Mad About the Toy
- Episode aired Jan 6, 2019
- TV-14
- 21m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Motivated by a PTSD episode Grampa had while babysitting the kids, the Simpsons take a journey to Grampa's past as a post-WW2 toy model for plastic army men, and Abe finally faces his on con... Read allMotivated by a PTSD episode Grampa had while babysitting the kids, the Simpsons take a journey to Grampa's past as a post-WW2 toy model for plastic army men, and Abe finally faces his on confused sexuality.Motivated by a PTSD episode Grampa had while babysitting the kids, the Simpsons take a journey to Grampa's past as a post-WW2 toy model for plastic army men, and Abe finally faces his on confused sexuality.
Dan Castellaneta
- Homer Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Julie Kavner
- Marge Simpson
- (voice)
Nancy Cartwright
- Bart Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Yeardley Smith
- Lisa Simpson
- (voice)
Hank Azaria
- Sipper McTea
- (voice)
- …
Harry Shearer
- Kent Brockman
- (voice)
Bryan Batt
- Philip Hefflin
- (voice)
- …
Bill de Blasio
- Bill de Blasio
- (voice)
Tress MacNeille
- Milly
- (voice)
- …
Chris Edgerly
- Don
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Prada Art Installation, found thirty miles from the Artist Colony in Marfa, does exist as stated in the episode, and in a very desolate part of Texas.
- GoofsIn 1947, Grampa goes to a Rock Hudson movie. Hudson hadn't begun acting yet, and didn't become a leading man until the early '50s.
- Quotes
Grampa Simpson: Kids! Where do we keep the castor oil?
Lisa Simpson: In the 1940s.
- ConnectionsReferences Gomer Pyle: USMC (1964)
- SoundtracksLove and Marriage
(uncredited)
Music by Jimmy Van Heusen
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn
Performed by Dan Castellaneta
Featured review
Can't Help But Be Compared to its Competition
The episode won the Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2019. Not surprisingly, this marks the 11th win for the series in this category, but, once you realize that it won against BoJack Horseman's "Free Churro" and Adventure Time's series finale "Come Along with Me", you begin to ask yourself, "Why did this episode win?"
Before I start, I am neglecting to mention that Bob's Burgers and Big Mouth were also nominated that year (Bob's 8th nomination and Big Mouth's 1st in this category), mainly because I haven't seen "Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now" and "The Planned Parenthood Show". So full discourse if (and by "if", I mean "most definitely") I come off as biased towards a certain episode from my favorite show...wait, where was I going this?
Any-who, the review.
"Mad About the Toy" follows Grandpa after having an episode when he sees toy army soldiers while babysitting the Simpsons kids. This embarks on a journey of identity, sexuality, and not signing a check that could've gotten you hundreds of millions of dollars just left on the table.
On its own, the episode is pretty funny. The sped-up anniversary date is a fun visual gag, and nearly all the jokes land. Does it compare to the Golden Age of Simpson episodes? Well, that depends on how you categorize great episodes. The best episodes are hilarious, boasting great satire, amazing commentary on pop culture, and the human condition at its most emotionally earnest. This episode is funny, but also explore's masculinity and sexuality using Grandpa as a template through a confused gay encounter. But while Grandpa does go through an arc, the episode is more concerned about being funny and satirical, while also commenting on current day events and people. "Reluctant Home of Ted Cruz" anybody? It still follows the classic Simpson's format, but it isn't an episode I would consider great. And I believe that has to do with timing.
This episode came out on January 9th, 2019. The 2010s have premiered great animated shows since then: Ricky and Morty, Archer, The Legend of Korra, Star vs The Forces of Evil, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, F is for Family, Amazing World of Gumball, and the shows that were nominated year.
Needless to say, during the 90s the Simpson's was the frontrunner of animated programs, comedy, and writing. Now, they're considered more of a hollow shell of their former glory. Since then, cartoons have progressed and evolved to the point that we can have them ranked among the best TV has to offer. That's not to say The Simpsons can't evolve with the time, but there's so only much you can do with these characters and settings.
Although cartoons have yet to reach the same level of award recognition, (the only two to have been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys were the Flintstones in 1961 for its 1st and Family Guy in 2009 for its 7th season, with neither winning) cartoons have and continue to appeal to every age possible. There's a variety for all, and we aren't bound to even one specific genre for animation. They can be funny, sure, but they can dark and thrilling with concerns over control and morality (Death Note, anyone?), sad and depressing with issues centered around religion (Moral Orel), straight-up surreal and absurd (Xavier: Renegade Angel), etc.
2019 saw BoJack Horseman deliver an episode-long monologue/eulogy about his mother and life ("Free Churro") and is considered to be a groundbreaking game-changer by almost redefining and to define what animation can do. Adventure Time saw the culmination of several story arcs that resulted in an epic family that had kids who matured into their adolescence and adulthood to witness their favorite characters ("Come Along with Me"). Big Mouth is able to tackle such raunchy material of puberty...with kids!?!?! and manage to tackle issues like sexuality, abortion, interracial relationships, masturbation, etc. Bob's Burgers is essentially the 2010s version of The Simpsons, having an animated family sitcom tackle current day and absurd topics. Kind of like how Family Guy and American tried to be that for the 2000s and succeeded but aged poorly. Bob's Burgers, however, has succeeded by focusing on the heart of all great stories: caring about its character.
Yes, this has been a ramble over a solid episode of animation, but what propelled me to write about this were the reviews. Most seemed to deem this attempting to "woke" or rage against what should've won the Emmy that year. I decided to give the episode a fair chance and critique it from a different perspective. But what I wound up doing was just write about what the win signifies and how we are part of a new generation of TV consumers, and our tastes have changed drastically since the 90s consumer, and the 2000s. But we still hunger for the same thing we always have from cartoons: to feel something and enjoy ourselves.
Before I start, I am neglecting to mention that Bob's Burgers and Big Mouth were also nominated that year (Bob's 8th nomination and Big Mouth's 1st in this category), mainly because I haven't seen "Just One of the Boyz 4 Now for Now" and "The Planned Parenthood Show". So full discourse if (and by "if", I mean "most definitely") I come off as biased towards a certain episode from my favorite show...wait, where was I going this?
Any-who, the review.
"Mad About the Toy" follows Grandpa after having an episode when he sees toy army soldiers while babysitting the Simpsons kids. This embarks on a journey of identity, sexuality, and not signing a check that could've gotten you hundreds of millions of dollars just left on the table.
On its own, the episode is pretty funny. The sped-up anniversary date is a fun visual gag, and nearly all the jokes land. Does it compare to the Golden Age of Simpson episodes? Well, that depends on how you categorize great episodes. The best episodes are hilarious, boasting great satire, amazing commentary on pop culture, and the human condition at its most emotionally earnest. This episode is funny, but also explore's masculinity and sexuality using Grandpa as a template through a confused gay encounter. But while Grandpa does go through an arc, the episode is more concerned about being funny and satirical, while also commenting on current day events and people. "Reluctant Home of Ted Cruz" anybody? It still follows the classic Simpson's format, but it isn't an episode I would consider great. And I believe that has to do with timing.
This episode came out on January 9th, 2019. The 2010s have premiered great animated shows since then: Ricky and Morty, Archer, The Legend of Korra, Star vs The Forces of Evil, Regular Show, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, F is for Family, Amazing World of Gumball, and the shows that were nominated year.
Needless to say, during the 90s the Simpson's was the frontrunner of animated programs, comedy, and writing. Now, they're considered more of a hollow shell of their former glory. Since then, cartoons have progressed and evolved to the point that we can have them ranked among the best TV has to offer. That's not to say The Simpsons can't evolve with the time, but there's so only much you can do with these characters and settings.
Although cartoons have yet to reach the same level of award recognition, (the only two to have been nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Emmys were the Flintstones in 1961 for its 1st and Family Guy in 2009 for its 7th season, with neither winning) cartoons have and continue to appeal to every age possible. There's a variety for all, and we aren't bound to even one specific genre for animation. They can be funny, sure, but they can dark and thrilling with concerns over control and morality (Death Note, anyone?), sad and depressing with issues centered around religion (Moral Orel), straight-up surreal and absurd (Xavier: Renegade Angel), etc.
2019 saw BoJack Horseman deliver an episode-long monologue/eulogy about his mother and life ("Free Churro") and is considered to be a groundbreaking game-changer by almost redefining and to define what animation can do. Adventure Time saw the culmination of several story arcs that resulted in an epic family that had kids who matured into their adolescence and adulthood to witness their favorite characters ("Come Along with Me"). Big Mouth is able to tackle such raunchy material of puberty...with kids!?!?! and manage to tackle issues like sexuality, abortion, interracial relationships, masturbation, etc. Bob's Burgers is essentially the 2010s version of The Simpsons, having an animated family sitcom tackle current day and absurd topics. Kind of like how Family Guy and American tried to be that for the 2000s and succeeded but aged poorly. Bob's Burgers, however, has succeeded by focusing on the heart of all great stories: caring about its character.
Yes, this has been a ramble over a solid episode of animation, but what propelled me to write about this were the reviews. Most seemed to deem this attempting to "woke" or rage against what should've won the Emmy that year. I decided to give the episode a fair chance and critique it from a different perspective. But what I wound up doing was just write about what the win signifies and how we are part of a new generation of TV consumers, and our tastes have changed drastically since the 90s consumer, and the 2000s. But we still hunger for the same thing we always have from cartoons: to feel something and enjoy ourselves.
helpful•112
- EvelioandZgroup
- Aug 17, 2020
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