Bart-Mangled Banner (The Simpsons)
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 Desecrate the Flag and Run.
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Bart-Mangled Banner is the twenty-first episode of the fifteenth season of The Simpsons.
Plot
When a photo of Bart accidentally "mooning" the American flag is shown in Springfield, the Simpsons become the most hated family in town.
Why It's Mangled
- This episode portrays Americans after the September 11, 2001 attacks as nationalists who immediately hate and slam anyone who criticizes the country.
- Furthermore, when Marge criticizes America on television, the reporter starts getting unnecessarily hostile toward her and her family.
- It is a torture episode for the Simpson family again, and a rehash of the infamous episode "Kill the Alligator and Run", except on a nationwide scale.
- Dr. Hibbert is unlikeable in this episode as he makes it to where the Simpsons can't sue him for accidentally swelling up Bart's ears.
- This episode suffers from a lot of errors that can easily be written off:
- Minor nitpick, but Todd plays a violin, and Rod isn't even part of the band.
- Apu says he didn't come to the country illegally to be hated, yet in an earlier episode he already has a green card.
- Groundskeeper Willie is deaf in this episode, but in other episodes, he is not.
- Because Bart was deaf when the flag dropped, he had no idea the school band was playing the national anthem, nor even heard people booing him. Even if Bart wasn't deaf, it's not like he's protesting. After all, he mooned Australia with the flag painted on his rear end in "Bart vs. Australia," all because they mistreated him over an international prank call.
- The plot changes too often to the point it feels like a completely different episode at the end. In 22 minutes, the Simpson kids get vaccinated, Bart avoids getting vaccinated by Dr. Hibbert, Bart becomes temporarily deaf after Dr. Hibbert manages to vaccinate him, a donkey literally eats Bart's shorts in front of an American flag at a donkey basketball game; a picture of this makes it looks like Bart is mooning the flag, causing the town to believe the Simpsons are anti-American, Springfield is patriotised, its name is changed to Libertyville, the Simpsons are arrested at church for violating the Government Knows Best Act, imprisoned at the Ronald Reagan Reeducation Center, which they escape, emigrate to France, and finally return to the US as immigrants.
- The episode is derivative of the Futurama episode "A Taste of Freedom" which features a main character (Zoidberg) being tormented over a misunderstanding involving the respect of a flag and aired almost a year and a half before this one, and this episode handles the flag issue just as poorly as “A Taste of Freedom”.
- Bad ending: Nothing is resolved in the end; the Simpsons return to the US as immigrants and start their lives all over again there.
- Plot Hole: Since there were a lot of people in the gym, how did no one notice the donkey eating Bart's shorts?
Redeeming Qualities
- The beginning part of the episode, where Dr. Hibbert tries to get Bart to take his shot, is very creative and decent.
- Some funny moments and lines.
- "Elmo go to wrong fundraiser."
- The scene where Skinner shows a couple pictures of Bart, including one with a railroad spike in his head is funny.
- "You'll see us there? Good-bye? Dial tone?"
- "What did you say about me mother?! For your information, her feet stank, 'cause she works in manure all day! But it's still the best damn Starbucks in Glasgow!"
- The Simpson family is likable here.
- The microwave Couch Gag is decent to watch.
Reception
- Bart-Mangled Banner is often claimed as one of the absolute worst episodes of the show - not much lower than Kill the Alligator and Run, most of the negative reception is due to the cruelty that the Simpsons go through. NoHomers ranked Bart-Mangled Banner as the third worst episode of the entire show in 2011 and this episode currently sits at a 6.2/10 rating on IMDB.
Trivia
- In the original FOX airings, the Powers of Ten couch gag was used. On the FXX airings, DVD release, international airings and the version used on Disney+, the microwave couch gag is used.
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