In episode 4F12, The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show, Homer voices the new character “Poochie” in hit cartoon series Itchy and Scratchy. Homer invites friends and family over to watch the first episode of the revamped show. Flanders, having seen the episode tells Homer: “Homer I can honestly say that was the best episode of Impy and Chimpy I’ve ever seen!”
Which of these two readings of the joke is correct:
Flanders is a square. The Poochie episode eschewed the usual violence of the cartoon (they never even got to the fireworks factory) and this appealed to the prudish Flanders. Flanders is so square, in fact, that he thinks the show is called “Impy and Chimpy”. An endorsement from Flanders is as good as none.
Flanders has never seen the Itchy and Scratchy show before, humourously demonstrated by him believing it to be called “Impy and Chimpy”. He can honestly say it’s the best episode he’s ever seen, because it’s the only one.
Given that in an earlier episode, Itchy & Scratchy & Marge, Maude Flanders is vocal in protest against the show, I find it very difficult to believe that Ned has never ever seen any of it.
In fact in episode 3F1, Rod and Todd are negatively influenced by watching it. Ned mightn’t have seen a whole episode, but he sure as heck has seen bits before.
Not that the Simpsons internal universe has, or should have, any logical consistency.
anyway, he may have seen an episode before but he clearly doesn’t watch it regularly or no much about it because that wouldn’t make any sense with Flanders’ character
BUT BUT BUT Is the joke here that Flanders is so obsessed with religion he has to see everything through that lens, or is he making a wry joke because he knows there’s no elephants of the apocalypse?!?!?!?!
