Clown in the Dumps (The Simpsons)
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.jpg) This episode is in the dumps and should be left there.
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"Clown in the Dumps" is the season premiere of the twenty-sixth season of the American animated television series, The Simpsons, and the 553rd episode of the series overall. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network on September 28, 2014, with "The Simpsons Guy", a crossover episode of Family Guy with The Simpsons, airing afterward. This episode was dedicated in memory of Louis Castellaneta, the father of The Simpsons the voice actor Dan Castellaneta. It was written by Joel H. Cohen and directed by Steven Dean Moore, with Don Hertzfeldt directing a sequence in the opening titles. Jeff Ross, Sarah Silverman, and David Hyde Pierce guest-starred as themselves, with Jackie Mason and Kelsey Grammer reprising their respective roles as Rabbi Krustofski and Sideshow Bob, while Maurice LaMarche voiced several minor characters.
Plot
Krusty the Clown appears on a comedy roast by Jeff Ross and Sarah Silverman and is offended by them. He seeks his father's advice, Rabbi Krustofski, on whether he is funny; the Rabbi says he always thought he was "eh..." and dies suddenly, right before he's about to tell Krusty what he thinks of his comedy. As his father's last words seem to be dismissive and believing that nobody finds him funny anymore, Krusty quits his show.
Bart attempts to reinspire Krusty by showing him old episodes of the show, but he picks up on the repetitive nature of his jokes, and binge drinks in anger. He passes out and has a vision of himself in Jewish Heaven, where he meets Rodney Dangerfield. Rabbi Krustofski then appears and tells Krusty that Jews do not believe in Heaven, and thus he should do more to help others. An act of kindness does not make him happier, but Bart takes Krusty to the synagogue, where Rabbi Krustofski's favorite Rabbi recites Krusty's jokes on religion. Therefore, Krusty deduces that his father found him funny, and sees him again in Jewish Heaven, where Jesus turns Dangerfield's water into a Bloody Mary.
Triggered by the death of Krusty's father, Lisa becomes obsessed with protecting her father, Homer, from getting hurt. She wraps him in bubble wrap, which ends up saving his life when Otto's school bus plows into the garden. Eventually, Marge and Bart talk some sense into Lisa, that while it is nice of her to be concerned for her father, she should not force Homer to take it easy on himself and just let him live his life.
Why It's In the Dumps
- The primary issue with this episode, as well as the subsequent season premiere "Every Man's Dream," was the significant ratings trap created by misleading advertising. The promotions suggested that a popular and beloved character would be killed off, when in reality, it turned out to be a minor character with only a few appearances.
- The episode in general is offensive to people who are Jewish. In other words, it’s antisemitic.
- The plot uses emotional manipulation, similar to the Family Guy episode Life of Brian.
- Even the image used to promote this episode (see above) looks nearly identical to the image used to promote Family Guy’s 12th Season DVD, really showing how much of a pointless rip-off this is.
- It is very mean-spirited towards Krusty. On top of nobody feeling sorry for him after his father’s death, the episode has celebrities like Sarah Silverman and Jeff Ross roasting him, wasting their talents. Not to mention the ending shows Ross still roasting Krusty.
- The show contains numerous plot holes. For instance, the cause of death of Krusty's father is never revealed.
- The subplot of Lisa trying to protect Homer from dying after the death of Krusty's dad is not that interesting, despite it showing that Lisa does care about her father.
- The jokes are either cruel, over the top, or painfully unfunny in this episode.
- The portrayal of Krusty's father's death is lackluster. In contrast to the emotionally charged and poignant departures of other characters, this comes across as uninspired, dull, and somber.
- It’s an episode where people disrespect the people who’ve passed away.
Redeeming Qualities
- Don Hertzfeldt's (better known for creating the animated short film Rejected) couch gag is more interesting than the episode itself. See for yourself.
- As stated above, the side plot shows that Lisa cares about Homer.
- Though it is a gigantic rating trap, one of the promos on TV for this episode DOES show Krusty's father as one of the people who will die, so this episode is not misleading at all.
- Krusty is likeable here and this episode does a good job of encouraging you to feel bad for the clown.
- Although there were not a lot of funny moments, but the part where Homer shoved Bart's face onto his (Homer's) stomach is funny.