"Like Father, Like Clown" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Krusty

On the latest episode of Krusty the Clown, Krusty tosses axes at Sideshow Mel, accidentally hitting him in the head with the handle instead of striking the board behind him. Luckily, it's also the end of the show, so he sings the closing song and the cameras are turned off. Immediately heading backstage, Krusty takes his nicotine gum and proceeds to cancel everything on his agenda for the day including his dinner with Bart Simpson (planned since the helped put Sideshow Bob in jail, freeing Krusty from wrongful accusal).

Answer: Hands in his Krusty fan club badge

Krusty's personal assistant, Ms. Pennycandy, has no choice but to contact the Simpson family to let them know Krusty will not be attending dinner with them...again. This is the fifth time he's canceled. Marge lets him know, but not before he gets dressed and ready for the event.

The news is a big blow to Bart who, obviously, has looked up to Krusty for quite a while. Using a Krusty-brand pencil, he writes a letter to the clown expressing his disappointment and handing in his membership badge.

When Ms. Pennycandy reads this, she forces Krusty to go to dinner.

Answer: Milhouse

Bart gets home from school and Marge gives the great news-- Krusty is coming for dinner that very evening. When the time is finally upon them, Krusty ends up tumbling in the front door. Behind him, Milhouse ends up stopping by with a veiled excuse that he was just passing through.

It takes a few minutes before the family is able to convince Krusty that he doesn't need to be 'on' for dinner, but they succeed despite Homer's urging that they could've gotten a good show out of it (including a monkey).

Answer: Jewish

During dinner, Lisa insists that their guest of honour be the one to say grace at the table, and it's at this point that they discover he knows Hebrew, having been brought up Jewish. It's at this point that Krusty breaks down; saying the prayer before dinner reminds him of his troubled past and the estranged relationship he has with his father.

Insensitively, Homer asks if he's going to finish his meatloaf.

Answer: False

Marge urges Krusty to tell the story of his troubled past. He starts at the very beginning: he was born Herschel Krustofski. Growing up in the Lower East Side of Springfield as the son of a famous Rabbi, Hyman Krustofski, he asked if he could become a clown when he grew up instead of another Rabbi in the family line.

This, of course, did not go over well, and his father grew to dislike his son's choices. He tried to hold back any of his son's clowning urges but, visiting a conference in the Catskills, he ended up catching his son performing and effectively disowned him.

They hadn't seen each other since.

Answer: An 'Itchy and Scratchy' cartoon

The later it gets, the more the family gets worried that Krusty may be a bit lonely. Homer has to take Milhouse home, but Krusty keeps going through old family albums and yearbooks. It gets to a point when the Simpsons virtually need to kick him out and slam the door behind him. That night, wandering around in the rain, Krusty is constantly reminded of his dad and he even goes so far as to call the man in bed just to hear his voice.

The next day, Bart and Lisa watch as the clown breaks down over an 'Itchy and Scratchy' cartoon and decide they need to do something to help.

Answer: Gabbin' About God

Bart and Lisa head to their church to speak to Reverend Lovejoy about his contacts (though clearly Lovejoy is concerned that they're leaving the faith). As it turns out, Rabbi Krustofski is on a radio call-in show with the Reverend every week called 'Gabbin' About God'.

The kids also discover that the Rabbi operates out of Temple Beth Springfield, so they stop by and try to get the man to say something about his son. Instead, he claims that he has no son and slams the door on them.

Answer: Lisa's

On Sunday night, the kids tune in to 'Gabbin' About God' on KBBL Radio (starring Reverend Lovejoy, Monsignor Kenneth Daily, and Rabbi Krustofski) and get through as the third callers for the show. The relatively unveiled question asked is: "If a son defies his father and chooses a career that makes millions of children happy, shouldn't the father forgive the son?" While the reverend and the monsignor say yes, Rabbi Krustofski gets furious with the question and complains about a lack of call screening. Realizing that they need to think more clever, Lisa calls both Krustofskis and convinces them (under false pretenses) to meet at a deli at the same time.

Answer: An entertainer's autobiography

The plan to get Krusty and his father together in a deli falls through miserably, so Lisa says that they need to appeal to Rabbi Krustofski's thirst for knowledge instead. Heading to the library, Lisa digs up a number of quotes from religious texts and famous Hebrew figures, having Bart read them to the old man in an attempt to get him to see the light. Finally, they get through to the man with a lengthy quote by Sammy Davis Jr. from "Yes I Can", convincing him that perhaps an entertainer can have a profound insight into the world.

Answer: On the set of his show

On the set of the Krusty the Clown Show, it's clear that he's exceedingly depressed. Fortunately, this allows Bart and Lisa to sneak Rabbi Krustofski into the studio during a break. In happiness, Krusty pulls his father onstage for a reconciliating rendition of "Oh Mein Papa", marking their first reunion in twenty-five years. To end the show, the Rabbi throws a pie in his son's face.