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Three Gays of the Condo

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"Three Gays of the Condo"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 14
Episode 17
Directed byMark Kirkland
Written byMatt Warburton
Production codeEABF12
Original air dateApril 13, 2003 (2003-04-13)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gagThe family, depicted as frozen food, is put in a deep-fryer, taken out, dumped onto the couch, and salted.
CommentaryAl Jean
Matt Warburton
Ian Maxtone-Graham
Matt Selman
Carolyn Omine
Yeardley Smith
Scott Thompson
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Mark Kirkland
David Silverman
Episode chronology
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"Dude, Where's My Ranch?"
The Simpsons season 14
List of episodes

"Three Gays of the Condo" is the seventeenth episode of the fourteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 13, 2003. The episode was written by Matt Warburton and directed by Mark Kirkland.

In this episode, Homer learns that Marge was planning on leaving him but got pregnant with Bart, so he thinks that is the reason she stayed with him. Upset, Homer moves in with two gay men, Grady and Julio. Musician "Weird Al" Yankovic appeared as himself.

The episode received mixed reviews. However, the episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, and writer Matt Warburton won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production for this episode.

Plot

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The Simpson family is working on a jigsaw puzzle. When they learn the final piece is missing, the family looks for it. Homer looks through Marge's memory box and finds a poster of Moe's Tavern's grand opening (advertised as Meaux's Tavern). On the back, Marge wrote that Homer made the opening the worst night of her life by making her sit there while he got drunk and played an arcade game. Later, as she took him to the hospital for alcohol poisoning, she wrote that she was leaving him. Wondering why Marge stayed with him, Homer finds a hospital appointment card dated two days later, confirming she was pregnant with Bart. When Homer confronts Marge, she says she was upset that night but admits that Homer still does things that annoy her. Homer realizes Marge has been secretly resenting him.

The next day, they argue again, and Homer leaves the house. He finds a newspaper with an apartment listing asking for a third roommate. Learning that the apartment is in Springfield's gay district, Homer moves in with a gay couple, Grady and Julio. Julio is unsure about Homer, but Grady likes him. At home, Lisa misses Homer and wants Marge to apologize. At a gay club, Homer tells Grady and Julio that his relationship with Marge is in trouble.

Marge and the kids visit Homer and bring "Weird Al" Yankovic, who sings a parody of John Mellencamp's "Jack & Diane", to tell Homer that Marge loves him. Marge asks Homer out on a date. As he prepares, Homer gets nervous and drinks margaritas. When he arrives, she is upset that he is late and drunk, and she leaves him. Later, Grady comforts Homer and kisses him. Homer realizes that Grady has feelings for him, and he jumps out of a window, saddening Grady. At Moe's, Homer is about to realize that all his problems are caused by alcohol when Moe forces beer down Homer's throat, giving him alcohol poisoning, and takes him to the hospital. After Homer awakens, Dr. Hibbert tells him that this was not as bad as the first time he treated him for alcohol poisoning. Homer says it was the night that destroyed his marriage. Hibbert disagrees and plays a tape from the first incident where Marge says that she loves him, proving she married him because she loved him. Marge arrives and says she still does, and they reconcile.

Production

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"Weird Al" Yankovic (pictured) guest-starred as himself[1]

Harvey Fierstein was asked to reprise his role as Karl from the second season episode "Simpson and Delilah" in a cameo appearance. In the script, Homer was thrown out of the house by Marge, and encountered Karl. The purpose of the appearance was to introduce a gay couple that Homer would live with. Fierstein however felt that "the script was a lot of very clever gay jokes, and there just wasn't that Simpsons twist" and turned the role down.[2]

The jigsaw puzzle that the family builds is titled "Concert in Golden Gate Park". Writer Michael Price pitched a joke where Homer drools "mmm, Ferlinghetti..." in reference to Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Poet Laureate of San Francisco.[3][4]

In December 2018, as part of the 30th anniversary of the series, this episode was selected by executive producer Al Jean to represent the fourteenth season during a Simpsons marathon on FXX.[5]

Reception

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Viewing figures

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The episode was watched by 12.02 million viewers, which was the 19th most watched show that week.[6]

Critical response

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The episode was part of a DVD boxed set release called The Simpsons Kiss and Tell: The Story of Their Love, and in his review of the release, Andy Dougan of the Evening Times characterized the episode along with "Natural Born Kissers", "Large Marge", and "The Way We Weren't", as "four of the funniest episodes of recent series".[7]

Comparing the episode with eighth season episode "Homer's Phobia", which also dealt with the topic of homosexuality, Jackson Cresswell of Collider said the previous episode was better. He thought this episode, which was another one that dealt with a separation of Homer and Marge, "had been done many times before and was a weak device to get to the observational and situational comedy."[8]

On Four Finger Discount, Guy Davis and Brendan Dando called the content regarding homosexuality to be "more sensitive and insightful and fun and inclusive" than the rest of the episode although it would be insensitive in 2021. They also questioned why Marge needed to be the one to apologize to Homer.[9]

Awards and nominations

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At the 55th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the episode won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (Programming Less Than One Hour).[10] At the 31st Annie Awards, writer Matt Warburton won the Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement for Writing in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production for his script to this episode.[11]

References

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  1. ^ Lynch, Joe (March 21, 2022). "Here's Every Musical Guest on 'The Simpsons,' in Chronological Order". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  2. ^ Ortved, John (2009). The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Greystone Books. pp. 248–250. ISBN 978-1-55365-503-9.
  3. ^ Price, Michael [@mikepriceinla] (March 22, 2018). "Years ago, when we were writing an episode where Marge was constructing a large jigsaw puzzle of San Francisco, I pitched Homer saying "Mmmm, Ferlinghetti". It didn't get in. It remains the one that got away" (Tweet). Retrieved January 6, 2022 – via Twitter.
  4. ^ Price, Michael [@mikepriceinla] (February 23, 2021). "This sad news makes me doubly sad that the "Mmmm... Ferlinghetti" joke I pitched for the Season 14 episode where the Simpsons work on a San Francisco jigsaw puzzle never got into the show" (Tweet). Retrieved January 6, 2022 – via Twitter.
  5. ^ Pederson, Erik (December 6, 2018). "'The Simpsons' Marks 30th Anniversary With First Episode On Fox & FXX Marathon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Lowry, Brian (April 16, 2003). "CBS takes top spot for 21st time this season". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2003. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  7. ^ Dougan, Andy (February 25, 2006). "Andy Dougan's DVDs of the week". Evening Times. p. 20.
  8. ^ Cresswell, Jackson (January 11, 2012). "THE SIMPSONS Season 14 Blu-ray Review". Collider. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  9. ^ Davis, Guy; Dando, Brendan (December 10, 2021). "Three Gays Of The Condo (S14E17)". Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast) (Podcast). Event occurs at 1:10. Archived from the original on August 13, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Feiwell, Jill (September 14, 2003). "Emmys get creative". Variety. Archived from the original on August 18, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  11. ^ "Legacy: 31st Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2003)". ASIFA-Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 13, 2012. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
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