Bart's Inner Child

Season 5, Episode 7, Aired
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Episode Summary

Homer sees an ad in the paper for a trampoline and he goes to Krusty's and picks it up. The kids love it and he charges the neighbors to use it. When all the children get injured on it, Marge makes him get rid of it. He pushes it off a cliff, a la Wile E. Coyote. Homer and Marge have an argument in which he says that Marge is no fun.''''With this realization, she gets very angry and goes to her sisters' house. Patty and Selma show her a self-help video. When Marge starts looking at the self-help information starring Brad Goodman with Homer their relationship improves. They go to a seminar with the kids. Bart acts out while there and the lecturer brings him on stage.''''The guru tells the town that Bart is the "inner child" that they should all strive to be. Lisa of course is skeptical, thinking that the guru is just selling easy answers, but the town is buying it. So much so, they hold a "do what you feel" festival. It breaks out into a riot when everybody starts to act irresponsibly and the "be like Bart" era comes to an end. We end with the Simpsons watching the newest episode of "MacArnagle" together.moreless
8.5
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Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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  • superb

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By futuramarama, Aug 19, 2011 Report Abuse
    what i liked- Bart lying about his name being Ruttiger, "Be like boy, be like boy" and the senior citizens thinking they were saying "we like Roy, we like Roy", the ending with everyone being mad at Bart because of the do what you feel festival, Kent Brockman swearing on live news, the end of act 2, etc.
    good outing for season 5. not one of the best episodes of the season, but like always, had some good laughs and a decent enough plot for me to give it at least a B for my final grade, i think is fairmoreless

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  • this was a good ep

    8.5
    "Great"
    By cube2k8, May 18, 2010 Report Abuse
    in this ep of the simpsons homer buys a trampoline and most of all the kids in springfild get injured and he wants to get rid of the trampoline and marges tells them maby they should cominacate better until a guy a comes to springfiled saying they should get intouch with there inner child like bart has been doing with all the pranks lisa thinkgs its wrong or something is up. and it ends disatrious for the twon in this ep for doing that. this was a good ep i thought and it had some funny moments and that is why i gave it a 8.5moreless

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  • The townspeople become a rebel like Bart after a self-help guru tells them to 'Do what they feel like' like Bart.

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By Scottstopher28, Dec 31, 2008 Report Abuse
    This episode wasn't the strongest of episodes in this season as there weren't many jokes. However, every Simpsons episode has a good side. The 'Do what you feel' festival was funny and when Homer tried to get rid of the trampoline la Coyote from Coyote and Road Runner was funny too. Normally Bart episodes are good but this one lacked a lot of what makes The Simpsons good. It was a bit preachy and I felt like I was watching Brad Goodman's self-help program, not The Simpsons. There are definately worse episodes of the Simpsons than this and at least it made me laugh even it was only a couple of times.moreless

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  • Good episode, but not what we have come to expect from this amazing season...

    8.6
    "Great"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 23, 2008 Report Abuse
    Homer and Marge are entranced by a charismatic self-help guru named Brad Goodman. While attending a Brad Goodman seminar with his parents, Bart is asked to appear on stage with the man himself and, as usual, misbehaves. Rather than be annoyed by Bart's sarcastic comments, Goodman uses Bart as a role model for his audience, a boy completely unafraid to listen to the squeaks and squawks of his "inner child." The people of Springfield take Goodman's words to heart, hosting a "Do What You Feel Festival." James Brown sings at the festival, but things go terribly wrong when the stage collapses because the carpenter responsible for building it didn't "feel" like making it sturdy. Soon, everyone realizes that the only person who can truly be like Bart is Bart himself and go back to repressing their inner children.moreless

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  • another great simpsons episode

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By bender21345, Dec 12, 2007 Report Abuse
    this was another great installment of the fith season of the simpsons it had alot of great moments escpeialy the trampoline part now that was my favorite part of all

    the episode starts off with homer buying a trampoline and then using it for money but ends up harming everyone and now he is in trouble with marge and the only way to solve it ids to use a self help man. they are cured but also want to help bart so they take him to seminar but he tells them all to act like bart and that will be the true path to happiness.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • According to this episode, Moe is of Italian heritage. Edit
    • The diseases in the Feel Bad Rainbow include ''Motor Mouth'' and ''Uncontrollable Falling Down.'' Edit
    • Admission to ''Homerland'' is $50. Edit

  • Notes

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    • James Brown's line, "This bandstand wasn't double-bolted," quickly became a phrase around the writers' office when things would spill. An example, from the DVD commentary, was, "This sandwich wasn't double-bolted." Edit
    • Albert Brooks' name is billed as "A. Brooks". Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: None.
      Couch Gag: A fat man is taking up all the space on the couch, so the family has to squeeze in. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES

    • (While bouncing on the trampoline)

      Todd: Each leap brings us closer to God.

      Rod: Catch me lord! Catch me! (They both bump into each other and fall to the ground) What have we done to make God angry?

      Todd: You did it.

      Edit
    • Groundskeeper Willie: (Speaking into a microphone) If elected mayor, my first act will be to kill the lot of ya, and burn yer town to cinders! (A man whispers something into his ear.) Groundskeeper Willie: I know it's on! Edit
    • Troy McClure: You may remember me from such self-help videos as "Smoke Yourself Thin" and "Get Confident, Stupid." Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • The Ten Commandments The scene in which scantily clad women are throwing flowers over a gold statue of Brad Goodman references the "golden calf" scene from this Charlton Heston film. Edit
    • 1941 The run away ferris wheel is a reference to Stephen Spielberg's 1979 film 1941. Edit
    • Gone With The Wind The kids lying on the ground, after being injured on the trampoline, reference 1939's Gone With The Wind, where at one point the camera shows wounded Confederate soldiers lying in a field. Edit

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