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There's Something About Marrying

January 28, 2023

"There's Something About Marrying" is the tenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. In the episode, Springfield legalizes same-sex marriage to increase tourism. After becoming a minister, Homer starts to wed people to make money. Meanwhile, Marge's sister Patty comes out as a lesbian and reveals that she is going to marry a woman named Veronica. Marge originally disapproves of this, making Patty frustrated. When Marge accidentally discovers that Veronica is a man cross-dressed as a woman, she decides to keep quiet about it knowing that Patty will be marrying a man. However, at the ceremony, she is so moved by Patty's vow that she is forced to reveal Veronica's secret. After the ceremony is abruptly cancelled, Marge tells Patty that she now accepts her sexuality.

"There's Something About Marrying"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 16
Episode 10
Directed byNancy Kruse
Written byJ. Stewart Burns
Production codeGABF04
Original air dateFebruary 20, 2005 (2005-02-20)
Episode features
Couch gagThe family, dressed as bruised and beaten hockey players, skates around the living room holding the Stanley Cup.
CommentaryAl Jean
J. Stewart Burns
Matt Selman
Michael Price
Joel H. Cohen
Tom Gammill
Max Pross
Jeff Westbrook
David Silverman
Episode chronology
The Simpsons (season 16)
List of episodes

This was the third time that an episode of The Simpsons focused on homosexuality. The episode—written by J. Stewart Burns and directed by Nancy Kruse—was inspired by the 2004 same-sex weddings that occurred in San Francisco. According to executive producer Al Jean, the staff wanted the episode to explore what the different characters' stances on same-sex marriage were. Around the time of the episode's original airdate, February 20, 2005, the same-sex marriage question was a controversial political issue in the United States and the episode became controversial. "There's Something About Marrying" received a lot of criticism from conservative groups, including the Parents Television Council and the American Family Association, that claimed it was promoting gay marriage. Jean stated in response that the staff was not taking a side on the issue and that they were just examining all sides of it. Positive reaction to the episode came from, among others, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the gay-oriented website AfterEllen.com.

During the first airing, 10.5 million people watched "There's Something About Marrying" and it became the highest-rated episode of the season. The episode had received a lot of publicity in the media before its broadcast—not only because of the same-sex marriage controversy but also because of Patty's outing. It was revealed in July 2004 that a character would come out as gay in the episode, leading to much speculation from fans and the press. Bookmaker websites were even posting odds on which character it would be, with Patty receiving the best odds.

Plot

Bart and Milhouse torment a tourist named Howell Huser (a parody of television personality Huell Howser), who is then chased out of town by bullies Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney. Huser is later revealed to be a media personality, and he appears on a network's morning television show warning tourists against visiting Springfield, causing the Springfield tourism business to collapse. Mayor Quimby holds an emergency meeting at the town hall to solve the problem, and after many senseless suggestions, Lisa suggests that Springfield legalize same-sex marriage to entice visitors to their town. All of Springfield happily agrees with Lisa's idea, and the town makes a commercial that is broadcast throughout America, convincing hundreds of homosexual couples to come to Springfield. However, Reverend Lovejoy insists that the Bible forbids same-sex marriage and refuses to marry any gay couples. Homer, upon learning that ministers are paid $200 per couple, abandons his own opposition to the process and becomes a minister himself with help from the online "e-Piscopal" Church, whereupon he marries every gay couple in town.

Meanwhile, at the Simpson family's home, Patty comes out as a lesbian, saying that she is in love with a pro golfer named Veronica and asking Homer to marry them. While Homer accepts Patty's sexuality (briefly improving their relationship), an uncomfortable Marge reprimands her for having not told their family and insists that Patty marry a man. Patty is angered and calls Marge out for being a hypocrite in acting liberal about the issues, pointing out that she cannot accept their family's sexuality for what it is. Before the wedding, Marge accidentally discovers Veronica is actually male. She decides to keep quiet about it since Patty will be marrying a man.

During the wedding ceremony, Marge becomes especially touched by Patty's heartfelt declaration of love for Veronica. This prompts Marge to disclose Veronica's actual gender in front of the whole wedding assembly, much to Patty’s horror. "Veronica" is revealed to be a heterosexual cis-gendered male, named “Leslie Robin Swisher”. Leslie explains that he posed as a woman, so he could get onto the LPGA golf tour. Leslie then asks Patty whether she still wants to marry him, but Patty replies "Hell no - I like chicks!", to cheers from the congregation.

Afterwards, Marge reconciles with Patty after telling her that she has learned a lesson and has accepted the fact that Patty is a lesbian. In a meta-reference to the show's tendency to episodically return to status quo ante, Lisa notes that this is the end of Homer's wedding business. When Bart asks, "Why?", Lisa shrugs her shoulders and makes a non-committal noise.

Patty and her other sister, Selma, then go to leave a bag at the airport unattended, as a way to meet security personnel they can date.

Production

 
Al Jean said the staff wanted to explore the characters' different positions on same-sex marriage.

"There's Something About Marrying" was written by co-executive producer J. Stewart Burns and directed by Nancy Kruse as part of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons.[1] Work on the episode started in March 2004, after the 2004 San Francisco same-sex weddings, a period during February 2004 when the city was issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. This served as the Simpsons staff's inspiration for "There's Something About Marrying".[2] The plot point where Springfield tries to increase tourism by marketing towards the LGBT community also had a basis in reality. An example is Fort Lauderdale, which became a popular tourist destination for gays and lesbians in the mid-2000s.[3] Executive producer Al Jean said they were interested in doing the episode because they could explore the various characters' different positions on gay marriage while remaining neutral. "Lisa thinks it's good for civil rights. The reverend of the local Protestant church is opposed to it. Other people think tourists will come to town. Mayor Quimby wants the money. We don't take a position as much as explore everybody's positions," he commented.[2]

Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons, stated that the staff wanted to out Patty as gay because portraying her as a "love-starved spinster [...] seemed old" on the show.[4] There had previously been hints about Patty's orientation. For example, in the season thirteen episode "Jaws Wired Shut" she is part of the Springfield Gay Pride Parade's "stayin' in the closet" float, though only her voice was heard and she was not seen.[5]

Themes and analysis

The episode's plotline revolves around homosexuality—the third time for The Simpsons. The first was season eight's "Homer's Phobia", and the second was "Three Gays of the Condo" from season fourteen,[6] both of which won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program.[7] This time it centered on the right for homosexuals to get married and the coming-out of a character. In the episode, Homer is shown as being tolerant with homosexuality, whereas in "Homer's Phobia" he is portrayed as being strongly homophobic.[6] In that episode, the Simpson family gets a new friend that Homer dissociates himself from after finding out that he is gay. He also fears that the friend will have a negative influence on Bart and decides to ensure Bart's heterosexuality by taking him to do manly things such as hunting.[6][8] As James Delingpole of The Daily Telegraph writes, it was first after "Homer's Phobia" that Homer began to be portrayed as enlightened about homosexuality.[6] Marge, on the other hand, who had previously been portrayed as supportive of gay people on the show, is seen as disapproving of her sister's sexual orientation.[9]

 
The coming-out of Ellen DeGeneres' character in Ellen led to the appearance of more gay characters on television.

According to the publication Zeek: A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture and Value War: Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights, it was the controversial lesbian outing of the main character (played by Ellen DeGeneres) in the sitcom Ellen in 1997 that paved the way for Patty's coming-out in this episode, as well as for many other gay characters on other television shows.[10][11] In his book Queers in American Popular Culture, Jim Elledge noted that unlike many episodes of The Simpsons that go through a situation and then everything returns to normal during the ending, this one does not. He commented that the staff of the show could have made Patty heterosexual again at the end of the episode and leave it how it was before by having her marry Leslie. Instead, they ended it in a way that could potentially be experienced as distasteful to the heteronormative audience by having Patty exclaim "Hell no! I like girls!" to Leslie's marriage proposal.[12] The author also noted that it is possible the Simpsons staff chose Patty to come out as gay instead of a male character because lesbians were "traditionally considered more acceptable" on television. She did, however, not "adhere to the eroticized male lesbian fantasy or fit into the loveable, asexual guise of the comedy lesbian" that had previously been seen on shows such as Ellen. Instead, Patty is "rude, crude, and not ashamed of declaring her sexual preferences", and this could make her unpalatable to some viewers, according to Elledge.[12]

Around the episode's original broadcast in early 2005, the same-sex marriage question was one of the hottest political issues in America.[9] It had been an especially hot topic during the then-recent presidential election in the United States.[13] Marty Kaplan, a professor at Annenberg School for Communication and radio host on Air America Radio, commented that the episode is telling "those who demonize homosexuality, or what [these people] call the homosexual agenda," anything from "lighten up" to "get out of town".[14] This was not the first time that an episode of the show had brought up a current issue. Writing in an article about "There's Something About Marrying" for The New York Times, Sharon Waxman said that "as television's longest-running situation comedy, The Simpsons is no stranger to hot-button social, religious and political issues, mocking wardrobe malfunctions, Hollywood liberals and born-again Christians, among other targets."[14]

Speculation, publicity and broadcast

"There's Something About Marrying" was originally broadcast on February 20, 2005, in the United States.[14] It was reported a long time in advance of the episode's airing that a major character would come out as gay during the episode. At the Comic-Con convention in July 2004, Al Jean revealed: "We have a show where, to raise money, Springfield legalizes gay marriage. Homer becomes a minister by going on the internet and filling out a form. A long-time character comes out of the closet, but I'm not saying who."[13] This led to much media speculation and publicity in the press for the episode.[9][15] The last such "mystery Simpsons storyline", as BBC News called it, occurred with the "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" episode in which it was announced prior to the broadcast that a character would be killed in the episode, leading to weeks of speculation before the revelation that it was Maude Flanders.[13]

There was a widespread debate among fans of the series as to who the character coming out of the closet would be, also similar to how they years earlier debated who shot the character Mr. Burns.[9] Matt Groening joked at the Comic-Con convention that "it's Homer".[13] Many fans correctly guessed that it would be one of Homer's sisters-in-law, either Patty or Selma, while others believed it to be Waylon Smithers.[13][16] It had for a long time been hinted on the show that the Smithers character was gay and in love with his boss Mr. Burns. However, as The Baltimore Sun writes, it would have been unlikely for Smithers to be the outed character because it would not have been a surprise to fans, and his love for his heterosexual boss would prevent him from marrying another person.[8] Patty was suspected by fans and the press because she had not often been seen dating men on the show.[8][17] The tabloid newspaper The Sun revealed already in September 2004 that the character who would come out was Patty,[18] though this was regarded as a rumor, and Jean would not confirm it.[8][19] Bookmakers in the United States and the United Kingdom took bets on which character would be uncovered as homosexual, and if there would be a kiss featured in the episode—BetUS laid odds at four to five that it was Patty, while Smithers had four to one odds and Ned Flanders fifteen to one odds. A kiss was given odds of seven to five.[14][20] BetUS said gamblers made more than 900 bets on the coming-out on their website.[20] According to The Baltimore Sun, another betting site named PaddyPower.com "stopped taking wagers because so much money was being placed on [Patty]."[8] Jean told The Advocate that he thought it was "an insane thing for someone to take bets on a result that can be determined by other people", referring to the Simpsons staff, "and could be changed by them at the last minute."[21]

The episode was heavily promoted and hyped,[9][22] with some sources calling it "much anticipated" and "long-awaited".[23][24][25] In addition to the publicity about the coming-out of a character, "There's Something About Marrying" was discussed a lot in the media before its airing because of its gay marriage theme.[9][22] The entertainment website MovieWeb predicted in October 2004 that the episode would become controversial when it aired because of the large children audience and "also because it comes at a time when many states are seeking to ban same-sex wedding ceremonies."[26] According to Knight Ridder, "some conservative groups [...] growled in advance over the episode", but most pre-broadcast publicity was directed at the outing.[27] Mark Pinsky, on the other hand, wrote in his book The Gospel According to The Simpsons that when the announcement that an episode of the show would focus on gay marriage was made, "it stoked a debate that few issues and few television shows could."[28] Before its original airing, Pinsky was interviewed about the episode on ABC's World News Tonight, CNN, BBC Radio, and more, as the author of a book on religion in The Simpsons.[28]

The Fox network, which airs The Simpsons, chose to begin the episode with a Parental Advisory warning stating that it "contains discussions of same-sex marriage" and that "parental discretion is advised."[9][25] This was a first for the show,[29] which had not received parental advisories before even when dealing with themes such as drug use, gambling addictions, theft, crime, and violence.[12] A warning similar to the one displayed at the beginning of this episode was used in front of the gay-themed "The Puppy Episode" of the Ellen series.[12] The buzz "There's Something About Marrying" had received attracted a lot of viewers to its broadcast,[30] and therefore the Fox network chose to air it during the ratings sweeps.[27] The episode was watched by 10.5 million people in the United States, making it the highest-rated episode of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons.[30] It was up by two million from the season's average rating.[31]

Reception

"There's Something About Marrying" featured the first appearance of an animated same-sex marriage on network television.[32]

Television columnist Ray Richmond wrote that the episode was a cultural milestone for The Simpsons and that the "issue [of gay marriage] was mainstream to some degree, but now that [the staff has] deigned it worthy of the show it is interwoven into the popular culture. The Simpsons bestowed upon something a pop culture status it never had before, simply by being ripe for a joke."[32] John Kenneth White, author of the book Barack Obama's America, similarly called "There's Something About Marrying" a cultural barrier breaker.[32]

 
L. Brent Bozell III was critical of the episode.

The episode, dealing with "one of the most divisive issues in American society" according to The New York Times,[14] became a subject of controversy after its broadcast.[27][33] The authors of The Marriage and Family Experience called it "one of the more controversial episodes of a frequently controversial cartoon."[29] Several conservative groups and American Christian conservatives thought it was promoting same-sex marriage.[33][34][35] Parents Television Council president L. Brent Bozell III criticized "There's Something About Marrying" for bringing up the issue.[36] Even though he had not seen the episode himself, he commented that "at a time when the public mood is overwhelmingly against gay marriage, any show that promotes gay marriage is deliberately bucking the public mood."[14] A researcher for the American Family Association, named Ed Vitagliano, claimed the presentation of same-sex marriage in the episode was "very one-sided".[33][37] He said that this episode proved "Hollywood's blatant pro-homosexual bias" because despite The Simpsons being "generally kind of a wacky animated program" it was not neutral on the issue.[37] Bozell also worried about the influence the episode would have on children, despite the parental discretion advisory at the beginning, commenting: "You've got a show watched by millions of children. Do children need to have gay marriage thrust in their faces as an issue? Why can't we just entertain them?"[14][33] Similarly, Vitagliano said that many children watch The Simpsons and Hollywood "will pull out all the stops to promote same-sex marriage — and children will be influenced by it."[37]

Mark Washburn of Knight Ridder wrote that at the time of the episode's broadcast, most Americans were accustomed to seeing homosexual characters on television. He said this is why Patty's coming-out did not become as controversial as the episode's examination of the same-sex marriage issue, which was more sensitive in the country then.[27] The controversy became so big that local news programs in certain cities aired segments about it.[27] In response to the claims that this episode was supporting gay marriage, Al Jean replied that "we don't really take any positions for or against anything, we just like to examine all sides of an issue and I think that anyone who would get their political wisdom from a cartoon might be sadly mistaken."[34] Likewise, Mark Pinsky writes in The Gospel According to The Simpsons that once the episode ended, it was hard to tell what stance on same-sex marriage the writers had and that "both sides of the controversy had their say, voiced by various Simpsons characters".[28] Jean has also cited the episode in defense to critics who say The Simpsons has lost its relevance and edginess in later years. In his book The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History, John Ortved responded to this, commenting that despite the controversies the episode was "in fact a long-winded and lame exploration of the topic."[38]

"There's Something About Marrying" was met with positive reception as well, particularly from gay rights groups.[39] The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) was welcoming of the episode, calling it "a ray of light".[16] GLAAD executive director Joan Garry enjoyed seeing Marge's transformation, from having ambivalent feelings for her sister to then supporting her. He commented that "when Marge learns that Patty's about to marry someone who isn't really a lesbian, she comes to realize that what her sister really deserves is to be in love with and married to a person who's right for her. If millions of Simpsons viewers came away from last night's episode with that little bit of moral truth, it was time well spent."[40] AfterEllen.com's David Kennerley approved of the willingness of a "hit network TV show in prime time, watched by children and adults" to "serve up such a politically charged issue".[15] Rick Garcia, an activist of the gay rights group Equality Illinois, said to the Chicago Tribune that the episode would likely affect society in a positive way because of the iconic status of the show which "shape[s] our attitudes".[28] Unlike many of the conservative groups, Kennerley noted that "in the show's tradition of equal-opportunity lampooning, the message is not all pro-gay. Irksome lesbian stereotypes abound, and Nelson the bully suggests they 'legalize gay funerals.' And naturally, Reverend Lovejoy shutters his church to the same-sex sinners."[15] According to Simpsons writer Mike Reiss, the episode also had supporters among conservative groups. He told Encore magazine that "gay people came out very much in favor of it and were happy with the episode, but arch conservatives and right-wing Christians loved the episode, too, because they seemed to think we were making fun of gay people. We really had it both ways."[28]

Kennerley further wrote that "based on this episode, [...] The Simpsons is in top form. It still reigns as the funniest, brashest, fastest-paced half-hour you'll see on television."[15] Bill Gibron of PopMatters also thought the episode was funny, commenting that it "explored the often-cited 'slippery slope' of allowing matrimony to be defined outside the parameters of a man and a woman—with hilarious results."[41] In regards to the revelation that Patty was gay, The A.V. Club wrote that it "wasn't particularly earth-shattering" but that Marge's initial reaction provided a good twist to the episode.[9] J. Stewart Burns received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in the animation category for his work on "There's Something About Marrying", although he lost the award to another Simpsons writer.[42]

References

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  28. ^ a b c d e Pinsky, Mark I. (2007). The Gospel According to The Simpsons, Bigger and Possibly Even Better! edition (Second ed.). Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. pp. 197–198. ISBN 978-0-664-23160-6.
  29. ^ a b The Marriage and Family Experience: Intimate Relationships in a Changing Society. Cengage Learning. 2010. p. 22. ISBN 978-0-8400-3221-8. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
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  33. ^ a b c d Kwon, Lillian (February 23, 2005). "'Simpsons' Hits on Gay Marriage Issue". The Christian Post. Archived from the original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2018.
  34. ^ a b Tomlinson, Kathy (February 20, 2005). . CTV Television Network. Archived from the original on April 7, 2005. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
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  37. ^ a b c Rettig, Mary (February 22, 2005). . American Family Association. Archived from the original on February 1, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  38. ^ Ortved, John (2009). The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Greystone Books. p. 269. ISBN 978-1-55365-503-9.
  39. ^ Hutchinson, Bill (February 21, 2005). "I Doh! 'Simpsons' Gay-nup Nod". Daily News. New York. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
  40. ^ . Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. February 21, 2005. Archived from the original on September 25, 2011. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  41. ^ Gibron, Bill (May 26, 2005). "The Simpsons – Still the One". PopMatters. Retrieved June 19, 2011.
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External links

 
Wikiquote has quotations related to "There's Something About Marrying".
  • (archived), a website designed by the Fox network specifically for this episode
  • "There's Something About Marrying" at The Simpsons.com
  • "There's Something About Marrying" at IMDb

January 28, 2023
there, something, about, marrying, tenth, episode, sixteenth, season, american, animated, television, series, simpsons, episode, springfield, legalizes, same, marriage, increase, tourism, after, becoming, minister, homer, starts, people, make, money, meanwhile. There s Something About Marrying is the tenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons In the episode Springfield legalizes same sex marriage to increase tourism After becoming a minister Homer starts to wed people to make money Meanwhile Marge s sister Patty comes out as a lesbian and reveals that she is going to marry a woman named Veronica Marge originally disapproves of this making Patty frustrated When Marge accidentally discovers that Veronica is a man cross dressed as a woman she decides to keep quiet about it knowing that Patty will be marrying a man However at the ceremony she is so moved by Patty s vow that she is forced to reveal Veronica s secret After the ceremony is abruptly cancelled Marge tells Patty that she now accepts her sexuality There s Something About Marrying The Simpsons episodeEpisode no Season 16Episode 10Directed byNancy KruseWritten byJ Stewart BurnsProduction codeGABF04Original air dateFebruary 20 2005 2005 02 20 Episode featuresCouch gagThe family dressed as bruised and beaten hockey players skates around the living room holding the Stanley Cup CommentaryAl JeanJ Stewart BurnsMatt SelmanMichael PriceJoel H CohenTom GammillMax ProssJeff WestbrookDavid SilvermanEpisode chronology Previous Pranksta Rap Next On a Clear Day I Can t See My Sister The Simpsons season 16 List of episodesThis was the third time that an episode of The Simpsons focused on homosexuality The episode written by J Stewart Burns and directed by Nancy Kruse was inspired by the 2004 same sex weddings that occurred in San Francisco According to executive producer Al Jean the staff wanted the episode to explore what the different characters stances on same sex marriage were Around the time of the episode s original airdate February 20 2005 the same sex marriage question was a controversial political issue in the United States and the episode became controversial There s Something About Marrying received a lot of criticism from conservative groups including the Parents Television Council and the American Family Association that claimed it was promoting gay marriage Jean stated in response that the staff was not taking a side on the issue and that they were just examining all sides of it Positive reaction to the episode came from among others the Gay amp Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the gay oriented website AfterEllen com During the first airing 10 5 million people watched There s Something About Marrying and it became the highest rated episode of the season The episode had received a lot of publicity in the media before its broadcast not only because of the same sex marriage controversy but also because of Patty s outing It was revealed in July 2004 that a character would come out as gay in the episode leading to much speculation from fans and the press Bookmaker websites were even posting odds on which character it would be with Patty receiving the best odds Contents 1 Plot 2 Production 3 Themes and analysis 4 Speculation publicity and broadcast 5 Reception 6 References 7 External linksPlot EditBart and Milhouse torment a tourist named Howell Huser a parody of television personality Huell Howser who is then chased out of town by bullies Dolph Jimbo and Kearney Huser is later revealed to be a media personality and he appears on a network s morning television show warning tourists against visiting Springfield causing the Springfield tourism business to collapse Mayor Quimby holds an emergency meeting at the town hall to solve the problem and after many senseless suggestions Lisa suggests that Springfield legalize same sex marriage to entice visitors to their town All of Springfield happily agrees with Lisa s idea and the town makes a commercial that is broadcast throughout America convincing hundreds of homosexual couples to come to Springfield However Reverend Lovejoy insists that the Bible forbids same sex marriage and refuses to marry any gay couples Homer upon learning that ministers are paid 200 per couple abandons his own opposition to the process and becomes a minister himself with help from the online e Piscopal Church whereupon he marries every gay couple in town Meanwhile at the Simpson family s home Patty comes out as a lesbian saying that she is in love with a pro golfer named Veronica and asking Homer to marry them While Homer accepts Patty s sexuality briefly improving their relationship an uncomfortable Marge reprimands her for having not told their family and insists that Patty marry a man Patty is angered and calls Marge out for being a hypocrite in acting liberal about the issues pointing out that she cannot accept their family s sexuality for what it is Before the wedding Marge accidentally discovers Veronica is actually male She decides to keep quiet about it since Patty will be marrying a man During the wedding ceremony Marge becomes especially touched by Patty s heartfelt declaration of love for Veronica This prompts Marge to disclose Veronica s actual gender in front of the whole wedding assembly much to Patty s horror Veronica is revealed to be a heterosexual cis gendered male named Leslie Robin Swisher Leslie explains that he posed as a woman so he could get onto the LPGA golf tour Leslie then asks Patty whether she still wants to marry him but Patty replies Hell no I like chicks to cheers from the congregation Afterwards Marge reconciles with Patty after telling her that she has learned a lesson and has accepted the fact that Patty is a lesbian In a meta reference to the show s tendency to episodically return to status quo ante Lisa notes that this is the end of Homer s wedding business When Bart asks Why Lisa shrugs her shoulders and makes a non committal noise Patty and her other sister Selma then go to leave a bag at the airport unattended as a way to meet security personnel they can date Production Edit Al Jean said the staff wanted to explore the characters different positions on same sex marriage There s Something About Marrying was written by co executive producer J Stewart Burns and directed by Nancy Kruse as part of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons 1 Work on the episode started in March 2004 after the 2004 San Francisco same sex weddings a period during February 2004 when the city was issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples This served as the Simpsons staff s inspiration for There s Something About Marrying 2 The plot point where Springfield tries to increase tourism by marketing towards the LGBT community also had a basis in reality An example is Fort Lauderdale which became a popular tourist destination for gays and lesbians in the mid 2000s 3 Executive producer Al Jean said they were interested in doing the episode because they could explore the various characters different positions on gay marriage while remaining neutral Lisa thinks it s good for civil rights The reverend of the local Protestant church is opposed to it Other people think tourists will come to town Mayor Quimby wants the money We don t take a position as much as explore everybody s positions he commented 2 Matt Groening the creator of The Simpsons stated that the staff wanted to out Patty as gay because portraying her as a love starved spinster seemed old on the show 4 There had previously been hints about Patty s orientation For example in the season thirteen episode Jaws Wired Shut she is part of the Springfield Gay Pride Parade s stayin in the closet float though only her voice was heard and she was not seen 5 Themes and analysis EditThe episode s plotline revolves around homosexuality the third time for The Simpsons The first was season eight s Homer s Phobia and the second was Three Gays of the Condo from season fourteen 6 both of which won Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program 7 This time it centered on the right for homosexuals to get married and the coming out of a character In the episode Homer is shown as being tolerant with homosexuality whereas in Homer s Phobia he is portrayed as being strongly homophobic 6 In that episode the Simpson family gets a new friend that Homer dissociates himself from after finding out that he is gay He also fears that the friend will have a negative influence on Bart and decides to ensure Bart s heterosexuality by taking him to do manly things such as hunting 6 8 As James Delingpole of The Daily Telegraph writes it was first after Homer s Phobia that Homer began to be portrayed as enlightened about homosexuality 6 Marge on the other hand who had previously been portrayed as supportive of gay people on the show is seen as disapproving of her sister s sexual orientation 9 The coming out of Ellen DeGeneres character in Ellen led to the appearance of more gay characters on television According to the publication Zeek A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture and Value War Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights it was the controversial lesbian outing of the main character played by Ellen DeGeneres in the sitcom Ellen in 1997 that paved the way for Patty s coming out in this episode as well as for many other gay characters on other television shows 10 11 In his book Queers in American Popular Culture Jim Elledge noted that unlike many episodes of The Simpsons that go through a situation and then everything returns to normal during the ending this one does not He commented that the staff of the show could have made Patty heterosexual again at the end of the episode and leave it how it was before by having her marry Leslie Instead they ended it in a way that could potentially be experienced as distasteful to the heteronormative audience by having Patty exclaim Hell no I like girls to Leslie s marriage proposal 12 The author also noted that it is possible the Simpsons staff chose Patty to come out as gay instead of a male character because lesbians were traditionally considered more acceptable on television She did however not adhere to the eroticized male lesbian fantasy or fit into the loveable asexual guise of the comedy lesbian that had previously been seen on shows such as Ellen Instead Patty is rude crude and not ashamed of declaring her sexual preferences and this could make her unpalatable to some viewers according to Elledge 12 Around the episode s original broadcast in early 2005 the same sex marriage question was one of the hottest political issues in America 9 It had been an especially hot topic during the then recent presidential election in the United States 13 Marty Kaplan a professor at Annenberg School for Communication and radio host on Air America Radio commented that the episode is telling those who demonize homosexuality or what these people call the homosexual agenda anything from lighten up to get out of town 14 This was not the first time that an episode of the show had brought up a current issue Writing in an article about There s Something About Marrying for The New York Times Sharon Waxman said that as television s longest running situation comedy The Simpsons is no stranger to hot button social religious and political issues mocking wardrobe malfunctions Hollywood liberals and born again Christians among other targets 14 Speculation publicity and broadcast Edit There s Something About Marrying was originally broadcast on February 20 2005 in the United States 14 It was reported a long time in advance of the episode s airing that a major character would come out as gay during the episode At the Comic Con convention in July 2004 Al Jean revealed We have a show where to raise money Springfield legalizes gay marriage Homer becomes a minister by going on the internet and filling out a form A long time character comes out of the closet but I m not saying who 13 This led to much media speculation and publicity in the press for the episode 9 15 The last such mystery Simpsons storyline as BBC News called it occurred with the Alone Again Natura Diddily episode in which it was announced prior to the broadcast that a character would be killed in the episode leading to weeks of speculation before the revelation that it was Maude Flanders 13 There was a widespread debate among fans of the series as to who the character coming out of the closet would be also similar to how they years earlier debated who shot the character Mr Burns 9 Matt Groening joked at the Comic Con convention that it s Homer 13 Many fans correctly guessed that it would be one of Homer s sisters in law either Patty or Selma while others believed it to be Waylon Smithers 13 16 It had for a long time been hinted on the show that the Smithers character was gay and in love with his boss Mr Burns However as The Baltimore Sun writes it would have been unlikely for Smithers to be the outed character because it would not have been a surprise to fans and his love for his heterosexual boss would prevent him from marrying another person 8 Patty was suspected by fans and the press because she had not often been seen dating men on the show 8 17 The tabloid newspaper The Sun revealed already in September 2004 that the character who would come out was Patty 18 though this was regarded as a rumor and Jean would not confirm it 8 19 Bookmakers in the United States and the United Kingdom took bets on which character would be uncovered as homosexual and if there would be a kiss featured in the episode BetUS laid odds at four to five that it was Patty while Smithers had four to one odds and Ned Flanders fifteen to one odds A kiss was given odds of seven to five 14 20 BetUS said gamblers made more than 900 bets on the coming out on their website 20 According to The Baltimore Sun another betting site named PaddyPower com stopped taking wagers because so much money was being placed on Patty 8 Jean told The Advocate that he thought it was an insane thing for someone to take bets on a result that can be determined by other people referring to the Simpsons staff and could be changed by them at the last minute 21 The episode was heavily promoted and hyped 9 22 with some sources calling it much anticipated and long awaited 23 24 25 In addition to the publicity about the coming out of a character There s Something About Marrying was discussed a lot in the media before its airing because of its gay marriage theme 9 22 The entertainment website MovieWeb predicted in October 2004 that the episode would become controversial when it aired because of the large children audience and also because it comes at a time when many states are seeking to ban same sex wedding ceremonies 26 According to Knight Ridder some conservative groups growled in advance over the episode but most pre broadcast publicity was directed at the outing 27 Mark Pinsky on the other hand wrote in his book The Gospel According to The Simpsons that when the announcement that an episode of the show would focus on gay marriage was made it stoked a debate that few issues and few television shows could 28 Before its original airing Pinsky was interviewed about the episode on ABC s World News Tonight CNN BBC Radio and more as the author of a book on religion in The Simpsons 28 The Fox network which airs The Simpsons chose to begin the episode with a Parental Advisory warning stating that it contains discussions of same sex marriage and that parental discretion is advised 9 25 This was a first for the show 29 which had not received parental advisories before even when dealing with themes such as drug use gambling addictions theft crime and violence 12 A warning similar to the one displayed at the beginning of this episode was used in front of the gay themed The Puppy Episode of the Ellen series 12 The buzz There s Something About Marrying had received attracted a lot of viewers to its broadcast 30 and therefore the Fox network chose to air it during the ratings sweeps 27 The episode was watched by 10 5 million people in the United States making it the highest rated episode of the sixteenth season of The Simpsons 30 It was up by two million from the season s average rating 31 Reception Edit There s Something About Marrying featured the first appearance of an animated same sex marriage on network television 32 Television columnist Ray Richmond wrote that the episode was a cultural milestone for The Simpsons and that the issue of gay marriage was mainstream to some degree but now that the staff has deigned it worthy of the show it is interwoven into the popular culture The Simpsons bestowed upon something a pop culture status it never had before simply by being ripe for a joke 32 John Kenneth White author of the book Barack Obama s America similarly called There s Something About Marrying a cultural barrier breaker 32 L Brent Bozell III was critical of the episode The episode dealing with one of the most divisive issues in American society according to The New York Times 14 became a subject of controversy after its broadcast 27 33 The authors of The Marriage and Family Experience called it one of the more controversial episodes of a frequently controversial cartoon 29 Several conservative groups and American Christian conservatives thought it was promoting same sex marriage 33 34 35 Parents Television Council president L Brent Bozell III criticized There s Something About Marrying for bringing up the issue 36 Even though he had not seen the episode himself he commented that at a time when the public mood is overwhelmingly against gay marriage any show that promotes gay marriage is deliberately bucking the public mood 14 A researcher for the American Family Association named Ed Vitagliano claimed the presentation of same sex marriage in the episode was very one sided 33 37 He said that this episode proved Hollywood s blatant pro homosexual bias because despite The Simpsons being generally kind of a wacky animated program it was not neutral on the issue 37 Bozell also worried about the influence the episode would have on children despite the parental discretion advisory at the beginning commenting You ve got a show watched by millions of children Do children need to have gay marriage thrust in their faces as an issue Why can t we just entertain them 14 33 Similarly Vitagliano said that many children watch The Simpsons and Hollywood will pull out all the stops to promote same sex marriage and children will be influenced by it 37 Mark Washburn of Knight Ridder wrote that at the time of the episode s broadcast most Americans were accustomed to seeing homosexual characters on television He said this is why Patty s coming out did not become as controversial as the episode s examination of the same sex marriage issue which was more sensitive in the country then 27 The controversy became so big that local news programs in certain cities aired segments about it 27 In response to the claims that this episode was supporting gay marriage Al Jean replied that we don t really take any positions for or against anything we just like to examine all sides of an issue and I think that anyone who would get their political wisdom from a cartoon might be sadly mistaken 34 Likewise Mark Pinsky writes in The Gospel According to The Simpsons that once the episode ended it was hard to tell what stance on same sex marriage the writers had and that both sides of the controversy had their say voiced by various Simpsons characters 28 Jean has also cited the episode in defense to critics who say The Simpsons has lost its relevance and edginess in later years In his book The Simpsons An Uncensored Unauthorized History John Ortved responded to this commenting that despite the controversies the episode was in fact a long winded and lame exploration of the topic 38 There s Something About Marrying was met with positive reception as well particularly from gay rights groups 39 The Gay amp Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation GLAAD was welcoming of the episode calling it a ray of light 16 GLAAD executive director Joan Garry enjoyed seeing Marge s transformation from having ambivalent feelings for her sister to then supporting her He commented that when Marge learns that Patty s about to marry someone who isn t really a lesbian she comes to realize that what her sister really deserves is to be in love with and married to a person who s right for her If millions of Simpsons viewers came away from last night s episode with that little bit of moral truth it was time well spent 40 AfterEllen com s David Kennerley approved of the willingness of a hit network TV show in prime time watched by children and adults to serve up such a politically charged issue 15 Rick Garcia an activist of the gay rights group Equality Illinois said to the Chicago Tribune that the episode would likely affect society in a positive way because of the iconic status of the show which shape s our attitudes 28 Unlike many of the conservative groups Kennerley noted that in the show s tradition of equal opportunity lampooning the message is not all pro gay Irksome lesbian stereotypes abound and Nelson the bully suggests they legalize gay funerals And naturally Reverend Lovejoy shutters his church to the same sex sinners 15 According to Simpsons writer Mike Reiss the episode also had supporters among conservative groups He told Encore magazine that gay people came out very much in favor of it and were happy with the episode but arch conservatives and right wing Christians loved the episode too because they seemed to think we were making fun of gay people We really had it both ways 28 Kennerley further wrote that based on this episode The Simpsons is in top form It still reigns as the funniest brashest fastest paced half hour you ll see on television 15 Bill Gibron of PopMatters also thought the episode was funny commenting that it explored the often cited slippery slope of allowing matrimony to be defined outside the parameters of a man and a woman with hilarious results 41 In regards to the revelation that Patty was gay The A V Club wrote that it wasn t particularly earth shattering but that Marge s initial reaction provided a good twist to the episode 9 J Stewart Burns received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in the animation category for his work on There s Something About Marrying although he lost the award to another Simpsons writer 42 References Edit There s Something About Marrying Yahoo Archived from the original on July 24 2011 Retrieved June 19 2011 a b Foust Michael January 27 2005 Groundbreaking Homosexuality finding its way into cartoons Baptist Press Archived from the original on March 20 2012 Retrieved June 20 2011 Pinsky Mark I 2007 The Gospel According to The Simpsons Bigger and Possibly Even Better edition Second ed Louisville Kentucky Westminster John Knox Press p 192 ISBN 978 0 664 23160 6 The Advocate Issues 985 991 Liberation Publications 2007 Retrieved August 8 2011 McCann Jesse L Matt Groening 2005 The Simpsons One Step Beyond Forever A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family Continued Yet Again HarperCollins pp 28 29 ISBN 0 06 081754 2 a b c d Delingpole James January 5 2010 What The Simpsons can teach us about life The Daily Telegraph Retrieved June 19 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search Academy of Television Arts amp Sciences Archived from the original on February 15 2009 Retrieved August 8 2011 a b c d e Kiehl Stephen The Baltimore Sun February 2 2005 The Simpsons to out a character The Gainesville Sun Retrieved June 20 2011 a b c d e f g h Inventory 15 Simpsons Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras The A V Club July 23 2007 Archived from the original on June 25 2011 Retrieved June 19 2011 Zeek A Jewish Journal of Thought and Culture Metatronics Inc 2005 p 78 Retrieved August 8 2011 Brewer Paul Ryan 2008 Value War Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights Rowman amp Littlefield p 49 ISBN 978 0 7425 6211 0 a b c d Elledge Jim 2010 Queers in American Popular Culture Volume 2 ABC CLIO pp 266 269 ISBN 978 0 313 35457 1 Retrieved August 8 2011 a b c d e Simpsons to reveal gay character BBC News July 28 2004 Retrieved August 8 2011 a b c d e f g Waxman Sharon February 21 2005 Simpsons Animates Gay Nuptials and a Debate The New York Times Retrieved August 8 2011 a b c d Kennerley David February 22 2005 Simpsons Episode Offers Fresh Funny Take on Gay Marriage AfterEllen com Archived from the original on October 21 2012 Retrieved June 19 2011 a b Simpsons gay character is Patty BBC News February 21 2005 Retrieved July 7 2007 Maurstad Tom The Dallas Morning News February 19 2005 Gay character revealed on Simpsons The Spokesman Review Retrieved June 20 2011 Wilkes Neil September 30 2004 Gay Simpsons character revealed Digital Spy Retrieved June 20 2011 Hiatt Brian November 5 2004 Springfield Fever Entertainment Weekly Archived from the original on February 9 2007 Retrieved June 20 2011 a b Public Eye U T San Diego January 21 2005 Retrieved June 20 2011 Duralde Alonso February 15 2005 Something borrowed something yellow The Advocate Retrieved June 26 2011 a b Simpsons gay show The Age February 22 2005 Retrieved June 19 2011 People and places The Baltimore Sun February 21 2005 Archived from the original on November 7 2012 Retrieved June 20 2011 Irby Lacey February 22 2005 Patty is Out and About in Springfield TheCelebrityCafe com Archived from the original on June 22 2011 Retrieved June 20 2011 a b Parant Paul February 24 2005 Coming out chez les Simpson Tetu in French Archived from the original on June 23 2011 Retrieved June 20 2011 Studio Briefing October 1st 2004 MovieWeb October 1 2004 Retrieved June 20 2011 a b c d e Washburn Mark Knight Ridder February 22 2005 Simpsons follows NASCAR with gay coming out The Vindicator Retrieved June 19 2011 a b c d e Pinsky Mark I 2007 The Gospel According to The Simpsons Bigger and Possibly Even Better edition Second ed Louisville Kentucky Westminster John Knox Press pp 197 198 ISBN 978 0 664 23160 6 a b The Marriage and Family Experience Intimate Relationships in a Changing Society Cengage Learning 2010 p 22 ISBN 978 0 8400 3221 8 Retrieved August 8 2011 a b Brioux Bill May 1 2005 The Simpsons has jumped the shark Toronto Sun Jam Archived from the original on January 15 2013 Retrieved June 19 2011 Mihovilovic Maroje April 3 2005 Novi rekord Simpsona New Simpsons record Nacional in Croatian Archived from the original on June 9 2012 Retrieved June 20 2011 a b c White John Kenneth 2009 Barack Obama s America University of Michigan Press p 30 ISBN 978 0 472 03391 1 a b c d Kwon Lillian February 23 2005 Simpsons Hits on Gay Marriage Issue The Christian Post Archived from the original on January 19 2013 Retrieved May 9 2018 a b Tomlinson Kathy February 20 2005 Simpsons Springfield to legalize gay marriage CTV Television Network Archived from the original on April 7 2005 Retrieved August 8 2011 Booker M Keith 2006 Drawn to Television Prime Time Animation from The Flintstones to Family Guy Greenwood Publishing Group p 64 ISBN 978 0 275 99019 0 Retrieved August 8 2011 People Brad Pitt Christian Slater Paris Hilton The New York Times February 23 2005 Retrieved June 19 2011 a b c Rettig Mary February 22 2005 Researcher Outing of Simpsons Character Consistent with Hollywood Bias American Family Association Archived from the original on February 1 2009 Retrieved August 8 2011 Ortved John 2009 The Simpsons An Uncensored Unauthorized History Greystone Books p 269 ISBN 978 1 55365 503 9 Hutchinson Bill February 21 2005 I Doh Simpsons Gay nup Nod Daily News New York Retrieved June 19 2011 Glaad Applauds Truth at the Heart Of The Simpsons Gay amp Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation February 21 2005 Archived from the original on September 25 2011 Retrieved June 26 2011 Gibron Bill May 26 2005 The Simpsons Still the One PopMatters Retrieved June 19 2011 2006 Writers Guild Awards Television and Radio Nominees Announced Writers Guild of America Archived from the original on October 12 2013 Retrieved August 8 2011 External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to There s Something About Marrying The Simpsons portalSpringfieldIsForGayLoversOfMarriage com archived a website designed by the Fox network specifically for this episode There s Something About Marrying at The Simpsons com There s Something About Marrying at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title There 27s Something About Marrying amp oldid 1130054762, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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