(17)+January+8

**The Simpsons: **
The Simpsons is an American adult animated sitcom for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle-class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The show is set in the fictional town of //Springfield// and parodies American culture, society, television, and many aspects of the human condition.



**About "Springfield", The Setting**
The Simpsons takes place in the fictional American town of Springfield in an unknown and impossible-to-determine U.S. state. The show is intentionally evasive in regard to Springfield's location. Springfield's geography, and that of its surroundings, contains coastlines, deserts, vast farmland, tall mountains, or whatever the story or joke requires. The name "Springfield" is a common one in America and appears in 22 states. Groening has said that he named it after Springfield, Oregon, and the fictitious Springfield which was the setting of the series Father Knows Best. He "figured out that Springfield was one of the most common names for a city in the U.S. In anticipation of the success of the show, I thought, 'This will be cool; everyone will think it's their Springfield.' And they do."

**Status And Awards**
Since its debut in 1989, the show has broadcast 538 episodes and the 25th season began on September 30, 2013. The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom, the longest-running American animated program. The Simpsons Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters worldwide in 2007. The Simpsons have won many awards since the first episode aired in 1989, including Emmy Awards. The Simpsons Movie was nominated in Golden Globes Awards.

**Plot Summary: "Holidays of Future Passed"**
It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the Simpsons flash forward thirty years and find themselves in a tech-savvy, futuristic Springfield. Bart and Lisa have children of their own and decide to spend the holidays as one big family at Homer and Marge's house. Lisa and Bart turn to Homer and Marge for parenting advice and begin to realize that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

**Characters in Today's Episode**
Homer works at theSpringfield Nuclear Power Plant. Homer embodies several American working class stereotypes: he is crude, overweight, incompetent, clumsy, lazy, a heavy drinker, and ignorant; however, he is essentially a decent man and fiercely devoted to his family. Despite the suburban blue-collar routine of his life, he has had a number of remarkable experiences.
 * //Homer Simpson://**

//**Marge Simpson:**//

//**Marge Simpson:**// She is the wife of Homer Simpson. She is famous for her very tall blue hair, that is shaped into a beehive. Marge also is a very skilled cook. Marge studied to be a painter. In some episodes Marge is shown being a fairly skilled photographer until she decided to choose Homer over photography.



//**Bart, Lisa, Maggie Simpson:**//
 * Bart Simpson, Children of Homer and Marge. At ten years old, Bart is the eldest child and only son. Bart's most prominent character traits are his mischievousness, rebelliousness and disrespect for authority.
 * Lisa Simpson, eight years old, She is highly intelligent and plays the saxophone. She has been a vegetarian since season 7, converted to Buddhism in season 13.
 * Maggie is the youngest child, She is often seen sucking on her pacifier and, when she walks, she trips over her clothing and falls on her face. Being an infant, she cannot talk. Therefore, she is the least seen and heard in the Simpson family.

//In this very episode, the kids are all grown-ups already. Bart is a divorced single man, Lisa has a rebellious daughter, and Maggie is going to have a baby without knowing who the baby's father is.//

Video Source:
(Please get the QVOD player installed first.) []

Transript: [[file:The Simpsons - S23E09.txt]]
(Displayed as subtitles,because I can't find a transcript on the Internet.)

Vocabulary X Prases X Idioms :

 * tray: A plate that you use to put on food carry.


 * toboggan: A wooden frame with runners on the bottom that you use to slide down the snow-covered hills. Bigger than a sled.


 * buyers: In the retail industry, a buyer is an individual who selects what items will be stocked in a store, based on his or her predictions about what will be popular with shoppers.


 * kidney: a pair of small organs located in the lower back in humans, and play a crucial role in the urinary system


 * expelled: Getting expelled from a school is a step beyond suspension. It means that you are asked to leave and never come back. In other words, you have been kicked out.


 * evicted: Use the verb evict to say that a tenant is being forced to move out of his home, usually through legal action. If you don't pay your rent, eventually your landlord will evict you.


 * credit: giving someone the recognition they deserve


 * holly: commonly referenced at Christmas time. In many western cultures, holly is a traditional Christmas decoration, used especially in wreaths and illustrations, Ex: On Christmas cards


 * mistletoe: Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows in the treetop. The difference between the holly is that a holly is a shrub that has pretty little red berries around Christmas time. According to custom, if a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life.


 * candy canes: A candy cane is a cane-shaped hard candy stick associated with Christmas. It is traditionally white with red stripes and flavored with peppermint; but is also made in a variety of other flavors and colors.


 * veil: A veil is an article of clothing or cloth hanging that is intended to cover some part of the head or face, or an object of some significance. It is especially associated with women and sacred objects. worn by Muslim women and girls.


 * unbilical cord: The umbilical cord is clamped and cut at birth, and its residual tip forms the bellybutton.
 * lousy: extremely bad and poor


 * Merry go no-where:
 * Merry-go-round: Also called a carousel. An amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The "seats" are traditionally in the form of rows of wooden horses or other animals. They move up and down in circles with music.


 * void: empty, hollow


 * strangling: To kill by squeezing the throat so as to choke or suffocate


 * Homer’s law: It was named after a certain someone’s method to discipline another certain someone, via strangling. The law bans the usage. When Lisa was upset with Zia, she wished strangling your child was still legal, but Marge said not after they passed Homer's Law.


 * mohawk: a kind of hairstyle


 * ruthless tyrant: describing someone without pity or compassion


 * bloody Harry: sarcasm Bloody Mary. A Bloody Mary is a popular cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and usually other spices or flavorings


 * beheading: cutting the head off


 * hounds: A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted.


 * contractions: The shortening and thickening of a muscle for the purpose of exerting force on or causing movement of a body part. When you’re pregnant, contractions are your body's means of pushing your baby down the birth canal and out into the world.


 * court-mandated sincerity chip:


 * godspeed: a phrase meaning "God spede you" or "God prosper you"


 * sappy: juicy


 * manger: a feeder that is made of carved stone, wood, or metal construction and is used to hold food for animals, its where jesus was born.


 * mangy: dirty


 * epidural: something you inject in your body before labor to relieve pain.


 * clone : to make identical copies of an organism bt a non-sexual process of reproduction.


 * flash: to show an "inappropriate" body part by quickly moving a object or artical of clothing out of the way then back "flashing" the part at someone.


 * prayer mat: a small rug used by muslims during their devotions.


 * deadbeat: not fulfilling one's obligations or paying one's debts, usually describes a father who dosent pay his child support.


 * busted: out of order; inoperable


 * train wreck: a person or situation that can't escape an inevitable bad outcome

Cultural Notes:

 * It’s A Wonderful Life: 1946 American Christmas fantasy comedy-drama film. About An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.


 * Sharia Law: Sharia law is the body of Islamic law. Sharia deals with all aspects of day-to-day life, including politics, economics, banking, business law, contract law, sexuality, and social issues.


 * Cher: an American singer and actress. Recently released her new album.
 * Theodor Seuss Geisel: an American writer, poet, andcartoonist. He was most widely known for his children's books written and illustrated as Dr. Seuss.




 * unripemelons.com : a website which features underage girls flashing their breasts ("unripe melons") online.

The Benny Hilton is a reference to The Benny Hill Show: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9I4nZx8UCs

Itchy and Scratchy is a reference to the Tom and Jerry Show.

The Detroit area of Michigan has a large population of Muslims.

Homer is reading a Hardy Borgs book which is a reference to the Hardy Boys series of children's books. Girls would read Nancy Drew books.

The airport is a reference to the Mad Max movie series, which is set in a dystopian post nuclear apocalypse Australia.

Krusty the Clown acts like 60 Minutes commenter Andy Rooney.

There are many Star Trek references: The OB/GYN doctor is wearing Geordie LaForge's visor from Star Trek: The Next Generation. They travel through the Star Trek transporter beam. Homer is reading a Hardy Borgs book in bed. Holograms. In Star Trek they had a Holodeck which was a room that you could transform into any type of environment.

Notice how Lisa was a lesbian in college. Notice how the birth of Maggie's baby mirrors the story about the birth of Jesus. Notice how the holiday display in front of City Hall cycles between Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Atheist traditions.

Discussion Questions:
1.How did you celebrate Christmas last year? 2.What technology in this film would you wish for in the future,and why? 3.What do you think is the difference of parent and children relationship between the US and Taiwan? 4.How's your relationship with your family? 5.If you were to have children, what do you think will be the main problem between you and your kids?