Homer vs. Dignity

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The Simpsons episode
"Homer vs. Dignity"
Image:Cabf04.jpg
Episode no.	253
Prod. code	CABF04
Orig. airdate	November 26, 2000
Show runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Rob LaZebnik
Directed by	Neil Affleck
Chalkboard	"I will not surprise the incontinent"
Couch gag	There’s a ramp leading to the couch. Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie successfully do skateboard tricks off the ramp and onto the couch. Homer, however, falls off the ramp and, adding injury to insult, gets hit on the head with his own skateboard.
Guest star(s)	Leeza Gibbons as herself
Season 12 November 1 2000 – May 20 2001
Treehouse of Horror XI A Tale of Two Springfields Insane Clown Poppy Lisa the Tree Hugger Homer vs. Dignity The Computer Wore Menace Shoes The Great Money Caper Skinner's Sense of Snow HOMR Pokey Mom Worst Episode Ever Tennis the Menace Day of the Jackanapes New Kids on the Blecch Hungry, Hungry Homer Bye Bye Nerdie Simpson Safari Trilogy of Error I'm Goin' to Praiseland Children of a Lesser Clod Simpsons Tall Tales
List of all The Simpsons episodes
Seasons
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"Homer vs. Dignity" is the fifth episode of the twelfth season of The Simpsons. It aired on November 26, 2000.

1 Plot
2 Cultural references
3 Reception
4 External links

[edit] Plot

For doing an astronomy quiz, Bart gets his first "A", and goes to the Singing Sirloin restaurant (as seen in "Life on the Fast Lane") for a dinner, but Homer's credit card is rejected. Eventually, he and Marge realize that the family is in financial trouble, so they see Lindsay Naegle, who suggests that Homer ask Mr. Burns for a raise. Homer is promoted to the spot of Executive Assistant in Charge of Hi-jinks, which is, in Burns's words, the "prank monkey" job. Burns pays Homer cash every time Homer entertains Burns, like throwing pudding at Lenny, eating a rare Spider-Man comic in front of Comic Book Guy, and making "boom-boom" in a diaper and asking strangers to change him.

It reaches the extreme point when Homer is asked to don a panda suit and be friends with a real panda at the Springfield Zoo. However the panda becomes romantically interested with Homer. After all these rough times, Homer, who learns from Lisa that dignity is more important than money, quits his job. In response, Homer becomes an actor portraying Santa, and participates in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. Suddenly, Mr. Burns shows up to tell Homer that he can get $1,000,000 if he pulls another prank. Homer refuses, and Mr. Burns does the prank on his own by pouring fish guts onto the parade spectators.

[edit] Cultural references

The plot of this episode is similar to The Magic Christian.
The scene where the citizens are attacked by seagulls spoofs the 1963 film The Birds.
The parade features a Funky Winkerbean float and another with the Noid.

[edit] Reception

This episode had mixed reception from fans, some of whom were sharply hostile. This criticism stemmed from the scene where Homer was introduced in a costume as a female panda and possibly sexually assaulted by the male, although nothing is depicted that suggests Homer, as opposed to the panda suit, was interfered with. On nohomers.net, this led to some deeming the episode to be the show's nadir and have put this episode on its "Worst Episodes" list (along with season 11's Kill the Alligator and Run). Conversely, reviews on The Simpsons Archive gave it a C average, with no specific condemnation of that scene, but did criticize the episode for having a weak story that focused on Homer.