Thursday October 24, 1991
8F05
Bart and Lisa team up to try and reunite Krusty the Clown with his estranged Rabbi father.
Read Full Recap » (warning: possible spoilers!)Like Father Like Clown hide show
When Krusty is invited over to the Simpson house for dinner, he accepts, and the Simpson family learns he is Jewish. They also learn he doesn't get along well with his father, a famous rabbi, because he did not like the path Krusty chose for his career {he wanted him to be a rabbi}. So now Bart and Lisa try to reunite Krusty with his father. In the end they do and Krusty and his rabbi Father hug on Krusty's show.
A good episode, the description doesn't sound like my type of plot, but it worked well and had good emotion in the end
I can't think of a better way to break my review drought than with this very fine Simpsons episode hide show
It is an unspoken rule that originality is the key to a good episode of any TV show so you can't blame this critic for having low expectations prior to viewing an episode that promised to be a continuous reference to an old movie.
However relatively early on; every pre – conceived notion was thrown at the window as for the first time this season; The Simpsons presents an episode that is outstanding across the board.
Upon Krusty the Clown's visit to the Simpson home we all learn of his secret anguish of his estranged father, the stern Rabbi Krustofski (brilliantly voiced by Jackie Mason). Bart and Lisa attempt to to reunite the Rabbi with the increasingly depressed Clown but find that it is much harder than first thought.
Yes, the father and son theme has been done to death. Yes, the Bart and Lisa going on a mission theme has been done to death and yes, jokes where Jewish people are the target have been done to death but no, person having seen this episode will have let those minor points deter them from the undeniable quality.
I have not seen "The Jazz Singer", the film for which this movie is based and i'm doubtful that too many viewers of a cartoon show will be adept with relatively unknown movies from the 1930's so therefore its unoriginality is not a problem for the vast majority of viewers. The episode is split into two halves which are clearly defined as the news of Krusty's father is what seperates them. The first has a much lighter tone with more Simpson – esque jokes while the second has a much more semi – serious tone with the jokes becoming rather symptomatic with Jewish humour of not having punchlines as such but rather more subtle, knowing humor which can most probably be attributed to the monologues from Mason. The contrast is not only effective but is done with enough subtly so that the two halves are not vastly disproportionate in nature. This episode certainly looks different to previous and subsequent ones in that the colours are a little more dimmed with more cinematic lighting and facial expressions that are a lot more intricately drawn. These changes (which in case you didn't gather are entirely for the better) can be attributed to this episode having two directors one of which is the Oscar – winning animation director Brad Bird.
Not since the last time i have listened to a Jack Black song have i used the phrase "verbally chewing on the scenery" but with Dan Castellaneta's performance as Krusty it is very applicable. Dan is a terrific voice artist who captures the zaniness of Krusty while remaining very measured and never is there a hint of force behind his very exaggerated speech patterns and sobs. However, the real star of this episode is Jackie Mason as the Rabbi. Mason doesn't really need to extend his range since he is essentially playing a bearded version of himself but every word uttered by him is thoroughly entertaining and very, very convincing and for a real old school comedian to master this on his first try while many other s who appear better suited have tried and failed is really what makes his role so memorable. Like father, like clown is a refreshing episode that was one of the most notable examples of The Simpsons transcending from just another animated show to THE animated show. Check it out now.
Krusty and his problems strike once again... hide show
I never really liked clowns after all. I thought this episode could've been done without with, and that it was a little dull and boring, but still touching and had its comedic moments. So basically it is discovered that Krusty is a Jew and his father is a Rabbi, but Krusty had always wanted to be a comedian. So he was shunned by his father for like 25 years I think. Then with the help of Lisa and Bart they are re-united. I particulary enjoyed the parts Lisa had in this episode, her line something like "A man who envies this family is a man who needs help", and how she came up with all the arguments against Krusty's father. So overall it was a good episode.
A very touching father and son episode hide show
During a tear-filled dinner at the Simpsons' house, Krusty the Clown reveals that he is the estranged son of an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi. It seems that Krusty's father, Rabbi Krustofski, never accepted his son's profession, and disowned him years ago. Bart and Lisa decide to reunite the two men, but find that getting the Rabbi to agree to a meeting is nearly impossible. After endless research by Lisa, and repeated negotiations by Bart, the Rabbi agrees to meet with his clown son, and the two men are reunited and appear together on The Krusty the Clown Show. Guest star: Jackie Mason as Rabbi Krustofski
A Krusty episode, indeed! hide show
Krusty is forced over the Simpson's house by Ms. Pennycandy. While there, the family finds out he's Jewish, and he goes through a whole story of how he became a clown, what his father thought, and what happened to him. Soon after, Bart and Lisa go on a mission to find his dad. Around the end of the episode, Bart and Lisa find him, but he doesn't care about Krusty. Soon, though, Krusty re-unites with his dad on the Krusty the Klown Show.
"Like Father, Like Clown", to me, may be the worst episode of season 3. It just isn't entertaining. It told us about Krusty's past, but I didn't find it anything but mildy interesting. Do yourself a favor and watch this episode, but I don't know if you'll want to more than once.
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