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"" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons
Synopsis At work, Homer and all employees are ordered to participate in the Worker of the Week award festivities. Everyone who participates, except Homer, already has a medal, but Mr. Burns gives the next Worker of the Week award to an Inanimate Carbon Rod. Homer is infuriated that the rod wins the award, and feels dejected that no one likes him. He turns to the TV for solace and ends up on a channel that is broadcasting a live space shuttle launch. The batteries fall out of his remote control so that he cannot turn off the TV. Bart helps him out by unplugging the TV. NASA learns that its Nielsen ratings have declined. Concerned about declining popularity, they decide to send an "average Joe" into space. Their rationale is that the public is tired of seeing "clean-cut, athletic go-getters". They turn on the TV and come across a pair of blue collar comedy programs. Homer telephones NASA to complain about the "boring space shuttle launches". By the end of the conversation, the NASA researchers determine they have found their man. But when they arrive at Moe's, Homer thinks he is in trouble and blames Barney for making the prank call. When Homer realizes what NASA's proposal entails, he steps in and takes credit for the call. NASA takes both Homer and Barney to Cape Canaveral to train to become an astronaut. They pit the two in competition against one another as they can only take one to space. With a NASA alcohol ban, the training goes well for Barney (he even does a backflip and sings the opening lines of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major General's Song"), but the future is grim for Homer when he learns that Barney has been chosen to go on board with Buzz Aldrin and the fictional astronaut Race Banyon. However, when Barney has a toast with the people at NASA, he drinks what he thinks is champagne, then goes berserk and fastens himself to a jet pack. After taking off, Barney's jet pack fails, and he bounces off a roof and onto the road, where he is run over by a lorry. The champagne Barney drinks turns out to be non-alcoholic. A scientist declares Homer the default winner of the competition, and he goes up into space with the two other astronauts. In spite of Homer being chosen to go into space, he is very nervous about going. He runs from the space shuttle and talks with Marge on the phone, and she says that Homer ought to take advantage of going into space. He agrees, and gets into the Corvair space shuttle, with its name a reference to the car that was widely considered to be unsafe. The launch is also a Nielsen ratings smash. When on the shuttle, Homer smuggles potato chips ("Careful! They're ruffled.") on board. He opens the bag, but is unaware that they will clog the instruments. His appetite seems to save the day as he flies after the chips, maw first, but he flies into an ant farm, destroying it, sowing panic across the world as the ants are set free. Although James Taylor comes in to make a performance, the disaster continues on board, with Kent Brockman reporting that the space shuttle has been taken over by the ants. The ants destroy the navigation system. Luckily, James Taylor offers to help, by suggesting that they blow the debris out the front door. The astronauts do, but Homer breaks the shuttle's door handle. However, he uses a rod broken from the shuttle to seal the door shut. They return to Earth, landing at a journalist convention. Although Buzz Aldrin declares Homer the hero, the press see the rod as being a hero. The rod is then featured on magazine covers and is given its own ticker-tape parade. Back at home, Homer is disappointed that he did not get as much respect as the rod, but the family honors him for his achievement, saying that Homer is only one of a handful of people who get to go into space. Trivia Quotes Homer: Boring. (tries to switch channels, but the batteries drop out of the remote) No! The batteries! Reporter Reporter Reporter Homer: Make it stop! NASA worker Super-intelligent Chimp: No, I don't think we'll be telling them that. (he leaves the room on roller skates) Ant Ant Ant Homer: Noooo!! Ant Homer: I'll field this one. The only danger is if they send us to that terrible Planet of the Apes. (thinking) Wait a minute...Statue of Liberty...that was our planet! (à la Charlton Heston) You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell! Marge: Pride? Bart: No, not that far from shame. Homer: Less shame? Bart: Yeaaaaah... Buzz Aldrin: Homer, no! (Homer opens the bag of potato chips) Race: They'll clog the instruments! Buzz Aldrin: Careful, they're ruffled. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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