# White Christmas Blues > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/White_Christmas_Blues > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/White_Christmas_Blues.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_Blues > Source revision: 1307610645 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) 8th episode of the 25th season of The Simpsons "White Christmas Blues" The Simpsons episode Episode no. Season 25 Episode 8 Directed by Steven Dean Moore Written by Don Payne Production code SABF01 Original air date December 15, 2013 (2013-12-15) Episode features Chalkboard gag "I will not call my teacher "Prancer" and "Vixen"" Couch gag Christmas version of the regular opening, this time, as a retelling of The Night Before Christmas. Episode chronology ← Previous "Yellow Subterfuge" Next → "Steal This Episode" The Simpsons season 25 List of episodes "**White Christmas Blues**" is the eighth episode of the [twenty-fifth season](/source/The_Simpsons_season_25) of the American animated television series *[The Simpsons](/source/The_Simpsons)* and the 538th episode of the series. It originally aired on the [Fox network](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) in the United States on December 15, 2013. The episode was the last written by [Don Payne](/source/Don_Payne_(writer)) and was directed by [Steven Dean Moore](/source/Steven_Dean_Moore).[1] It was the first Christmas episode since "[Holidays of Future Passed](/source/Holidays_of_Future_Passed)" and the twelfth Christmas episode of the show. In the episode, Springfield becomes a tourist hotspot after an accident involving the nuclear plant and the Springfield [tire fire](/source/Tire_fire) causes Springfield to be the only place in the country with [snow](/source/Industrial_snow) at Christmas—and when Springfield's stores raise their prices, Marge turns their house into a bed and breakfast for the out-of-towners. The episode received negative reviews. ## Plot As [Marge](/source/Marge_Simpson) scolds [Homer](/source/Homer_Simpson) for hanging up the house's Christmas decorations before taking down the ones for Halloween, a bored [Bart](/source/Bart_Simpson) and [Lisa](/source/Lisa_Simpson) watch a television news broadcast in which [Kent Brockman](/source/Kent_Brockman) announces that all of [America](/source/America) will have no snow at Christmas due to [global warming](/source/Global_warming). Soon, however, snow does begin to fall in Springfield; [Professor Frink](/source/Professor_Frink) explains that due to the combination of radioactive steam from the nuclear power plant and airborne particulates from the city's tire fire, it is the only location in America with snow. [Mayor Quimby](/source/Mayor_Quimby) declares the town a tourist attraction, and the residents quickly get into the holiday spirit as out-of-town travelers converge on Springfield. Overwhelmed by the sudden crowds at the Kwik-E-Mart, and seeing the money spent by the tourists, Marge begins to feel like a failure since she cannot afford to spend lavishly on her family. As she returns to the house, a family drives past and offers to pay $300 per night to stay there. She hesitantly accepts the offer; Homer is surprised to find this other family in the house, but Marge explains the situation and persuades him to turn the house into a bed-and-breakfast for the duration of the holiday season. They take in more guests as Christmas approaches, but Marge becomes irritated at their constant requests and complaints over shoddy service and activities. On Christmas Day, Marge finds the guests gathered in the living room and thinks they are going to confront her, but instead they surprise her by singing Christmas carols. Meanwhile, Lisa buys gifts for the family that are intended to make her feel good about herself - such as a bag of radish seeds for Homer, and a book for Bart - rather than to be something the recipients can use. She is appalled to find Bart burning the book soon afterward, but their argument leads her to see that her gift-giving effort was misguided. She sells the gift Bart gave her and buys him a [tablet](/source/Tablet_computer) pre-loaded with books and apps he can enjoy, and he gives her some money to donate to charity. ## Production During the title sequence, [Edna Krabappel](/source/Edna_Krabappel) and episode writer [Don Payne](/source/Don_Payne_(writer)) were shown with halos and angel wings. This was the final episode written by Payne to air. Executive producer [Al Jean](/source/Al_Jean) said that the producers wanted to honor Krabappel's voice actress [Marcia Wallace](/source/Marcia_Wallace) and Payne. Wallace died in October 2013, and Payne died in March 2013.[2][3] ## Reception Dennis Perkins of *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)* gave the episode a C, saying "While *The Simpsons* has always excelled at tossed-off sign gags and the like, this sequence is just a jumble of writers’ room bulletin board material—and not especially inspired material at that."[4] Teresa Lopez of *TV Fanatic* gave the episode two and a half stars out of five, saying "*The Simpsons* Christmas Specials have always been one of my favorites (along with the Treehouse of Horror), but tonight's episode was a disappointing, uneven, and (again!) overly familiar installment."[5] The episode received a 3.5 rating and was watched by a total of 8.48 million people, making it the most watched show on [Animation Domination](/source/Animation_Domination) that night.[6] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["The Simpsons Season 25 Episodes"](https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-simpsons/episodes-season-25/1000201313/). *[TVGuide](/source/TVGuide)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210414115322/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/the-simpsons/episodes-season-25/1000201313/) from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hibberd, James (December 17, 2013). ["'Simpsons': See the touching stealth Marcia Wallace tribute"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220529062618/https://ew.com/article/2013/12/17/simpsons-touching-stealth-tribute-to-marcia-wallace/). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. Archived from [the original](https://ew.com/article/2013/12/17/simpsons-touching-stealth-tribute-to-marcia-wallace/) on May 29, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Harnick, Chris (December 16, 2013). ["The Heartwarming Simpsons Tribute You Missed"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220522133445/https://www.eonline.com/news/491253/the-heartwarming-simpsons-tribute-you-missed). *[E! Online](/source/E!_Online)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.eonline.com/news/491253/the-heartwarming-simpsons-tribute-you-missed) on May 22, 2022. Retrieved July 4, 2023. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Perkins, Dennis (December 15, 2013). ["The Simpsons: "White Christmas Blues""](https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-white-christmas-blues-1798179005). *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210517193504/https://tv.avclub.com/the-simpsons-white-christmas-blues-1798179005) from the original on May 17, 2021. Retrieved January 15, 2022. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Lopez, Teresa (December 16, 2013). ["The Simpsons Review: Nuclear Winter White"](http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/12/the-simpsons-review-nuclear-winter-white/). *TV Fanatic*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20140115041905/http://www.tvfanatic.com/2013/12/the-simpsons-review-nuclear-winter-white/) from the original on January 15, 2014. Retrieved January 14, 2014. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Kondolojy, Amanda (December 8, 2013). ["Sunday Final Ratings: '60 Minutes' Adjusted Down, No Adjustment for 'Revenge' or 'Survivor'"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131217223916/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/12/17/sunday-final-ratings-60-minutes-adjusted-down-no-adjustment-for-revenge-or-survivor/222961/). *[TV by the Numbers](/source/TV_by_the_Numbers)*. Archived from [the original](http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/12/17/sunday-final-ratings-60-minutes-adjusted-down-no-adjustment-for-revenge-or-survivor/222961/) on December 17, 2013. Retrieved December 17, 2013. ## External links Wikiquote has quotations related to ***["White Christmas Blues"](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Simpsons/Season_25#White_Christmas_Blues)***. - [The Simpsons portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:The_Simpsons) - ["White Christmas Blues"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2930952/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier)) v t e The Simpsons Christmas episodes 1980s "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (1989) 1990s "Marge Be Not Proud" (1995) "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" (1997) "Grift of the Magi" (1999) 2000s "Skinner's Sense of Snow" (2000) "She of Little Faith" (2001) "'Tis the Fifteenth Season" (2003) "Simpsons Christmas Stories" (2005) "Kill Gil, Volumes I & II" (2006) 2010s "The Fight Before Christmas" (2010) "Holidays of Future Passed" (2011) "White Christmas Blues" (2013) "I Won't Be Home for Christmas" (2014) "The Nightmare After Krustmas" (2016) "'Tis the 30th Season" (2018) "Bobby, It's Cold Outside" (2019) 2020s "A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas" (2020) "Manger Things" (2021) "O C'mon All Ye Faithful" (2024) See also "Simpson Xmas", a 1988 short from The Tracey Ullman Show The Simpsons Meet the Bocellis in "Feliz Navidad", a 2022 Disney+ short v t e The Simpsons episodes Seasons 1–20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Season 21–present 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Season 25 "Homerland" "Treehouse of Horror XXIV" "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" "YOLO" "Labor Pains" "The Kid Is All Right" "Yellow Subterfuge" "White Christmas Blues" "Steal This Episode" "Married to the Blob" "Specs and the City" "Diggs" "The Man Who Grew Too Much" "The Winter of His Content" "The War of Art" "You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee" "Luca$" "Days of Future Future" "What to Expect When Bart's Expecting" "Brick Like Me" "Pay Pal" "The Yellow Badge of Cowardge" See also Treehouse of Horror list The Simpsons episode guides "The Simpsons Guy" Category --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [White Christmas Blues](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_Blues) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_Blues?action=history)). 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