Talking Simpsons - She of Little Faith With Lindsay Katai

Homer’s doing a version of “Whip It” by art-rockers Devo when he’s flossing his teeth. Same tune they referenced in The Simpsons Spinoff Showcase with Smithers (Liquorice Whip).

The Right Stuff is pretty damn good, more raunchy and cynical than you might expect, emphasizing the dangers of being a test pilot in the early US space program. Three hours but it flies by and its got a terrific cast (Ed Harris, the recently departed Fred Ward, Sam Shepard, Veronica Cartwright). The oft imitated shot of the astronauts walking to the launch pad isn’t even in slow motion. I think because of Futurama and Monsters Inc., everybody thinks it is. Both Independence Day and Armageddon lift entire scenes from it. October Sky is fine. Its mostly an inspirational story with a good cast, but it doesn’t pretend being working class in the 50s was idyllic. Also yay, Lindsay Katai! Infinity Train is absolutely worth watching.

Robert Denby

I don't think it's a "popular" tapping out episode but for better or worse, this is where I stopped my most recent watch through of the series. In the past (i.e. during the show's original run) I remember it being episodes like the Tony Hawk one and some of the musical episodes in about season 17 that made me truly realise I didn't enjoy the show anymore, but now in my late 30s this extreme show of intolerance and disrespect towards Lisa's personal choices, from Marge no less, made me REALLY dislike the characters. Homer being a jerkass is usually at least played for laughs, but there's something even more cruel and sad about the mother of an 8 year old girl acting the way she does in this episode. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive but it totally rubbed me up the wrong way.

Catatonic Jon

The Buddhist temple scenes would have been much funnier with just Lenny and Carl there as Lisa's spiritual guides. (Also, a thought: Lenny being a Buddhist would help explain why Ned doesn't recognize him during Hurricane Neddy)

Diamond Feit

they didn't do much with Lisa's Buddhism beyond making her power in The Simpsons Game the weird 'hand of Buddha' ability

Blake R.

It really, really is. There are so many good lines in this episode, but even if it were just “butter your bacon,” etc. and “APT!” I’d still be impressed.

Kat Heagberg

The "butter your bacon! Now bacon your sausage!" is the highlight of season 13, for me. It's such a good escalation of the "good morning burger" style joke.

Bradford A Barker

This is easily the show's most forgettable Christmas episode. All of the main characters feel like they're playing the hits: Homer destructive and dumb, Marge being constantly worried about something, Lisa portrayed as a Simpsons outsider, and Bart...well, we love Bart. There's just too much retread and a celebrity that adds nothing. Definitely a limp way for the second Al Jean era to begin.

Joe Hodgson

Geres "good luck" at lennys meatball sandwich dream was low-key amazing

mavrick

Rumor has it, it was Stallone who started the gerbil rumors.

Frank Grimes

My wife and I recently did a double feature of October Sky and Matewan as they paired super well as they’re both movies that are set in West Virginia coal country and star Chris Cooper. Both are good but Matewan has infinitely better politics and had Chris Cooper as a union organizer as opposed to him being in an anti union role in October Sky.

Tyler M.

The older I get, the more I enjoy Patty and Selma. The simple “adorable” response to “pouting Thomas” on the Jumbotron and the general way they low-key dote on Bart and Lisa is reminiscent of every aunt and great aunt I ever knew. This episode also originally aired at the perfect time for me, as a young teen who was very over church. My parents told me I had to go to CCD classes (the Catholic thing for public school kids) and Sunday church until confirmation, and then I was home free and could do what I wanted. That didn’t make sense to me, because confirmation is supposed to be when you decide and “confirm” that you do want to be Catholic, which I did not. Like I literally could stop being Catholic only after I publicly declared I was Catholic. It made no sense. So when I watched this with my parents, and the “So you’re just going to pay lip service to our church?”/“Thats all I ever ask” parts came up, my sister and I both looked at our mom and were like “that’s just like you, mom!” She didn’t like that, but also she couldn’t argue. In spite of their Catholicism, though my family also has a deep reverence for both Buddhism and Richard Gere, and this was definitely became a holiday classic in our house. I think my parents actually take comfort in the reminder that occasional lip-service giving non-believing kids are the norm.

Kat Heagberg