Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?

"Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?" is the 24th episode of The Simpsons' third season. It was originally supposed to be the opener for season four, but FOX decided to air it earlier to promote the series premiere of Martin; thus, it became the finale of season three. This is the second episode to air after a season's official finale, the first being "Blood Feud", which aired after the official end of season two.

1 Plot
2 Trivia/Goofs
3 Cultural references
4 External links

[edit] Plot

Homer "wins" the "First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence", a fictional $2000 prize awarded by Montgomery Burns. The name of the "award" was hastily concocted by Burns on the spot in an attempt to convince Homer to sign a waiver freeing the nuclear plant of all liability for Homer's recently discovered sterility after taking a routine physical at work. Joe Frazier is the host of the award ceremony, which features extraordinary extravagance (including a lengthy opening) but only the one $2000 prize is awarded to Homer.

Despite planning on using the money for the Spinemelter 2000 vibrating chair, Homer agrees to loan the money to his bitter half-brother Herb Powell who, ruined by Homer previously, is now a hobo. After hearing a baby cry while in the park, Herb's idea to become rich again is by making a machine to translate a baby's babbling into actual English. He uses Homer's money to develop his invention, which is an instant money-making success. Herb becomes rich once again.

Along with returning the money to Homer, he buys several gifts for the Simpson family, including a new washer-dryer for Marge and the $50 he got from selling them (the old, broken washer and dryer are sold to Moe's Tavern where they are subsequently engaged in racing), an honorary membership to the NRA for Bart, (since he is too young to own a gun just yet), and a subscription to the Greater Books of the Western Civilization for Lisa. Herb then tells Homer that his gift to him is forgiveness for ruining him in the first place, and he and Homer re-establish a brotherly relationship. Finally, Homer is rewarded for his generosity and faith when Herb has a truck pull in with Homer's vibrating chair, which both Homer and his few remaining sperm enjoy.

[edit] Trivia/Goofs

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

The fight between Barney and Joe Frazier was originally going to have Barney victorious; however, Frazier's son objected.
On the commentary, Al Jean states that Frazier was very hard to record, especially saying the word 'Excellence' in the award title. George Meyer was the director and, after almost twenty takes, Frazier got the word down. Afterwards Meyer said to Frazier that the take was 'excellent', but he did not get the joke.
Even though Homer eventually got the Spinemelter, it was never seen again in the series. However, it does appear in the games Virtual Springfield and The Simpsons Hit and Run. It appears in the attic in the Treehouse of Horror episode "The Thing and I". However, Treehouse of Horror appearances are considered non-canon.
So far in the series, this is the last major appearance of Herb. The next time he is even mentioned is thirteen years later in the episode "The Heartbroke Kid". When Homer questions who else would need to lose weight, the last person he mentions is "my seldom-seen half-brother Herb", quickly going to a shot of a picture of him on the wall.
The song played during the opening of the "First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence" is referred to as "The Field of Excellence" on the album Go Simpsonic with the Simpsons and is track 14.
The chair salesman is named Akira, a character who frequently appears throughout the series, often as a waiter or cook.
This is the first episode that implies Prof. Frink has a son (finally making an appearance in the episode "I, (Annoyed Grunt)-Bot") and is the second episode to imply he is married despite the fact he is seen "wooing" different women in other episodes. The first episode that implied he was married was "Old Money".

[edit] Cultural references

The episode title is a play on the Great Depression-era tune "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?". (Mr. Burns sang this song in the second season episode "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"). Additionally, "two dimes" is gambling slang for two thousand dollars, which is the amount Homer lends Herb.
One of the men that sits with Herb by the fireplace in the beginning of the episode looks very similar to Charlie Chaplin's character The Tramp. The Tramp also eats a boot in the Chaplin movie The Gold Rush.
The images Homer sees when sitting in the Spinemelter chair parodies the penultimate scene of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Homer reminisces about sitting on the couch while watching Dallas (specifically Kristin's revelation that she shot J.R. Ewing), the Hands Across America charity event (Marge and the kids take part with the Flanders while Homer schlumpily sits on the couch), and the Berlin Wall coming down, which he switches over to Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..
Homer's line "excuse me while I kiss the sky" originates from the Jimi Hendrix song "Purple Haze".
When Herb is giving gifts to the family, Homer despondently says, “I don’t think there's a vibrating chair in that bag for me.” This is a reference to The Wizard of Oz.
In Homer's flashbacks of the couch the viewer can see the painting from the first season hanging on the wall