Today I Am a Clown

"Today I Am a Clown"
The Simpsons episode
File:FABF01.jpg
Episode no.	Season 15
Directed by	Nancy Kruse
Written by	Joel H. Cohen
Original air dates	December 7, 2003
Episode features
Chalkboard gag	"Over forty and single is not funny."
Couch gag	Homer is Batman, Bart is Robin, and Marge, Lisa, and Maggie are all Batgirl, as they slide from a pole to a couch, a la the original Batman series.

"Today I Am a Clown" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons' fifteenth season. The episode aired on December 7, 2003.

Plot

Maggie is locked in the bathroom and she is eventually freed, thanks to Lisa trying their rescue solution a second time. The family hears the doorbell, finding Dr. Hibbert, who says that Santa's Little Helper had impregnated his poodle, Rosa Barks, and he turns over the puppies to the Simpson family and making them their problem. Although Lisa reads a Simpsons episode guide that says that Homer was taking Santa's Little Helper to have him neutered, Homer was never able to complete the deed. Bart and Lisa give out puppies to people, including Krusty, who takes him for a walk to his old neighborhood.

However, when Krusty returns to his old neighborhood in the Jewish section of Springfield, he sees the Jewish Walk of Fame and finds that his star is not on the sidewalk. He then goes to register for it and is told he does not have a star because he did not have a bar mitzvah, which means he is not a Jewish man. Bart and Lisa take Krusty to see his father, who claimed that Krusty was not given a bar mitzvah due to his non-serious attitudes growing up. He agrees to help Krusty achieve his goal teaching Krusty all the goals associated with Judaism. With this happening, Krusty cannot do shows on Saturday (the Sabbath); therefore, he must seek a replacement, and gets Homer to replace him for the day. Homer's replacement show is a talk show, featuring Moe, Lenny (later replaced by Barney and Disco Stu), and Carl as panelists. The show becomes a success in its own right; meanwhile, Krusty continues to learn his Jewish traditions.

Homer's show is a surprising success, so much that Krusty's show is eventually cancelled by Channel 6. Lisa suggests that Homer put his power to good use after listening to Lisa's advice, but ironically, ratings decline and Homer's show is also cancelled. Krusty, after being fired by Channel 6, pitches his bar mitzvah to the Fox network (knowing that they'll "take chances on crap"). When his bar mitzvah ("Krusty the Klown's Wet 'n' Wild Bar Mitzvah"), featuring Mr. T as a guest, airs, it becomes a ratings smash, drawing "Raymond rerun good" ratings, but the spectacle disappoints his father. Krusty feeling remorse, claims that he wants to have a real bar mitzvah the traditional way at the temple. The show closes out with Krusty having an (almost) serious bar mitzvah in a synagogue.

Trivia

• The premise for this episode is technically false; bar mitzvahs ceremonies are largely arbitrary, and not having one has no bearing on a Jewish male's standing as a "real" Jew.
• The book that Lisa reads to discover that they got S.L.H neutered because of the last time he had puppies is 'The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family', where she must be reading the 'Two Dozen and One Greyhounds' page.
• The dog neutering clinic which Santa's Little Helper is taken to is called Nuts Landing, a reference to Knots Landing.
• Its is implied in this episode that Krusty has a Cocaine problem: He is shown putting a finger on his nostril and inhaling, to then claim to Bart and Lisa, who he realizes are staring at him, "You know, (nervous laugh) sniffing flowers. (Depressed) Such expensive flowers. Filled with remorse."
• Comedian Jon Stewart is mentioned.
• The popular Johnny Cash song "Ring of Fire" is played at the episodes beginning.
• Lisa has an imaginary friend named Rachel Cohen who goes to Brandeis University.
• In the episode Helter Shelter Homer is upset that 1895 is too late to save Lincoln and too early to save Kennedy, and in this episode he fantasizes about doing both.
• Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax's refusal to pitch Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur is mentioned when Krusty sees his star on the Jewish Walk of Fame and reacts with disgust.

External links

• IMDB page