The Twisted World of Marge Simpson

P-code: 4F08
Episode Index: 08×11
Writers: Jennifer Crittenden
Directors: Chuck Sheets
Airdate: 19th January, 1997
Guest stars: Jack Lemmon as the pretzel vendor

Average Fan Rating: 3.9 (108 ratings, 2 reviews)

Plot Guide

  After being voted out of the "Springfield Investorettes", Marge looks for a small business and becomes interested in a pretzel company. She sets up shop, but when the franchise begins to fail, Homer looks to the mafia for help.
  Fat Tony and his pals get rid of the competition and the pretzel business is booming. After their work was done, however, the mafia comes looking for their share of the profits - all of it. Marge doesn't want to give up her earnings.
  When it's time to pay up, Marge's former business partners (Luann, Agnes, Maude, Helen Lovejoy) bring there own mafia group to battle Marge's men. The two groups begin to fight, and everything works itself out.

Memorable Quotes

Mrs. Krabappel: How about Oklasoft? It's Oklahoma's fastest-growing software company.
Maude: Um, cushions? Everybody likes to sit on cushions.
Agnes: Children are so fat today. Isn't there some way we could make money off that?

Marge: I'm not wild about these high-risk adventures. They sound a little risky.

Marge: ...and then they gave me back my $500 investment and kicked me out of the club.
Homer: Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Back up a bit now. When are the pancakes coming in the mail?

Homer: What do you need to make money for, anyway? As long as I have my earning power, this family's got nothing to worry about. (he stabs himself in the eye with a hot dog) Ow! Call work and tell 'em I won't be in tomorrow!

Marge: When can I start? Where's my territory?
Frank: Your... territory... Well, lemme tell ya. Wherever a young mother is ignorant of what to feed her baby, you'll be there. Wherever nacho penetration is less than total, you'll be there. Wherever a Bavarian is not quite full, you will be there.
Marge: Don't forget fat people. They can't stop eating!
Homer: (walking past) Hey, pretzels!

Marge: Look at them! They've jumped on te one franchise I might possibly have considered thinking about becoming interested in.

Helen Lovejoy: I don't understand why they won't unload our falafel fixings!
Lou: Ship's impounded, Ma'am.
Wiggum: Yeah, we, uh, found a couple of barnacles on the hull. That and, uh, the deck was, uh, wet.
Helen Lovejoy: That's crazy! And what are those men doing under my van?
Wiggum: Look lady, if I was you, I would just leap into the air as I'm preparing to do. (the van explodes)

Lenny: (hesitating) Uh, let's see. I'll have... one, uh...
Carl: Hey, hurry up. I wanna get my pretzel!
Lenny: One pretzel.
Marge: Thank you.
Carl: Uh, let's see, um... I will have one of your, uh...

Homer: Hey, Fat Tony! You still with the mafia?
Fat Tony: Uh... Uh, yes, I am. Thank you for asking. Now, Homer, as you no doubt recall, you were done a favor by our, uh, how shall I say - Mafia Crime Syndicate.
Homer: Oh yeah.
Fat Tony: Now the time has come for you to do us a favor.
Homer: You mean the mob only did me a favor to get something in return? Oh, Fat Tony! I will say good day to you, sir!

Fat Tony: (trying to take Marge's keys) Is, uh, there a button or a release for these keys?
Marge: Oh, you have to push in as you turn.

Did You Spot...

• Homer measures the pretzels with a micrometer.
• The Municipal House of Pancakes has four kinds of syrup on each table.
• The Springfield Investorettes invest in a wrestler, ''El Bombastico''.
• Sign at the Convention Center: ''Franchise Expo; Where You Make Your Nonsensical Dreams Come True''.
• At the frame-nudging stand, the crooked picture is of a sad clown, while the straight picture is of a happy clown.
• Marge keeps her checkbook in her hair.
• Disco Stu's stand is called ''Disco Stu's Can't Stop The Learnin' Disco Acadamies''.
• Cletus has 26 kids! They are: Tiffany, Heather, Cody, Dylan, Dermott, Jordan, Taylor, Brittany, Wesley, Rumer, Scout, Cassidy, Zoe, Chloe, Max, Hunter, Kendall, Kaitlin, Noah, Sasha, Morgan, Kira, Ian, Lauren, Q-Bert and Phil

References/Parodies

• Frank Ormand's ''you will be there'' speech parodies Tom Joad's in The Grapes of Wrath.
• Investo the Robot says ''Danger! Danger!'' like the robot from Lost In Space.
• One of Cletus' kids is called Q-Bert, the name of a video game character.

Season 8 quick links

1. Treehouse of Horror VII
2. You Only Move Twice
3. The Homer They Fall
4. Burns, Baby Burns
5. Bart After Dark
6. A Milhouse Divided
7. Lisa's Date with Density
8. Hurricane Neddy
9. El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)
10. The Springfield Files
11. The Twisted World of Marge Simpson
12. Mountain of Madness
13. Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious
14. The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
15. Homer's Phobia
16. Brother from Another Series
17. My Sister, My Sitter
18. Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment
19. Grade School Confidential
20. The Canine Mutiny
21. The Old Man and the Lisa
22. In Marge We Trust
23. Homer's Enemy
24. The Simpsons Spin-off Showcase
25. The Secret War of Lisa Simpson