"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" is the tenth episode of the
sixth 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 Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
''. It was first broadcast on the
Fox network
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
in the United States on December 4, 1994. In the episode,
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
and
Marge's sex life wanes, so
Grampa restores it with a homemade revitalizing tonic. He and Homer travel town-to-town selling the elixir, but they are estranged after Grampa reveals that Homer's conception was
unintentional
''Unintentional'' is a 2021 Nigerian romantic drama film directed by Olufemi Bamigbetan, written by Zeina Otonjo, produced by Obinna Okerekeocha and Bola Atta as Executive Producer and stars Efa Iwara, Omowumi Dada and Beverly Osu
Unintentional ...
.
The episode was written by
Bill Oakley and
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein (born May 5, 1966) is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series ''The Simpsons''. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Weinst ...
, and directed by
Wes Archer
Wes Archer is an American television animation director and storyboard artist.
Career
Archer was one of the original three animators (along with David Silverman and Bill Kopp) on ''The Simpsons'', Tracey Ullman shorts, and subsequently direc ...
.
After its initial airing on Fox, the episode was later released as part of a 1999 video collection: ''
The Simpsons – Too Hot For TV'', and released again on the 2003 DVD edition of the same collection. The episode features cultural references to songs such as "
Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "
Celebration", as well as a reference to the 1963 film ''
The Nutty Professor''.
"Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" received a positive reception from television critics, and acquired a
Nielsen rating
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
of 9.5.
Plot
When
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
and
Marge's sex life fizzles, they seek help to spice up their marriage. Homer peruses books like the ''
Kama Sutra
The ''Kama Sutra'' (; sa, कामसूत्र, , ; ) is an ancient Indian Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism and emotional fulfillment in life. Attributed to Vātsyāyana, the ''Kama Sutra'' is neither exclusively nor predominantly ...
'', but Marge wants "a tasteful book" so they settle on ''Mr. and Mrs. Erotic American'', a
Paul Harvey
Paul Harvey Aurandt (September 4, 1918 – February 28, 2009) was an American radio broadcaster for ABC News Radio. He broadcast ''News and Comment'' on mornings and mid-days on weekdays and at noon on Saturdays and also his famous '' The Rest ...
book-on-tape. Harvey recommends couples bathe together, but their faucet breaks because the Simpsons' bathtub cannot accommodate Homer and Marge. Next, they try renting a sexy theme room at a hotel, but are forced to sleep in a
utility room A utility room is a room within a house where equipment not used in day-to-day activities is kept. "Utility" refers to an item which is designed for usefulness or practical use, so in turn most of the items kept in this room have functional attribut ...
because the rooms are sold out.
Grampa concocts a tonic that he guarantees will put the spark back into their relationship. The elixir works, so Homer and Grampa sell Simpson & Son Revitalizing Tonic to the public in a travelling
medicine show
Medicine shows were touring acts (traveling by truck, horse, or wagon teams) that peddled "miracle cure" patent medicines and other products between various entertainments. They developed from European mountebank shows and were common in the Unit ...
. During their travels, they visit the farmhouse where Homer spent his childhood. After they bicker, Grampa angrily tells Homer he is the result of an unplanned pregnancy that would not have happened without the tonic, labelling him as an accident. Horrified, Homer stops the car and abandons Grampa.
While their parents are enjoying enhanced sex lives from the tonic, the town's children grow suspicious of their absences during their frequent trysts.
Ralph
Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf").
The most common forms ...
,
Milhouse,
Bart
Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc.
Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartho ...
and their friends hatch
conspiracy theories
A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that invokes a conspiracy by sinister and powerful groups, often political in motivation, when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources:
*
*
*
* The term has a nega ...
in the Simpsons' treehouse. After
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 ...
sarcastically suggests parents are going to bed early because they are "reverse vampires" who must avoid nightfall, the other children decide the
RAND Corporation is conspiring with space aliens to deprive children of dinner by forcing their parents to retire early.
Unwilling to forgive Grampa, Homer resolves to be a better father to Bart, Lisa and
Maggie. Bart and Lisa soon realize that smothering them is just as bad as neglecting them. Homer returns to the farmhouse to think. He sees an old photograph of himself as a child on Christmas morning and is sad that his father was not even present when he met
Santa Claus. Homer realizes his father was wearing a Santa costume and really does love him. Homer reunites with Grampa, who has also gone to the farmhouse to reflect. They both admit they are screw-ups — each having caused separate fires in the farmhouse — and reconcile as the house burns down behind them.
Production
The episode was directed by
Wes Archer
Wes Archer is an American television animation director and storyboard artist.
Career
Archer was one of the original three animators (along with David Silverman and Bill Kopp) on ''The Simpsons'', Tracey Ullman shorts, and subsequently direc ...
, and was written by
Bill Oakley and
Josh Weinstein
Josh Weinstein (born May 5, 1966) is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series ''The Simpsons''. Weinstein and Bill Oakley became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans School; Weinst ...
.
[ It was originally intended to deal with Homer and Marge's problematic sex life, but later developed into a story about the relationship between Homer and Grampa.] Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...
provides the voices for both Homer and Grampa. Castellaneta therefore had to talk to himself when he recorded the voices of the two characters in their interactions for this episode.[ Castellaneta says that it is hard for him to do Grampa's voice for an extended period of time because it is "wheezy and airy".][
Homer and Marge spend the night at an ]inn
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
, called the Aphrodite
Aphrodite ( ; grc-gre, Ἀφροδίτη, Aphrodítē; , , ) is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, and procreation. She was syncretized with the Roman goddess . Aphrodite's major symbols inclu ...
Inn, to spice up their sex life. The inn was partly based on the Madonna Inn
The Madonna Inn is a motel in San Luis Obispo, California. Opened for business in 1958, it quickly became a landmark on the Central Coast of California. It is noted for its unique decor, pink dining room, and themed rooms. It was created by Alex ...
, which, as in the episode, features different kinds of sex-oriented rooms with unusual names that are supposed to spice up a couple's love life.[ The design of the old farmhouse was inspired by the house featured in the 1993 film '']Flesh and Bone Flesh and Bone may refer to:
* ''Flesh and Bone'' (film), a 1993 film starring Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid and James Caan
* ''Flesh and Bone'' (miniseries), a 2015 American television series on Starz
* "Flesh and Bone" (Battlestar Galactica), an epis ...
''.[ Bart's obsession with conspiracy theories was inspired by the writers' observation that children around Bart's age go through a stage where they become "addicted" to information about ]UFOs
An unidentified flying object (UFO), more recently renamed by US officials as a UAP (unidentified aerial phenomenon), is any perceived aerial phenomenon that cannot be immediately identified or explained. On investigation, most UFOs are ide ...
and paranormal phenomena
Paranormal events are purported phenomena described in popular culture, Folk culture, folk, and other non-scientific bodies of knowledge, whose existence within these contexts is described as being beyond the scope of normal scientific under ...
.[ Bill Oakley himself had gone through the same thing when he was around 10 years old.][
]
Cultural references
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic no ...
, former Vice President of the United States
The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...
, is shown celebrating Lisa's purchase of his book, ''Sane Planning, Sensible Tomorrow'', by listening to " Celebration" by Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang is an American R&B/soul/funk band formed in Jersey City, New Jersey, in 1964 by brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, with Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, George Brown, and Ricky West. ...
. Additionally, a parody of ''The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
''' theme song is played in the background of the scene leading into Gore's celebration.[ " Foggy Mountain Breakdown" is played during a chase scene, reminiscent of a recurring theme of the 1967 film '' Bonnie and Clyde''.][ When ]Professor Frink
Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr., is a new recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money". Frink is Springfield's nerdy scientist an ...
takes the tonic, he transforms into a suave man with a deep voice, which is a reference to Jerry Lewis transforming into Buddy Love in '' The Nutty Professor''.[ Grampa, within proper context, successfully pronounces the word ]pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
''Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis'' () is a made up word coined in 1935 by the then president of the National Puzzlers' League, Everett M. Smith. It has sometimes been used as a synonym for the occupational disease known as silicosi ...
.[
]
Reception
Critical reception
Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, the authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', said it was "an amazing episode, in which Homer actually has an argument with someone, rather than backing down. As he and his father drift further apart, so the family are at a loss at what to do. You can't help but feel sorry for Grampa as a piece of Simpson family history goes up in flames".
Nate Meyers for Digitally Obsessed praised Dan Castellaneta's role in the episode and said: "Dan Castellaneta's work as both Homer and Grampa Simpson in he episodeis full of emotion and brilliant comic timing. Watch the closing scene carefully as Homer returns to his childhood home, because Castellaneta gracefully dances between a tender father-son relationship and flat-out comedy".
Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide said he "didn’t remember this as a very good episode, but it actually turns out to be quite strong. The initial plot in which Homer and Marge can’t get it together offers plenty of funny moments, and the scenes in which Homer battles with his dad offer depth and much humor. It’s also hard to beat the children's fears of the reverse vampires".
Ratings
In its original broadcast, "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" finished 58th in the ratings for the week of November 28 to December 4, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 9.5.[ Retrieved on October 17, 2008.] The episode was the third highest rated show on the Fox network that week.[
]
Merchandise
The episode was included on a 1999 Region 2 VHS release titled "The Simpsons: Too Hot for TV", which included several other episodes that were deemed to be too raunchy for airing on television. It was released on DVD as part of the same release in 2003.
It was included in ''The Simpsons'' season 6 DVD set, which was released August 16, 2005 – ''The Simpsons – The Complete Sixth Season''.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grampa Vs. Sexual Inadequacy
The Simpsons (season 6) episodes
1994 American television episodes