"The Last Temptation of Krust" is the 15th episode of The Simpsons' ninth season, and first aired on February 22, 1998. Bart convinces Krusty the Clown to appear at a comedy festival organized by Jay Leno (pictured), but Krusty's old material does not go over well with the audience, and he receives bad reviews. After Krusty goes on a drinking binge, Bart and Jay Leno bathe him in the Simpsons' house, and Krusty decides to announce his retirement. At Krusty's retirement press conference, the audience finds his tirade against modern comedy hysterical, and he returns to comedy with a new style where he complains about commercialism. He later agrees to a deal with marketing executives in return for a new "Canyonero" – a spoof on sport utility vehicles, and markets products during his next comedy appearance. The episode ends with an extended Canyonero sequence, with a background song sung by Hank Williams, Jr. The writing staff initially had trouble getting Krusty's offensive bad jokes through network censors, but convinced them this was simply a way to emphasize his old and dated comedic material. The episode was highlighted by USA Today in a review of the season's episodes, and received positive reviews in The Washington Times, the Evening Herald, and in books on The Simpsons.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Temptation_of_Krust

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1644:

English Civil War: Royalist troops allegedly slaughtered up to 1,600 people during their storm and capture of the Town of Bolton. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolton_Massacre

1892:

Aided by a group of professors from the University of California, Berkeley and Stanford University, preservationist John Muir founded the environmental organization Sierra Club in San Francisco. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir

1975:

Sixteen West African countries signed the Treaty of Lagos, establishing the Economic Community of West African States to promote economic integration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_Community_of_West_African_States

1987:

West German aviator Mathias Rust flew his Cessna 172 through the supposedly impregnable Soviet air defense system and landed in Red Square, Moscow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathias_Rust

2003:

As a result of criticism of his conduct, Peter Hollingworth resigned from his post as Governor-General of Australia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hollingworth

2010:

A train derailment and collision in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal, India, caused the deaths of at least 141 passengers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jnaneswari_Express_train_derailment

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

crown molding: (finish carpentry, interior decorating) A molding at the edge of a room between ceiling and wall. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/crown_molding

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Why is it that one can look at a lion or a planet or an owl or at someone’s finger as long as one pleases, but looking into the eyes of another person is, if prolonged past a second, a perilous affair? --Walker Percy https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Walker_Percy