WATCHING 'THE SIMPSONS' WITH MY FATHER, BOB
8 p.m. Sunday
(Opening credits appear and "Simpsons" theme plays. Bob enters living room and sits down.)
BOB: You know, I don't think I've ever seen this show.
(Show opens with Marge, upon the advice of a parenting magazine, deciding to take away Maggie's pacifier. All hell breaks loose.)
BOB: mild chuckle
(After a series of sight gags involving pacifiers, Maggie finds comfort in one of Santa's Little Helper's chew toys.)
BOB: laughs at the familiarity of this; he raised five children
(Although Maggie is happy again, the chew toy squeaks incessantly, keeping Homer awake. He goes downstairs to watch TV. He sees an ad for Nappien, a sleeping pill. The ad shows a man struggling to sleep. He tries to count sheep, which have labels such as "job stress" and "mortgage.")
BOB: What did that sheep say?
ME: It says "secret other family."
BOB: chuckles heartily
(In the commercial, a dove representing Nappien flies into the man's bedroom and lands on his nose, then "poops" a pill into his mouth. It is a classic "Simpsons" gag.)
BOB: laughs loudly
(Homer, of course, goes on Nappien, which turns him into a zombie. Bart takes advantage, and he and Milhouse go on a rampage with zombie Homer. It ends with them crashing the car into a firehouse, spilling the chili and bending the firepole.)
BOB: laughs several times during the montage
(The fire alarm rings and the firemen rush to the pole.)
BOB: laughs in anticipation of the sight gag to come
(The firemen slide down the bent pole, which shoots then into the spilled chili. They slide into the wall, and are confronted by the fire dogs, who are all amped up on chili)
BOB: laughs at the payoff
(Homer is scolded by one of the angry firemen, whom is then scolded by Homer for being so negative. Fade to commercial.)
BOB: (rising from his chair, still chuckling) That's about the dumbest thing I have ever seen. (returns to his room to watch "Nova.")