The Parent Rap

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = The Parent Rap


image_caption= Promotional artwork featuring the first appearance of recurring character Judge Constance Harm.
episode_no = 271
prod_code = CABF22
airdate = November 11, 2001
show runner = Mike Scully
writer = George Meyer
Mike Scully
director = Mark Kirkland
blackboard = "Nobody reads these anymore."
couch_gag = The Simpsons are in the simplistically-drawn sailboat painting located behind the couch. They jump out of the painting by going in the “water”. The living room is drenched from the splash and Homer uses his finger to clean his ear out.
guest_star = Jane Kaczmarek as Judge Constance Harm, Jess Harnell as the Charlton Heston soundbite on the radio
season = 13

"The Parent Rap" is the second episode and official premiere of "The Simpsons"' thirteenth season. The episode was originally planned to air on November 4, 2001, but was pushed back a week due to the World Series going to 7 games, as the playoffs started late due to the rescheduling of a week's worth of regular season games postponed by the September 11, 2001 attacks. This episode showed the introduction of Judge Constance Harm, voiced by Jane Kaczmarek.

Plot

En route to school, after Bart and Milhouse apparently miss the morning school bus, Homer hears KBBL's announcement of the "Prize Posse" radio contest. The prize is $40 to the first person spotted by the KBBL van, the "Wampum Wagon", with a "KBBL Party Penguin" hanging from their car antenna. Immediately after hearing the announcement Milhouse fortuitously spots the KBBL van cross traffic perpendicularly. Homer, having such a "KBBL Party Penguin" on his car as required, immediately stops the car and forces Bart and Milhouse to get out, presumably left to their own devices to get to school. After walking around they spot and then get into Chief Wiggum's police car. After being threatened by a canine sitting in the back seat, they unintentionally put the car into neutral. After crashing the vehicle, Chief Wiggum presumes they have stolen his car in a joyride. They are then taken into police custody.

After a trial, Milhouse is declared innocent by Judge Snyder. Bart's hearing proceeds and as Judge Snyder prepares to let Bart off the hook, he abruptly leaves for a vacation. Without recess, a new judge, Constance Harm, played by Jane Kaczmarek, a Judge Judy parody, enters to preside over Bart's hearing. In lieu of sending Bart to juvenile detention, she opts for a creative sentence. She orders that Bart and Homer be tethered together because of Homer's incompetence of taking care of Bart and abandoning Bart and Milhouse in the first place.

Surprisingly, Homer and Bart develop a bond as they are tethered, showing up at school, work, and even at Moe's. When Bart can no longer stand being tethered, he gets into a fight with Homer. Marge cannot handle it, and she cuts the tether to stop the fighting. Unfortunately, Judge Harm comes in (through fiber optics) to warn Bart that he violated her order after Marge cut it. She punishes Homer and Marge by declaring them both to be bad parents, and puts them in wooden stocks. Chief Wiggum makes them stand on a sidewalk and wants drivers to spank the parents. Later on, they use Ned Flanders' table saw to remove their stocks. Marge got free of the stocks using Flanders' table saw and Homer gets free as the candle Ned was using burns through the stocks. They sneak into Harm's houseboat and put up a "Big Meanie" banner. As they are about to leave, Judge Harm's pet seal Poncho alerts Harm of their presence. Homer throws a cinder block (intended to hit Harm) through her boat, which sinks.

After the houseboat incident, Judge Harm angrily tells Homer and Marge that one of her ruined quilts was "made by my grandmother!" She declares that enough is enough, and attempts to lay down a hard punishment on them until Bart gives a testimony, and asks to be punished instead of his parents. Judge Snyder returns from his vacation and dismisses the case before Harm can punish Bart. Lisa moves for a motion that "boys will be boys", and Judge Snyder grants the motion, dismissing the case. The family returns back to normal, and each Simpson promises not to break the law for a year (after which Homer immediately hits Hans Moleman with his car).

Cultural references

*The title is a parody of the film "The Parent Trap".
*Homer wins a Blue Oyster Cult medallion from the radio station, and offers to sing part of their hit "Don't Fear the Reaper" to the court. The song is used on this episode's closing credits.
*Judge Constance Harm is a parody of "Judge Judy".Fact|date=July 2008

Trivia

Possibly as a reference to their personalities, Judges Harm and Snyder have table statues they keep on the judges stand: A clown (Snyder) and a guillotine (Harm). Judge Snyder even took his clown with him on vacation when he left, and when he got back put it place of Harm's guillotine, saying "the clown is down" when she treid to deliver verdict, implying that the statues represent their power over the court room, whoevers' is on display being in charge.

Soundtrack

*"Dang Me" - Roger Miller
*"(Don't Fear) the Reaper" - Blue Öyster Cult
**The title of this song was spoofed in a later episode, "Don't Fear the Roofer."

External links

*snpp capsule|CABF22