Bart After Dark

Season 8, Episode 5, Aired
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Episode Summary

Lisa talks Marge into going to help rescue animals from an oil spill. This leaves Bart and Homer all along and on their own. Bart causes some damage at what the kids call the local "haunted house." As a punishment, Homer insists that he go there and work to pay for the damage that he caused. Bart discovers the house is actually a burlesque parlor and he begins working there as a stand-up comedian and maitre d'. Marge returns to find what Bart is doing and is angry with Homer so she goes to the owner of the house and tells her to leave Springfield. When that does not work, she goes before the town and tries to get them to bulldoze the place. They all travel to the house with tools of destruction and begin tearing it down, but Homer pleads with them to save the burlesque house and in the process he and everyone breaks into song. The song is so good that it convinces everyone on how valuable the house is to the town. Marge shows up late with a bulldozer. She offers to sing a song in response, but accidentally demolishes the house when she does.moreless
8.7
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Great
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Cast & Crew

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  • Julie Kavner

    Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier

  •

    Harry Shearer

    Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

  •

    Dan Castellaneta

    Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others

Fan Episode Reviews (13)

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  • After acidentally causing damage to a large mansion in Springfield, Bart is forced to work at the mansion by Homer in order to pay for the damage. However, the mansion turns out to be a burlesque parlor. When Marge finds out she becomes outraged.moreless

    9.5
    "Superb"
    By meathead704, Oct 05, 2011 Report Abuse
    Season eight of The Simpsons has many memorable episodes, but the best episode of the season is definitely "Bart After Dark." Tons of laughs and excellent dialouge from start to finish makes "Bart After Dark" worth your while. The finale featuring the excellent song "We Put the Spring in Springfield" is just perfect. The song definitely deserved the Emmy it received. I got so involved in the episode that I was a little sad when Marge acidentally tore the burlesque parlor down! That's how good the episode is. One of The Simpsons greatest episodes, period.moreless

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  • this was a good ep

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By cube2k8, May 22, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the simpsons show marge and lisa come and give aid to the animals afte a oil spil thing is when they get there they can only do rocks not the animals due to the celberties. also during this ep bart and homer are alone during that period bart gets into trouble and destroys a statue. thing is its from a berles house with girls and alsorts of things .and so homer does not know is job till he goes in there and finds out its after hours club and he sees the girls and the drinks and he wants to help out too . then wives in town find out his out and they go in and find that there husband have been with these girls . and they want to take it down till the girls play a song for them and they decide not to but then marge comes and buldozes it which they are mad.moreless

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  • Bart After Dark

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Jan 20, 2010 Report Abuse
    After breaking a gargoyle, Bart works at a burlesque house to pay off. But when Marge {who was away with Lisa} finds out, she immediately protests. Everyone agrees that it should be torn down, but when everyone sings about what the house means, it remains up. But Marge accidentally crashes some of it, and must get a job to pay off.

    Decent funny episode. The song "We Put the Spring in Springfield" was really well-written, as was most of the episode. My overall grade would be an A+, pretty easily. Simply one of the greatest of my favorite season, IMOmoreless

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  • Bart starts working at a cat house.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Hornets3, Aug 30, 2009 Report Abuse
    Lisa and Marge leave Bart and Homer home alone to help clean up an oil spill. Bart damages property in the yard of a spooky house. A woman named Belle comes out and leads Bart home by the ear. Homer punishes Bart by making him do chores for Belle to pay for the accident. Belle's house turns out to be a burlesque salon. When Marge and Lisa return a bunch of angry citizens confront Homer on Bart's work. Marge joins the group in attempt to oust the house from Springfield. Marge convinces Springfield to demolish the old house. When the townspeople arrive with weapons of destruction, Homer sings a song to change everybody's mind. Marge accidentally damages the house anyway, leaving her to pay her debt by performing an act. This episode purely was hilarious. From start to finish, this episode never stopped making me laugh. IMO it was just flawless. Loved the musical at the end!moreless

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  • Springfield's lynching mob go soft.

    8.0
    "Great"
    By twilightboy, Apr 15, 2008 Report Abuse
    Hey! I wasn't expecting sucha good episode in this eight season which is regarded by many as the beginning of the downfall of the Simpsons' series. I find the fact that Bart gets so interested in a sexual way in women very unreal. Most ten year olds are thinking about video games and other things. But yeah there is a small chance (very small) that Bart can be really interested. I was expecting Lisa to make a commentary on this situation but she doesn't. Ok, I think she doesn't want to go agains her mother. Once again we see that the townsfolk are insane and that the Simpsons are part of that insanity.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • A character modeled after John Swartzwelder can also be seen in the burlesque house. Edit
    • The Springfield Town Hall sign reads: "Tonight: Town Meeting. Tomorrow: Town Meeting Bloopers." Edit
    • Princess Kashmir, from 7G10 "Homer's Night Out" dances at the Maison Derriere. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • In 1997, this episode won an Emmy for 'Outstanding Music and Lyrics', for the song "We Put the Spring in Springfield." The song was also a part of the album Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons. Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: None. Couch Gag: In a parody of the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper Album, the Simpsons are dressed in full Sgt. Pepper uniforms, running to their couch in front of a backdrop of secondary characters that have appeared on the show. Edit
    • This is the first episode that Mrs. Hibbert speaks in. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Belle: Oh, I agree, kids need rules and boundaries. Homer: (Busy looking at dancer) Yes, everybody loves rules. Belle: It's so tough to be a parent these days, what with all the gangs, and the drugs. Homer: Oh yeah, drugs, you gotta have drugs. Edit
    • (Kids discuss the burlesque house) Nelson: I heard a witch lives there. Ralph: I heard a Frankenstein lives there. Milhouse: You guys are way off. It's a secret lab where they take the brains out of zombies and put 'em in the heads of other zombies to create a race of super zombies. Nelson: That's the house? Edit
    • Homer: If Homer Simpson wants his ten year old son to work in a burlesque house, then Homer Simpson's ten year old son is going to work in a burlesque house. (Marge appears, and Homer screams.) Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Exxon Valdez Oil Spill The oil spill is a reference to the Exxon Valdez oil spill which occurred on March 24, 1989. It is considered one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea. The Sea Captain was shown to be drunk at the helm, which is a reference to Joseph Hazelwood, who was the captain of the Exxon Valdez and was accused of being drunk. Edit
    • The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Much of the plot is based on the musical and film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas by Larry L. King. Edit
    • Reverend Lovejoy: This house is a very, very, very fine house. As the town reverses its stance on the Maison Derriere, the reverend references a lyric from the Crosby Stills and Nash song, "Our House." Edit

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