Treehouse of Horror episode: 7
Year: 1996
Season: 8
Segment: 3 of 3
Segment title: “Citizen Kang”
Writer(s): David X. Cohen
Characters:
Main: Homer, Kang, Kodos
Supporting: Marge, Lisa, Bart, Maggie, Kent Brockman
Homage to? Nothing; just a poke at US presidential election races
Basic premise: Kang and Kodos run for president
Best quotes:
Homer: “Oh no! Space aliens! Don’t eat me! I have a wife and kids! Eat them!”
Homer: “Well, I suppose you want to probe me. Might as well get it over with…” (Drops pants)
Kang: “Stop! We have reached the limit of what rectal probing can teach us.”
Kent Brockman: “Kent Brockman here with Campaign ‘96: America flips a coin!”
Kang (as Clinton): “I am Clin-ton! As supreme overlord all will kneel trembling before me and obey my brutal commands! Communication ends!”
Marge (watching): “That’s slick Willy for ya! Always with the smooth talk!”
Kent Brockman: “Senator Dole, why should people vote for you instead of President Clinton?”
Kodos (as Bob Dole): “It makes no difference which of us you choose. Either way your planet is doomed! Doomed!”
Kent: “Well, a refreshingly frank answer there from Senator Bob Dole!”
Kodos (as Dole): “Abortions for all!”
Crowd: “Boo!”
Kodos: “Very well. No abortions for anyone!”
Crowd: “Boo!”
Kodos: “Abortions for some, miniature American flags for others!”
Crowd: “Hooray!”
Aide: “Mr. President, sir? People are becoming a bit confused by the way you and your opponent are, well, constantly holding hands.”
Kodos (as Dole): “We are merely exchanging long protein strings. If you can think of a simpler way I’d like to hear it.”
Kang (as Clinton): “My fellow Americans, as a young boy I dreamed of being a baseball, but today I say we must move forward, not backward, upward, not forward, and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom!”
Aide (throwing stars and stripes at Homer): “Don’t forget your stinkin’ flag!”
Kodos: “He’s right! We are aliens! But what are you going to do about it? It’s a two-party system! You’ll have to vote for one of us!”
Marge: “I don’t understand why we have to build a ray gun to aim at a planet I never even heard of!”
Homer: “Don’t blame me! I voted for Kodos!”
Type of ending: Funny but silly and with a certain sense of political satire
Synopsis: Captured by Kang and Kodos, Homer is told they intend to take over, but when instructed by them to take them to his leader, Homer - somewhat astutely for him - points out that there is an election in the offing, and the current leader, Bill Clinton, might not be president after that. So the aliens capture both Clinton and his opponent, Bob Dole, assume their forms and go on the campaign trail. Homer tries to convince everyone they are aliens but nobody will listen. He gets back to the spaceship and flies it back to Washington, but on the way unfortunately sends Clinton and Dole out into space. Oops!
Arriving at the podium he unmasks the two aliens, but they point out that the people have to vote for one or the other of them.
Rating:
Score
Story: 8
Laughs: 5
Originality: 10
Ending: 7
Longevity: 5
Total:35
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRJsTQFTEZ8