Much Apu About Nothing
Encyclopedia : M : MU : MUC : Much Apu About Nothing
"Much Apu About Nothing" is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons
Synopsis
On an ordinary day, a bear strolls onto Evergreen Terrace. It is quickly subdued by the police, but not before they trainquilize and capture Barney Gumble. Homer rants about these "constant bear attacks", even though this is the very first bear Ned has seen in his thirty years of living on that street. Homer then leads an angry mob and demands that Mayor Quimby do something about this. Soon, the Bear Patrol is created, a useless organization which even makes use of a B-2 Spirit. Homer then gets just as shocked when he saw the bear when he discovers that taxes have been raised five dollars to maintain the Bear Patrol. To calm down the ignorant citizens of Springfield, Mayor Quimby pins the blame for the taxes on illegal immigrants. He then creates Proposition 24, which will deport all illegal immigrants from Springfield.Apu tells Homer that, if Prop 24 passes, he will be deported, as his visa expired many years earlier. The Kwik-E-Mart's business goes down due to the surge of protesters against illegal immigrants. Though Marge tells Apu she will vote "no" on Prop 24, it clearly will not be enough to help Apu. After discovering Kearney's fake ID, Apu goes to Fat Tony to get a false United States citizenship. However, Apu realizes he disgraced his parents for turning his back on his Indian heritage. Homer, though he is not voter registered, also vows to help him. He fails to get Apu married to Selma, which would prevent him from getting deported.
Lisa, having read the citizenship laws front to back, discovers that Apu will not get deported if he can pass a US citizenship test. Homer agrees to be his tutor to help prepare him before the vote on Prop 24. Apu demonstrates excellent knowledge of the United States, but Homer is a terrible tutor and replaces Apu's knowledge with false information and leaves Apu to look over his notes from ninth-grade history. However, he falls asleep. When he wakes he panics, declaring he has forgotten everything Homer had taught him, which Lisa says is excellent news and takes him to the exam. Apu then goes to take the test. He passes it and becomes an American citizen. At a congratulatory party, Homer tells his guests how terrible it is that immigrants could get deported. He inspires them to vote "no" on Prop 24, but it still passes...with 95%.
Trivia
- The episode title is a play on William Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
- The original title was going to be "The Anti-Immigrant Song" in reference to the Led Zeppelin song, Immigrant Song.
- After graduating from "Caltech", Apu enrols in the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology, which has a taboo acronym ("SHIT").
- The scene where the young Apu says goodbye to his family, including his future arranged marriage bride, Manjula. This is Foreshadowing, as Apu meets Manjula again for the marriage in The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons in season 9.
Quotes
- Homer (after Prop 24 passes): When will people learn? Democracy doesn't work!
- Homer (chanting): "Down with taxes! Down with taxes!"
Helen: "Will someone please think of the children?" - Homer (pointing to the US flag): Please identify this object.
Apu: It appears to be the flag that disappeared from the public library last year.
Homer: Correct. Now, we all know the thirteen strips are for good luck, but why does the American flag have precisely forty-seven stars?
Apu: Because this particular flag is ridiculously out of date! The library must have purchased it during the brief period in 1912 after New Mexico became a state but before Arizona did.
Homer: Uh, partial credit. - Moe: And these ones are smarter than the av-er-age bear. They swiped my pic-in-ic basket!
Helen Lovejoy: Think of the children!
Mayor Quimby: Very well. I promise swift and decisive action against these hibernating hucksters! (everyone leaves, reassured, while Quimby helps himself to the pic-in-ic basket) - Homer: Oh my god, I got so swept up in the scapegoating and fun of Proposition 24 I never stopped to think it might affect somebody I might care about. (pause) You know what Apu? I am really, really going to miss you. (nails up an Uncle Sam sign that says "I Want You Out!" and walks away whistling)
- Apu: Executive, Legislative and...Judicial.
Homer: No, no, and no! I guess we have to start all over with the electrical college. - Homer: Let the bears pay the bear tax. I pay the Homer tax.
Lisa: That's the homeowner tax.
Homer: Well anyway, I'm still outraged! - Homer: Ah, not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm!
Lisa: That's specious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, honey.
Lisa: By your logic, I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away!
Homer: Uh-huh, and how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn't work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It's just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don't see any tigers around here, do you?
Homer: (Looks around) Lisa, I'd like to buy your rock.
Goofs
- When Ned Flanders crashes into a tree, the car's airbag deploys. But Ned says in an later episode that "the church opposes them for some reason".
External links
- [From NoHomers.net] -- a detailed analysis and discussion of this episode.
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.