1. The Simpsons.
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2. The Simpsons.
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3. They were the first
family of American laughter...
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4. surfing a tidal wave of hilarity...
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5. Look at her vacuum.
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6. onto the sands of Superstar Bay.
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7. But behind the chortles,
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8. this funny fivesome was trapped
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9. in a private hell.
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10. Everybody wanted a piece of us.
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11. They told us what to wear, how to dress,
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12. which clothes we should put on.
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13. The cops found me driving on the sidewalk.
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14. I had no business hosting the Oscars.
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15. After the show, Meryl Streep spit on me.
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16. Tonight, the Simpsons
as you've never seen them before
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17. on Behind The Laughter.
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18. The Simpsons'
amazing journey began here
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19. in the bustling heartland town
of Springfield.
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20. On this unassuming street, two nobodies
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21. named Homer and Marge Simpson
settled down to raise a family.
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22. First came baby Bart...
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23. then Lisa Simpson...
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24. And finally, Maggie.
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25. Nobody told us how tough
it is to raise kids.
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26. They almost drove me to fortified wine.
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27. Then we figured out we could
park them in front of the TV.
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28. That's how I was raised,
and I turned out TV.
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29. I'd see them sitting on that
couch all day long,
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30. just staring at that Hollywood Hogwash.
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31. Our favorite show was Hollywood Hogwash.
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32. But we also loved The Dreck Squad.
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33. The Malarkeys, Dumbin' it Down.
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34. Sheriff Lowbrow.
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35. Home Improvement.
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36. But we never saw people like us on TV.
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37. TV families were always hugging
and tackling issues.
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38. Homer kept saying he could do
a more realistic family show.
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39. Finally, I said, "So, do it."
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40. Either or get off the pot.
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41. And he did.
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42. Using his home as the studio
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43. and his family as the cast,
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44. this penniless peckinpah
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45. shot a crude five-minute video.
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46. My Funny Family, take one.
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47. And... action!
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48. Honey, I'm home.
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49. The boss is coming to dinner
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50. and I need a clean shirt.
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51. I haven't done the laundry yet.
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52. Mama Mia! Now I'll have to do it.
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53. Dad, that's too much detergent...
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54. Not now.
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55. I'm busy turning on
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56. this washing machine.
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57. Simpson!
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58. Where's my dinner?
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59. Mama Mia!
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60. It was amazing how fast.
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61. Dad betrayed his vision
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62. of a realistic show.
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63. OK, the material was a little corny
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64. but Homer and I
had real chemistry onscreen.
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65. Every day, I thought about firing Marge...
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66. You know, just to shake things up.
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67. Homer didn't fire Marge,
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68. but he did shake things up...
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69. show business things.
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70. He tried to show his demo tape
to the major networks...
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71. But couldn't get past the guards.
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72. Fortunately, I had a network connection.
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73. The man who cut my hair
was also President of Fox.
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74. The Simpsons had
their foot in the door.
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75. Fox ordered 13 episodes.
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76. But would the public respond?
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77. M, E, R.
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78. - OK.
- R, U, P...
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79. - You're almost there. Good!
- ... E, R, T.
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80. Shake it up, baby.
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81. - Twist and shout.
- Twist and shout.
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82. I first knew the show was a hit
when I walked
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83. into school and a kid was wearing
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84. a Bart Simpson t-shirt.
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85. Fox had an endless supply
of clever slogans, man.
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86. Suddenly, I was invited
to every birthday party.
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87. Sometimes, I'd have to read the cake
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88. just to know who I was singing to.
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89. The Simpsons was a smash.
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90. Viewers couldn't get enough
of the show's fractured take
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91. on the modern family.
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92. The funniest stuff
came right out of real life.
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93. Son, let's go out for frosty
chocolate milkshakes.
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94. Cowabunga, dude.
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95. And... Cut.
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96. Dad, I've never said
"cowabunga" in my life.
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97. Your script sucks.
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98. Why, you little...
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99. Hey, that's funny.
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100. And that horrible act of child abuse
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101. became one of our most
beloved running gags.
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102. With Simpson
merchandise selling like crazy
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103. and Simpson Gin
wetting whistles worldwide,
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104. the money was pouring in.
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105. We were using $50 bills as toilet paper
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106. and toilet paper as dog toilet paper.
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107. Convinced that the good times
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108. would never stop rolling,
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109. the Simpsons moved out
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110. of their trademark house
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111. and into M.C. Hammer's.
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112. We found a secret room that
was filled to the ceiling
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113. with parachute pants.
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114. I'm wearing some now.
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115. But pants or no pants,
the Simpsons were flying high.
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116. Yeah, I've seen all
the overnight sensations...
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117. Brad Hall, Rich Hall,
Rich Little, Little Richard...
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118. But the Simpsons blew them all away.
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119. They even had a hit record.
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120. Meanwhile, "Krustophenia"
sits on the shelf.
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121. None of us had ever sung before
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122. but Mr. Geffen believed in us.
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123. We're gonna groove tonight.
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124. We'll make you feel all right.
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125. Simpsons Boogie.
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126. "Simpsons Boogie."
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127. "Lovely to love your lovin',"
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128. and "Simpsons Christmas Boogie"
went mega-platinum
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129. and swept the Grammys.
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130. Right,
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131. and the award for.
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132. "Best Hardcore Thrash Metal" goes to...
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133. "Simpsons Christmas Boogie"?
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134. Simpsons Christmas Boogie.
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135. For America's favorite family,
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136. everything was coming up roses
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137. but those roses contained
ready-to-sting bees.
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138. When we come back...
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139. I want to set the record straight.
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140. I thought the cop was a prostitute.
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141. When Behind The Laughter
continues.
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142. By the end
of their first season,
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143. the Simpsons were burning up.
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144. Nielsen Boxes in the U.S.
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145. and creating a sensation overseas.
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146. Hello, Mr. Lobster.
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147. Oh, dear...
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148. Bathtubs of money,
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149. wheelbarrows of awards,
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150. fire hoses of respect...
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151. The Simpsons had it all.
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152. But behind the streamers and confetti,
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153. storm clouds were gathering.
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154. Figurative storm clouds.
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155. Oh, Homer was spending money
like a teenage Arab, heh.
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156. He bought me a Rolex and Cashmere jeans.
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157. I felt kind of guilty
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158. 'cause I was always trying
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159. to score with his wife.
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160. So, when do we start filming?
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161. Even Bart was throwing dough around.
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162. He paid me and Carl a 1000 bucks
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163. to kiss each other.
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164. Hey, did we ever get that money?
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165. But reckless spending
and interracial homoeroticism
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166. were just volume one
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167. of The Encyclopedia Self-Destructica.
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168. Even more harrowing were the events
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169. of one April afternoon.
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170. The script originally called
for me to jump the gorge,
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171. but I'd been up all night
paying people to kiss,
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172. so Dad volunteered to do the stunt.
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173. Everything was going great at first.
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174. I felt like I was king of the world.
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175. I'm king of the world! Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!
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176. Right about here
I realize something's wrong.
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177. Yup, there I go.
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178. Then came the rocks...
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179. Jagged rocks...
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180. Hitting me with their jags.
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181. The sequence became
an instant comedy classic
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182. but what the audience didn't see
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183. was the unfunny aftermath.
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184. Somehow, Homer became
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185. addicted to painkillers.
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186. It was the only way he could perform
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187. - the bone-cracking physical comedy...
- Ow! My leg!
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188. that made him a star.
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189. This is the worst pain ever.
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190. Stop pummeling me!
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191. It's really painful!
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192. Why did I take such punishment?
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193. Let's just say that fame was like a drug.
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194. But, what was even more
like a drug was the drugs.
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195. But despite
their mounting problems,
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196. the Simpsons' star continued to rise
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197. like a plastic bag caught in an updraft.
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198. It was such an honor
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199. to be on the Walk of Fame.
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200. I mean, there we were
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201. with Hollywood royalty
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202. like Milton Berle
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203. and Nelson Mandela...
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204. And just a few stars down
from the Cheerios Honey Bee.
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205. Awards and honors are great,
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206. but they don't pay the pickle man.
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207. We were earning millions,
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208. but we were always strapped for cash.
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209. One time, Lisa bought a first edition
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210. of Susan B. Anthony Man.
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211. Her check bounced higher than Rubber Girl.
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212. Where did the money go?
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213. Marge lost much of the family fortune
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214. investing in birth control products.
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215. I learned something.
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216. When people reach for their diaphragm,
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217. they don't want to see my picture.
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218. As the Simpsons'
money dwindled,
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219. their expenses soared.
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220. From the original group of five,
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221. the cast ballooned to dozens...
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222. then hundreds.
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223. I'd never acted before in my life
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224. but, uh, if the sea captain
could be in the show,
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225. why not me?
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226. I've even got a catch phrase.
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227. Nyah...
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228. No. I lost it.
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229. Then another bombshell.
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230. An anonymous tipster alerted Uncle Sam
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231. that the Simpsons were evading
their income taxes.
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232. Yes, I finked on Homer, but,
you know, he deserved it.
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233. Never have I seen such abuse
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234. of the "take a penny, leave a penny" tray.
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235. The tax men were merciless.
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236. Hey! What the...
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237. Hey, they can't take our house.
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238. My potbellied pig is in there.
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239. Oh, Mr. Porky.
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240. Inevitably,
the behind-the-scenes turmoil
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241. took its toll on their TV series.
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242. And... action!
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243. Hold on. Cut.
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244. - For crying out loud.
- Oh, man.
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245. Bart, if it's not
too much trouble...
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246. Fine. I'll do Teen Wolf III.
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247. I've got fair-weather friends to feed.
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248. Dad, I want to go to bed.
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249. Aren't there child labor laws?
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250. Who told you about those laws?
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251. Was it Marge?
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252. Hey, you've been riding me all day.
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253. Why don't you poop in your hat?
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254. Are you going to need us tonight?
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255. I have ballet tickets.
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256. Not that they'll do much good now.
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257. With the family in disarray,
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258. episodes increasingly resorted
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259. to gimmicky premises
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260. and nonsensical plots.
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261. I'm... An impostor.
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262. That man is the real Seymour Skinner.
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263. Trendy guest stars
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264. were shamelessly trotted out
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265. to grab ratings...
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266. If you are looking for trouble,
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267. you found it.
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268. Just try me, you... Oh!
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269. But there were
bigger problems offscreen.
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270. After judging a Miss Hawaiian
Tropic Beauty Contest
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271. at The Sheraton Haleakalualea,
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272. Bart created a ruckus
on a Hawaiian airline jet,
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273. attacking several flight attendants.
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274. While he was in rehab,
the part of Bart Simpson was played
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275. by his good friend, Richie Rich.
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276. Bart, what do you mean you have jury duty?
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277. Don't have a cow, Mother.
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278. Fans reacted
to these slapdash episodes
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279. with yawns...
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280. Angry yawns.
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281. Desperate to polish their tarnished image,
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282. the family agreed to a live appearance
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283. at the Iowa State Fair.
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284. Right from the start, I had
a bad feeling about that gig.
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285. It was an evening
none of them would ever forget.
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286. Or would they?
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287. No.
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288. Hello, Iowa!
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289. Does anyone have a donut?
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290. Now, Homer, this is no time
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291. to be thinking about food.
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292. Yeah, forget the donuts.
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293. We're here to go nuts...
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294. Musically, that is.
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295. What kind of songs should we play?
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296. Something that swings
with the beat of New Orleans.
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297. No. Something that rocks.
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298. That's the sound of today.
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299. - Swings.
- Rocks.
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300. - Swings.
- Rocks.
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301. Sadly, this argument
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302. was not part of the act.
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303. I'll kill you!
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304. You don't have
the guts, little man.
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305. Folks, we're just having
a little family tiff.
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306. If you'll just bear with us...
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307. Oh, shut up.
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308. Always trying to act so mature.
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309. I'm glad you make the least money.
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310. Oh, that's it.
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311. - Hey! Hey, stop it!
- Stop it!
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312. You... Ah, let go of me!
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313. Before a riot could break out,
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314. Jimmy Carter came to the rescue
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315. with his comedy break dancing.
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316. Got a brother named Billy.
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317. And my teeth look silly.
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318. Break it down, now.
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319. Oh, why you, I'll get ya... Oh!
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320. The dream was over.
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321. Coming up...
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322. Was the dream really over?
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323. Yes, it was.
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324. Or was it?
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325. And Homer finds a new passion...
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326. Dusting and polishing mixing boards.
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327. When Behind The Laughter continues.
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328. The Simpsons'
TV show started out
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329. on a wing and a prayer,
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330. but now the wing was on fire
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331. and the prayer had been answered
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332. by Satan.
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333. After the state fair fiasco,
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334. none of the family
were speaking to each other.
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335. Fox put the show on hiatus
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336. and replaced it with hidden camera footage
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337. from the dressing room at Ann Taylor.
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338. That slugfest at the state fair
was really a blessing.
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339. It gave us a chance
to pursue solo projects.
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340. I returned to my first love,
the legitimate theater.
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341. As a young female artist,
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342. I really love living
in this East Village loft.
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343. That must be our new landlord,
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344. Mr. Stingeley.
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345. Where is the rent
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346. I must have the rent.
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347. Dollars, dimes and nickels
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348. I need them all right now.
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349. I literally chewed the scenery.
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350. The other family members
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351. were also spreading
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352. their creative wings.
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353. Bart replaced Lorenzo Lamas
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354. in the syndicated action series, Renegade.
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355. If Esposito thinks he's
gonna muscle us, he's wrong!
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356. I hear that, Renegade.
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357. Let's do this thing.
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358. Marge put together
a nightclub act.
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359. I shot the sheriff.
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360. But I did not shoot the deputy.
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361. She didn't do it.
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362. She didn't do it.
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363. So the next time you see a sheriff,
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364. shoot him...
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365. a smile!
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366. Good night, Laughlin!
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367. She didn't do it.
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368. She didn't do it.
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369. Lisa "sang," too,
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370. in a tell-all book blasting the family.
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371. To prolong the run of the series,
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372. I was secretly given anti-growth hormones.
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373. That's ridiculous.
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374. How could I even get
all five necessary drops
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375. into her cereal?
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376. What?
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377. In that family, nobody trusted nobody.
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378. They even brought their lawyers
to Thanksgiving dinner.
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379. So, uh...
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380. How's everybody doing?
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381. You don't have to answer that.
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382. Shut up, all of you, or I'll sue!
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383. Oh, save it for your next book,
you little snitch.
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384. That's assault! That is assault!
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385. It was the best Thanksgiving ever.
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386. I mean, emotionally, it was terrible.
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387. But the turkey was so moist.
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388. The carcass
of The Simpsons' empire
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389. had been picked clean.
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390. But then came help
from an unexpected source.
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391. I knew there was only one person
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392. who could reunite this troubled clan...
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393. My old fraternity brother, Willie Nelson.
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394. I'd do anything for Kegmeister Julius,
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395. so I cooked up a phony awards show.
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396. Not again!
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397. Time-saver, my ass!
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398. When Willie asked me to be a presenter
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399. at the New Awareness Awards,
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400. I had to think about it...
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401. for about a microsecond!
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402. You just don't say "no"
to the redheaded stranger.
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403. And when I heard it was for awareness,
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404. that sealed the deal.
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405. Would Willie's
fence-mending eggs
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406. bear fruit
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407. or would his olive branch
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408. be torn apart
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409. by woodpeckers of mistrust?
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410. That night, fate wore
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411. a cumberbund of suspense...
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412. Thank you, Taco, for that loving tribute
to Falco.
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413. And now to present the award
for "Most Violent Rap Group,".
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414. Homer Simpson!
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415. Hi.
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416. And Marge Simpson!
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417. What?
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418. What's she doing here?
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419. And Bart and Lisa Simpson.
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420. Hey, what's going on?
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421. Well, I'll be honest.
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422. The New Awareness Awards
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423. are all an elaborate sham.
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424. What? I knew it was too good
to be true.
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425. So this whole thing was just
a trick to get us back together.
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426. I'm also trying to patch things up
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427. between Van Halen and Sammy Hagar.
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428. But the main thing is for you folks
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429. to stop this silly feud.
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430. Isn't that right, people?
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431. Hug! Hug! Hug!
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432. Hug! Hug! Hug! Hug!
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433. Hug! Hug! Hug! Hug!
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434. Hug! Hug! Hug!
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435. The Simpsons'
bitter past was forgotten,
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436. and now the future
looks brighter than ever
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437. for this Northern Kentucky family.
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438. We put all the craziness behind us
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439. and now it's time to get back
to what matters,
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440. the show and the Sunday comic strip.
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441. Which Homer writes himself.
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442. So you know it's great.
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443. Why, you little...
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444. So whether choking
their son or poking some fun,
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445. the Simpsons will keep on
gagging for years to come.
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446. I can't believe it.
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447. We won another contest.
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448. The Simpsons are going to Delaware.
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449. I want to see Wilmington.
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450. I want to visit a screen door factory.
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451. This will be the last season.
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452. Next week on Behind the Laughter.
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453. Huckleberry Hound.
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454. I was so gay, but I couldn't tell anyone.
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455. We're gonna groove tonight,
we'll make you feel all right.
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456. Simpsons Christmas Boogie.
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457. We're dancing to the beat,
we'll make you move your feet.
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458. Simpsons Christmas Boogie.
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459. Simpsons Christmas Boogie.
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460. Simpsons Christmas Boogie.
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461. Captioned by
Visual Data Media Services
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