Homer does the intro this time, stepping into an outline of Alfred Hitchcock and drawling “Good evening.” He goes on to take aim at those who want the show cancelled, daring them to turn off their TV, and then making chicken noises. The set goes off, and Marge is heard asking him if he just insulted everyone. “No,” lies Homer. “I swear on this bible.” Marge snaps “That’s not a Bible: it’s a book of carpet samples!”
We’re back to the idea of storytelling, as Lisa, Bart and then grandpa tell their tales. Lisa is up first, and says “this is a tale of a boy and his doll.” When Homer sneers “that’s not very scary” she grins “A doll from Hell!”
Drexell’s Class*
I’m with stupid (pointing to)
R.. Beckminster Fuller*
Slapstick
American workmanship
Treehouse of Horror episode: 3
Year: 1992
Season: 4
Segment: 1 of 3
Segment title: “Clown Without Pity”
Writer(s): Al Jean & Mike Reiss, Jay Kogen & Wallace Wolodarsky, Sam Simon, Jon Vitti
(As before, no separate writing credits are shown, so the same deal as before).
Characters:
Main: Homer, Bart
Supporting: Grandpa, Marge, Lisa, Martin, Nelson, Krusty (as a doll)
Homage to? The
Twilight Zone episode “Living Doll”, the movie
Child’s Play.
Basic premise: Looking for a birthday present for Bart, Homer buys a Krusty doll from a strange old man in a strange old shop. Surprisingly, the doll turns out to be evil, and tries to kill him.
Best quotes: Marge: “Where did you get all the money, grandpa?”
Grandpa: “The government. I didn’t earn it, I don’t need it, but if they miss one payment I’ll raise hell!”
Bart: “Hey Homer, where’s my present?”
Homer: “I forgot to get you a present, son. But I swear on my father’s grave -”
Grandpa: “Hey!”
Homer: “I will get you one now.”
Homer: “Do you sell toys?”
Shop owner: “We sell forbidden objects from places men fear to tread. We also sell frozen yogurts, which I call frogurts.”
Shop owner: “Take this object, but beware: it carries with it a terrible curse.”
Homer: “That’s bad.”
Shop owner: “But it comes with a free frogurt!”
Homer: “That’s good!”
Shop owner: “The frogurt is also cursed.”
Homer: “That’s bad!”
Shop owner: “But you get your choice of toppings.”
Homer: “That’s good!”
Shop owner: “The toppings contain Potassium Benzoate.” (Blank look from Homer) "That’s bad.”
Bart: “I’d say that the pressure has finally got to dad, but
what pressure?”
Patti (or is it Selma?), as Homer runs through the house naked: “There goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality.”
Krusty Co. service guy: “Yup, there’s your problem: someone set this thing to ‘evil’!”
Type of ending: Upbeat but silly
Synopsis: When he realises he has no birthday present for Bart, Homer goes to a strange curio shop and buys a Krusty doll, ignoring the shop owner’s warning that the toy is cursed. Bart loves it, but later the toy attacks Homer, and even when he tries to drop it into a bottomless pit (with a sign saying “Bottomless Pit”!) it comes back. Finally, a repairman comes out to sort the issue, remarking that the toy has been set from “good” to “evil.” Flicking the switch on its back turns it back into a good toy, and the Krusty toy ends up sharing Lisa’s wendy house with her Malibu Stacy doll.
Rating: A+
Trivia: The title is a corruption of the song “Town Without Pity”, mostly made famous by Gene Pitney, and from the German 1961 movie of the same name.
Score
Story: 8
Laughs: 8
Originality: 5
Ending: 5
Longevity: 5
Total: 31