Radio Bart

"Radio Bart"

Episode Information

Showrunner:	[[{{{showrunner}}}]]

Radio Bart is the thirteenth episode of the third season, first shown on the 9th January 1992. Sting guest voices himself. It was nominated for an Emmy that year. The episode's plot is inspired by a common American tradition of telling stories about children who have fallen down wells.

Plot

Homer doesn't know what to get Bart for his birthday. He sees an ad on TV for a new mike that can be heard through a walkie-talkie. Bart doesn't seem to to like it, until he finds good use for it. He starts playing pranks with it. One of them is putting the walkie-talkie in a well and talking through it, pretending to be a little boy trapped in the well. The town goes into commotion about the little boy. An episode of Itchy and Scratchy is dedicated to him and the celebrities of Springfield sing a song about him. Lisa finds out about Bart's prank and tells him to put a stop to it. Bart goes into the well to get the walkie-talkie, but his rope breaks and he falls in. He calls for the police to help him, but when they find out he pulled one over on the town, they give him what he deserves and leave him in there. Everyone complains about what Bart did and want to leave him in there. At night, Homer hears Bart crying inside the well, and starts digging to get him out. Pretty soon, the town starts helping too. Willie makes sure no one falls in the well again by putting a "Caution" sign by it.

Production

When this episode was being made, the producers approached Bruce Springsteen to appear. He rejected doing the episode, and got Sting to appear in his place. According to DVD Commentary, the producers originally wanted Homer to sing The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot as opposed to Convoy. Jon Vitti said the reason the song was not used was because Lightfoot had made it so that in order to clear the song, they would have to get okays from the families of all 29 victims who died on the ship.

In one scene, Bart uses his radio to make Homer believe aliens are invading the Earth. This prompts Homer to brandish a shotgun in panic. According to the commentary, Homer's original reaction was to mix Kool-Aid and rat poison, ostensibly to spare his family the horror of alien invasion. This was deemed too dark and was changed.

Trivia

This is the first episode in which Sideshow Mel speaks.
Two of the names on The Krusty the Klown birthday list are the names of people who would later become part of the Simpsons staff: Ken Keeler and Patric Verrone

Appearances

Characters

Locations

Vehicles

Willie's Tractor

Reception

In the DVD commentary for the episode, the staff expresses their disbelief that this episode lost the Emmy for animated program to Claymation Easter. Al Jean said they thought this episode or Ren & Stimpy would win and were absolutely floored when neither did. David Silverman said he believes The Simpsons and Ren & Stimpy split the vote, allowing Claymation Easter to grab the Emmy. The Daily Telegraph characterized the episode as one of "The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes."

Cultural References

* The song that plays as Bart descends the well (to retrieve the incriminating radio) is based on the theme song Axel F from Beverly Hills Cop. The Itchy & Scratchy cartoon "Cat Splat Fever" makes use of the title of the 1977 Ted Nugent album/song Cat Scratch Fever.
* The media circus and carnival that results after news breaks about "Timmy" being trapped in the well mirrors that of the 1951 movie Ace in the Hole. The movie in turn was based on the real incident and media circus that resulted when cave explorer Floyd Collins was trapped and died in a cave in Kentucky in 1925.
* The episode parodies charity singles. The song "We're Sending Our Love Down the Well" is a spoof of various 1980s charity songs, including "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (on which Sting was one of the vocalists) and "We Are the World". Also a parody of All out of love by Air Supply.
* The Wall E. Weasel pizza restaurant ("We cram fun down your throat") is a parody of the family pizza restaurant franchise Chuck E. Cheese's. Seen in this episode: The restaurant's mascot (here in his first appearance), the franchise's pizza, video games, and poorly maintained animatronic robots.
* The song in the commercial (used to demonstrate the Superstar Celebrity Microphone) — and later "performed" by Homer — is the 1975 novelty song Convoy by C.W. McCall.
* The Superstar Celebrity Microphone is based on the late-1970s era toy microphone Mr. Microphone. The television ad pitching the microphone is also similar.
* Upon hearing Bart cry about being trapped in the well, Homer decides to dig Bart out himself, declaring "That's all I can stand, and I can't stand no more!" echoing a line Popeye frequently used before getting into a fight.
* Soul Mass Transit System, the TV dance show in the first act (on which Funky-See Funky-Do is guest performing) is a parody of the long-running syndicated program Soul Train. Funky-See Funky Do's single, titled "I Do Believe We're Naked," is a parody of the song I Think We're Alone Now recorded by Tommy James & the Shondells, Tiffany and Girls Aloud.[2]
* As the camera pans down the well after the excavation has begun, a flying saucer containing a skeleton of a Rigellian alien can be seen.
* Homer stating that Sting is a good digger while he is helping dig Bart out of the well is appropriate and somewhat ironic due to the fact that Sting worked as a ditch digger (as well as a few other professions) before he became a full time musician.
* This episode is similar to an incident involving Jessica McClure, who fell into a well in Midland, Texas on October 14, 1987.

Credits

← Season 2 Season 3 Episodes Season 4 →
Stark Raving Dad • Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington • When Flanders Failed • Bart the Murderer • Homer Defined • Like Father, Like Clown • Treehouse of Horror II • Lisa's Pony • Saturdays of Thunder • Flaming Moe's • Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk • I Married Marge • Radio Bart • Lisa the Greek • Homer Alone • Bart the Lover • Homer at the Bat • Separate Vocations • Dog of Death • Colonel Homer • Black Widower • The Otto Show • Bart's Friend Falls in Love • Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?