80s Flashback
Blanche: “Do you know who that is?”
Sophia: “Sure. It’s the guy from the Pepsi commercials.”
Rose: “Pepsi commercial? Michael? Oh, my God! That's Michael
J. Fox!”
Crazy Continuity
Doesn’t the homeless man from Minnesota that Rose talks to
look awfully like the owner of that dinner from “Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas?” I guess when you make terrible business decisions like leaving your
business to be run by total strangers you could end up on the street.
Musical Moments
“Brother Can You Spare a Dime” blares over the soundtrack as
the girls search for the lotto ticket to really emphasize how shitty we should
feel.
Let’s Get Political
Congressman Philip Starr: “Ladies and gentlemen, I am
congressman Philip Starr and I've recently been accused of being insensitive to
the homeless. Well, I think tonight's sizeable cash contribution should lay
those accusations to rest.”
Dorothy: “He doesn't even care about the jacket.”
Blanche: “Sweet Jesus, it's a miracle. This is going to be
easy.”
Rose: “Well, don't take any chances. Sleep with him anyway.”
That’s What She Said
Homeless man: “This is your first time?”
Blanche: “Oh lord, it's been ages since I heard that from a
man.”
Shady Pines, Ma
Rose: “Are you sure we're in the right place?”
Dorothy: “Mission
Street Shelter for the Indigent Homeless. This is where they said they sent the
jacket.”
Blanche: “Kinda drab, isn't it?”
Dorothy: “Blanche, it's a shelter, not the flagship of the
Hilton chain.”
Sophia: “Kinda reminds me of the Shady Pines Retirement Home,
except here the lights in the exit sign work.”
Lewd Ladies
Rose: “I guess now I'll never get to fly on the Concorde.”
Blanche: “And I'll never get to buy that emerald pendant to
dangle between my perky bosoms.”
Sophia: “And I'll never get to buy perky bosoms.”
Zbornak Zingers
Rose: “Dorothy, that's our jacket. Do something.”
Dorothy: “I'm sorry, Rose. I left my flamethrower in my other
purse.”
Product Placement
Rose: “I have a really dumb question.”
Sophia: “And I have a box of Chiclets. What's your point?”
Sassy Sophia
Dorothy: “Ma, why are you reading Rose's mail?”
Sophia: “Because all you got were bills. Listen to this part
at the end, tell me if you think Joanne's a lesbian.”
Sweet, Single-Digit-IQ Rose
Blanche: “What’d he say?
Rose: “He said he was in total agreement that it was a
miscarriage of justice and we deserve the money.”
Dorothy: “Oh that’s great!”
Rose: “He also told me I'd called his Chinese restaurant instead
of the Lottery Commission. He felt so bad he's giving us free egg rolls the
next time we come in.”
The Boob Tube
Blanche: “Uh, excuse me, sir. We are looking for a leather
jacket that got mixed up with a box of clothes we donated. It was a terrible
mistake.”
Sophia: “It was not a terrible mistake. It was a regular
mistake. A terrible mistake is when you forget A Different World follows Cosby.”
Golden Quotes
Rose: “Hi Sophia. Hi Dorothy, guess what I’ve got!”
Sophia: “A friend who’s a lesbian??”
and
Dorothy: “No, Rose, that's the way it's supposed to look. It's
an aviator jacket.”
Dorothy: “And now I can afford some accessories for it.”
Rose: “Like a purse?”
Blanche: “Like an aviator.”
Critique: This is another one
of those ham-fisted “important issue” episodes but I don’t dislike it like many
fans do. Sure it gets a bit sappy in its closing scene and hits you over the
head with its message but homelessness was a hot button issue at the time. And
remains to this day. Having said all that, this episode is utterly preposterous
in the most delightfully ridiculous way. The fact that Michael Jackson would
stop by the local hospital thrift shop before his concert is only the tip of
the iceberg. The girls who are no stranger to money-making schemes seem to be particularly
hungry for cash in this one. They’re not above living with a gigantic pig for
money, flying across the country for money, dancing all night for money, or
pretending to be homeless for money. After all, if we learned anything from the
80s it’s that Greed is Good. GRADE: B-
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