Dude, Where's My Ranch?

Season 14, Episode 18, Aired
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Episode Summary

It's Christmastime and the family is out caroling. When they carol outside of a lawyer's house, he informs them they can't sing the song they're singing without paying a royalty. This inspires Homer to decide to write his own Christmas carol, but when Flanders tries to help and begins annoying him, Homer is instead inspired to write an anti-Flanders song. Homer plays his new song at Moe's where a passing David Byrne overhears it and offers to produce and record it. The song "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders" becomes a national hit and is even covered by William Shatner. To get away from the over-exposure of the hit song, the family decides to take a vacation to a dude ranch. At the Lazy I ranch, Comic Book Guy looks for an Internet connection and Lisa is annoyed to find out that the ranch was built on cruelty to animals and oppression of indigenous people. Lisa wants to go home, until sometime later when she meets Luke Stetson, a junior wrangler who shares her views. Homer and Bart meet some indigenous people who tell them that they've lost their land to a natural beaver dam. Homer gets them to agree to build a fair casino, if he helps them get back their land. Lisa overhears that Luke already has a girlfriend named Clara and her heart is broken. Lisa encounters Clara and gives her false directions to the dance. Homer and Bart manage to outsmart the beavers and indigenous people are able to reclaim their land. At the dance, Lisa finds out that Clara, her competition is actually Luke's sister. Lisa gets Bart to help her find Clara, who they rescue with the help of some beavers. The family is set to return to Springfield, when they hear a new David Byrne produced song on the radio "The Moe Szyslak Connection" and decide they can afford another week at the ranch.moreless
7.7
out of 10
EPISODE RATING: Good
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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 (10)

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  • perfect

    10
    "Perfect"
    By futuramarama, Jul 02, 2011 Report Abuse
    What I liked: Homer's hate song on Ned, and Ned, Todd and Rod singing it one scene, the ending of the episode, Maggie dancing in her crib, the sister of the guy Lisa likes liking Bart, Homer complaining and we find out he was complaining about elk, amongst other things.

    Really funny episode. The plots are not that great in this episode, but I do not care because I spent a great deal of my time laughing, which is really what the show is about. So, well-done episode, definitely giving this one an A+ as my final grade. Perfect episodemoreless

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  • Another good episode

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By dragondude4, Nov 13, 2009 Report Abuse
    Man I love this episode man It is a great episode. Homer ends up making a song called EveryBody Hates Ned Flanders not to be confunse with Everybody hates Chris but that show didn't exist yet man. And then Homer gets tried of the song hey I love it. Then they go to dude ranch to get away from technology. Then Homer Battles Beaver and Lisa falls in Love with this guy name LUke and then Lisa gets rid of his girlfriend only to learn it's his sister and man I love when Bart battels the Beavers LMAO then Lisa gets a broken heart and Moe gets a song .moreless

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  • Homer makes a hate song, and to escape hearing it another time the family goes to a ranch.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By Hornets3, Aug 16, 2009 Report Abuse
    All in al this was not by any means "a bad episode," however, this episode started out very very storng with Homer making a great hate song about Ned Flanders, and then the episode still satyed funny, but IMO didnt stay as strong as the begginng. However, Homer's song is just hilarious. "Everybody in the USA, hates their stupid nieghbor. He Flanders and hes really really gay Flanders tried to reck my song, his views on birthcontrol r wrong, I hate his guts and Flanders is his name!" Also, when Ned was singing a hate song about him in the car I couldnt stop laughing. Anyway, it was a good episode with a couple of great gags.moreless

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  • Funny and well written

    9.7
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 08, 2008 Report Abuse
    Homer decides to write an original Christmas carol, and pens a tune called "Flanders is a Jerk." The song rockets up the charts, and the Simpsons are overwhelmed by the sudden success. They decide to get away from it all and take a restful vacation at a dude ranch.

    At the ranch, Homer and Bart befriend a tribe of native Americans. They want a dam removed, to restore running water for their village. Battling a swarm of beavers, Homer and Bart manage to destroy the dam and become honorary members of the tribe. Very funny episode worthy of your time to watch it... Great Christmas story episodemoreless

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  • An above average episode. But so what, this episode is from the 14th season, I'm surprised they even managed to think up ANY plot after all these episodes.

    7.0
    "Good"
    By starman100, Aug 15, 2007 Report Abuse
    It seems that the writers can, and do, put the characters wherever they are wanted, without worrying about their characteristics. This episode is a perfect example of that.

    However, this episode does have very clever, funny humour. "Is it here, or is it not" is something I constantly consider every time I watch a "new" Simpson's episode, usually because a season like S11 or S12 usually have episodes with really dumb humour; but then theres several episodes in S14 and S15 with really clever humour. It gets very strange and confusing, but interesting at the same time.

    I do enjoy this episode much more than I'd enjoy a slightly earlier episode, and that's because "Dude, Where's My Ranch?" is very entertaining to watch. I recommend this episode.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

    ADD TRIVIA
    • In one airing of this episode, the scene where Homer says "A lot can happen when your head is turned" and then Marge points to where Cookie's grave is cut. Edit
    • When Moe catches, then captures David Byrne on his car, he is next to the Simpsons and David Byrne's now unoccupied car. After he passes the hospital and closes the car top, there are no cars around him, not even Byrne's driver-less car. Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • This episode was nominated for a 2003 Emmy Award for Outstanding Music and Lyrics for the song, "Everybody Hates Ned Flanders". Edit
    • This episode won the 2004 Annie Award for Outstanding Music in an Animated Television Production. Edit
    • Blackboard Joke: None. Couch Gag: The family mimes their way into the living and then mime sitting on a couch that isn't there. Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Indian Man: (About the blocked river) It was dammed by our natural enemy, the beaver. Marge: Why don't you just chase the beavers away? Indian Man: The beaver is also our god. In retrospect, it was a poor decision. Edit
    • Homer: Look at those city slickers with their stupid fur coats and pointy hats! Marge: Homer, those are elk. Homer: I still hate them. (yelling) Go back to Grosse Pointe! Edit
    • Lisa: Mom, why are you talking like that? Marge: (With a Southern accent) Don't rightly know. I just soaked up the lingo like a biscuit in a bucket full of gravy. (In her normal voice) I'll stop now. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Gabby Hayes When Lisa is reading a Let's Go Home magazine while the family is horseback riding, Bart calls her "Crabby Hayes", referencing actor George "Gabby" Hayes, the most famous of Western-movie sidekicks of the 1930s and 1940s. Edit
    • Flipper When searching for Clara the rabbit on the cliff makes a sound much like the sounds that the dolphin "Flipper" would make from the television series Flipper. Edit
    • William Shatner William Shatner's cover of Homer's song about Ned Flanders is a a reference to William's "unique" interpretation of Elton John's hit "Rocket Man". Edit

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