How I Spent My Strummer Vacation

Infobox Simpsons episode
episode_name = How I Spent My Strummer Vacation


image_caption= Promotional artwork for the episode featuring Homer next to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger.
episode_no = 293
prod_code = DABF22
airdate = November 10, 2002
show runner = Mike Scully
writer = Mike Scully
director = Mike B. Anderson
couch_gag = The living room is in an ocean. Homer is on water skis, with the others on him, as he ski-jumps over sharks; everybody lands on the couch, but Homer’s legs are in the mouth of the sharks.
guest_star = Elvis Costello, Mick Jagger, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, Keith Richards, and Brian Setzer as themselves
season = 14

"How I Spent My Strummer Vacation" is the second episode of "The Simpsons"' fourteenth season. The episode first aired on November 10, 2002. It was intended to be the season premiere, but "Treehouse of Horror XIII" was moved ahead for Halloween. This episode was heavily promoted due to its list of high-profile guest stars, and is the last episode written by Mike Scully.

Plot

On a visit to Moe's, Homer has no money to pay for his beer and Moe will not give him any freebies. As a result, he goes around town doing alternate things to feel drunk, such as breathing thin air on top of a mountain, licking toads and giving blood. Moe feels guilty about earlier and gives Homer a free beer, but Homer is already heavily intoxicated. Moe, Lenny and Carl put Homer in a taxi to Homer's home. He is secretly being videotaped on a reality show called "Taxicab Conversations", and what he says on tape are some unpleasant things about Marge and the kids, as well as his dream of being a rock star. His family is not impressed with him, but soon realise that they do somewhat burden him. To make up for this, the family takes Homer to a Rock 'n Roll Fantasy Camp, run by the Rolling Stones. At the camp, Homer and a bunch of other Springfield citizens learn about rock music, with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, Lenny Kravitz, Tom Petty, and Brian Setzer (all of whom lend their own voices). Homer likes the camp very much and goes wild. He learns different "rock 'n' roll" techniques, like Mick's walk, and basic things like playing a flaming guitar with his teeth over his head. Finally, the wannabe-rockstars have a mock rock concert, with Homer as the lead guitarist and singer. Homer, really into the rock fantasy, even jumps into the crowd, except that the crowd only contains the six musicians, who nearly get flattened by Homer's mass.However, it does not last long as the camp was actually a one-week only camp. Homer's dream is shattered and he does not want to leave. That is, until Mick Jagger offers Homer a chance to perform at a benefit gig, the "Concert for Planet Hollywood". Homer, excited to no end, gets passes for his friends so they can see him at the concert. But, Homer is shocked when he is asked to do the duties of a roadie. When he goes on stage to test the microphone, seeing his family and friends out there rooting for him, he sings a rock song and steals the show. This angers the rock stars, who attempt to run Homer off the stage with a big mobile fire-breathing devil's head. The devil's head goes out of control and plows into the audience.

The performers, feeling sorry about their actions, offer Homer an opportunity to perform at another benefit concert (for the victims of the recently messed-up gig), but he declines and prefers to perform at home instead. However, at the end of the episode he replaces his car with the big devil's head (given to him by the band) using it to take Bart and Lisa to school, much to the fascination of the kids there.

Cultural references

*The couch gag is a visual pun of the slang term, jump the shark, which describes when a TV show has reached its creative peak and is now not as relevant as it once was or does something to cause it to decline in quality.
*The cab videotaping Homer is a parody of "Taxicab Confessions".
*The songs include "Rip This Joint", "Start Me Up", "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)", and "She's So Cold", all by the Rolling Stones, "Are You Gonna Go My Way" by Lenny Kravitz, "Pump It Up" by Elvis Costello and "The Last DJ" by Tom Petty.