"Barting Over" is the eleventh episode of the
fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...
'', advertised by
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
, and indicated on-screen to be the 300th episode of the show (though in broadcast order, it is the 302nd episode, as noted in the episode proper, and the 301st episode in production order). It originally aired on the
Fox network in the United States on February 16, 2003. In this episode, Bart discovers that he used to be a child star in commercials—and that Homer spent all the money he earned. In retaliation, Bart petitions the court to be legally emancipated, and he moves out of the house.
Plot
While
Bart and
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer
* Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
are cleaning the garage, they find a commercial where Bart is cast as a baby with bad breath. Bart does not remember being a child actor (stating he doesn't remember being in ''any'' commercial, before eating a
Butterfinger candy bar), and Marge reassures him that he earned a lot of money from it. Homer confesses that he had spent Bart's money. When he asks why Homer would be so selfish in doing so since Marge promised to put that in a trust fund for his future, he explains that he needed the money. Homer had to buy back incriminating photos of himself endangering Bart's life from a hotel balcony to avoid a scandal. Furious, Bart decides that he can no longer live with Homer and appeals to be
emancipated
Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...
.
During the trial, Homer's anger issues prove that Bart is not safe living with him, and Homer is no longer his legal guardian. Furious, he tries to attack Judge Harm, but is stopped by the bailiff and dragged away for contempt.
Bart sadly says goodbye to Marge and Lisa, then moves into a loft. Homer struggles to cope with Bart's disappearance and plans to prove that he can be a better father. That night, Bart is scared away by a rat and runs into the elevator, which takes him to the hangout of
Tony Hawk
Anthony Frank Hawk (born May 12, 1968), nicknamed Birdman, is an American professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse. A pioneer of modern vertical skateboarding, Hawk completed the first documen ...
and
Blink-182. He befriends Hawk and decorates his loft with luxuries, and when the rest of the family visit him, Bart prefers his new life and still refuses to come back.
Hawk invites Bart to his Skewed Tour, where Homer, Lisa, and Marge follow him. To win back Bart's respect, Homer beats Hawk in a skateboarding duel. After Homer promises that he will never mistreat him again, Bart accepts his apology and moves back in. Homer starts to earn back Bart's money by acting in an advertisement for an
impotency
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of male ...
drug and which he's embarrassed of. Bart reassures him that no one will remember it in 50 years. On Homer's death 50 years later, an elderly Nelson Muntz laughs at his grave before passing out from the attempt.
Production
FOX insisted that the 300th episode be scheduled specifically on February 16, 2003 so that there was time to plan a huge promotion for the episode.
[The Simpsons staff (2003). Commentary for "Barting Over", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fourteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.] However, the
actual 300th episode had already aired two weeks prior. This was referenced in this episode during a joke where Lisa tallies the number of Homer's schemes at 300; Marge comments "I could've sworn it was 302."
Blink-182 recorded their lines for the episode on April 24, 2002; Hawk recorded his five days later on April 29.
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus (born March 15, 1972) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer best known as the bassist and co-lead vocalist for the rock band Blink-182, being the only constant member and the only one to appear on every album. ...
of Blink-182 has stated that being on ''The Simpsons'' was "truly one of those “wow, this is unreal” moments that I’ve been lucky enough to experience. It still makes my day every time I think about it."
Reception
In 2007, Simon Crerar of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...
'' listed Tony Hawk's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.
References
External links
*
{{The Simpsons episodes, 14
The Simpsons (season 14) episodes
2003 American television episodes
Cultural depictions of Tony Hawk
Tony Hawk
Blink-182
Skateboarding mass media
Youth rights
Television episodes written by Andrew Kreisberg