Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Simpsons season 36, episode 6, “Women in Shorts”
AlthoughThe Simpsonsseason 36, episode 13, is an atypically busy episode for the long-running series, it is possible to keep up with all of its intersecting plot strands.The Simpsonshas been around for a very long time, so perhaps it is no surprise that the show is no stranger to narrative experimentation. From anthology episodes to storylines retold from numerous perspectives toThe Simpsonsseason 36’s Martin Scorsese parody, wherein the rest of the eponymous family was sidelined so Lisa coukd take center stage,The Simpsonsconstantly toys with its format to keep proceedings fresh and original.
The Simpsons Season 37: Confirmation & Everything We Know
The animated sitcom, The Simpsons, has become a bona fide pop culture icon in its nearly 40 years on the air, and now it has been renewed again.
WhileThe Simpsonsthemselves may never age, the show has been on the air so long that even its competitors have become decades-old TV institutions. It has been over two decades sinceSouth Parkfamously claimed “The Simpsons did it” about every storyline under the sun, so the show must work harder than ever to come up with original plots. To this end, season 36, episode 6, “Women In Shorts,” made an admirable stab at reinvigorating the show’s usual formula. In this loose follow-up to season 7, episode 21, “22 Short Films About Springfield,”The Simpsonscentered on its under-utilized female characters.
Milhouse’s Mom Faced An Intervention
As “Women In Shorts” began,The Simpsonsimmediately proved it was doing something new with a female-centric version of the iconic opening sequence. Bart was replaced on the chalkboard by Lisa and she almost ran into Luann Van Houten on her way out of school. Meanwhile, the couch gag was filled with the women of Springfield instead of the titular family when the episode began. The first segment revealed that Luann Van Houten’s book club had assembled for an intervention, although Luann was surprised to find out that this confrontation had nothing to do with her drinking.
Luann refused to consider re-branding as a coffee fan, before finally conceding that she could pull off a “Proud Slut” persona.
Instead, the group was worried about just how much corny “Wine Mom” memorabilia Luann bought.Luann insisted that being a Wine Mom was her personality and her love of kitschy home decor wasn’t a problem, but her friends were insistent. Undeterred, she refused to consider re-branding as a coffee fan, before finally conceding that she could pull off a “Proud Slut” persona. Armed with a MILF T-shirt, Luann started a new collection of novelty items as her friends breathed a collective sigh of relief.
12Shauna Chalmers Killed Malibu Stacy
The Simpsons Parodied 2023’s Blockbuster Hit Barbie
While Luanne’s story was over, “Women In Shorts” was just beginning. A week afterThe Simpsonsseason 36’s Treehouse of HorrorparodiedVenom, the show took aim at another comedic blockbuster. In a briefBarbiespoof, Malibu Stacy entered the real world and met her owner, Shauna Chalmers. Embarrassed by her doll’s sudden arrival in her real life,Shauna mocked Malibu Stacy, beat her up, and eventually kicked her head clean off. The segment ended as Malibu Stacy’s severed head landed in front of a horrified Smithers.
11Nelson’s Mother Told Him A Bedtime Story
Nelson Romanticized His Mother’s Strip Club Job
Next, viewers got some unexpectedly sweet insight into the home life of Nelson Muntz. Long-time fans know that Nelson’s mother works as a stripper, but it was a welcome surprise to see her romanticize her work life in a bedroom story for her son. In her version of events, she was a fairy tale princess, the club’s gang-affiliated bouncer was a noble knight, and her workplace nemesis was an evil harpy.Nelson’s bedtime story had a cheerful coda, even if his home life still remained tragically under-resourced.
10Homer Struggled To Buy Marge Tampons
Homer’s Embarrassment Prompted A Musical Number
WhileThe Simpsons’ many Homer mysteriesare too innumerable to mention, “Women In Shorts” still managed to add a new one to the list. As Homer and Marge shopped,Homer dragged his feet around buying Marge’s tampons. The cashiers accused Homer of faking his incompetence to avoid embarrassment, but this flies in the face of everything viewers know about Homer. Homer seems to be pretty authentically incompetent and foolish, and this might even be the most famous thing about his personality. Disregarding this inconsistency, the sequence ended with Homer finally buying the sanitary products at the shopkeeper’s behest.
9Patty and Selma Fought Over Their Cigarette Stashes
Marge’s Sisters Feared A Cigarette Shortage
The next scene saw Patty and Selma horrified by news of a potential cigarette shortage caused by supply chain issues. The two sisters claimed they would share their remaining cigarettes, but both then claimed to have none left. This resulted in a fast-paced chase where both sisters revealed the other’s secret stash.The Simpsonsseason 36’s Scorsese homagealso got a lot of laughs out of Marge’s sisters and their love of cigarettes and this brief scene proved the pair’s habit was taking a toll on their health, before cutting to another segment.
8Dr. Hibbert and Bernice Attempted To Reinvigorate Their Marriage
The Simpsons’ Doctor Struggled With Role Play
On the topic of health,The Simpsonsbrought back two of season 36’s breakout stars in Bernice and Dr. Hibbert’s segment. The troubled couple tried out role play to spice up their romantic life, but Dr. Hibbert struggled when a diner began choking, and he was unsure whether to stay in character. Things weren’t helped by Kirk Van Houten, who was also role-playing, getting too into character and insisting that he could save the dying diner as he claimed he was a real doctor. This scene soon segued into the restaurant’s kitchen, where the Italian chef, Luigi Risotto, had unlikely company.
7The Italian Chef Luigi’s Mother Was Revealed To Be A Lawyer
The Simpsons Set Up A Non-Existent Spinoff
WhileThe Simpsonsmocks itself regularly, one of the show’s best running gags is its imaginary spinoffs. The latest was a show centered on the Italian chef Luigi’s aging mother, who revealed that she has a secret second life as a lawyer in “Women In Shorts.” It is unlikely that viewers will ever hear anymore about this plot, but it did give the episode a chance to parody courtroom dramas before the next segment took on another popular genre, the Netflix food documentary.
6The Simpsons Parodied Food Media With Lunchlady Dora
“Women In Shorts” Followed Lunchlady Dora’s Average Day
In a parody of shows likeChef’s TableandSalt Fat Acid Heat,The Simpsonsfollowed Lunchlady Dora through a day in her lifewhile pretentious narration laid out her professional ambitions. It turned out that every stray Band-Aid found in the cafeteria food was carefully selected asThe Simpsonsshowcased an array of dishes from Lunchlady Dora that all looked like the same identical pile of monochrome slop. This wasn’t the only scene in “Women In Shorts” that parodied a famous piece of media, as evidenced by the sequence that followed.
5Lisa Starred In A Narnia Parody
Lisa Found Out Being Queen Wasn’t An Easy Job
The SimpsonsspoofedThe Chronicles of Narniaas Lisa fell asleep reading the iconic series of fantasy novels and soon dreamed of herself as the queen of Narnia. Unfortunately,Lisa soon resented her job as the queen of Narniawhenthe angry, impossible-to-please public demanded more amenities with lower taxes. Like thebest ofThe Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror parodies, this segment used an outlandish fantasy setup to spoof real-life politics as Lisa woke up to realize that even her dreams were self-serious, downbeat, and so grounded that they were devoid of fun.
4Agnes Skinner Tried Online Hating
Principal Skinner’s Mother Tried To Find A New Enemy
While the next segment seemed to portray Agnes Skinner’s first foray into the world of online dating, this soon turned out to be something hilariously darker. Instead of online dating, Agnes wanted a new enemy she could be passive-aggressive toward as she tried out online hating.Agnes asked the Internet for a new enemy she could malign, avoid in public, and spread rumors about. The unexpectedbreakout star ofThe Simpsonsseason 36soon received dozens of replies, ensuring that she would soon be set up with an equally bitter enemy.
