The highlight of Grift of the Magi would be Homer, dressed as Santa, breaking into the Hibbert residence to steal back a Funzo doll while Lisa and Bart ran interference by singing Christmas carols at the front door. That moment, which has Homer knocking over the Christmas tree and being attacked by the Hibbert family mutt, was a true classic Simpsons moment. However, the rest of the episode, including a Gary Coleman guest spot, Moe opting out of suicide, and Mr. Burns suddenly become a post-ghost-visit Scrooge, was a bit tedious. And yes, this is the Funzo episode. For those who haven't watched it in a few years (it aired as part of season 11), it sees Springfield Elementary taken over by a corporation (Kid First Industries) who use the children for market research, eventually coming up with the Funzo doll, basically a Furby parody. The Funzos were programmed to destroy competing toys, so the Homer, Bart, and Lisa teamed up to eliminate them. It wasn't a bad episode, it just wasn't as classic as it could have been. Things are still a little "meh" - but looking up!
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.
