Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Ice Cream of Margie (With the Light Blue Hair)


image_caption = Marge lets her anger out after Homer finally crushes her dreams.
episode_no = 385
prod_code = HABF22
airdate = November 26, 2006
show runner = Al Jean
writer = Carolyn Omine
director = Matthew Nastuk
guest_star =
blackboard =
couch_gag = The Simpsons's eyes are visible in the dark; when the lights come up, the Simpsons are revealed to be cockroaches, who scuttle away (except Maggie, who hides behind the couch).cite web|url=http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings.aspx?id=20070419fox14|title=MARGE BECOMES CREAM OF THE "CROP" ON THE SIMPSONS, SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2006, ON FOX|accessdate=2008-05-25|publisher=The Futon Critic]
season = 18

"Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)" is the seventh episode of "The Simpsons"' eighteenth season and first aired November 26, 2006. After Homer gets fired at the nuclear power plant, he takes over the ice cream truck business, while a depressed Marge creates popsicle stick sculptures to keep busy. The sculptures quickly become popular and Marge is excited to have a purpose in life, until a turn of events divides the Simpsons household. It was written by Carolyn Omine, and directed by Matthew Nastuk. In its original run, the episode received 10.90 million viewers. [http://www.simpsonschannel.com/news/monthly-archive-11-2006.html Ratings] ]

Plot

Mr. Burns fires Homer Simpson. Homer buys a 25 cent ice cream from Max, the ice cream man, with a $100 bill. Later, he collapses and dies while changing the bill into coins. Max's widow gives the truck to Homer. Homer has Otto pimp out the truck and gets into a fashionable attire for work.Opal, a parody of Oprah, has a show about successful women, which sends Marge into a deep depression, as she feels she hasn't done anything with her life. Marge is inspired by all the popsicle sticks Homer brings home, and starts making sculptures out of them.

Kent Brockman sees these sculptures and interviews Marge, who says she creates them so they will serve as a reminder of herself when she's gone. Thanks to the publicity, Rich Texan creates an art show to showcase Marge's talent; however, it opens on Saturday, the day people look forward to ice cream. Homer promises to return by 3 o'clock. Homer loses track of time and must hurry home, but in so doing, he crashes into his own lawn, destroying all of Marge's sculptures. Marge declares Homer has ruined her dreams and locks herself in the bedroom

Homer tries to express how happy her fulfillment as popsicle artist made him by slipping pictures of himself under the door, but falls asleep. When he wakes up Marge is gone and Grandpa is looking after Bart and Lisa, who tell him that Marge had left hours ago. Marge is on top of city hall, where she declares she will show the world how she feels about Homer. She reveals the largest popsicle sculpture she has ever made, and the subject is Homer. Marge realizes that Homer tried to keep his promise to her and make it on time, not that he did not care, much to the shock of a nearby-Opal. Marge apologizes to Homer for the way that she acted and Homer apologizes for ruining her sculptures, and the two reunite. The scene shifts 200 years into the future where that very sculpture is the only remaining element of Western art in a world where iPods have conquered humanity.

Cultural references

*The title of this episode is a play on the television show "I Dream of Jeannie", and Stephen Foster's song "Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair". [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0888355/movieconnections Cultural references] ] [http://tv.ign.com/articles/747/747630p1.html Homer becomes an ice cream man, and we become bored.] ]
*Greta Wolfcastle makes a cameo appearance in this episode.
*The episode features "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, "Get Ur Freak On" by Missy Elliott, "Feels So Good" by Chuck Mangione, in addition to several versions of "Pop Goes the Weasel". [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0888355/soundtrack Soundtrack for the episode] ]
*The revelation of the customized iced-cream truck is a parody of "Pimp My Ride" (which, coincidentally, featured an episode where a man takes an ice cream truck he drives to get "pimped out"); Bart also says "Wow Otto, you totally pimped Dad's ride".
*The scene where Homer gets dressed as an ice cream man is a reference to the opening of "Da Ali G Show".
*The show that Marge was watching, titled "Opal" is a parody of "The Oprah Winfrey Show". Opal would later appear in "Husbands and Knives" and again in "Funeral for a Fiend".
*When Homer is speeding to Marge's art show the theme from Streets of San Francisco plays.
*Homer mistakes a huge popsicle stick sculpture of himself for Magilla Gorilla.
*Comic Book Guy references George Lucas ruining the original Star Wars with modern CGI effects.
*The future that is portrayed at the end of the episode sees all of humanity enslaved by iPods. [http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/11/27/the-simpsons-ice-cream-of-margie-with-the-light-blue-hair/ TV Squad Review] ]

Reception

Dan Iverson of IGN deemed the entire episode boring, and said it had no general quality to make it interesting. He did, however, enjoy Carl's line: "See, it's statements like that that makes people think we're gay" to Lenny, as well as the "Ali G" parody. He gave it a final rating of 5.2/10. Adam Finley of TV Squad gave the episode a poor review, and like Iverson, quoted it was boring.

References

External links

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