| "Trash of the Titans" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 Promotional card, featuring Homer, U2, and Ray Patterson, a character voiced by Steve Martin | |
| Episode no. | Season 9 Episode 22 |
| Directed by | Jim Reardon |
| Written by | Ian Maxtone-Graham |
| Production code | 5F09 |
| Original air date | April 26, 1998[1] |
| Guest appearances | |
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| Episode features | |
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not mess with the opening credits" (during the couch gag) |
| Couch gag | Homer, Marge, Lisa and Maggie appear in Edna Krabappel's classroom, where Bart is writing on the blackboard: "I will not mess with the opening credits".[1] |
| Commentary |
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"Trash of the Titans" is the twenty-second episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 200th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 26, 1998. The episode, which was written by Ian Maxtone-Graham and directed by Jim Reardon, sees Homer Simpson run for the job of Springfield's Sanitation Commissioner. Steve Martin guest stars as Ray Patterson, the incumbent commissioner, while U2 play themselves after requesting an appearance on the show.[2]
Inspired by a friend's experience in politics, Maxtone-Graham decided to have Homer run for Sanitation Commissioner, although one draft of the episode saw him running for mayor. The staff also wanted the episode to be about trash, and created the concept of "Love Day" as a means of generating waste. The episode's resolution was discussed extensively by the staff, with one proposed idea being that Springfield would be raised up and the excess rubbish swept underneath it. The episode also features a parody of the song "The Candy Man" and an incident involving comedian Redd Foxx.
"Trash of the Titans" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less), something the staff believe was due to the environmental message at the end. Over 10 years after the original broadcast, an airing of the episode in the United Kingdom courted controversy when it was aired on Channel 4 in April 2008 before the 9pm watershed, with the word "wankers" left unedited.
The episode is dedicated to the memory of Linda McCartney, who appeared alongside her husband Paul in the episode "Lisa the Vegetarian."[1]