Bart Sells His Soul
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"Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh 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 October 8, 1995. In the episode,
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 ...
scornfully dismisses the concept of the
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, and to show he is serious in his
skepticism Skepticism, also spelled scepticism, is a questioning attitude or doubt toward knowledge claims that are seen as mere belief or dogma. For example, if a person is skeptical about claims made by their government about an ongoing war then the pe ...
he agrees to sell his soul to
Milhouse Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series ''The Simpsons'' voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class ...
. However, after several strange events make him think he really has lost his soul, he desperately tries to regain it. "Bart Sells His Soul" was written by Greg Daniels, who was inspired by an experience from his youth where he had purchased a bully's soul. Director
Wesley 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 direct ...
and his team of animators visited
Chili's Chili's Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain. The company was founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International. History Chili's first location, a converted postal statio ...
for examples to use in Moe's family restaurant. The episode includes cultural references to the 1968 song " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, which is played during the show, and Chilean poet
Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...
, as well as a
parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its subj ...
of Judy Blume's 1970 book '' Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'' Writers from the fields of
religion Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
,
philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
,
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
, and
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...
cited the episode in books discussing ''The Simpsons'' and the show's approach to the nature of the soul. The episode was positively received and is regarded as one of the series' best. The creative team of ''The Simpsons'' puts the episode among the top five best episodes of the series, and series creator Matt Groening cited "Bart Sells His Soul" as one of his favorite episodes. It has been used by secondary schools in religious education courses as a teaching tool.


Plot

As punishment for changing the church's opening hymn as a prank to " In the Garden of Eden" by I. Ron Butterfly,
Reverend Lovejoy Reverend Timothy "Tim" Lovejoy, Jr. is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Harry Shearer, and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Rev. Lovejoy is the minister at The First ...
makes
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 ...
clean the
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
pipes;
Milhouse Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series ''The Simpsons'' voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class ...
is made to help for snitching on Bart. Bart is furious with Milhouse (who claimed he didn't want his soul to go to hell), and after proclaiming there is no such thing as a
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
, he agrees to sell his to Milhouse for $5 on a piece of paper which reads "Bart Simpson's soul".
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 ...
warns Bart that he will regret selling his soul, but he dismisses her fears. Bart experiences several unusual phenomena, such as automatic doors refusing to open for him and no longer finding any humor in Itchy and Scratchy. He begins to fear that he really has lost his soul and tries to get it back from Milhouse, who refuses to return it for less than $50. After having a nightmare and being taunted by Lisa, Bart again desperately tries to persuade Milhouse to return his soul. Milhouse informs Bart that he traded the paper to Comic Book Guy at the Android's Dungeon. The next morning, Comic Book Guy tells Bart that he sold the piece of paper, but refuses to reveal its new owner. Saddened, Bart walks home in the rain and prays to God for his soul in his bedroom. When a piece of paper with the words "Bart Simpson's soul" floats down from above, Bart discovers that Lisa bought his soul to return it to him. While she explains philosophers' views on the human soul, Bart eats the piece of paper, overjoyed at getting his soul back. In the subplot,
Moe Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to: In arts and entertainment Characters * Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons'' * Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard * Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...
tries to expand his
customer base The customer base is a group of customers who repeatedly purchase the goods or services of a business. These customers are a main source of revenue for a company. The customer base may be considered a business's target market, where customer beha ...
by turning his bar into a
family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
theme restaurant A theme restaurant is a type of restaurant that uses theming to attract diners by creating a memorable experience. Theme restaurants have a unifying or dominant subject or concept, and utilize architecture, decor, special effects, and other techn ...
with the name Uncle Moe's Family Feedbag. However, Moe's surly personality proves to be unfitting for him running a family restaurant; that, along with the stress of running the business by himself, ultimately unnerves him, and he soon snaps at a little girl. The horrified customers abandon the restaurant, forcing Moe's to revert to a run-down tavern.


Production

"Bart Sells His Soul" was the second episode to have
Bill Oakley William Lloyd Oakley (born February 27, 1966) is an American television writer and producer, known for his work on the animated comedy series ''The Simpsons''. Oakley and Josh Weinstein became best friends and writing partners at St. Albans Sc ...
and Josh Weinstein as executive producers. Oakley and Weinstein wanted to start the season with episodes that had an emotional bias in an effort to center the Simpson family. The episode was written by Greg Daniels, who originally had an idea for a plot that dealt with racism in Springfield. The writers did not think ''The Simpsons'' was the right forum for it, so Daniels suggested the idea of selling someone's soul, which originated in his childhood. In
high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
, Daniels encouraged a bully to sell him his soul for 50 cents, and then convinced classmates to frighten the bully into buying his soul back for an inflated price. Daniels repeated this ploy, but stopped when he realized that the only other person in history who has profited off others' souls was
Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
, and that "scared" him. In the opening scene of the episode, the congregation of the First Church of Springfield are tricked into singing " In a Gadda Da Vida" by Iron Butterfly. Daniels had originally intended for the song to be " Jesus He Knows Me" by British rock band
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...
, but the producers were unable to obtain the rights for it to be featured in the episode. The episode was directed by
Wesley 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 direct ...
. Archer and his team of animators went to the restaurant chain
Chili's Chili's Grill & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain. The company was founded by Larry Lavine in Texas in 1975 and is currently owned and operated by Brinker International. History Chili's first location, a converted postal statio ...
to get inspiration for the background designs of Moe's family restaurant. He said it was "quite a task" to transform Moe's Tavern into a family-oriented establishment. Archer added that he was not "quite happy" with the result, and that they could have designed it "a little better". Weinstein recalled that there was contention between the animators about the way Moe looked in the episode. Moe's original design includes a missing tooth, but Weinstein and Oakley felt that it did not "look right" because Moe was such a prominent character in the episode. Archer showed the original design of Moe from the first season to the show runners, and said: "Here, look. He's got a missing tooth!", but the scenes that had Moe with a missing tooth in them were still reanimated. Archer was disappointed with the dream sequence in which Bart sees his friends playing with their souls. Archer said that he had forgotten to tell the animators to make the souls transparent, so they were painted blue instead.
George Meyer George Meyer (born 1956) is an American producer and writer. Meyer is best known for his work on ''The Simpsons'', where he led the group script rewrite sessions. He has been publicly credited with "thoroughly shap ng... the comedic sensibilit ...
pitched the joke restaurant title "The Texas Cheesecake Depository."


Themes

Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in his 2003 book ''
Leaving Springfield ''Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture'' is a non-fiction compilation work analyzing the effect of the television program ''The Simpsons'' on society, edited by John Alberti. The book was published in 2004 b ...
'' that "a good deal of enjoyment" is to be had from the episode, due to "the exposure of the hypocrisy behind 'the finance of salvation' and the ambivalent operations of the commercial world". Don Cupitt, a fellow of
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
, believes that when Lisa lectures Bart about the soul, she "shows a degree of theological sophistication which is simply not tolerated in Britain." Paul Bloom and David Pizarro wrote in the 2006 book '' The Psychology of The Simpsons'' that although Lisa does show "healthy religious skepticism" she still believes in an eternal soul. However, Lisa tells Bart at the end of the episode, "some philosophers believe that no one is born with a soul, you have to earn one through suffering, and thought, and prayer". Bloom and Pizarro acknowledge: "Indeed, some philosophers and theologians say that without belief in a soul, one cannot make sense of the social concepts on which we rely, such as personal responsibility and
freedom of the will ''An Inquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of the Freedom of the Will which is Supposed to be Essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame'' or simply ''The Freedom of the Will'', is a work by Christian ...
." M. Keith Booker cites the episode in his 2006 book ''Drawn to Television'', while discussing ''The Simpsons'' treatment of religion. Booker cites a scene from the episode where Milhouse asks Bart what religions have to gain by lying about concepts such as the existence of a soul – and then the scene cuts to Reverend Lovejoy counting his money; Booker believes that this implies that religions create mythologies so that they can gain money from followers. He juxtaposes this with Bart's realization later in the episode that "life suddenly feels empty and incomplete" without a soul, which suggests "either that the soul is real or it is at least a useful fiction". Mark I. Pinsky and Samuel F. Parvin discuss the episode in their book ''The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leader's Guide for Group Study'', and use examples from it to stimulate discussion among youth about the nature of the soul. Pinsky and Parvin note Bart's statement to Milhouse from the beginning of the episode: "Soul — come on, Milhouse, there's no such thing as a soul. It's just something they made up to scare kids, like the
Boogie Man The Bogeyman (; also spelled boogeyman, bogyman, bogieman, boogie monster, boogieman, or boogie woogie) is a type of mythic creature used by adults to frighten children into good behavior. Bogeymen have no specific appearance and conceptions var ...
or
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
", and then suggest questions to ask students, including whether they know individuals that agree with Bart, and their views on the existence of a soul. In the 2004 book ''
Planet Simpson ''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation'', also abbreviated to ''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Defined a Generation'', is a non-fiction book about ''The Simpsons'', written by Chris Turner ...
'', Chris Turner quotes Bart's revelation to Lisa that he sold his soul to Milhouse for five dollars and used the money to buy sponges shaped like dinosaurs. After Lisa criticizes Bart for selling his soul, Bart responds: "Poor gullible Lisa. I'll keep my crappy sponges, thanks." Turner comments: "Here Bart is the epitome of the world-weary hipster, using the degraded language of modern marketing to sell off the most sacred parts of himself because he knows that some cheap sponge is more real, hence more valuable, than even the loftiest of abstract principles."


Cultural references

On the DVD audio commentary for the episode, writer Greg Daniels cited
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...
's 1985 film '' After Hours'' as an influence on Bart's night-time trek to retrieve his soul from Milhouse, only to experience a series of unusual encounters. Reverend Lovejoy leads his congregation in a hymnal version of the song " In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida", by Iron Butterfly, titled "In the Garden of Eden", by "I. Ron Butterfly". During an argument between Lisa and Bart, while discussing the relationship between laughter and the soul, Lisa quotes
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
an poet
Pablo Neruda Ricardo Eliécer Neftalí Reyes Basoalto (12 July 1904 – 23 September 1973), better known by his pen name and, later, legal name Pablo Neruda (; ), was a Chilean poet-diplomat and politician who won the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature. Nerud ...
, and Bart responds "I am ''familiar'' with the works of Pablo Neruda." Kurt M. Koenigsberger comments in ''
Leaving Springfield ''Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture'' is a non-fiction compilation work analyzing the effect of the television program ''The Simpsons'' on society, edited by John Alberti. The book was published in 2004 b ...
'': "While Bart may be familiar with the canon of Chilean poetry, the joke takes its force in part from the probability that ''The Simpsons''' viewers are not." Bart begins a prayer to God with "Are you there, God? It's me, Bart Simpson". This is an allusion to the 1970 book '' Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.'', by Judy Blume. During a piggyback fight with
Dolph Starbeam 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 ...
, Jimbo Jones exclaims, “I’m Master Blaster,” referencing the fearsome Thunderdome athlete from the 1985 film '' Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome''. The chalkboard gag is a reference to the advertising slogan of the lean mean grilling machine by George Foreman. The title of the ''
Itchy and Scratchy Show ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' (often shortened as ''Itchy & Scratchy'') is a fictional animated television series featured on ''The Simpsons''. Description The show depicts a blue mouse named Itchy who repeatedly and violently maims or kills a ...
'' episode “Skinless in Seattle” is a reference to the 1993 film '' Sleepless in Seattle''. When Ned Flanders says, "Well, I expect that type of language at Denny's, but not here!", it is a reference to Denny's racial discrimination lawsuit in the early 1990s, in which African-American customers were refused service, forced to wait longer, and/or charged more for their meals than white customers.


Reception

In its original broadcast, "Bart Sells His Soul" finished 43rd in the ratings for the week of October 2–8, 1995, with a Nielsen rating of 8.8, equivalent to approximately 8.4 million viewing households. It was the fourth highest-rated show on the Fox network that week after ''
The X-Files ''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction drama (film and television), drama television series created by Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation ...
'', ''
Melrose Place ''Melrose Place'' is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on Fox from July 8, 1992, to May 24, 1999, for seven seasons. The show follows the lives of a group of young adults living in an apartment complex on Melrose Place, in ...
'', and '' Beverly Hills, 90210''. In July 2007, an article in the '' San Mateo County Times'' notes that "Bart Sells His Soul" is seen as one of "the most popular episodes in 'Simpsons' history". Noel Holston of the ''
Star Tribune The ''Star Tribune'' is the largest newspaper in Minnesota. It originated as the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1867 and the competing ''Minneapolis Daily Star'' in 1920. During the 1930s and 1940s, Minneapolis's competing newspapers were consolida ...
'' highlighted the episode in the paper's "Critic's choice" section. The '' Intelligencer Journal'' described "Bart Sells His Soul" as "a particularly good episode" of ''The Simpsons''. The ''
Lansing State Journal The ''Lansing State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Lansing, Michigan, owned by Gannett. Overview The ''Lansing State Journal'' is the sole daily newspaper published in Greater Lansing. The newspaper had an average Monday through ...
'' highlighted the episode in the season seven DVD release, along with the conclusion of " Who Shot Mr. Burns?" and " The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular". The '' Sunday Herald Sun'' called it one of the "show's most memorable episodes", as did '' The Courier Mail''. The ''
Aberdeen Press & Journal ''The Press and Journal'' is a daily regional newspaper serving northern and highland Scotland including the cities of Aberdeen and Inverness. Established in 1747, it is Scotland's oldest daily newspaper, and one of the longest-running newspape ...
'' described the episode as "one of the darkest episodes of the Simpsons". In their section on the episode in the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood comment: "Undoubtedly the most disturbing episode of the series, with Bart's nightmare of losing his soul — illustrated by a macabre playground where all the souls of his playmates are visible, and his is tagging along with Milhouse — more frightening than funny. ... An illustration of just how far the series could go by this point." In April 2003, the episode was listed by ''The Simpsons'' creative team as among the top five best episodes of the series, including "
Last Exit to Springfield "Last Exit to Springfield" is the seventeenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 11, 1993. The plot revolves around Homer ...
", "
Cape Feare "Cape Feare" is the second episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 7, 1993. The episode features guest star Kelsey Grammer i ...
", "
22 Short Films About Springfield "22 Short Films About Springfield" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1996.. It was written by ...
", and " Homer at the Bat". In a 2005 interview ''The Simpsons'' creator Matt Groening commented "I don't have a single favorite. There's a bunch I really like", but cited "Bart Sells His Soul" and " Homer's Enemy" as among episodes he loves. Bart's voice actress Nancy Cartwright stated "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her top three episodes together with "
Lisa's Substitute "Lisa's Substitute" is the nineteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 25, 1991. In the episode, Lisa's teacher Miss Ho ...
" and "
Bart the Mother "Bart the Mother" is the third episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 27, 1998. In the episode, Bart accidentally kills a ...
". Lisa's voice actress Yeardley Smith stated in an interview that "Bart Sells His Soul" is one of her favorite episodes along with " Girly Edition". The episode has been used in church courses in
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
and in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
about the nature of a soul, and was shown by a minister in
Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
in one of his sermons. A 2005 report on religious education in secondary schools, by the United Kingdom education regulator Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted), noted that the episode was being used as a teaching tool.


References

Bibliography *


External links

* * * {{authority control The Simpsons (season 7) episodes 1995 American television episodes Works based on the Faust legend Philosophical mass media