Grift of the Magi

Season 11, Episode 9, Aired
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Episode Summary

After an unexpected school closing due to lack of funds, a private company with a hidden agenda purchases Springfield Elementary and uses the unknowing students for market research on their big new Christmas toy.
8.4
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 (7)

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  • Great Christmas Special!!!!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By fenway98, Jul 25, 2010 Report Abuse
    Bart breaks his back, so he is confined to a wheelchair. But the school dosn't have any wheelchair ramps. So Fat Tony helps Skinner build one, but it soon breaks, because it is made of breadsticks and paint. The school is now broke, so they put on a play for Mr. Burns to give the school funding. The school soon re opens, because a toy company buys it. But Lisa finds out, the new "teachers" are just using the kids to create the newest hit toy: Funzo!!!!! But Funzo is designed to destroy other toys, so Bart, Lisa and Homer must steal every Funzo on Christmas Eve.

    This was a really funny episode. I loved all of Gary Coleman's scenes, and the part with Homer stealing all of the toys.

    Overall Grade:100%/A++++moreless

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  • If you don't have Funzo, you're nothing!

    7.0
    "Good"
    By futuramarama, Nov 14, 2009 Report Abuse
    Bart breaks his coccyx and needs a wheelchair. But the school has no wheelchair ramps or anything for students with that disability. So they build one with Fat Tony's Construction Crew. Unfortunately, it crumbles because it wasn't tight enough and made from bread crumbs. So now the school has no funding, and now Bart doesn't have a wheelchair.

    So the school is bought by a new corporation. Lisa finds the new teachers' behaviors suspicious and so she snoops, and finds that they are using the kids to make a new popular toy for Christmas.

    But Lisa discovers the toy is evil and is programmed to destroy other toys. So the Simpsons steal one out of every Christmas tree, burn them all, and then go home for dinner.

    It's only a Christmas episode the last half, and it was pretty low on humor {for the most part} but it had some good laughs and a good plotmoreless

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  • The children help create an evil toy named funzo.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By Hornets3, Aug 10, 2009 Report Abuse
    Well how do the writers make a good simpsons episode? Well they take a good plot, and sprinkle it with some hilarious jokes, and a dash of a good guest star like Gary Coleman and WALAH we have a great simpsons episode just like this one. I loved how the toy company tricked the kids into designing the toy, and the whole Fat Tony bit was just hilarious. Meanwhile, Gary Coleman was just an amazing guest star bottem line. He was just so funny, and I doubt that this episode could have been as successful without him. Good episode. B+moreless

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  • Another great Christams episode!!!

    9.1
    "Superb"
    By Iverson82094, Jan 30, 2008 Report Abuse
    Bart and Milhouse jump on the bed in drag and Bart breaks his coccyx and he has to begin using a wheelchair. The school is not equipped for a handicapped student, so Skinner makes a deal with Fat Tony. The mob will build ramps. Soon after the ramps are completed, they crumble. To add to the troubles, Fat Tony charges $200,000 for the job. Skinner opts to pay it, but he has to close the school. The neighborhood has a meeting to figure out how to give the kids an education. They try to get Mr. Burns to donate by performing a play. It doesn't work. Then a private company buys the school and reopens it. The new teachers encourage students to break books, and then they ask students about what kinds of toys they like. Lisa makes a shocking discovery about the new ownership; they are a top company and they using the children for research to design the hot new Christmas toy. Lisa and Bart go to investigate the company without success; the company's security guard is Gary Coleman. The kids do discover that the toy, Funzo, destroys other toys. They go to take all of the town's Funzos from people's homes. Homer helps them out and they go to burn them all. Homer, Lisa, and Gary Coleman get into an in depth philosophical discussion that lasts all night (but what sort of philosopher would celebrate Christmas anyway?). When Christmas comes, Homer invites Gary Coleman. It is a wonderful Christmas, thanks to the Simpson family.moreless

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  • Very average Christmas special

    5.0
    "Mediocre"
    By rayan36, Sep 27, 2006 Report Abuse
    The best gags scene in the 11th season and not so good as Christmas special as before (I choose THOT series better than Christmas). The sinister toy company wasn't that menacing but Fat Tony devious plan to rip of Principal Skinner is kind of creepy. Nelson's challenging toy; jack-in-the-box, Funzo destroying Krusty and Malibu Stacey had me tickling my ribs Gary Coleman wasn't doing much to help the show. The spoof of Mr. Burns as Scrooge and the Simpson's as the Cratcehts was good. Homer wasn't the star of the show as he was in previous episodes. The downside, as always the very awkward ending. Nothing much to say.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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  • Trivia

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    • The bags on Moe's feet supplanting shoes are white with colorful polka dots, indicating they are Wonder Bread bags. On Moe's right foot, half of the word "Wonder" can be seen, while "Bread" is seen on his left. Edit
    • In the television commercial, Funzo says, "Ha ha!" in a similar manner to Nelson. Edit
    • As Moe tries to kill himself he wears a sign that says "No funeral". Edit

  • Notes

    ADD NOTES
    • According to this episode, the Hibberts and Wiggums are neighbors. Edit
    • Clarence Clemons, the narrator, is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. His nickname is "The Big Man." He plays the saxophone. Edit
    • The sign on the broom closet at school says, "Danger: Broom Closet." Edit

  • Quotes

    ADD QUOTES
    • Ralph: Hello, I'm Dr. Stupid! I'm going to take out your liver bones. Oops, you're dead! Mr. Burns: I never liked that Dr. Stupid. Edit
    • (Lisa writes "I will not do math in class" on the blackboard as a punishment) Bart: Lisa in trouble? The ironing is delicious. Lisa: The word is irony! Bart: Huh? Edit
    • Lisa: Don't you think there's something weird going on here? We spent all day selecting fabric swatches, and then our guest speaker was Phil from Marketing. Bart: All's I know is I'm getting straight A's, and that ain't not bad. Edit

  • Allusions

    ADD ALLUSIONS
    • Diff'rent Strokes Gary Coleman says many times "What'chu talkin' 'bout...?"; his famous character catchphrase from Diff'rent Strokes. Edit
    • Funzo appears to be a spoof of Furby, an interactive toy which was a hot seller during the 1998 Holiday Season Edit
    • Moe: What, you don't like my bags?
      The scene were Moe is wearing a rope for a belt and bags for shoes is borrowed from Charlie Chaplin, specifically the scene where the lone prospector (Chaplin) in the 1925 film "The Gold Rush" is wearing only one shoe—having previously eaten the other one—and ties a rope that happens to be a leash attached to a dog around his waist as a belt. Edit

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