Pranksta Rap
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Plot
Bart sees a commercial for the rap show "Murder 4 Life" and really wants to go. Homer has no qualms of letting Bart buy the ticket himself. Later, when Marge sees Bart wearing hip hop clothing, she finds out about the hip-hop show and forbids him to attend. However, Bart feels that since he bought his own ticket, he is an adult and decides to go to the show. When the main singer Alcatraaz gets Bart on stage, Bart cuts a rap berating Homer, making him an instant hit with the crowd. Impressed, Alcatraaz gives him a ride home and gives him a free jersey. Bart overhears Marge and Homer talking about him sneaking out. Not wanting to get caught and be whipped with a belt by Homer, he removes his jersey, writes a note, ties it to a rock and throws it in through the front window. Marge reads it, which says that he has been kidnapped and that they should await further instructions.
The whole community comes out in support of the Simpsons. Chief Clancy Wiggum declares, in a press conference, that he will not let the kidnapper get away, although he is belittled by the assembled reporters. Wiggum muses over his failures as a cop, but after a somewhat inspiring vision of Barney Fife, he puts forth all his effort to solve the case. Meanwhile, Bart reveals his plan to Milhouse, who says he can live at his dad's place in the rundown "Bachelor Arms" apartments. As Bart prepares popcorn, he calls his family, disguising his voice, acting as the kidnapper. Wiggum is at the Simpsons' place, listening in with a recorder. After the call, he plays it back and hears the popcorn popping in the background. He identifies it as "Chintzy Pop" (a very cheap popcorn). After a visit to the Kwik-E-Mart, he discovers that there are only two people cheap enough to buy that brand - himself and Milhouse's father Kirk. While Kirk enjoys his popcorn in his apartment, the cops raid the place and find Bart there. Kirk is arrested on charges of kidnapping and Bart is returned to his relieved parents. Wiggum is hailed a hero in Springfield, and is promoted to Police Commissioner and thrown a parade. Milhouse confronts Bart, telling him that his dad went to jail because of Bart.
Later on, Bart feels guilty and confesses to Wiggum. However, Wiggum tells Bart to keep the lie, as everyone's a winner (even though he is in prison, Kirk gets a cleaner home, three meals a day and single women are cheering for him). But Lisa finds the jersey Bart got at the concert and begins to investigate the matter. She goes to Homer, but he burns the jersey, having also reaped benefits of the lie by getting Hollywood money for the rights to Bart's story. Lisa goes to Principal Skinner and he agrees to help. Wiggum finds out about their snooping, and he meets with Homer, Bart and Kirk and they agree they must keep their cover-up at all costs. Lisa and Skinner go to Alcatraaz's mansion to find proof that Bart was at the concert, which he provides with video footage of him and Bart on stage. Wiggum, with Bart and Homer, busts in demanding the tape, but Alcatraaz's entourage greatly outnumbers him in weaponry. They try to convince Lisa and Skinner how the lie as made everyone happier, but as things get tense, Alcatraaz offers his wisdom on how when things aren't quite black and white, there's only one solution: "HOUSE PARTY!!" His house party is a big hit, with many rappers and hip-hop artists in attendance, and Lisa is left questioning whether this is all right. Homer tells her that even though Bart lied, the lie made everyone happier, then he cannonballs into the pool.
Cultural references
- Barney Fife of The Andy Griffith Show fame appears during Wiggum's dream on a television set much like Don Knotts did to Tobey Maguire in Pleasantville.
- The jokes about Kirk getting trailer time with Springfield's craziest chicks is a reference to the many jailed murderers (such as Susan Smith) who have placed advertisements looking for a partner and received thousands of responses.
- Chief Wiggum calls Bart "Bratty Hearst" after Bart asks Wiggum not to arrest Milhouse's dad. This name is a reference to Patty Hearst, the newspaper heiress who was kidnapped in 1974 and who eventually bonded with her captors, famously helping them in the armed robbery of a bank.
- The Salad of the Christ is a parodic cross-pollination of The Passion of the Christ and VeggieTales.
- When Bart is in his room he has a page of raps he's written and is writing one down, a parody of Eminem in the movie 8 Mile.
- The scene in which Chief Wiggum analyzes the audio recording of Bart and Marge's phone conversation is very similar to the Gene Hackman character Harry Caul in The Conversation (1974). Even the setup of Wiggum's "Lab" is similar to Caul's dingy warehouse workstation.
- Bart mentions that Milhouse wets his pants whenever he watches a Harry Potter film.
- When Principal Skinner, Lisa, and Alcatraaz are analyzing the videotape of the concert to expose the kidnapping hoax, Skinner asks to verify the time and date. When the tape is rewound, there is a clock displaying the time hanging from a rappers neck, similar to the one tradmarked by Flavor Flav.
- Bart's photo of Homer was Homer falling off the Springfield gorge as seen in Bart the Daredevil.