"Brush with Greatness" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons' second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 11, 1991. In the episode, Marge revives her high school-era interest in painting by enrolling in an art class after getting encouraged by Lisa. When she wins first prize in a local art competition for a portrait of Homer on the couch in his underwear, Mr. Burns commissions her to paint a portrait of him. Meanwhile, Homer is determined to lose weight after becoming stuck in a water slide at an amusement park.
The episode was written by Brian K. Roberts and directed by Jim Reardon. Beatles member Ringo Starr guest starred in it as himself, while Jon Lovitz starred as Marge's art teacher, Professor Lombardo. The episode features cultural references to films such as Rocky and Gone with the Wind. Since airing, the episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics, who praised the use of Starr and the central focus on Marge. It acquired a Nielsen rating of 12.0, and was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network the week it aired.
Read more about Brush With Greatness: Plot, Production, Cultural References, Reception
Famous quotes containing the words brush and/or greatness:
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“The greatness of man is so evident that it is even proved by his wretchedness. For what in animals is nature, we call in man wretchedness—by which we recognize that, his nature being now like that of animals, he has fallen from a better nature which once was his.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)