Bart's answer to detention from Mrs. Krabappel is to answer her personal ad with letters from a Mr. Wonderful, but his last laugh is more of a guilty whimper.
Escalation-driven character comedy sustains 76 jokes across 22 minutes at peak Season 3 form.
Directed by Carlos Baeza · Written by Jon Vitti
WAR
60.4
Wins Above Replacement
“Bart The Lover” ranks #100 of 226 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 80.6 — Elite. The episode packs 76 scored jokes at 4.3 per minute, averaging 6.9 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
Maybe it's the beer talking but you've got a butt that won't quit. They got these big, chewy pretzels here... Five dollars?! Get outta here.
Hell no. I don't want any damn vegetables.
All of us pull a few boners now and then-- Go off half-cocked, make asses of ourselves.
Dear baby, Welcome to Dumpville. Population: You.
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch All Jokes — 76 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ You said you wanted a world without zinc, Jimmy. Well, now your car has no battery.
Sorry Jimmy. Without zinc for the rotary mechanism there are no telephones.
The firing pin in your gun was made of... yup... zinc.
Zinc, come back. Zinc! Zinc, zinc! What? Oh, it was all a dream.
Gross! He's picking his nose.
Student Cringe/Discomfort Reaction Beat If anyone wants to learn more about zinc they're welcome to stay. We can talk about anything. I'll do your homework for you.
Teacher Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort Chef Lonely Heart's soup for one.
Edna Visual Gag Character Comedy I haven't seen you since we doubled our prices.
Apu Character Comedy Observational Bingo, bango, sugar in the gas tank. Your ex-husband strikes again.
A personal ad? Why not? It might be fun. Kind of a lark. Come on, come on. Answer the phone. I need a man!
Edna Escalation Character Comedy Kids, this is a yo-yo. Kind of dull, huh? Not much competition for a video game... or is it?
She's beautiful.
Bart Character Comedy Reaction Beat These guys must be millionaires. I'll bet they get all kinds of girls.
Bart Character Comedy Observational I question the value of this assembly. It will be a pleasant memory when they're pumping gas for a living.
Lisa Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Ooh... careful now. That one grazed my ear. Don't move. You could really get hurt.
Wait. This isn't you. That's the old Sparkle. Get your worthless butts in the van. We got three more schools. Let's go, go, go!
Sparkle Misdirection Character Comedy That's your trick? No. Here's my trick. Hoowah!
Bart Setup/Punchline Escalation Can you believe it? Soon, I'll be able to quit my job and live off the boy.
Homer Character Comedy Absurdist Name me one person who's gotten rich by doing yo-yo tricks. Donald Trump? No. Arnold Palmer? No. Bill Cosby? No. D'oh!
Did they have yo-yos? No, they did not have yo-yos. Did the Indians have yo-yos? No, they did not have yo-yos!
A little something I call 'Plucking the Pickle.'
Bart Wordplay/Pun Cringe/Discomfort I didn't do it.
Bart Character Comedy Running Gag Callback Don't worry about your wee fish, lass. They're going to a better place.
Here you go... Just kidding. Here you go... Just kidding.
Your ad said you wanted a man. You got yourself a hummm-dinger.
Just because there's a little snow on the roof... I forget how the rest of that goes.
Someone jammed a Malibu Stacy head down here.
One plus one equals two?
Bart Character Comedy Reaction Beat My name is... Woodrow.
Bart Character Comedy Misdirection Marge, you're a tool of the doghouse makers.
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy You've been brainwashed by all those doghouse commercials on TV.
This is a door. He goes through that. This is a roof. And this happy character here is the sun. He shines down on the house.
Homer Character Comedy Visual Gag I'm starting to get the hang of the floor waxer.
Bart Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm I'm the 28th president of the United States.
Bart Character Comedy Absurdist You've got a date with the Xerox machine.
Bart Character Comedy Visual Gag Stupid lumber. Damn it! D'oh! I-- Oh, the hell with this!
Homer Escalation Character Comedy Callback Hell no. I don't want any damn vegetables.
That exchange student Mix!pa?
Lisa Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun He used to watch Davy and Goliath but he thought the idea of a talking dog was blasphemous.
Maybe it's the beer talking but you've got a butt that won't quit. They got these big, chewy pretzels here... Five dollars?! Get outta here.
Wow, a side of Dad I've never seen!
Lisa Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Truly, yours is a butt that won't quit.
What the hell are you talking about?
Homer Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy All of us pull a few boners now and then-- Go off half-cocked, make asses of ourselves.
Oh, come on now, Flanders. I don't complain about your... moustache.
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Uh, it makes you look like you got something to hide. People are talking. Lots of people.
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Aye, aye... Admiral Butthead.
Homer Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Whoa, slow down, Frenchy. This stuff is gold.
Bart Character Comedy Meta/Self-Referential Homer, you brought up Ned Flanders.
Marge Irony/Sarcasm Setup/Punchline It almost cost him his job as a baby photographer
Marge Character Comedy Absurdist If I catch fire? If I see something weird? What about when we snuggle?
Homer Escalation Character Comedy Ay, caramba!
Bart Character Comedy Reaction Beat Callback Perhaps later we will smooch up a storm. Sexily yours, Woody.
Homer, that was a 20.
Marge Visual Gag Escalation No sooner had I shaved off the old cookie duster than a lady cast me in a commercial.
Well, he just goes... Ohh!
Homer Visual Gag Physical/Slapstick What about Principal Skinner? Let's just say his mommy won't let him out to play.
What about Coach Fortner? Glug, glug, glug, glug...
What about groundskeeper Willy? Ugh! I won't even tell you what that guy's into.
Bart, you are the closest thing to a man in my life and that's so depressing I think I'm going to cry.
Oh, fudge... That's broken. Fiddle-dee-dee. That will require a tetanus shot.
Homer Character Comedy Escalation Callback Beer!
Homer Character Comedy Callback Dear baby, Welcome to Dumpville. Population: You.
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline ★ Rewatch Though I'll be inoculating babies in Kampuchea my heart is with you.
Lisa Character Comedy Absurdist How about 'Crocodiles bit off my face'?
Bart Character Comedy Dark/Subversive Three simple words: 'I am gay.'
Homer Character Comedy Setup/Punchline Homer, you old honey dripper.
Marge Character Comedy Reaction Beat It's such a nice day today. Let's have detention outside. It's a date.
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