Simpsons Fanboy Blogpost Go!

It's a show that I literally grew up with and still grow up with to this day. I have been and still am a huge fan of the Simpsons. I consider the show to be one of my strongest comedic influences alongside any stand-up comic that I can name. It's one of the longest running shows on network TV and was just renewed for a 19th season. However, this upcoming Friday another notch on the ever expanding belt of the Simpsons will be made when the Simpsons movie, cleverly titled The Simpsons Movie, premieres in theaters.

In honor of the movie, I've been giving myself an ongoing Simpsons Marathon featuring my DVDs of the series whenever I'm at home. In fact, disc three of season 8 is playing on my DVD player as I am writing this blog. I also wish to share with you my personal top ten favorite Simpsons episodes along with my top ten favorite Simpsons characters.

Top Ten Favorite Episodes

10. "Dead Putting Society"- Season 2, Episode 6- This episode features Bart playing in a mini-golf tournament against Todd Flanders with Homer making a bet with Ned Flanders. This episode had plenty of humor, especially Homer's hatred of Ned's good-natured good fortune. I also enjoyed the Karate Kid-esque training.

9. "Homer the Heretic"- Season 4, Episode 3- Homer stays home instead of going to church and proceeds to make his own religion around it. I really like this episode because while its entertaining and funny, it also explains the importance of the role of faith in society and life.

8. "The Principal and the Pauper"- Season 9, Episode 2- It is revealed that Principal Skinner isn't really Principal Skinner at all, but apparently a reformed street punk named Armin Tamzarian. This episode is over the top and greatly displays humanity's fears of change or alteration of the familiar. Never underestimate the power of mass denial.

7- "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)"- Season 11, Episode 5- While this episode isn't thought-provoking, it's fun. Homer is able to create a hybrid of tomatoes and tobacco known as tomacco. The highly addictive veggie leads to hilarious results.

6- "Maximum Homerdrive"- Season 10, Episode 17- After losing a steak-eating contest to a trucker that dies immediately after winning, Homer vows to take the trucker's rig and make his delivery along with Bart. Meanwhile, Marge and Lisa are tormented by a novelty doorbell that plays the Carpenters' "(They Long to Be) Close to You." This show was funny especially when Homer confuses the trucker with steak eating actor Tony Randall.

5- "The Last Temptation of Homer"- Season 5, Episode 9- After some struggle in his marriage, Homer meets a female coworker that relates to Homer in almost every way. Homer constantly struggles with his fidelity when the two are chosen to represent the nuclear plant at a convention. I like this episode because it shows what most affairs are: a bad action done between two usually good people. It also shows Homer loves Marge purely and truly, despite of and because of the differences between them.

4- "Raging Abe Simpson and his Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish'"- Season 7, Episode 22- In this episode, Grandpa Simpson and Bart go on a quest to search for buried artwork that Grandpa and his WWII unit, The Flying Hellfish, stole from the Nazis. Meanwhile, Mr. Burns, also a Hellfish, tries to thwart them and take the paintings for himself. This episode is funny and shows a side of Grandpa that had previously never been shown before.

3- "22 Short Films About Springfield"- Season 7, Episode 21- This episode is good because it features nearly every single character from the Simpsons in one way or another inserting them in a bunch of different comedic shorts.

2- "Marge vs. the Monorail"-Season 4, Episode 12- This is frequently featured on my many top ten lists and rightfully so. It was written by a guy that's going to replace Jay Leno in 2009 by the name of Conan O'Brien. O'Brien's dada-esque, idiot-humor show through in this episode, in which Springfield is conned into building a monorail with disasterous results. There is also a great deadpan performance by Star Trek's Leonard Nimoy.

1- "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment"- Season 8, Episode 18- My favorite episode is the one most people refer to as the "Beer Baron Episode." Springfield enforces a long disregarded prohibition law after Bart accidentally gets drunk during a St. Patrick's Day parade. Homer becomes a bootlegger to much joy of Springfield's inebriated, but is constantly on the run from newly appointed chief of police, Rex Banner. This episode is funny and makes several references to the show and film "The Untouchables" with Dave Thomas's brilliant performance of the Elliot Ness wannabe.

Top Ten Favorite Simpsons Characters

10- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon- This character turned from a stereotype into the most rounded character that isn't a Simpson family member. The character has been under fire in the past because of the jokes about his ethnicity and religion, however in later episodes Apu's culture and Hindu faith have been frequently featured in an educational and favorable light. To my knowledge, there is no other recurring Middle Eastern character in an American series that isn't a terrorist.

9- Hans Moleman- Moleman amuses me due to his elderly nature and always being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't know how many times his life was endangered and no one caring to help him.

8- Troy McClure- You might have recognized him from such events as "Man vs. Nature: The Road to Victory," "Andre the Giant: We Hardly Knew Ye," and "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House." Troy McClure seems to steal every scene he is featured in thanks to the great comedic performance of the late Phil Hartman.

7- Barney Gumble- Simpsons took what was originally the typical town drunk and made him more three dimensional with having a backstory behind his drinking and even having him become sober with various relapses.

6- Disco Stu- Yeah, he's one dimensional, but he has made me laugh every time I've seen him.

5- Groundskeeper Willie- The surly Scotsman makes me laugh with his angry voice and various nonsensical insults.

4- Seymour Skinner- I love the fact that the writers gave this character a vast history that explains a good chunk of his behaviors and his personality. Let's look at his traits: He's bitter and tortured about his tour during the Vietnam War, he's a mama's boy, he is straight-laced, he's awkward around women (just ask Mrs. Krabappel), and he's Bart's best nemesis. In any other show, they would have just made five separate characters based on those traits instead of fleshing out one great one.

3- Comic Book Guy- I'm a comic nerd and for the life of me this character is the true to life. Every comic store, EVERY COMIC STORE, has someone that looks and sounds just like Comic Book Guy right down to the elitist sarcasm. The best part about it is that the comic book guys of the real world are totally oblivious to the fact that they are just like Comic Book Guy.

2.- Ralph Wiggum- There is never a scene in which Ralph doesn't make me laugh. There doesn't need to be any other reason.

1- Charles Montgomery Burns- The evil billionaire is hilarious in his megolomaniac schemes and his old-timey, out-of-touch references. You hate him and yet there are many moments that you root for him. It's good to be Monty Burns.

That's all I got for tonight. I'll keep watching the show and I'll see you at the theater.

More Dream Stuff

Continuation from previous blog.

The Erik Barnes Memorial Library

The Bible
Book of the Five Rings
The Art of War
The Hagakure
All books/graphic novels written by the following authors:
Dr. Seuss
Chuck Pahluniak
Brian Michael Bendis
Brian K. Vaughn
Alan Moore
Neil Gaiman
J.R.R. Tolkien
C.S. Lewis
Edgar Allan Poe
Thomas Merton
Diedrich Bonhoffer
Warren Ellis
Garth Ennis
Brad Meltzer
Donald Miller
Marcus Borg
Robert Kirkman
Frank Miller
Mark Millar
Grant Morrison
Frank McCourt
Anne Rice
Shel Silvestein
Mick Foley
Ed Brubaker
Jon Stewart

Time Traveling Adventures of Wilkinson Malloy! (Barnes' Dream Sitcom)

directed by Erik Barnes
written by the writing team of Conan O'Brien, Larry David, Tina Fey, Erik Barnes, Lewis Black, Dave Chappelle, and Patton Oswalt
starring
Bruce Campbell as Wilkinson Malloy (the garbageman who stumbles upon a time machine)
Jenna Fischer as Mary Till (Malloy's niece and confidant)
Jason Lee as Frankie Roberts (Mary's boyfriend and annoys Malloy)
Dave Chappelle as Roger McDougal (Malloy's best friend and coworker, struggling comedian)
Creed Bratton as Dr. Hugh Von Brinderbranden (the inventor of the time machine)
and Wilford Brimley as Teddy Roosevelt (26th President of the United States and consistently assists Malloy in his adventures in time travel)

The Justice Alliance
(Barnes' Dream Superhero Team. To set a limit no more than 12 members)

Batman
Psylocke
Martian Manhunter
Green Arrow
Jack Hawksmoor
Black Adam
Beast
Hellboy
Kitty Pryde
Witchblade
Green Lantern
Daredevil

My Dream (Insert Here)

Nothing new. Just putzing, working, selling stuff, and getting prepared for the move. But I thought I'd sit back and think what my dream events would be:

Barnesamania (Dream Wrestling Pay-Per-View featuring wrestlers in their prime)

Samoa Joe vs. Chris Jericho (2 out of 3 falls)
Kurt Angle vs. Kenta Kobashi (60 minute Iron Man Match)
AJ Styles vs. Eddie Guerrero
Christopher Daniels vs. Bret Hart
Brian Danielson vs. Owen Hart
Team 3D vs. The Road Warriors
Booker T vs. Colt Cabana
The Undertaker vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Ultimo Dragon vs. Petey Williams vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Shark Boy
CM Punk vs. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
The Hardys vs. Brian Kendrick and Paul London
William Regal vs. Senshi (Submission only)


Barnesapalooza (Dream Music Festival)

Lordi
Social Distortion
Clutch
Rage Against the Machine
System of a Down
Incubus
Rollins Band
Led Zepplin
Matisyahu
Pink Floyd


Barnesayuk-yuks (Dream Stand-up Comedy Show)

Me (Hey, it's my dream show, I should be able to open the festivities)
Mitch Hedberg
Dave Chappelle
Patton Oswalt
Christopher Titus
Eugene Mirman
The Kids in the Hall
Brian Posehn
Bill Cosby
Jerry Seinfeld
Lewis Black


The Barnes Network (My own television network with shows that are currently on air/in syndication)


The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
The Shield
Rescue Me
Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
WWE RAW
WWE Friday Night Smackdown!
ECW
Dead Like Me
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
The Office
The Simpsons
Family Guy
Seinfeld
24
Futurama
The Daily Show
The Colbert Report
TNA Impact!
South Park
Robot Chicken
The Venture Brothers
The Boondocks
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Metalocalypse
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Mythbusters
Man vs. Wild
Naruto


Barnes Best Movie Ever (The Title)

directed by the Coen Brothers
written by Erik Barnes
starring
Tom Hanks
Jack Nicholson
Julia Stiles
Chuck Norris
Christopher Walken
Wilford Brimly
Keira Knightly
Morgan Freeman
Nathan Fillion
Jason Statham
Alan Rickman
Natalie Portman
Ed Asner
Jackie Chan
Sean Connery
Will Ferrell
Christian Bale
Patrick Stewart
Reese Witherspoon
Michael Caine
Amy Smart
Dennis Haysbert
Ving Rhames
Walter Matthau
and Samuel L. Jackson as Wilson "Shoot the Bastard!" Tibbons

Feast of the Barnes (My Dream Meal)

Appetizer: A mix of sweet BBQ, terryaki, and peanut sauce covered chicken wings with a small plate of chili cheese fries with a glass of IBC Cream Soda

Main Entree: Lightly seasoned and marinated 16 oz steak with a fat lobster tail
Sides: A small bowl of pasta with scallops and shrimp with marinara and parmesan cheese.
A small plate of steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, green beans, etc.)
A personal pan pizza with grilled chicken, bacon, green pepper, and red pepper toppings.
Beverage: 2 liters of Mount Caramel Ale

Dessert: A wedge of triple chocolate cake with a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream with a chocolate chip cookie inserted into the ice cream.

After Dinner: A glass of blackberry wine, three fingers of Makers Mark, a stein of Ragnar's Reserve mead, and a Romeo Y Julieta cigar.

Just thought I'd share. A real entry sometime soon or after the move.