The Simpsons have, through my life, defined much of my sense of humor. So many of the things I quote or otherwise relate to come from that show, though it's been a few years since I sat down and watched its prime material. I'm, naturally, talking about the first 10 seasons, which ran from 1989-1999. It's honestly incredible that the show is still on the air as it's quite clear it's been running on the fumes of past success for some time.
But I'm not here to rag on the past 20 whatever seasons, I'm here to look in part at why it was such a draw in the first place. A cultural phenomenon immediately, it may be forgotten that the first two or so seasons frequently centered on family-based, moral-of-the-story type lessons. After that it kept getting better, keeping the family dynamic to an extent while ratcheting up the smartly written jokes and pop culture references. A hallmark of the show's great seasons-long run were surprisingly complicated narratives for a 20-minute cartoon full of gags. This combination made the show perpetually relevant and a juggernaut for years to come. Somehow the older stuff feels timeless, even with the tube TVs and corded phones and all that because the jokes still slay, though there's certainly nostalgia at play considering those were the years I grew up.
I'd venture a guess, on saying the show peaked in season four, that most Simpsons fans would agree. Three was good, though the show remained slightly in transition. Five through eight was the remainder of the series outstanding run and I wouldn't argue too hard if someone preferred any of those. Nine and ten, while enjoyable, began a drawn-out decline. The thing that most impresses about season four is the ridiculously consistent creativity that spawned memorable episodes from beginning to end. It has Kamp Krusty, where Bart and Lisa go to a summer camp that devolves into Lord of the Flies. It has Homer the Heretic, where Homer forsakes the church and sets their house on fire ('S-M-R-T'). It has Marge Gets a Job, where Marge works at the power plant and draws the attention of Mr. Burns, who kidnaps Tom Jones as part of a bid to woo her. It has Mr. Plow ('that name again is Mr. Plow.'), Lisa's First Word, a touching look back at the kids early years, and Marge vs. the Monorail (with the great song starring Phil Hartman). There's I Love Lisa, where Lisa breaks Ralph Wiggum's heart ('I choo choo choose you'). There's Whacking Day too, and yes, this list has gone on long enough. I haven't even mentioned two contenders for top episode in the entire series: Last Exit to Springfield ('dental plan/Lisa needs braces') and the subject today, A Streetcar Named Marge.
In this episode, which was only the second of the '92-'93 season, Marge decides to try out for a locally organized play. It's a musical version of 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' first a Broadway production then a major motion picture starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando. When Marge leaves for the tryout she gets ignored by her family, most hurtfully by her husband Homer, fully justifying her desire to go out and do something for herself. The director (voiced by Jon Lovitz) casts Marge as his Blanche DuBois after hearing a phone call between her and Homer and seeing parallels between the two women. The B-plot revolves around baby Maggie for once, who gets put into daycare so Marge can rehearse. More on that in a bit. Through the rest of the story Marge continues to personify Blanche and Homer the brutish (though here non-violent) Stanley Kowalski. When her performance is over, she understandably assumes Homer's dejected behavior is due to boredom and an inability to support her, but he shockingly shows some depth and redeems himself in a sincere moment. There was a time when Homer wasn't solely a worthless father and husband and he demonstrates it here.
I want to talk about one aspect of why this one is so tremendous. Simpsons episodes, the best examples anyway, have always included connections to other segments in pop culture. I didn't get very many when first watching as a young person but I pick up more as I get older and further explore classic film. There's no doubt A Streetcar Named Marge has some of the most sharply conceived, rapid-fire movie references ever done on the series. That's really what I want to highlight, so let's take a look.
Of course, as a result of putting on a production within the episode, there are nods to A Streetcar Named Desire. But perhaps the funniest one isn't even part of the play:
The B-plot is the biggest thing that takes this episode to another level. Maggie's entire time at the daycare center (Ayn Rand School for Tots - lol) is a miniaturized version of the 1963 classic The Great Escape with Maggie assuming Steve McQueen's character 'The Cooler King.' They even use the theme from the movie. My favorite piece is Maggie throwing a ball in 'The Box'. Here are those parts:
Your eyes didn't deceive you, in the middle of it all Maggie drops into a secure area from a vent in the ceiling to steal something and does it without ever contacting the ground. It's straight out of 1996's Mission: Impossible.
Finally, after the babies retrieve their pacifiers, Maggie's pickup becomes rather eerie for Homer, Bart and Lisa. This is a call-out to The Birds, also from 1963, and even includes an appearance by Alfred Hitchcock in his own style, as a seemingly innocuous passerby.
There's more too but these are the biggies. Nothing is forced in a way that removes you from the rest of the story, allowing the references to be terrifically amusing if you get them (which I certainly didn't way back when) but also not necessary to enjoy the episode. Seriously, this song mocking New Orleans cracks me up every time and it's completely original. Still though, these seamless additions are a big part of why Streetcar is considered one of the Simpsons best and a perfect choice to demonstrate the cleverness of the series at its peak, which hopefully was accomplished. It's so much fun to return to this show every few years and discover new jokes you didn't get before, and that alone is a reason to keep coming back.
If you didn't know, you can watch every episode of The Simpsons on Disney+. A Streetcar Named Marge is S4E2.
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