When Bart commits an extremely destructive prank, he is given Focusyn, a pill to help him concentrate in school. At first the results are impressive, and then Bart starts believing in a conspiracy involving spy satellites and major league baseball.
WAR
96.5
Wins Above Replacement
“Brothers Little Helper” ranks #34 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 86.5 — Elite. The episode packs 97 scored jokes at 4.1 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 7.0 on impact, with Bart landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Bart: Who else? Major League Baseball.
Bart Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Marge: From now on, it's nothing but fresh air... lots of hugs and good old-fashioned Ritalin.
Marge Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Ned · Rod · Todd: Does Mr. Simpson have a demon, Daddy? Looks like it. Run and get Daddy's exorcism tongs. [Together] Yea!
Homer · Marge: Way to guilt him, Marge. It's what I do.
Homer · Lenny: He organized all the lawsuits against me into one class action. That's gonna save all kinds of travel time.
All Jokes — 97 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Homer Physical/Slapstick Running Gag Callback Skinner · Bart: Why, this is retardant. [Laughing] Sure is.
Skinner · Bart: That's called a hose lengthener. [Laughing] You need one.
Bart: Just read the label. It's a king-sized flamer! [Laughing Hysterically]
Bart Wordplay/Pun Escalation Bart: Look! A fire... engine. Stop that! Help! Help! Fire... helmets.
Bart Running Gag Character Comedy Bart: Sure, I can do something destructive.
Bart Misdirection Character Comedy Groundskeeper Willie: Just say the word, and I'll drive this hoe in his back! I can make it look like suicide.
Bart: And I want a bike, and a monkey, and a friend for the monkey-
Ralph: At my house, we call 'em 'uh-ohs.'
Ralph Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Fireman: Tricks? That's rich. He's so inbred, he can barely stand up.
Fireman Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement Fire Chief: Fire can be our servant... whether it's toasting s'mores or raining down on Charlie.
Volunteer Fire Department Players: What a great pot party! Wasn't it, man?
Volunteer Fire Department Players: Maybe we should get another smoke detector in case that one trips out on us. [Chuckling] Why bother, baby? One smoke detector's enough for Mad Dog.
Volunteer Fire Department Players: Stop, drop and roll, man! [Chuckling] That's for Clydes, baby. A little fire can't hurt you.
Narrator: The fire burned through the night... and cost him the use of his pants.
Ned · Others: Sorry to break character... but these stunt pants are gettin' pretty toasty! Roll, Neddie! Roll!
Ned Others Meta/Self-Referential Physical/Slapstick Ned: It's not workin'! It just spreads the flame!
Ned Escalation Irony/Sarcasm Fire Chief · Bart: What's it doing in the gymnasium? Yee-haw!
Bart: Yeah. It all kind of came together.
Bart Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Homer: Thank you for getting me out of work.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Principal Skinner: Bart's latest escapade... goes far beyond the realm of the high jink.
Skinner: There. Now the floor is as good as new. [Groans] My sport goggles!
Principal Skinner: Your son is a ravenous demon, relentlessly gnawing at all that's good and true.
Homer: Yeah, he's something else, all right.
Homer Deadpan/Understatement Character Comedy Homer: Hey, that looks like Bart.
Homer Visual Gag Character Comedy Skinner · Homer: And turning to the 3-D map, we see an unmistakable cone of ignorance. Put it away! Put it away!
Homer: You mean like John Leguizamo?
Homer Observational Character Comedy Homer: Hi, Marge. It's me- Homer. [Clears Throat] What? Time to go?
Homer Character Comedy Awkward Silence Bart · Skinner: Gimme an 'F'! [Gasps] Good Lord! Gimme an 'art'! He's gotten into the pep closet.
Skinner: I'd say he's coming out of the pep closet. [Chuckles]
Skinner Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Dr. Hibbert: These are normal guinea pigs running around like idiots. [All Squealing] Now I'll give them some Focusyn.
Dr. Hibbert: They become your slaves. Yes. But it's not about slavery. It's about helping kids concentrate.
Dr. Hibbert: The only thing more effective is regular exercise. [Shudders]
Marge: Some special helpers that'll make you a good boy.
Marge Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer · Marge: All your favorite stars have used drugs. Brett Butler, Tim Allen- Tommy Lee. Andy Dick. He's just flamboyant. Yeah, and I'm a size four.
Homer: [Gibberish continues]
Homer Physical/Slapstick Escalation Ned · Rod · Todd: Does Mr. Simpson have a demon, Daddy? Looks like it. Run and get Daddy's exorcism tongs. [Together] Yea!
Marge: Yes, I just thought you might love me enough to let me help you.
Marge Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Homer · Marge: Way to guilt him, Marge. It's what I do.
Bart · Marge: I'm having some side effects from the dope. It's not dope! All I know is my testicles won't fit in my underwear.
Marge · Lisa: Bart, get those oranges out of there. Back in the lunches you go. Ew, Mom!
Milhouse · Bart: I'll trade you a Claritin for one. Claritin-D? Nah. Can't help you.
Nelson: I take hormones to lower my voice. Now all I wanna do is fight. What are you lookin' at?
Nelson Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Ralph: You think you got it bad? I gotta wear a shock collar. [Screams] What was that for? I thought about a girl I like.
Ralph Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Students · Milhouse: Hey, look at those dogs going at it! I wanna see 'em! I wanna see 'em! Fightin' over a fan belt. Dogs are outstanding.
Edna · Bart: What? You're still in your seat. Well, it's not like I never saw a dog before.
Krusty · Lisa · Bart: You choked? You choked? Bart! Bart! Krusty just fired his associate producer. I'm reading.
Lisa: 'The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pre-Teens'?
Lisa Observational Character Comedy Bart: Joke if you will, but did you know most people use 10% of their brains? I am now one of them.
Bart Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Bart: 'Memo to self: Lock door.' 'Memo to self: Shut up, Lisa.'
Bart Escalation Character Comedy Marge: Cost of paper: five cents. A mother's love: priceless.
Marge Observational Character Comedy Marge: No, but here's a book called Chicken Soup for the Loser... that gave Bill Buckner the courage to open a chain of laundromats.
Marge Observational Character Comedy Homer · Lenny: He organized all the lawsuits against me into one class action. That's gonna save all kinds of travel time.
Homer: I'll ask it how many leagues in a furlong. No, wait. I'll make it say, 'What's a-matter, you?' in Turkish.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist Carl · Homer: A guy could do great things with a gadget like that. Yeah, a guy could do great things.
Bart · Native American boy: And why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall? Because he took his eyes off the prize? That's right. You stay on the ball, you stay on the wall.
Homer: He's gone from goofus to gallant. And we owe it all to mind-bending pills.
Homer: Ooh! Let's go to the water park! My 10-year ban ended yesterday.
Homer Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Homer · Marge: Marge, this is the greatest gift... any wife has ever given her husband. I thought you'd like it.
Homer: Shut up, or I'll pound all of ya! [Yells]
Homer Escalation Character Comedy Marge: I heard about a new bar where men dance with men. Doesn't that sound adorable?
Marge Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Lisa: RayJ. funny, or O.J. funny?
Lisa Observational Dark/Subversive Bart: You're probably wondering about the coat hangers. They're to block the satellite that's been spying on me.
Bart Character Comedy Escalation Homer · Bart: Hey, I had Lenny's name on that! They have it now.
Bart: Who else? Major League Baseball.
Bart Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Homer: Hey, you found my needle-nose pliers.
Homer Reaction Beat Character Comedy Dr. Hibbert: Oh, that was his idea. He said he felt fat.
Marge: He quit blinking. He says that's when they get you.
Marge Escalation Character Comedy Marge · Dr. Hibbert: Hmm, and maybe some cyclobenzanone? That's a great idea!
Bart: No! You can't take my Focusyn. I need every brain cell blazing to outwit my invisible enemies.
Bart Character Comedy Escalation Dr. Hibbert: Uh-oh! Somebody's gonna have a tummy ache.
Dr. Hibbert: Hey, there was just air in mine.
Chief Wiggum: [Snickers] Looks like the kid who roughed up the Wilson widow.
Marge: Oh, my little guy's out there in the hot sun without his sombrero.
Marge Character Comedy Absurdist Homer: But how do we know, Marge? How do we know?
Homer Escalation Character Comedy Mr. Burns · Smithers: Smithers, we're at war! I'll begin profiteering, sir. And hoarding.
Mr. Burns: Leave it to the Democrats to let the Spaniards back in the pantry.
Comic Book Guy: This is a job for the Green Lantern, Thundra... or possibly... Ghost Rider. What about Superman? Oh, please.
Bart: Come on! Get out! Noodles, Seesaw, Oopsie... Lobsweat, Hoohah, Jitters, Sir Wide Bottom!
Bart Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Military officer: You've raised the bar for all of us, Simpson, and I thank you.
Chief Wiggum · Lou: Shoot the tires out, Lou. Uh, it's a tank, Chief. You know what? I'm gettin' real tired of your excuses.
Homer: Why don't you just tell everybody?
Student: All right! Scud the school, dude!
Student Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Ned: Not the church! Jesus lives there!
Ned Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement Moe: The frame store? You monster!
Moe Escalation Character Comedy Ralph: Not the sky! That's where clouds are born!
Ralph Character Comedy Absurdist Chief Wiggum: That's the end of your loony tune, Drugs Bunny.
Bart · Lou: I told you they were monitoring my activities. He's right! This thing's got info on everybody.
Mark McGwire: Hi, folks. I'm Mark McGwire.
Mark McGwire: Young Bart here was right. We are spying on you pretty much around the clock.
Mark McGwire · Crowd: Do you wanna know the terrifying truth... or do you wanna see me sock a few dingers? [All] Dingers! Dingers!
Lisa: Plus, you exposed the disturbing unreadiness of today's army.
Lisa Observational Character Comedy Bart · Homer: Why is the zero made out of glass? Who cares? That man can really slug.
Bart · Homer: Why is the zero made out of glass? Who cares? That man can really slug.
Marge: From now on, it's nothing but fresh air... lots of hugs and good old-fashioned Ritalin.
Marge Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm Bart: When I can't stop fiddlin' I just takes me Ritalin / I'm poppin' and sailin', man
Man: Oh, why'd you have to shush? You ruined the whole show!
Man Callback Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Callback Top Episodes — The Simpsons
