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{{Good article}}{{For|the titular character|Sideshow Bob}}{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image =
| episode_name = Sideshow Bob Roberts
| image = ] | caption =
| episode_no = 108 | season = 6
| prod_code = 2F02 | episode = 5
| airdate = ], ] | director = ]
| writer = ] & ]
| blackboard = None
| couch_gag = None | production = 2F02
| airdate = {{Start date|1994|10|09}}
| writer = ]<br>&<br>]
| couch_gag = Five pairs of eyes float in the air, before being reunited with the Simpsons' bodies. (original airing)
| director = ]
| guest_star = ] as ]<br>] as himself<br>] as himself | guests = * ] as ]
* ] as himself
* ] as himself
* ] as ]
| season = 6
* ] as ]
| commentary = ]<BR />]<BR />]<BR />]
| prev = ]
| next = ]
}} }}
"'''Sideshow Bob Roberts'''" is the fifth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on ] in the United States on October 9, 1994.<ref name="book"/> ] returns in his fourth major appearance as ], who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through ] to get revenge on ]. The episode received a favorable reception in the media, including a positive mention in ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'' and '']''. A review in '']'' placed the episode as the seventh best of the series.
"'''Sideshow Bob Roberts'''" is the fifth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ].


The episode was written by ] and ] and directed by ]. Oakley and Weinstein drew inspiration for the episode from the ], and included many cultural references to ] and real-life events, among them '']'' and the ] between ] and ]. It marks the debut of ].
==Synopsis==
{{spoiler}}
] calls up ], a local ] talk show host, stating that he is being treated unfairly in prison. Thanks to Barlow, all of ] sympathizes with Bob. Pushed by protests, ] releases Bob.


==Plot==
At a Springfield ] meeting, Bob announces his candidacy for mayor of Springfield. Determined to keep the psychopath from becoming mayor, Bart and Lisa help campaign for Quimby. Quimby helps get the old folks' votes by naming a new ] the "] Expressway". Unfortunately, at a televised debate hosted by ], Quimby's drowsiness causes him to lose all support. Springfield votes for mayor and the results are 100% for Bob and 1% for Quimby (and there is a one percent ]).
] calls local ] talk show host ] and complains about being unfairly imprisoned for attempted murder.{{refn|group=N|As depicted in the 1992 episode "]" and the 1993 episode "]"}} Barlow incites ]'s residents to pressure ] into releasing Sideshow Bob. After his release, Bob becomes the ] candidate for the Springfield mayoral election. ] and ] attempt to prevent Bob's election by aiding Quimby's campaign. However, after Quimby falls ill after a meet-and-greet with senior citizens and takes 'extra drowsy' cold and flu medicine, he loses a mayoral debate (hosted by Barlow). Bob wins in a landslide, with even ] and ] having voted for him.


Abusing his office, Bob proceeds to make the Simpsons' lives miserable, demoting Bart to ] and threatening to demolish their house to build a new expressway. Bart and Lisa suspect the election was rigged but are unable to find any proof. ], who worked for Sideshow Bob's campaign but fears Bob's ] views conflict with Smithers' "choice of lifestyle", tells them to find a voter named Edgar Neubauer. Having not found it in the library or the telephone directory, Bart finds the name on a tombstone at the cemetery. When he and Lisa check other names on voting rolls, they notice that most voters for Bob are long dead, including celebrities such as ] and pets such as Lisa's deceased cat Snowball.
Within days, the Simpsons wake up to construction occurring outside. Bob informs the family that the Simpsons' house is in the way of the new Matlock Expressway and that it will be demolished in 72 hours. Bart and Lisa begin to suspect that Bob somehow cheated in the ]. Lisa goes through all the voter records but that does not help (Bart is of no help because, thanks to Bob, he got transferred to ]). While Lisa reviews the records, someone leaves a message for her. Bart and Lisa go to a parking garage to meet with the ], who turns out to be ]. He gives them one name of a person who voted for Bob and the two children soon discover that virtually every single person who voted for him had been dead for centuries. At a trial, Bart and Lisa trick Bob into confessing and he is thrown into a minimum security prison.


Sideshow Bob is put on trial for ]. While he initially denies the charges, Bart and Lisa bait his ego by claiming that he isn't intelligent enough to have rigged an election and was merely Barlow's accomplice, causing an indignant Bob to angrily take full credit for the fraud and hand over evidence to prove it. Bob is found guilty, stripped of his position and sent to a minimum-security prison. With all of his mayoral decisions nullified and reversed, the Simpsons' house is saved, the expressway is put on hold, Bart returns to his proper grade, and Quimby reclaims his job as Springfield's rightful mayor.
==Trivia==

*This episode features the shortest opening sequence yet, which transitions from the cloud opening right into the TV screen. In syndication, a couch gag is added in.
==Production==
*The fourth Sideshow Bob episode.
] as Sideshow Bob.]]
Although the episode primarily mocks the ], the writers included several jokes at the expense of the ], ] and ], to try to be as neutral as possible.<ref name=Mirkin/> Writers ] and ] were very interested in the ] and based a lot of the second act on that.<ref name=Oakley/> ] directed the episode.<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 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |page= |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref>

The episode sees ], himself a supporter of the Republican Party, return as ] for his fourth appearance. Clips from previous episodes featuring Bob were used to remind viewers who he was and what he had done.<ref name=Mirkin/> Bob's '']'' musical cue from the episode "]" is also reused.<ref name=Oakley/> ] ] found directing Grammer "a joy". ] also guest-starred, as did ] for the second time,<ref name=Mirkin/> while ] voices ] on the Flintstones toy phone.<ref name="BBC"/> One of the prisoners in Bob's campaign advert is a caricature of producer ].<ref name=Mirkin/> The "Les Wynan" joke was pitched by ].<ref name=Oakley/> The episode does not feature a ] or ], cutting straight from the clouds to the TV. The 1994 original airing and some ] edits have included a couch gag.<ref name="BBC"/>


==Cultural references== ==Cultural references==
The title of the episode and several plot elements, including Bob entering Burns' meeting draped in an American flag, are references to the 1992 film '']''.<ref name=Oakley/><ref name="BBC"/> Much of the episode is based on the ], as well as other real-life political events.<ref name=Oakley>{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The two Republicans who follow Bob around were based on ] and ], two of ]'s closest advisors during Watergate.<ref name=Oakley/> Sideshow Bob's campaign advert was based on the famous ] and "]" political advertisements used by ] during the ].<ref name=Oakley/><ref name=Weinstein>{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Birch Barlow's question to Mayor Quimby about whether his stance on crime would differ if it was his family being attacked is a reference to ]'s similar question to Democratic candidate ] during the 1988 presidential debates.<ref name=Oakley/> Quimby's appearance during the debate parodies Richard Nixon's appearance during his first televised debate with ] during the ]. Nixon sweated considerably throughout, which was detrimental to the impression he made in the debate.<ref name=Oakley/>
*The plot of Bart and Lisa investigating Bob's election fraud, the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, and the clandestine meeting with Smithers are references to the movie (and book) '']'', which chronicled ] and ]'s investigation of ] (Lisa even mentions that they are like Woodward and Bernstein, and the library scene mimics the overhead shot of the library in the film).

*Bob says the famous line from '']''. His speech also parodies ]'s speech following the line.
]'s (right) debate with ] (left) before the 1960 presidential election.]]
*The episode's name is a take on the movie '']'', starring ] and ]. Sideshow Bob's ] parodies one seen in the film, as well.
The episode features several references to the film '']'', which chronicled ] and ]'s investigation of Watergate. These include the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, the music, and the ] with Smithers in a parking garage.<ref name="Oakley" /> The courtroom scene and Sideshow Bob's speech echo '']'' (1992), including ]'s speech with the line "You can't handle the truth!".<ref name="Mirkin" /><ref name="BBC" /> Bob's sudden confession that he did rig the election was inspired by "every episode of '']''".<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
*The character Birchibald T. "Birch" Barlow is a take-off on American talk show host and political commentator ]. He was voiced by ], who is a strong critic of Mr. Limbaugh and his political views. The name "Birch" is likely a reference to the ].

*This episode also features cameo appearances by several ] characters, including ], ], ] and ]; they're shown pulling up to the Simpsons' house, tossing Homer out of Archie's jalopy, and warning him to "stay out of ]!" Later, Homer reads an Archie comic and calls them all "stuck-up Riverdale punks."
Birch Barlow is a parody of American talk show host and political commentator ].<ref name="BBC"/> Barlow mentions Colonel ], Officer ] and advertising mascot ] as being "intelligent conservative, railroaded by our liberal justice system".<ref name="book"/> The language spoken at Republican Party headquarters is inspired by ], a language associated with ] and ] ceremonies.<ref name=Oakley/>
*Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in '']'', which was also referenced during Mr. Burns' run for governor in the episode "]''.

*The song that is on the radio while Lisa is driving is "]" by ]. It was the theme to the 1980s movie, "]".
The Springwood Minimum Security Prison is a parody of Allenwood Minimum Security Prison.<ref name=Weinstein/> When Lisa drives, she is listening to "]" by ],<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page5.shtml |title=Sideshow Bob Roberts|access-date=2008-03-27 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref> a choice David Mirkin found "very sad".<ref name=Mirkin>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> '']'' characters ], ], ] and ] are shown throwing ] on the Simpsons' lawn and warning him to "stay out of ]!"<ref name="book"/><ref name=Mirkin/> Some of the deceased voters are ], ] and ], who all died in ].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aoltv.com/2006/06/29/the-simpsons-sideshow-bob-roberts/ |title=The Simpsons: Sideshow Bob Roberts |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2006-06-29 |work=HuffPost TV |first=Adam |last=Finley |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629170113/http://www.aoltv.com/2006/06/29/the-simpsons-sideshow-bob-roberts/ |archive-date=2012-06-29 }}</ref> The epitaph on ]'s gravestone is "Gooooodbye, Baby!" a reference to the opening line of his song "]" – "Hellooo Baby!".<ref name=Mirkin/> The Simpsons' home being demolished to make way for the "] Expressway" is a reference to the opening of '']''.<ref name=Mirkin/> Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in '']''.<ref name="BBC"/>

==Themes and analysis==
In '']'', David L.G. Arnold notes that the episode is a satire on "society's lazy, uninformed attitude about the electoral process", and "a comment on the role in society of a cadre of elites (the Republican party) who see themselves as naturally suited to lead". The episode also portrays Republicans as willing to break the law in order to achieve this; in this case, Bob commits electoral fraud. This is most displayed in Bob's line: "Your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king. That's why I did this: to protect you from yourselves."<ref name=alberti2>{{cite book |last=Arnold |first=David L.G. |editor=Alberti, John |year=2003 |title=] |chapter=Use a Pen, Sideshow Bob |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn=0-8143-2849-0 |page= }}</ref>

Matthew Henry writes in the same book that the episode "well illustrates the battle of ideologies and its engagement with the politics of sexuality". He refers to the scene where Smithers intimates that Bob rigged the election; his motivation for whistleblowing is Bob's conservative policies, which disagree with his "choice of lifestyle", namely his ]. Henry concludes the scene shows that conservative politics and homosexuality "cannot coexist" and that the scene marks the point where Smithers' sexuality became "public and overtly political".<ref name=alberti1>{{cite book |last=Henry |first=Matthew |editor=Alberti, John |year=2003 |title=] |chapter=Looking for Amanda Hugginkiss |publisher=Wayne State University Press |isbn=0-8143-2849-0 |pages= }}</ref>

Erik Adams writes that the episode "saves its greatest reserves of comedic contempt for a single entity—but it’s an entity that represents multitudes. The subjects of the episode’s most effective political takedowns aren’t Republicans (though their local headquarters is portrayed as a dreamhouse from the Universal backlot circa ''Frankenstein'') or Democrats (this in spite the fact that Springfield’s resident 'Spendocrat' dynamo, Mayor 'Diamond' Joe Quimby, willingly admits to all questions of his character save for illiteracy—and even that’s a recent development). No, the group that takes it on the chin most vigorously in this, ''The Simpsons''’ finest half-hour of political satire, is the American voting public."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Adams |first=Erik |date=June 30, 2013 |title=The Simpsons (Classic): Sideshow Bob Roberts |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-sideshow-bob-roberts-1798177235}}</ref>

==Reception==
In its original broadcast, "Sideshow Bob Roberts" finished tied for 64th place in the weekly ratings for the week of October 3 to October 9, 1994, with a ] of 8.6. It was the sixth highest rated show on the ] that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nielsen Ratings/Oct. 3-9 |date=1994-10-12 |page=C5 |work=] |agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, in ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', noted the episode was: "A stunningly outspoken political satire that drew considerable disapproval from the Republican Party when it was aired."<ref name="BBC"/>

Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz, and John Hill of the '']'' named "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as the seventh best episode of the series.<ref>{{cite news |title=Woo-Hoo! A look at the 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes ever - just in time for the new movie |date=2007-07-27 |page=8E |author1=Eric Reinagel |author2=Brian Moritz |author3=John Hill |work=]}}</ref> Thomas Rozwadowski of '']'' placed the episode among his list of the ten best episodes of the show which have lessons: "Corrupt politicians always get their comeuppance. Or not." He also highlighted Bob's campaign advert and ]'s line: "And the results are in. For Sideshow Bob, 100 percent. For Joe Quimby, 1 percent. And we remind you, there is a 1 percent margin of error."<ref>{{cite news |title=Wanna be S-M-R-T? Take lessons from 'The Simpsons' |work=] |date=2007-07-29 |first=Thomas |last=Rozwadowski |page=01D}}</ref>

===Legacy ===
The episode has been used in a course at ]. The course titled "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors" featured "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as one of the episodes screened for the "What's (Not) Wrong with America? Critiquing the U.S. Government" topic.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Simpsons go to college - Columbia offering a course that even noted school-phobe Bart would like |date=2005-12-07 |work=] |first=Jason |last=George |page=3}}</ref>

The episode contains the first use of the word "]" on the show.<ref name=bg>{{cite news|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2012/02/26/the-meh-generation/lmLccPoBMpwvPycxr2vqhJ/story.html|title=The 'meh' generation |author=Zimmer, Ben |date=2012-02-26 |work=] |access-date=2022-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709211244/http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-26/ideas/31094294_1_collins-english-dictionary-mitt-romney-presidential-race/2 |archive-date=2012-07-09 }}</ref> Writer ] claims credit for introducing the word to the writers. "I originally heard the word from Howie Krakow, my creative director at Hurvis, Binzer & Churchill, in 1970 or 1971," Swartzwelder told '']'' in 2021. "He said it was the funniest word in the world. I don’t know when it was invented, or by who, but I got the impression it was already very old when Howie told it to me."<ref name="Swartzwelder">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/john-swartzwelder-sage-of-the-simpsons |title=John Swartzwelder, Sage of "The Simpsons" |date=2021-05-07 |first=Mike |last=Sacks |magazine=]}}</ref> The word, which was later included in the '']'', is credited as being popularized by the show, principally following its usage in the ] episode "]".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2007/mar/05/newmedia.broadcasting |title=Meh&nbsp;— the word that's sweeping the internet |access-date=2007-10-14 |date=2007-03-05 |work=The Guardian |author=Hann, Michael |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f216bac2-8f0b-4202-a1ae-8f7ed4de2bd7 |title=Canadian politics: The definition of 'meh' |access-date=2008-11-21 |date=2008-11-18 |publisher=Canwest News Service |work=] |author=Boswell, Randy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206011004/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=f216bac2-8f0b-4202-a1ae-8f7ed4de2bd7 |archive-date=2008-12-06 }}</ref><ref name=benm>{{Cite news |last=Macintyre |first=Ben |author-link=Ben Macintyre |title=Last word: Any word that embiggens the vocabulary is cromulent with me |newspaper=] |date=2007-08-11 |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/last-word-ben-macintyre-s6h7sdhsxbb |location=London|access-date=January 16, 2022}}</ref> In "Sideshow Bob Roberts", the word is used by the librarian who provides Lisa with the town's voting records, in response to her questioning their unclassified nature.<ref name=bg/>

In 2019, following the ], many supporters of President ] attempted to excuse his attempted blackmail of ] by arguing attempted crimes are not illegal. In response, many detractors quoted Sideshow Bob's line in the episode, "Hah! Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel prize for attempted chemistry? Do they?" In an editorial for '']'', Bill Oakley commented, "It’s hard to believe that the Sideshow Bob defense of Trump will be long-lived, as it fails to stand up to even the slightest scrutiny. It is literally a joke."<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/11/14/one-defenses-trump-is-literally-tv-sitcom-joke/ | title=One of the defenses of Trump is — literally — a TV-cartoon joke | first=Bill | last=Oakley | date=2019-11-14 | newspaper=]}}</ref>


==Notes==
==Political satire==
{{reflist|group=N}}
There are many sections of the show that are designed to take a jibe of the political system in the United States, which satirizes politics in America. The object of the satire is highlighted in brackets.


==References==
*Birch T. Barlow complains that Sideshow Bob has been unfairly imprisoned by the "liberal justice system", but conservatives usually argue that the "liberal justice system" is too ''soft'' on criminals.
{{Reflist|2}}
*In Sideshow Bob's ] the narrator talks about the liberal "revolving door prison system". The narrator points out that the liberal mayor released two time convicted murderer Sideshow Bob. The ad ends insisting that the viewer vote for the aforementioned two time convicted murderer for mayor. (Again this satirizes the fact that politicians often turn against their own policies when it affects them, or their close friends in an adverse way; it is also a direct parody of the 1988 presidential campaign, when ] was attacked in an ad by ] for allowing the release of ], a convicted rapist, when Dukakis was ] of ].)
*Mayor Quimby boasts about building a new expressway to the members of the old folks home, but he quickly realises that it isn't winning him any support. Grandpa Abraham Simpson points out that he only cares about fictional TV character ], so mayor Quimby's aide quickly changes the diagram to show that it's called the "Matlock Expressway". (This satirizes the fact that politicians often flip-flop to win votes, and also that their aides do most of the work).
*Smithers reveals that he is motivated to tip off the Simpsons because of Republican disapproval of his lifestyle choice (satirizing how Republicans are against rights for homosexuals, and also implying that Smithers is gay).
*Bob uses the Republican cliché "flip-flop" to defame his opponent.
*On the television airing of the political debate between Sideshow Bob and Mayor Quimby, Mayor Quimby's head is surrounded by fire and his hair was held upward at the front like two demons horns. TV networks and newspapers may favour candidates with policies which will be more favourable to them. Mayor Quimby's performance in the debate is similar to that of Nixon in the televised 1960 Presidential debate with Kennedy.
*This episode reinforces the stereotypical Republican image through the local members of the party: the ], ] and even ]. ] (an obvious parody of ]), the ], and ] are also shown as members of the party.
*This episode, and many other episodes of the Simpsons, reinforces the stereotypical image of the Kennedy family members through Mayor Joseph Quimby, the antics of him and the members of his close family, as well as Joe Quimby's accent.


==Quotes== ==External links==
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_6#Sideshow_Bob_Roberts|"Sideshow Bob Roberts"}}
*'''Bob:''' Lies, lies, lies, I did it! I did it all! ''(crowd gasps)'' There, is that what you wanted you smarmy little bastards? </br> '''Bart:''' We want the truth! <br/> '''Bob:''' You want the truth?! ] No truth handler, you! Bah, I deride your truth-handling abilities!
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
*'''Judge:''' But why, Bob? <br/> '''Bob:''' Because you need me, Springfield! Oh I know your consciences force you to vote Democratic, but deep down you want a cold-blooded Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals and rule you like a king! That why I did it! To save you from yourselves.
*{{snpp capsule|2F02}}
*'''Bart:''' ''(groans)'' I'm only ten and I've already got two mortal enemies.
*{{IMDb episode|0701207}}
*'''Bob (after abducting Bart):''' That was a mistake, Bart. No children have ever meddled with the Republican Party and lived to tell about it. <br/> ''(Bob's goons then reach into their jackets and pin "Vote Bob" buttons on Bart's shirt. The limo pulls up to the Simpsons' house and Bart is thrown onto the lawn. Moments later, Homer is thrown out of a car by ])'' <br/> ''']:''' Duh, stay out of ].
*'''Homer (voting):''' I don't agree with his Bart killing policy, but I do approve of his ] killing policy. ''(votes for Bob)''
*'''Bart:''' Oh, no! The dead have risen and they're voting Republican!
*'''Bart (after learning Bob could be let out of prison while wearing headphones in class):''' Noooooooooooooo! <br/> '''Mrs. Krabappel:''' Well, despite Bart's objections, the people of ] can now vote in free ] ]s.
*'''Lisa (to Sideshow Bob):''' You don’t have the intelligence to rig an election by yourself, do you? <br/> '''Bart:''' You were just Barlow's lackey. <br/> '''Lisa:''' You were ] to his ]! <br/> '''Bart:''' ] to his ]! <br/> '''Lisa:''' ] to his rest of ]!
*'''Voiceover on TV:''' Mayor Quimby supports revolving-door prisons. Mayor Quimby also released Sideshow Bob, a man twice convicted of attempted murder. Can you trust a man like Mayor Quimby? ''(quickly)'' Vote Sideshow Bob for mayor.
*'''Lisa:''' This is so exciting, Bart! We're just like Woodward and Bernstein! <br/> '''Bart:''' Yeah, except their dad didn't wait in the car reading Archie Comics. <br/> '''Homer:''' Stuck up Riverdale Punks...think they're too good for me! <br/> ''(soon, Bart and Lisa meet up with "]", who is smoking a ] in the shadows)'' <br/> '''"Deep Throat":''' You're on the right track. Follow the names. <br/> '''Bart:''' Who are you? <br/> '''"Deep Throat" (takes a drag):''' I can't tell you who I am, but I worked on the campaign. <br/> ''(we then hear a car screeching and Homer's headlights flash on, revealing "Deep Throat" to be Waylon Smithers)'' <br/> '''Homer:''' Hey, Mr. Smithers! <br/> '''Smithers:''' Well, you might as well give me a ride home now.
*'''Lisa:''' All right, Bob, now it's personal!<br />'''Bart:''' Hey, uh, ]
*'''Kindergarten teacher:''' Now, boys and girls, who knows what this is?<br>'''Bart:''' Triangle.<br>'''Kindergarten teacher:''' Very good, Bart! You have first choice of toys for free play.<br>'''Bart:''' Cool! I call the Flintstone Phone. ''(dials it)''<br>''']:''' Yabba-dabba-doo, I like talkin' to you!
*'''Lisa:''' Bart, we did it! Now, they won't demolish our house and you can go back to the fourth grade! <br/> '''Bart:''' ''(groans)'' Tomorrow, we were gonna find out who the ].<br/>'''Lisa:''' ''(annoyed)'' The spoon, Bart. <br/> '''Bart:''' Of course!
*'''Birch Barlow''': You know, there are three things we're never going to get rid of here in Springfield: one, the bats in the public library .Two, Mrs. McFierly's compost heap .And three, our six-term mayor, the illiterate, tax-cheating, wife-swapping, pot-smoking, spendocrat Diamond Joe Quimby. <br/>'''Mayor Quimby''': Hey: I am no longer illiterate.
*'''Bart:''' '''' Hey Four-eyes! Vote Quimby. Hey Beardo! Vote Quimby.<br/>'''Lisa:''' This time he's the lesser of two evils.<br/>'''Jimbo:''' Uh, yeah, yeah. I love Grimby. Uh, can I have some more bumper stickers, please, dude? '''' All right! The mummy's ready for his mystical journey. <br/> ''''<br/>'''Milhouse:''' '''' Aaaah, what's happening?! ''''
*'''Abe:''' That Quimby fellow promised to build us a Matlooock Expressway. How're you going to top that, smart guy? <br/> '''Bob:''' Hmm. Well, how's this? I'll not only build the expressway, I will spend the rest of this afternoon patiently listening to your interminable anecdotes. <br/> '''Abe:''' Hot ziggety-zam! Me first. '''' Not many people know I owned the first radio in Springfield. Weren't much on the air then, just ] reciting the alphabet over and over. "A!" he'd say, then "B". "C" would usually follow...<br/>'''Bob:''' '''' Oh...


{{Simpsons Sideshow Bob}}
==External links==
{{The Simpsons episodes|6}}
{{wikiquote}}
* {{snpp capsule|2F02}}
*


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Latest revision as of 21:58, 26 December 2024

For the titular character, see Sideshow Bob. 5th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons
"Sideshow Bob Roberts"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 5
Directed byMark Kirkland
Written byBill Oakley & Josh Weinstein
Production code2F02
Original air dateOctober 9, 1994 (1994-10-09)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gagFive pairs of eyes float in the air, before being reunited with the Simpsons' bodies. (original airing)
CommentaryMatt Groening
David Mirkin
Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
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"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns in his fourth major appearance as Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud to get revenge on Bart. The episode received a favorable reception in the media, including a positive mention in I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide and Green Bay Press-Gazette. A review in Press & Sun-Bulletin placed the episode as the seventh best of the series.

The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein and directed by Mark Kirkland. Oakley and Weinstein drew inspiration for the episode from the Watergate scandal, and included many cultural references to political films and real-life events, among them All the President's Men and the 1960 United States presidential debates between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. It marks the debut of Birch Barlow.

Plot

Sideshow Bob calls local right-wing talk show host Birch Barlow and complains about being unfairly imprisoned for attempted murder. Barlow incites Springfield's residents to pressure Mayor Quimby into releasing Sideshow Bob. After his release, Bob becomes the Republican candidate for the Springfield mayoral election. Bart and Lisa attempt to prevent Bob's election by aiding Quimby's campaign. However, after Quimby falls ill after a meet-and-greet with senior citizens and takes 'extra drowsy' cold and flu medicine, he loses a mayoral debate (hosted by Barlow). Bob wins in a landslide, with even Homer and Krusty the Clown having voted for him.

Abusing his office, Bob proceeds to make the Simpsons' lives miserable, demoting Bart to kindergarten and threatening to demolish their house to build a new expressway. Bart and Lisa suspect the election was rigged but are unable to find any proof. Waylon Smithers, who worked for Sideshow Bob's campaign but fears Bob's ultraconservative views conflict with Smithers' "choice of lifestyle", tells them to find a voter named Edgar Neubauer. Having not found it in the library or the telephone directory, Bart finds the name on a tombstone at the cemetery. When he and Lisa check other names on voting rolls, they notice that most voters for Bob are long dead, including celebrities such as Jiles Richardson Jr. (The Big Bopper) and pets such as Lisa's deceased cat Snowball.

Sideshow Bob is put on trial for electoral fraud. While he initially denies the charges, Bart and Lisa bait his ego by claiming that he isn't intelligent enough to have rigged an election and was merely Barlow's accomplice, causing an indignant Bob to angrily take full credit for the fraud and hand over evidence to prove it. Bob is found guilty, stripped of his position and sent to a minimum-security prison. With all of his mayoral decisions nullified and reversed, the Simpsons' house is saved, the expressway is put on hold, Bart returns to his proper grade, and Quimby reclaims his job as Springfield's rightful mayor.

Production

The episode was the fourth appearance of Kelsey Grammer as Sideshow Bob.

Although the episode primarily mocks the Republican Party, the writers included several jokes at the expense of the Democratic Party, liberal and conservative politics, to try to be as neutral as possible. Writers Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein were very interested in the Watergate scandal and based a lot of the second act on that. Mark Kirkland directed the episode.

The episode sees Kelsey Grammer, himself a supporter of the Republican Party, return as Sideshow Bob for his fourth appearance. Clips from previous episodes featuring Bob were used to remind viewers who he was and what he had done. Bob's Cape Fear musical cue from the episode "Cape Feare" is also reused. Showrunner David Mirkin found directing Grammer "a joy". Dr. Demento also guest-starred, as did Larry King for the second time, while Henry Corden voices Fred Flintstone on the Flintstones toy phone. One of the prisoners in Bob's campaign advert is a caricature of producer Richard Sakai. The "Les Wynan" joke was pitched by Mike Reiss. The episode does not feature a chalkboard or couch gag, cutting straight from the clouds to the TV. The 1994 original airing and some syndication edits have included a couch gag.

Cultural references

The title of the episode and several plot elements, including Bob entering Burns' meeting draped in an American flag, are references to the 1992 film Bob Roberts. Much of the episode is based on the Watergate scandal, as well as other real-life political events. The two Republicans who follow Bob around were based on H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, two of Richard Nixon's closest advisors during Watergate. Sideshow Bob's campaign advert was based on the famous Willie Horton and "Revolving Door" political advertisements used by George H. W. Bush during the 1988 United States presidential election. Birch Barlow's question to Mayor Quimby about whether his stance on crime would differ if it was his family being attacked is a reference to Bernard Shaw's similar question to Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis during the 1988 presidential debates. Quimby's appearance during the debate parodies Richard Nixon's appearance during his first televised debate with John F. Kennedy during the 1960 presidential election. Nixon sweated considerably throughout, which was detrimental to the impression he made in the debate.

Quimby's appearance in his debate was based on Richard Nixon's (right) debate with John F. Kennedy (left) before the 1960 presidential election.

The episode features several references to the film All the President's Men, which chronicled Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's investigation of Watergate. These include the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, the music, and the clandestine meeting with Smithers in a parking garage. The courtroom scene and Sideshow Bob's speech echo A Few Good Men (1992), including Jack Nicholson's speech with the line "You can't handle the truth!". Bob's sudden confession that he did rig the election was inspired by "every episode of Perry Mason".

Birch Barlow is a parody of American talk show host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh. Barlow mentions Colonel Oliver North, Officer Stacey Koon and advertising mascot Joe Camel as being "intelligent conservative, railroaded by our liberal justice system". The language spoken at Republican Party headquarters is inspired by Enochian, a language associated with occult and Satanic ceremonies.

The Springwood Minimum Security Prison is a parody of Allenwood Minimum Security Prison. When Lisa drives, she is listening to "St. Elmo's Fire" by John Parr, a choice David Mirkin found "very sad". Archie Comics characters Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, Moose Mason and Jughead Jones are shown throwing Homer on the Simpsons' lawn and warning him to "stay out of Riverdale!" Some of the deceased voters are Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Jiles Richardson Jr. (The Big Bopper), who all died in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The epitaph on Jiles Richardson Jr. (The Big Bopper)'s gravestone is "Gooooodbye, Baby!" a reference to the opening line of his song "Chantilly Lace" – "Hellooo Baby!". The Simpsons' home being demolished to make way for the "Matlock Expressway" is a reference to the opening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in Citizen Kane.

Themes and analysis

In Leaving Springfield, David L.G. Arnold notes that the episode is a satire on "society's lazy, uninformed attitude about the electoral process", and "a comment on the role in society of a cadre of elites (the Republican party) who see themselves as naturally suited to lead". The episode also portrays Republicans as willing to break the law in order to achieve this; in this case, Bob commits electoral fraud. This is most displayed in Bob's line: "Your guilty conscience may force you to vote Democratic, but deep down inside you secretly long for a cold-hearted Republican to lower taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king. That's why I did this: to protect you from yourselves."

Matthew Henry writes in the same book that the episode "well illustrates the battle of ideologies and its engagement with the politics of sexuality". He refers to the scene where Smithers intimates that Bob rigged the election; his motivation for whistleblowing is Bob's conservative policies, which disagree with his "choice of lifestyle", namely his homosexuality. Henry concludes the scene shows that conservative politics and homosexuality "cannot coexist" and that the scene marks the point where Smithers' sexuality became "public and overtly political".

Erik Adams writes that the episode "saves its greatest reserves of comedic contempt for a single entity—but it’s an entity that represents multitudes. The subjects of the episode’s most effective political takedowns aren’t Republicans (though their local headquarters is portrayed as a dreamhouse from the Universal backlot circa Frankenstein) or Democrats (this in spite the fact that Springfield’s resident 'Spendocrat' dynamo, Mayor 'Diamond' Joe Quimby, willingly admits to all questions of his character save for illiteracy—and even that’s a recent development). No, the group that takes it on the chin most vigorously in this, The Simpsons’ finest half-hour of political satire, is the American voting public."

Reception

In its original broadcast, "Sideshow Bob Roberts" finished tied for 64th place in the weekly ratings for the week of October 3 to October 9, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 8.6. It was the sixth highest rated show on the Fox network that week.

Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, in I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, noted the episode was: "A stunningly outspoken political satire that drew considerable disapproval from the Republican Party when it was aired."

Eric Reinagel, Brian Moritz, and John Hill of the Press & Sun-Bulletin named "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as the seventh best episode of the series. Thomas Rozwadowski of Green Bay Press-Gazette placed the episode among his list of the ten best episodes of the show which have lessons: "Corrupt politicians always get their comeuppance. Or not." He also highlighted Bob's campaign advert and Kent Brockman's line: "And the results are in. For Sideshow Bob, 100 percent. For Joe Quimby, 1 percent. And we remind you, there is a 1 percent margin of error."

Legacy

The episode has been used in a course at Columbia College Chicago. The course titled "The Simpsons as Satirical Authors" featured "Sideshow Bob Roberts" as one of the episodes screened for the "What's (Not) Wrong with America? Critiquing the U.S. Government" topic.

The episode contains the first use of the word "meh" on the show. Writer John Swartzwelder claims credit for introducing the word to the writers. "I originally heard the word from Howie Krakow, my creative director at Hurvis, Binzer & Churchill, in 1970 or 1971," Swartzwelder told The New Yorker in 2021. "He said it was the funniest word in the world. I don’t know when it was invented, or by who, but I got the impression it was already very old when Howie told it to me." The word, which was later included in the Collins English Dictionary, is credited as being popularized by the show, principally following its usage in the season twelve episode "Hungry, Hungry Homer". In "Sideshow Bob Roberts", the word is used by the librarian who provides Lisa with the town's voting records, in response to her questioning their unclassified nature.

In 2019, following the Trump–Ukraine scandal, many supporters of President Donald Trump attempted to excuse his attempted blackmail of Volodymyr Zelensky by arguing attempted crimes are not illegal. In response, many detractors quoted Sideshow Bob's line in the episode, "Hah! Attempted murder? Now honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel prize for attempted chemistry? Do they?" In an editorial for The Washington Post, Bill Oakley commented, "It’s hard to believe that the Sideshow Bob defense of Trump will be long-lived, as it fails to stand up to even the slightest scrutiny. It is literally a joke."

Notes

  1. As depicted in the 1992 episode "Black Widower" and the 1993 episode "Cape Feare"

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. 153. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
  2. ^ Mirkin, David (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  3. ^ Oakley, Bill (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. ^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "Sideshow Bob Roberts". BBC. Retrieved March 27, 2008.
  5. ^ Weinstein, Josh (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. Finley, Adam (June 29, 2006). "The Simpsons: Sideshow Bob Roberts". HuffPost TV. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  8. Arnold, David L.G. (2003). "Use a Pen, Sideshow Bob". In Alberti, John (ed.). Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture. Wayne State University Press. p. 239. ISBN 0-8143-2849-0.
  9. Henry, Matthew (2003). "Looking for Amanda Hugginkiss". In Alberti, John (ed.). Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture. Wayne State University Press. pp. 16–17. ISBN 0-8143-2849-0.
  10. Adams, Erik (June 30, 2013). "The Simpsons (Classic): Sideshow Bob Roberts".
  11. "Nielsen Ratings/Oct. 3-9". Press-Telegram. Associated Press. October 12, 1994. p. C5.
  12. Eric Reinagel; Brian Moritz; John Hill (July 27, 2007). "Woo-Hoo! A look at the 10 best 'Simpsons' episodes ever - just in time for the new movie". Press & Sun-Bulletin. p. 8E.
  13. Rozwadowski, Thomas (July 29, 2007). "Wanna be S-M-R-T? Take lessons from 'The Simpsons'". Green Bay Press-Gazette. p. 01D.
  14. George, Jason (December 7, 2005). "The Simpsons go to college - Columbia offering a course that even noted school-phobe Bart would like". Chicago Tribune. p. 3.
  15. ^ Zimmer, Ben (February 26, 2012). "The 'meh' generation". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  16. Sacks, Mike (May 7, 2021). "John Swartzwelder, Sage of "The Simpsons"". The New Yorker.
  17. Hann, Michael (March 5, 2007). "Meh — the word that's sweeping the internet". The Guardian. London. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  18. Boswell, Randy (November 18, 2008). "Canadian politics: The definition of 'meh'". Vancouver Sun. Canwest News Service. Archived from the original on December 6, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2008.
  19. Macintyre, Ben (August 11, 2007). "Last word: Any word that embiggens the vocabulary is cromulent with me". The Times. London. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  20. Oakley, Bill (November 14, 2019). "One of the defenses of Trump is — literally — a TV-cartoon joke". The Washington Post.

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