This is the 6th episode (albeit a bit late unfortunately) blog for the Simpsons and according to the schedule seems to the last. This week was new and it was the 17th episode of the 22nd season. The episode is entitled “Love Is a Many Strangled Thing.”
Homer inadvertently humiliates Bart in front of a stadium crowd. Marge not really outraged but more annoyed it seems encourages Homer to enroll in a fathering enrichment class. It is taught by therapist Dr. Zander. (voiced by Paul Rudd) He becomes shocked to learn that Homer often strangles Bart for mischievous behavior, Dr. Zander conducts a series of treatments with the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to teach Homer what it feels like to be young and small. When Bart learns that the therapy sessions have transformed Homer into a pushover, he takes advantage of Homer and becomes a school bully. Hoping therapy could also cure Bart of his bullying habits, Marge enlists Dr. Zander's help to patch their relationship.
I’m sorry. Is this a high quality episode nowadays? I understand that it is a cartoon clearly and so it lies completely in the world of fiction but there has to be some string of reality tied to all of it. Kareem was available to help a no name psychologist in treating a clearly volatile patient? I am sure when I was younger and used to watch this sow religiously I would have been laughing the entire time but it is just too much at this point. I am done.
Unfortunately, once again there is nothing that can be taken from this episode in terms of community. Just the way it was.
……If you really want something from this episode, don’t be violent towards others for every little thing.
I also didnt understand the use of Kareem in this episode. Like couldnt it have been just a generic big dude, instead of a big famous basketball player who has nothing to do with child abuse, or therapy? I would disagree with you about how there is nothing in this episode about community. The whole concept of therapy seems to be a construct of community. Therapy is a process one partakes in to act normal and 'fix' themselves. The very definition of normal is defined by society and the day to day occurrences that come to shape our expectations of normality. Therapy is arguably a 'societal corrections program' and the fact that Homer stays with the program shows that he has a desire to change. it wasnt mandatory for him to take and therefore he could have left at any time.
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