The Twisted World of Marge Simpson facts for kids

"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" is an episode from the eighth season of the animated TV show The Simpsons. It first aired in the United States on January 19, 1997. The story was written by Jennifer Crittenden and directed by Chuck Sheetz. In this episode, Marge Simpson decides to start her very own business selling pretzels. Famous actors Jack Lemmon and Joe Mantegna lent their voices for guest characters.

Marge's Pretzel Business Adventure

Starting a New Venture

Marge Simpson is part of a group called the Springfield Investorettes. This group includes characters like Maude Flanders and Helen Lovejoy. They decide to remove Marge from their investment club. This happens because Marge is careful and doesn't like taking big risks with money.

The group gives Marge back her first investment of $500. Lisa then encourages her mom to use this money to buy a franchise. A franchise is like buying the right to open a business using a well-known brand's name and system.

Competing with Other Businesses

To compete with the Investorettes, who started a "Fleet-A-Pita" business, Marge buys a "Pretzel Wagon." The owner of the pretzel franchise is a man named Frank Ormand. Marge sets up her Pretzel Wagon outside the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.

Homer tries to help by convincing his coworkers to buy pretzels from Marge. But the Investorettes park their Fleet-A-Pita van nearby. They manage to attract Marge's customers away from her.

A Big Promotion Goes Wrong

To get more customers, Marge decides to have a "Free Pretzel Day" at the Springfield Isotopes baseball stadium. However, before fans can enjoy their free pretzels, an announcement is made. It says that Mr. Burns has won a new car, a 1997 Pontiac Astro Wagon.

The fans get very angry about this news. They start throwing the free pretzels onto the field. This even hits Whitey Ford, who was trying to calm the crowd. Marge's plan to get more business doesn't work out, and she feels very sad. Homer then tries to find someone to help her.

Unexpected Help for the Pretzel Wagon

Homer finds out that Frank Ormand, the pretzel franchise owner, has passed away. So, Homer asks Fat Tony for help. Fat Tony is a powerful figure in Springfield. Homer makes a secret business deal with him to help Marge's pretzel business.

The next day, Marge gets a huge order for 300 pretzels! This makes her Pretzel Wagon business feel alive again. Fat Tony's group then starts to make Marge's competitors close down their businesses. They even destroy the Investorettes' Fleet-A-Pita van.

A Difficult Situation for Marge

Soon, Marge gets an order to deliver pretzels to a quiet place outside of town. There, Fat Tony and his group meet her. He tells Marge about the deal he made with Homer. Fat Tony claims he should get all of Marge's profits.

Marge confronts Homer, and he explains that he was only trying to help her. Marge then refuses to pay Fat Tony and continues to make her pretzels.

The Final Showdown

As Fat Tony's group approaches Marge, the Investorettes arrive. They bring a Japanese group called the yakuza to help them against Fat Tony. The two rival groups get into a big fight. The Simpsons quickly go back into their house.

Marge forgives Homer for trying to help, even though it made things more complicated. She tells her kids to go back to bed when they hear the loud noise from the fighting outside.

Making the Episode

Behind the Scenes Details

The main idea for this episode was about two competing snack food businesses. This was chosen because pita bread and pretzels were becoming popular when the episode was made. One of the creators, Josh Weinstein, later wished they had chosen more "fun" snacks.

Many of the different businesses shown in the episode were based on real-life franchises. Some were even based on "get-rich-quick" ideas, which are ways people try to make money very fast. In one scene, Homer was checking pretzels. There was originally a part where he gave a thumbs down to a pretzel made by Maggie.

Writing and Voice Acting

The episode was written by Jennifer Crittenden, who also wrote four other episodes for The Simpsons. A line spoken by Dan Castellaneta, who voices Homer, was made up on the spot. This was when Homer says, "Yeah, Homer's right."

In another scene, Cletus calls out for his many children. The names he uses were all popular names from the 1990s. The 1997 Pontiac Astrowagon that Mr. Burns wins was designed to look exactly like the real minivans from that time. The very last scene of the episode, where the groups fight, was an idea from Matt Groening. No one else could think of a good way to end the story.

See also

In Spanish: The Twisted World of Marge Simpson para niños