The Weaker Sex

The Weaker Sex was the 6th episode aired in Season 10 of Married... with Children and the 215th overall series episode. Directed by Amanda Bearse and written by Dvora Inwood, the episode originally aired on FOX, premiering on October 22, 1995.

Synopsis

Peg takes up a self-defense class. What's worse, she is soon promoted to the advanced class. This makes Al feel emasculated. To make Peg drop the self-defense class, Kelly suggests Al take Peg out on a romantic date to see the Director's Cut of The Bridges of Madison Country.

Storyline

Al mocks Marcy and Peg for taking self-defence class, but a potential thief going after Al's wallet, Peg punches him and becomes the hero. Al feels sissy and tries to set up a bar fight. But Peg punches first and ruins it again. Bud tries to film it but gets caught with a giant woman. Kelly sees a dumb man, who later while proposing becomes Al's guinea pig.

Recurring cast/character regulars

• Lucky the Dog as Lucky Bundy
• Harold Sylvester as Griff
• Teresa Parente as Miranda Veracruz de la Hoya Cardinal

Guest starring

• Dot-Marie Jones as Dot
• Joseph D. Reitman as Ghengis
• Jody Mullenax as Thunder
• Jonathan Fahn as Camera Person
• Dee Booher as Biker Chick (as Deanna Booher)
• Mike McKenna as Bartender
• Steve Valentine as Man in Line
• Frank Lloyd as Mugger (uncredited)
• Kevin Curran as Voice of Lucky (Uncredited)

Notes

Title

• The title of this episode is a reference to the the 1948 film The Weaker Sex as well as the saying "Women are the weaker sex", used typically when comparing to women to men in terms of physical strength.

Trivia

• After Al is insulted by the interviewer and cameraman, Al says to Jefferson, "If you got the tailpipe, I got the lips". In season 6's "My Dinner with Anthrax", Jefferson found Al with the tailpipe of his car in his mouth, as he was trying to kill himself instead of having to make love to Peg on their anniversary.
• Frank Lloyd, who previously played Al's friend Norris and also served as the show's stunt coordinator, appears uncredited in this episode as the mugger who tries to steal Al's wallet while in line.
• This the fourth appearance of Dot, the female who often acts as a enforcer for Marcy and her feminist group. She was previously seen in "Reverend Al" when she confronted Al's guard, Archimedes, during service at the Church of NO MA'AM.
• This is the final appearance of Joseph Reitman as Kelly's boyfriend Genghis, who previously appeared in season 9 "Naughty but Niece" and "I Want My Psycho Dad: Second Blood (Part 2)".

Cultural References

• After Al mentions that he cheated on the shoe horse race and ate Griff's lunch, Griff points out that Al drank Kaopectate, an oral medication used for the treatment of diarrhea, nausea and upset stomach.
• While standing in line at the Lakeside Theater, several real movie posters can be prominently seen including:
  • Devil in a Blue Dress
  • Johnny Mnemonic
  • To Die For
    • All three films were produced by Columbia / Tri-Star pictures, which also produced Married... with Children through its television division.
• Peggy mentions that Al is finally taking her to see a movie that does not have the words "Debbie" and "Does" in the title. She is referring to the 1978 pornographic film Debbie Does Dallas and its sequels and remakes.
• When Al walks past Dot during his vocal protest about Peggy taking self defense classes, he calls her "Hoss" before realizing that she is actually a woman.
  • "Hoss" is a reference to the fictional character Eric "Hoss" Cartwright from the NBC Wester television series, Bonanza.
• Kelly suggest that Al take Peggy to see the film The Bridges of Madison County.
• After suggesting that Al perform in staged fight with his stunt performer friend, Jefferson tells him that once he knocks his friend out, "...you're out of the Michael Bolton fanclub!".
  • Michael Bolton is an American singer who is known for his pop rock ballads typically appealing to a female audience as Jefferson implied. In past episodes, Al has mentioned how much he despises the singer and views him as someone who can't sing.
• Jefferson says that his friend, Thunder, has the smell of "Obsession for Men", which is a real fragrance by Calvin Klein.
• After being saved by Peggy a second time, Jefferson suggest to Al that he could get a perm and sell Mary Kay Cosmetics, boasting that he can drive a pink car.
  • Mary Kay Cosmetics is a cosmetics company that relies on people selling their products through parties and private consultations. They can also get a car that serves as an advertisement for the company as Jefferson noted, which at the time was a Cadillac painted a certain shade of pink.
  • The company was previously referenced in "A Three Job, No Income Family" and "All Night Security Dude".
• While standing in line at the movie theater, one of the men is holding a book titled Final Exit: The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying, which Al had been shown reading in season 6's "Al Bundy, Shoe Dick".
• Bud tells Kelly that a Happy Meal and a Hello Kitty pen set set would make her happy.
  • A Happy Meal is a child's meal set sold at fast food chain McDonalds. It typically features a cheeseburger, small french fries, small drink and a promotional toy.
  • Hello Kitty is a fictional character who serves as the mascot for the Japanese company, Sanrio. The character and her friends are featured on items that Sanrio sells, such as wallets, clothing, and pens as Bud mentioned.

Music

• "Hot Stuff" by Donna Summer is briefly heard when Al and Griff begin their shoe race.

Locations

• Bundy Residence
• Lakeside Theaters
• Biker Bar

Sets

• Bundy Living Room / Kitchen
• Lakeside Theaters Exterior
• Biker Bar Entrance / Seating area

Goofs

• When Marcy and Peggy practice on Jefferson in the backyard, it is obviously a fake dummy with a head modeled after Ted McGinley and a string can be clearly seen to keep it upright.
  • In another shot, the strings can be seen again when Marcy kicks it. She barely tapped the dummy with her foot but it appears that it is being pulled back to make it look like it flew backwards from her kick.
• After Al mistakes the bartender for Thunder and then asks for a beer, Bud can be clearly seen in the background recording Al and Peggy, while the biker chick is further away and partially hidden behind a wall. The camera immediately cuts to Bud who is trying to figure out how to record and the biker chick is already behind him.