One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Written By Bart Simpson
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Mmm… forbidden episode. Adam and Nate revisit the classic and controversial “Stark Raving Dad” (S3E1) and its overshadowed parody of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975). How does Miloš Forman’s anti-establishment anthem hold up 50 years later?

Also in this episode:

  • What should we do with “Stark Raving Dad” and other art featuring canceled artists?

  • Nurse Ratched may be one of cinema’s great villains, but would we want McMurphy to run the ward instead? 

  • The surprising character from this movie that became a recurring Simpsons side character

  • How this movie set Danny DeVito on the path to playing Unky Herb

Next time, we’re joined by the writer Alan Siegel to talk about his new book about The Simpsons called Stupid TV Be More Funny, alongside A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and its Simpsons homage in “Miracle on Evergreen Terrace” (S9E11).

For more Simpsons movie parody content, follow us at @simpsonsfilmpod on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, YouTube, and Letterboxd. Discover more great podcasts on the That Shelf Podcast Network. 

Every Simpsons Reference to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

By our count, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest has been directly referenced 6 times in the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons. The first reference appears in “Stark Raving Dad” (S3E1) from 1991, 16 years after the release of the movie.

Plot, Scene & Character References

Stark Raving Dad (S3E1): While it doesn’t track the plot of the film exactly, this episode includes multiple references to the movie throughout. For example, as Homer settles into life at New Bedlam Rest Home for the Emotionally Interesting, his tour of the ward introduces him to many familiar faces from the movie, from the gang of guys playing cards to a man waltzing with himself to a man hitting a punching bag with a cane.

Eventually, Homer is introduced to The Chief, who supposedly doesn’t speak but responds as soon as Homer says hello. In the movie, it takes a little longer for Chief Bromden to start speaking to McMurphy.

Bart’s daydream of his father getting a lobotomy is likely also inspired by the ending of this movie where McMurphy is lobotomized for his bad behavior.

Speaking of McMurphy, we think this blue-haired fella is meant to be a caricature of Jack Nicholson in this movie. Most people probably haven’t noticed because instead of an impersonation of Jack, he sounds more like Charles Bronson, much like Springfield’s resident Wise Guy.

The group therapy scene is clearly modeled after this moving, including caricatures of Harding and Nurse Ratched. (This Ratched character becomes a portable visual reference later in the show. See “Small References” for more details.)

Even that moment where Bart wakes up Lisa at home seems to have been inspired in this Cuckoo’s Nest! At one point, McMurphy uses this trick to wake up a fellow patient.

So It’s Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show (S4E18) & The Old Man and the ‘C’ Student (S10E20): The iconic ending of this movie has been parodied at least twice on the show. Firstly, when Barney finds out that Homer is afraid of beer in The Simpsons’ first clip show, Barney smothers him with a pillow before breaking the window with a drinking fountain and running into the darkness.

Secondly, in “The Old Man and the ‘C’ Student” Bart finds his inner McMurphy trying to rile up the residents of the Springfield Retirement Castle, including “Chief Breaks Everything,” who proceeds to throw a sink through the window and run away.

Small References

Hurricane Neddy (S8E8): Nurse Ratched went on to become a recurring Simpsons side character after her first appearance in “Stark Raving Dad,” although with two different character models. She first reappears at the Calmwood Mental Hospital in “Hurricane Neddy” and again in the “Checking In” musical number in “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” (S9E1).

The Old Man and the ‘C’ Student (S10E20): Later, the animators redesigned Nurse Ratched for her bigger role as Bart’s reasonable antagonist in this episode. This revised version appears again in a brief cutaway in “Behind the Laughter” (S11E22), spraying down Bart’s hysterical female fans.

It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge (S11E21): When Krusty makes fun of Marge on his show, he introduces her by saying, “She just flew in from the cuckoo’s nest, and boy is she crazy, crazy Marge Simpson.”

 

Extra Credit

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Further Reading & Viewing

Bart Simpson
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Frankenstein (1931) with Dede Crimmins