"Jaws Wired Shut" is the ninth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 27, 2002.
The episode was written by Matt Selman and directed by Nancy Kruse. The plot idea for the episode was pitched by Selman, as was the setpiece, which originated from a discussion he had with current showrunner Al Jean. Comedian John Kassir guest-starred as one of the gay dogs in the pride parade in the episode. In its original broadcast, the episode was seen by approximately 8.7 million viewers, making it the most watched scripted program on Fox that night.
Following its home video release, "Jaws Wired Shut" received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Plot
When the Springfield gay pride parade passes by the Simpsons' house, Santa's Little Helper becomes tempted when three of the gay dogs start flirting with him. Uncomfortable, Homer drags his family to the Springfield Googolplex. After growing impatient at several previews and public service announcements preceding the film, Homer flies into a rampage and demands the movie start. Wielding oversized Kit Kat bars, the ushers chase Homer from the cinema. While Homer is fleeing, his mouth collides with the fist of a large metal statue of boxer Drederick Tatum, breaking his jaw in the process.
At Springfield General Hospital, Dr. Hibbert wires Homer's broken jaw shut, leaving him unable to speak or eat solid food, and he attempts to use a nearby suicide machine, which Hibbert dismisses of any concern, saying that it "just provides sexual release". Homer is forced to listen to his family, which pleases them, especially Marge. Since Homer is so well-behaved, Marge risks attending the annual formal event at the country club. When Homer's jaw wires are removed the next day, he and Marge appear on Afternoon Yak to discuss his transformation. With the help of the show's hosts, Marge pleads with Homer to abandon his "reckless ways" and stay well-behaved. Despite the temptation of an upcoming demolition derby, Homer behaves for Marge's sake.
Five weeks later, Marge — bored with the sudden peace and quiet — enters the demolition derby. When Homer wakes and finds Marge gone, he heads to the derby with the kids to stop her. At first Marge enjoys the derby, but things soon get too dangerous for her. Since he has given up recklessness, Homer has no idea how to save her. Bart has an idea: he orders a can of beer from a vendor. After Homer drinks the beer the way Popeye eats spinach for a burst of energy, he rescues Marge. She makes him promise not to make her the live wire of the family.
Production
thumb|180px|The episode was written by [[Matt Selman.]]
The episode was written by executive producer Matt Selman and directed by Nancy Kruse. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on January 27, 2002. The episode's setpiece was pitched by Selman, and originated from a discussion he had with current showrunner Al Jean, about "how much crap there is at the movie theater before the movie actually begins."
According to Jean, the episode's table read went "great" until the third act. The Simpsons writers found the third act "pretty challenging" to write, because by having Homer's jaws wired shut, they "took [their] funniest character" and "remove[d] comedy." Barbara Walters and Star Jones, the hosts of The View, were portrayed by American voice-actor Tress MacNeille. In the DVD commentary for the episode, Jean stated that MacNeille is "very versatile". Lisa Ling and Joy Behar were portrayed by voice-actor Pamela Hayden. On August 24, 2010, "Jaws Wired Shut" was released as part of The Simpsons: The Complete Thirteenth Season DVD and Blu-ray set. Matt Groening, Al Jean, Matt Selman, Carolyn Omine, Dana Gould, Joe Mantegna and Pete Michels participated in the audio commentary of the episode.
Giving the episode a B+, Jennifer Malkowski of DVD Verdict described the episode as having "nicely gooey family moments." She called the "gay pride parade's 'Salute to Safer Sex' float" the episode's "highlight".
Casey Broadwater of Blu-ray.com gave the episode a positive review as well, calling it "a welcome return to a more old school Simpsons storytelling style, capable of being both comical, and, in its own bizarro way, touching."
Colin Jacobson of DVD Movie Guide wrote "While Season 13 doesn’t threaten to approach the high standards of the series’ strongest years, episodes like "Shut" help make it better than expected. Sure, it follows fairly predictable patterns, but it develops them in a satisfying comedic manner." He concluded his review by writing that the episode's overall "entertaining," even though its ending "falters."
On the other hand, Ron Martin of 411Mania gave the episode a mixed review, calling it "uneven at best, mediocre at worst." Although he praised the episode's setpiece, Nate Boss of Project-Blu gave the episode an overall negative review, writing: "With a hilarious take on movie theaters to start the episode, the duldrum of the rest can be forgiven...almost."
Adam Rayner of Obsessed with Film wrote that the episode was "woefully weak" and felt "contrived, rushed and handled by hacks." He added that the episode was "Dull".
In an article on gay marriage, The Economist references the Simpsons' blasé acceptance of the annual Springfield gay pride parade in this episode as being "a few steps ahead of real life. But only a few".
Matt Selman was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Outstanding Writing in Animation at the 55th Writers Guild of America Awards for his script to this episode.