Episode: Season 11, "Kill the Alligator and Run" Kid Rock's cameo appearance in Season 11's "Kill the Alligator and Run" marks a turning point as far as guest stars on The Simpsons go: for the first time, the show went with someone more trendy than actually relevant. In the very same episode, Diedrich Bader does a fantastic job portraying the voice of the sheriff in a Florida town where Homer joins the Spring Break festivities - then attempts to extend them. Kid Rock, however, seemed out of place (at the time, he was still living off "Bawitdaba" fame, well before "All Summer Long" revived his career). The inclusion of Rock and his pals (including the late Joe C.) was just... lame. It didn't work, wasn't funny, and was the low point of the episode. "Kill the Alligator and Run" gets a lot of heat as one of the "worst" Simpsons episodes, but outside of Rock's participation, we rather enjoy it. The "no listening, you hear me?" line from the Cool Hand Luke-inspired Boss character, the family becoming hill-billies, Bader's performance - there's a lot to like, and it's a shame the Kid Rock cameo fell so flat. The Houston Press listed Rock as one of the five worst musical guests of all time on the show.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
