They Might As Well Go Somewhere Good
"The Simpsons" has had a lot of vacation episodes, and everyone knows they've had too many. But before they become thrust into a return trip to Florida or some other ridiculous situation, they might as well take a vacation to a place that has a lot of comedic possibilities. Here are my five picks for places, that they might as well visit if we're going to have to see a vacation episode each year.
Italy
Insanely overblown ethnic stereotypes are a common source of fun on "The Simpsons", and what better place to put that into effect then L'Italia? With mafia jokes and Homer trying to speak the language as impossible-to-screw-up gags, we might actually get a refreshingly funny vacation episode. Plus, any opportunity to parody both "The Godfather" and possibly "Hannibal" in the same episode can't be overlooked.
Egypt
What better place to show off the skills of the show's animators than this Nile Valley country? The Egypt-set 7 minutes in "Simpsons Bible Stories" was quite funny on its own, and the pyramids and ancient crypts would be perfect for Homer's slapstick, Bart's antics, and Lisa's brain. And you know, Maggie could shoot something.
India
Bring Apu along for the ride, be tasteful about the poverty and suffering, and the show would have a wealth of material to make fun of. Hinduism and the fact that it's freakin' India come to mind, as does the fact, however politically incorrect, that the accents are pretty damn funny. Plus, we might get to see a view of the university with classes of 1 million that Apu attended.
Russia
There's about fifty different off-the-wall ways to get the family from America to Russia for an episode, so I'm sure at least one of them would be funny and make enough sense to work. Again, funny accents would be perfect comedic material, and I'm sure "The Simpsons" would do a great job of ripping back open the scars healed after the Cold War. Homer in a country known for its alchohol supply can't be too unfunny either.
Texas
There aren't too many states more rife for mockery than the one our president Bush calls home, and although some would be offended, it would be worth it for the rest of us to see a "King of the Hill" cross-over, jokes about Mexico being so close, and the show making fun of the fact that Texas is Oklamhoma trying to be New York.
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