Marge persuades Homer to enroll in a fathering enrichment class; Bart becomes a school bully.
WAR
46.2
Wins Above Replacement
“Love Is A Many Strangled Thing” ranks #260 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 78.9 — Elite. The episode packs 56 scored jokes at 3.3 per minute, averaging 7.0 on craft and 6.7 on impact, with Homer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Homer: Homer: 'Dr. Zander, you made me see my life through Bart's neck'
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch News Anchor: News report: 'The stain was picked up by Russian spy satellites, and President Dmitry Medvedev has taken the pants-wetting as a sign of American weakness. A Russian flotilla has just entered New York harb...'
Homer: Homer proudly saying 'Aw. My son's first stroke' when Bart has medical episode
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer · Dr. Zander: Homer admitting he lied about health insurance, Dr. Zander immediately responding 'And you're cured.'
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saying 'I was so disturbed I only scored 172 points. I had 86 assists.'
All Jokes — 56 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Mr. Burns: Mr. Burns speaking French while checking hot air balloon checklist: 'Feu allumé. Oui. Ballon gonflé. Oui. Now enlevez le ballast!'
Mr. Burns: Burns dramatically exclaiming 'Gadzooks! The one hazard this balloon cannot negotiate... a gentle breeze!'
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: Burns crying 'Help! Curtail my ascent! Curtail it, I say!'
Worker: Hey, where'd it go? Huh! I wonder if that's the same elk.
Homer: Homer saying 'A balloon saved one of my arteries. It doesn't seem right to kill his cousin.'
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Moe: Moe going through elaborate shooting ritual including kissing and 'Mmm' sound before shooting
Moe Character Comedy Physical/Slapstick Mr. Burns: Burns crying 'Help! I'm wafting on a zephyr!'
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Plant Worker: Insulting Homer's shooting with 'Nice shooting, Annie Oakley! If you were a biathlete, I'd say stick to skiing.'
Homer · Mr. Burns: Burns offering 'All your money and all your stuff' / 'Lower and likelier' exchange
Homer · Mr. Burns: Ticket request degradation: 'Super Bowl tickets? Playoff tickets? Regular season, bobblehead day? Nothing-head day!'
Former NFL Player: Former player saying 'I wouldn't have to do this if I hadn't bought a Ferrari a day for 22 seasons.'
Former NFL Player: 'I once hosted Saturday Night Live. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, Matchbox 20.'
Football-hating Intellectuals: Arts district 'with football-hating intellectuals! We'll stay for one inning, then we can go.'
Stadium Announcer: Stadium announcement: 'I hope you kids are enjoying yourself today because you and your children will be paying for this place long after the team moves to another city.'
Bart: Bart saying 'This song's a little bossy for me' about 'Everybody Dance Now'
Bart Observational Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Homer: Homer's logic: 'Marge, he's laughing. That means he's happy. Has the Joker taught you nothing?'
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: Mr. Burns observing: 'The child has wetted his trousers!'
Homer: Homer doing the wave alone: 'No one else is doing it. I'm trying to start it. Whoo!'
Homer Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort News Anchor: News report: 'The stain was picked up by Russian spy satellites, and President Dmitry Medvedev has taken the pants-wetting as a sign of American weakness. A Russian flotilla has just entered New York harb...'
Homer: Homer: 'Well, it was your idea to give him self-esteem in the first place.'
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Marge · Kids: Marge saying 'Now I have to work overtime just to counteract the self-confidence...' then kids mocking: 'Hey Bart, I hear the forecast is for showers... in your pants! I'm on a European vacation, but you're a-peein' everywhere! Oui, oui!'
Homer · Marge: Marge finding fathering class in catalog after Homer says 'I'd like to see you thumb through an extension school catalog and find one.' 'Here's one right here.'
Homer: The other negligent dads will make fun of me. They're so cliquey.
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer: Homer lamenting: 'Oh, I miss my friends from drunk driving school. They were so cool.'
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Gerald: Gerald's journal: 'When Derek saw me in the stands, his smile was worth a million dollars. Tuesday: Lost a million-dollar account because I left work early Monday.'
Gerald Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Homer: Homer describing strangling: 'I mean, it's not the only tool in my parenting toolbox, but... it's the sharpest.'
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Grandpa Simpson · Young Homer: Homer's father strangling young Homer: 'Look at these grades! They're a disgrace! No TV for a week! Why, you little...' followed by strangling
Homer: Homer asking about butter cookies during serious therapy discussion: 'So, are those butter cookies for everybody, or?'
Homer Character Comedy Awkward Silence Dr. Zander: Dr. Zander turning chair around backwards: 'I'm going to turn my chair around backwards' to emphasize seriousness
Dr. Zander Observational Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar saying 'I was so disturbed I only scored 172 points. I had 86 assists.'
Dr. Zander: Which is why you're the only Laker I could trust with this task.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar · Dr. Zander: Kareem: 'I don't want to hurt him, Doc.' Dr. Zander: 'You have a good heart, Kareem. Which is why you're the only Laker I could trust with this task.'
Gardener · Dr. Zander: Gardener asking 'Uh, not a good time to water the plants?' during the strangling session, told 'No, it's fine'
Dr. Zander: Dr. Zander asking Kareem 'what do you think about today's selfish players? Ball-hogging, tattooed...' during strangling session
Homer: Homer: 'Dr. Zander, you made me see my life through Bart's neck'
Homer Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer · Dr. Zander: Homer admitting he lied about health insurance, Dr. Zander immediately responding 'And you're cured.'
Homer: Homer telling Bart he can't quit drinking 'any more than I could quit being a man'
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist ★ Rewatch Homer: Now it feels like morning.
Homer Character Comedy Observational Bart: Bart saying 'I'm in your head, man' when Homer struggles not to strangle him
Bart Character Comedy Observational Homer: Homer proudly saying 'Aw. My son's first stroke' when Bart has medical episode
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Homer's exasperated 'Oh, come on. Now you're a tree?' when Bart climbs up to escape
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart: Bart telling Principal Skinner: 'He'd say, I'm a grown man who's scared of my own son.'
Bart Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer: I-I said, 'My keister is ready for a whooping, sir.'
Homer Cringe/Discomfort Character Comedy Homer · Bart: Homer as magician: 'How many more, sir?' 'Fill the board, then wash my car. These are my keys.' 'I-I said, My keister is ready for a whooping, sir.'
Homer: It's 'A-B-C, one, two, three!' It's the easiest song in the world!
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Homer: Homer insulting kid: 'You think you're better than the Great Simpsini? Well, you're not. What are you gonna do, write a book about me? You couldn't get in the door of Random House if your name was Bennett Cerf III.'
Homer Character Comedy Observational ★ Rewatch Dream Homer: Homer's nightmare insult: 'I don't see many more movie roles for a girl like you. Not unless George Lucas needs another Death Star.'
Dream Girl: Girl in dream crying 'No! Stop! No Star Wars parodies!'
Dream Girl Meta/Self-Referential Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Caterer · Dr. Zander: Caterer offering 'Mushroom cap?' 'Those are pieces of broken glass.' 'Well, I'll pass that on to the chef.'
Dr. Zander: Dr. Zander asking 'Are there franks in the beans?' about Homer's payment offer
Marge: Marge showing Lisa a horse movie title 'so sad I can't even say it'
Marge Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Moe: Moe's prank call: 'Text message for I.M.A. Wiener. As you all can see, I.M.A. Wiener.'
Moe Callback Wordplay/Pun ★ Rewatch Callback Moe: Moe's texting mishaps: 'Oh, damn it, I typed an F and not a D.' 'Oh, crap, I just donated $20 to Haiti!'
Moe Character Comedy Escalation Dr. Zander: Oh, this is a tough neck! Oh, it's so strong! Like an oak.
Dr. Zander: Dr. Zander: 'Sue me for what? My home in a hollowed-out tree?'
Top Episodes — The Simpsons
