Pump Fiction

Pump Fiction is the 23rd episode in Season 9 of Married... with Children, and was also the 206th overall episode. Directed by Gerry Cohen and written by Kim Weiskopf and David Castro, the episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on April 30, 1995.

Synopsis

Al and Kelly make a short film about shoes (Sheos), and they end up getting $10,000 to produce another one (A day in the life of a Shoe Salesman). Al makes one with lots of bikini models and handsome actors, in spite of Marcy's protests.

Storyline

Season 9's twenty-third episode has Kelly making a film for school titled "Shoes", and both wind up getting rewarded a $10,000 grant to fund the sequel, despite protests from Marcy, which they give the title "A Day in the Life of a Shoe Salesman". The other members of the family obviously want in on the windfall, and Kelly's original artistic vision undergoes some major modifications, as Al takes overproduction, and reworks it to his own "manly" specifications, one with lots of bikini models and handsome actors, in spite of Marcy's continued bitter protests!

The second film is a disaster. The film is even unanimously condemned by all of congress. But Al is ecstatic as he is profiled on the front page of Shoe News. The latter was Al's plan all along due to former co-worker Luke Ventura being on the front cover at the start of the episode.

Recurring Cast Regulars

• Harold Sylvester as Griff
• Tom McCleister as Ike
• E.E. Bell as Bob Rooney

Guest starring

• Tom Henschel as Marshall
• Miles Arreola as Devin
• Jennifer Echols as Gwen
• Shae Marks as Colleen
• Wanda Acuna as Babette
• Vene L. Arcoraci as Eileen (as Vene Lynn Arcoraci)
• Jeremy Piven as Movie Watcher (uncredited)
• Edd Hall as TV Announcer (uncredited)

Notes

Title

• The episode title takes a variant on Quentin Tarentino's 1994 box office smash film Pulp Fiction and Pumps, which, in this case, refers to a type of women's shoe with at least a one inch or higher heel in back.

Trivia

• It is revealed that Luke Ventura, Al's former co-worker from Season One, is now a shoe salesman in a major shoe department store in Chicago. He also made the front page of Shoe News under the headline, "Salesman of the Month".
  • The picture of Luke in Shoe News is taken from a promotional shot of him from season 1
• Peggy's view of Luke Ventura in this episode is different from when he appeared on screen. In this episode, she remarks how he was a courteous, competent employee. In the first season she had disdain for Luke, considering him an obnoxious fornicator. He also acknowledged that Peggy hated him in "Sixteen Years and What Do You Get?".
  • In 2 of Luke's 4 episodes, he is shown to be a better employee than Al.
• Actor Jeremy Piven has an uncredited role as one of the movie watchers during the showing of SHEOS. He is wearing eyeglasses and a turtleneck and sitting behind Jefferson, near the redheaded woman that Jefferson flirted with before the film starts.
• The picture of Peggy that is floating in the water appears to be a promotional picture taken during season 3, with her wearing a green and black top.
• This is the first appearance of Jennifer Echols on MWC. In this episode, she played Gwen the woman who visits the shoe store while Al tries to film A Day in the Life of a Shoe Salesman. She would later play two other character during season 10 and then play Gwen again in "Crimes Against Obesity".
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno announcer and frequent MWC voice over actor, Edd Hall makes an uncredited guest appearance as the voice of the news reporter near the end of the episode.
• Collen, one of the girls in bikinis at the shoe store is played by Shae Marks, who was Playboy's Playmate of the Month, May 1994.
  • She would appear on MWC again in the season 10 episode, "The Two That Got Away" as Inga, one of the voluptuous blonde women who greets Al and Jefferson at the lodge.

Cultural References

• After Kelly asks her family to guess what she will be doing at Larry Storch's School of Acting, Bud suggests "Merging with The Slappy White School of Acting?".
  • Slappy White was an actor and comedian, often working alongside Redd Foxx on television and touring on the comedy circuit.
• After Kelly mentions that her assignment is to make a film, Bud asks if "Does Dallas" appears in the title. This is in reference to the 1978 pornographic film, Debbie Does Dallas.
• The camera that Kelly brings home for her assignment is marked "Property of F Troop", in reference to the 1960s Western Sitcom that Kelly's teacher, Larry Storch starred in.
• Kelly tells Marcy that she and Al "will be the biggest showbiz family since Betty and Berry White". Although the two share the same last name, they are not related:
  • Betty White is an actress who, at the time, was best known for her role on the NBC sitcom, The Golden Girls.
  • Barry White was a singer known for his deep bass-baritone voice and singles such as "Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe".
• Al mentions the candy M&M's to Peggy while watching SHEOS.
• Before the film begins, the moderator describes the films as being "a taut and gripping drama in the Warhol Tradition", referring to artist and film director, Andy Warhol.
• The music that plays during "Sheos" is "Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30 " which is best known from its use in the 1968 sci-fi film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
  • The song was previously featured in the season 6 episode, "Kelly Does Hollywood (Part 1)" when Bud auditions for a horrified Kelly by flexing and then tearing off his shirt while chasing her.
  • In another reference to the film, a spinning shoe on a string mimics the revolving space station.
• During the film, Al whispers "Rosebud!" and drops a shoe as he dies, in reference to a scene from the 1941 drama film Citizen Kane.
• After Kelly questions Al about how often does a group of ladies in bikinis come into the shoe store, he tells her "About as often as a guy with an I.Q. of 16 gets to meet a bunch of presidents". This in reference to the 1994 film, Forrest Gump, which the titular character, despite having a low I.Q. gets to meet U.S. Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson and Richard Nixon.
• After bringing the Alderman to the set of A Day in the Life of a Shoe Salesman, Marcy complains that taxpayers' money is going towards idiotic films made by idiotic directors like Al and Steven Seagal.
  • Steven Seagal is an martial arts actor and director. During the late 1980s and early 1990s he was best known for playing a cop or federal agent in action films that showcased his martial arts skills.
  • In 1994, he made his directorial debut for the film On Deadly Ground, which performed terribly in theaters, as Marcy is alluding to here.
• After trying to stop Al's film, Al tells Marcy "If you want to see a movie of your life, I suggest you go rent 'Rooster Cogburn'."
  • Rooster Cogburn is a western film starring John Wayne as the titular character and was the sequel to True Grit.
• When Al arrives home near the end of the episode, he greets his family and Jefferson before addressing Marcy as "Rhode Island Red".
  • Rhode Island Red is an American breed of domestic chicken that serves as the state bird of Rhode Island.
• After questioning what could be taking so long for A Day in the Life of a Shoe Salesman to be reviewed, Kelly says that the committee probably would not treat "Francis Ford Coppertop" like that. In this case she is mixing up director Francis Ford Coppola and battery brand Duracell, which is often called "The copper top".
• Al comments that the film is probably being passed around Washington D.C. "and Clarence Thomas got ahold of it, won't give it up".
  • Clarance Thomas is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. During his confirmation hearing in 1992, Anita Hill alleged that he sexually harassed her and there have been accusations made about him of being addicted to pornography, as Al may be alluding to.

Music

• The song, "Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30" plays during the showing of Sheos.

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• Theater

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• Theater
• Gary's Shoes Entrance / Seating Area