It’s been several seasons since Mr. Baseball actually enjoyed watching “The Simpsons.” I think he only keeps tuning in to spot tikis for me. (Like this one from awhile back.) He came through again when he brought my attention to “Exit through the Kwik-E-Mart” (season 23, episode 15), which aired on March 4.
Homer kicks off the episode by taking a Puree-Station 3 (these are the jokes, folks) to be autographed by TV chef Paula Paul at Swapper Jack’s, a parody of Trader Joe’s. Accompanied by a lap steel guitar version of the famous “Simpsons” theme, the family walks past signs that advertised “Grass-fed Lettuce,” “Six Aisles of Olives,” and “Salmon so fresh you might get a sperm in the eye.”
My local Trader Joe’s has lost some of its decor over the years so I liked that Swapper Jack’s was decked out with a thatched roof, bamboo, outrigger canoes, fish netting and buoys, and a couple tikis (plus more tikis on this guy’s shirt).
Homer comments, “Finally, a supermarket with a clear premise…Island Something,” while Bart says, “It’s like going to Hawaii without all the murderous locals.”
However, Apu feels threatened that his customers will stop shopping at the Kwik-E-Mart and cheat on his store at this “South Seas Sugar Shack.” (Excellent name for a tiki bar, in my opinion.) After fighting Homer with plastic toothpick swords, Apu has to be restrained with an aloha shirt.
Then there’s some subplot with Shepard Fairey and everything gets resolved somehow. Anyway, here’s a picture of a tiki that I think looks like one of The California Raisins.
Love it! Need to come to this blog more often!
Thanks, K9!