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Difference between revisions of "Grift of the Magi"

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{{episode
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{{Icons||FE}}
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|image=dj.jpg
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{{Tab}}
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|productionCode=
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{{EpisodePrevNext|Take My Wife, Sleaze|Little Big Mom}}
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|originalAirdate=December 19, 1999
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{{Quote|Lisa in trouble. The ironing is delicious.|Bart Simpson}}
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|blackboardText=
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{{Episode
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|couchGag=
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|image= Grift of the Magi promo.png
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|specialGuestVoices=
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|number= 235
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|Written By=
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|season=11
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|Directed By=
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|snumber=9
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|prodcode= [[Production season BABF|BABF07]]
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|airdate= December 19, [[1999]]
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|blackboard= "I will not sell my kidney on [[eBay]]"
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|couchgag= Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie slide down a {{W|Fireman's pole|fire pole}} to the couch. Homer, however, gets stuck in the hole and flails about helplessly.
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|guests= [[Clarence Clemons]] as the narrator<br>[[Gary Coleman]] as {{Ch|Gary Coleman|himself}}<br>[[Joe Mantegna]] as [[Fat Tony]]<br>[[Tim Robbins]] as [[Jim Hope]]
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|showrunner1= Mike Scully
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|writer= [[Tom Martin]]
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|director= [[Matthew Nastuk]]
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|DVD features=yes
 
}}
 
}}
  
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"'''Grift of the Magi'''" is the ninth episode of the eleventh season of ''[[The Simpsons]]''.
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"'''Grift of the Magi'''" is the ninth episode of [[Season 11|broadcast season 11]] of ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and the two hundred thirty-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on December 19, [[1999]]. The episode was written by [[Tom Martin]] and directed by [[Matthew Nastuk]]. It guest stars [[Clarence Clemons]] as the narrator, [[Gary Coleman]] as {{Ch|Gary Coleman|himself}}, [[Joe Mantegna]] as [[Fat Tony]], and [[Tim Robbins]] as [[Jim Hope]].
  
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==Plot==
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== Synopsis ==
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On an ordinary day, [[Bart Simpson|Bart]] and [[Milhouse]] dress up as ladies and jump on the bed, but when they do this, Bart breaks his [[coccyx]] (whatever that is). [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Dr. Hibbert|Dr. Hibbert]] informs Homer and [[Marge Simpson|Marge]] that Bart will have to use a wheelchair for the time being. When Bart goes to school the next day, the school does not have ramps for the disabled, which changes when [[Fat Tony]] and his construction company, "Valdazzo Brothers Olive Oil", decides to build the ramps. They build too many ramps around the school, which later crumble because they are made of paint, breadsticks, and shellac. Fat Tony informs [[Principal Skinner]] that he will have to pay $200,000 for damage. In response, Principal Skinner chooses to close [[Springfield Elementary School|Springfield Elementary]] due to lack of funds. All pleas for help (like [[Mr. Burns]]) prove futile until Jim Hope, the president of a company named Kid First Industries, buys the school and [[privatization|privatises]] it.
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{{Synopsis|After stealing ideas from the children of [[Springfield Elementary]], [[Kid First Industries]] releases a new toy, the [[Funzo]]. However, when it turns out the Funzos are programmed to destroy all other toys, it's up to [[Homer]] to save the town.}}
  
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At the school, an all-new staff teaches students classes about toys and marketing, which makes [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] suspicious when her class is asked to name a new toy that they will sell for [[Christmas]]. Bart visits Lisa writing lines on the blackboard. When Bart leaves and turns off the classroom lights, Lisa finds light shining through the blackboard. Lisa later discovers that they are a toy company that uses children for research to make a toy, through the use of hidden cameras, tape recording and clear, two-way blackboards. She brings in her parents and [[Chief Wiggum]] to investigate, but they do not believe her because the room used for spying on the children was taken out and replaced. Later on, the new toy is named Funzo (a name which Lisa ironically suggested in class) with traits that the students had suggested during a brainstorming session. Lisa takes Bart to the KFI headquarters, until [[Gary Coleman]] (as a security guard with varying mental health) stops them. They visit Jim Hope's office and he gives them a free Funzo. Bart and Lisa like it at home, until they discover that Funzo is a toy-killer. They spread the word around [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], urging the citizens to boycott Funzo, until Homer, on Christmas Eve, burns all the Funzos in Springfield after stealing them. However, Gary Coleman comes again to stop them, until they get into a discussion of Christmas. Afterwards, they invite Gary Coleman to a Christmas dinner at the Simpson house.
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== Plot ==
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On an ordinary day, the hole in the ozone layer lands over Springfield, and [[Milhouse]] convinces [[Bart]] to dress up as a girl and they jump on his parents' bed. They enjoy this, but when Homer knocks on the door (which is locked), Bart panics and falls onto Homer's bowling ball and breaks his {{W|coccyx}}. Homer then opens the door and is shocked to see Bart and Milhouse wearing women's clothes and demands they give him a non-gay expanation. Milhouse lies and tells him that they are very drunk, to which Homer says "Thank God!" [[Dr. Hibbert]] informs Homer and [[Marge]] that Bart will have to use a wheelchair for the time being. When Bart goes to school the next day, the school does not have ramps for the disabled, which changes when [[Fat Tony]] and his construction company, "[[Valdazzo Brothers Olive Oil]]", decides to build the ramps. They build too many ramps around the school, which later crumble because they are made of paint, bread sticks, and shellac. Fat Tony informs [[Principal Skinner]] that he will have to pay $200,000 for damage. In response, Principal Skinner chooses to close [[Springfield Elementary]] due to lack of funds. All pleas for help (like [[Mr. Burns]]) prove futile until [[Jim Hope]], the president of a company named [[Kid First Industries]], buys the school and {{W|Privatization|privatises}} it.
  
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==Characters==
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At the school, an all-new staff do no actual teaching and instead teach the children about toy design and marketing, which makes [[Lisa]] suspicious when her class is asked to name a new toy that they will sell for [[Christmas]]. Lisa of course unlike the other kids wants to do actual school work and is later given detention for doing math problems. Bart visits Lisa writing lines on the blackboard, gloating about how he's the straight A student and she'd the troublemaker now. When Bart leaves and turns off the classroom lights, Lisa finds light shining through the blackboard. Lisa later discovers that they are a toy company that's just using the children for research to make a toy, through the use of hidden cameras, tape recording and clear, two-way blackboards. She brings in her parents and [[Chief Wiggum]] to investigate, but they do not believe her because the room used for spying on the children was taken out and replaced. Later on, the new toy is named [[Funzo]] (a name which Lisa ironically suggested in class when she was caught doing math) with traits that the students had suggested during a brainstorming session. Lisa takes Bart to the KFI headquarters, until {{Ch|Gary Coleman}} (as a security guard with questionable mental health) stops them. They visit Jim Hope's office and he gives them a free Funzo. Bart and Lisa like it at home, until they discover that Funzo is a toy-killer purposely designed to destroy other company's toys. They spread the word around [[Springfield]], urging the citizens to boycott Funzo, until Homer, on Christmas Eve, burns all the Funzos in Springfield after stealing them at the [[Springfield Tire Yard]]. However, Gary Coleman comes again to stop them, until they get into a discussion of Christmas. Afterwards, they invite Gary Coleman to a Christmas dinner at the Simpson house. The episode ends with the Simpsons, Moe, Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers smiling at the camera and Gary breaking the forth wall saying "What you talking about everyone?".
  
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* [[Kent Brockman]]
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== Gallery ==
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* [[Bart Simpson]]
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<gallery>
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* [[Lisa Simpson]]
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File:Gary Coleman promotional - Grift of the Magi.png
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* [[Milhouse Van Houten]]
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</gallery>
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* [[Homer Simpson]]
 
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* [[Dr. Hibbert]]
 
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* [[Marge Simpson]]
 
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* [[Maggie Simpson]]
 
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* [[Sherri and Terri]]
 
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* [[Wendell]]
 
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* [[Principal Skinner]]
 
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* [[Fat Tony]]
 
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* [[Legs and ouie]]
 
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* [[Ned Flanders]]
 
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* [[Maude Flanders]]
 
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* [[Todd Flanders]]
 
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* [[Martin Prince]]
 
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* [[Martha Prince]]
 
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* [[Martin Prince Sr.]]
 
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* [[Sherri and Terri's Mom]]
 
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* [[Janey Powell]]
 
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* [[Edna Krabappel]]
 
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* [[ewey Largo]]
 
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* [[Miss Hoover]]
 
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* [[Lewis]]
 
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* [[Richard]]
 
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* [[Nelson Muntz]]
 
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* [[Jimbo Jones]]
 
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* [[Dolph]]
 
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* [[Kearney]]
 
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* [[Otto Mann]]
 
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* [[Groundskeeper Willie]]
 
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* [[Lunchlady Doris]]
 
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* [[Ralph Wiggum]]
 
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* [[Luann Van Houten]]
 
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* [[Bernice Hibbert]]
 
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* [[Kirk Van Houten]]
 
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* [[Reverend Lovejoy]]
 
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* [[Helen Lovejoy]]
 
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* [[Moe Szyslak]]
 
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* [[Sarah Wiggum]]
 
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* [[Montgomery Burns]]
 
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* [[Waylon Smithers]]
 
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* [[Emma]]
 
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* [[Bumblebee Man]]
 
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* [[Jim Hope]]
 
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* [[Melissa]]
 
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* [[Howard]]
 
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* [[Lindsey Naegle]]
 
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* [[Weasels]]
 
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* [[Clancy Wiggum]]
 
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* [[Krusty the Clown]]
 
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* [[Funzo]]
 
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* [[wikipedia: Gary Coleman|Gary Coleman]]
 
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* [[Malibu Stacey]]
 
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* [[Carl Carlson]]
 
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* [[Lenny Leonard]]
 
  
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==Culture references==
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=== Production ===
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*[[Milhouse]] sings "Sisters are doin' it for themselves!", a song by the [[Eurythmics]] and [[Aretha Franklin]].
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<gallery>
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*The toy, Funzo, is a parody of the popular [[Furby]] dolls (although the Furby dolls were mentioned in the story line as an example of a popular toy).
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File:BABF07 Script.png|Script for the Episode
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*Gary Coleman once worked as a security guard in real life. Coleman spoofed Arnold's (Coleman's character in ''[[Diff'rent Strokes]]'') catchphrase, "Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?", three times.
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</gallery>
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*At the end, the narrator says [[Montgomery Burns|Mr. Burns]] was visited by three ghosts in the night which showed him the error of his ways, an homage to ''[[A Christmas Carol]]''.
 
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*The narrator also says that Moe, in his annual suicide attempt, was shown what the world would be like without him after sticking his head in his oven.  This is a reference to both the [[1946 in film|1946 film]] ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]''.
 
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*This episode's title is a pun on O. Henry's short story ''[[The Gift of the Magi]]''.
 
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*Funzo's metallic frame maybe a reference to the metallic frame of the terminator from ''[[The Terminator]]''.
 
  
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==Error==
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{{Images|ep=yes}}
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*Even though Bart said he wouldn't bring a toy to school, he is shown with a Krusty doll.
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{{Season 11}}
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{{Production Season BABF}}
  
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{{Season 11}}
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[[Category:1999]]
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[[Category:Episodes]]
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[[Category:Homer episodes]]
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[[Category:Christmas]]
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[[Category:Christmas episodes]]
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[[Category:Episodes written by Tom Martin]]
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[[Category:Episodes directed by Matthew Nastuk]]
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[[sv:Grift of the Magi]]

Latest revision as of 17:55, October 15, 2025

Season 11 Episode
← 234 "Take My Wife, Sleaze"
235
"Grift of the Magi"
"Little Big Mom" 236 →
"Lisa in trouble. The ironing is delicious."
―Bart Simpson


"Grift of the Magi"
Grift of the Magi promo.png
Episode Information
Episode number: 235
Season number: S11 E9
Production code: BABF07
Original airdate: December 19, 1999
Chalkboard gag: "I will not sell my kidney on eBay"
Couch gag: Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie slide down a fire pole to the couch. Homer, however, gets stuck in the hole and flails about helplessly.
Guest star(s): Clarence Clemons as the narrator
Gary Coleman as himself
Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony
Tim Robbins as Jim Hope
Showrunner: Mike Scully
Written by: Tom Martin
Directed by: Matthew Nastuk
DVD features

"Grift of the Magi" is the ninth episode of broadcast season 11 of The Simpsons and the two hundred thirty-fifth episode overall. It originally aired on December 19, 1999. The episode was written by Tom Martin and directed by Matthew Nastuk. It guest stars Clarence Clemons as the narrator, Gary Coleman as himself, Joe Mantegna as Fat Tony, and Tim Robbins as Jim Hope.

Synopsis[edit]

After stealing ideas from the children of Springfield Elementary, Kid First Industries releases a new toy, the Funzo. However, when it turns out the Funzos are programmed to destroy all other toys, it's up to Homer to save the town.

Plot[edit]

On an ordinary day, the hole in the ozone layer lands over Springfield, and Milhouse convinces Bart to dress up as a girl and they jump on his parents' bed. They enjoy this, but when Homer knocks on the door (which is locked), Bart panics and falls onto Homer's bowling ball and breaks his coccyx. Homer then opens the door and is shocked to see Bart and Milhouse wearing women's clothes and demands they give him a non-gay expanation. Milhouse lies and tells him that they are very drunk, to which Homer says "Thank God!" Dr. Hibbert informs Homer and Marge that Bart will have to use a wheelchair for the time being. When Bart goes to school the next day, the school does not have ramps for the disabled, which changes when Fat Tony and his construction company, "Valdazzo Brothers Olive Oil", decides to build the ramps. They build too many ramps around the school, which later crumble because they are made of paint, bread sticks, and shellac. Fat Tony informs Principal Skinner that he will have to pay $200,000 for damage. In response, Principal Skinner chooses to close Springfield Elementary due to lack of funds. All pleas for help (like Mr. Burns) prove futile until Jim Hope, the president of a company named Kid First Industries, buys the school and privatises it.

At the school, an all-new staff do no actual teaching and instead teach the children about toy design and marketing, which makes Lisa suspicious when her class is asked to name a new toy that they will sell for Christmas. Lisa of course unlike the other kids wants to do actual school work and is later given detention for doing math problems. Bart visits Lisa writing lines on the blackboard, gloating about how he's the straight A student and she'd the troublemaker now. When Bart leaves and turns off the classroom lights, Lisa finds light shining through the blackboard. Lisa later discovers that they are a toy company that's just using the children for research to make a toy, through the use of hidden cameras, tape recording and clear, two-way blackboards. She brings in her parents and Chief Wiggum to investigate, but they do not believe her because the room used for spying on the children was taken out and replaced. Later on, the new toy is named Funzo (a name which Lisa ironically suggested in class when she was caught doing math) with traits that the students had suggested during a brainstorming session. Lisa takes Bart to the KFI headquarters, until Gary Coleman (as a security guard with questionable mental health) stops them. They visit Jim Hope's office and he gives them a free Funzo. Bart and Lisa like it at home, until they discover that Funzo is a toy-killer purposely designed to destroy other company's toys. They spread the word around Springfield, urging the citizens to boycott Funzo, until Homer, on Christmas Eve, burns all the Funzos in Springfield after stealing them at the Springfield Tire Yard. However, Gary Coleman comes again to stop them, until they get into a discussion of Christmas. Afterwards, they invite Gary Coleman to a Christmas dinner at the Simpson house. The episode ends with the Simpsons, Moe, Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers smiling at the camera and Gary breaking the forth wall saying "What you talking about everyone?".

Gallery[edit]

  • Gary Coleman promotional - Grift of the Magi.png

Production[edit]

  • Script for the Episode


The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to "Grift of the Magi".
Season 11 Episodes
Beyond Blunderdome • Brother's Little Helper • Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner? • Treehouse of Horror X • E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) • Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder • Eight Misbehavin' • Take My Wife, Sleaze • Grift of the Magi • Little Big Mom • Faith Off • The Mansion Family • Saddlesore Galactica • Alone Again, Natura-Diddily • Missionary: Impossible • Pygmoelian • Bart to the Future • Days of Wine and D'oh'ses • Kill the Alligator and Run • Last Tap Dance in Springfield • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge • Behind the Laughter
Production season BABF Episodes
Treehouse of Horror X • Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder • Eight Misbehavin' • Little Big Mom • Take My Wife, Sleaze • Faith Off • Grift of the Magi • The Mansion Family • Saddlesore Galactica • Alone Again, Natura-Diddily • Missionary: Impossible • Pygmoelian • Bart to the Future • Days of Wine and D'oh'ses • Last Tap Dance in Springfield • Kill the Alligator and Run • Insane Clown Poppy • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge • Behind the Laughter • A Tale of Two Springfields • Treehouse of Horror XI • HOMЯ
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