Mom and Pop Art
"Mom and Pop Art" is the nineteenth episode of the tenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons.
"Mom and Pop Art" was directed by Steven Dean Moore and was the first episode Al Jean wrote after his return to The Simpsons writing staff.
In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 8.5 million viewers, finishing in 23rd place in the ratings the week it aired.
Following the home video release of The Simpsons – The Complete Tenth Season, "Mom and Pop Art" received mixed reviews from critics.
On the way home, Homer loses control of the wagon containing the jumbled mess of concrete and bricks, which rolls down the highway and crashes into a woman's car, wrecking it.
Homer flees the scene of the accident, but the woman, artist Astrid Weller, tracks him down because she sees his handiwork as being a masterpiece of outsider art.
Homer later gets a notice from Astrid Weller that his work will be in the "Art in America" show, but his new masterpieces are rejected by Springfield's residents and his new "friends" for being repetitive of his first piece.
He and Bart flood Springfield by opening all the fire hydrants (having covered the sewer drains with the city's doormats, including their own) and putting snorkels in the animals of the zoo (so that they do not drown).
"Mom and Pop Art" was written by current showrunner Al Jean and directed by Steven Dean Moore.
The segment was about found artists, who, Jean said, "take basically garbage and assemble it[...] and turn it into artwork that would sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
[1] While the designs of Homer's new art friends were not based on anybody in particular, the "German guy" was drawn to hold his cigarette in a "European way" by animation director Jim Reardon.
When visiting the Springfield museum, Homer and Marge see a painting showing Akbar and Jeff, two characters from The Simpsons creator Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell.
At the museum, Marge shows Homer The Dogano, San Giorgio, Citella, from the Steps of the Europa by Joesph Turner.
After he is waken up by the lion, Homer is attacked by the Vitruvian Man, a drawing by Italian polymath Leonardo da Vinci.
The scene is a reference to the 1959 comedy horror film A Bucket of Blood, in which an artist is screaming at a piece of clay to be a nose.
[3] In its original American broadcast on April 11, 1999, "Mom and Pop Art" received an 8.5 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 8.5 million viewers.
Matt Groening, Mike Scully, Al Jean, George Meyer and Steven Dean Moore participated in the DVD's audio commentary of the episode.
Both James Plath of DVD Town and Jake MacNeill of Digital Entertainment News considered it to be one of the season's best episodes.
[12] Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide wrote, "Well, Marge is justifiably upset when, as an artist herself, it is Homer who is suddenly getting the kudos for producing rubbish.
