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| {{Infobox Simpsons episode | {{Infobox Simpsons episode | ||
| ⚫ | | image = | ||
| | episode_name = Monty Can't Buy Me Love | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | image = ] | |||
| | |
| season = 10 | ||
| | |
| episode = 21 | ||
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| director = Mark Ervin | ||
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| writer = ] | ||
| | production = AABF17 | |||
| | writer = ] | |||
| | |
| airdate = {{Start date|1999|05|02}} | ||
| ⚫ | | guests = * ] as Jerry Rude | ||
| | blackboard |
| blackboard = "I have neither been there nor done that" | ||
| | couch_gag = The family forms a chorus line, which turns into a large production number. | |||
| | couch_gag = The Simpsons rush in with the circus performers in a ] to form part of a circus extravaganza. | |||
| ⚫ | | |
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| | commentary = ]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>] | |||
| ⚫ | | |
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| | prev = ] | |||
| | next = ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| "'''Monty Can't Buy Me Love'''" is the twenty-first episode of '']'' |
"'''Monty Can't Buy Me Love'''" is the twenty-first episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It first aired on ] in the United States on May 2, 1999. In the episode, ] is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield. In order to win the people's love, Burns gathers the help of ], ] and ] to capture the Loch Ness monster. | ||
| The episode was written by ] and directed by Mark Ervin. The idea for the episode was pitched by the ''Simpsons'' writing staff, who wanted to make an episode in which Mr. Burns becomes a "thrillionaire", a millionaire who goes on thrilling adventures. Although it would originally be green, a mistake in the overseas animation led to the Loch Ness monster looking pink, a mistake that was ultimately too expensive to fix. | |||
| ==Synopsis== | |||
| {{spoiler}} | |||
| In its original broadcast, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was seen by approximately 7.26 million viewers, and finished in 43rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following the release of ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'', the episode received mixed reviews from critics. | |||
| It's a normal afternoon, and ] wants ], ], ], and ] to go for a walk. They do, and apparently arrive at a ], a venture of wealthy ]ian Arthur Fortune (modelled on British entrepreneur ]), who gives every one of his customers a dollar each. This embarrasses ], who shows up at the opening. He sees Homer, and asks him to help him to be loved by all. | |||
| ==Plot== | |||
| ⚫ | As his first activity, Burns |
||
| Fretting the family are becoming lazy, ] makes the family go for a walk, on which they arrive at the opening of a new ] (a parody of the real life Virgin Megastore). There, wealthy British entrepreneur Arthur Fortune (modelled on ]) easily charms the crowd and hands out dollar bills to his customers. This embarrasses the unpopular ], who asks ] to help him be loved by all. | |||
| ⚫ | As his first activity, Mr. Burns has Homer throw ]s from the top of a tall building, which instead of winning him popularity, causes injuries and terrifies the crowds below. Next, he writes out a check and tells Homer to donate it to the Springfield Hospital, but Homer is mistakenly believed to be the donor and receives the credit. Mr. Burns appears on a radio show called ''Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch'' but is mocked by the host. Feeling disappointed, Mr. Burns decides to go to ] to capture the legendary ] with help from Homer, Professor Frink and Groundskeeper Willie. After little progress, Mr. Burns has the ] drained of water to expose the creature. After subduing the monster single-handed (although it is not shown, it is mentioned that the monster swallowed him), Mr. Burns has it sent to Springfield to be unveiled, where 'Nessie' turns out to be friendly and charms all the spectators. | ||
| However, when the monster is being unveiled, Burns is being blinded by flash pictures, and as a result, he runs into a camera, which crashes, allowing fires to happen. In the aftermath of the incident, Homer and Burns agree to have Nessie get a job at Mr Burns's casino. | |||
| However, during Nessie's unveiling, Mr. Burns is blinded by camera flashes and starts a fire after crashing into the crowd. Homer then cheers up Mr. Burns by pointing out that being loved means you have to be nice to people every day, but being hated means you do not have to do anything, to which Mr. Burns agrees. In the end, Homer and Mr. Burns give Nessie a job at the 'Vegas Town Casino'. | |||
| ==Trivia== | |||
| * This episode was rated ] DL, the second time for ''The Simpsons.'' | |||
| * In line at the antiques appraisal show are:<br/> Herman with a German military helmet<br/> Dr. Hibbert with a vase<br/> Miss Hoover with some books<br/> Comic Book Guy with a copy of "]"<br/> Krusty scratching his back with a ]<br/> Apu with a statue of ]<br/> Principal Skinner with an old ]-bellshaped ]. | |||
| *Nessie appears to work at the casino created in the earlier episode, ]. | |||
| == |
==Production== | ||
| ] wrote the episode.]] | |||
| * In this episode Groundskeeper Willie meets his father. However in the episode '']'', when Willie is tending to the school Hamster's burial, he says "You're lucky you're getting a decent burial. Me own father got thrown in the bog" and in "I Love Lisa", Willie sobs to Skinner during Ralph's death scene in the George Washington play, "I dinna cry when my old man was hung for stealin' a pig." | |||
| "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was written by ] and directed by Mark Ervin. It originally aired on the ] in the United States on May 2, 1999. The inspiration for the episode came from the concept of "thrillionaires", a term the ''Simpsons'' writers found in an issue of '']'' to describe millionaires who "do really incredible stunts" and "go on amazing adventures".<ref name="Hauge" /> The episode's third act went through several incarnations, and the writers had a lot of ideas about what Burns should do once he has captured the Loch Ness monster. Eventually, the staff settled on the act's current iteration, which was conceived by ''Simpsons'' writer ].<ref name="Hauge">Hauge, Ron. (2007). Commentary for "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> According to current showrunner ], the color of the Loch Ness monster would originally be green, but when the overseas animation was completed, the Loch Ness monster had a "kind of pinkish" color. Because it would be too expensive to re-color all the cels in which the monster appears, the staff decided to air the episode as it was, even though the monster was in the wrong color.<ref name="Jean">Jean, Al. (2010). Commentary for "The Lastest Gun in the West", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> Inside the Fortune Megastore, ''Simpsons'' staff writer ] can be seen.<ref name="Maxtone-Graham">Maxtone-Graham, Ian. (2007). Commentary for "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> | |||
| The episode features American comedian and composer ] as Jerry Rude, a parody on the radio personality ]. Scully stated that McKean was "very funny" and that his Stern impression was "dead on the money".<ref name="Scully" /> The ''Simpsons'' staff originally asked Stern if he wanted to guest-star in the episode, but he declined. Actor and producer ] was portrayed by series regular cast member ], who voices ] among other characters in the series. Azaria also played Arthur Fortune, a character based on British ] ]. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that Branson would have been a "great guest" in the episode.<ref name="Scully" /> The episode also features Groundskeeper Willie's father, even though Willie in ] said that he was killed for stealing a pig.<ref name="Selman" /> | |||
| ==Cultural references== | ==Cultural references== | ||
| In the beginning of the episode, the Simpsons watch a television program called ''Cash in Your Legacy'', which is a parody of the ] program '']''.<ref name="Scully" /> Arthur Fortune is a parody of ] and Fortune Megastore is a reference to Branson's international record shop chain ].<ref name="Scully" /> On the cover of ''Billionaire Beat'', a magazine that Burns reads in the episode, business magnates ] and ] can be seen.<ref name="Selman">Selman, Matt. (2007). Commentary for "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> In a scene in the episode, Burns assumes that ''Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club'' is currently the most popular radio program; '']'' was a real radio program that, according to Scully, Swartzwelder used to listen to.<ref name="Scully">Scully, Mike. (2007). Commentary for "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' . 20th Century Fox.</ref> The ] film '']'' is also referenced in the episode.<ref name="BBC" /> Burns' unveiling of the Loch Ness Monster is ruined as the numerous camera flashes blind him, causing him to knock over some lights, starting a fire; this is a reference to the film '']'', although in the film, the flashes enrage the captured gorilla ], as opposed to his captor. The monster's roars are taken from the '']'' ].<ref name="ult">{{cite book |title=] |publisher=] |year=2010 |editor=Bates, James W. |editor2=Gimple, Scott M. |editor3=McCann, Jesse L. |editor4=Richmond, Ray |editor5=Seghers, Christine |isbn=978-0-00-738815-8 |edition=1st |page=512}}</ref> | |||
| * The title is a pun on ]' song ], whose refrain is ''"Money can't buy me love"''. A cover of the song appeared in the previous episode. | |||
| * The antiques appraisal TV show "Cash In Your Legacy" is a parody of '']''. | |||
| ==Reception== | |||
| * When the family visits the new MegaStore, Bart asks Homer for money. Homer then hands Bart, Lisa and Marge money much like in the intro of ] where Al hands money to Bud (his son), Kelly (his daughter), Peg (his wife), and Buck (the family dog). | |||
| In its original American broadcast on May 2, 1999, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received a 7.3 rating, according to ], translating to approximately 7.26 million viewers. The episode finished in 43rd place in the ratings for the week of April 26 – May 2, 1999.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prime-time Nielsen ratings |date=May 4, 1999 |publisher=Associated Press Company |author=The Associated Press |author-link=The Associated Press }}</ref> On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of ''The Simpsons – The Complete Tenth Season'' ] box set. Mike Scully, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Ron Hauge and Matt Selman participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Simpsons-Complete-10th-Season/6758 |title=The Simpsons – The Complete 10th Season |publisher=] |access-date=May 27, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019092410/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Simpsons-Complete-10th-Season/6758 |archive-date=October 19, 2012 }}</ref> | |||
| * Mr.Burns's press conference falling apart when all of the flashbulbs go off is reminiscent of ]. | |||
| * Bart derailing the train with a penny and having the penny smooshed flat is a reference to ] by Stephen King. In the introduction to the book, King talks about lies his friends told him as a child, among which were; a penny getting hit by a train would be flattened, and another telling him it would de-rail the train, leading him to the conclusion that it did both. | |||
| Following its home video release, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Currentfilm.com considered it to be 'one of the best Mr. Burns-centric episodes ever', and that it has 'some classic Burns moments, especially when Monty describes exactly what it took for him to capture the creature'.<ref name="currentfilm">{{cite web |url=http://www.currentfilm.com/dvdreviews9/simpsonss10dvd.html |title=Simpsons: Season 10 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |publisher=Currentfilm.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011191230/http://currentfilm.com/dvdreviews9/simpsonss10dvd.html |archive-date=October 11, 2007 }}</ref> Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, while the episode 'doesn't do a lot to expand the character', it 'manages a reasonable number of yuks'.<ref name="DVDmg" /> He added that "A fun Howard Stern-esque character done by Michael McKean helps make this a nice show."<ref name="DVDmg">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonten.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season (1998) |date=August 20, 2007 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |last=Jacobson |first=Colin |publisher=DVD Movie Guide}}</ref> David Plath of DVD Town wrote that the episode has 'some funny moments'.<ref name="dvdtown">{{cite web |url=http://www.dvdtown.com/review/simpsons-the-the-complete-10th-season/dvd/5056 |title=Simpsons, The: The Complete 10th Season (DVD) |date=August 17, 2007 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |last=Plath |first=James |publisher=DVD Town |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205073416/http://moviemet.com/review/simpsons-complete-10th-season-dvd-review |archive-date=5 December 2012 }}</ref> Giving the episode a mixed review, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'' said that the episode is 'very funny when it's funny, very poor when it isn't'.<ref name="BBC" /> They wrote that the best part of the episode is 'the Scottish stuff', and 'the idea that, once again, Burns is actually worried about his public image, as he was in "]"'.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season10/page5.shtml |title=D'oh-in in the Wind |access-date=May 27, 2011 |author1=Warren Martyn |author2=Adrian Wood |name-list-style=amp |work=]}}</ref> Jake McNeill, of Digital Entertainment News, gave the episode a negative review, and wrote that 'the story takes too long to get going'.<ref name="dignews">{{cite web|url=http://www.dignews.com/reviews/the-simpsons-season-10-review/ |title=The Simpsons: Season 10 |date=September 25, 2007 |access-date=May 27, 2011 |last=MacNeill |first=Jake |publisher=Digital Entertainment News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928144150/http://www.dignews.com/reviews/the-simpsons-season-10-review/ |archive-date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{Reflist}} | |||
| == |
==External links== | ||
| {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_10#Monty_Can.27t_Buy_Me_Love|"Monty Can't Buy Me Love"}} | |||
| *'''Lisa:''' ''(watching '']'' on a big screen TV)'' Ooh, I hear this really sucks. | |||
| {{Portal|The Simpsons}} | |||
| *'''Mr. Burns:''' ''(reading ''Billionaire Beat'' ])'' I can't believe it! I'm still not among the hundred most popular billionaires! I'm behind ], for God's sake! | |||
| ⚫ | *{{Snpp capsule|AABF17}} | ||
| *'''Mr. Burns:''' And now, presenting the ninth wonder of the world—the eighth being ]'s heavenly singing voice—I give you the Loch Ness monster! | |||
| *{{IMDb episode |id=0701181}} | |||
| *'''Arthur Fortune:''' I have some bad news from my ]. It seems I have too much money. Who wants a dollar?! <br/> '''Homer:''' ME!!!! <br/> '''Arthur:''' What's your name? <br/> '''Homer:''' I don't know! Just give it to me! | |||
| *'''Mr. Burns:''' Get to work! What do you think I'm paying you for? <br/> '''Homer:''' Uh...to work in your power plant? <br/> '''Willie:''' You're not paying me anything. <br/> '''Prof. Frink:''' You ]ped me. I remember it distinctly. With the grabbing and the ] and the ] in the mouth. It hurt meeeeeeeee. | |||
| *'''Homer:''' Hey, Willie, that old couple looks just like you. <br/> '''Willie:''' Tis my ma and pa. They own a ] which still has the same pool table on which I was ], ], and ]. <br/> '''Willie's ma:''' So ya back home now? <br/> '''Willie:''' Aye. <br/> '''Willie's pa:''' I suppos' ya'll be leavin' soon. <br/> '''Willie:''' Aye. <br/> (they then shrug and walk off) | |||
| *'''Willie:''' That was amazin' Mr. Burns. <br/> '''Mr. Burns:''' Well I was a little afraid when he swallowed me, but you know the rest. | |||
| *'''Marge:''' This Family's getting so lazy.<br/>'''Bart:''' I'm not lazy. I'm just...Lisa, finish my sentence for me.<br/>'''Lisa:''' Why don't you finish (fading) you're...own...darn..zzzzz (falls off couch) | |||
| *'''Marge:''' When was the last time we went for a good old fashioned family walk?<br/>'''Homer:''' Oh, we stopped those when the kids said I was too fat to carry. | |||
| *'''Mr. Burns''': ''(watching the people of Springfield doing the conga with Arthur Fortune)'' Bah. Anyone can lead a conga line. ''(to Smithers)'': Hop to it!</br>Conga conga conga!</br>We love Monty Burns more!</br>Conga like you mean it!</br>Please don't make me shock you! | |||
| *'''Bart:''' If you love me, you'll kill me. | |||
| *'''Otto:''' New Music? Man, all these bands are just ripping off ]. | |||
| *'''Mr. Burns:''' (blaring on horn) Step lively, Smithers. That orphanage won't demolish itself.<br/>'''Smithers:''' Sir, although I do enjoy your loud, excessive honking, it doesn't seem to be moving the crowd.<br/>'''Burns:''' Deploy the cow-catcher. | |||
| *'''Mr. Burns:''' Books and cocoa in the same store? What's next, a talking banana? | |||
| *'''Homer:''' Can we go home yet? My feet hurt. All this fresh air is making my hair move. And I don't know how much longer I can complain. | |||
| *'''Homer:''' Oh, you know what Arthur Fortune did lately? He donated two male pandas to the zoo and got them to mate, successfully! <br/> '''Mr. Burns:''' And a stunt like that impresses people? <br/> '''Homer:''' Oh, yeah. And I'm not easily impressed. ''(looking out window)'' WOW, a blue car! | |||
| *'''Bart (at Fortune Megastore):''' Hey, Dad, gimme fifty bucks. I gotta buy some things. Uh, better make it a hundred. ''(Homer hands him money)'' <br/> '''Lisa:''' Me too! ''(Homer hands her money)'' <br/> '''Marge:''' Homer, don't you think you're spoiling- ''(her voice trails off as Homer hands her money)'' | |||
| *'''Kent Brockman:''' Springfield is still swooning from the whirlwind visit of playful plutocrat, Arthur Fortune.<br/>'''Burns:''' Oh, the man has no idea how to behave like a billionaire. Where's the dignity? Where's the contempt for the common man?<br/>'''Brockman:''' This new breed of fun-loving billionaire is a welcome change from the classic joyless miser, brooding in his cavernous mansion...<br/> '''Burns:''' Bah! '''' Bah! Bah! Bah!<br/>'''Brockman:''' ...grasping a glass of ] with his thin, clawlike fingers '''' and a superior smirk on his greedy, soulless face.<br/>'''Burns:''' '''' I thought I had everything: money, good looks, strong, sharp teeth, but what's it all worth when nobody likes you? <br/> '''Smithers:''' I like you, sir.<br/>'''Burns:''' Are you still here?! | |||
| * '''Frink:''' Oh, my great good God. Gentlemen, your attention, please. I am detecting a gigantic amphibious life form! It's 80 meters long and it's heading this way! Oh, good glavin, it's on my shoe! It's a ...a small frog. Just get off. Just get off. Get out! Get out! Stupid machine. Oh, wait a minute, this isn't the monsterometer, it's the frog exaggerator! Mu-hey.<br/> '''Burns:''' We're the laughing stock of the town! <br/> '''Homer:''' Don't worry, Mr. Burns. We're gonna find that monster no matter how long it takes. Besides, I'm getting kind of used to wearing a kilt. Can you believe I'm a size four? Whoo!<br/> '''Pa:''' Ach.<br/> '''Man 1:''' Aye.<br/> '''Burns:''' Oh, it's pointless hunting for an animal that has 24 miles of water to hide in. Drain the lake.<br/> '''Willie:''' What?!<br/> '''Burns:''' You heard me. Deploy the delochinator. | |||
| {{The Simpsons episodes|10}} | |||
| == External links == | |||
| ⚫ | *{{ |
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| *{{imdb episode|id=0701181|episode=Monty Can't Buy Me Love}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 22:12, 18 December 2024
21st episode of the 10th season of The Simpsons
| "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 10 Episode 21 | ||
| Directed by | Mark Ervin | ||
| Written by | John Swartzwelder | ||
| Production code | AABF17 | ||
| Original air date | May 2, 1999 (1999-05-02) | ||
| Guest appearance | |||
| |||
| Episode features | |||
| Chalkboard gag | "I have neither been there nor done that" | ||
| Couch gag | The Simpsons rush in with the circus performers in a kickline to form part of a circus extravaganza. | ||
| Commentary | Mike Scully George Meyer Ian Maxtone-Graham Ron Hauge Matt Selman | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| The Simpsons season 10 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" is the twenty-first episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on May 2, 1999. In the episode, Mr. Burns is jealous of megastore owner Arthur Fortune, who is beloved by the people of Springfield. In order to win the people's love, Burns gathers the help of Homer Simpson, Professor Frink and Groundskeeper Willie to capture the Loch Ness monster.
The episode was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Mark Ervin. The idea for the episode was pitched by the Simpsons writing staff, who wanted to make an episode in which Mr. Burns becomes a "thrillionaire", a millionaire who goes on thrilling adventures. Although it would originally be green, a mistake in the overseas animation led to the Loch Ness monster looking pink, a mistake that was ultimately too expensive to fix.
In its original broadcast, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was seen by approximately 7.26 million viewers, and finished in 43rd place in the ratings the week it aired. Following the release of The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
Fretting the family are becoming lazy, Marge makes the family go for a walk, on which they arrive at the opening of a new Fortune Megastore (a parody of the real life Virgin Megastore). There, wealthy British entrepreneur Arthur Fortune (modelled on Richard Branson) easily charms the crowd and hands out dollar bills to his customers. This embarrasses the unpopular Mr. Burns, who asks Homer to help him be loved by all.
As his first activity, Mr. Burns has Homer throw silver dollars from the top of a tall building, which instead of winning him popularity, causes injuries and terrifies the crowds below. Next, he writes out a check and tells Homer to donate it to the Springfield Hospital, but Homer is mistakenly believed to be the donor and receives the credit. Mr. Burns appears on a radio show called Jerry Rude and the Bathroom Bunch but is mocked by the host. Feeling disappointed, Mr. Burns decides to go to Scotland to capture the legendary Loch Ness Monster with help from Homer, Professor Frink and Groundskeeper Willie. After little progress, Mr. Burns has the loch drained of water to expose the creature. After subduing the monster single-handed (although it is not shown, it is mentioned that the monster swallowed him), Mr. Burns has it sent to Springfield to be unveiled, where 'Nessie' turns out to be friendly and charms all the spectators.
However, during Nessie's unveiling, Mr. Burns is blinded by camera flashes and starts a fire after crashing into the crowd. Homer then cheers up Mr. Burns by pointing out that being loved means you have to be nice to people every day, but being hated means you do not have to do anything, to which Mr. Burns agrees. In the end, Homer and Mr. Burns give Nessie a job at the 'Vegas Town Casino'.
Production
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love" was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Mark Ervin. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1999. The inspiration for the episode came from the concept of "thrillionaires", a term the Simpsons writers found in an issue of The Economist to describe millionaires who "do really incredible stunts" and "go on amazing adventures". The episode's third act went through several incarnations, and the writers had a lot of ideas about what Burns should do once he has captured the Loch Ness monster. Eventually, the staff settled on the act's current iteration, which was conceived by Simpsons writer George Meyer. According to current showrunner Al Jean, the color of the Loch Ness monster would originally be green, but when the overseas animation was completed, the Loch Ness monster had a "kind of pinkish" color. Because it would be too expensive to re-color all the cels in which the monster appears, the staff decided to air the episode as it was, even though the monster was in the wrong color. Inside the Fortune Megastore, Simpsons staff writer Ian Maxtone-Graham can be seen.
The episode features American comedian and composer Michael McKean as Jerry Rude, a parody on the radio personality Howard Stern. Scully stated that McKean was "very funny" and that his Stern impression was "dead on the money". The Simpsons staff originally asked Stern if he wanted to guest-star in the episode, but he declined. Actor and producer Kevin Costner was portrayed by series regular cast member Hank Azaria, who voices Moe Szyslak among other characters in the series. Azaria also played Arthur Fortune, a character based on British business magnate Richard Branson. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Scully stated that Branson would have been a "great guest" in the episode. The episode also features Groundskeeper Willie's father, even though Willie in an earlier episode said that he was killed for stealing a pig.
Cultural references
In the beginning of the episode, the Simpsons watch a television program called Cash in Your Legacy, which is a parody of the PBS program Antiques Roadshow. Arthur Fortune is a parody of Richard Branson and Fortune Megastore is a reference to Branson's international record shop chain Virgin Megastores. On the cover of Billionaire Beat, a magazine that Burns reads in the episode, business magnates Bill Gates and Rupert Murdoch can be seen. In a scene in the episode, Burns assumes that Don McNeill and his Breakfast Club is currently the most popular radio program; Don McNeill's Breakfast Club was a real radio program that, according to Scully, Swartzwelder used to listen to. The Kevin Costner film The Postman is also referenced in the episode. Burns' unveiling of the Loch Ness Monster is ruined as the numerous camera flashes blind him, causing him to knock over some lights, starting a fire; this is a reference to the film King Kong, although in the film, the flashes enrage the captured gorilla Kong, as opposed to his captor. The monster's roars are taken from the Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus rex.
Reception
In its original American broadcast on May 2, 1999, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received a 7.3 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 7.26 million viewers. The episode finished in 43rd place in the ratings for the week of April 26 – May 2, 1999. On August 7, 2007, the episode was released as part of The Simpsons – The Complete Tenth Season DVD box set. Mike Scully, George Meyer, Ian Maxtone-Graham, Ron Hauge and Matt Selman participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Following its home video release, "Monty Can't Buy Me Love" received mixed reviews from critics. Giving the episode a positive review, Currentfilm.com considered it to be 'one of the best Mr. Burns-centric episodes ever', and that it has 'some classic Burns moments, especially when Monty describes exactly what it took for him to capture the creature'. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide stated that, while the episode 'doesn't do a lot to expand the character', it 'manages a reasonable number of yuks'. He added that "A fun Howard Stern-esque character done by Michael McKean helps make this a nice show." David Plath of DVD Town wrote that the episode has 'some funny moments'. Giving the episode a mixed review, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide said that the episode is 'very funny when it's funny, very poor when it isn't'. They wrote that the best part of the episode is 'the Scottish stuff', and 'the idea that, once again, Burns is actually worried about his public image, as he was in "The Joy of Sect"'. Jake McNeill, of Digital Entertainment News, gave the episode a negative review, and wrote that 'the story takes too long to get going'.
References
- ^ Hauge, Ron. (2007). Commentary for "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", in The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season . 20th Century Fox.
- Jean, Al. (2010). Commentary for "The Lastest Gun in the West", in The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season . 20th Century Fox.
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