Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song
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"Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons' fifth season, first aired on April 28, 1994. It is also the 100th Episode.
Plot
After dismissing the idea of taking a geode, Bart brings Santa's Little Helper to school for show and tell. Even though Bart did well on the show and tell, the dog escapes into the air ducts after Mrs. Krabappel took him to the closet, and Groundskeeper Willie is greased up and sent after him. Willie catches the dog, but chooses the wrong vent to come out of (the one hanging high over the gym) and the fire department is called in to rescue him. As the fireman are attempting to rescue Willie, Superintendent Chalmers appears outraged at the incident telling Skinner "Oh, I have had it, I have had it with this school, Skinner! The low test scores, class after class of ugly, ugly children." As they talk, Bart's dog falls into Chalmers' arms causing him to initially forgive Skinner; it is then rescinded when Willie falls through the vents and fall onto Superintendent Chalmers. This debacle results in Chalmers firing Principal Skinner.
Chalmers hires Ned Flanders as the new principal of Springfield Elementary School, but when Flanders is hesitant to discipline the children, they run amok and the school becomes a mad house.
Bart befriends the now out of work Skinner, as they laugh about anecdotes of Flanders's failure that Bart relates. Skinner's original plan was to write the great American novel, an idea that's promptly shot down as a total plagiarism by Apu, as it resembles the novel Jurassic Park. Soon, Skinner eventually decides he should return to the only place that has ever really been a home to him, and rejoins the United States Army as a drill instructor.
Instead of rejoicing in the discipline-less school, Bart feels bad about causing Skinner's firing, so in an effort to get Skinner his job back, Bart attempts to expose Flanders' poor leadership to Chalmers, with the help of Homer. But despite the state of chaos Springfield Elementary is in, Chalmers is not concerned. However when he hears Flanders utter "thank the Lord for this beautiful day" over the intercom, Chalmers immediately fires Ned stating there is no room for prayer in public school ("...just as there is no place for facts in organized religion!"), and Skinner is given back his job as principal.
Cultural references
- The episode title is in reference to a 1971 movie Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song.
- The opening segment with the flashback and music is in reference to the classic television show The Wonder Years, complete with Joe Cocker's rendition of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends".
- Skinner looking at a monitor with two dots, one moving and one stationary, is from the movie Alien.
- When Skinner looks into the vent, it is in the same manner as when Hicks does it in Aliens.
- A very quick glimpse of Santa's Little Helper running fast through the vent is much like a scene in the film Alien³.
- Skinner's "great American novel" ("Billy And The Clone-a-saurus") idea turns out to be an inadvertent plagiarism of Jurassic Park.
- Luigi calls Skinner "Mr. Kookalamanza", which may be a reference to Bowanga Bowanga, a campy, low-budget, obscure film from 1941.[1] One of the characters, Kirby Kookalamanza, is apparently "a real ugly guy."[2]
- While talking to Superintendent Chalmers on the phone, Skinner mentions a student named Weinstein, whom he thought invented Yom Kippur as an excuse to skip school. This is most likely a nod to Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein, who also happens to be Jewish.
- A reference to Beavis and Butt-Head is made in a deleted scene included on the season 5 box set. While talking to Superintendent Chalmers on the phone, Skinner remarks, "I know there are problems with the school Superintendent, but it's not my fault! I mean look at the TV shows these kids watch. That Beavis and the Butt-Head...no, no, no, sir you're not the Butt-Head. Beavis' chum is the Butt-Head."
- Lisa Mentions Doctor Moriarty as Sherlock Holmes' archenemy, although his actual title is Professor Moriarty.