You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee
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| "You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |
 | |
| Episode no. | Season 25 Episode 16 |
| Directed by | Mark Kirkland |
| Written by | Michael Price |
| Production code | SABF11 |
| Original air date | March 30, 2014 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
| Episode features | |
| Couch gag | The Simpsons are running through the streets of Pamplona, Spain as several couch bulls chase after them. Once the Simpsons reach the couch, a bull slams Homer and takes his spot on the couch. Georges Bizet's Carmen is played throughout the segment. |
"You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" is the sixteenth episode of the twenty-fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons and the 546th episode of the series. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 30, 2014. It was written by Michael Price and directed by Mark Kirkland.[1] The title is based on the refrain "don't have to live like a refugee" from the 1980 song "Refugee" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.[2]
In this episode, Homer is hired as a referee for the World Cup of association football (soccer) after a viral speech by Lisa praising him. Argentine soccer broadcaster Andrés Cantor guest-stars as himself. The episode received mixed reviews.
At a school assembly, Principal Skinner presents a skit about history, which goes horribly wrong as the kids immediately heckle it and the assembly devolves into anarchy. Chalmers suggests holding a speech contest on the students' heroes.
Lisa writes a speech on Marie Curie, but finds out on the day of the contest that Martin did the same. At Bart's suggestion, Lisa hastily composes a new speech on Homer, in which, among other things, she recounts when he ejected her from a soccer game for misbehavior. A video of Lisa's speech goes viral online, and the World Cup in Brazil hires Homer as a referee.
At the Cup, Homer proves to be an extremely honest referee: he has no bias for any team due to not caring about the sport, and he refuses the frequent bribery attempts from players and gangsters. Homer admits to Bart that it is hard to turn down the bribes, but knowing that he is Lisa's hero, he wants to retain her respect. Bart decides to tell him the truth; that he was not Lisa's first choice as a hero. Homer is so devastated that he accepts some gangsters' bribe to rig the tournament in favor of Brazil.
Just before the World Cup Final (Brazil vs. Germany), Lisa discovers that Homer took the bribe. Homer scolds Lisa for lying about admiring him, but she replies that his integrity has impressed her so much that he is now her real hero. Homer decides to return to honest refereeing. During the game, a Brazilian player known as "El Divo" (a parody of Neymar) goes down and appears to be hurt. Homer, listening to Lisa, thinks he is merely diving. Homer refuses to award Brazil a penalty kick, and Germany goes on to win.
The betrayed gangsters ambush the Simpson family and are just about to kill Homer when Marge begs them in fluent Portuguese (which she had been attempting to learn throughout the episode) to forgive him. The lead gangster's mother happens to be a lady that Lisa traded plane seats with because the mother's seat-mounted TV was broken. She intercedes to allow the Simpsons to go free.
The Simpsons go on a tour of the Amazon River, with most of the family admiring the nature, while Homer admires the clearing of a section of rainforest to make way for a Krusty Burger.
