| "Bart's Inner Child" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 7 |
| Directed by | Bob Anderson |
| Written by | George Meyer |
| Production code | 1F05 |
| Original air date | November 11, 1993 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons squeeze onto the couch next to an obese man.[1] |
| Commentary | Matt Groening David Mirkin Dan Castellaneta Yeardley Smith George Meyer Bob Anderson David Silverman |
"Bart's Inner Child" is the seventh episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 11, 1993. In the episode, Marge — realizing her excessive nagging spoils the family's fun — seeks help from self-help guru Brad Goodman. He praises Bart's irreverent attitude and encourages his followers to emulate Bart's care-free antics. Soon everyone in Springfield starts to act like Bart, who feels that his role as a troublemaker is usurped. After the inaugural "Do What You Feel Festival" ends in calamity and a riot, the town decides to stop acting like Bart.
The episode was written by George Meyer and directed by Bob Anderson — his first time directing the show. Actor Albert Brooks guest stars in the episode as Brad Goodman, a self-help guru modelled after John Bradshaw. It was Brooks' third of ten appearances in the Simpsons franchise. Singer James Brown guest stars as himself; he sings his 1965 song "I Got You (I Feel Good)". In 2006, Brooks was named the best Simpsons guest star by IGN, while Brown's appearance has been described as "hilariously over-the-top".
The episode features cultural references to several films, television shows, and songs, including the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, Scott Joplin's piano rag "The Entertainer", and the Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoons.
In its original broadcast, "Bart's Inner Child" finished 40th in the weekly ratings with a Nielsen rating of 11.8, and was viewed in 11.12 million households.