Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield


image_caption = Marge at the country club
episode_no = 142
prod_code = 3F11
airdate = February 4, 1996
show runner =
Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
writer =
Jennifer Crittenden
director =
Susie Dietter
couch_gag = The living room is bathed in black light, with the Simpsons in fluorescent colors while a hard rock guitar riff plays. Homer turns the light on and everything returns to normal.
guest_star =
Tom Kite as himself
commentary = Matt Groening
Bill Oakley
Josh Weinstein
Susie Dietter
season = 7"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield" is the 14th episode of "The Simpsons"' , and is the first "Simpsons" episode to have a female writer (Jennifer Crittenden) and female director (Susie Dietter) credited in the same episode. The title is an allusion to the film "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills".

Plot

The family's TV breaks down (thanks to Grampa trying to figure out how to change the channel after having to sit through an episode of the Spanish Bumblebee Man's sitcom), and they go buy a new one at an outlet mall in Ogdenville. Homer sees TVs from electronic brands, including Panaphonics, a parody of genuine products from Panasonic, Magnetbox, a parody of Magnavox, and Sorny, a parody of Sony. Then, the owner of the store lets them choose a TV from electronics "giant" Carnivale instead. While the family is there, Marge sees a $90 Chanel suit (marked down from $2800). After some coaxing from Lisa, she buys it, and is wearing it at the Kwik-E-Mart when she meets an old high school acquaintance, Evelyn Peters, who invites her to the Springfield Country Club. Marge begins visiting the country club with the family, and works hard to fit in with the snobbish members, finding less time for her children and spending it all socializing and altering her suit to appear like multiple outfits.

Meanwhile, Homer takes a fondness to the game of golf, meeting PGA Tour pro Tom Kite, who considers Homer to be a natural. When he discovers Homer showing off his impressive skills in a bathroom at work, Mr. Burns has Waylon Smithers schedule a match for the two. Burns appears to be an amazing player before it is revealed that Smithers has been cheating on his behalf for decades by secretly placing a ball on the green for each shot, leading Burns to believe that he has reached the green himself. Homer wants to reveal the truth, but is told that Mr. Burns will block the family's Country Club entry if he goes public. He reluctantly obliges to keeping the secret.

On the eve of the gala ball in which the Simpsons will be granted membership in the country club, Marge accidentally destroys the suit when Lisa is distracting her, and rushes back to the outlet mall to find another dress. Being unable to find one, she heads to a Chanel store to purchase an expensive replacement. As they approach the country club, Marge realizes how she has changed to fit in and decides that she would not want to join a club that would have the fictional, snobbish Marge, anyway. It is revealed in a cutaway scene that the country club members really did like them, and were really looking forward to the Simpsons' joining. The Simpsons then have dinner instead at Krusty Burger, reveling in the lower-class surroundings.

Debut

Brandine Spuckler makes her debut.

Cultural references

*This episode features fictional parody appearances of the electronics brands Panasonic (Panaphonics), Sony (Sorny), and Magnavox (Magnetbox).
*Marge's Chanel suit is similar to the one Jackie Kennedy wore to Dallas when her husband was killed; Marge's mother is named Jacqueline Bouvier.
*Several of the golfing scenes also directly parody the movie Caddyshack, including when Homer throws his club in anger and accidentally hits a person (in this case Krusty), which is similar to when Judge Smails (played by Ted Knight) throws his club after missing a short putt. At this point, Tom Kite runs away from the injured Krusty in a fashion very similar to when Carl (played by Bill Murray) runs away from the bishop who is lying unconscious on the green after being struck by lightning.
*While Marge is vacuuming, there is a scene on television of an opera. The opera is La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi. The aria being sung is called "Sempre Libera".
*Marge's last line in the episode is a reference to the Groucho Marx quote, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member".

External links

*snpp capsule|3F11