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"Hungry, Hungry Homer" is the fifteenth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. It aired on March 4, 2001.

Synopsis

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The Simpson family visits Blockoland, a theme park which is completely made of blocks. Lisa is ripped off when her Eiffel Tower kit has a missing Blocko piece. In response, Homer "sticks up for the little guy", and he gets Lisa her piece she needs. He also stands up for the little guy by helping Bart get a girlfriend for an upcoming school dance and helps Marge get two free hair streaks. When he tries to help Lenny by getting him a refund on his tickets for the Springfield Isotopes, Homer encounters the Isotopes' owner Howard K. Duff VIII. The owner refuses to give Homer a refund but in his haste to leave, Homer discovers evidence that the Isotopes are moving to Albuquerque. Duff insists that they are not moving and he has Duffman drug Homer to cover up the truth.

Homer is shocked and attempts to alert the media to the plan, but Duff removes all traces of the evidence Homer found. The journalists dismiss Homer's story and call him a liar. In response, Homer stages a hunger strike in which he chains himself to a pole near Duff Stadium in order to force the owners of the team to admit they are moving to Albuquerque. He attracts a great deal of attention so the team decides to move him into the ballpark and exploit his popularity using the name "Hungry, Hungry Homer." Eventually Homer becomes so thin and sickly that the team decides to get rid of him. In a public ceremony, the team's owner unchains him and offers him a free hot dog. Homer realizes the hot dog is topped with Southwestern ingredients and this proves the team really is moving to Albuquerque. The crowd then takes notice that the hot dogs are even wrapped with "Albuquerque Isotopes" paper. Howard K. Duff VIII tries to continue his denials but even Duffman turns against him. Homer's hunger strike is over as he celebrates under a shower of food thrown by the cheering fans.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Albuquerque decides to abandon his plan to steal the Isotopes and instead plans to purchase the Dallas Cowboys.

Trivia

• Duffman's first name (of this actor anyway) is Sid.
• The hair salon is called Hairy Shearers, after The Simpsons voice actor and former SNL castmember Harry Shearer.
• Although purely fictional at the time, the Albuquerque Isotopes became a real baseball team in 2003 as a minor league affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The name was likely inspired by this episode (although New Mexico does have a connection with nuclear energy) and was selected by fans.
• On Subsequent arings of this episode, the ending with the mayor of Albuquerque choosing another city for his baseball team was cut in syndication, so the episode ends with Homer celebrating in the stadium.

Cultural references

• The episode title is a reference to the game Hungry Hungry Hippos which, ironically, had a hippo named Homer.
• Duffman's moment of doubt and decision to lift Howard K. Duff VIII over his head and throw him over fence recalls Darth Vader's victory over Emperor Palpatine during the climactic moments of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Duffman also says "Duffman has a bad feeling about this", similar to "I have a (very) bad feeling about this", which was said in every Star Wars film.
• Blockoland is a parody of Legoland.
• The ghost of Cesar Chavez visits Homer during his hunger strike, but takes the appearance of César Romero, because Homer doesn't know what Chavez looks like.
• The scene where Bart sees Homer lying on top of the red dog house is a direct reference to Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Bart even utters Charlie Brown's signature line "Good Grief".

Quotes

• Bart: Ow, this hurts. Why'd I buy this stupid Lego shirt?
  Marge: Don't you mean Blocko shirt?
  Bart: Oh right, "Blocko."
• Homer: I don't mind being called a liar when I'm lying, or about to lie, or just finished lying, BUT NOT WHEN I'M TELLING THE TRUTH!!
• Homer: (singing and dancing in a poor man's way) I'm dancing away my hunger pangs/Moving my feet so my stomach won't hurt/I'm kinda like Jesus/But not in a sacrilegious way...
• Homer: (when the strike is over) The truth never tasted so good.
• Homer: (ice cream cone falls on Homer's head while he's on strike) Nice try, God!
• Homer: Me so hungy.
• Homer: (after watching blockoland commercial) Alright kids... who wants to go... to... Blockoland?
  Bart and Lisa: Meh.
  Homer: But the commercial gave me the impression that...
  Bart: We said meh.
  Lisa: M-E-H. Meh.
• Homer (undercover in Bart's classroom): Come on, why won't you go out with Bart?
  Sherri: He's a smelly, ugly dork!
  Homer: Please. Ugly is such a smelly word. Who would you rather go out with.
  Sherri: Tommy. (points to an extremely handsome boy with his own sunbeam)
  Homer: Well, duh! He's breathtaking! But Bart has inner-beauty, like you find in a rodent.
  (we then see Bart eating a cracker like a rodent)
  Homer: And face it. You're no prize either. You wear braces, you dress like a kid, and you're not getting an younger. Take what you can get.
  Mrs. Krabappel: He's right. Grab something and don't let go.
  Sherri: Well, Bart's not so bad.
• Homer: Who are you?
  Ghost of César Chávez: I am the spirit of César Chávez.
  Homer: Then why do you look like César Romero?
  Ghost of César Chávez: Because you don't know what César Chávez looks like.
• Albuquerque Mayor: See how much Dallas wants for the Cowboys..
  Assistant: That's a football team, sir.
  Albuquerque Mayor: They'll play what I tell them to play...for I am the mayor of Albuquerque..
• Hairdresser: Yes, may I help you?
  Homer: Nice place you got here. Oh, look, a hairnet. It would be a shame if it was hurled to the ground. Oh, how clumsy of me. Oops.
  Hairdresser: Why are you doing these things?
  Homer: Either you honor my wife's coupon, or a lot more lids will be unscrewed.
  Hairdresser: I cannot streak that much hair. Think of the costs -- I'd be ruined.
  Homer: Oh, really? Boy, you weren't kidding. Your profit margins are razor-thin.
  Hairdresser: You see? This is what I'm --
  Homer: Wait a minute. Four hundred a month for loafer lightener?
  Hairdresser: But we must have it -- it is the lifeblood of the industry.
  
  Homer: You get the same results with a mincing gel.
  Hairdresser: But of course! I will save thousands. Thank you.
• (Homer's absence at the dinner table has lead to a considerable increase in the children's waistlines)
  Marge: There's still more meatloaf.
  Bart: Oh, it's impossible.
  Marge: Come on, come on, we all have to pitch in and eat your father's share.
  Lisa: Why don't you just cook less?
  Marge: I don't do things that way, Lisa.
• Duff: It's such a beautiful day. Where are the crowds?
  Duffman: Duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem.
  Duff: People seem to be drawn to that kook. Maybe we can exploit it.
  Duffman: He's too dangerous, sir. He knows about Albuquerque. Duffman is a cautious cat.
  Duff: No, listen. Fans love wackos. Remember that busty woman who ran out on the field and farted at the ballplayers? I think we found our newest attraction.
  Duffman: Duffman has a bad feeling about this.
  Duff: Can it, Sid.
  Duffman: Why don't you can it, Howard?
• Marge: It's been a whole week. Why are you letting my husband die? What does it have to do with baseball?
  Exec 1: Death is a part of baseball.
  Exec 2: Oh, yeah, the main part.
  Duff: Guys ... We won't let any harm come to your husband, Mrs. Simpson. He'll be fine.
  Marge: He's not moving.
  Duff: He's probably resting from all the moving he did before you got here. He'll start moving in a second; I'm sure of it. Turn on the sprinklers. You see there? He's fine.
  Exec 2: Ooh, look at him go.

External links

• "Hungry, Hungry Homer episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.
• "Hungry, Hungry Homer" at IMDb

• The Simpsons episodes, season 12