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| ⚫ | {{Distinguish|Diary of a Mad Housewife}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Infobox Simpsons episode |
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| {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}} | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | {{Infobox Simpsons episode | ||
| episode_no = 323| | |||
| | image = | |||
| prod_code = FABF05| | |||
| | caption = | |||
| airdate = ], ] | | |||
| ⚫ | | season = 15 | ||
| ⚫ | |||
| | episode = 10 | |||
| | director = ] | |||
| blackboard = None| | |||
| ⚫ | | writer = Robin J. Stein | ||
| couch_gag = The family members each pop out of an ].| | |||
| | production = FABF05 | |||
| guest_star = ], ], and ]| | |||
| | airdate = {{Start date|2004|01|25}} | |||
| image = ] | | |||
| | guests = *] as himself | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| *] as himself | |||
| color = #EFEFEF | |||
| *] as themselves | |||
| | couch_gag = The Simpsons' heads pop out of a slice of ]. ] takes a bite out of the pie. | |||
| | commentary = ]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />]<br />] | |||
| | prev = ] | |||
| | next = ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| "'''Diatribe of a Mad Housewife'''" is the tenth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on the ] in the United States on January 25, 2004. ] is inspired to write a ], though after ] hears rumors that Marge is secretly in love with ] due to the storyline of the novel, he grows jealous. Meanwhile, Homer buys an ] and becomes an ambulance driver. | |||
| ⚫ | ==Plot== | ||
| "'''Diatribe of a Mad Housewife'''" is the tenth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ], first aired on ], ]. The title ] off of the book and film "]." | |||
| After his reckless driving causes an accident, ] is fired from his job at the ]. Homer attempts to become a car salesman but ends up purchasing a 1959 ambulance; he begins acting as a paramedic. Meanwhile, ] is inspired to write a novel after a visit to a bookstore and begins to write about ] times. The main characters in Marge's novel are inspired by herself, Homer (who is the villain), and ], while romance is the central theme; she had originally intended for the Homer-inspired character to be the romantic hero, but was dissuaded when Homer asked her to use the computer to take down a dinner order. She completes the book, titled ''The Harpooned Heart'', and after it receives positive reviews, she decides to get it published. ] soon begins to spread rumors that the novel is based on Marge's life. | |||
| After Homer is teased by several people, who imply that Ned is Marge's secret love, Homer decides to read the book. However, after falling asleep on page one and lying to Marge that he had read the book and approved of it, he listens to the audiobook version (read by the Olsen Twins). After arguing with Marge, Homer decides to confront Ned. Lisa tells Bart that she fears that Homer and Ned's altercation may end the same way as ''The Harpooned Heart'', in which both the hero and villain died. When Ned flees, Homer chases him in his ambulance. Ned is sure Homer is going to kill him when he is cornered, but is stunned when Homer drops to his knees and begs Ned to show him how to be a good husband. Marge arrives in a panic but is relieved that Homer and Ned are speaking. Homer declares that the book was a wake-up call for him. Homer and Marge then decide to create a novel, titled "Who Really Killed ]". | |||
| __TOC__ | |||
| == |
==Production== | ||
| In the episode, reclusive author ] has a cameo "appearance", his face hidden by a paper bag with a question mark on it.<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://archive.org/details/drawntotelevisio0000book | url-access = registration | page = | quote = Diatribe of a Mad Housewife. | title = Drawn to Television: Prime-time Animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy | publisher = ] | isbn = 9780275990190 | last1 = Booker | first1 = M. Keith | date = 2006-01-01}}</ref> This is intended to satirise the author's "own carefully crafted anonymity". His appearance on ''The Simpsons'' was "his only sanctioned authorial image in decades".<ref>{{Cite thesis| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=JWGviENjgLsC&dq=%22Diatribe+of+a+Mad+Housewife%22&pg=PA47 | title = The Social Lives of Books: Literary Networks in Contemporary American Fiction | last1 = Finn | first1 = Edward Frederick | date= May 2011|degree=PhD|publisher=]|page=47}}</ref> He later appeared in the ] episode "]".<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=77eNSYr2gsQC&dq=%22Diatribe+of+a+Mad+Housewife%22&pg=PA4 | title = Thomas Pynchon and the Dark Passages of History | isbn = 9780820337098 | last1 = Cowart | first1 = David | date = 2012-01-15|page=4|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| {{spoiler}} | |||
| ], parodying his sensitivity about showing his face publicly]] | |||
| Dr. Marvin Monroe appears in this episode. He had not been seen since early seasons. ], who plays him, did not like doing the voice as it hurt his throat. The character had been subtly suggested to be dead and mentions in this episode that he has just "been very sick". | |||
| ] is at the local ] Burger drive-in window, ordering nearly everything on the menu and even asks for the paper bag to be deep-fried and finally a Diet Coke... deep-fried. As he drives to work, he eats the food, placing them all over his body for easy access. Suddenly, as he bites into a burrito, the filling flies out and splatters all over the ]. Unable to see the road (and trying to see it using the glass on his ]), he swerves towards the ]. Meanwhile, at the plant, ] seems to have finally impressed a security inspector with his security arrangements. But Homer crashes through the wall and hits the inspector. Homer is fired immediately and thrown out unceremoniously, along with his car. | |||
| ''The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh!'' cites a section of dialogue from the episode to illustrate its point that "Homer and Marge don't seem to be very good at communicating before making important decisions".<ref>{{Citation |first=Mike|last=Byrne|contribution=The Cafeteria Deep Fryer Is Not a Toy| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=Tjp9HhJDUoYC&dq=%22Diatribe+of+a+Mad+Housewife%22&pg=PA103 | title = The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh! | isbn = 9781935251392 |editor1-first=Alan S.|editor1-last=Brown |editor2-first=Chris|editor2-last=Logan | date = 2013-08-21|page=103|publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
| Meanwhile, ], ] and ] go to a book store (with contains a lot of advertising on DVDs, software, etc, but little on books). While Lisa runs off to see the books (which reside at the second level of the book store) and Bart tease the ]s by fooling them that there's a ] looking for a person with Ph.D., Marge sees one of her favourite bestselling authors giving a book reading of her latest love stories. After the reading, she asks her if she can also be a writer. The author encourages her to try and Marge decides to give it a shot. | |||
| ==Critical reception== | |||
| Meanwhile, Homer walks around dejectedly. He comes upon a "Help Wanted" sign at a Used Car Lot. He takes a job there. The owner tells him that after they give all the details to the customers, they go in the next room and watch them through a ]. Homer tries this with two customers, and laughs a little bit too diabolically and leaves. The customers are spooked - they discuss Homer's ] (and his peculiar habit of turning up the radio to hide the smell) and then they leave the office. Later, as he tours the used car lot, Homer sees an ] from the ]. The owner tells him that nobody wants it and that nothing works correctly except the ]. Homer gets tempted and takes the ambulance after hearing the siren (which he hears saying "Buy Me! Buy Me Buy Me!"). | |||
| ''DVD Movie Guide'' commented that the episode over-explained a decent joke – about '']'' – making it lose its funniness. The site added that "'Diatribe' takes two lackluster premises to combine into a forgettable show".<ref>{{cite web|first=Colin|last=Jacobson|date=December 13, 2012|url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfifteen.shtml|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifteenth Season (2003)|website=DVD Movie Guide|accessdate=26 May 2018|archive-date=August 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170806152020/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfifteen.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2009, '']'' included the episode in its list of "10 Simpsons episodes from the past 5 seasons that stand among the series’ best." The article commended Robin J. Stein's writing as well as Pynchon's and the Olson twins' cameos while pointing out the episode "travels a well-worn path in the ''Simpsons'' story arc."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/in-a-way-they-re-all-winners-10-simpsons-episodes-fro-1798216060|title=In a way, they're all winners: 10 Simpsons episodes from the past 5 seasons that stand among the series' best|first1=Kyle|last1=Ryan|first2=Genevieve|last2=Koski|first3=Steve|last3=Heisler|website=]|date=March 23, 2009|accessdate=January 29, 2022|archive-date=December 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201195010/https://www.avclub.com/in-a-way-they-re-all-winners-10-simpsons-episodes-fro-1798216060|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| He drives home, blaring the siren, and tells his family that he has left his job as a used-car salesman and has become an ] driver. Marge is none too pleased to hear that he has lost two jobs and bought an ambulance, without consulting with her. She asks him to take care of the kids while she writes her novel. He agrees to take them along in the ambulance. Bart teases Lisa with a ], while Lisa retaliates with a ]-filled ]. Homer takes them away from the kids and uses them on himself, demonstratively. | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| When Homer and the kids are gone, Marge starts work on her novel. She takes inspiration from a painting of a ] and decides to write a story about ] times (which she feels has never been done before) and thanks the painting, which is, and is titled, a "Scene from ]". She starts and finishes her first few sentences and runs off for a ] break. | |||
| {{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_15#Episode_10.Diatribe_of_a_Mad_Housewife|"Diatribe of a Mad Housewife"}} | |||
| {{Portal|The Simpsons}} | |||
| *{{IMDb episode|0701088}} | |||
| ⚫ | {{The Simpsons episodes|15}} | ||
| Meanwhile, Homer runs his ambulance service. Unfortunately for his customers (patients), he loses his way and refuses to accept that he is lost and goes in circles. | |||
| ] | |||
| Marge, at home, writes about a dutiful lady (Temperance, inspired by herself) providing for her family, when her loving whaler husband (inspired by Homer) returns with a great catch. At that moment, in real life, Homer and the kids return and Homer starts demanding his dinner. Marge gets annoyed and changes the husband in the story to be a great brute, who returns with a seagull, that died of natural consequences. She now needs a desirable stranger and after seeing ], she bases the character, Sirius, on him. She completes the book, titled ''The ]ed Heart''. She gets rave reviews for her pre-published material and decides to get it published. But before she does that, based on Lisa's advice, she wants Homer to read it and approve it. Homer tries to do so, but falls asleep. He later tells her he loves it, despite not having read it. She gets it published. | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| The novel is an unexpected success, with acclaim from ] and ] (with a paper bag on his head, ready to have his pictures taken). ], who read the book, begin to gossip around, saying that it is a reflection of Marge's life. Rumours spread fast and wild. | |||
| ] | |||
| One day, when Homer visits the ], ] teases Homer about being the ]ed husband and Ned being Marge's actual love. Homer gets mad and decides to read the book. He buys an audiotape version read by the ]. When he hears the full story, he explodes at Marge (who is starting the sequel) for having humiliated him. She shoots back that he did not read the book. He runs over to Ned's house, but Ned takes off in his car. Homer follows in his ambulance. | |||
| Lisa tells Bart that this seems very similar to the ending of Marge's novel, where Temperance's husband corners Sirius on a cliff and then harpoons him after he found out that Sirius have made Temperance pregnant. Temperance comes there too late. Sirius falls over the cliff and the harpoon embeds itself into a whale. Temperance's husband gloats to Temperance, but his leg gets tangled in the harpoon's rope and he gets pulled underwater by the whale, leaving Temperance to brood alone. | |||
| Meanwhile, in real life, Homer chases Ned and tells him to pull over as he is driving an ambulance. Ned pulls over and runs towards a cliff (which looks identical to the one in the book's ending). He is cornered there by Homer. Homer tells him that he is about to do what he should have done a long time ago and that is... to get on his knees and beg to be told how to be a better husband! Marge arrives and sees them and is happy to hear that Homer is interested in being a better husband. They reconcile and Homer said that they gonna go home to do a little project of their own. They aren't kidding, as they start work on a book called "Who Really Killed ]?". Homer feels that ] killed JFK to steal the ], but that theory is shot down by Marge, who says that Jack Ruby is a man. Undeterred, Homer keeps looking. | |||
| ==Trivia== | |||
| *] was killed off in ], but he appears in this episode saying he has been ]. | |||
| ⚫ | == |
||
| *Marge gets her inspiration for her novel from the old painting above the couch. She's not aware that whaling was ever used in a novel. The painting is a scene from Moby Dick, but Marge stated in a previous episode, '']'', that she painted it herself. | |||
| * When Marge returns to her Computer after getting her inspiration off the Wall Photograph, a Pencil can be seen on the desk next to her Computer, at a shot seconds later from a different angle the Pencil has been removed off the desk; (Marge would not have had enough time to move the pencil in the time difference between the two shots.) | |||
| ==Quotes== | |||
| *''(Homer and the manager spy on a couple through a tinted window)'' <br/> '''Man:''' Well, honey, what do you think?<br>'''Woman:''' Did that salesman cut one during the test drive?<br>'''Man:''' Yeah, and then he turned on the radio to cover up the smell.<br>'''Woman:''' Let's get out of here. I'm not shaking that guy's hand. ''(they leave)''<br>'''Homer:''' Well, I think that went well. ''(pause)'' ''(Homer then turns on the radio and looks around nervously)'' | |||
| *''(Bart and Lisa watch as an ad for'' The Harpooned Heart ''is placed on a billboard)'' <br/> '''Lisa:''' If Dad reads that ], he's going to be so ]. <br/> '''Bart:''' He'll never read it. <br/> '''Lisa:''' What if they make into a ]? <br/> '''Bart:''' He'll never see it. <br/> '''Lisa:''' What if they ] it on ]? <br/> '''Bart:''' ''(pause)'' We're doomed! | |||
| *''(Homer singing parody of the ] song'' ] ''while cleaning his ambulance)''<br/>'''Homer (singing):''' ''Here in my car, I am hosing off blood. Some of it's mine, but most of it's not. Here's Marge.'' | |||
| *'''Homer:''' I'll have to read Marge's book. And I swore never to read again after '']'' gave me absolutely no useful advice on killing ]s. It did teach me not to judge someone based on the color of their ], but what good does that do '''''me'''''?! | |||
| *'''Ambulance Siren:''' Buy me! Buy me! Buy me! <br/> '''Homer:''' I'll do it! <br/> '''Car Salesman:''' Do what? | |||
| *'''Homer:''' Apu, do you sell crazy straws? I've got a guy with a broken back and I'm trying to cheer him up. | |||
| *'''Apu:''' This is how you talk when you learned ] from ] movies. | |||
| *''']:''' Here's your quote: Thomas Pynchon loved this book, almost as much as he loves cameras!''<br/>'(He then starts yelling at passing cars)'<br/> ''Hey, over here, have your picture taken with a reclusive author! Today only, we'll throw in a free autograph! But, wait! There's more! | |||
| ⚫ | |||
Latest revision as of 22:35, 26 December 2024
Not to be confused with Diary of a Mad Housewife.10th episode of the 15th season of The Simpsons
| "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 15 Episode 10 | ||
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland | ||
| Written by | Robin J. Stein | ||
| Production code | FABF05 | ||
| Original air date | January 25, 2004 (2004-01-25) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
| |||
| Episode features | |||
| Couch gag | The Simpsons' heads pop out of a slice of apple pie. Homer takes a bite out of the pie. | ||
| Commentary | Al Jean Ian Maxtone-Graham Matt Selman Michael Price Tom Gammill Max Pross Matt Warburton David Silverman Mike B. Anderson Steven Dean Moore | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| The Simpsons season 15 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" is the tenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on January 25, 2004. Marge is inspired to write a romance novel, though after Homer hears rumors that Marge is secretly in love with Ned Flanders due to the storyline of the novel, he grows jealous. Meanwhile, Homer buys an ambulance and becomes an ambulance driver.
Plot
After his reckless driving causes an accident, Homer is fired from his job at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Homer attempts to become a car salesman but ends up purchasing a 1959 ambulance; he begins acting as a paramedic. Meanwhile, Marge is inspired to write a novel after a visit to a bookstore and begins to write about whaling times. The main characters in Marge's novel are inspired by herself, Homer (who is the villain), and Ned Flanders, while romance is the central theme; she had originally intended for the Homer-inspired character to be the romantic hero, but was dissuaded when Homer asked her to use the computer to take down a dinner order. She completes the book, titled The Harpooned Heart, and after it receives positive reviews, she decides to get it published. Helen Lovejoy soon begins to spread rumors that the novel is based on Marge's life.
After Homer is teased by several people, who imply that Ned is Marge's secret love, Homer decides to read the book. However, after falling asleep on page one and lying to Marge that he had read the book and approved of it, he listens to the audiobook version (read by the Olsen Twins). After arguing with Marge, Homer decides to confront Ned. Lisa tells Bart that she fears that Homer and Ned's altercation may end the same way as The Harpooned Heart, in which both the hero and villain died. When Ned flees, Homer chases him in his ambulance. Ned is sure Homer is going to kill him when he is cornered, but is stunned when Homer drops to his knees and begs Ned to show him how to be a good husband. Marge arrives in a panic but is relieved that Homer and Ned are speaking. Homer declares that the book was a wake-up call for him. Homer and Marge then decide to create a novel, titled "Who Really Killed JFK".
Production
In the episode, reclusive author Thomas Pynchon has a cameo "appearance", his face hidden by a paper bag with a question mark on it. This is intended to satirise the author's "own carefully crafted anonymity". His appearance on The Simpsons was "his only sanctioned authorial image in decades". He later appeared in the sixteenth season episode "All's Fair in Oven War".
Dr. Marvin Monroe appears in this episode. He had not been seen since early seasons. Harry Shearer, who plays him, did not like doing the voice as it hurt his throat. The character had been subtly suggested to be dead and mentions in this episode that he has just "been very sick".
The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh! cites a section of dialogue from the episode to illustrate its point that "Homer and Marge don't seem to be very good at communicating before making important decisions".
Critical reception
DVD Movie Guide commented that the episode over-explained a decent joke – about Moby-Dick – making it lose its funniness. The site added that "'Diatribe' takes two lackluster premises to combine into a forgettable show". In 2009, The A.V. Club included the episode in its list of "10 Simpsons episodes from the past 5 seasons that stand among the series’ best." The article commended Robin J. Stein's writing as well as Pynchon's and the Olson twins' cameos while pointing out the episode "travels a well-worn path in the Simpsons story arc."
References
- Booker, M. Keith (January 1, 2006). Drawn to Television: Prime-time Animation from the Flintstones to Family Guy. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 67. ISBN 9780275990190.
Diatribe of a Mad Housewife.
- Finn, Edward Frederick (May 2011). The Social Lives of Books: Literary Networks in Contemporary American Fiction (PhD thesis). Stanford University. p. 47.
- Cowart, David (January 15, 2012). Thomas Pynchon and the Dark Passages of History. University of Georgia Press. p. 4. ISBN 9780820337098.
- Byrne, Mike (August 21, 2013), "The Cafeteria Deep Fryer Is Not a Toy", in Brown, Alan S.; Logan, Chris (eds.), The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh!, BenBella Books, p. 103, ISBN 9781935251392
- Jacobson, Colin (December 13, 2012). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifteenth Season (2003)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
- Ryan, Kyle; Koski, Genevieve; Heisler, Steve (March 23, 2009). "In a way, they're all winners: 10 Simpsons episodes from the past 5 seasons that stand among the series' best". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
