Bart's Inner Child

Homer sees an advertisement in the newspaper for a free trampoline. He rushes to the address from the advertisement, where Krusty the Clown is giving it away, and brings it home. While Bart and Lisa are thrilled by it, Marge is concerned about the potential dangers. Homer brushes her worries aside; he has plans of turning their backyard into a theme park, and decides to charge a fee to use the trampoline. Inevitably, however, people start getting hurt, and Homer finally takes Marge's advice to get rid of the trampoline. After failing at his various attempts to do so, Bart steps in to help Homer. They chain the trampoline to a pole using a bike lock and wait for Snake Jailbird to steal it.

Homer and Marge argue later that night. Homer admits that while Marge was right that getting the trampoline was a mistake, he adds that he's at least willing to go out and try new things while she's bossy, boring and just nags all the time. Marge, of course, disagrees with this, but after asking Bart and Lisa what they think, she discovers that they agree with their father's assessment about her. Marge becomes offended that people see her that way and goes to her sisters' apartment. While at Patty and Selma's apartment, the twins introduce her to an infomercial featuring self-help guru, Brad Goodman, who can supposedly help people like Marge with their chronic nagging. After Marge encourages Homer to watch a Brad Goodman video with her, she becomes more tolerant and the two start getting along better. After seeing how out of control Bart is, the family goes to see Brad Goodman's live lecture in the hopes that it will change him. Bart interrupts the lecture, but Brad Goodman encourages the town to follow Bart's spontaneous attitude. Soon, the whole town starts acting like Bart, who at first enjoys things, but eventually becomes upset by it. Lisa explains that it's because he's lost his unique identity as a rebel with everyone else in town acting like him.

To celebrate their new-found attitude, the town holds a "Do What You Feel" festival. However, the festival soon goes awry because those responsible for building the stages and maintaining the rides "didn’t feel like" doing a thorough job, resulting in a runaway Ferris wheel causing chaos. Arguments begin, as everybody has been encouraged to always say exactly what is on their mind, and a riot soon breaks out. Bart is quickly blamed for starting the whole "do as you feel" trend, even with Reverend Lovejoy pointing out that Brad Goodman was the one who encouraged them to act like Bart in the first place. The town chases after him, prompting Homer to save Bart by driving in a float. Despite the very slow speed of the float, the town gives up the chase and goes to the old mill to get some cider. The Simpson family returns home, where they try to figure out what the lesson of the episode was. Homer claims that Bart should have been a better role model, but Marge comes to Bart's defense by saying that self-improvement is best left to people who live in big cities. But then Lisa says that self-improvement can be accomplished, but through hard work and not a quick fix. Homer concludes that they're all fine the way they are and the family starts to watch TV.

A Star Is Burns

News anchor Kent Brockman reports that Springfield is the least cultural city in the United States. In response, a town meeting is held to decide a course of action, where Marge proposes that Springfield host a film festival showcasing films made by the townspeople. Marge is made the head of the festival's judging panel, and invites New York film critic Jay Sherman to be a special guest critic. Upon his arrival, Jay stays with the Simpson family, which becomes problematic as his popularity with the family makes Homer feel inadequate and overshadowed. Homer fears that nobody respects his intelligence by voicing his concerns. Marge tries to convince him that everyone does respect him, but his crude behaviour is the only thing they do not respect. Unconvinced by it, Homer persuades Marge to put him on the festival's judging panel to try to prove himself to others that he is more than unintelligent. Meanwhile, when Mr. Burns learns that his profits have dropped due to his bad image, Waylon Smithers informs him of the film festival. Burns decides that an epic biographical film will endear him to the people, so he hires Steven Spielberg's "non-union, Mexican equivalent," Señor Spielbergo to direct and deciding to play himself in the film after the auditions to have an actor portray him fail screen test.

The film festival commences at the Aztec Theatre, with entries including Apu Nahasapeemapetilon's Bright Lights, Beef Jerky (security footage from the Kwik-E-Mart), Moe Szyslak's musical number, Moe Better Booze (little more than a song-and-dance advertisement for Moe's Tavern), Bart's The Eternal Struggle (a home video of Homer attempting to squeeze into a pair of undersized pants), Ned Flanders' film about Moses (in which Todd, playing baby Moses, is dragged down a river until God saves him), and Hans Moleman's, Man Getting Hit by Football, which only features Moleman getting hit in the groin by a football. Moleman's movie makes Homer laugh, but Marge is displeased with him when she hears him announce that he should get the grand prize. Jay reminds Homer that he cannot quickly judge on one movie. Festival attendees are particularly touched by Barney Gumble's artistic introspective film about alcoholism, Pukahontas, which Jay (later a victim of football in the groin) foresees to be the eventual winner. Burns' film, A Burns for All Seasons, is screened last, and is met with a negative audience reaction. The audience jeers at Mr. Burns for it, because it is nothing more than ego driven and poorly made to try to portray him in a more positive light.

In the judge's room, Jay and Marge vote for Barney's film, while Mayor Quimby and Krusty the Clown vote for Burns' movie after many bribes and also due to being ego-driven themselves. Left with the tie-breaking vote, Homer quickly and enthusiastically votes for Man Getting Hit by Football. Marge confronts him for voting for the worst movie, even after he joined the judging panel. Homer tries to defend himself, but Jay points out there is more to life than seeing someone being hit with a football. Finally convinced to change his vote, Homer asks Marge to let him view the films again in private and she agrees. Later on, he views Pukahontas again while reflecting on the two films' qualities. Eventually, Homer sees the soul of Barney's film and makes his decision. At the awards ceremony, Jay announces that Barney is the grand prize winner, and Marge is proud of Homer for voting for the right film. During his acceptance speech Barney announces he's giving up drinking, but immediately relapses when he discovers his prize is a one year's supply of Duff beer.

Flashing forward six months, Burns is at the Academy Awards, where despite having bribed everyone in Hollywood, he loses out on an Oscar to George C. Scott in a remake of Man Getting Hit by Football. Marge laments that now is the time that Mr. Burns learn his lesson that he should not bribe everyone.