(long) A review of "Today I Am a Clown (FABF01)"
Benjamin Robinson
You might recall a couple months back that "Simpsons" creator Matt
Groening claimed that Fox tried to suppress jokes about the network's
supposedly right-leaning news operations. Fox's PR staff denied this,
but there was some protest until Groening admitted that he had really
made up the whole story as a lark, after all. Even so, it helped
burnish "The Simpsons'" reputation as a subversive, stick-it-to-the-
man, anti-establishment sort of show.
I am not wholly convinced, though. Despite its edgy appeal, "The
Simpsons" in some respects is actually a conservative show. Consider
its treatment of religion. The series doesn't hesitate to point out
the hypocrisy that organized religion is sometimes guilty of, but how
many other comedies even bother to show the religious lives of their
characters *at all*. Also, for all the surface criticism, the
underlying idea of faith -- that God exists, that He is worthy of
worship, and that religion can be a force for good -- isn't
questioned. "Today, I Am a Clown," with its punning look at the
Jewish faith, keeps this trend going.
Actually, this show is two episodes in one, both of them pretty good.
The main plot concerns Krusty who, since he never had his Bar Mitzvah
ceremony, is denied a spot on the Jewish Walk of Fame. With a little
nudging from Lisa, Krusty resolves to undergo this rite of passage and
goes to his father for the necessary instruction. This half of the
show parodies many of the totems of Jewish and Yiddish culture.
Yiddish terms get thrown around in puns; one character says a giant
potato pancake is "a lot of latke," and Mr. T (voicing himself) says
he "pities the shul" that won't admit Krusty. A barbershop is called
Fantastic Schlomo's. Names of Jewish luminaries like Chiam Potok and
Sandy Koufax are dropped. There's a good "Itchy & Scratchy" cartoon
centered on the briss. Jackie Mason even returns as Rabbi Krustovsky.
Yet for all the jokes, the show treats the religion itself
sympathetically. Krusty's religious training goes smoothly, all
things considered. A televised Bar Mitzvah ceremony in the third act
is a funny abomination, but that's more a reflection of Krusty's
character than of organized Judaism. Indeed, the faith is treated
very respectfully. (Perhaps even more so than Christianity. There
have been plenty of scenes through the years when we say Rev. Lovejoy
fall short of his ideals, but nothing like that for other religions.)
A show entirely about Krusty's Bar Mitzvah might encourage the
Gentiles in the audience to use their channel changers, so "Today" has
a second, secular, plot. Krusty has grown observant enough to refuse
to work on Saturday (the Jewish Sabbath), so he needs a guest host for
weekend duty. Homer gets the job largely by virtue of standing near
Krusty when he's making the decision. I was one of those people who
really did want to see Marge's "memorable stint" as Sideshow Marge
(from "Eight Misbehavin' (BABF03)"), so I was curious to see how Homer
would approach the job. His show is a roundtable discussion between
him and his friends from Moe's Tavern, and it's an improbable hit.
Actually, we don't see that much of the show, but the audience
reaction to it was nice. Construction workers encourage pretty ladies
to tune in, and a pregnant woman switches a monitor from the sonogram
of her twins to Homer's program. Eventually, Lisa tries to convince
Homer to use his popularity as a force for social good, and I love
what Homer imagined doing.
In case two plots aren't enough, there's also *two* openings. A scene
where Maggie is locked in the bathroom is terrific, even though it has
no relation whatsoever to anything else in the show. A second opener
has SLH fathering another litter of puppies. Homer's flashback to a
night on the town with the dog is interesting -- Springfield has a
thriving red-light district for canines, for some reason. This
opening eventually leads into the show proper, when Krusty takes one
of the puppies for a walk on the Jewish Walk of Fame.
"Today, I Am a Clown" shares its religious theme and a major guest
character with "Like Father, Like Clown (8F05)," but the newer show is
played with a lighter touch. I miss the gravitas of the earlier show
a little, but I think there's room for a program that exists mainly
for laughs instead Touching Moments. After all, the first commandment
of a comedy is, "Thou shalt be funny." Amen, right?
[The short of it]
Social watchdogs and right-wing pundits may condemn "The Simpsons" as
corrosive to family values (whatever those are), but when it comes to
religion, it's a fairly conservative show. Judaism gets parodied with
a passion in the main plot with cute puns, name-dropping, and an "I&S"
cartoon, yet the treatment of the core religion is quite respectful.
I like that the producers went to the trouble of getting Jackie Mason
back, too (with Mr. T as a bonus!). A secondary plot with Homer as
guest host is also funny, and keeps people who might not get the
Jewish references interested. It lacks the deep emotional aspect of
"Like Father, Like Clown," but this is a nice episode in its own
right. (A-)
[DYNs]
... it's official: Lenny's last name is Leonard?
... nobody bothers to replace the "LENNY" mug after Lenny leaves the
show?
... when OFF goes to the Gilded Truffle, we can see Fat Tony and his
men at a table in the background?
... Homer imagines doing something altruistic with his "powers,"
rather than something self-interested as he usually does?
... the water damage near the vents and windows at Fox World
Headquarters?
... the Yiddisha Guy is at Krusty's second Bar Mitzvah service?
[References]
"Batman" (TV series)
- opening sequence straight out of the campy 60s series
- the family slides down labeled poles, miraculously
changing from their street clothes to their crime-fighting
costumes
- Homer ends up dressed as Batman, Bart is Robin, and Marge
and the girls are each dressed as Batgirl
"Ring of Fire" (song)
- Homer makes up new lyrics to this tune
Bob Guccione ("Penthouse" magazine publisher)
- Hibbert calls SLH "Bob Poochione"
Rosa Parks (civil-rights activist)
- Hibbert's poodle is named, "Rosa Barks"
"Behind the Green Door" (movie)
- adult movie parodied as "Behind the Doggie Door"
"Long Dong Silver" (movie)
- another adult flick parodied as "Long Dog Silver"
"On Golden Pond" (movie)
- becomes "On Golden Retriever" at the doggie-pr0n theater
"Knotts Landing" (TV series)
- prime-time soap opera inspires the name of the dog-neutering
clinic
L. L. Bean (clothing maker)
- there's an L. L. Beanie store in the Jewish part of town
I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! (margarine)
- bakery advertises "I Can't Believe It's Not Trayfe" products
Fantastic Sam's (barbershop/hairdresser chain)
- there's also a "Fantastic Schlomo's"
Hollywood Walk of Fame (tourist attraction)
- Krusty's neighborhood has the Jewish version
"A Kiss Before Dying"
- the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon is called, "A Briss Before Dying"
~ "The View" (TV series)
- Homer's show is the male equivalent of this one, which is a
quartet of women sitting around for some light banter
Andy Warhol's portrait of Marilyn Monroe
- portrait of Krusty in his living room done in the same style
Grammys
Emmys (award ceremonies)
- the combined Grammy/Emmy trophy is the Emmy lady holding up a
gramophone
"Joe Millionaire" (TV series)
- Krusty pitches a similar show to the Fox execs, with him in the
Joe part
"Simple Life" (TV series)
- Krusty suggests a series where he lives with poor people, like
this recent Fox show
Sea World (amusement park)
- has a show called "Wet'N'Wild"
- numerous whale shows warn that rows closest to the aquarium may
get splashed; here, Krusty warns against conversion
"Kokomo" (song)
- The Beach Boys Experience sing event-appropriate lyrics to this
Beach Boys hit
"Everybody Loves Raymond" (TV series)
- Fox executive declares Krusty's ratings as, "'Raymond' rerun
good"
[Previous Episode References]
[8F05] Krusty's father appears
[2F18] SLH sires a litter of puppies
[5F15] Crazy cat lady shows up
[FFF]
At the "adult" dog theater:
BEHIND THE DOGGIE DOOR
LONG DOG SILVER
ON GOLDEN RETRIEVER
Dog-neutering place:
NUTS LANDING
DOG NEUTERING
Signs in Krusty's old neighborhood:
/-\ L. L. Beanie [ Hebrew ] FANTASTIC
|K|MART [lettering] SCHLOMO'S
\-/ BARGAIN I CAN'T
BASEMENT BELIEVE PAYOS TRIMS,
[Star ] FOR FINE IT'S NOT TWO FOR ONE!
[ of ] YARMULKES TRAYFE!
[David]
Walk of fame sign:
JEWISH
WALK OF
FAME
"Itchy & Scratchy" title card:
A BRISS
BEFORE DYING
Newspaper headline:
VARIETY
SIMPSON A SMASH
GRAMMYS, EMMYS TO MERGE
[trophy]
At the trailer:
WORLD HEADQUARTERS - - FOX NETWORK
Krusty's Bar Mitzvah marquee:
KRUSTY THE CLOWN'S
WET'N'WILD BAR MITZVAH
[Krusty]
WARNING: FIRST TWO ROWS
MAY GET CONVERTED
Band at first Bar Mitzvah:
The
Beach Boys
Experience
Car-stop sign:
AUDIO DEPARTMENT
[Oops!]
It sounds like Lisa reads in "Complete Guide to OFF" that SLH was
neutered. The real-life description doesn't mention this.
[Personal Comments & Observations]
>> Meta-reference corner
Lisa consults her copy of "The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our
Favorite Family" to find out when SLH has fathered puppies. This is
*so* weird when you think about it.
>> People on the Jewish Walk of Fame
Sandy Koufax -- Baseball pitcher, whose team once reached the World
Series. Being a World Series pitcher brings enough pressure as it is,
but Koufax had an extra dilemma. One of the World Series games that
year fell on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement in which both work and
entertainment is strictly forbidden. Koufax had to choose between
honoring his religion, or helping his team. He chose the former, a
decision I sure would have pleased Rabbi Krustovsky.
Alan King [seen on the walk, but not mentioned] -- Comedian and actor.
He recently appeared in "Sunshine State," as a real-estate developer.
Joey Bishop [seen only] -- Talk-show host. He was an early competitor
to Johnny Carson and "The Tonight Show," but like most of Carson's
competitors, he faded from the scene.
Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop -- Puppeteer. Her most famous creation was
Lamb Chop, a sheep sock-puppet.
Albert Einstein -- Geez, you ought to know who this is without me
telling you.
Lorne Michaels -- Actor noted for his roles on "Bonanza," "Little
House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven."
Chiam Potok -- Author. In addition to his books, he was also a
literary consultant for the Jewish Publication Society's most recent
translation of the Holy Scriptures. He has no known connection with
the Klingon Empire.
Billy Crystal [seen only] -- Actor who was on "Saturday Night Live"
and "City Slickers." ("Simpsons" connection: Yeardley "voice of
Lisa" Smith had a small role in the movie.)
>> Other people you might know
Chevy Chase -- Like Billy Crystal, a comic actor who was on "Saturday
Night Live" before making the leap to films ("National Lampoon's
Family Vacation," and others of that ilk). He also had a failed talk
show, which is probably what Krusty and Mr. T were roasting him about.
>> Jewish Culture 101
The Bar Mitzvah is an important ceremony in a Jewish boy's life. It
marks the time when he is considered mature enough to participate in
religious services (like reading from the Torah) and be responsible
for one's own actions. Normally, the Bar Mitzvah is held when you're
13, but it can be done later. My cousin, along with nine other women,
had her Bat Mitzvah -- the female equivalent to the Bar Mitzvah -- in
her eighties.
A circle with a K inside it (as in the neighborhood's K-Mart) is the
mark of one of the authorities that certify food as being kosher.
(Not, "kasher," as Krusty mispronounces it.) Dr. Brown, the soda
Rabbi Krustovsky rewards his son with, makes a variety of kosher
sodas. While we're on the subject of kosher, its opposite is
"trayfe," a term that shows up in the sign, "I Can't Believe it's not
trayfe."
Payos, I think, are those locks of hair that grow from the temples of
Orthodox Jewish men.
"Putz" is one of the millions of Yiddish words meaning "jerk" or
"schmuck." "Schmeer" is used in the phrase, "the whole schmeer,"
meaning all of something. A "latke" is a potato pancake, which where
the punning "that's a lot of latke" comes from. Mr. T says he pities
the shul that won't let Krusty join -- "shul" being a term for a
Jewish temple or place of worship.
Brandeis, the alma mater of Lisa's imaginary friend, is a prestigious
school with a largely Jewish student body.
The briss is the Jewish circumcision ceremony, held when the baby is
eight days old. The baby is also officially named at this time. One
of Itchy's relatives says, "mouse-el tov," a play on "Mazel Tov,"
meaning, "Congratulations!"
Finally, since Krusty can no longer do a show on Saturday, the Jewish
Sabbath, someone suggests he tape two shows on Friday. That would
only work if he can tape quickly. The Sabbath really runs from Friday
evening to Saturday evening, so he'd have to finish both tapings
before sundown. Feh! Who needs that kind of work? Much better to
hire a Shabbes Goy to be your weekend host.
--
Benjamin Robinson bj...@freenet.tlh.fl.us
This message may or may not contain sarcastic content; your burden to decide
"Save the SUVs" -- bumper sticker
David Brunt
news:3fd4197e...@news.east.earthlink.net...
> >> People on the Jewish Walk of Fame
>
competitor
> to Johnny Carson and "The Tonight Show," but like most of Carson's
> competitors, he faded from the scene.
Also one of Sinatra's "Rat Pack" in the early 1960s until his fall fom
grace.
> Lorne Michaels -- Actor noted for his roles on "Bonanza," "Little
> House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven."
By that desciption, do you mean Michael Landon? Lorne Michaels is the
creator of Saturday Night Live (but not funny)
> Finally, since Krusty can no longer do a show on Saturday, the
Jewish
> Sabbath, someone suggests he tape two shows on Friday. That would
> only work if he can tape quickly. The Sabbath really runs from
Friday
> evening to Saturday evening, so he'd have to finish both tapings
> before sundown. Feh! Who needs that kind of work? Much better to
> hire a Shabbes Goy to be your weekend host.
He could even record a show on Sunday, or two shows any other week
day...
Scott Munro
Robinson) wrote:
>"Putz" is one of the millions of Yiddish words meaning "jerk" or
>"schmuck."
And literally, both "putz" and "schmuck" are vulgarisms for "penis."
--
Conservatism is the ideology of reality.
Aaron Hirshberg
snip
Krusty and his dad in conflict! Krusty is cancelled, and replaced by
a stupid wooden puppet! HOW ORIGINAL!
I am pretty sure that Jackie Mason had a Bar Mitzvah later in life.
Just like Krusty!
The pink stuff that oozes under the bathroom door is Pepto-Bismol!
Before I did a FF, I thought it might be calomine lotion!
Lisa is reading one of those "Guides to the Simpsons" to find out if
SLH has been neutered.
Krusty's has an Andy Warhol portrait of himself.
The crossword puzzle that Bart was referring to had one other clue
that we got to see "Shoe clad leg ender." I am pretty sure that is a
"foot". Of course it is the People Magazine crossword puzzle, which
is probably on the intellectual level of the TV Guide crossword
puzzle. Disingenuous montebanks and their lexicographic chicanery! A
pox on them!
Sideshow Mel's lead in to Homer's show is "Let's get ready to ...",
which is a take off on the WWF.
After Homer saves President Lincoln, they go to Dealy Plaza to save
President Kennedy. Several comments:
1. The three cars shown, JFK's limo, the follow up car with the
secret service, and the car after that, which carried LBJ, Lady Bird,
and Senator Yarborough, are depicted accurately. In terms of color
and type.
2. One of the police motorcycles on the passenger side of the
President's limo did not turn onto Elm Street. It continued down
Houston Street. So the President's limo only had one motorcycle
policeman on the passenger side on Elm Street. The cartoon showed
two.
3. The Book Depository had a Hertz billboard on the roof, and the
clock showed 12:30. This is correct. The Hertz sign, and the time of
the shooting.
4. Oswald was shown crouching and firing right handed. The windows
on that floor went almost all the way to the floor, and the windown
was almost closed at the time of the shooting. Oswald, if he was the
shooter, would have had to crouch and contort himself to fire right
handed. This was depicted accurately.
5. What Oswald was wearing at the time of the shooting is
controversial. Because he went to his rooming house nearby and
changed his clothes after the shooting, before he was arrested. He
was shown wearing a T shirt.
The Beach Boys sang:
Mezuzot, Menorah, reading from the Torah, ...
Pastrami, Knishes, ....
to the tune of "Kokomo".
Mr. T. Read the first line of the blessing that is said before the
Torah portion is read during a Sabbath service.
"Bring an envelope to this Bar Mitzvah", refers to the tradition of
giving money in envelopes to the Bar Mitzvah boy (man) during the
reception after the service. You sit at your table in the reception
hall, drinking your Dr. Brown's and eating your knishes :-), and hold
up your envelope. The youngster comes over and takes the envelope and
thanks you. I have participated in this ritual from both points of
view.
snip
> ... when OFF goes to the Gilded Truffle, we can see Fat Tony and his
> men at a table in the background?
The Hibberts are also there, and so is Princess Kashmir.
snip
>
> "Batman" (TV series)
> - opening sequence straight out of the campy 60s series
> - the family slides down labeled poles, miraculously
> changing from their street clothes to their crime-fighting
> costumes
> - Homer ends up dressed as Batman, Bart is Robin, and Marge
> and the girls are each dressed as Batgirl
And the blazer that Moe was wearing during Homer's show was part of
the Riddler's costume! Just kidding, but come on, that blazer was
horrible! He must have stolen it from Frank Gorshin!
> "Ring of Fire" (song)
> - Homer makes up new lyrics to this tune
Paying homage to Johnny Cash so soon after he left us. :-(
snip
Yeah, we know all about Albert Einstein just like we knew all about
Niehls Bohr!
> Lorne Michaels -- Actor noted for his roles on "Bonanza," "Little
> House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven."
Wrong. Lorne Michaels is the Producer of Saturday Night Live. You
are getting him confused with Lorne Greene and Michael Landon. Oy,
you meshuggah! All three of those guys are Jewish, BTW.
snip
> The Bar Mitzvah is an important ceremony in a Jewish boy's life. It
> marks the time when he is considered mature enough to participate in
> religious services (like reading from the Torah) and be responsible
> for one's own actions. Normally, the Bar Mitzvah is held when you're
> 13, but it can be done later. My cousin, along with nine other women,
> had her Bat Mitzvah -- the female equivalent to the Bar Mitzvah -- in
> her eighties.
My Bar Mitzvah was November 15, 1969.
> A circle with a K inside it (as in the neighborhood's K-Mart) is the
> mark of one of the authorities that certify food as being kosher.
> (Not, "kasher," as Krusty mispronounces it.) Dr. Brown, the soda
> Rabbi Krustovsky rewards his son with, makes a variety of kosher
> sodas. While we're on the subject of kosher, its opposite is
> "trayfe," a term that shows up in the sign, "I Can't Believe it's not
> trayfe."
When you go to a Kosher Deli, such as Rubin's on Harvard Ave. in
Brookline, Massachusetts, where I often go, you ask for a "Dr.
Brown's", and they bring you a Dr. Brown's Cream Soda. The brown
bottle was for Cream Soda. You have to specify the other flavors if
you want one of them.
>
> Payos, I think, are those locks of hair that grow from the temples of
> Orthodox Jewish men.
And the barber offers to cut "two for one". Everyone who has payos
has two, of course.
>
> "Putz" is one of the millions of Yiddish words meaning "jerk" or
> "schmuck."
Putz is penis. End of story.
snip
> Brandeis, the alma mater of Lisa's imaginary friend, is a prestigious
> school with a largely Jewish student body.
Named after Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.
Space Mvsevm
Park Luck
>I am pretty sure that Jackie Mason had a Bar Mitzvah later in life.
>Just like Krusty!
Actually, Kirk Douglas had one a few years ago (he also had one as a kid).
Everybody's missing the Hal Gurnee reference. Homer's director (the guy with
the large glasses) is patterned directly after Hal Gurnee. He was the director
of the Jack Paar Show (who?) and in later years, David Letterman.
evan
Ed
> A circle with a K inside it (as in the neighborhood's K-Mart) is the
> mark of one of the authorities that certify food as being kosher.
> (Not, "kasher," as Krusty mispronounces it.)
"Kosher" is a non-native Western-European accent. Krusty says it in a
correct native Hebrew accent (Kuh-sher).
> While we're on the subject of kosher, its opposite is
> "trayfe," a term that shows up in the sign, "I Can't Believe it's not
> trayfe."
"Trayfe" means specifically non kosher meat.
>
> Payos, I think, are those locks of hair that grow from the temples of
> Orthodox Jewish men.
>
But a person who grows "payos" would never trim them, thus the "two for
one" deal is meaningless.
> "Putz" is one of the millions of Yiddish words meaning "jerk" or
> "schmuck." "Schmeer" is used in the phrase, "the whole schmeer,"
> meaning all of something.
Shmeer means a spread (like smear), like butter or something.
> Mr. T says he pities
> the shul that won't let Krusty join -- "shul" being a term for a
> Jewish temple or place of worship.
Shul is literally "School" but in this context it could mean the rabbi's
dinner table.
Zan Hecht
news:3fd4197e...@news.east.earthlink.net...
> - becomes "On Golden Retriever" at the doggie-pr0n theater
Actually, I believe that is a spoof on the pr0n film "On Golden Blond"
(which is a takeoff on "On Golden Pond," but still). Don't ask me how I
know that.
>> People on the Jewish Walk of Fame
Here are some you missed:
Woody Allen
Joan Rivers
Jerry Seinfeld
Henry Winkler
There were more I caught when it originally aired, but they were unreadable
in the recording. Anyone have an uncompressed recording of that segment?
kelvSYC
> Jewish
> > Sabbath, someone suggests he tape two shows on Friday. That would
> > only work if he can tape quickly. The Sabbath really runs from
> Friday
> > evening to Saturday evening, so he'd have to finish both tapings
> > before sundown. Feh! Who needs that kind of work? Much better to
> > hire a Shabbes Goy to be your weekend host.
>
> He could even record a show on Sunday, or two shows any other week
> day...
Saturday Night Krusty is also a possibility...
--
I am only a mirage.
Matt Garvey
And now it's time for the Big Ear Family!
somedude
>
> > Lorne Michaels -- Actor noted for his roles on "Bonanza," "Little
> > House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven."
>
> By that desciption, do you mean Michael Landon? Lorne Michaels is the
> creator of Saturday Night Live (but not funny)
He must mean Lorne Greene. Also known for his role as Captain Adama on
"Battlestar Galactica."
somedude
>
> On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 06:27:43 GMT, bj...@freenet.tlh.fl.us (Benjamin
> Robinson) wrote:
>
> >"Putz" is one of the millions of Yiddish words meaning "jerk" or
> >"schmuck."
>
> And literally, both "putz" and "schmuck" are vulgarisms for "penis."
What about "schlmiel?" "schlmozle?" "messuggah?" (or mezzuzah?)
Zan Hecht
>
>
> Billy Crystal [seen only] -- Actor who was on "Saturday Night Live"
> and "City Slickers." ("Simpsons" connection: Yeardley "voice of
> Lisa" Smith had a small role in the movie.)
Where did you see Billy Crystal? Looking over my recording, I can't find
him.
--
http://www.zansstuff.com/contact.html
Zan Hecht
Scott Munro
I don't believe any of those words are vulgarisms for "penis" (and I'm
sure "mezuzah" isn't).
A schlemiel is a dope or jerk; a schlemazel is a person with bad luck
(in the classic formulation, a schlemiel is the guy who spills the
soup; a schlemazel is the guy he spills it on). Meshugeh means
"crazy."
A mezuzah is a small parchment scroll (in a case) which is affixed to
the doorpost of an observant Jewish home, and most rooms within the
home. On the scroll, Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 (which form the
first two paragraphs of the Shema prayer) are written in Hebrew.
http://www.beingjewish.com/mitzvos/mezuzah.html
Benjamin Robinson
(FABF01)"" thread, Aaron Hirshberg wrote:
>bj...@freenet.tlh.fl.us (Benjamin Robinson) wrote in message
>> "Ring of Fire" (song)
>> - Homer makes up new lyrics to this tune
>
>Paying homage to Johnny Cash so soon after he left us. :-(
I think they were trying to pay homage to Cash while he was still around to
appreciated it, but the long lead time for animation prevented that from
happening.
>> Lorne Michaels -- Actor noted for his roles on "Bonanza," "Little
>> House on the Prairie," and "Highway to Heaven."
>
>Wrong. Lorne Michaels is the Producer of Saturday Night Live. You
>are getting him confused with Lorne Greene and Michael Landon. Oy,
>you meshuggah! All three of those guys are Jewish, BTW.
<marge>I'm so [bleep] embarrassed.</marge>
You (and the others who pointed this out) are right, of course.
>My Bar Mitzvah was November 15, 1969.
Mazel tov!
>> Brandeis, the alma mater of Lisa's imaginary friend, is a prestigious
>> school with a largely Jewish student body.
>
>Named after Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis.
Who, through an ironic twist of fate, was actually a gentle Baha'i.