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Bart the General was the fifth non short Simpsons episode released on television. The episode deals with Bart's troubles with the school bully, Nelson Muntz. It is the first episode with the Grampa Simpson character.

Synopsis

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Lisa makes cupcakes for her teacher, offering one to Otto Mann and another, which fell on the bus floor, to Bart. At school, one of Nelson's friends swipes the cupcakes and Bart gets in a fight over the theft. Nelson shows up and Bart bloodies his nose; Nelson and his two friends meet Bart after school and beat him, then put him in a trash can and roll him down a hill. Bart is unable to stop the bullying and Lisa suggests that he go talk to Grampa Simpson at his rest home.

When Bart arrives, Grampa is typing a letter decrying the television depiction of elderly people as happy and energetic. Jasper enters the room and he and Grampa get in a fight over a newspaper; Grampa loses and Jasper takes the newspaper and leaves. Grampa takes Bart to a military supply store for help with his problem. The one-armed proprietor of the store is crazy, but gives Bart and his fellow students military training. Together they surround Nelson and his crew and bombard them with water balloons; Nelson surrenders and is tied up. Bart is ready to release him until Nelson says he will just beat him up again; then Nelson and his conquerors draft a peace treaty. Bart unties Nelson; Marge brings cupcakes and everyone shares them.

After the show, Bart addresses the audience directly from a table top in a library, noting that war is "neither glamorous nor fun."

This episodes introduces Nelson Muntz and Grampa Simpson (previously seen only in photos at the Simpsons house), as well as Jasper (previously seen in the background during Homer's presentation to the City Commission in Homer's Odyssey) and Herman the owner of the store.

Memorable Quotes

• "I thought I was too old. I thought my time had passed. I thought I'd never hear the screams of pain, or see the look of terror in a man's eyes. Thank heaven for children!" -- Grampa Simpson

• "There are no good wars (with the following exceptions: The American Revolution, World War II, and the Star Wars trilogy)." -- Bart in the conclusion of the episode

Bart's "daydreams" about Nelson

Prior to his confrontation with Nelson, Bart has two "daydreams" where he worries about a potentially brutal outcome. Those daydreams are as follows:

First daydream

Bart is walking down the hall when Nelson begins chasing him. Bart attempts to use various means to ward off the fast-growing Nelson - knives, a spray of machine gun bullets, etc. - all of them failing to faze the bully. Eventually, Nelson grows into a Goliath-like terror and corners Bart. Nelson easily picks up Bart, shouts out, "Lunchtime!" and swallows him whole.

Second daydream

Later, Bart - Nelson having reminded Bart that he expects him for his after-school beating - envisions his funeral. Bart's entire class, his friends, Principal Skinner and his family take their turns at the casket, saying their goodbyes. Skinner remarks the nurse "did a wonderful job" reconstructing his face after his fatal run-in with Nelson (implying the fight was particularly brutal). Homer gleefully celebrates his "day of mourning" until Marge corrects him, while Lisa tearfully places a cupcake in Bart's casket and wishes she had handled her earlier run-in with Nelson differently. Nelson oafishly grabs the cupcake, punches the corpse and walks off.

Cultural references

• War movies - several war movies are parodied or homaged in various scenes throughout the episode:
  • Full Metal Jacket - The scene where the "trainees" do pull-ups and other exercises on a jungle-gym-type structure as the sun sets in the background.
  • The Longest Day - The shot of the GI helmet resting on its top while Nelson and his goons try to escape
  • Patton - Several lines of dialogue, Bart slapping one of his soldiers (for "being a disgrace") and the music are lifted directly from the movie.
  • Stripes - Herman running up and jabing the training dolls with his bayonet, just like in the movie.
• Life magazine V-J Day photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in New York's Times Square - One of Bart's "soliders" grabs Lisa and passionately kisses her, the moment preserved on film. The pose of both the boy and Lisa are identical to the famous photograph shot by Alfred Eisenstaedt.
• ABC Afterschool Special and CBS Schoolbreak Special - Bart's post-episode speech, where he warns about the dangers of war and recommends further reading on the topic, pays homage to those "after school specials."
• Nuremburg trials - The cronies' comments, "We were only following orders," effectively summarize those of Adolf Hitler's former Nazi leaders during the trials.
• Peace treaties – Various peace treaties (and events surrounding them) are referenced in the armistice between Bart and Nelson:
  • "Nelson recognizes Bart's right to exist" – Much like Palestine recognizing Israel's right to exist.
  • "Nelson is never again to raise his fists in anger" – Germany and Japan having to eliminate their offensive armies; and Japanese emperor Hirohito being forced to renounce his claims of being the arahitogami (or, living god).
  • Nelson "agreeing" to sign the armistice – similar to Germany signing the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.

External links

• Episode capsule on "Simpsons Archive"

• Simpsons episodes