Homer's Barbershop Quartet

At the Springfield Swap Meet, Bart and Lisa Simpson notice Homer on the cover of an LP album. Homer explains that he, Principal Skinner, Barney, and Apu recorded a barbershop quartet album in 1985, which catapulted them to national fame. He then tells his family the story of how the album came to be. While performing at Moe's Tavern, an agent offered to represent the group as a band, but only on the condition that they expel Chief Wiggum, who was the band's fourth member at the time. After Homer abandons Wiggum in the woods, an audition is held during which the band rejected candidates to fill Wiggum's position, among others Jasper Beardly, Groundskeeper Willie and Wiggum disguised as Doctor Dolittle, the trio returned downheartedly to Moe's Tavern, where they recruited Barney after hearing him sing in a beautiful Irish tenor voice. The four members then brainstormed on a name for the group, eventually settling on The Be Sharps.[3]

In the present, Homer brags that he sold his car's spare tire at the swap meet. On the way home, one of their tires blows out. While Marge walks to a gas station to get a new tire, Homer continues his story. He tells Bart and Lisa that after Marge bought a Baby on board sign, Homer wrote a song inspired by the fad. The song "Baby on Board" appeared on the group's first album, Meet The Be Sharps, and the song became a hit. The Be Sharps performed the song at the Statue of Liberty's centennial in 1986, and they later won a Grammy Award for Outstanding Soul, Spoken Word, or Barbershop Album of the Year for Meet The Be Sharps.[3]

Back in the present, the Simpsons are at home, where Homer explains that The Be Sharps became so popular that they were featured on merchandise, including lunch boxes, mugs, and posters. The band later released their second album, Bigger than Jesus. While The Be Sharps grew in fame, creative disputes arose when Barney dated a Japanese conceptual artist (a parody of Yoko Ono), which eventually led to his leaving the group. Barney and his girlfriend recorded a song in which his girlfriend repeatedly says "Number 8" over tape loops of Barney's belches (a parody of The Beatles' "Revolution 9"). Ultimately, the group realized they were no longer popular. The latest issue of Us Weekly's What's Hot and What's Not confirmed this, noting that the band was no longer "hot". The band then split up; Principal Skinner returned to the Springfield Elementary School, Apu to the Kwik-E-Mart, Barney back to Moe's Tavern, and Homer to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, where his position has temporarily been filled by a chicken. Returning to the present day, the group reunites to perform a concert on the roof of Moe's Tavern, singing their number one hit "Baby on Board". Pedestrians stop and listen to them singing their comeback concert, including George Harrison of The Beatles, who dismissively remarks, "It's been done.

Selma's Choice

After watching an advertisement on television for Duff Gardens, Homer, Bart and Lisa decide to go. As they prepare to leave, Marge tells them that spinster Great Aunt Gladys died and they will be going to her funeral instead. The Simpsons, along with Patty and Selma, drive to Littleneck Falls to attend her funeral and the reading of her will. On the video will, Great Aunt Gladys tells Patty and Selma not to die alone, as she did. Selma hears the ticking of her biological clock, and decides she wants a child. Selma tries video dating, but gets rejected by Groundskeeper Willie. She goes to a psychic who tries to sell her a love potion. The psychic ingests it, blurts out the innocuous ingredients and discovers that she accidentally drank a truth serum. Selma dates Hans Moleman after revoking his license at the DMV. All goes well until Hans tries to kiss her goodnight; Selma envisions herself as the mother of several ugly, blind children and kicks Hans out of the car to prevent that future from happening. Lisa then suggests to Selma that she go through artificial insemination.

When the day comes for Homer to take Bart and Lisa to Duff Gardens, he falls ill from food poisoning after eating a hoagie that became spoiled days after he took it home from a company picnic. In an attempt to give Selma a taste of motherhood, Marge nominates her to take the kids to Duff Gardens while she stays home to look after Homer.

When the trio arrives at Duff Gardens, Bart and Lisa wear Selma out, especially when they go on the Little Land of Duff ride and Bart dares Lisa to drink the toxic "water". Lisa is confused, but Bart mocks her until Selma intervenes, shouting at Bart to shut up and ordering Lisa to drink the water. When Lisa takes a sip, she hallucinates, grows violent and paranoid, and wanders away from the ride, tripping out to the parade music. While Selma is looking for Lisa, Bart gets on a roller coaster called The Barrel Roll and ends up having to be rescued after the car stops in the center of one of the inversions. Lisa is soon found swimming nude in the Fermentarium, returned to Selma and given pills by an unlicensed doctor.

After Bart and Lisa return home, Selma decides she can live without children for now and adopts Jub-Jub, Gladys' pet iguana.

Selma's Choice, but this is a tough matchup.

Both good episodes. I pick Selma's choice because I love Homer's sandwich.

That sandwich bit is one of my all-time favorite Simpsons moments.

Mine too, but the barbershop episode is better overall

I'm still not voting for Barbershop Quartet, but I saw a "Baby On Board" sign yesterday and was reminded of how much I love the line: "Look what I got! Now people will stop intentionally ramming our car."