History Recap / TheSimpsonsS7E23MuchApuAboutNothing

* GuiltByAssociationGag: A rather dark one. The people of Springfield originally said they were just going to get rid of ''illegal'' immigrants. Instead, [[AggressiveCategorism they try to get rid of immigrants in general]].

** Chief Wiggum's list of deportees include "your tired, your poor, and your huddled masses yearning to breath free."

** When Apu falls asleep after Homer's "tutoring" him on American history, he wakes up the next morning forgetting everything Homer "taught" him. Lisa is delighted, and takes him to write the citizenship test.
** When the bear first appeared, a horrified Flanders freaks out, crashes his car, and sprints towards his home and is so desperate to escape the danger, that he jumps through a window into his home after a nervous Maude is unable to unlock the front door. All the while the same bear is at least 100 feet away and watching the scene unfold in confusion.
* BearsAreBadNews: Parodied. The appearance of a bear invokes a Springfield-wide panic that kicks off the plot, but the actual bear did no harm by itself (aside minor property damage) and never once showed aggression. It actually seems just mostly confused.
* BearyFriendly: A bear wandered into Springfield and was just curious and harmless, the townsfolk were overreacting and panicking. In some scenes, the bear is just as confused as they are.

* ChekhovsGunman: Manjula first appeared as a little girl in Apu's flashback, in which Apu tells her that he is sorry that their ArrangedMarriage will not happen, before he travels to the U.S. She comes back in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E7TheTwoMrsNahasapeemapetilons The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons]]" where Apu learns that he can't escape his arranged marriage with her.

* GuiltByAssociationGag: A rather dark one. The people of Springfield originally said they were just going to get rid of ''illegal'' immigrants. Instead, [[AggressiveCategorism they tried to get rid of immigrants in general]].

* ImmigrantPatriotism: Apu was very proud to live in America even before becoming a citizen. He also had extensive knowledge of U.S. history and the UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem, to the point where he exceeded the requirements for passing the citizenship test. He was also brought to tears of joy when he received his first jury duty summons, declaring that this officially made him an American citizen before promptly throwing it in the trash.

* LiteralMetaphor: Grandpa recounts how the Simpsons came to America. Upon seeing the Art/StatueOfLiberty, his father points out that they have reached their new home--The family lived on Lady Liberty's head until it got full of trash.

** Becomes AllForNothing as it was then revealed the poll results was "YES on 24" (by 95%).

* OffModel: When Willie stands up for Üter, [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S07E23/397046.jpg there seem to be two Ralph Wiggums in the crowd]].

* DatedHistory: At the end of his citizenship test, Apu is instructed to explain the causes of the American Civil War and begins to give a long explanation about how multifaceted it was before the examiner tells him to "just say slavery." The joke was originally intended to highlight Apu's knowledge about US history and was based on an incident that happened to one of writer David Cohen's friends in a real citizenship test. However, in the years since the episode's airing, the historical consensus grew to overwhelmingly agree that slavery was the primary driver of the Civil War, with the Confederacy itself citing the continuation of slavery as its motive for secession in its documents and speeches. Additionally, the idea that the causes of the war were more nuanced is now recognized as being the result of a prolonged propaganda campaign by white supremacists during the early 20th century, when anti-Black racism was at its highest.

-->'''Homer:''' Most of us here were born in America. We take this country for granted. But not immigrants like Apu. While the rest of us are drinking ourselves stupid, they're driving the cabs that get us home safely. They're writing the operas that entertain us every day. They're training our tigers and kicking our extra points. [[MixedMetaphor These people are the glue that holds together the gears of our society.]] If we pass Proposition 24, we'll be losing some of the truest Americans of all. When you go to the polls tomorrow, please vote no on Proposition 24.

* LiteralMetaphor: Grandpa recounts how the Simpsons came to America. Upon seeing the Statue of Liberty, his father points out that they have reached their new home--The family lived on Lady Liberty's head until it got full of trash.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Apu mispronounces the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams NY (New York) Mets]] as "the Nye Mets".

* BoringButPractical: The angry mob organized by Homer immediately get an audience with Quimby--not through intimidation but because Skinner called the office in advance.

* OnlySaneMan: Lisa, of course, is the only Springfieldsr to point out that the bear patrol tax ($5) is the smallest new tax in the town's history.

''[Bart openly laughs, while everyone else stares quietly]''

Episode - 3F20\\
First Aired - May 5, 1996

* KnowNothingKnowItAll: Let's just say Homer is very lucky that he was born in America and never had to take a citizenship test.

-->'''Homer''': Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a charm.
-->'''Lisa''': That's specious reasoning, Dad.
-->'''Homer''': Thank you, dear.
-->'''Lisa''': By [[FalseCause your logic]], I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
-->'''Homer''': Oh, how does it work?
-->'''Lisa''': It doesn't work.
-->'''Homer''': Uh-huh.
-->'''Lisa''': It's just a stupid rock.
-->'''Homer''': Uh-huh.
-->'''Lisa''': But I don't see any tigers around, do you?
-->[''Homer thinks about this, then pulls out some money'']
-->'''Homer''': Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
-->[''Lisa is about to explain again, but gives up and accepts the money instead'']

* DisproportionateRetribution: It's even more hypocritical that Springfield bitches over a five-dollar tax increase, which Lisa points out as being the smallest tax increase in history, considering that among the vehicles the Bear Patrol uses to keep an eye out (and deal with) bears there is a ''B-2 "Spirit" Stealth Bomber''.
* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Selma cites this as her reason for refusing to marry Apu, saying that the last thing she needed was to add "Nahasapeemapeti-whatever" to the mix (which includes Bouvier, Terwilliger, Hutz, and [=McClure=]).

* IdenticalGrandson: Orville Simpson is the spitting image of Homer. In a later episode he resembles Abe instead.

* ImmigrantPatriotism: Apu was very proud to live in America even before he became a citizen. He also had extensive knowledge of U.S. history and the UsefulNotes/AmericanPoliticalSystem, to the point where he exceeded the requirements for passing the citizenship test. He was also brought to tears of joy when he received his first jury duty summons, declaring that this officially made him an American citizen before promptly throwing it in the trash.

* JerkAss: When Uter the foreign exchange student is picked on by other kids for being a foreigner, Principal Skinner sides with ''them''.

* OffModel: When Willie stands up for Uter, [[https://frinkiac.com/img/S07E23/397046.jpg there seem to be two Ralph Wiggums in the crowd]].
* OnlySaneMan: Lisa, of course, is the only Springfieldsr to point out that the tax for the bear patrol is the smallest new tax in the town's history.

* PetTheDog: Groundskeeper Willie leaps to Uter's defense when the rest of the school starts picking on him for being an immigrant.
-->'''Willie''': Ya' want to pick on immigrants? Then pick on Willie!

-->'''Homer''': If I could just say a few words, I'd be a better public speaker.\\

'''Mayor Quimby:''' Does it have an appointment?\\
'''Mayor's aide:''' ''[Checks his clipboard]'' Yes.\\
'''Principal Skinner:''' ''(Pops his head in)'' I phoned ahead!

--->'''Mayor Quimby:''' Are these morons getting dumber, or just louder?\\

* ArtisticLicenseLaw: Under US law, the federal government has exclusive authority over matters of immigration -- a town such as Springfield could legally collaborate with the feds to apprehend illegal immigrants, but ''not'' take matters into their own hands. Which would explain why in future episodes, Groundskeeper Willie was [[StatusQuoIsGod back as if nothing had happened]].

* ActuallyPrettyFunny: At the party for Apu, Homer begins his speech with a joke.
-->'''Homer''': If I could just say a few words, I'd be a better public speaker.\\
''[Bart openly laughs, while everyone else stares quietly]''

First Aired - 5/5/1996

Anti-illegal immigrant fever sweeps town after taxes get raised over bear extermination, and Apu faces deportation unless Homer and co. can help him pass his citizenship exam.

** After Kearney tries to buy alcohol and cigarettes using a fake ID card to pass off as an adult, Apu will overlook...the ice cream Kearney is hiding under his armpits freezing him.

* ChekhovsGunman: Manjula first appeared as a little girl in Apu's flashback, in which Apu tells her that he is sorry that their ArrangedMarriage will not happen, before he travels to the U.S. She comes back in "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E7TheTwoMrsNahasapeemapetilons The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons]]" where Apu finds that he can't escape his arranged marriage with her.

* ComicallyMissingThePoint: A bear roams the streets. It is caught and Homer immediately demands more protection against bears, even though it was the first time the town ever encountered this problem. After a special "bear patrol" is installed Homer tells Lisa he feels much safer now.

* ComicalOverreacting: Ned's reaction to seeing a bear placidly sitting in the middle of the road? [[ScreamsLikeALittleGirl Shrieking in terror]], crashing his car, climbing out of the wreck and running for his house as if the bear were hot on his heels and out for blood, and when Maude (who's similarly panicking) can't unlock the door, Ned jumps through a window to get inside... all while the bear, which hasn't even moved through all of this, just watches, looking completely nonplussed.

* DangerousKeyFumble: Maude is so panicked that she cannot work the doorknob to let Flanders in who is fleeing the bear.

* DescriptionCut: In the end, Marge is happy that things worked out for everyone they care about. The next scene shows Groundskeeper Willie being deported ("Ach... ingrates").

* EurekaMoment: When the family is trying to figure out a way to keep Apu from being deported, Abe mentions he could try living in a balloon. Lisa exclaims "That's it!", leading Bart to declare that she's as dumb as him. She explains that she connects Abe being a grandfather with grandfather clause, with his statement being irrelevant.

* GreatWhiteHunter: Can be seen in the opening CouchGag sitting on the Simpson's couch.

* HiddenDepths: Apu is revealed to have a master's degree in computer science and extensive knowledge of U.S. history.

* TheIllegal: Apu is revealed to be one. He originally came to Springfield on a student visa so he could study computer science at the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. He didn't feel comfortable leaving the country after graduation without paying his students loans off, so he took his job at the Kwik-E-Mart. He wound up staying because he liked his new life in America, but his visa had long expired making him an illegal immigrant.
* ImmigrantPatriotism: Apu was very proud to live in America even before he became a citizen. He also had extensive knowledge of U.S. history and the government to the point where is exceeded the requirements for passing the citizenship test. He was also brought to tears of joy when he received his first jury duty summons, declaring that this officially made him an American citizen before promptly throwing it in the trash.

** An isolated incident involving a bear wandering into Springfield is responded to by the creation of a multi-million dollar "Bear Patrol". When Homer states that the organization is stopping bears from coming into town, Lisa compares his logic to claiming that the ordinary rock she's holding is a potent tiger repellent, since there aren't any tigers around. Homer, naturally, offers to buy the rock.

* {{Jerkass}}: When Uter the foreign exchange student is picked on by other kids for being a foreigner, Principal Skinner sides with ''them''.

* MinorWithFakeID: Kearney tries to buy cigars and beer with a fake ID and assumed name. Apu recognizes Kearney immediately ([[BadLiar his claims of his]] [[PerfectlyCromulentWord "adultivity"]] [[BadLiar didn't help]]), but is impressed by the ID's quality. Apu asks where he got it, to obtain forged citizenship papers to avoid deportation, in exchange for letting Kearney keep the snacks he was trying to shoplift at the same time. [[NegativeContinuity Oddly]], this was around the time when Kearney started being portrayed as [[HeldBackInSchool well-over drinking age despite being in elementary school]].
* NoodleIncident: Selma apparently married and divorced Lionel Hutz sometime between her marriages with Sideshow Bob and Troy [=McClure=]. While her marriages with [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS3E21BlackWidower Bob]] and [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS7E19AFishCalledSelma Troy]] were each the central plot of an episode, the Hutz marriage is only brought up this one time and never mentioned again.

* PaperThinDisguise: Moe's disguise for the citizenship test? A false mustache which drops off when he's not looking.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: The bear is quickly removed but what happens afterwards is based on people's reactions for its mere presence.

-->'''Mayor's Aide:''' Sir, an unruly mob is here to see you.\\

'''Mayor's Aide:''' ''(Checks his clipboard)'' Yes.\\

'''Mayor's Aide:''' Dumber, sir. They won't give up the bear patrol, but they won't pay the tax for it either.

-->"Here's the order of deportations: First you'll be rounding up your tired, then your poor...then your huddled masses yearning to breathe free."