Where Did THAT Come From – Springfield Dump

Woo to the hoo!  Monorail, monorail, monorail! I know there’s been issues for tappers with the new event but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t super stoked for all the new goodness. Of course, with a new event in our silly lil game, we get new items that you may not have a clue as to their Origin. They seem familiar, but you just can’t pinpoint from where. That’s why Team Addicts decided to make a fun lil reminder out of it. To let you know just Where did THAT Come From?

There’s a lot of things in life that can make you feel down in the dumps and then there’s the times your game literally becomes a dump. In the monorail event, EA saw fit to incorporate a lot of trash into the fun and the centerpiece so to speak is the Springfield Dump. But what does this pile of twisted metal and soiled mattresses have to do with the Best. Show. Ever.? Let’s plug our noses and wade into the TV series to find out.

The Springfield Dump makes its first appearance in “Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment” (S8:E18). For a more complete review of this episode, I’d check out this post, but the Springfield Dump did feature in this prohibition episode. After the town started enforcing their 200-year-old law, they dump all their beer there. The mafia supplies alcohol for a while until they’re stopped by Rex Banner. Not to be deterred, Homer aims to keep his way of life and goes to the dump to dig up all the Duff.

Season 8 was a good one for the dump as it returned in “In Marge We Trust” (S8:E22). This time, the Simpsons are off to take their brown Christmas tree to the Springfield Dump. While there, they scrounge around for stuff and find a Japanese Box with Homer’s face on it. Mr. Sparkle IS the most obvious item sitting in our TSTO dump, but more on all that later in this post.

In “Girly Edition” (S9:E21),Bart destroys Willy’s shack with creamed corn in revenge for his skateboard being taken and the Scotsman vows revenge. I don’t blame Willy for being angry. Eating creamed corn is awful and I’m sure living at the Springfield Dump is even worse.

Then there’s the dump at the very end of the “Trash Man Can” song in “Trash of the Titans” (S9:E22). We see Homer and his fancy garbage truck riding off into the sunset right into the Springfield Dump.

Next up, “The Fat and the Furriest” (S15:E5) – Homer and the kids go Mother’s Day shopping for Marge. They start their shopping at Sprawlmart and end up buying Marge a Kitchen Carnival which is a make your own circus food device and is endorsed by the American Carny Association. Homer uses the gift to make an 80 pound caramel cotton ball but after it attracts ants, birds, cats and Flanderuses, warps his brain and appears to have sentience, it’s time to discard it.

Only one place for that too… the Springfield Dump.  The dump apparently has spots to discard Betamax tapes, laser discs and DVDs. It’s also a good place to be mauled by a bear.

The last appearance I found was “A Test Before Trying” (S24:E10). After Burns announces a 17% hike in electrical rates, the Simpsons can’t afford their fancy gadgets. Homer goes to the dump to drop it all off. It’s this visit that inspired the look of our new item in TSTO.

Wowza.. lots of appearances of the Springfield Dump. I’d stop this origin post right here but lots of you have commented on all the items that appear in the refuse of the stinkhole. While it’s taken me a little to compile all the info and by no means do I claim to have found everything, I think I’ve found a lot. Here’s all the items I recognized. I figured I’d go level by level with this. First up, let’s look at the way the Springfield Dump starts before collecting any trash. I don;t know about you but I was thrilled when the dump expanded not once but three times… very clever idea EA! Two items popped out to me among the scurrying rats.

Joy Joys: “Treehouse of Horror IV” (S5:E5) – Remember the gremlin segment of this episode titled “Terror at 5 ½ feet”? You may have forgotten Uter offering to share his candy with Milhouse after Bart creeps him out.  Mmmmmm…. marzipan mit iodine.

Hockey mask, ice skates and goalie stick: “Lisa on Ice” (S6:E8) – Remember when Lisa joined a hockey league to earn a gym credit and then Bart and her faced off on the ice?  Lisa made one heck of a goalie and I love her gear being displayed in the dump. I’m also a bit of a hockey enthusiast so that may be why this episode and dump appearance make me so smiley.  GO KINGS GO!

Once you collect 500 trash, the pile grows and attracts flies.  I found four beauties in this heap.

Red chair: “Homer the Great” (S6:E12) – of all the perks of being a Stonecutter, this one looks a lot like the vibrating chairs Lenny, Carl and Homer enjoy at the Nuclear Power Plant without the headrests.  Could be something else but never a bad day IMHO when you get to mention the Stonecutters.

Grade F Meat: “Treehouse of Horror V” (S6:E6) – This comes to us by way of the “Nightmare Cafeteria” segment of this episode.  Due to budget cutbacks at Springfield Elementary, it was the only meat Lunchlady Doris could afford.  That is, until she discovers Uterbrauten and Sloppy Jimbos.

Claw-foot Bathtub: “Homer vs. the 18^th Amendment” (S8:E18) – At first when you see this tub, I’m sure you said, “Hey, the Simpsons have a regular tub in their house,” but you’d be forgetting when Homer was the Beer Baron and brewed hooch in his basement.  Lots of claw-footed tubs there… 42 to be precise so I’m sure one would end up in the dump.

Broken TV: This one obviously looks like the classic TV we know from the living room of the Simpson family.

Of course in “Scenes From the Class Struggle in Springfield (S7:E14), Grampa Simpson broke our favorite family’s TV ibut it doesn’t quite look like the dump’s version.  Now the Carnivale from the Ogdenville Outlet Mall does.  What I really think of is the TV Elvis shoots in the Itchy & Scratchy episode written by Bart and Lisa in “The Front” (S4:E19).  Sure that one is yellow but the moment always makes me laugh.  Honestly, I just wanted to write about that moment so I included the TV.

At 1000 trash, things are getting out of control at the Springfield Dump. A few seagulls drop by but that’s ok because we get even more awesome additions.

Computer: “King-Size Homer” (S7:E7) – One of my favorite episodes, Homer purposely gains weight to be classified as obese so he can work from home.  You gotta love gastropod Homer in a muumuu.  Homer’s work station should look familiar if you glance at this iteration of the dump.  Where’s the Any Key?

Wall E Weasel: “Radio Bart” (S3:E13) – This episode begins with Bart’s birthday and like any American kiddo, there’s only one place to have a par-tay… a restaurant with games, pizza and animatronic characters that are mildly creepy.  Anyone besides me go to a place like this with a mouse instead of a weasel?

Pogo Stilts & Robot: “Homer’s Phobia” (S8:E15) – Lots of great stuff to be found at John Water’s shop Cockamamie’s including these beauties.  They were banned in all 50 states.  Also an original robot (not Robby the Automaton) from the movie “Clank, Clank, You’re Dead!” which should look familiar.  I just feel bad for the poor midget inside even if that’s what they get paid for.

Mr. Sparkle Detergent Box: Like I said earlier, this was one of the easiest items for everyone to identify.  Lots of good Mr. Sparkle episodes besides the one with the Dump in it.  The box appears periodically in other episodes and was among the ten commercials skipped by Tivo in “Funeral for a Fiend” (S19:E8).  I just love seeing it all the time in the HD Opening Sequence of the Best. Show. Ever.

Crab Juice: “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson” (S9:E1) – mmmmmmm… Khlav Kalash.  But who wants to wash down the taste with Mountain Dew?  Much better to remove the awful taste with lots and lots of crab juice. Just don’t drink too much.

Finally, the piece de resistance, the giant tower of rubbish after you collect 1500 trash. Definitely my favorite of the four versions.

Goat: ”King of the Hill” (S9:E23) – Homer climbs the Murderhorn. Remember when he hallucinates from hypoxia and falls backwards a bunch, hitting his head and a goat grabs his walkie-talkie?  Also a funny “sure-footed” mountain goat in “Mr. Plow” (S4:E9).  Take your pick which one you want to pretend it is.

Blue Piano: “Mom and Pop Art” (S10:E19) – more commonly remembered for Le Grille, you may have misremembered the chores Marge complains about Homer never completing… like getting the snake out of the piano.  Besides that, don’t forget the piano played by Lyle Lanley in “Marge vs. the Monorail” (S4:E12).  This one could be either or both.

Statue of Liberty and yellow building: Of all the items in the various incarnations of the dump, this one has me happiest.  They come from one of my favorite moments in “A Fish Called Selma” (S7:E19).  Troy McClure uses his relationship with Selma to get back on top in show business.  His big return is in a musical, Stop the Planet of the Apes I Want to Get Off.  I’m a huge fan of the Planet of the Apes (original movies, TV show, Tim Burton and new) so I love this segment.  The statue and building come from the set.  Help me Dr. Zaius!

Burns Sun Blocker: “Who Shot Mr. Burns Part 1” (S6:E25) and “Part 2” (S7:E1) – Mr. Burns is at perhaps his most diabolical in these episodes.  Not only does he steal oil from children, he aims to completely block out the sun and actually succeeds before being mysteriously shot.

I won’t spoil the identity of the shooter but I can say the hothead townsfolk tear down Burns’ evil device and crush Shelbyville.  Not sure how it made it back to Springfield but I guess it makes sense that it would end up in the dump.

Phew… all done. Basically, the Springfield Dump is a love letter to a bunch of different episodes in The Simpsons. Lots of great moments that now are a part of our towns for free just by playing this event. See anything in the dump I missed or you think comes from somewhere else? Brain overloaded just like me from all the words and photos. I hope the event is a blast for you. Until the next origin installment, I remain the resident fuzzball.  Stay classy and much love.

TTFN… Wookiee out!