Husbands and Knives

"Husbands and Knives" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons ' nineteenth season.

Plot
While shopping at the The Android's Dungeon, Milhouse accidentally sheds a tear on a Wolverine comic book and blurs Wolverine's sideburns. For this, Comic Book Guy charges Milhouse twenty-five dollars. After Bart complains, Comic Book Guy tells him and the other child customers to go to a new comic book store, thinking his is the only one in town. To his surprise, a new comic book store, "Coolsville Comics & Toys", situated directly across the street from the Android's Dungeon has just opened.

All the children immediately depart the store and head towards Coolsville, where the store owner, a hip man named Milo immediately makes a good impression on the kids by giving them candy and inviting them for his grand opening. Upon entering, the children are astonished to see the store is not completely full of comic books, but also of video games and modern art, giving it a sophisticated arcade look. When Lisa accidentally rips a page of a book, Milo merely tells her that the books are meant to be read and enjoyed.

The store begins attracting popularity, including those of Art Spiegelman, Dan Clowes, and Alan Moore, who all visit for a book signing. Comic Book Guy's jealousy begins getting to him, so he begins to sabotage Milo's popularity by attempting to bribe the children with new ninja weapons, and outing that Milo has a girlfriend named Strawberry. After these ploys do not work, Comic Book Guy takes out a sword and demolishes Coolsville. He fails to destroy more after Art Spiegelman, Dan Clowes and Alan Moore subdue him.

After dropping Bart off at Coolsville, Marge compares herself to a cardboard standup of Wonder Woman, and is shocked to see how her physique compares unfavorably. Then Jimbo, Dolph, and Kearney start feeling sorry for Marge and start beating up each other because of their mothers' appearances. Marge promises to go to a gym and become slimmer. While exercising at a large and intense gym, Marge begins to struggle with the treadmill. She convinces herself that everyone else is struggling, although the other clients, including Miss Springfield, Cookie Kwan, Rainier Wolfcastle, and Duffman are all using the treadmill with no problems. After being embarrassed from showering in a public shower, Marge wishes to make a gym for ordinary women.

When Comic Book Guy finally gives up, he sells the Android's Dungeon to Marge who creates Shapes, a women-only workout center which immediately becomes a hit. Many women of Springfield comment on Marge's efforts, and she opens another location at an abandoned Krusty Burger. Soon, after an interview on Opal, a now rich Marge becomes an international hit.

Homer and Marge go on a luxury vacation at a hotel where Homer meets a group of three jocks. They begin to convince Homer that Marge will soon dump him for a healthier man. The men give Homer a list of the stages Marge will go through before dumping him, which all start to happen. Later, Homer overhears Marge talking to a group of women about dumping something. Homer assumes it is him, although it is really Marge's purse.

Homer goes through various stages to gain a new look, including stomach staples and plastic surgery. When finished, Homer looks entirely different from his first appearance. In the result, Homer's appetite level has been significantly lower and tear ducts have been moved to his pectoral muscles. While Mayor Quimby begins rewarding Marge for her work with Shapes, Homer arrives in his new form, much to the shock and disgust of the town. Quimby soon orders the town to raise their pitchforks and attack Homer. Homer and Marge run to the top of Springfield's Notre Dame tower and Marge, saying she wants a trophy husband, deliberately pushes Homer off the tower. Homer wakes up in the hospital, back to his old self. Marge informs him that after he was knocked out, the surgeon called for her permission on the surgery, to which she said no, and that everything from Homer's blacking-out to his "death" was just a dream. She did have the doctor reverse Homer's stomach stapling, as she loves him no matter how he looks. The episode ends with Moore, Spiegelman, and Clowes watching Homer and Marge leave, and they mention that a meteor is headed for Earth, but soon forget at the mention of a convention for underpaid writers, to which to fly away to as the meteor is about to strike.

Cultural references

 * This episode name is a play on the film title Husbands and Wives.
 * Inside of the Android Dungeon comic book store, in one scene behind Bart and Comic Book Guy, a "World Champ Boston Red Sox" pennant is hung on a bookshelf.
 * The song Milo plays in his store is a Korean version of Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat".
 * Batman" (TV series) ("POW!" appears on the screen)
 * Marge's gym, Shapes is a parody of Curves.
 * Homer (in his new hideous look) carrying Marge up the Springfield Notre Dame is reminiscent of a scene in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
 * The treadmill scene in the gym is a reference to the music video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again".
 * The Pet Shop Boys song "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" can be heard.
 * The "Opal" show is a parody of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Comic references

 * The comics Bart looks at are Death Of... Superman, Death Of... Aquaman, Death Of... Casper and comics about Caveman Robin, Black Robin, and Born-Again Robin.
 * The Wolverine comic that Milhouse's tears blotch appears to be a copy of Wolverine #1 (1982) (though the actual issue does not feature "controversial pop-up claws").
 * The comics The Formidable Mulk and The Thung are parodies of The Incredible Hulk and The Thing from The Fantastic 4.
 * Wonder Woman (Marge compares herself to a cutout of her)
 * The comics displayed behind the writers at the signing are Lost Girls, Maus, and Ghost World, respectively written by guest stars Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, and Dan Clowes. Art Spiegelman's mask is based upon the mask he has drawn himself wearing as an illustrator in Maus.
 * Archie comics (Jughead hats in the store)
 * Alan Moore's outburst at Milhouse's request that he sign a DVD of the film "Watchmen Babies in V for Vacation" (a parody of Watchmen and V for Vendetta), is a reference to Moore's opposition to adaptations of his works by major film studios, particularly his refusal to support the recent film adaptation of V for Vendetta.
 * Two popular European comic books, Asterix and Tintin, are referenced. The book Tintin in Paris is a parody of the books The Black Island and Destination Moon. Also shown are several actual Tintin books, such as The Shooting Star and Tintin in Tibet.
 * Coolsville Comics & Toys in this episode is a parody of thereal store Meltdown Comics & Collectibles on Melrose in Hollywood, California. The writers of the show go there for their comics. Coolsville looks almost like Meltdown except for slight differences.
 * When Comic book guy tries to lure his customers back with ninja weapons in this episode the writers are making an indirect joke at the real world Toy Mandala, a comic store competitor of Meltdown Comics & Collectibles. Toy Mandala does actually sell ninja weapons in real life and is a comic store. They do not, however, sell weapons to children.

Reception
Robert Canning of IGN enjoys this episode most out of the season so far, and calls it an episode that can keep viewers entertained and laughing. He called the character of Milo and Jack Black a perfect good fit, particularly enjoying a Korean version of Tom Jones' "What's New Pussycat". Despite calling Jack Black's appearance great, he particularly enjoyed the appearances of comic book legends Alan Moore, Art Spiegelman, and Dan Clowes who happily parodied themselves; he quotes that the most enjoyable bits with them was seeing the dark, demented Moore find giddy solace in a Little Lulu book, when the three formed the "League of Extraordinary Freelancers" and seeing Spiegelman don a Maus mask, to make it all inevitable and hilarious. The episode had 10.55 million viewers, second best for the season.