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4) Starship Poopers (Treehouse of Horror IX)

Holy flerking schnit! It’s Jerry Springer!

Okay, I accept that I am in the minority on this one, but I remember all too well that special time in a child’s life when they lose their baby legs for the first time. And I love everything about this segment. The reveal about Maggie’s parentage is priceless, but the insemination is even better. Every bit of dialogue cracks me up huge:

“Congratulations. You have been selected for our cross-breeding program. To put you at ease, we have recreated the most common spawning locations of your species. You may choose either the back seat of a Camaro, an airplane bathroom, a friend's wedding,or the alley behind a porno theater.”

And just when I think I cannot laugh any harder, Marge expresses surprise about the *ahem* speed of the Initiate fertilization procedure. Finally, Springer enters the picture in his familiar role as the arbiter of all white trash pregnancy surprises, causing Homer and Kang to throw down like drunken NASCAR fans. It’s a glorious mess that spoofs absolutely nothing except Jerry Springer guests and yet it works magnificently.

3) Citizen Kang (Treehouse of Horror VII)

The best political send-up of our generation, Citizen Kang somehow manages to poke fun at both political parties before finally providing a gobsmack of truth about the madness of a two party system. The fact that voting for Kodos over Kang makes Homer feel superior to his wife speaks volumes about the nature of social debate in our country these days. Of course, in getting there, we experience the hilarity of Homer being dismissed as a drunken rumor monger. Then, we witness him as the potential saving grace of both major political candidates in the Presidential campaign. And Homer does about as well with this assignment as we would expect. Citizen Kang includes the deaths of Bill Clinton and Bob Dole and the enslavement of humanity attempted but later staved off in Lisa’s Nightmare. It is a true masterpiece of cynical K-Street comeuppances.

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