"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons' sixth season. The episode's name is a take on the movie Bob Roberts, starring Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. It is the fourth episode featuring Sideshow Bob, and his middle name is revealed as Underdunk. When this episode originally aired, it used a short (clouds-driveway-couch-credits) opening recycled from Season 5's Boy-Scoutz N the Hood. On the April 23, 1995 airing, an even shorter (clouds-credits) opening was used. This opening is featured on the Season 6 DVD boxset. In syndication, the opening sequence from Season 5's Rosebud is used. Simpsons redirects here. ... Image File history File links 2F02. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Al Jean (left) and David Mirkin (right), have both been writers for The Simpsons for more than ten years. ... Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American televison writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ... The three people are caricatures of (left to right) Rich Moore, Wes Archer and David Silverman[1] The following is a list of directors who have worked on the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Mark Kirkland is a director of episodes of The Simpsons. ... Bart writes The Pledge of Allegiance does not end with Hail Satan The chalkboard gag is a running visual joke that occurs during the opening credits of many episodes of The Simpsons. ... The couch gag is a running visual joke in the opening credits of the animated television series The Simpsons. ... (left to right) Elvis Costello, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, Homer, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz and Brian Setzer guest starred in the heavily promoted season 14 episode How I Spent My Strummer Vacation. This is a list of guest stars who appeared on The Simpsons. ... Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955 in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) is a six-time Emmy and a two-time Golden Globe-winning American actor who is best known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane, whom he played for nine years on Cheers... Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known by his stage name Sideshow Bob, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, and first appeared briefly in the episode The Telltale Head, although his first major appearance was in Krusty Gets Busted. Sideshow... Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an award-winning American writer, journalist and broadcaster. ... Dr. Demento (born April 2, 1941 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) is the stage name of Barret Eugene Hansen [1], who has made a successful career as a radio disc jockey specializing in novelty songs and pop music parodies. ... The Simpsons DVD season boxsets have been released since 2001 in different regions all over the world. ... Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[1] his family name is pronounced , rhymes with raining) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons, Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... David Mirkin (born September 18, 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American, feature film and television director, writer and producer. ... Bill Oakley (born in 1966) is an American televison writer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. ... This article is about The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. ... Mark Kirkland is a director of episodes of The Simpsons. ... The Simpsons sixth season originally aired between September 1994 and May 1995, beginning on September 4, 1994. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Bart of Darkness is the first episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired September 4, 1994. ... Lisas Rival is the second episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired September 11, 1994. ... Another Simpsons Clip Show is the third episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired September 25, 1994. ... Itchy & Scratchy Land is the fourth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and first aired on October 2, 1994. ... Treehouse of Horror V is the sixth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired October 30, 1994. ... Barts Girlfriend is the seventh episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... Lisa on Ice is the eighth episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... Homer Badman, also known as Homer: Bad Man[2] is the ninth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and originally aired November 27, 1994. ... Grampa vs. ... Fear of Flying is an episode of The Simpsons from the sixth season. ... Homer the Great is the 12th episode of The Simpsons’ sixth season. ... And Maggie Makes Three is the thirtenth episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... Barts Comet is the 14th episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... This article is about The Simpsons episode. ... Bart vs. ... Homer vs. ... A Star is Burns is the 18th episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... Lisas Wedding is the 19th episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired March 19, 1995. ... Two Dozen and One Greyhounds is the 20th episode of The Simpsons sixth season. ... Another Simpsons Clip Show is an episode from the sixth season of The Simpsons. ... Round Springfield is the twenty-second (22) episode of the sixth season of The Simpsons, and the 125th episode overall. ... The Springfield Connection is the 23rd episode of the sixth season, and the 126th episode of The Simpsons. ... Lemon of Troy is the 24th episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which premiered on the Fox network on May 14, 1995. ... Who Shot Mr. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... The following is an episode list for the Fox animated television series The Simpsons. ... Bob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. ... Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known by his stage name Sideshow Bob, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, and first appeared briefly in the episode The Telltale Head, although his first major appearance was in Krusty Gets Busted. Sideshow... Boy-Scoutz N the Hood is the eighth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... The Simpsons DVD season boxsets have been released since 2001 in different regions all over the world. ... Rosebud is the fourth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. ...

Plot

Sideshow Bob calls Birch Barlow, a local right-wing talk show host who authored the "well selling book" Only Turkeys Have Left Wings. He complains of unfair treatment in prison. Thanks to Barlow, all of Springfield sympathizes with Bob. Pressured by protests, Mayor Quimby releases Bob. Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known by his stage name Sideshow Bob, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Kelsey Grammer, and first appeared briefly in the episode The Telltale Head, although his first major appearance was in Krusty Gets Busted. Sideshow... Birchibald Birch T. Barlow is a fictional character appearing in the animated television series The Simpsons voiced by Harry Shearer. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Springfield is the fictional city in which the animated American sitcom The Simpsons is set. ... Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby Joseph Joe Quimby, Jr. ...

At a Springfield Republican meeting, Bob announces his candidacy for mayor of Springfield. Determined to keep the psychopath from becoming mayor, Bart and Lisa help campaign for Quimby. Mayor Quimby helps get the old folks' votes by naming a new expressway the "Matlock Expressway". Unfortunately, at a televised debate hosted by Larry King, Quimby's drowsiness (caused by extra drowsy flu medication) causes him to lose all support. Springfield votes for mayor and the results are 100% for Bob and 1% for Quimby (with a one percent margin of error). The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... See Also: Antisocial Personality Disorder Theoretically, psychopathy is a three-faceted disorder involving interpersonal, affective and behavioral characteristics. ... A typical expressway in Santa Clara County, California. ... Matlock was an American television legal drama starring Andy Griffith as attorney Ben Matlock. ... Larry King (born November 19, 1933) is an award-winning American writer, journalist and broadcaster. ... The top portion of this graphic depicts probability densities (for a binomial distribution) that show the relative likelihood that the true percentage is in a particular area given a reported percentage of 50%. The bottom portion of this graphic shows the margin of error, the corresponding zone of 95% confidence. ...

Within days, the Simpsons wake up to construction occurring outside. Bob informs the family that the Simpsons' house is in the way of the new Matlock Expressway and that it will be demolished in 72 hours, along with any remaining Simpsons. Bart and Lisa begin to suspect that Bob somehow cheated in the election. Lisa goes through all the voter records but that does not help. (Bart is of no help because, thanks to Bob, he got transferred to kindergarten.) While Lisa reviews the records, someone leaves a message for her. Bart and Lisa go to a parking garage to meet with the whistle blower, who turns out to be Waylon Smithers. He gives them the name of a person who voted for Bob that turned out to be dead for centuries, and the two children soon discover that virtually every single person (and many pets) who voted for him was dead and buried in the Springfield Cemetery. At the trial, an angry Bart and Lisa trick Bob into confessing his crime, and he is thrown into a minimum security prison by Judge Synder, thus managing to let the Simpsons have their house back, let Quimby regain his term as mayor, and put Bart back to the fourth grade. This article is about the political process. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A whistleblower is someone in an organization who witnesses behavior by members that is either contrary to the mission of the organization, or threatening to the public interest, and who decides to speak out publicly about it. ... Waylon Smithers, Jr. ...

Cultural references

• The plot of Bart and Lisa investigating Bob's election fraud, the pull-out of Lisa looking over the voting records, and the clandestine meeting with Smithers are references to the movie (and book) All the President's Men, which chronicled Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's investigation of Watergate (Lisa even mentions that they are like Woodward and Bernstein, and the library scene mimics the overhead shot of the library in the film).
• The language spoken at Republican Party headquarters is inspired by Enochian, a language associated with occult and Satanic ceremonies.^[1]
• Bob says the famous line from A Few Good Men. His speech also parodies Jack Nicholson's speech following the line.
• Sideshow Bob gives his acceptance speech underneath a giant poster with a picture of himself on it; this is a reference to the campaign speech scene in Citizen Kane, which was also referenced during Mr. Burns's run for governor in the episode Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish.
• Bob wins the election by ballot stuffing using the names of the deceased, a common type of electoral fraud that is perhaps best known for having occurred in Chicago in the mid-1900s, where the dead who voted were dubbed "ghost voters."[1]
• Some of the deceased voters consisted of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & The Big Bopper. These were the three Rock Stars that were killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.
• The character Birchibald T. "Birch" Barlow is a take-off on American talk show host and political commentator Rush Limbaugh. He was voiced by Harry Shearer, who is a strong critic of Mr. Limbaugh and his political views. The name "Birch" is likely a reference to the John Birch Society.
• This episode also features cameo appearances by several Archie Comics characters, including Archie Andrews, Reggie Mantle, Moose Mason and Jughead Jones; they are shown pulling up to the Simpsons' house, tossing Homer out of Archie's jalopy, and warning him to "stay out of Riverdale!" Later, Homer reads an Archie comic and calls them all "stuck-up Riverdale punks."

This article is about the 1976 film. ... Bob Woodward signs his book State of Denial after a talk in March 2007. ... Carl Bernstein (left) and Bob Woodward (right)This image is pending deletion. ... The Watergate building. ... Enochian is an occult language introduced by John Dee and Edward Kelley in the 16th Century. ... A Few Good Men, a play by Aaron Sorkin, was acclaimed on Broadway and was subsequently made into a successful film in 1992. ... Nicholson as Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish is the fourth episode of The Simpsons second season. ... Ballot stuffing is the act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Electoral fraud is illegal interference with the process of an election. ... For the Weezer song, see Buddy Holly (song). ... Ritchie Valens (born Ricardo Steven Valenzuela, May 13, 1941 – February 3, 1959) was a pioneer of rock and roll and a forefather to the Latin Rock movement. ... Jiles Perry (J.P.) Richardson, Jr. ... is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Limbaugh. ... Harry Julius Shearer (born December 23, 1943) is an American comedic actor and writer. ... The John Birch Society is a conservative American exceptionalist organization founded in 1958 to fight what it saw as growing threats to the Constitution of the United States, especially a suspected communist infiltration of the United States government, and to support free enterprise. ... Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher known for its many series featuring the fictional teenage Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Forsythe Jughead Jones characters created by Bob Montana. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Reginald Reggie Mantle (1941- ) is a fictional character in the Archie Comics book. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Forsythe Pendleton Jughead Jones III is a fictional character in Archie Comics, first appearing in December 1941. ... Riverdale is a fictional town that is the setting for most of the various characters that appear in Archie Comics. ...

Political satire

There are many sections of the show that are designed to satirize politics in the United States. In his talk show, Birch T. Barlow complains that Sideshow Bob has been unfairly imprisoned by the "liberal justice system", but conservatives usually argue that the "liberal justice system" is too soft on criminals.

In Sideshow Bob's political ad the narrator talks about the liberal "revolving door prison system". The narrator points out that the liberal mayor released two time convicted murderer Sideshow Bob. The ad ends insisting that the viewer vote for the aforementioned two time convicted murderer for mayor. This satirizes the fact that politicians often turn against their own policies when it affects them, or their close friends in an adverse way. Revolving Door is a famous negative television commercial made for the 1988 United States Presidential Campaign. ...

The campaign ad is also a direct parody of the 1988 US Presidential campaign, when Michael Dukakis was attacked in an ad by George H. W. Bush for allowing the release of Willie Horton, a convicted rapist, when Dukakis was Governor of Massachusetts. In a further reference to Dukakis, Birch Barlow asks Mayor Quimby about what it would be like if his family were kidnapped. This is a reference to a similar question posed to Dukakis during the 1988 Presidential Campaign. Dukakis' response to this question is believed to have contributed to his losing the election. Michael Stanley Dukakis (born November 3, 1933) is an American Democratic politician, former Governor of Massachusetts, and the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... Willie Hortons mugshot on the Weekend Passes ad William R. Horton (born August 12, 1951 in Chesterfield, South Carolina) is a convicted felon who was the subject of a Massachusetts weekend furlough program that released him while serving a life sentence for murder, without the possibility of parole, providing... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... This article is about the U.S. state. ...

Mayor Quimby boasts about building a new expressway to the members of the old folks home, but he quickly realises that it is not winning him any support. Grandpa Abraham Simpson points out that he only cares about fictional TV character Matlock, so mayor Quimby's aide quickly changes the diagram to show that it is called the "Matlock Expressway". This satirizes the fact that politicians often flip-flop to win votes, and also that their aides do most of the work. Bob also uses the Republican cliché "flip-flop" to defame his opponent. Ben Matlock in court Benjamin Leighton Ben Matlock is a fictional character from the television series, Matlock, played by Andy Griffith. ...

On the television airing of the political debate between Sideshow Bob and Mayor Quimby, Mayor Quimby's head is surrounded by fire and his hair was held upward at the front like two demons horns. TV networks and newspapers may favour candidates with policies which will be more favourable to them. Mayor Quimby's performance in the debate is similar to that of Nixon in the televised 1960 Presidential debate with Kennedy. The debate was said to be broadcast by FOX, which was (and still is) run by a well-known conservative, Rupert Murdoch. This article is about the animal. ... Keith Rupert Murdoch AC, KCSG (born 11 March 1931) is an Australian born United States citizen who is a global media executive and is the controlling shareholder, chairman and managing director of News Corporation, based in New York. ...

This episode reinforces the stereotypical Republican image through the local members of the party: the Blue-Haired Lawyer, Mr. Burns and even Count Dracula. Rainier Wolfcastle (an obvious parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger), the Rich Texan, and Dr. Hibbert are also shown as members of the party. This episode, and many other episodes of the Simpsons, reinforces the stereotypical image of the Kennedy family members through Mayor Joseph Quimby, the antics of him and the members of his close family, as well as Joe Quimby's accent. This article is a list of recurring fictional characters in the animated American television situation comedy The Simpsons. ... Mr. ... Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stokers 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-born American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... This article is a list of recurring fictional characters in the animated American television situation comedy The Simpsons. ... This article contains a list of recurring characters from The Simpsons with descriptions. ...

Shortly after this episode first aired, Matt Groening spoofed the Internet reaction to the story's political bent in a Life in Hell strip, in which he voiced his quiet pleasure in the discontent he had stirred up among the show's notoriously overreactive fanbase. Matthew Abram Groening (born February 15, 1954[2] in Portland, Oregon;[1] his family name is pronounced , rhymes with raining) is an Emmy Award-winning American cartoonist and the creator of The Simpsons, Futurama and the weekly comic strip Life in Hell. ... Life in Hell is a weekly comic strip by Matt Groening. ...

References

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

"Sideshow Bob Roberts"

The Simpsons Portal

• "Sideshow Bob Roberts" episode capsule at The Simpsons Archive
• Internet Movie Database "Bob Roberts 1992 (Tim Robbins)"