"Lost Verizon" is the second episode of the
twentieth 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 first aired 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 October 5, 2008 and in the United Kingdom on November 9, 2008.
Bart becomes jealous of his friends and their cell phones. Working at a golf course, Bart takes the cell phone of
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
after the star comedian throws it away in anger. Marge, per Leary's advice, activates the GPS system on the phone to track down Bart's every move; catching on, Bart attaches the GPS chip to a bird that migrates to
Machu Picchu,
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
. Leary and
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated f ...
(who also appeared in "
When You Dish Upon a Star" as himself) both guest star as themselves. It was directed by
Raymond S. Persi and written by
John Frink
John Frink (born May 5, 1959) is an American television writer and producer. He has written several episodes of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', many of which he co-wrote with his former writing partner Don Payne. Frink and Payne ...
.
Plot
When
Principal Skinner
Principal Seymour Skinner (born Armin Tamzarian) is a recurring fictional character in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', who is voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the principal of Springfield Elementary School, which he struggles to control, an ...
makes a fool of himself on a freeway,
Milhouse manages to catch the scene on his
cell phone. He calls most of his friends to see Skinner getting beaten up by a drunken-(as-always)
Barney, but cannot call
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 ...
, who does not have a cell phone and is immediately taunted for missing out on laughing at Skinner. Bart asks
Marge for a phone; Marge explains that, because
Mr. Burns has cut
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 ...
's pay, forcing him to work for free, she cannot afford it, nor a dream trip for
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 ...
to
Machu Picchu. A depressed Bart takes a walk past the Springfield Glen Country Club, and is hit by a golf ball. He angrily runs onto the golf course to find who hit him, and finds it was Dr.
Julius Hibbert
Dr. Julius Michael Hibbert, M.D. is a recurring character on the television animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is Springfield's most prominent medical professional. Although he has a kind and warm persona, he is also often characterized as gree ...
. Hibbert pays Bart a
dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
for the retrieval and says golf balls can cost $5 new. Bart tries to earn enough money for a cell phone by retrieving golf balls until
Groundskeeper Willie
William MacMoran MacDougal, better known as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the head groundskeeper and Janitor at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is almost feral in nature ...
accuses Bart of cutting in on ''his'' job, and confiscates all the golf balls.
At a nearby celebrity golf tournament,
Denis Leary
Denis Colin Leary (born August 18, 1957) is an American actor and comedian. A native of Massachusetts, Leary first came to prominence as a stand-up comedian, especially through appearances on MTV (including the comedic song "Asshole") and throu ...
(guest starring as himself) prepares to swing, but misses when his
cell phone rings at the same time. Leary throws away his phone, which lands beside Bart. While going to inform Milhouse of his new cell, Bart receives a call from producer
Brian Grazer
Brian Thomas Grazer (born July 12, 1951) is an American film and television producer and writer. He founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986 with Ron Howard. The films they produced have grossed over $15 billion. Grazer was personally nominated f ...
(also guest starring as himself), who asks Leary to star in the film adaption of ''
Everyone Poops
''Everyone Poops'' is the title of US editions of the English translation (by Amanda Mayer Stinchecum) of , a Japanese children's book written and illustrated by the prolific children's author Tarō Gomi and first published in Japan by Fukuinka ...
''. Bart, realizing the phone belongs to Leary, pretends to be him and accepts the role. He makes prank calls to bartenders all over the world, and has all of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
native Leary's money spent on
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
hats and uniforms. Marge overhears Bart and Milhouse's mischievousness, and when Milhouse confesses that it belongs to Leary, she confiscates and prepares to return Bart's phone to him. Leary calls his cell, and Marge answers, apologizing for her son's behavior. Leary, still angry with Bart's tricks, suggests Marge activate the
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
and web filter on the phone and return it to Bart, allowing her to
track down Bart's every move and block certain websites. Somewhat guiltily, Marge activates the GPS and returns the phone to Bart, and she is able to prevent him from watching R-rated movies, gambling, grave-digging, and skating down steps and hurting himself.
Bart soon realizes that he cannot have any fun when Marge and Homer have him under constant surveillance. Lisa discovers her parents spying on Bart and shocked by Marge's injustice, confronts her for it. When Marge refuses to acknowledge she is abusing Bart's privacy (unaware that
Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak is a recurring character from the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Moe is the proprietor and bartender o ...
is spying on her as well, who in turn is being secretly monitored by two
FBI
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...
agents), Lisa informs Bart, who gets revenge by uninstalling the phone's parental control software and tying the GPS chip to the leg of a
scarlet tanager
The scarlet tanager (''Piranga olivacea'') is a medium-sized American songbird. Until recently, it was placed in the tanager family (Thraupidae), but it and other members of its genus are now classified as belonging to the cardinal family (Cardin ...
, which flies away. Marge, thinking the bird is Bart, assumes that Bart is running away from home. While Homer, Lisa, Marge, and
Maggie conduct a nationwide search for Bart, Lisa realizes that the bird is what they had been chasing. After checking research on her laptop, she discovers the bird is migrating to Machu Picchu, her dream trip they could not afford. Knowing this, Lisa deliberately lets the bird go free so the family can chase it to Machu Picchu.
Bart relishes his newfound freedom during the daytime, but quickly becomes
frightened of being alone at night. When the Simpsons arrive in Machu Picchu, they continue the search for Bart. Marge, despite being exhausted, swears to be more over-protective with Bart, but Lisa convinces her to rest on an ancient sculpture, below the statue of the ancient
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
vian God of the Sky. Marge quickly falls asleep, and is instantaneously pulled into a dream world where the God of the Sky shows her ancient Peru. He teaches her how throughout history, parents who over-parented their children could never set them free, which was how they were conquered by the
Conquistadors and
Inca renegades (although historical-wise, Machu Picchu was never actually discovered or conquered by the Conquistadors). Upon waking, Marge learns that she must let Bart learn how to take care of himself. Homer discovers that the family has been following a bird the whole time, making Marge to realize where Bart is. Upon returning to Springfield, Marge asks Bart if he missed her. Bart says he did not notice they were gone (for two weeks), so Marge, depressed, goes upstairs. However, upon reaching the stairs, she is stopped by Bart, who quickly begs her to never leave again. The episode ends with Lisa and Homer realizing that they left Maggie in Machu Picchu, where she is being worshipped.
Production
During the table read of the script, a role meant for
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige Damon (; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. Ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars, the films in which he has appeared have collectively earned over $3.88 billion at the North Ameri ...
was included, but he did not appear in the final version of the episode.
The episode was "Dedicated to the memory of
Paul Newman",
[ who guest starred in " The Blunder Years" and died nine days before the episode aired.]
Cultural references
The Swedish and Australian bars which Bart prank calls feature numerous references. The Swedish bar is named the "Inga-Bar Beerman" in reference to filmmaker Ingmar Bergman. The image of the barman in profile and another person in the background looking directly into the camera is a visual reference to Bergman's 1966 film ''Persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatr ...
''. The Australian barman resembles Michael "Crocodile" Dundee
Michael J. "Crocodile" Dundee (also called Mick), played by Paul Hogan, is a fictional protagonist in the ''Crocodile Dundee'' film series consisting of ''Crocodile Dundee'', ''Crocodile Dundee II'', and ''Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles''. Th ...
, and his bar is called the "Crocodile Drunkee's", both referencing the 1986 film '' "Crocodile" Dundee''. In his bar window, a partial sticker for the band INXS is seen, as well as the album '' Business as Usual'' by Men at Work
Men at Work are an Australian rock band formed in Melbourne in 1978 and best known for breakthrough hits such as " Down Under", "Who Can It Be Now?", " Be Good Johnny", " Overkill", and " It's a Mistake". Its founding member and frontman is C ...
. The zoom-in places the Australian bar at Fox Studios Australia
Disney Studios Australia (formerly Fox Studios Australia) is a Film, motion picture and television production facility in Sydney that has operated as part of The Walt Disney Company since 2019.
Occupying the site of the former Sydney Showgroun ...
.
Additionally, Skinner plays a human version of the arcade game ''Frogger
is a 1981 arcade action game developed by Konami and manufactured by Sega. In North America, it was released by Sega/Gremlin. The object of the game is to direct a series of frogs to their homes by crossing a busy road and a hazardous rive ...
'' when trying to cross the interstate for gas. Marge receives a collection notice from Allied Peas whose corporate mascot bears a striking resemblance to the Jolly Green Giant
Green Giant and Le Sueur (spelled Le Sieur in Canada) are brands of frozen and canned vegetables owned by B&G Foods. The company's mascot is the Jolly Green Giant.
Company and brand history
The Minnesota Valley Canning Company was founded in ...
while paying for frozen peas on installment,[ while Bart, Milhouse, and ]Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
grill Twizzlers
Twizzlers is the product of Y&S Candies, Inc., of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Twizzlers were first produced in 1929 by Young and Smylie, as the company was then called. The licorice company was founded in 1845, making it one of the oldest confectio ...
licorice.[ Bart suggests to Leary's manager that he order ]New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
hats and Derek Jeter jerseys. Leary is a real life Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...
fan, a large rival of the Yankees. Leary was born in Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and went to college at Emerson College in Boston.[
The episode features two musical montages. During the montage of Homer and Marge tracking Bart the Elvis Costello song " Watch Your Step" is playing, while Bart's golf ball recovery montage is set to ]Merle Haggard
Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler.
Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...
's " Workin' Man Blues".
The title is also a reference to the telecommunications company Verizon Communications
Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...
, and the novel and film ''Lost Horizon
''Lost Horizon'' is a 1933 novel by English writer James Hilton. The book was turned into a film, also called '' Lost Horizon'', in 1937 by director Frank Capra. It is best remembered as the origin of Shangri-La, a fictional utopian lamas ...
.''
Reception
In its original airing, the episode garnered 7.43 million viewers, a 3.6 rating and a 10 share.
Robert Canning of IGN said, "This wasn't a terrible episode, but it just was not funny enough for such a serpentine storyline. Throw in a wasted Denis Leary, and you really start to think that 'Lost Verizon' could have been so much more". He gave the episode a final rating of 6.7/10.
Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict said, "it is a mostly solid episode, it feels like a missed opportunity for a show that garners more grumbles than acclaim these days".
References
External links
*
{{The Simpsons episodes, 20
The Simpsons (season 20) episodes
2008 American television episodes
Television episodes set in Peru
Verizon Communications