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"Bart-Mangled Banner" is an episode from The Simpsons' fifteenth season.

Synopsis

Template:Spoiler Homer and Marge take the kids to get their shots. Just before Dr. Hibbert is about to inject Bart, he escapes. After a chase through town, Hibbert finally outsmarts Bart and injects him. The shot, however, causes Bart's earholes to swell shut, making him temporarily deaf. Hibbert also tricks Homer into signing a malpractice waiver.

While at the Springfield Elementary School "donkey basketball game", Bart taunts a donkey with a carrot. After he places it in his shorts, the donkey takes it and rips off Bart's shorts (just like his famous line "Eat my shorts"). While Bart is bent over, the US flag is put up behind him and a photo is taken, which results in the crowd assuming that Bart is mooning the US flag. Shortly afterwards, the Springfield Shopper takes the story and completely turns it around, making it seem Bart deliberately mooned the flag. The Simpson family soon is hated by all of Springfield.

The Simpsons are later asked to appear on a talk show and tell their side of the story. However, Marge says that she does hate Americans, even though she didn't mean that she actually hated all Americans. The US then turns their back on Springfield, so Mayor Quimby decides to change the name of Springfield to "Libertyville." Everything in town is patriotized; the traffic light colors are changed to red, white, and blue (red means go now), and everything costs $17.76. While at church, Lisa speaks her opinion about patriotism, and the Simpsons are immediately arrested, in violation of the "Government Knows Best Act."

The Simpsons are taken to a "re-education center", which houses Michael Moore, the Dixie Chicks, Elmo (who accidentally went to the wrong fundraiser), and Bill Clinton. With some help from the last-registered Democrat, the Simpsons escape the prison, but realize that the re-education center is actually Alcatraz Prison. While they are swimming to land, they are picked up by a French freighter and are brought to France. They are well adjusted, but still miss America, mainly because it's where all their stuff is. They then move back to the US as illegal aliens.

Trivia

• Elmo hangs himself in prison.
• The title is taken from a phrase Bart used in "Bart vs. Lisa vs. The Third Grade," regarding the sabotage of Lisa's flag prototype.
• In France, Marge wears the same Chanel suit she wore in episode 3F11 "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield"
• When Bart & Lisa are told they will be used as crash test dummies, Lisa closes her eyes and quietly says to herself "Please be Volvo" A reference to Volvo's excellent safety record.
• According to UNESCO, all towns and cities are required to have red, yellow and green traffic lights, making the red, white and blue traffic lights featured in the episode unrealistic.

Cultural references

• In one of the chase scenes between Doctor Hibbert and Bart in the beginning, we see Hibbert diving down on Bart in a cropduster in a cornfield, a take on the famous cropduster scene from the Alfred Hitchcock movie North by Northwest.
• One of the cellmates in the prison is Elmo from Sesame Street, who claims "Elmo go to wrong fundraiser."
• The Simpson's escape method is the same as the Von Trap family's from The Sound of Music.
• In this episode, Mayor Quimby refers to Charlotte, North Carolina as previously being called Hitler City.

Quotes

• Lisa: In the last two hours, I've gotten 1000 hate spams.
  Hate spam: Refinance your home, YOU COMMIE PIG!

• French sailor: Mes amis! We hate America too. Come to France and we shall mock the country that saved us twice from the Germans.

• Editor: Which one of you writers can take a story and blow it way out of proportion?
  Writer: I'm your man, boss.
  Editor: I want you to overhype this story so much, it makes the New York Post look like The New York Times. Or The New York Times look like the New York Post. I forget which one the good one is.

• Homer: Y'ello? Appear on your TV show? Tell our side of the story? You'll see us there? Goodbye? Dial-tone?

• Nash Castor: Is that why you and your son hate Americans?
  Marge: If by Americans you mean loud-mouthed talk show hosts, which everyone in this country seems to be these days, then yes, I do hate Americans.
  (Nash Castor, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are shown one by one with their mouths wide open in shock)
  Homer: (with a sandwich in his mouth) Wha'd she say?
  Nash Castor: Wow, I'm surprised you haven't been run out of town.
  Marge: I'll have you know that I am very well-liked in Springfield.
  Nash Castor: There you have it, Springfield hates America. After our commercial break, I will be talking even louder! DON'T MISS IT!

• Swat Team Captain: Simpsons, you're under arrest by order of the Government Knows Best Act.

• Homer: I don't want to end up like Elmo, hanging himself in prison!

• Bill Clinton: I want my Washington Post.
  Guard: Here's your Washington Post! (sprays him with a hose)

• Guard#1: (cocks and aims gun)
  Guard#2: Hold your fire! That walrus will eat them!
  Guard#1: No, that's the dad.
  Guard#2: But he's eating a seal!

• Congressman: I declare today, December 25th, "We Hate Springfield Day!"
• Jimbo: Give us your credit card, Simpson! We're gonna identity fraud your ass!
• Groundskeeper Willie: (to Bart) I know what you're hiding, lad. Willie's been deaf since the boiler explosion of '88. But I've taught myself to read lips.
  Mailman: (walking by) Morning, Willie!
  Groundskeeper Willie: What did you say about me mother?! For your information, her feet stank because she works in manure all day! But it's the best darned Starbucks in Glasgow!
• Rich Texan (seeing Bart moon the flag): How dare he! That's the flag my grandpappy rebelled against!
  Lenny: When you insult the flag, you insult my flag tatoo! (close-up of Lenny's tatoo, which says "Dole-Kemp '96")
• Bart: I got my hearing back!
  Kearney: Okay...traitor!
  Bart: And may I say, I missed your sweet, sweet voices.
  Kearney: Cram it, Iraqi!
  Dolph: Why'd you diss the flag?! It partied on the moon!
  (the bullies beat up Bart)
  Kearney: Weren't we afraid of him a few days ago?
  Dolph: We're complex! (they continue beating him up)

• The Simpsons episodes, season 15