Episode: Season 9, "Trash of the Titans" As far as musical guest stars on The Simpsons go, U2 was something of a bomb, despite the fact that at the time, their career was still pretty much at its peak. And despite the fact that aside from this cameo, the episode was otherwise a classic. "Trash of the Titans" sees Homer running for head of Springfield's sanitation department, winning by making all sorts of wild claims and getting under the skin of the straight-laced Ray Patterson (played perfectly by Steve Martin). It featured the classic "The Garbage Man" song, a parody of "The Candy Man." U2 had actually requested to be on the show, and the producers obliged, but pretty much just wrote them in as happening to be playing Springfield. Homer interrupting their show as part of his campaign for sanitation commissioner is humorous but a one-note joke, and Bono's enthusiasm ("Hold on folks. The man's talking about waste management, that effects the whole damn planet!") is corny even as it pokes fun at the star's social leanings, and the only real funny moment from the band is when the rest of the group consider going to Moe's for a pint, but won't let Adam Clayton join.
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.
