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24 Minutes
You Kent Always Say What You Want
The Simpsons Movie

That hurt like a ********!
Kent Brockman, after Homer accidentally spills his coffee on him

You Kent Always Say What You Want is the twenty-second and final episode of Season 18. It originally aired as part of the one hour season finale alongside the episode "24 Minutes", and is the last episode to air before the premiere of The Simpsons Movie.

Synopsis[]

In this, the 400th episode (both in production and broadcast order), Kent Brockman gets in trouble for swearing on live TV after Homer spills hot coffee on Brockman's lap during a live interview. After he loses his job for allegedly flavoring his coffee with cocaine, Brockman becomes The Simpsons' latest house guest. While there, he tells Lisa the real reason why the FCC issues fines for indecent content on TV and the two team up to take down the mainstream media by posting the bombshell on YouTube.

Full Story[]

Driving home after a trip to the dentist, Homer takes the Simpson family to an ice cream parlor, where he buys the store's millionth ice cream cone. This results in Homer appearing on Kent Brockman's TV news talk show Smartline on Channel 6 since both have the same owner. Kent is disgusted that he is forced to do a fluff piece instead of an in-depth, intellectually stimulating discussion of the then-current War in Iraq. During the interview, Homer accidentally knocks Kent's cup of coffee into his lap, making him swear in pain.

After the commercial break, Kent apologizes, but is relieved to find that no one saw his on-air faux pas. According to the Comic Book Guy, no one under 70 years old watches TV anymore, thanks to the Internet being a faster source for both news and entertainment. However, Ned Flanders reviews the incident and gets people of like minds to report it to the Federal Communications Commission (which even his sons, Rod and Todd, find to be too overprotective and urge Ned to "find a new mommy").

The next day, during the newscast, Kent finds out that he is under scrutiny for his indiscretion and that the station has been fined $10 million. He is demoted to weekend weatherman with his rival, Arnie Pye, as the new anchorman. Later, Lindsey Naegle speaks to Kent, assuring him that his job is safe, but fires him after she sees what she thinks is cocaine in his coffee cup, ignoring his insistence that it is actually Splenda.

Marge invites a suicidal Kent to sleep over at the Simpson house. While watching TV the next day, Lisa wonders why the cable channel Fox News can be so conservative while the Fox Network broadcasts vulgar and sexual content. According to Kent, FOX deliberately airs raunchy content so that way the FCC can fine it and all fines go to fund America's Republican Party. The entire scam is an open secret in the entertainment and political world, but no one's had the wherewithal to actually shut it down, much less report it. With the help of Lisa's camera, Brockman reveals the truth as part of a YouTube video, which becomes a hit with the people, but catches the ire of Lindsay Naegle, Krusty the Clown, and the rest of Springfield's Republican Party Committee.

The next day, Lisa and Kent are confronted by the party members, who offer him his old job back with a fifty per cent raise, which Kent accepts instantly, apologizing to Lisa as he is driven away. At home, Lisa complains to Homer that today's media figures have no bravery or integrity. Homer consoles her by telling a horrifying secret that Kent told him about the Fox network, only for all references to the secret to be redacted with an announcer praising the network's programming. Homer then tries to tell the secret to the show's audience, only to be cut off by the 20th Century Fox Television logo. He then tries again only to be cut off by the Gracie Films logo.

400th episode[]

Behind the Laughter[]

Production[]

This episode, formerly known as "The Kent State Massacre", was renamed in light of the Virginia Tech massacre, which occurred only a month before the episode was set to air.

The episode was intended to spoof increased fines by the Federal Communications Commission in the wake of the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction. However, a month before the episode aired, Don Imus was fired for racist and sexist remarks he made on the air about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Similarly, Brockman wasn't immediately fired for his comments.

Reception[]

Robert Canning of IGN.com named the episode one his three favorites of the season, stating that it "ended the season on a very high note".

Citations[]

Season 17 Season 18 Episodes Season 19
The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and Her HomerJazzy and the PussycatsPlease Homer, Don't Hammer 'EmTreehouse of Horror XVIIG.I. D'ohMoe'N'a LisaIce Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)The Haw-Hawed CoupleKill Gil, Volumes I & IIThe Wife AquaticRevenge is a Dish Best Served Three TimesLittle Big GirlSpringfield UpYokel ChordsRome-Old and Julie-EhHomerazziMarge GamerThe Boys of BummerCrook and LadderStop or My Dog Will Shoot!24 MinutesYou Kent Always Say What You Want
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