Selma's Choice: Difference between revisions

"**Selma's Choice**"
"Selma's Choice"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.	Season 4;
Directed by	Carlos Baeza
Written by	David M. Stern
Original air date	January 21 1993
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"I will not yell 'She's Dead' at roll call."
Couch gag	The Simpson family is caught by a net on the ground.
Commentary	Matt Groening; Al Jean; Mike Reiss; David M. Stern; Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
	The Simpsons season 4
	List of episodes

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Revision as of 23:07, 21 January 2008

"Selma's Choice" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' fourth season. It originally aired on January 21, 1993 on Fox The title of the episode is a reference to the book (and the film) Sophie's Choice. The episode highlights Selma's attempt to conceive a baby, having watched the videotaped will of the late Great Aunt Gladys.

Plot

After seeing Lance Murdock at Duff Gardens, Homer, Bart, and Lisa decide to go. As they are getting ready to leave, Marge tells them that Great Aunt Gladys has died and they will have to go to Duff Gardens another time. The Simpsons, and with Patty and Selma drive to Littleneck Falls to attend her funeral and the reading of her will. On the video will, Great Aunt Gladys warns Patty and Selma not to die alone without a husband and children, as she did. Selma starts to worry that her biological clock may be ticking and decides to find a way to become pregnant. Selma tries video dating. She goes on a date with Hans Moleman. She then decides he is too ugly to be the father of her children. Lisa suggests to Selma that she try artificial insemination.

After Homer eats a spoiled hoagie, he is too ill to take the children to Duff Gardens and Marge must stay behind to nurse him. Marge, in an effort to give Selma a chance to experience the responsibilities of motherhood, asks her to take Bart and Lisa. The kids wear Selma out at Duff Gardens: Lisa begins to hallucinate after being dared by Bart to drink tainted water from an aquatic ride, and Bart is detained by park security after sneaking on and having to be rescued from The Barrel Roll roller coaster after it gets stuck on a loop. After these negative experiences with Bart and Lisa, Selma decides she can live without children and adopts Jub-Jub, Gladys' pet iguana instead.

Production

Writer David Stern said he wanted to go back to a "Patty and Selma episode", because it was sustained so well when he wrote "Principal Charming"^[1] He said he thought it was important to "Keep these characters (Patty and Selma) alive." The animators had trouble with the size of the character's pupils during the season. In this episode, they are noticeably larger.^[2] When the family watches the video will, Julie Kavner did five voices in the scene.^[1] When Gladys shows off her collection of potato chips, the scene was inspired by an actual guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, who was showing off her collection of chips that looked like famous people.^[3] The name of the iguana Jub-Jub came from Conan O'Brien.^[1] The language heard on Selma's ham radio was made up.^[3] Research is usually done to get languages correct. Jub-Jub made his debut appearance in this episode.

Cultural references

Marge's flashback of her and her sisters swimming in a lake is based on The Prince of Tides.^[1] The singers at Duff Gardens, Hooray for Everything, are a tribute to Up with People^[4] Homer and Bart start to sing "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead" from The Wizard of Oz.The poem that Great Aunt Gladys reads at the start of her video will is The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost. The song and ride that Bart, Lisa and Selma go on, with animatronic kids from all over the world singing is a parody of the ride and song "It's a Small World"^[3]

Reception

The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood said, "A nice episode for Selma and good for Marge and Homer as well. But it's the kids who provide the highlights in this one, with their antics at Duff Gardens."^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Stern, David (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. Cite error: The named reference "Stern" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
^ Reardon, Jim (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
^ ^a ^b ^c Jean, Al (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
^ Reiss, Mike (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
^ Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (1993). "Selma's Choice". BBC. Retrieved 2008-01-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

"Selma's Choice episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.

[Stern-1] Stern, David (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox. Cite error: The named reference "Stern" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).

[Reardon-2] Reardon, Jim (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

[Jean-3] Jean, Al (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

[Reiss-4] Reiss, Mike (2004). The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

[bbc-5] Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (1993). "Selma's Choice". BBC. Retrieved 2008-01-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

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@@ Line 22: / Line 22: @@
 After Homer eats a spoiled [[hoagie]], he is too ill to take the children to Duff Gardens and Marge must stay behind to nurse him. Marge, in an effort to give Selma a chance to experience the responsibilities of motherhood, asks her to take Bart and Lisa. The kids wear Selma out at Duff Gardens: Lisa begins to [[hallucinate]] after being dared by Bart to drink tainted water from an aquatic ride, and Bart is detained by park security after sneaking on and having to be rescued from The Barrel Roll [[roller coaster]] after it gets stuck on a loop. After these negative experiences with Bart and Lisa, Selma decides she can live without children and adopts [[List of animals in The Simpsons#Jub-Jub|Jub-Jub]], Gladys' pet [[iguana]] instead.
+==Production==
-==Debut appearances==
+Writer David Stern said he wanted to go back to a "Patty and Selma episode", because it was sustained so well when he wrote "[[Principal Charming]]"<ref name=Stern>{{cite video | people=Stern, David|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He said he thought it was important to "Keep these characters (Patty and Selma) alive." The animators had trouble with the size of the character's pupils during [[The Simpsons (season 4)|the season]]. In this episode, they are noticeably larger.<ref name=Reardon>{{cite video | people=Reardon, Jim|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> When the family watches the video will, Julie Kavner did five voices in the scene.<ref name=Stern/> When Gladys shows off her collection of potato chips, the scene was inspired by an actual guest on [[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson]], who was showing off her collection of chips that looked like famous people.<ref name=Jean>{{cite video | people=Jean, Al|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The name of the iguana Jub-Jub came from [[Conan O'Brien]].<ref name=Stern/> The language heard on Selma's ham radio was made up.<ref name=Jean/> Research is usually done to get languages correct. [[List_of_animals_in_The_Simpsons#Jub-Jub|Jub-Jub]] made his debut appearance in this episode.
-Characters making a first appearance in this episode are:
-*[[List_of_animals_in_The_Simpsons#Jub-Jub|Jub-Jub]]
 == Cultural references ==
+Marge's flashback of her and her sisters swimming in a lake is based on [[The Prince of Tides]].<ref name=Stern>{{cite video | people=Stern, David M.|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The singers at Duff Gardens, Hooray for Everything, are a tribute to [[Up with People]]<ref name=Reiss>{{cite video | people=Reiss, Mike|year=2004|title=The Simpsons The Complete Fourth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Selma's Choice"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Homer and Bart start to sing "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead" from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''.The poem that Great Aunt Gladys reads at the start of her video will is [[The Road Not Taken]] by [[Robert Frost]]. The song and ride that Bart, Lisa and Selma go on, with animatronic kids from all over the world singing is a parody of the ride and song "[[It's a Small World]]"<ref name=Jean/>
-*Homer and Bart start to sing "Ding Dong! The Witch is dead" from ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''.
-*Marge's flashback of her and her sisters swimming in a lake is based on [[The Prince of Tides]].
-*The poem that Great Aunt Gladys reads at the start of her video will is [[The Road Not Taken]] by [[Robert Frost]].
-*Duff Gardens and its attraction parodies well-known theme parks in the United States. Its name is a parody of another amusement park owned by a brewing company, [[Busch Gardens]].
-*After Lance Murdoch jumps some flaming [[school bus]]es, he is asked what he going to do next. He replies "I'm going to Duff Gardens", a reference to the slogan "[[I'm Going to Disneyland!]]".
-*The song and ride that Bart, Lisa and Selma go on, with animatronic kids from all over the world singing a saccharine, repetitive song, is a parody of the ride and song "[[It's a Small World]]" at [[Disneyland]].
-*The song that the group "Hooray For Everything" sings is a cover of the song "[[Walk on the Wild Side (Lou Reed song)|Walk on the Wild Side]]" by [[Lou Reed]], with the lyrics changed from the Lou Reed version which goes "She said, hey babe, take a walk on the wild side, and the colored girls go, doo doo doo, doo ..." while the "Hooray For Everything" lyrics go "Hey kids, take a walk on the wild side and all the races sing, doo doo doo, doo..."
-*Lisa's hallucinogenic state refers to several novels and works of art. Firstly, she sees Selma as a monster with a pair of snarling teeth where her shoulder is, a nod to the artistic style of [[Ralph Steadman]] the artist for various novels by [[Hunter S. Thompson]].
-*When she yells 'I am the Lizard Queen', this is a reference to [[Jim Morrison]] (lead singer of the 60's rock band '[[The Doors]]'), who used to refer to himself as 'the [[Lizard King]]'. This quote was later used in "[[The Simpsons: Hit & Run]]".
-*The parade where Lisa dances in her drunk state is a parody of Disney World's Electrical Parade.
-*The ending, a camcorder recording of Selma holding Jub-Jub and singing "You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman", was based on the famous [[Murphy Brown]] episode where her son is born..
 ==Reception==