TV.com

The Simpsons Season 19 Episode 10

E. Pluribus Wiggum

Favorite

Watched It I've Watched This 0

Next
Episode Previous
Episode

8.3

User Rating

220 votes

Your Rating: 10
Your Rating: 9.5
Your Rating: 9
Your Rating: 8.5
Your Rating: 8
Your Rating: 7.5
Your Rating: 7
Your Rating: 6.5
Your Rating: 6
Your Rating: 5.5
Your Rating: 5
Your Rating: 4.5
Your Rating: 4
Your Rating: 3.5
Your Rating: 3
Your Rating: 2.5
Your Rating: 2
Your Rating: 1.5
Your Rating: 1

Rate Now

EPISODE REVIEWS
By TV.com Users

Write A Review

Episode Summary

EDIT

AIRED: 1/6/08

In an effort to raise money with a bond issue Mayor Quimby moves up election day, making Springfield's primary election the first in the nation causing the media, candidates and political pundits to descend in the city.

Fan Episode Reviews (21)

Confusing to us regular Simpson viewers.. (May contain spoilers.. it depends since I had no clue what went on in this epoisode.)

7.1

By joeyissoweird, Nov 17, 2011

The Simpsons is a very popular show, right? There is a small percentage of us Simpson viewers who understand politics, but the rest are left in the cold. This episode was painful to watch, especially since I don't have much knowledge about politics. I do have a blog discussing politics, but honestly, I'm just an average Simpson viewer. The Simpsons seem to be attempting to get older audiences, but they are ending up leaving some of the young audiences crying.

After Homer accidentally destroys every fast food restaurant in town after lighting a leaking battery on fire. Mayor Quimby wants to bring them back with a bond issue, but has to move up the election date. In other news, every one wants to vote for Chief Wiggim's son, Ralph Wiggim. What? This doesn't make sense. But, it does have a small amount of humor.

This episode is falling, and it's not very good. It's filled with lame politic humor, and parodies of the election. While I do dislike the election and I do like how this episode makes fun of it, I just don't think that it should have been in a Simpsons episode. The episode seems to be outdated, with old news from reality in the cartoon world of the Simpsons. But, remember that episode takes them about seven months to make. Yes, seven months. Many work on different episodes to mass produce these.

The Simpsons fell bad on this episode, but the newer episodes after this episode cleared it all up. I don't recommend this episode unless you know what a primary election is. I understand some if it, but I don't get the whole jist of it. Jist? What?moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
1 7

Flag
Share Hide
Stranger Danger!

9.0

By futuramarama, Nov 10, 2009

Springfield nominates Ralph Wiggum for presidency.

That's basically the plot, no one in Springfield wants to vote for who is running, they are sick and tired of being hassled to vote. So Homer decides to nominate just about the stupidest person anyone could think of. Then they nominate Ralph Wiggum, who actually almost {or does he?} wins.

This is a great season 10 offering for humor, but not much for plot. I mean, it has a good plot, but the plot moves very slowly, Ralph running for presidency does not happen until about act 3, so about 15-17 minutes in. Then it only lasts for about 5 minutes.

But still very funny. Ending is abrupt but you kinda get used to it after a while, I think.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
Ralph is running for president of USA

10

By Hornets3, Aug 13, 2009

Well this is an episode that was characterized by flawless political satire. I dont know what it is about the Simpsons and political satire, but everytime they do it, I love the episode. The best part of the whole episode was Ralph's campenge (sp) commercial. I loved his policy on foregin affairs, and he is just an economic wizard! If you love polictics, and political science then you should definately watch this episode. Its always good to get the Simpsons take on whats happening in the world. Many may disagree when I say that this episode is just a pure classic!moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
Very interesting installment.

8.5

By McKellars, Sep 07, 2008

I found this episode of 'The Simpsons' to be very interesting, and funny. Now, me saying that this was an interesting episode does not make it a bad episode, it just makes it that much better. I thought that the plot in this episode was one of the best in all of season 19 and one of the funniest in recent seasons. I really thought that it was funny how they mixed in cameos such as James Stewart and also stayed funny at the same time, because for the most part, when this show gets guest stars, they try to steal the spotlight from the Simpsons and the episode usually fails.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide
I'm voting Ralph for President purely for his stance on "Stranger Danger"

9.2

By jimbo_001, Jul 16, 2008

This episode, as a campaign for Ralph Wiggum's presidency, is hilarious and has so many great lines from Ralph, as well as all of the people taking it seriously, and while it's obvious that Ralph's votes won't branch out from Springfield, I'm sure real life people will put down Ralph, rather than the usual Yoda for the ballots they don't care about.

While this was largely an episode on US politics, which being an Australian I don't know much about, I still found great hilarity throughout the episode, with Homer convincing yet another mob to fight against the media and politicians with a ridiculous idea, and both Homer and Chief Wiggum, my two favourite characters are in quite a few scenes and this episode proves to be a clever satire on elections and publicity. One thing's for sure, even Ralph would make a better President than Bush. On the other hand, a coconut would make a better leader than Hilary.moreless
DO YOU AGREE?
0 0

Flag
Share Hide

See All Fan Reviews

Cast & Crew: STARS

EDIT

Dan Castellaneta	Homer Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Krusty the Clown, Groundskeeper Willie, and others
Julie Kavner	Marge Simpson, Patty Bouvier, and Selma Bouvier
Nancy Cartwright	Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and others
Yeardley Smith	Lisa Simpson
Hank Azaria	Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Lou, and others
Harry Shearer	Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders, Principal Skinner, Waylon Smithers, Kent Brockman, and others

See All Cast & Crew

Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

EDIT

Dan Rather	Himself	Guest Star
Jon Stewart	Himself	Guest Star
Tress MacNeille	Agnes Skinner, Brandine Del Roy, Dolph and others	Recurring Role
Pamela Hayden	Milhouse Van Houten, Rod Flanders, Jimbo Jones, and others	Recurring Role
Karl Wiedergott	Additional Voices	Recurring Role

See All Cast & Crew

Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

FILTER BY TYPE

TRIVIA (4)
ADD TRIVIA
- Music From This Episode
  "Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran (Heard while Homer cruises through all his favorite fast-food joints one last time before his diet.)
  Theme from A Summer Place by Percy Faith Orchestra (Used in the sample Republican party ad at the political focus group.)
  EDIT SHARE
- Names listed on the ballot in the Springfield presidential primary promotional commercial:
  Public, John Q.
  Six-Pack, Joe
  Eagle, Bald
  Sam, Uncle
  Liberty, Statue of
  EDIT SHARE
- Sign spotted beneath the "Welcome to New Hampshire" road sign: Providing Cheap Liquor to Massachusetts Teens for 200 Years.
  EDIT SHARE
- Restaurants spotted in the "Fast-Food District" of Springfield: General Chang's Taco Italiano, Dead Lobster, We Have Restrooms!, Captain Corn Dog Schnitzel Palace, Chili Blasters, and Vesuvius Pizza.
  EDIT SHARE
QUOTES (9)
ADD QUOTES
- Bart: The Constitution? I'm pretty sure the Patriot Act killed it to ensure our freedoms.
  EDIT SHARE
- (On the phone)
  Marge: I'm just really worried about your weight. Bart says that we got a call from NASA, and your gravity is pulling satellites out of their orbit.
  Homer: Marge, that was a joke.
  Marge: But it comes from a true place.
  EDIT SHARE
- Moe: Who wants to abolish democracy forever? Show of hands.
  Carl: I could really go for some kind of military thing like, uh, Juan Perón. When he disappeared ya, you stayed disappeared.
  Lenny: Plus his wife was Madonna.
  EDIT SHARE
- (Kent Brockman reports on the Springfield presidential primary.)
  Kent Brockman: With Springfield's primary now first in the nation, our humble city is overrun with candidates, newshounds, spin doctors, hacks, flacks, Russerts, Blitzers and even the occasional voter. (to Moe) Sir, do have a preference?
  Moe: Yeah, I like girls, fruit loop.
  Kent Brockman: Oh. Are you a registered voter?
  Moe: I'm a registered… something.
  EDIT SHARE
- Marge: This election is on every channel.
  Homer: Come on, Marge. It's primary fever. Catch it!
  Marge: That's what you said about yellow fever, and that was no fun.
  EDIT SHARE
- (Homer spots a trash can while leaving Krusty Burger.)
  Homer: (Gasps) A drive-up trash can. This must be how the rich toss out their gold.
  EDIT SHARE
- Nelson: (to Washington Post reporter) Haw-haw! Your medium is dying!
  Principal Skinner: Nelson!
  Nelson: But it is.
  Principal Skinner: There's being right and there's being nice.
  EDIT SHARE
- (Homer tries to convince Springfield to rebuild the "Fast-Food District.")
  Homer: I don't know about you, but I don't want to live in a future where food is brought by "waiters..." where the chairs aren't attached to the tables... and where I can't ditch my kids in a pit of dirty balls.
  EDIT SHARE
- (An alarming amount of presidential hopefuls descend on the Simpson house when they see that the Simpsons haven't decided who to vote for yet.)
  Homer: If you haven't sprung from or aren't married to my loins, get the hell out of this house!
  (All the candidates leave, except for someone hiding behind a plant.)
  Homer: You too, Fred Thompson!
  Fred Thompson: But I was in Die Hard.
  Homer: (Scoffs) Die Hard Two!
  EDIT SHARE
NOTES (2)
ADD NOTES
- Blackboard Joke: Teacher did not pay too much for her condo.
  Couch Gag: A story is told through pictures on a medieval style scroll: The Flanders clan captures the Simpsons' couch and the Simpson clan crosses the open waters to do battle with the Flanders and take back their couch. The family rests triumphantly on their couch as Ned Flanders lays dismembered on the floor before them. This is an allusion to the Bayeux Tapestry, a 50 cm by 70 m embroidered cloth which explains the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England.
  EDIT SHARE
- This episode is slightly similar to Simpsons Comics #24, where a story occurs with politicians coming to Springfield and people starting to get sick of it.
  EDIT SHARE
ALLUSIONS (8)
ADD ALLUSIONS
- New Hampshire
  The Live Free or Diner is a mockery of the Red Arrow in Manchester NH where politicians and news shows find the average Joe. Also, the New Hampshire motto is Live Free or Die.
  EDIT SHARE
- Culver's
  One of the fast food mascots at City Hall, a giant ice cream cone, is reminiscent of Scoopie, the mascot for the Culver's restaurant chain in the United States.
  EDIT SHARE
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
  A restaurant on Fast Food Alley is called KFP and features a panda mascot in a bucket on its sign. This is a reference to KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken, which also has a bucket on its sign.
  EDIT SHARE
- The Colbert Report
  The 3-D render of a bald eagle flying to the voting booths is reminiscent of the opening sequence to Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, which also features a 3-D bald eagle.
  EDIT SHARE
- Arianna Huffington
  "Adriatica Viljohnson" is a take on Ariana Huffington, a mildly popular political analyst and commentator, noticeable by her slight Greek/British accent and the fact that her former husband was gay--a joke underscored in the scene at the "Democratic Convention."
  EDIT SHARE
- Red Lobster
  The Dead Lobster restaurant seen in the "Fast-Food District" of Springfield is a spoof of the real seafood restaurant chain, Red Lobster.
  EDIT SHARE
- Mayor McCheese
  The "Cheesy McMayor" mascot seen on stage at the Town Hall while Springfield decides what to do about the fast food district is a parody of one of McDonalds mascots, "Mayor McCheese".
  EDIT SHARE
- E Pluribus Unum
  The title of this episode is a parody of the Latin phrase "E Pluribus Unum" which appears on United States coins and currency.
  EDIT SHARE