that he had forgotten to tell the animators to make the souls transparent, so they were painted blue instead. George Meyer pitched the joke restaurant title "The Texas Cheesecake Depository."
The episode's ending, where Bart eats the piece of paper containing his soul, ultimately became a reoccurring gag in the series, involving characters eating paper. Notable episodes involving this include, "The Day the Violence Died", where Lionel Hutz eats the scale logo on his newspaper advert, "Tales from the Public Domain" where Marge eats a book's page containing the ending of Joan of Arc's story, "The Great Louse Detective", where Homer turns assorted mail into a burger patty and eats it, and "Homer vs. Dignity", where he eats a copy of The Amazing Spider-Man Issue 1, in front of Comic Book Guy, for Mr. Burns' amusement.
Themes
Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in his 2003 book Leaving Springfield that "a good deal of enjoyment" is to be had from the episode, due to "the exposure of the hypocrisy behind 'the finance of salvation' and the ambivalent operations of the commercial world". Don Cupitt, a fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, believes that when Lisa lectures Bart about the soul, she "shows a degree of theological sophistication which is simply not tolerated in Britain." Paul Bloom and David Pizarro wrote in the 2006 book The Psychology of The Simpsons that although Lisa does show "healthy religious skepticism", she still believes in an eternal soul. However, Lisa tells Bart at the end of the episode, "some philosophers believe that no one is born with a soul; you have to earn one through suffering, and thought, and prayer". Bloom and Pizarro acknowledge: "Indeed, some philosophers and theologians say that without belief in a soul, one cannot make sense of the social concepts on which we rely, such as personal responsibility and freedom of the will."
M. Keith Booker cites the episode in his 2006 book Drawn to Television, while discussing The Simpsons' treatment of religion. Booker cites a scene from the episode where Milhouse asks Bart what religions have to gain by lying about concepts such as the existence of a soul – and then the scene cuts to Reverend Lovejoy counting his money; Booker believes that this implies that religions create mythologies so that they can gain money from followers. He juxtaposes this with Bart's realization later in the episode that "life suddenly feels empty and incomplete" without a soul, which suggests "either that the soul is real or it is at least a useful fiction". Mark I. Pinsky and Samuel F. Parvin discuss the episode in their book The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study, and use examples from it to stimulate discussion among youth about the nature of the soul. Pinsky and Parvin note Bart's statement to Milhouse from the beginning of the episode: "Soul – come on, Milhouse, there's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the Boogie Man or Michael Jackson", and then suggest questions to ask students, including whether they know individuals that agree with Bart, and their views on the existence of a soul.
In the 2004 book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner quotes Bart's revelation to Lisa that he sold his soul to Milhouse for five dollars and used the money to buy sponges shaped like dinosaurs. After Lisa criticizes Bart for selling his soul, Bart responds: "Poor gullible Lisa. I'll keep my crappy sponges, thanks." Turner comments: "Here Bart is the epitome of the world-weary hipster, using the degraded language of modern marketing to sell off the most sacred parts of himself because he knows that some cheap sponge is more real, hence more valuable, than even the loftiest of abstract principles."
Cultural references
On the DVD audio commentary for the episode, writer Greg Daniels cited Martin Scorsese's 1985 film After Hours as an influence on Bart's night-time trek to retrieve his soul from Milhouse, only to experience a series of unusual encounters. Reverend Lovejoy leads his congregation in a hymnal version of the song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", by Iron Butterfly, titled "In the Garden of Eden", by "I. Ron Butterfly".
During an argument between Lisa and Bart, while discussing the relationship between laughter and the soul, Lisa quotes Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, and Bart responds "I am familiar with the works of Pablo Neruda." Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in Leaving Springfield: "While Bart may be familiar with the canon of Chilean poetry, the joke takes its force in part from the probability that The Simpsons' viewers are not." Bart begins a prayer to God with "Are you there, God? It's me, Bart Simpson". This is an allusion to the 1970 book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., by Judy Blume. During a piggyback fight with Dolph Starbeam, Jimbo Jones exclaims, "I'm Master Blaster," referencing the fearsome Thunderdome athlete from the 1985 film Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. The chalkboard gag is a reference to the advertising slogan of the lean mean grilling machine by George Foreman. The title of The Itchy & Scratchy Show episode "Skinless in Seattle" is a reference to the 1993 film Sleepless in Seattle. When Ned Flanders says, "Well, I expect that type of language at Denny's, but not here!", it is a reference to Denny's racial discrimination lawsuit in the early 1990s.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Bart Sells His Soul" finished 43rd in the ratings for the week of October 2–8, 1995, with a Nielsen rating of 8.8, equivalent to approximately 8.4 million viewing households. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week after The X-Files, Melrose Place, and Beverly Hills, 90210.
Since airing, "Bart Sells His Soul" has received critical acclaim. In July 2007, an article in the San Mateo County Times notes that "Bart Sells His Soul" is seen as one of "the most popular episodes in Simpsons history". Noel Holston of the Star Tribune highlighted the episode in the paper's "Critic's choice" section. The Intelligencer Journal described "Bart Sells His Soul" as "a particularly good episode" of The Simpsons. The Lansing State Journal highlighted the episode in the season seven DVD release, along with the conclusion of "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular". The Sunday Herald Sun called it one of the "show's most memorable episodes", as did The Courier Mail.
The Aberdeen Press & Journal described the episode as "one of the darkest episodes of the Simpsons". In their section on the episode in the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood comment: "Undoubtedly the most disturbing episode of the series, with Bart's nightmare of losing his soul – illustrated by a macabre playground where all the souls of his playmates are visible, and his is tagging along with Milhouse – more frightening than funny. ... An illustration of just how far the series could go by this point."
The episode remains well-received among Simpsons staff. In April 2003, the episode was listed by the Simpsons creative team as one of the top five best episodes of the series, along with "Last Exit to Springfield", "Cape Feare", "22 Short Films About Springfield", and "Homer at the Bat". In a 2005 interview, Simpsons creator Matt Groening said he doesn't "have a single favorite" episode but cited "Bart Sells His Soul" and "Homer's Enemy" as among episodes he loves. Bart's voice actress Nancy Cartwright stated "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her top three episodes together with "Lisa's Substitute" and "Bart the Mother". Lisa's voice actress Yeardley Smith stated in an interview that "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her favorite episodes along with "Girly Edition".
Commenting on the episode's themes in The A.V. Club, Erik Adams writes that "If 'Bart Sells His Soul' has anything to say about the value of the human spirit, it's glimpsed in those final moments of Bart and his see-through Buddy ramming into Martin's rowboat. Obeying an authority figure like Lovejoy only does so much for the soul. Being true to yourself is much more spiritually nourishing." He adds that "I often think I quote 'The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show' more than any other episode, until I rewatch 'Bart Sells His Soul.'" The episode has been used in church courses in Connecticut and in the United Kingdom about the nature of a soul, and was shown by a minister in Scotland in one of his sermons. A 2005 report on religious education in secondary schools, by the United Kingdom education regulator Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), noted that the episode was being used as a teaching tool.
See also
References
- "Bart decides to sell his soul to Milhouse for five". Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2009.
- ^ Martyn, Warren; Adrian Wood (February 10, 2000). I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0495-2. Archived from the original on April 27, 2003. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- ^ Weinstein, Josh (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Daniels, Greg (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- ^ Archer, Wesley (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- Oakley, Bill (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Bart Sells His Soul" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
- Reiss, Mike; Klickstein, Mathew (2018). Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons. New York City: Dey Street Books. p. 73. ISBN 978-0-06-274803-4.
- ^ Koenigsberger, Kurt M. (2003). Alberti, John (ed.). Leaving Springfield: the Simpsons and the possibility of oppositional culture. Wayne State University Press. pp. 49, 55. ISBN 0-8143-2849-0.
- Cupitt, Don (February 24, 2001). "Face to Faith: The Simpsons in search of Jesus". The Guardian.
- ^ Brown, Alan S.; Chris Logan (2006). The Psychology of The Simpsons: D'oh!. BenBella Books. p. 73. ISBN 1-932100-70-9.
- ^ Booker, M. Keith (2006). Drawn to television: prime-time animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 65. ISBN 0-275-99019-2.
- Ostling, Richard N. (Associated Press) (August 10, 2002). "What's Next For Bored Sunday School Classes? – The Simpsons". The Wichita Eagle. p. 3F.
- Pinsky, Mark I.; Samuel F. Parvin (2002). The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study. Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 27–29. ISBN 978-0-664-22590-2.
- ^ Turner 2005, p. 125.
- Goldmark, Daniel; Yuval Taylor (2002). The cartoon music book. Chicago Review Press. p. 254. ISBN 1-55652-473-0.
- von Sternberg, Bob (May 30, 1998). "The gospel according to HOMER". Star Tribune. p. 05B.
- Randolph, Laurel (August 17, 2016). "Cooking The Simpsons: Million Dollar Birthday Fries". Paste Magazine. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
- "Nielsen Ratings". The Tampa Tribune. October 12, 1995. p. 6.
- Young, Susan (July 26, 2007). "Simpsons' creators pick perfect time to sent Springfield sillies to big screen". San Mateo County Times. p. Section: TV Film.
- Holston, Noel (December 30, 1995). "Critic's choice". Star Tribune. p. 08E.
- "There's Never Too Much Time On My Hands". Intelligencer Journal. February 5, 2000. p. A–7.
- "Get out!". Lansing State Journal. December 13, 2005. p. 1D.
- "Simpsons' magnificent seven". Sunday Herald Sun. April 2, 2006. p. F03.
- O'Brien, John (April 20, 2006). "dvd reviews". The Courier Mail. p. 047.
- "Shows are not afraid to take on politics and religion". Aberdeen Press & Journal. October 9, 2004. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012. Retrieved April 2, 2009 – via AccessMyLibrary.
- McMullen, Marion (April 19, 2003). "WEEKEND: WEEKEND TV: Woo-hoo! – 300 and not out — The Simpsons Creative Team's Top Five Episodes". Coventry Evening Telegraph.
- Mayer, Cathy (April 19, 2003). "There's no business like Doh! business". The Birmingham Post.
- Porter, Rick (April 28, 2005). "Groening ponders the future of 'The Simpsons'". Zap2it. p. 7C – via Southern Illinoisan.
- Oakes, Keily (July 30, 2004). "Voice of Bart Simpson steps into limelight". BBC. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
- "Yeardley Smith on one of her favorite episode of "The Simpsons" - EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 15, 2021.
- Adams, Erik (February 2, 2014). "The Simpsons (Classic): "Bart Sells His Soul"". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on July 19, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
- "Religion Notes". The Hartford Courant. February 21, 2004. p. D4.
- Radnedge, Aidan (February 10, 2004). "Sunday school turns to Homer Simpson". East Sussex County Publications.
- "Kirk minister puts Simpsons in pulpit". Aberdeen Press & Journal. October 9, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2009. (archived at AccessMyLibrary.com)
- Harris, Sarah (January 1, 2006). "On 7th day, God created.". Sunday Territorian. p. 047.
Bibliography
- Turner, Chris (2005). Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Defined a Generation (1st revised ed.). Cambridge: Da Capo Press. ISBN 978-0-306-81448-8. OCLC 670978714.
