"Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth episode of the
thirteenth 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, ...
''. 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 an ...
in the United States on January 20, 2002. 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 ...
gathers
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
's citizens to build the world's biggest human pyramid. When it collapses and fails to set the world record, Springfield earns the top spot as the world's
fattest town.
Marge
Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret (name), Margaret. Notable Marges include:
People
*Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist
*Marge Anderson (1932 ...
sues Garth Motherloving's sugar company for making the town's citizens obese. When Springfield bans sugar, Homer conspires with Garth to smuggle it to town.
"Sweets and Sour Marge" was written by
Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine is an American television writer.
She won four Emmy Awards for her writing work on ''The Simpsons''.
Writing credits ''The Simpsons'' episodes
Omine has written the following episodes:
*"Little Big Mom" (2000)
*"Treehouse of ...
and directed by
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American animation director. He has directed 84 episodes of ''The Simpsons'' since 1990, more than any other director.
Career
At the age of 13, Kirkland began making super 8 films and working for his father, noted photograph ...
. It was dedicated to the memory of
Ron Taylor. Omine conceived the episode after hearing about smokers who sued tobacco companies. While its plot is loosely based on ''
Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Compan ...
'', the episode also features references to ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...
'', ''
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store cler ...
'' and
Butterfinger
Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrero SpA, a subsidiary of Ferrero. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a chocolatey coating. Invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923, the name ...
. It also features
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as ...
as Garth Motherloving.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 7.5 million viewers, finishing in 34th place in the ratings the week it aired. Following its home video release, the episode received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
At a library sale, Homer buys a book on
world record
A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...
s published by
Duff. After boring everyone with world record trivia, Homer gathers the whole town to build the world's tallest
human pyramid
A human pyramid is an acrobatic formation of three or more people in which two or more people support a tier of higher people, who in turn may support other, higher tiers of people. People above the bottom tier may kneel or stand on the shoulders ...
. When
Jimbo
Jimbo is a diminutive form of the given name James. It is also a Japanese surname, and it means state or province in Swahili. It may refer to:
Given name or nickname
* Jimbo (drag queen), Canadian drag queen
* Jimbo Aquino (born 1985), Filipin ...
and
Kearney move their hands just before the record is claimed, the pyramid collapses into a giant sphere that rolls through town, collecting
Agnes Skinner
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
,
Hans Moleman
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
and a suicidal man about to jump from a ledge onto the street. The entire town rolls to a truck-weighing station and the Duff record book officials declare
Springfield
Springfield may refer to:
* Springfield (toponym), the place name in general
Places and locations Australia
* Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast)
* Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council)
* Springfield, Queenslan ...
the world's
fattest town, ahead of
Milwaukee
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
.
The townsfolk are happy to have broken a world record, but Marge worries the whole town is overweight. She learns that nearly everything they eat contains
sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
. After complaining to Garth Motherloving (nee
Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Germany from 1933 until his death in 1945. He rose to power as the leader of the Nazi Party, becoming the chancellor in 1933 and then ...
), head of the Motherloving Sweets and Sugar Company, Marge sues the sugar industry with the help of
Gil and
Professor Frink
Professor John I.Q. Nerdelbaum Frink Jr., is a new recurring character in the Animated cartoon, animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Hank Azaria, and first appeared in the 1991 episode "Old Money (The Simpsons episode), Ol ...
.
Judge Snyder, after Motherloving's attempt to bribe him with a briefcase full of sweets, emotionally refutes Motherloving, sides with Marge and bans all sugar products in Springfield, angering Homer and most of the town.
The whole town goes
cold turkey
"Cold turkey" refers to the abrupt cessation of a substance dependence and the resulting unpleasant experience, as opposed to gradually easing the process through reduction over time or by using replacement medication.
Sudden withdrawal from dru ...
and suffers from intense sugar withdrawal. Homer joins a secret group — led by Motherloving — which illegally schemes to return sugar to Springfield. Homer embarks with
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 ''Barthol ...
,
Apu
APU or Apu may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Apu Trilogy'', a series of three Bengali films, directed by Satyajit Ray, with the fictional character Apu Roy, comprising:
** ''Pather Panchali'' (''Song of the Little Road'') (1955), the first ...
,
Mr. Burns
Charles Montgomery Plantagenet Schicklgruber "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, Monty, or C. Montgomery Burns, is a recurring character and the main antagonist of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', voiced initially by ...
and a cartoon vampire named
Count Fudge-ula to
smuggle
Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.
There are various ...
sugar from the island of San Glucos. Although Lisa is hesitant over Homer and Bart's plans to break the law, she reluctantly condones their plan after Marge serves steamed
lime
Lime commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Botany ...
s as a sugar-free dessert. After evading a
police boat
Police watercraft are boats or other vessels that are used by police agencies to patrol bodies of water. They are usually employed on major rivers, in enclosed harbors near cities or in places where a stronger presence than that offered by the ...
, Homer brings the sugar to Springfield's docks.
When Marge pleads with him to dump the cargo, Homer has two choices: obey Marge and press the ''Drop Cargo'' button or bring the sugar to Motherloving by pressing the ''Obey Bad Guy'' button. Homer drops the cargo and the sugar falls into the water near the Springfield docks. All Springfieldians — even those who seemed happier and healthier without sugar — jump into the harbor and drink the sugar water and eat any sea creatures covered in sugar. Snyder, realising that he may have overstepped his authority, declares the sugar ban over and dives in, too. Marge is upset and considers giving up changing the world, but Homer tells her that he loves her when she tries to make the world a better place.
Production
![Benstillernyc2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Benstillernyc2.jpg)
"Sweets and Sour Marge" was written by
Carolyn Omine
Carolyn Omine is an American television writer.
She won four Emmy Awards for her writing work on ''The Simpsons''.
Writing credits ''The Simpsons'' episodes
Omine has written the following episodes:
*"Little Big Mom" (2000)
*"Treehouse of ...
and directed by
Mark Kirkland
Mark Kirkland is an American animation director. He has directed 84 episodes of ''The Simpsons'' since 1990, more than any other director.
Career
At the age of 13, Kirkland began making super 8 films and working for his father, noted photograph ...
. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 20, 2002. The idea for the episode was pitched by Omine, who based it on a lawsuit at the time, wherein smokers sued tobacco companies for selling harmful wares. Omine found it "kinda weird" that the people did not take responsibility for their own health, and joked that, in the future, people might sue food companies for "making them fat", which eventually became the episode's plot.
While making the episode, the ''Simpsons'' writers decided to compile a list of Springfield's fat residents. According to Omine, the list "never ended", and when the writers realized the number of fat people there were in Springfield, they decided that the residents should try and "go for the world record" in the "fattest people" category.
The writers then decided that the residents were trying to set the world record for largest human pyramid, and then accidentally set the record for fattest population. The episode features the first appearance of Cletus' cousin Dia-Betty.
[Omine, Carolyn. (2010). Commentary for "Sweets and Sour Marge", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.] The character was animated by Kirkland's assistant Matt Faughnan, who has since become a regular director for the series.
Garth Motherloving, the head of the "Motherloving Sweets and Sugar Company", was portrayed by American actor and comedian
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He is the son of the comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. Stiller was a member of a group of comedic actors colloquially known as ...
.
[Jean, Al. (2010). Commentary for "Sweets and Sour Marge", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.]
At one point in the episode, the Springfield residents try to set the record for largest human pyramid, which fails when the pyramid collapses, causing the people to roll into a giant ball. According to director Kirkland, the scene, which the staff members refer to as the "people ball", was very difficult to animate, and it "almost gave
ima migraine" determining how to implement it in the episode.
While trying to figure out how to animate the "people ball", Kirkland spray-painted a globe with white primer and assigned layout artist Paul Wee to draw the Springfield citizens on it with black ink. Normally, the ''Simpsons'' animators each draw ten scenes per week, but because he drew the "people ball", Wee was excused from these duties. Since drawing the "people ball" by hand would have "murdered" the animators, they soon decided to photograph it for each frame of the scene.
The photographs were taken in Kirkland's garage and were then photocopied using a Xerox photocopier.
Executive producer and current
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
Al Jean
Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
stated that the technique for animating the "people ball" was "extremely interesting", although it has never been used again in the series.
The "master drawing" of the human pyramid, which Kirkland also stated was very complicated, took animator Matthew Schofield a couple of days to draw. The drawing then became a reference for the other animators to use when animating the scene.
[Kirkland, Mark. (2010). Commentary for "Sweets and Sour Marge", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.]
Cultural references
![Erin_Brockovich](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Erin_Brockovich.jpg)
"Sweets and Sour Marge's" plot is loosely based on the 2000 drama film ''
Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Compan ...
'', which revolves around
Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; born June 22, 1960) is an American legal clerk, consumer advocate, and environmental activist who, despite her lack of education in the law, was instrumental in building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Compan ...
's legal fight against the
US West Coast
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
energy corporation
Pacific Gas and Electric Company
The Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) is an American investor-owned utility (IOU). The company is headquartered in the Pacific Gas & Electric Building, in San Francisco, California. PG&E provides natural gas and electricity to 5.2 milli ...
.
The ''Duff Book of World Records'' is a parody of the annually published
reference book
A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to f ...
''
Guinness Book of World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''.
[Gammill, Tom. (2010). Commentary for "Sweets and Sour Marge", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.] Cereal mascot Count Fudgula is a spoof of the
General Mills
General Mills, Inc., is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of branded processed consumer foods sold through retail stores. Founded on the banks of the Mississippi River at Saint Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, the company orig ...
cereal mascot
Count Chocula
The monster cereals are a line of breakfast cereals produced by General Mills, General Mills Corporation in North America. The line was introduced in 1971 and, at various times, has included five brands, each featuring a cartoon version of a ...
(who, in turn, parodies fictional character
Count Dracula
Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. He is considered to be both the prototypical and the archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by som ...
). After sugar becomes banned in Springfield, the town's police force can be seen burning confiscated sugar products. However, when they throw an amount of Butterfinger candy bars in the fire, the bars start to glow and are ejected from the fire intact. Disappointed, police chief Clancy Wiggum explains "Even fire doesn't want them." For a long time, ''The Simpsons'' characters starred in Butterfinger commercials, which helped the series get launched by earning revenue from the commercials. Around the time "Sweets and Sour Marge" was written, the series contract with Butterfinger was terminated, and the staff therefore decided to make fun of it. "If it had still been in existence, we wouldn't have done it", Jean said in the DVD commentary for the episode.
Cletus' cousin Dia-Betty is loosely based on
Darlene Cates
Darlene Cates (born Rita Darlene Guthrie; December 13, 1947 – March 26, 2017) was an American actress. She became known for her role in the 1993 film ''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'', in which she played the title character's housebound mother. ...
' character Bonnie Grape in the 1993 film ''
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
''What's Eating Gilbert Grape'' is a 1993 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Lasse Hallström and starring Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis and Darlene Cates. It follows 25-year-old Gilbert (Depp), a grocery store cler ...
''.
During the scene where
Apu
APU or Apu may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Apu Trilogy'', a series of three Bengali films, directed by Satyajit Ray, with the fictional character Apu Roy, comprising:
** ''Pather Panchali'' (''Song of the Little Road'') (1955), the first ...
guide to
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 ...
"the headquarters of the sugar smuggling". The song
Axel F
"Axel F" is the electronic instrumental theme from the 1984 film ''Beverly Hills Cop'' performed by Harold Faltermeyer. It was an international number one hit in 1985.
Background
The title comes from the main character's name in the film, Axel ...
plays, composed by
Harold Faltermeyer
Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeier (born 5 October 1952) is a German musician, composer and record producer.
Faltermeyer is best known for composing the "Axel F" theme for the feature film ''Beverly Hills Cop'', an influential synth-pop hit in the 1 ...
. During the boat chase when Wiggum pursues Homer for the sugar cargo (narrowly avoiding two boats transporting a huge glass pane and a mother and child riding a combined jet ski-stroller), the
Miami Vice Theme
"''Miami Vice'' Theme" is a musical piece composed and performed by Jan Hammer as the theme to the television series ''Miami Vice''. It was first presented as part of the television broadcast of the show in September 1984, was released as a sin ...
is played. Before he agrees to hand the sugar cargo to Motherloving, Homer demands that he gets to see an
Oompa Loompa
This is a list of characters in the 1964 Roald Dahl book ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'', his 1972 sequel ''Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator'', and the former's film adaptations, ''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' (1971) and ' ...
, a character from the 1964 children's book ''
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1964 children's novel by British author Roald Dahl. The story features the adventures of young Charlie Bucket inside the chocolate factory of eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka.
The story was originally ...
''. The Oompa Loompa's design is based on the version used in the 1971 film adaptation ''
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
''Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'' is a 1971 American musical fantasy film directed by Mel Stuart and starring Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. It is an adaptation of the 1964 novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' by Roald Dahl. The film ...
'', which Kirkland watched in order to "get
he designright."
Release
In its original American broadcast on January 20, 2002, "Sweets and Sour Marge" received a 7.3 rating, according to
Nielsen Media Research
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 rat ...
, translating to approximately 7.5 million viewers. The episode finished in 34th place in the ratings for the week of January 14–20, 2002.
On August 24, 2010, "Sweets and Sour Marge" was released as part of ''The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season''
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...
set. Al Jean, Carolyn Omine, Matt Selman, Tom Gammill, Max Pross, Mark Kirkland and Matt Warburton participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Reception
Following its home video release, "Sweets and Sour Marge" received mixed reviews from critics. Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide gave the episode a positive review, writing "What would Marge do on the show if she didn’t stage campaigns to tell others what to do? Despite the risk of redundancy, 'Sweets' actually works quite well." He praised Stiller's appearance in the episode, as well as the "exploration of the records book". He concluded his review by considering it "one of Season 13's stronger programs".
Nate Boss of Project-Blu was favorable as well, calling the episode "A funny take on class-action suits (particularly those concerning other consumer products willingly purchased, like tobacco), as well as prohibition."
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose reviews ...
's Jennifer Malkowski gave the episode a B rating, and wrote that the "library's 'Yes, we have pornography!' banner" was the episode's "highlight".
Giving it a more mixed review, Ron Martin of 411Mania called the episode "uneven at best, mediocre at worst".
Andre Dellamorte of Collider described it as a "redress" of the
season 8
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In tempera ...
episode "
Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
"Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" is the eighteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 16, 1997.. In the episode, Spri ...
", in which Springfield is faced with prohibition.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sweets And Sour Marge
The Simpsons (season 13) episodes
2002 American television episodes
Television episodes written by Carolyn Omine
Television episodes about obesity
it:Episodi de I Simpson (tredicesima stagione)#Dolce e amara Marge