The annual gay pride parade passes the Simpson’s house, but when Santa’s Little Helper is drawn to the Gay Dog Alliance, Homer drags them all away, and off to the movies. They sit through preview after preview, growing increasing impatient to see the featured attraction. Pushed beyond endurance, Homer runs to the front of the theater and starts pounding on the movie screen. The audience joins him in chanting,“Start the movie!” Teenage ushers try to contain the crowd by wielding giant, 2 x 4 size sticks of Kit Kat bars, from the movie size candy offerings. Homer flees the theater with the ushers in pursuit. He emerges into the mall, where Mayor Quimby is dedicating a statue of Heavy-Weight Champ Drederick Tatum. Homer crashes into the new statue of Tatum, and injures his mouth. Tatum bites him on the ear.

Dr. Hibbert diagnoses a broken jaw, and wires Homer’s jaw shut. Homer cannot talk or eat solid foods, to his great dismay. At home, Homer is forced to eat baby food with Maggie. He goes to Moe’s, where he can drink beer through a straw. As he muses over how he got into this mess, he hears the voice of his conscience in his head. His conscience explains that the other voices usually drown it out. The conscience suggests that since Homer can’t talk, he should listen, and use his muteness to discover what other people have to say. That night, Homer writes a note to Marge, asking about her day. Marge is surprised and pleased at his interest, and Homer finds himself actually interested in her story. Later, Homer notices that Lisa is upset. He asks about her day, and she too spills her tale, happy to have his attention. Homer also spends time with Bart and Grampa, listening intently, while they bask in the attention. Homer is getting along so well with everyone that Marge proposes going to the Annual Springfield Formal Event, which Homer ruined last year by riding a donkey into a cake. So Marge and Homer dress up and go to the formal, where everyone perceives Homer to be a great gentleman, since he doesn’t eat anything or say anything objectionable. Even when the donkey sidles up to Homer, with an enticing expression, Homer remains well-behaved. But as Marge and Homer walk home, Dr. Hibbert drops from a tree in front of them, announcing that it’s time to remove the wires holding Homer’s jaw shut.

As Homer is getting his jaw unwired, the family worries that they’ll lose his attention, now that he can talk again. But Homer reassures them all that the new, listening Homer will stick around. He goes to Moe’s, to tell the guys all the fascinating things he’s discovered from his family. Lindsay Naegle arrives, praises Homer for his enlightened listening, and invites him to be on her TV show. Homer and Marge appear on the show, and Homer promises, on television, that he’s given up his wild ways forever. They return home, and Homer sticks to his word. Even at the mall, Homer makes only sensible purchases. To her surprise, Marge finds herself disappointed in the new, well-behaved Homer. With him no longer doing all the embarrassing things she’s grown to expect, Marge is free to focus on her own life, and finds it lacking. That night, she sneaks out to the Demolition Derby. She is delighted when she hits another car, and she is ready to leave. But before she can get away, a car rams hers, and continues to ram hers, preventing her from escaping. Marge is in danger when Homer and the kids arrive. Homer is perplexed, because he promised never to do anything crazy again, not even to save Marge. Bart saves the day by squeezing a beer into Homer’s mouth. Thus invigorated, Homer rides the mule (from the Formal) into the heart of the demolition derby, and rescues Marge by pulling her out of her smashed car.