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{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image = Bart and Skinner.webp
| episode_name = Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
| image = | caption =
| image_caption = | season = 5
| episode_no = 100 | episode = 19
⚫ | director = ]
⚫ | prod_code = 1F18
| airdate = April 28, 1994 | writer = ]<br />]
⚫ | production = 1F18
| show runner = ]
| airdate = {{Start date|1994|04|28}}
| writer=]<br>]
| guests = * ] as various animals
⚫ | director=]
| blackboard = "I will not celebrate meaningless milestones" | blackboard = "I will not celebrate meaningless milestones"
| couch_gag =The Simpsons sit on the couch as a translucent Fox station identification logo appears in the lower right hand corner of the screen. Homer sees it, gets up from the couch, peels it off, and stomps on it. | couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch as a translucent Fox network watermark logo appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. ] peels off the logo and everyone stomps on it.
| commentary=]<br>David Mirkin<br>Bill Oakley<br>Josh Weinstein<br>Bob Anderson<br>] | commentary = ]<br />David Mirkin<br />Bill Oakley<br />Josh Weinstein<br />Bob Anderson<br />]
| prev = ]
| season=5
| next = ]
}} }}
⚫ "'''Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song'''" is the nineteenth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']'', and the ] overall. It originally aired on the ] in the United States on April 28, 1994. In the episode, ] fires ] after a disaster at the school. ], feeling partially responsible for Skinner's firing, tries to help his old principal get his job back.


The episode was written by ] and ], and directed by ]. It was selected for release in a 1999 ] collection of selected episodes called ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits''. The episode features cultural references to films such as '']'', '']'' and '']'' and the television series '']''. The title is a reference to the film '']''. ], ], ], and Flanders' parents make their debuts in this episode.
⚫ "'''Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song'''" is the 19th episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ], and the 100th episode overall. It originally aired on the ] in the United States on April 28, 1994. In the episode, ] fires ] after a disaster at the school. ], feeling partially responsible for Skinner's firing, tries to help his old principal get his job back.


The episode was written by ] and ], and directed by ]. It was selected for release in a 1999 ] collection of selected episodes called ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits''. The episode features cultural references to films such as '']'' and '']''. The title is a parody of the film '']''. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. It acquired a ] of 12.7, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired. Since airing, the episode has received a positive critical reception from television critics. It acquired a ] of 12.7, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.


==Plot== ==Plot==
After dismissing the idea of taking Simpson family home videos and a ], ] brings ] to school for ]. Even though his show and tell presentation was well received by the class, the dog escapes into the school air ducts. ] is sent after the dog and catches it, but he chooses the wrong vent to exit and the fire department is called in to rescue him. As the firemen are attempting to rescue Willie, an outraged ] appears and fires ], much to Bart's shock. After failing to find an adequate object to bring for ] at ], ] decides to bring ] to school. Bart's show and tell presentation is well received by the class, but the dog escapes into the air ducts. ] sends ] through a vent to retrieve Santa's Little Helper. Willie catches Santa's Little Helper but becomes trapped in the ducts. As firemen attempt to rescue him, ] arrives for a surprise inspection. Willie falls from the vent and lands on Chalmers. Chalmers reveals he has reached a ] with Skinner's administration of the school, and fires Skinner.


Chalmers hires ] as the new principal of ], but when Flanders is hesitant to discipline the children, they run amok, and the school becomes a mad house. Meanwhile, Bart befriends the now jobless Skinner, as they laugh about anecdotes of Flanders's failure that Bart relates. Feeling lonely, Skinner eventually decides to re-enlist in the ]. Chalmers hires ] as the new principal of ]. Because of Ned's reluctance to use discipline, the children run amok and their academic ability falls further. Instead of rejoicing at the lack of discipline, Bart feels guilty for getting Skinner fired. Skinner and Bart become friends, and Bart informs Skinner of Ned's failure to run the school effectively. Feeling lonely, Skinner decides to re-enlist in the ]. However, Skinner is unable to effectively train the Army's new recruits, who do not respect him.


Instead of rejoicing in the discipline-less school, Bart feels guilty about causing Skinner's firing. In an effort to get Skinner his job back, Bart attempts to expose Flanders's poor leadership to Chalmers. Despite the state of chaos at the school, Chalmers is not concerned. However, upon hearing Flanders utter a brief mention of ] over the intercom, Chalmers immediately fires Flanders for reciting a ]. Skinner is soon re-hired as principal. Bart and Skinner share an amicable chat about their typically antagonistic relationship, then affectionately pat each other on the back. To get Skinner his job back, Bart helps Skinner get out of the Army by violating ] and tries to expose Ned's poor leadership to Chalmers. Skinner and Bart sadly note that once Skinner becomes principal again, their friendship cannot continue unless Bart becomes a good student, which Bart bluntly says is unlikely to happen. Despite the chaos at the school, Chalmers is unconcerned because he always disliked Skinner and because he believes all American public schools will soon be in a similar state of chaos. However, after hearing Ned utter a brief mention of God during school announcements, Chalmers becomes outraged by Ned's mention of religion in a public school. Chalmers fires Ned and re-hires Skinner. Bart and Skinner lament the end of their friendship. They embrace, and both walk away chuckling, revealing that Bart put a "Kick me" sign on Skinner's back, and Skinner put a "Teach me" sign on Bart's back.


==Production== ==Production==
].|alt=A portrait of a man with black hair looking at the viewer]] ]. |alt=A portrait of a man with black hair looking at the viewer]]
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was written by ] and ], and directed by ].<ref name="book"/> Oakley and Weinstein decided to do a Skinner and Bart episode because the staff wanted to take a deeper look the relationships of characters during the fifth season and, according to ] ], "slow down parts of the show to take time for more emotional episodes like this one". Much of Principal Skinner's behavior in the episode is based on teachers Oakley and Weinstein had in high school who, according to Oakley, were "sad, lonely guys who lived with their mothers."<ref name="Oakley"/> It was selected to air as the 100th episode of the show because the staff wanted that particular episode to focus on Bart.<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video | people=Mirkin, David|year=2004|title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was written by ] and ], and directed by ].<ref name="book"/> Oakley and Weinstein decided to do a Skinner and Bart episode because the staff wanted to take a diversion from the relatively wacky, fast-paced episodes that had comprised Season 5 so far and, according to ] ], "slow down parts of the show to take time for more emotional episodes like this one". Much of Principal Skinner's behavior in the episode is based on teachers Oakley and Weinstein had in high school who, according to Oakley, were "sad, lonely guys who lived with their mothers".<ref name="Oakley"/> It was selected to air as the 100th episode of the show because the staff wanted that particular episode to focus on Bart.<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
⚫ Leopold and Luigi were designed by ]. Anderson thought Luigi was one of the funniest characters on the show when he first read Luigi's lines during a ]. When Anderson skimmed through the script and saw Luigi's lines, he said he "frightened ] because I was laughing to myself, but trying to keep the laughter in because it was so damn funny."<ref name="Anderson">{{cite video |people=Anderson, Bob |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


⚫ ==Cultural references==
⚫ ], ], ], and Flanders's parents make their first appearances on the show in this episode. Leopold and Luigi were designed by ], one of the show's animators. Anderson thought Luigi was one of the funniest characters on the show when he first read Luigi's lines in the script during a table read of the episode, on the day of the recording sessions. When Anderson skimmed through the script and saw Luigi's lines, he said he "frightened ] because I was laughing to myself, but trying to keep the laughter in because it was so damn funny."<ref name="Anderson">{{cite video | people=Anderson, Bob|year=2004|title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
⚫ The title is a reference to ]'s film '']'' (1971).<ref name="BBC" /> The opening scene, in which ], ], and Bart watch a home video, is a parody of '']''; the theme from that series, the ] version of "]", plays.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The scene in which Santa's Little Helper runs through the school vent is a reference to a scene in '']'' (1979), as is Skinner's use of a heat-seeking tracer to pin down the positions of Groundskeeper Willie and Santa's Little Helper.<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} |page= |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 }}</ref> Skinner says he was shot in the back at a ] (USO) show while trying to get "] to put some pants on".<ref name="BBC" /> Skinner's attire and shots of him running with his troops are references to the 1987 film '']''.<ref name="Mirkin" /> Skinner tells ] of his plan to write a novel about an amusement park with cloned ]s, ''Billy and the Cloneasaurus'', which Apu rightfully (and angrily, at great length) condemns as ]; the premise is from ]'s '']''.<ref>Rayner, Ben. "Fine tooning: Trying to explain The Simpsons." '']'', October 24, 2004. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.</ref> When Martin is in a cage, he is singing the ] from ]'s opera '']''.


In describing the dynamic between Bart and Skinner, Lisa compares them to ] and ] and to ] and ], concluding that Bart needs Skinner as an adversary in order to be truly happy.<ref>"'The Simpsons' AZ; Springfield's finest." '']'', July 22, 2007. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.</ref> Skinner's line "We'll always have the laundromat" is a reference to a famous quote from ] (]) in '']'': "We'll always have Paris."
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 28, 1994.<ref name="BBC" /> The episode was selected for release in a 1999 ] collection of selected episodes called, ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits'',<ref name="amazon1">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simpsons-Greatest-Hits-Doris-Grau/dp/B00004CZ8S|title=The Simpsons: Greatest Hits (VHS)|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-10-17}}</ref> which also included the episodes "]", "]", "]", and "]".<ref name="amazon1"/> The episode was again included in the 2003 DVD release of the ''Greatest Hits'' set, which also included all the other episodes except "Trash of the Titans".<ref name="amazon2">{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simpsons-Greatest-Hits-Doris-Grau/dp/B0000BZNIZ|title=The Simpsons: Greatest Hits (DVD)|publisher=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-10-17}}</ref> "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was also included in ''The Simpsons'' season five DVD set, which was released on December 21, 2004.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Simpsons-Complete-5th-Season/4113|title=The Simpsons - The Complete 5th Season|publisher=]|accessdate=2008-11-30}}</ref>

⚫ ==Cultural references ==
⚫ The episode's title is a reference to the 1971 ] film '']''.<ref name="BBC"/> The beginning scene of the episode, in which ], ], and Bart watch a home video, is a parody of the television series '']''; ] from that series is also used in the background of the opening scene.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video | people=Oakley, Bill|year=2004|title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The scene in which Santa's Little Helper runs through the school vent is a reference to a scene in the film '']'', as is Skinner's use of a heat-seeking tracer to pin down the positions of Groundskeeper Willie and Santa's Little Helper within the ventilation system.<ref name="book">{{cite book|last=Richmond|first=Ray|coauthors=Antonia Coffman|title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family|publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|date=1997|isbn=0-00-638898-1|page=141}}</ref> Skinner says he was shot in the back at a ] (USO) show while trying to get "Joey Heatherton to put some pants on", a reference to American actress ].<ref name="BBC"/> Skinner's attire and shots of him running with his troops are references to the 1987 film '']''.<ref name="Mirkin"/> Skinner tells ] of his plan to write a novel about an amusement park with ]s called ''Billy and the Cloneasaurus'', which Apu rightfully condemns as a concept of ]; the book is a reference to the ] novel '']''.<ref>Rayner, Ben. "Fine tooning: Trying to explain The Simpsons." '']'', October 24, 2004. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.</ref> In describing the relationship of Bart and Skinner, Lisa Simpson compares them to ] and ], the famous characters from the Sir ] detective stories; she also compares them to ] and ], which she describes as mortal enemies.<ref>"'The Simpsons' AZ; Springfield's finest." '']'', July 22, 2007. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.</ref>


==Reception== ==Reception==
In its original American broadcast, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" finished 16th in the ratings for the week of April 25–May 1, 1994, with a ] of 12.7, translating to 12 million households. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings|work=The Denver Post|page=E10|date=May 5 1994}}</ref> In its original American broadcast, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" finished 16th in the ratings for the week of April 25–May 1, 1994, with a ] of 12.7, translating to 12 million households. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings |work=The Denver Post |page=E10 |date=May 5, 1994}}</ref>


Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics. The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "The 100th episode is a fine one, with Principal Skinner's idea for a novel and the conduct of the staff at the Italian restaurant as highpoints."<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season5/page19.shtml|title=Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song|accessdate=2008-04-12|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |date=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref> DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said the opening scene of episode reminded him of when he was in second grade and got a puppy for Christmas. Jacobson said, "I still recall the excitement when my mom brought into school for the others to see, and the first segment of reflects the atmosphere caused by a doggie visit. The rest of the episode gets into Skinner’s life nicely. Toss in a great ''Alien'' reference and the episode offers yet another solid show." Jacobson also said he liked the appearance of Flanders's "beatnik father".<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2009-01-24 |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfive.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993) |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |date=2004-12-21 |author=Jacobson, Colin }}</ref> Gary Mullinax of '']'' called the episode "very funny" and named it one of his top-ten favorite episodes.<ref>{{cite news|title=Homer's Odyssey|last=Mullinax|first=Gary|date=March 16 2003 |work=The News Journal|pages=14-16|accessdate=2009-02-08}}</ref> Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+ grade,<ref>{{cite web |accessdate=2009-01-24 |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason5.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season |publisher=DVD Verdict |date=2005-02-23 |author=Bromley, Patrick }}</ref> and Bill Gibron of ] gave the episode a 4 out of 5 score.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/13784/simpsons-the-complete-fifth-season-the/|title=The Simpsons - The Complete Fifth Season|last=Gibron|first=Bill|date=December 23 2004|publisher=]|accessdate=2009-01-09}}</ref> Dave Manley of DVDActive said in a review of ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits'' that it was "certainly one of the weaker – I can only assume the fact that it was episode 100 is what gets it onto this disc."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/simpsons-the-greatest-hits.html|title=Simpsons, The: Greatest Hits (UK - DVD R2) in Reviews|last=Manley|first=Dave|publisher=DVDActive|accessdate=2008-10-26}}</ref> Since airing, the episode has received a positive critical reception. The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "The 100th episode is a fine one, with Principal Skinner's idea for a novel and the conduct of the staff at the Italian restaurant as highpoints."<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=http://bbc.adactio.com/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season5/page19.shtml |title=Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song |access-date=2008-04-12 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
''DVD Movie Guide''{{'}}s Colin Jacobson said the opening scene of episode reminded him of when he was in second grade and got a puppy for Christmas. Jacobson said, "I still recall the excitement when my mom brought into school for the others to see, and the first segment of reflects the atmosphere caused by a doggie visit. The rest of the episode gets into Skinner's life nicely. Toss in a great ''Alien'' reference and the episode offers yet another solid show." Jacobson also said he liked the appearance of Flanders's "beatnik father".<ref>{{cite web |access-date=2009-01-24 |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfive.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993) |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |date=2004-12-21 |author=Jacobson, Colin }}</ref>
Gary Mullinax of '']'' called the episode "very funny" and named it one of his top-ten favorite episodes.<ref>{{cite news |title=Homer's Odyssey |last=Mullinax |first=Gary |date=March 16, 2003 |work=The News Journal |pages=14–16}}</ref> Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+ grade,<ref>{{cite web|access-date=2009-01-24 |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason5.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season |publisher=DVD Verdict |date=2005-02-23 |author=Bromley, Patrick |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116115733/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason5.php |archive-date=2009-01-16 }}</ref> and Bill Gibron of '']'' gave the episode a 4 out of 5 score.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/13784/simpsons-the-complete-fifth-season-the/ |title=The Simpsons - The Complete Fifth Season |last=Gibron |first=Bill |date=December 23, 2004 |publisher=] |access-date=2009-01-09}}</ref> Dave Manley of ''DVDActive'' said in a review of ''The Simpsons: Greatest Hits'' that it was "certainly one of the weaker – I can only assume the fact that it was episode 100 is what gets it onto this disc."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdactive.com/reviews/dvd/simpsons-the-greatest-hits.html |title=Simpsons, The: Greatest Hits (UK - DVD R2) in Reviews |last=Manley |first=Dave |publisher=DVDActive |access-date=2008-10-26}}</ref>

] writes that "Rather than going big and star-studded with its 100th episode, it got intimate and small with one of the subtlest episodes of the show's 1990s golden years. 'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song' is full of wonderfully realized little moments that convey volumes about characters, like the newly unemployed and rudderless Principal Skinner reciting the invariably hyperbolic names of laundry detergents. Nobody is going to buy a detergent called 'Adequate' with so many superlatively-named competitors on the shelves, and Harry Shearer's deadpan inflection clashes amusingly with the chipper words coming out of his mouth. The episode plunges deep inside the buttoned-down mind of Principal Skinner, exploring the sour sadness of his life with clear-eyed compassion and pity...'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadassss Song' ends as it must: With Skinner back as principal. He and Bart are comfortably enemies once more but a little of their short-lived friendship remains when Bart impishly puts a sign on Skinner's back and Skinner in turn puts a sign reading, 'Teach Me' on Bart's back. Instead of proving to the world how big and crazy and outrageous it could be, ''The Simpsons'' instead proved just how powerful and funny it could be at its quietest."<ref>{{cite news| last=Rabin| first=Nathan| title=The Simpsons (Classic): "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadassss Song"| work=]| url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-sweet-seymour-skinner-s-baadas-1798176460}}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist|2}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons#Sweet_Seymour_Skinner.27s_Badasssss_Song_.5B5.19.5D|"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"}} {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_5#Sweet_Seymour_Skinner.27s_Badasssss_Song|"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"}}
{{Portal|The Simpsons|Simpsons tv icon.svg}} {{Portal|The Simpsons}}
* at The Simpsons.com
*{{snpp capsule|1F18}} *{{snpp capsule|1F18}}
* at ] *{{IMDb episode|0777150|Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song}}

*{{imdb episode|0777150|Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|5}}


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Latest revision as of 19:27, 27 December 2024

19th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons
"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 19
Directed byBob Anderson
Written byBill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
Production code1F18
Original air dateApril 28, 1994 (1994-04-28)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Chalkboard gag"I will not celebrate meaningless milestones"
Couch gagThe Simpsons sit on the couch as a translucent Fox network watermark logo appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Homer peels off the logo and everyone stomps on it.
CommentaryMatt Groening
David Mirkin
Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
Bob Anderson
David Silverman
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Burns' Heir" 		Next →
"The Boy Who Knew Too Much"
The Simpsons season 5
List of episodes

"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" is the nineteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 100th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 28, 1994. In the episode, Superintendent Chalmers fires Principal Skinner after a disaster at the school. Bart, feeling partially responsible for Skinner's firing, tries to help his old principal get his job back.

The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, and directed by Bob Anderson. It was selected for release in a 1999 video collection of selected episodes called The Simpsons: Greatest Hits. The episode features cultural references to films such as Alien, Crocodile Dundee and Full Metal Jacket and the television series The Wonder Years. The title is a reference to the film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. Baby Gerald, Luigi Risotto, Assistant Superintendent Leopold, and Flanders' parents make their debuts in this episode.

Since airing, the episode has received a positive critical reception from television critics. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 12.7, and was the highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.

Plot

After failing to find an adequate object to bring for show and tell at Springfield Elementary School, Bart decides to bring Santa's Little Helper to school. Bart's show and tell presentation is well received by the class, but the dog escapes into the air ducts. Principal Skinner sends Groundskeeper Willie through a vent to retrieve Santa's Little Helper. Willie catches Santa's Little Helper but becomes trapped in the ducts. As firemen attempt to rescue him, Superintendent Chalmers arrives for a surprise inspection. Willie falls from the vent and lands on Chalmers. Chalmers reveals he has reached a breaking point with Skinner's administration of the school, and fires Skinner.

Chalmers hires Ned Flanders as the new principal of Springfield Elementary School. Because of Ned's reluctance to use discipline, the children run amok and their academic ability falls further. Instead of rejoicing at the lack of discipline, Bart feels guilty for getting Skinner fired. Skinner and Bart become friends, and Bart informs Skinner of Ned's failure to run the school effectively. Feeling lonely, Skinner decides to re-enlist in the United States Army. However, Skinner is unable to effectively train the Army's new recruits, who do not respect him.

To get Skinner his job back, Bart helps Skinner get out of the Army by violating Don't Ask, Don't Tell and tries to expose Ned's poor leadership to Chalmers. Skinner and Bart sadly note that once Skinner becomes principal again, their friendship cannot continue unless Bart becomes a good student, which Bart bluntly says is unlikely to happen. Despite the chaos at the school, Chalmers is unconcerned because he always disliked Skinner and because he believes all American public schools will soon be in a similar state of chaos. However, after hearing Ned utter a brief mention of God during school announcements, Chalmers becomes outraged by Ned's mention of religion in a public school. Chalmers fires Ned and re-hires Skinner. Bart and Skinner lament the end of their friendship. They embrace, and both walk away chuckling, revealing that Bart put a "Kick me" sign on Skinner's back, and Skinner put a "Teach me" sign on Bart's back.

Production

A portrait of a man with black hair looking at the viewer
Bill Oakley wrote the episode along with Josh Weinstein.

"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" was written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein, and directed by Bob Anderson. Oakley and Weinstein decided to do a Skinner and Bart episode because the staff wanted to take a diversion from the relatively wacky, fast-paced episodes that had comprised Season 5 so far and, according to show runner David Mirkin, "slow down parts of the show to take time for more emotional episodes like this one". Much of Principal Skinner's behavior in the episode is based on teachers Oakley and Weinstein had in high school who, according to Oakley, were "sad, lonely guys who lived with their mothers". It was selected to air as the 100th episode of the show because the staff wanted that particular episode to focus on Bart.

Leopold and Luigi were designed by David Silverman. Anderson thought Luigi was one of the funniest characters on the show when he first read Luigi's lines during a table read. When Anderson skimmed through the script and saw Luigi's lines, he said he "frightened Julie Kavner because I was laughing to myself, but trying to keep the laughter in because it was so damn funny."

Cultural references

The title is a reference to Melvin Van Peebles's film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971). The opening scene, in which Marge, Lisa, and Bart watch a home video, is a parody of The Wonder Years; the theme from that series, the Joe Cocker version of "With a Little Help from My Friends", plays. The scene in which Santa's Little Helper runs through the school vent is a reference to a scene in Alien (1979), as is Skinner's use of a heat-seeking tracer to pin down the positions of Groundskeeper Willie and Santa's Little Helper. Skinner says he was shot in the back at a United Service Organizations (USO) show while trying to get "Joey Heatherton to put some pants on". Skinner's attire and shots of him running with his troops are references to the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket. Skinner tells Apu Nahasapeemapetilon of his plan to write a novel about an amusement park with cloned dinosaurs, Billy and the Cloneasaurus, which Apu rightfully (and angrily, at great length) condemns as plagiarism; the premise is from Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. When Martin is in a cage, he is singing the Toreador Song from Bizet's opera Carmen.

In describing the dynamic between Bart and Skinner, Lisa compares them to Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty and to Mountain Dew and Mello Yello, concluding that Bart needs Skinner as an adversary in order to be truly happy. Skinner's line "We'll always have the laundromat" is a reference to a famous quote from Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) in Casablanca: "We'll always have Paris."

Reception

In its original American broadcast, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" finished 16th in the ratings for the week of April 25–May 1, 1994, with a Nielsen Rating of 12.7, translating to 12 million households. The episode was the highest-rated show on the Fox network that week.

Since airing, the episode has received a positive critical reception. The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote, "The 100th episode is a fine one, with Principal Skinner's idea for a novel and the conduct of the staff at the Italian restaurant as highpoints."

DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said the opening scene of episode reminded him of when he was in second grade and got a puppy for Christmas. Jacobson said, "I still recall the excitement when my mom brought into school for the others to see, and the first segment of reflects the atmosphere caused by a doggie visit. The rest of the episode gets into Skinner's life nicely. Toss in a great Alien reference and the episode offers yet another solid show." Jacobson also said he liked the appearance of Flanders's "beatnik father".

Gary Mullinax of The News Journal called the episode "very funny" and named it one of his top-ten favorite episodes. Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict gave the episode a B+ grade, and Bill Gibron of DVD Talk gave the episode a 4 out of 5 score. Dave Manley of DVDActive said in a review of The Simpsons: Greatest Hits that it was "certainly one of the weaker – I can only assume the fact that it was episode 100 is what gets it onto this disc."

Nathan Rabin writes that "Rather than going big and star-studded with its 100th episode, it got intimate and small with one of the subtlest episodes of the show's 1990s golden years. 'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song' is full of wonderfully realized little moments that convey volumes about characters, like the newly unemployed and rudderless Principal Skinner reciting the invariably hyperbolic names of laundry detergents. Nobody is going to buy a detergent called 'Adequate' with so many superlatively-named competitors on the shelves, and Harry Shearer's deadpan inflection clashes amusingly with the chipper words coming out of his mouth. The episode plunges deep inside the buttoned-down mind of Principal Skinner, exploring the sour sadness of his life with clear-eyed compassion and pity...'Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadassss Song' ends as it must: With Skinner back as principal. He and Bart are comfortably enemies once more but a little of their short-lived friendship remains when Bart impishly puts a sign on Skinner's back and Skinner in turn puts a sign reading, 'Teach Me' on Bart's back. Instead of proving to the world how big and crazy and outrageous it could be, The Simpsons instead proved just how powerful and funny it could be at its quietest."

References

  1. ^ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p. 141. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M.
  2. ^ Oakley, Bill (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  3. ^ Mirkin, David (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. Anderson, Bob (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song". BBC. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
  6. Rayner, Ben. "Fine tooning: Trying to explain The Simpsons." Toronto Star, October 24, 2004. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.
  7. "'The Simpsons' AZ; Springfield's finest." Chicago Tribune, July 22, 2007. Retrieved on 2009-02-16.
  8. "Nielsen Ratings". The Denver Post. May 5, 1994. p. E10.
  9. Jacobson, Colin (December 21, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993)". DVD Movie Guide. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  10. Mullinax, Gary (March 16, 2003). "Homer's Odyssey". The News Journal. pp. 14–16.
  11. Bromley, Patrick (February 23, 2005). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on January 16, 2009. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  12. Gibron, Bill (December 23, 2004). "The Simpsons - The Complete Fifth Season". DVD Talk. Retrieved January 9, 2009.
  13. Manley, Dave. "Simpsons, The: Greatest Hits (UK - DVD R2) in Reviews". DVDActive. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  14. Rabin, Nathan. "The Simpsons (Classic): "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadassss Song"". The A.V. Club.

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