Husbands and Knives

"Husbands and Knives"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.	Season 19
Directed by	Nancy Kruse
Written by	Matt Selman
Original air date	November 18, 2007
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"The Pilgrims were not illegal aliens"
Couch gag	Two hands (with five fingers instead of four) open a pop-up book to reveal the family sitting on the couch

"Husbands and Knives" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons' nineteenth season, and was first broadcast on November 18, 2007. It features guest appearances from Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman and Dan Clowes as themselves as well as Jack Black as Milo. It was written by Matt Selman and directed by Nancy Kruse.

Plot

While shopping at the The Android's Dungeon, Millhouse accidentally sheds a tear on a Wolverine comic book and blurs Wolverine's iconic sideburns. For this, Comic Book Guy charges Milhouse $25. After Bart speaks out about how comic books are not "real", Comic Book Guy tells him and the other children customers to get out, thinking he has the only comic book store in town. To his surprise, a new comic book store, "Coolsville Comics & Toys", situated directly across the street from the Android's Dungeon, has just opened.

The children leave the store and head towards Coolsville, where the store owner, a hipster named Milo gives them Japanese candy and invites them to his grand opening. The children are astonished to see the store is jam-packed not only with comic books, but also with video games and modern art, giving it a sophisticated arcade look. When Lisa accidentally rips a page of a Tintin book, Milo is not angry and merely tells her that the books are meant to be read and enjoyed, not to be bought for the collector's value.

The store becomes even more popular, playing host to Art Spiegelman, Daniel Clowes and Alan Moore, who all visit for a book signing. Comic Book Guy jealously tries to sabotage Milo's popularity by pointing out his girlfriend (whom the kids have no problem with for she, like Milo, is also hip) and bribing the children with "Japanese weapons". When these plots do not work, Comic Book Guy tries to use the weapons to destroy Coolsville, but is subdued by the three authors, who remove their shirts to reveal bulging super-hero physiques.

File:MooreClovesSpielgman.png

(left to right) Dan Clowes, Art Spiegelman (wearing a Maus mask) and Alan Moore.

After dropping Bart and Lisa off at Coolsville, Marge compares herself to a standee of Wonder Woman, and is shocked to see how her physical feature is much larger. Marge promises to become slimmer, but while exercising at a large gym, Marge struggles with the treadmill. After being embarrassed by showering in public, Marge opens a gym for ordinary women.

Comic Book Guy, having finally given up, closes the Android's Dungeon, where Marge opens Shapes, a women-only workout center reminiscent of Curves, that is an immediate hit. Many women of Springfield comment on Marge's efforts; she opens another location at an abandoned Krusty Burger. Soon, after an interview on Opal (similar to Oprah), Marge becomes an international hit. Homer and Marge go on a luxury vacation at a hotel where Homer meets a group of three strapping young men who tell him he is on "wife support". They are all the second 'trophy' husbands and convince Homer that Marge will soon dump him for a healthier man, and give him a list of the stages Marge will go through before dumping him. These start to happen and Homer overhears Marge talking to a group of women about dumping something. Homer assumes it is him, although it is actually her purse. One of the three younger men tells Homer he is actually a first husband who used to be fat and ugly, but transformed himself through fashion, diet and exercise. Homer realizes what he needs to do: get cosmetic surgery.

Homer attempts to win Marge back by having stomach staples and plastic surgery done. When finished, Homer looks entirely different; his appetite level is significantly lower and his tear ducts moved to his pectoral muscles. While Mayor Quimby rewards Marge for her work with Shapes, Homer arrives in his new form, much to the shock and disgust of the town. Quimby orders the town to bring pitchforks and attack Homer. Homer and Marge run to the top of Springfield's Notre Dame tower and Marge, saying she wants a trophy husband, deliberately pushes Homer off the tower. Homer wakes up in the hospital, back to his old self. Marge informs him that after he was knocked out, the surgeon called for her permission on the surgery, to which she said no, and that everything from Homer's surgery to his "death" was just a dream. She had the doctor reverse Homer's stomach stapling, since she loves him no matter how he looks. The episode ends with Moore, Spiegelman, and Clowes watching Homer and Marge from mid-air. They mention that a meteor is headed for Earth, but forget about it after the mention of a convention for underpaid writers, flying away and allowing the meteor to strike.

Production

Alan Moore recorded his lines in October 2006, after the writers approached his then fiancée Melinda Gebbie. He is a fan of the show.

Cultural references

• Milo sings a Korean version of Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat?" Despite the fact that parts of the song are random Korean words. At a certain point, he is seen playing Dance Dance Revolution and Guitar Hero at the same time.

File:Lisa Tintin.jpg

Lisa reading a Tintin comic book.

• In the comics store, Lisa walks to the Tintin and Asterix shelf. The Belgian comic strip Tintin and the French comic strip Asterix are the most internationally-famous European comics. The album she reads, Tintin in Paris, does not exist in the Tintin series but is essentially a mishmash of the cover of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the island from The Black Island and the rocket from Destination Moon. Also visible are Tintin in Tibet, The Shooting Star, The Crab with the Golden Claws and Cigars of the Pharaoh.
• Marge's gym, Shapes, is a parody of Curves.
• Art Spiegelman's mask, which he wears when attacking the Comic Book Guy during his rampage on Coolsville is based upon the mask he has drawn himself wearing as an illustrator in Maus.
• In Marge’s gym, Shapes, the words "I am woman, hear me sweat" is seen on the wall. This is a reference to the Helen Reddy song, "I Am Woman"
• Alan Moore's outburst at Milhouse's request that he sign a DVD of the film Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation (a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta, complete with infant versions of Ozymandias, Dr. Manhattan, Rorschach and Nite-Owl II on the cover), is a reference to Moore's notorious outspoken dissatisfaction with adaptations of his works by major film studios, particularly his refusal to support the then-recent film adaptation of V for Vendetta, in which he went so far as to demand that his name not appear in the credits.
• Coolsville Comics & Toys is a parody of the Meltdown Comics & Collectibles on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
• The treadmill scene in the gym is a reference to the music video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again" (complete with the song itself playing).

Reception

The episode's initial broadcast had 10.5 million viewers. Robert Canning of IGN called it an episode that can keep viewers entertained and laughing. He called the character of Milo and Jack Black a perfect fit and particularly enjoyed the appearances of comic book legends Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman and Dan Clowes. He did note that the Homer/Marge plot was "not nearly as enjoyable as the comic related bits" and gave the episode a 7/10.

On May 11, 2008, Entertainment Weekly named Jack Black's role as Milo the second of 16 great guest stars on The Simpsons.

External links

• "Husbands and Knives" at IMDb