“Right about now, you’re probably saying, ‘Troy, I’ve seen every Simpsons gag. you can’t show me anything new.’ Well, you got some attitude, mister!”
The recurring bits in The Simpsons are part of its foundation. They make the show even more comforting and help build a world that fans are happy to return to, hoping their favorite parts of the vast Simpsons mythology pop up again. For instance, it’s fun to check on what Bart is scribbling in detention, hear what tune Lisa is playing on her saxophone on her way out of band practice, and behold how exactly the Simpson family winds up on the couch every episode. And these are just in the intro.
Of course, it’s not simply a matter of rinse and repeat. The Simpsons is one of the most influential cartoons ever made in part because it modifies the formula to keep the schtick fresh and fun. Whether Professor Frink invents another ridiculous machine that doesn’t work, Hans Moleman gets severely injured, or old Gil Gunderson can’t catch a break, the vast array of precious gags in this show can make viewers laugh for innumerable reasons. Everyone has their favorites, but it seems that The Simpsons’ greatest gags are not only hilarious but also leave the most room for expansion and surprise.
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The Simpsons
- Release Date
- December 17, 1989
- Cast
- Dan Castellaneta , Julie Kavner , Nancy Cartwright , Yeardley Smith , Hank Azaria , Harry Shearer
- Seasons
- 36
10 Troy McClure’s Pathetic Filmography
Since ‘Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment’ (Season 2, Episode 13)
When someone in The Simpsons pops in a VHS tape or turns on the television, there’s a chance they’ll get a small dose of B-list actor Troy McClure. He always introduces himself by naming a few movies and instructional videos the viewer might recognize him from, including “The Revenge of Abe Lincoln,” “Lead Paint: Delicious but Deadly,” and “The Erotic Adventures of Hercules.” If that last film is what the viewer thinks it is, then this actor really has done every form of unrefined cinema there is.
He always lists these previous works with artificial enthusiasm, doing little more than dutifully reading his lines. Whether it’s “Alice’s Adventures Through the Windshield Glass,” “Smoke Yourself Thin,” or “Two Minus Three Equals Negative Fun,” the audience intuits these works can be judged by their titles. Though this character was retired when his voice actor, the late great Phil Hartman, passed away, Troy McClure’s magnificently mediocre contributions helped define The Simpsons‘ golden age.
9 Lionel Hutz Gets in Legal Trouble
Since ‘Bart Gets Hit By a Car’ (Season 2, Episode 10)
Attorney-at-law Lionel Hutz is shady from the start, depicted immediately as an ambulance chaser in season 2’s masterful “Bart Gets Hit By a Car.” He’s a terrible lawyer with too many degrees and a drinking problem, but perhaps the funniest thing about him is that he gets into trouble with the law. One of Hutz’s best moments is when he babysits the Simpson kids in “Marge on the Lam” and starts throwing personal papers in the fireplace. When Lisa asks him why, he says “As of this moment, Lionel Hutz no longer exists. Say hello to Miguel Sanchez!”
Lionel Hutz is such a shady lawyer that the audience doesn’t need to know specifically what crime he’s trying to avoid; his attempt to change his identity makes enough sense as it is. Another great moment is when he’s trying to tell Homer about how he’s going to use “surprise witnesses” to break him out of jail. The camera angle makes it look like Homer is behind bars and Hutz is free, but it’s soon disclosed that they’re both in separate jail cells.
8 Homer’s Insatiable Appetite
Since the beginning
The Simpsons is always happy to remind viewers that Homer eats too much. Several episodes revolve around Homer’s lack of self-control, whether he needs to get heart surgery in “Homer’s Triple Bypass” or decides to get so heavy that he qualifies for disability in “King Size Homer.” In one episode, he takes Marge to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet (even though she’s allergic), gets thrown out at closing time, and sues the restaurant for not letting him stay.
Homer makes eating look like a superpower, especially in one of the best Simpsons holiday episodes, “Treehouse of Horror IV.” He gets sent to the Ironic Punishment Division of hell, where he’s force-fed donuts at an alarming rate yet never grows tired of them. The demon is puzzled, but the audience isn’t. Whether he’s devouring a full second dinner in bed or eating ridiculously hot peppers at the Springfield Cook-off, the Simpson patriarch delightfully satirizes American eating habits.
7 Principal Skinner is a Mama’s Boy
Since ‘The Crepes of Wrath’ (Season 1, Episode 11)
Although he is uncool for numerous reasons, the biggest blow to Principal Skinner’s reputation is that he’s a mama’s boy. Agnes Skinner (Tress MacNeille) bosses him around, which he doesn’t appreciate but still puts up with. The way he calls her “Mother” and she calls him “Seymour” sums up their power dynamic so well. In her first appearance, she actually calls him “Spanky” in front of several students. Though surprisingly nice in this debut, her bitterness in later appearances becomes a hallmark of this codependent relationship.
The best moment that illustrates Skinner’s subservience to his mother is when he looks through his office window and appears to see her in the window of a house on a hill. It’s a clear parody of Norman Bates’s character in Psycho, and the way he starts arguing with her (even though there’s no way he could hear her from that distance) is absolutely hilarious. It just goes to show that Skinner’s mother doesn’t even need to be present for the bit to work.
6 Rainier Wolfcastle’s ‘McBain’ Movies
Since ‘The Way We Was’ (Season 2, Episode 12)
Arnold Schwarzenegger‘s best movies have lots of action, violence, and memorable one-liners. They, along with Schwarzenegger’s tough-guy persona, are easy to mock, but nobody makes these parodies better than The Simpsons. Every time one of Rainier Wolfcastle’s “McBain” movies pops up on television, it’s a gem of over-the-top violence and absurd destruction. For instance, when McBain’s boss tells him this police department “goes by the book,” McBain shoots the manual with his illegal gun and says, “Bye, book.”
Rainier Wolfcastle’s character shows up off-screen as well, doing his fair share of unsuccessful projects, including a late-night show. Alas, Wolfcastle’s best moments are these action film parodies. Other hilarious characters in these mindless movies include McBain’s frustrated boss and an evil crime lord. The clever one-liners (another great one: “Ice to see you”) are fantastic touches to one of The Simpsons‘ strongest recurring bits.
5 Krusty-Brand Products Are Dangerous
Since ‘Krusty Gets Busted’ (Season 1, Episode 12)
It may be hard to believe, but the “Krusty Brand Seal of Approval” is totally bogus. Amusingly harmful examples include the Krusty clock that can get way too hot when you keep it plugged in, the Krusty doll with a spike where the head should be, and Krusty’s acidic personal swabs. After Homer gets stuck in a water slide at Mount Splashmore, Kent Brockman asks the controversial clown about the recall of tainted Krusty-Brand mayonnaise.
Then there’s Euro Krusty Land, which blew up; Itchy and Scratchy Land, featured in one of The Simpsons‘ scariest episodes; the Krusty Land House of Knives, where tourists were decapitated; and the infamous Kamp Krusty. The very first time viewers get to see the danger of Krusty’s products is in season one’s “Krusty Gets Busted,” where they prove extremely flammable. It’s painfully clear that Krusty cuts corners with regard to children’s safety, and the endless, shameless corporate neglect is always hilarious.
4 Sideshow Bob’s Rivalry with Bart
Since ‘Krusty Gets Busted’ (Season 1, Episode 12)
Sideshow Bob, voiced by Emmy-winner Kelsey Grammer, and Bart Simpson do not get along. Ever since Bart proved that Sideshow Bob framed Krusty the Clown in “Krusty Gets Busted,” the former sidekick hasn’t been a big fan of the young troublemaker. But Bob only swears vengeance on Bart after his second plan—to kill Bart’s Aunt Selma—is foiled in “Black Widower.” Since then, Sideshow Bob has run for mayor, tried to kill Bart on a boat, and made other plans that all get foiled in the nick of time.
Their rivalry has been a fan-favorite dynamic in The Simpsons for decades, and Sideshow Bob’s spare appearances make each feel like a special event. Given Bob’s superior education, the viewer might think that Bart shouldn’t be able to outsmart him, but Bart’s intellect is never sharper than when he faces his archenemy, and it’s not like Bob is foolproof. For instance, Bart saves himself in “Cape Feare” simply by asking for a final request: a one-man performance of the opera H.M.S Pinafore. Combining the high brow with the low is what this rivalry does best, and it’s charming every time.
3 Mr. Burns Never Remembers Homer’s Name
Since ‘Homer’s Odyssey’ (Season 1, Episode 3)
A few of The Simpsons‘ best catchphrases take place within the same recurring conversation: Mr. Burns spots Homer, asks Smithers who that man is, and Smithers tells him, “That’s Homer Simpson: one of the [insults] from Sector 7-G.” Then Burns says, “Simpson, eh?” and things go on from there. Burns has met Homer so many times over the years that this common back-and-forth gets more and more absurd every time it happens.
All the more insulting that this gag reaches a climax of sorts in season 6’s finale, “Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One).” With cunning self-awareness, the installment shows Homer getting angrier and angrier that his boss easily recalls every member of the Simpson family but him. Given how afraid of his boss Homer usually is, these fits of rage feel like a long time coming, to the point of almost being cathartic, especially for long-time fans.
2 Bart’s Prank Phone Calls to Moe’s Tavern
Since ‘Homer’s Odyssey’ (Season 1, Episode 3)
Bart’s prank phone calls to Moe’s Tavern are legendary. Bart, and sometimes Lisa, will call the bar, ask for someone with a funny name (ex: Seymour Butts), and Moe will call out for that person. What makes this bit fantastic are Moe’s infuriated and surprisingly creative replies. Once he realizes he’s been had, the bartender will say something like, “When I get a hold of you, I am gonna gut you like a fish and drink your blood!”
The gag’s most intense moment is in season 4’s “New Kid on the Block,” when Moe is under the impression that Jimbo is the prank caller and immediately pursues him with a knife. Of course, the audience doesn’t expect him to kill a kid; it’s hilarious enough that Moe hates this prank caller so much that he becomes borderline homicidal when he thinks he’s found the culprit. Without question, it’s one of the hallmarks of The Simpsons‘ golden age.
1 Springfield’s Location is Untraceable
Since the beginning
It’s common knowledge that no one can definitively point out where Springfield is. One of the reasons it’s called Springfield is because it’s an extremely common name for a town in the United States, and creator Matt Groening wanted fans to think Springfield was in their home state. Details big and small poke fun at the idea of placing Springfield in any particular state, making it arguably the most significant piece of Simpsons lore there is.
In The Simpsons Movie, Flanders points out that Springfield borders Ohio, Nevada, Maine, and Kentucky, which is physically impossible. The town’s defining geographical characteristics vary by episode, including an active volcano, mountains, a desert, the ocean, canyons, and swampland. Homer’s license even reads “Springfield, NT,” which isn’t helpful. Many other clues contradict each other and make it plain that this particular Springfield is everywhere and nowhere. In light of its scale, consistency (or should one say inconsistency), and variety, Springfield’s mysterious location is the ultimate gag of cartoon folklore.
This article was originally published on collider.com