Episode no. 218 Written by David M. Stern Production code AABF10 | Directed by Mark Kirkland Showrunner(s) Mike Scully Original air date February 21, 1999 | |
"Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons' tenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 21, 1999. After Homer purchases a Canyonero sports utility vehicle, he discovers he bought the model intended for women, so he gives the vehicle to Marge. Despite disliking it at first, Marge grows fond of it, and quickly develops clear road rage against other motorists. The episode was written by David M. Stern and directed by Mark Kirkland.
Contents
Plot
After the Simpson family watch a poor talent show display by the teachers of Springfield Elementary, they are in a hurry to leave. Homer sees Krusty driving a Canyonero and decides to purchase one. Homer purchases the sport utility vehicle, but is soon disappointed after discovering he bought the "F-series", intended for women. Embarrassed to drive it, he gives the vehicle to Marge. Marge dislikes it at first due to its size and features, but quickly becomes fond of it, and develops road rage. Later, when traveling around town, Marge is given a traffic ticket by Chief Wiggum and is ordered to take a defensive driving course. While driving away from the class, she accidentally drives the Canyonero into the prison and loses her driving privileges.
Homer, Bart, and Lisa take a trip to the zoo. Homer accidentally causes the rhinoceroses to go berserk and escape. The police request Marge to use the large SUV to stop the rhinoceroses who have escaped the zoo. Marge first declines, until she sees her family in danger. Marge agrees to assist the police and succeeds in rounding up the animals, but learns there is one missing and sees Homer being carried off by the rhinoceros. She chases the angry rhino into a construction site and deliberately crashes the vehicle, making it burst into flames. The rhino instinctively attempts to stamp out the fire, Homer escapes, and the Rhino is returned to the zoo.
Production
The idea behind the episode came from a study performed that showed women had more cases of road rage than men. The names of the other car salesmen on the board in the car garage are friends of Mike Scully from high school. The road rage film which Chief Wiggum shows during the road rage class was originally titled "Screaming Yellow Honkers". The road rage film was originally to have been presented by Troy McClure, but voice actor Phil Hartman died the previous year. The group of people running out of the zoo, before Homer, Bart, and Lisa, are caricatures of Mike Scully, his wife, and his children, who are also seen running behind Kent Brockman's news report. The Fox Broadcasting Company executives were displeased with the positive references to NBC made near the end of the episode. As a compromise, the writers added in the sequence during the end credits where Homer reads a statement that disparages NBC and praises Fox (and briefly praises CBS).
In an attempt to stop the rhinos, Homer shouts "Jumanji!", a reference to the film Jumanji. Marge mentions Dateline NBC and former anchor Stone Phillips. Ms. Krabappel does a balloon dance singing "Fever", a 1958 hit for Peggy Lee. The other teachers parody songs from Fame. Singer Courtney Love is advertised on a box of Wheaties breakfast cereal.
Reception
In its original broadcast, "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"" finished 43rd in ratings for the week of February 15–21, 1999, with a Nielsen rating of 8.7, equivalent to approximately 8.6 million viewing households. It was the third highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Ally McBeal and The X-Files.
Peter Brown of If notes in his review of The Simpsons' tenth season that "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers", alongside "Lard of the Dance", "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken", and "Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"", was "some of the best episodes of the season". The authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, wrote in their review of the episode: "very clever, very dry humour and showcasing the last person you might expect to suffer road rage. Some lovely moments (Marge losing patience with Agnes and Kearney is great), especially her drive across the cornfield. Sadly the Canyonero doesn't survive the experience of this episode, which would have been nice, if only to see Marge regularly at the wheel rather than Homer."