"Large Marge" is the fourth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
''. It originally aired on the
Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company, LLC (commonly known as Fox; stylized in all caps) is an American commercial broadcast television network serving as the flagship property of Fox Corporation and operated through Fox Entertainment. Fox is based at Fo ...
in the United States on November 24, 2002. In the episode,
Marge
Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include:
People
* Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist
* Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
decides to get
liposuction
Liposuction, or simply lipo, is a type of fat-removal procedure used in plastic surgery. Evidence does not support an effect on weight beyond a couple of months and does not appear to affect obesity-related problems. In the United States, lip ...
, thinking that
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
does not find her attractive anymore. However, she accidentally receives
breast implants
A breast implant is a prosthesis used to change the size, shape, and contour of a person's breast. In reconstructive plastic surgery, breast implants can be placed to restore a natural looking breast following a mastectomy, to correct congenital ...
, so she becomes adored by many men in Springfield and becomes a model. Meanwhile,
Bart
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...
and Milhouse try to imitate a stunt they saw on an episode of ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' that guest starred
Krusty the Clown
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ), better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the List of animated television series, animated television series ''The S ...
. When the stunt ends badly, media watchdog groups blame Krusty, forcing the clown to make his show more safety-conscious and less fun.
This is the final episode to feature
Jan Hooks
Janet Vivian Hooks (April 23, 1957 – October 9, 2014) was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', where she was a repertory player from 1986 to 1991. After le ...
as
Manjula Nahasapeemapetilon
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
before her death in October 2014.
Plot
Lisa
Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA"
* Lisa, stagename of Japanese singer Lisa Komine (born 1978)
* Lisa (South Korean singer) (born 1980)
* Lisa (Japanese musician, b ...
and
Homer
Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
participate in a
Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) Christian nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. The international ...
project along with former presidents
Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
,
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...
, and
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushBefore the outcome of the 2000 United States presidential election, he was usually referred to simply as "George Bush" but became more commonly known as "George H. W. Bush", "Bush Senior," "Bush 41," and even "Bush th ...
. While working, Homer takes off his wedding ring for safekeeping, causing
Lindsay Naegle
The American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' contains a wide range of minor and supporting characters like co-workers, teachers, students, family friends, extended relatives, townspeople, local celebrities, and even animals. The write ...
and Cookie Kwan to mistakenly think Homer is a divorcé.
Marge
Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include:
People
* Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist
* Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
, driving by with
Maggie
Maggie or Maggy is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret, or Marigold.
People Maggie
* Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician
* Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist
* Maggie Alderson (born 1959), ...
, assumes Homer to be flirting with the women, and worries that Homer has lost interest in her. She decides to get liposuction on the advice of
Manjula
Manjula (Sanskrit: मंजुला) is a Hindu and Sanskrit female given name, which means, "melodious".
Notable people named Manjula
* Manjula (Kannada actress) (1954–1986), Indian actress
* Manjula Chellur (born 1955), Indian doctor an ...
, but a mix-up at the hospital instead causes her to get breast implants meant for
Mayor Quimby
Mayor Joseph Fitzgerald O'Malley Fitzpatrick O'Donnell "the Edge"/"Joe" Quimby, nicknamed "Diamond Joe", is a recurring character from the animated sitcom television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared ...
's assistant. Marge is forced to wait 48 hours before the implants can be removed.
Meanwhile,
Bart
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' guest starring
Krusty
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ), better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Caste ...
, and attempt to recreate a stunt, damaging school property and the U.S. flag in the process. Upon discovering the two were influenced by Krusty,
Principal Skinner
Principal Seymour Skinner is a recurring fictional character in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', who is voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the principal of Springfield Elementary School, which he struggles to control, and is constantly enga ...
leads a protest against the clown, who is now seen as a dangerous influence on children. Krusty's show is re-tooled to exclude anything considered dangerous and likely to be imitated by impressionable viewers.
After returning home from her surgery, Marge realizes that her new breasts are giving her difficulty in doing even the simplest tasks, but that she is given gifts and attention by the men of Springfield. When the family goes out for dinner, Kiki Highsmith, a trade show executive, approaches Marge and offers her a modeling job. Marge accepts and initially enjoys the experience, but is quickly plagued by back pain and harassment from the men of Springfield.
At the Springfield Shoe Expo, Marge is further humiliated while promoting shoe horns. At the same time, Bart decides to help Krusty to win back his popularity by having him appear to rescue Milhouse from
Stampy
Joseph Mark Garrett (born 13 December 1990), better known as Stampylonghead, Stampylongnose, Stampy Cat, or simply Stampy, is an English YouTuber, actor, and author best known for his ''Minecraft'' video game commentaries as the character of S ...
by shouting Stampy's safe word: "magumbo". When Krusty forgets the word, Stampy stuffs both Milhouse and Bart in his mouth, as well as Homer when he tries to save them. The police prepare to shoot Stampy, endangering Homer, Bart and Milhouse, but Marge manages to distract the police by flashing her breasts. Krusty, ogling her breasts, shouts "Look at those magumbos!" Stampy releases Bart, Milhouse, and Homer, and Krusty is hailed as a hero and his popularity is restored with the town. Following the day's events, Marge finally has her implants removed.
Production
"Large Marge" was written by
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Ian Maxtone-Graham is an American television writer and producer. He has formerly written for ''Saturday Night Live'' (1992–1995) and ''The Simpsons'' (1995–2012), as well as serving as a co-executive producer and consulting producer for the ...
and directed by
Jim Reardon
Jim Reardon is an American animation director and screenwriter. He is best known for his work on the animated TV series ''The Simpsons''. He has directed over 30 episodes of the series and was credited as a supervising director for seasons 9 t ...
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' (2002–03). In an
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City.
Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
news report about the episode, it was cited as satirizing "plastic surgery and images of beauty in popular culture." Actors
Adam West
William West Anderson (September 19, 1928 – June 9, 2017), known professionally as Adam West, was an American actor. He portrayed Batman in the 1960s ABC series of the same name and its 1966 theatrical feature film, reprising the role in ...
and
Burt Ward
Burt Ward (born Bert John Gervis Jr. ; July 6, 1945) is an American actor, animal welfare activist and businessman. He played Dick Grayson's Robin, the sidekick of Batman (played by Adam West), in the television series ''Batman'' (1966–1968) ...
, who starred in the television series ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
'' as Batman and Robin, respectively, guest starred in "Large Marge" as those characters.
Junkanoo
Junkanoo (also Jonkonnu) is a festival that originated during the period of African chattel slavery in British American colonies. It is practiced most notably in The Bahamas, Jamaica and Belize, and historically in North Carolina and Miami, w ...
band
Baha Men
Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out".
History
Early years
Baha Men formed in 1977 as High Voltage, initially play ...
, known for their single "
Who Let the Dogs Out?
"Who Let the Dogs Out" (originally titled "Doggie") is a song written by the Trinidadian musician Anslem Douglas and then recorded by the Bahamian Junkanoo band Baha Men. Originally released by Douglas as "Doggie" in 1998, it was covered by ...
", recorded two parodies of that song for this episode: "Who Left the Milk Out?", which Marge and Maggie listen to on
Radio Disney
Radio Disney was an American radio network operated by the Disney Radio Networks unit of Disney Branded Television within Disney General Entertainment Content, headquartered in Burbank, California.
The network broadcast music programming ...
, and "Who Let Her Jugs Out?", which plays over the closing credits.
Release
The episode originally aired on the
Fox network
Fox Broadcasting Company, LLC (commonly known as Fox; stylized in all caps) is an American commercial broadcast television network serving as the flagship property of Fox Corporation and operated through Fox Entertainment. Fox is based at Fo ...
in the United States on November 24, 2002. On February 7, 2006, "Large Marge" was released in the United States on a DVD collection titled ''The Simpsons Kiss and Tell: The Story of Their Love'', along with the season nine episode "
Natural Born Kissers
"Natural Born Kissers" is the twenty-fifth and final episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 17, 1998. Homer and Marge discover that the fear ...
", the season fourteen episode "
Three Gays of the Condo
"Three Gays of the Condo" is the seventeenth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 2003. The episode was written by ...
", and the season fifteen episode " The Way We Weren't". All four episodes revolve around the romance between Homer and Marge.
On December 6, 2011, "Large Marge" was released on Blu-ray and DVD as part of the box set ''The Simpsons – The Complete Fourteenth Season''. Staff members
Al Jean
Alfred Ernest Jean III (born January 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter and producer. Jean is well known for his work on ''The Simpsons''. He was raised near Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his wri ...
,
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Ian Maxtone-Graham is an American television writer and producer. He has formerly written for ''Saturday Night Live'' (1992–1995) and ''The Simpsons'' (1995–2012), as well as serving as a co-executive producer and consulting producer for the ...
,
Matt Selman
Matt Selman (born ) is an American writer and producer.
Early life
Selman is a native of Watertown, Massachusetts. He graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 1989 and the University of Pennsylvania in 1993.
Career
After considering a car ...
,
Tom Gammill
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name.
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Tom'' (1973 film), or ''The Bad Bunch'', a blaxploitation film
* ''Tom'' (2002 film) ...
,
Matt Warburton
Matthew Warburton (born February 7, 1978) is an American television writer.
Early life
Warburton grew up in northern Ohio and attended Strongsville High School. He has a degree in cognitive neuroscience from Harvard University.
Career
Warbu ...
Nancy Cartwright
Nancy Jean Cartwright (born October 25, 1957) is an American actress, best known as the long-time voice of Bart Simpson on ''The Simpsons'', for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and an Annie Award f ...
, participated in the DVD
audio commentary
An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included in the box set.
Reception
Reviews from television critics about this episode have been mixed since the release of the ''Kiss and Tell'' DVD.
IGN
''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
's Jeff Otto commented that while he thought "Natural Born Kissers" was the only "great" episode in the compilation, "All four episodes are good ''Simpsons'' episodes." He added: "I can't figure why, if Fox was going to put together a set of this theme, they couldn't have included some of the more classic episodes about Marge and Homer's romance. Still, even the lesser Simpsons episodes are entertaining, so you could certainly do worse."
A writer for HorrorNews.net called it one of the highlights of the season, and Aaron Peck of High-Def Digest described it as "memorable". In his review of the ''Kiss and Tell'' DVD, Andy Dougan of the ''
high concept
High concept is a type of artistic work that can be easily pitched with a succinctly stated premise. It can be contrasted with low concept, which is more concerned with character development and other subtleties that are not as easily summariz ...
', it actually works pretty well. It uses the silliness attached to Marge's chest to good comic effect, and the secondary plot with Bart and Krusty ties into things in a fun manner. It presents a lot of funny bits and turns into a strong episode. It's also hard to knock a show that reunites the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward."
While reviewing the fourteenth season of ''The Simpsons'', Victor Valdivia of
DVD Verdict
DVD Verdict was a judicial-themed website for DVD reviews. The site was founded in 1999. The editor-in-chief was Michael Stailey, who owned the website between 2004 and 2016, and the site employed a large editorial staff of critics, whose revie ...
wrote: "To be sure, there are some real clinkers this season. Both 'Large Marge' and 'Strong Arm of the Ma' prove that writing good episodes about Marge seem to be out of the question by this point. ..By normal TV standards these are not unwatchable, but by ''Simpsons'' standards, these are the episodes you probably won't watch over and over again."