The PTA Disbands!

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The Simpsons episode
"The PTA Disbands"
Episode no.	124
Prod. code	2F19
Orig. Airdate	April 16, 1995
Writer(s)	Jennifer Crittenden
Director	Swinton O. Scott III
Chalkboard	"I do not have power of attorney over first graders."
Couch gag	The family runs to the couch in a parody of M. C. Escher's Relativity (recycled from Homer the Great)
SNPP capsule
Season 6 September 4, 1994 – May 21, 1995
Bart of Darkness Lisa's Rival Another Simpsons Clip Show Itchy & Scratchy Land Sideshow Bob Roberts Treehouse of Horror V Bart's Girlfriend Lisa on Ice Homer: Bad Man Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy Fear of Flying Homer the Great And Maggie Makes Three Bart's Comet Homie the Clown Bart vs. Australia Homer vs. Patty & Selma A Star is Burns Lisa's Wedding Two Dozen and One Greyhounds The PTA Disbands! 'Round Springfield The Springfield Connection Lemon of Troy Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"The PTA Disbands!" is the 21st episode of The Simpsons' sixth season.

1 Synopsis
2 Trivia
3 Cultural references
4 Quotes
5 External links
6 Notes

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

After a failed attempt at a school field trip, Edna Krabappel calls an emergency strike on behalf of the Teachers' Union of Springfield Elementary, to protest Principal Skinner's miserly spending on school supplies and activities. The various student characters respond to the sudden turn of events in their own ways: Lisa becomes increasingly obsessive in her desire to be graded, Milhouse is forced by his parents to take private tutoring lessons, Jimbo Jones finds himself immersed in the intricacies of daytime soaps, and Bart revels in his newfound afternoon freedom. In particular, Bart does what he can to keep the union and Principal Skinner at odds with each other. The two sides are at an impasse, the union wanting a restoration of funding and Skinner maintaining that even with the spending reductions he's made, government budget cuts have squeezed the school dry. After some prompting from an exasperated Marge Simpson, the parents of Springfield eventually decide to take matters into their own hands, and recruit volunteers from the community to take over as temporary teachers. This turns out to be even worse for the students than before the strike, and so Bart grudgingly resolves to force the strike negotiations forward. Together with Milhouse, he tricks both Ms. Krabappel and Principal Skinner in to entering Skinner's office, which he then locks behind them. After spending several hours trapped together "like prisoners" in their own school, the two are mutually inspired with an idea to create extra revenue for more school spending. Things return to normal with the old teachers in charge, however with valuable indoor real estate having been rented to the Springfield Prison. Each classroom now features several full prison cells at the back, which have the added benefit of keeping the more troublesome students in line (although it is clear from the last line that Bart intends to help free Snake, the prisoner in the cell directly behind Bart's desk).

[edit] Trivia

Despite the title of the episode, at no point does the PTA actually disband. The title was suggested by David Mirkin and was intended to poke fun at the episode writer, Jennifer Crittenden, who thought the most exciting part of the teachers going on strike would be that the PTA might disband^[1]. In addition to this, Mirkin added a character to the episode who, on thinking the PTA has disbanded, jumps panicking out of a window. He returns the same way he went out when Ned tells him the PTA has not disbanded.
Bart causing a commotion at the bank may be a reference to Satyajit Ray's film Mahanagar, where a similar situation causes a huge ruckus in a strikingly similar visual style. Matt Groening is known for being a fan of Ray's movies.

[edit] Purple monkey dishwasher

Bart: [walking up to a crowd of striking teachers] Now for Operation Strike-Make-Go-Longer.

[speaking to teacher] You know, I heard Skinner say the teachers will crack any minute.

The teachers whisper it forward through the line.

Teacher: [speaking to Edna] "Skinner said the teachers will crack any minute, purple monkey dishwasher."

Edna Krabappel: "Well! We'll show him, especially for that 'purple monkey dishwasher' remark!"

This is most likely a reference to Chinese whispers, where a story or phrase passed sequentially from one member of a group to another is often grossly distorted once it reaches the intended recipient. The remark itself has achieved a notable amount of pop culture recognition as an inside joke between Simpsons fans. A Purple Monkey Dishwasher zine (Modbury North, S.A. : Purple Monkey Dishwasher, 1996-1999) was even published for a short time.

[edit] The books banned by other schools

Tek War by William Shatner
Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin
Sexus by Henry Miller
40 Years of Playboy by Hugh Hefner
Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman
Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
The Satanic Verses (Junior Illustrated Edition) by Salman Rushdie

[edit] ASTI Strike in Ireland

In Ireland on the station RTE 2 (then Network 2) this episode was shown rather than the advertised Simpson's episode the night before the nationwide strike by the Association Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI).

[edit] Cultural references

The scene in which the cannon is knocked over parodies the song of F Troop in which a cannon goes off and destroys the leg of a lookout tower after losing one of its wheels.
The character at the bank who tells the angry crowd that their money's in "Bill's house, and Fred's house" is based on the James Stewart character from It's a Wonderful Life.
Uter's apparent death is referenced in "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?" when his parents show up questioning their son's disappearence. (Nevertheless, he manages to make several appearances between these two episodes.)

[edit] Quotes

Bart: Krabappel said you would give the teachers anything they wanted.
Principal Skinner: She did?
Bart: Yeah. She said you would fold faster than Superman on laundry day.
Bart: Ouch! My bones are so brittle. But I always drink plenty of... "Malk"? (The carton of malk reads that it contains Vitamin R)
Homer: Marge, anyone can miss Canada, all tucked away down there.
Homer: Lousy teachers, trying to pawn off our kids on us!
Lisa: But, Dad, by striking, they're trying to effect a change in management so that they can be happier and more productive.
Homer: Lisa, if you don't like your job, you don't strike: you just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.
[Moe is calling attendance as a substitute teacher]
Moe: Ahem, Anita Bath?
[laughter]
All right, settle down. Anita Bath here?
[laughter]
All right, fine, fine. Maya Buttreeks.
[laughter]
Hey, what are you laughing at? What? Oh, oh! I get it, I get it. It's my big ears, isn't it, kids? Isn't it? Well children, I can't help that! [runs out crying]
Bart: Ah...[crosses Moe's name off list of substitute teachers]
Milhouse: Wow, Bart, I'm impressed the way you knocked off all those substitutes.
Bart: In my weaker moments, I almost pity them. Then I just remind myself, they're trying to teach.
Marge: [looking out the window] There's something about flying a kite at night that is so unwholesome.
Bart: [grinning mischievously with circles under his eyes] [creepily] Hello, Mother dear...
Edna Krabappel: I don't care what you say, I can taste the newspaper!
Principal Skinner: Posh. Shredded newspapers add much needed roughage and essential inks. Besides, you didn't notice the old gym mats.
Lunchlady Doris: [Is shoving a gym mat into a meat grinder] There's very little meat in these gym mats.
9th Bearded Infantry Soldier:C'mon, boys!! Those white flags are no match for our muskets!!
Edna: By ignoring them, you're selling out these children's futures.
Skinner: [Stands up angrily] Oh, come on, Edna. We both know these children have no future! [Extended silence as the entire cafeteria of children looks at Skinner] Prove me wrong, kids. Prove me wrong.
Lisa: Relax? RELAX?! I can't relax!! Nor can I yield, relent or... [pauses] ... only two synonyms? Oh my god, I'm losing my perspicacity! AAAAAAAAAAAHHH!! [Runs away from the table screaming]
Homer: Well, it's always in the last place you look.
Lisa: [Jumping up and down to get Marge's attention] Look at me! Grade me! Evaluate and rank me! I'm good, good, good and oh so smart! [drops to her knees] GRADE MEEEEEEEEEE!!
Jasper: Talking out of turn--that's a paddling. Looking out the window--that's a paddling. Staring at my sandals--that's a paddling. Paddling the school canoe--oh, you better believe that's a paddling.
Homer: Like this perpetual motion machine she built. [holds up a rotating machine with a lightbulb that progressively goes faster and shines brighter as Homer speaks] It just keeps going faster and faster. Lisa! Get in here. [Lisa walks in.] In this house, we obey the laws of thermodynamics!
Scared Man: Oh my God... oh my God! THE PTA HAS DISBANDED! AAAAAAAHHHHH!!! [Throws himself out of a window]
Flanders: No! No! The PTA has not disbanded!
Scared Man: aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!! [Jumps back up through the hole he made in the window and resumes his seat, dusting himself off]
Lisa: At this rate, I probably won't even get into Vassar.
Homer: I've had just about enough of your Vassar-bashing, young lady!
Database: (everyone's playing God Save the Queen) Hey, now that--Now that Largo's gone, we, we can play the forbidden music! (Everyone begins to play Pop Goes the Weasel)
Largo: (pops his head in the room) I heard that! (closes the door and everyone resumes Pop Goes the Weasel)
Little girl (looking at Frink's new toy): Excuse me, sir, can I play with it?
Professor Frink: No. You wouldn't enjoy it on as many levels as I do. The colours, children! Look at the colours! Ng-hey!