''Whacking Day'' is the twentieth episode of TheSimpsons' fourth season. It aired April 29, 1993.

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During an inspection by Superintendent Chalmers, Principal Skinner lures Bart, Jimbo, Kearney, Dolph and Nelson into a utility basement with the promise of free mountain bikes and locks the door. Bart escapes through a ventilation shaft and takes Groundskeeper Willie's tractor for a joyride, crashing into Chalmers. Having lost any chance of a promotion, Skinner expels Bart. After he is quickly expelled from a new private Christian school, Marge decides to homeschool Bart.

Meanwhile, Kent Brockman announces that Springfield's annual "Whacking Day" is approaching. Each year on May 10, the people of Springfield drive snakes to the center of town and beat them to death. The tradition appalls Lisa. BarryWhite arrives to begin the festivities, but is disgusted when he discovers what the holiday is about. Bart learns the true origin of Whacking Day and suggests to Lisa that they lure the snakes to safety by playing music with a lot of bass and putting the stereo speakers to the ground. White helps by singing "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe," attracting hundreds of snakes into the house.

The pursuing crowd arrives, but they are soon turned around on the subject of Whacking Day by Bart's newfound knowledge. It turns out that the day was actually invented in 1924 as an excuse to beat up the Irish. Mayor Quimby, not knowing the city has had a change of heart, shows up with pre-whacked snakes and is booed. Skinner is impressed with Bart's efforts and welcomes him back to the school, but then realizes in horror that the bullies are still in the utility basement. Racing to the school with the mountain bikes to avoid a potential lawsuit, Skinner tells Willie if the bullies are dead, they make for Mexico. Willie agrees, but privately mutters that he will turn Skinner in at the first tollbooth.

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The episode was awarded the Genesis Award for "Best Television Prime Time Animated Series" in 1994 for "consciousness-raising on behalf of animal issues."

!!This work contains the following {{tropes}}:
* {{Acrofatic}}: Homer's Whacking Day-style karate moves. Worth noting, given that most episodes before and after this one establish that Homer is so fat and out of shape that the slightest movement leaves him winded.
* BrickJoke: The story starts with Principal Skinner locking Bart, Nelson, Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney in the school's bomb shelter before the superintendent's inspection. Bart is able to get out, but the other bullies are forgotten about -- until the end when Skinner invites Bart back to school for saving the town, then realizes that he didn't let the bullies out of the bomb shelter.
* TheCameo: BarryWhite.
* CensorBox: Parodied in the news report about a nudist colony for animals.
* ComicallyMissingThePoint: The crowd cheering BarryWhite when, after having just learned the true origin of Whacking Day, he expresses his disgust of them for supporting such an observance.
--> '''BarryWhite''': Were they even listening to what I said?
--> '''Mayor Quimby''': No, I don't think so.
* ContrivedCoincidence: BarryWhite passing by TheSimpsons' house after telling the crowd how disgusted he was at Whacking Day.
* FolkHero: Jebediah Springfield's tale of whacking snakes turns out to be an excuse to beat up the Irish.
* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: While target practice in training for Whacking Day, Wiggum tells Eddy and Lou to aim for the body of a paper target of a snake. A light next to the target is promptly shot out.
* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: Possibly the {{trope namer}}. During the march through town, TheMafia's banners read "Legitimate Businessmen's Club". Instead of beating the snakes to death, [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim they just shoot them.]]
* NoodleIncident: Homer hit a referee with a whiskey bottle one time. The only other information given is that Lisa remembers it and it happened because Homer squeezed his rage into a bitter, little ball, then released it at an appropriate time. We don't know what sport it was or whether or not Homer got away with it.
* TheParody: Of Creator/OliverStone's ''{{Film/JFK}}''. In an ''Itchy and Scratchy'' cartoon with "special guest director Oliver Stone", Scratchy is escorted out of a jail, like Lee Harvey Oswald, and is shot by Itchy, like Jack Ruby.
* RealitySubtext: The plot of "Whacking Day" was based on the famous [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattlesnake_round-up Rattle Snake Roundups]].
* TakeThat: Against Oprah:
--> '''Bart''': If we put our speakers on the ground, play something with a lot of bass, those snakes will be here like Oprah on a glazed ham.
** RichardNixon is ridiculed as well.

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