1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,600 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff you should know from how Stuff Works 2 00:00:04,600 --> 00:00:32,239 Speaker 1: dot com. M Hey, and welcome to The Simpsons, I 3 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: mean the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, There's Charles w. Chuck Bryant, 4 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: there's Jerry over there, and this is Chuck episode. Yeah. Well, 5 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:46,760 Speaker 1: you know how I think of this. I think of 6 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: it as one thousand, just a big fat one thousand 7 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: that had to leak on to two days. It actually 8 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: leaked back in time. How amazing is that? Yeah, because 9 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: we have to do a two parter because upon looking 10 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: at this research and this topic, very special topic for 11 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: us for the show, we realized it had to be 12 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: a two parter and rather than do one thousand and 13 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:13,080 Speaker 1: one thousand one, what kind of person would do that? 14 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:18,399 Speaker 1: An unwholesome person. Yeah, yeah, okay, so this is episode 15 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 1: in your view, it's it's really just part of episode 16 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: one thousand. I'm with you on that. Yes, can you 17 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: believe that? I, you know what Chuck up until today? 18 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,839 Speaker 1: I could totally believe it. But the fact that we're 19 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: doing The Simpsons for our thousandth episode, it just it 20 00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:38,880 Speaker 1: drove everything home, Like all the gear teeth fell right 21 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 1: into place, and now the gears are spinning in sync 22 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,120 Speaker 1: and I can feel it and I'm amazed. Yeah. So, uh, 23 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 1: we just wanted to acknowledge the one thousand here up front, 24 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: and I think frankly, we're doing that because we're both 25 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: so excited about doing this. I think I should tell 26 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,639 Speaker 1: people what you emailed earlier. We were furiously sending links 27 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: back fourth this week and you said, Uh, I don't 28 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: even want to record, I just want to keep researching 29 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:11,959 Speaker 1: the Simpsons forever. It's true. Man. Last night, Chuck, I 30 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: was sitting there watching Simpsons episodes and I thought, well, 31 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,640 Speaker 1: this is the pinnacle of my career. I am literally 32 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: being paid to watch the Simpsons. Yeah, and we just 33 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: had to stop, Like Eveen, we could have done this 34 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: for weeks and researched, and this could be uh an 35 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 1: entire podcast and into itself with a thousand episodes. Well 36 00:02:36,520 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: maybe not a thousand, close to it, but at some 37 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: point we had to stop. So just know, if we 38 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 1: didn't cover your favorite thing from the show that's been 39 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: on for thirty years, or or if we're not referring 40 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: to episodes under their specific naming convention, yeah, calm down, Yeah, 41 00:02:56,880 --> 00:02:59,399 Speaker 1: it's just impossible. So we're gonna do our best here 42 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: to talk about some of our favorite stuff and a 43 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: little bit about how the show works. But here we go, right, Oh, man, 44 00:03:07,400 --> 00:03:12,560 Speaker 1: let's do it. This is like an actual intro. Yes, 45 00:03:14,880 --> 00:03:19,840 Speaker 1: that was an actual response, So Chuck, yes, have you 46 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: ever seen the Simpsons? I have, sir, you caught it 47 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: back from the beginning, like that was right in our wheelhouse, 48 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,279 Speaker 1: maybe even yours a little more than mine. Yeah, And uh, 49 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: I mean, let's we should go ahead and just talk 50 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: for a moment about episode one because I have a 51 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: very distinct memory, which is I'm in high school. It's 52 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: my senior year. Chris Bouten, my friend and future roommate 53 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: in college, calls me Boots Bouten, and he says, dude, 54 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: have you and I have to admit I did not 55 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: see the Tracy Almond shorts, So let's get that out 56 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: of the way right now. They were bizarre. Yeah, and 57 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: this is that's where the show began. As most people know, 58 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: is a little short animated bits in the Tracy Ellman Show. 59 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: But Chris Bootin calls me episodes Man, I'm coming over. 60 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 1: I'm meeting you in the basement, opened the back door. 61 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:14,040 Speaker 1: I have a VHS of this show called The Simpsons 62 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:17,320 Speaker 1: you gotta see it, and he met me over there. 63 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:23,360 Speaker 1: It was winter, it was December. Well it aired on 64 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: the seventeenth, but I have a feeling this was the 65 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:30,239 Speaker 1: next day probably, and Booting came over and we watched 66 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,279 Speaker 1: the very first episode, which was Santa's Little Helper, and 67 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: we cried tears of joy and laughter, and my life 68 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 1: went on a different course. Yeah, I Boots did not 69 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: visit my house personally with the video. We didn't call 70 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: him Boots by the video because well I'm calling him 71 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: Boots nickname Boots. That's classic Boots by the way to 72 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: show up in the basement. Um. But he, uh, he 73 00:04:57,480 --> 00:04:59,279 Speaker 1: did not come to my house. But I did see 74 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:00,800 Speaker 1: that one, and I think Guy saw it when it 75 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,839 Speaker 1: aired actually, and I remember watching the Tracy Ullman shorts 76 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,240 Speaker 1: too and just being like, what the hell is this. 77 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:10,839 Speaker 1: But then by the time I think the Tracy Ullman 78 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: Show and we'll get a little more into it, that 79 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: one started in seven, um and the actual show started 80 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 1: in eighty nine. So between those two points they really 81 00:05:19,960 --> 00:05:22,359 Speaker 1: like it really started to come together to where that 82 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: first episode where Homer finds out he's not getting a 83 00:05:25,640 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 1: Christmas bonus, so he gets a job secretly as a 84 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: mall Santa and ends up taking his check to the 85 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: dog track and betting it all and losing it all 86 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: on Santa's a Little Helper, which was the dog right, 87 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,239 Speaker 1: But then he ends up with Santa a Little Helper, 88 00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: so he gets what he was after all along, which 89 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: is a great Christmas present for his family. What a 90 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: beautiful episode, right, Yeah, And interestingly that first episode was 91 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 1: really the eighth one to be made, but they ran 92 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,120 Speaker 1: that one first, so uh, there were there were some 93 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: weird differences like the show. Actually, originally I think Matt 94 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,359 Speaker 1: Gray thought it would be redrawn a little more slickly, 95 00:06:04,279 --> 00:06:06,599 Speaker 1: but they just traced over his original drawing. So the 96 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: animation was fairly crude in this episode. And then you'll 97 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: notice an episode two it actually looks a little bit better. Um, 98 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: and you know, the Simpson still looks like the Simpsons, 99 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: but that early episode and kind of the whole first 100 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,440 Speaker 1: season was a little more crude in drawing and voice. Uh. 101 00:06:24,440 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: And the pilot was the only episode missing that very 102 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,239 Speaker 1: famous opening sequence, which we'll talk about a little bit later. 103 00:06:30,480 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, it wasn't it like a cold opening or 104 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:34,720 Speaker 1: something like that. I can't remember exactly how, but it 105 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:38,120 Speaker 1: didn't feature the iconic opening that we all know and 106 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: love today. Um So, where shall we start, Chuck? I mean, 107 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 1: I guess we kind of just did start. Yeah, and 108 00:06:45,360 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: I think I already made a mistake about what well 109 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:50,599 Speaker 1: Sante's Little Hope would In the name of the episode, 110 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 1: it was Simpsons roasting on an open fire. Yeah, so 111 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, that's the one that you were 112 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: you were talking about, you know, yeah, but I'm just 113 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: I know that like probably thousand people just slam their 114 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: laptot shut. But that's what I'm saying, Everybody, chill out. 115 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,839 Speaker 1: That's not what this episode is about. We're not trying 116 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:12,840 Speaker 1: to show you how little you know. That's right. Ed 117 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 1: the Grabster Grabanowski wrote this article. Actually this one was 118 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: written by Unedd Grabanowski. If you ask me, why did 119 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 1: you say that? Because it was it wasn't like five 120 00:07:22,320 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: times as long as it should have been. No, I 121 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:28,320 Speaker 1: can't remember who who calls himself that for every Treehouse 122 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: of Horror, but there's a D and they call themselves uned, 123 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,600 Speaker 1: so I thought that was probably I'm really surprised he 124 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: didn't actually get that as his byline for this it's 125 00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: a nice estery there, my friend. Yeah. Uh, and then 126 00:07:40,600 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: we did just I mean, so much supplementary information. It's 127 00:07:44,120 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: sort of ridiculous. Yeah, but this is like a special 128 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: request from us, wasn't it. Oh yeah, we said, go forth, 129 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: grabster and write the well right the oh okay, right there, 130 00:07:56,040 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: Well there were two ease in that the yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 131 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: I should have noticed by the flourish of your hand 132 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:04,840 Speaker 1: what you were saying. All right, So let's go back 133 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: to uh Simpsons creator one Mr Matt Greening, and we 134 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: have actually met him, and we will talk about that 135 00:08:10,840 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: in a little bit. Life highlight for sure. But he 136 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 1: had a comic strip called Life and Hell, and I 137 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,239 Speaker 1: think the original conceit to pitch to producer James L. Brooks. 138 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: Seven was a cartoon version of that. Ed writes in 139 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: here he thought it would be a failure, but I 140 00:08:28,120 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: read that he wasn't too keen on signing away sort 141 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,559 Speaker 1: of the thing he had worked on all his life. 142 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,800 Speaker 1: So he changed his mind at the last minute and thought, 143 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: of the Simpsons. That's awesome. That sounds the second one 144 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: sounds much more like Matt Graining for sure. Yeah, And 145 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:44,920 Speaker 1: he had he had no idea that would make him 146 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,199 Speaker 1: a super rich gazillion are either. But if you if 147 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,080 Speaker 1: you um know that story. The fact that the Simpsons 148 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,880 Speaker 1: started out on Tracy Ullman makes sense because James Brooks, 149 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: who himself is a pretty like bona fide cool guy 150 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:04,120 Speaker 1: right here the married Tyler Moore shown directed terms of endearment. Um, 151 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: he produced Bottle Rocket. Um. Yeah, you could say he 152 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,400 Speaker 1: has an eye for amazing things for sure. So he 153 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: had come across this life and How strip and and 154 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: wanted to basically turn it into animated shorts for the 155 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: Tracy Woman Show, but then Graining swapped it out at 156 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,440 Speaker 1: the at the pitch meeting and said let's do this instead. 157 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: But I think either way, he came up with the 158 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,559 Speaker 1: characters and the idea fairly on the fly, right Yeah, 159 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:30,000 Speaker 1: I mean obviously wasn't like while he was waiting outside 160 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,199 Speaker 1: of the pitch meeting, but h what he came up with. 161 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:35,720 Speaker 1: And if you haven't seen the Simpsons, maybe you should 162 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,000 Speaker 1: go watch an episode or two. Crawl up from under 163 00:09:38,040 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: the rock that you're and go watch one. But obviously 164 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:44,560 Speaker 1: we should at least say what it is. And it 165 00:09:44,679 --> 00:09:49,440 Speaker 1: is a sort of a traditional sitcom about um, and 166 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,319 Speaker 1: follows the sitcom conventions in many ways of a family, uh, 167 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:58,679 Speaker 1: living together under a roof who encounter fun hijinks along 168 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: the way. Yeah, and um, that's kind of the subtext 169 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: for the whole or the pretext I should say, for 170 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,240 Speaker 1: the whole series. Right, it's like it's a sitcom, it's 171 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,839 Speaker 1: a family sitcom. But there's a couple of big differences 172 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 1: with it right there. Um, it's animated, which is huge 173 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: because it's a it was a price. It became in 174 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: nine a primetime animated series, and it was the first 175 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 1: one since I think nineteen seventy two where Wait Till 176 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 1: You're nineteen seventy four where Wait Till Your Father Gets 177 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: Home went off the air. Did you ever see that show? 178 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 1: It was like a proto family Guy basically, um, from 179 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: the early seventies, and it was actually super entertaining. And 180 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: then before that, of course, there was The flint Stones, 181 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: but those were like the two big primetime animated series 182 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 1: before the Simpsons. But there's a good, you know, twentysomething 183 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:52,719 Speaker 1: thirties something year lull in between those and the Simpsons. 184 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:55,840 Speaker 1: So that was a big difference in and of itself. Well, 185 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,720 Speaker 1: it's easy to take for granted. Now with the advent 186 00:10:58,800 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: of like Cartoon Network in Adult Swim and Family Guy 187 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: in Futurama, which also from graining. Yeah, I mean, there's 188 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 1: just an explosion of animation. Right. You've got you know, 189 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:12,440 Speaker 1: starting back with Beavis and butt Head that was a 190 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: descendant of The Simpsons, and then of course you've got 191 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: King of the Hill, uh South Park. Um, today you've 192 00:11:21,040 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: got Rick and Morty. Have you seen Rick and Morty? 193 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: I haven't yet. Everyone I'm remiss. Everyone said it's the greatest. 194 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: It is, it's the greatest, and man, it's one of 195 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: those it's under the same thing that The Simpsons was 196 00:11:32,720 --> 00:11:35,199 Speaker 1: initially taken for where you know, there's a lot of belching, 197 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: so people are like, this is low brown. It's like, no, 198 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:41,240 Speaker 1: look past it to what they're actually doing. It's insanely 199 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: smart and and really entertaining too. Like it's, um, it's 200 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: laugh out loud funny in a lot of parts. I 201 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 1: think we've kind of proven that we can be smart 202 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: and still make part jokes. Sure, and and Rick and 203 00:11:53,320 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: Morty is doing the same thing. And by the way, um, 204 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,400 Speaker 1: you know they listened to us, right Rick and Morty, Yeah, 205 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 1: I remember they sent us that aunt's book and it 206 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: had that was the Rick and Morty people. Yeah, so 207 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: thanks again for that, guys. That's a treasured possession. Well 208 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:13,559 Speaker 1: I'm definitely watching now. Yeah, all the adult quote unquote 209 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: uh cartoons that we see. But it was revolutionary at 210 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 1: the time. I mean Flint Stone's aside, Like you said, 211 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: it had been a long time and it was quite 212 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: literally leveled the TV industry because it was such a 213 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:29,360 Speaker 1: smash hit right out of the gate. That's right, Yeah, 214 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: I know, it was huge, right, um, and a lot 215 00:12:32,200 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: of things came together for it. Um the fact that 216 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: that James L. Brooks got in touch with the man Craning. 217 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,000 Speaker 1: That was a bit of a fluke because he got 218 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:42,040 Speaker 1: in touch with them for a different reason, but also 219 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: because it was a show on Fox and Fox was 220 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: just starting out as a network and they were looking 221 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: to make waves. So at the time you had basically here, 222 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: So here's what the Simpsons were up against in family 223 00:12:56,760 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 1: sitcom wise. You ready for this? Um My two Dads, 224 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: Major Dad, Mr Belvedere, who's the Boss, Hogan, Family Family Matters, 225 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:13,760 Speaker 1: Growing Pains, The Cosby Show, Full House, and like that 226 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:17,960 Speaker 1: was what family sitcoms or TV sitcoms in general were 227 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:20,720 Speaker 1: at the time, and you had Roseanne. Roseanne had been 228 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:22,240 Speaker 1: on for a couple of years already, and it had 229 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: shaken things up some for sure, but for the most part, 230 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 1: like this was America was this um, clean and tidy, 231 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: wholesome place where everything was just peachy keen and all 232 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: the problems that a family encounter were about as superficial 233 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:42,920 Speaker 1: as you could possibly come across. And this was the 234 00:13:42,920 --> 00:13:45,520 Speaker 1: other big thing about The Simpsons, and it actually went 235 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: really well, at least superficially with married with Children, which 236 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:56,320 Speaker 1: was that family wholesome sitcom spawn onto its very gritty, 237 00:13:56,360 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: dirty underbelly. Right. Uh. The Pons was initially compared to 238 00:14:01,600 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: that same kind of thing because they were both on 239 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: Fox and they both like kind of took the family 240 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: sitcom and turned it on its head. But it took 241 00:14:08,640 --> 00:14:11,040 Speaker 1: a minute but not too long for people to start noticing, 242 00:14:11,040 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: oh wait, actually this is really subversive satire. And that 243 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:21,720 Speaker 1: was the big thing that I think initially gave the Simpsons. 244 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: It's it's it's base for to keep going for thirty seasons. Yeah, 245 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: I mean, I remember when Fox first came out and 246 00:14:28,800 --> 00:14:31,960 Speaker 1: it was like that, what, there's a fourth TV channel. 247 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: I know it was a big deal. It was a 248 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,920 Speaker 1: big deal. And their thing from the beginning was, you know, 249 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna be edgy, We're gonna be different. This is 250 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,600 Speaker 1: this is not your mom and Dad's TV. And like 251 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:44,040 Speaker 1: you said, Mary with Children and the Simpsons firmly put 252 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 1: them on a different track. Uh. And it was funny 253 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: when you were just going through all the shows like 254 00:14:49,800 --> 00:14:55,280 Speaker 1: they they were no more edgy than since TV's inception, 255 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: and it might it might as well have been, well 256 00:14:57,160 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: maybe a little more edgy than like be Re Cleaver 257 00:14:59,760 --> 00:15:02,920 Speaker 1: and Sean Harriet, but not too far off. For the 258 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: most part. TV was kind of the same for decades 259 00:15:06,960 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 1: when it came to family sitcoms. Yeah, so the Simpsons 260 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: was just this is not overstating it. It was a 261 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: cultural revolution in every way. It definitely was. And it 262 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,560 Speaker 1: it took up like this already kind of nascent revolution 263 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:24,320 Speaker 1: and from Roseanne and from Mary with Children, but it 264 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:26,640 Speaker 1: was different, man, it was like it was it was 265 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: its own thing and still is today. And again, like 266 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: you were saying, it's easy to look back and be like, well, yeah, 267 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 1: i mean animated, really smart, subversive satirical shows like they're 268 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: they're a diamond dozen is a weird way to put it, 269 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,440 Speaker 1: but it's true, like they're all over the place. Now, 270 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: that's because the Simpsons came along. It's as simple as that. Yeah. 271 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: So the early episodes um in the In the first 272 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: couple of seasons, Bart Simpson, uh was sort of the 273 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,120 Speaker 1: star of the show as far as pop culture goes. 274 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: I mean, he was front and enter, he was on 275 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: every T shirt. Every kid was saying eat my shorts, 276 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: every kid was talking back to their teachers more, and 277 00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,440 Speaker 1: it created quite a ruckuss in schools. I know that 278 00:16:11,480 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: some of the T shirts were banned in certain school districts. Yeah. 279 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,320 Speaker 1: The Underachiever and proud of It man, Yeah, that one 280 00:16:18,560 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: was banned and I think I'm Bart Simpson, who the 281 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:26,040 Speaker 1: hell are you? Yeah, But it wasn't long before it 282 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 1: became pretty clear that it was an ensemble show for 283 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: one and sort of Homer's show, let's be honest. Yeah, 284 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,920 Speaker 1: ultimately ended up that way in large part. He he 285 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: became the central character, didn't he. Yeah, I would say easily. 286 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: But then, I mean, we'll go through a lot of 287 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: these characters, if not all of them, because we don't 288 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:51,400 Speaker 1: have time to read like five people's names, right, but 289 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: it ended up being like a memorial or something. I know. 290 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: But the Simpsons side characters and the guest characters have 291 00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:00,520 Speaker 1: become just as beloved as uh as the fane of 292 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: of course, Homer and Marge and Lisa and Bart and 293 00:17:04,760 --> 00:17:10,040 Speaker 1: little Maggie. Absolutely. Do you want to take our first break? Yeah? Yeah, 294 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:11,840 Speaker 1: let's we're so excited. Let's go ahead and take a 295 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 1: break real quick and calm down. All right, we're back. 296 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:38,280 Speaker 1: So the earliest clips of the Simpsons were animated by 297 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: a different studio than they used now and have used 298 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,800 Speaker 1: for many years. It's called class Key Suppo or Cupo 299 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 1: zupo c s u p oh. I'm not sure how 300 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:50,520 Speaker 1: they pronounced it, but they were all, of course based 301 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:55,360 Speaker 1: on Matt Greening's original sketches that had these yellow skinned characters, 302 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 1: very bright primary color palette. Uh. And it became a 303 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 1: little more refined over the year, SUPs, we said, but 304 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:06,120 Speaker 1: it's um it never approached like a slick looking animation 305 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: by any means. No, No, the earliest stuff definitely not. 306 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: And they were with I think it's class Key Zupo, 307 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: I'm not sure, but they were with them for two 308 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: years and and despite this stuff being really rough and 309 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:21,240 Speaker 1: like kind of hard to watch even if you if 310 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: you look at it now. Um, they gave the Simpsons 311 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:28,360 Speaker 1: like their yellow skin, Marge's blue hair, and supposedly Matt 312 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 1: graening Um when he saw the yellow skin tone palette 313 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: for the Simpsons skin colors, he was like, that is perfect. 314 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 1: Like when somebody's like clicking through the channels real quick, 315 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: their eyes going to is gonna catch that and they're 316 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: gonna stop because the Simpsons are on and they're gonna 317 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,480 Speaker 1: watch it. So apparently that's where the yellow came from. 318 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:50,719 Speaker 1: It was kind of a fluke, but they went with 319 00:18:50,760 --> 00:18:53,480 Speaker 1: it just because it was so catchy. That's great idea. 320 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,000 Speaker 1: But then after I think two years, they moved over 321 00:18:56,040 --> 00:18:59,400 Speaker 1: to something called film Roman or film Roman. I've never 322 00:18:59,440 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: heard it actually really set out loud, but they they 323 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: were the ones who, starting in and think season two 324 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:09,600 Speaker 1: or three, really gave the Simpsons it's defined look that 325 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,200 Speaker 1: stayed for years and years and years. Yeah. I remember 326 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: Homer's voice early on sounded a little bit different too. Yeah, 327 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: you know, I mean the same guy. It was Dan Castlenetta, 328 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 1: but just uh was not the same Homer's voice that 329 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: we know and love today. No, it was much gruffer. 330 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: Plus his dialogue two was way more I mean it 331 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:30,159 Speaker 1: really was much more about Bart and Homer was way 332 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:33,800 Speaker 1: angrier and like he strangled barred it like the drop 333 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: of a hat. That was like a go to gag. 334 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,479 Speaker 1: So this the show is still really smart compared to 335 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:45,360 Speaker 1: Who's the Boss, But compared to you know, later seasons 336 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: of The Simpsons, it was really just it's rough by comparison, 337 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,480 Speaker 1: for sure. Don't not go boss too much though, I 338 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: mean it's fine, too fine show. But man, it wasn't 339 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:55,840 Speaker 1: smart satire. You put it, you put it Who's the 340 00:19:55,840 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: Boss episode up against like a season seven episode of 341 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: The Simpsons. Mr. The Boss is not going to win 342 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:04,239 Speaker 1: that one. Yeah, they're not the Boss. I mean, like 343 00:20:04,320 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: even Tony Danes. It will tell you that. So let's 344 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about the main cast and the crew. Uh. 345 00:20:12,920 --> 00:20:16,000 Speaker 1: In those early years, Um, of course, Matt Graining was 346 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: around from the beginning, and James L. Brooks of course. 347 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: Then there was a man, uh, the dearly departed Sam Simon, 348 00:20:23,280 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: who was an EP on the show from the early days. Uh, 349 00:20:26,359 --> 00:20:29,000 Speaker 1: and the great Al Jean has been the show runner 350 00:20:29,040 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: since the thirteenth season. Um, but I'm pretty sure he 351 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:34,840 Speaker 1: was around before that, right, I didn't exactly look at 352 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:37,240 Speaker 1: when he joined up. I believe he was an early 353 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:41,119 Speaker 1: producer as well, Okay, but eventually rose to showrunner. Bill Oakley. 354 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,639 Speaker 1: Josh Weinstein and Mike Scully ran the show previous to 355 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: that during the first twelve seasons. We cannot list all 356 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 1: the writers. It would be impossible, No, but some some 357 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:56,600 Speaker 1: made some pretty huge contributions. Yeah, like George Meyer and 358 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:02,240 Speaker 1: John Schwartzwelder are generally given credit to kind of defining 359 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: who these characters were from the early days. Yeah, the worldview, 360 00:21:06,359 --> 00:21:08,960 Speaker 1: the jokes they would make, the fact that and this 361 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,359 Speaker 1: is another huge thing that we take for granted today 362 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:16,520 Speaker 1: that The Simpsons really established was referential humor, like making 363 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:21,840 Speaker 1: making fun of, um, you know, film literature, trends, whatever, 364 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: not necessarily part of the plot, but just part of 365 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: a joke maybe or something like that, or in addition, 366 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: a little layer just to make the whole, the whole 367 00:21:29,280 --> 00:21:31,919 Speaker 1: idea that was being put across that much more palatable. 368 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,600 Speaker 1: They really kind of blew that out, and that was 369 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 1: thanks to that early brain trust you just mentioned of 370 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:40,400 Speaker 1: people who established the show for for what it's what 371 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 1: it was, Yeah, I mean it was a blueprint and 372 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,960 Speaker 1: everyone that that came along afterward sort of had their 373 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: show Bible thanks to these people. Yes, you know which 374 00:21:51,840 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: if you look up show Bible, there's this there's one 375 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: episode that just screws up any Google search for that. 376 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,720 Speaker 1: There was the Simpsons Bible Stories episode, which was a 377 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,760 Speaker 1: stinker anyway, but it sucks because now you can't find 378 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,440 Speaker 1: any examples of this show Bible must exist somewhere. I 379 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 1: don't know if you could find that online. You can 380 00:22:09,520 --> 00:22:13,520 Speaker 1: find the style Guide examples online though, Yeah, for sure. Uh. 381 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:15,320 Speaker 1: And of course we got to mention Conan O'Brien because 382 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: he very famously worked for a couple of years on 383 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: The Simpsons. I think it's credited with four or five episodes, uh, 384 00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:25,160 Speaker 1: including one of the all time classics, Marge versus the Monorail, 385 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: which Conan has still talks about that being one of 386 00:22:28,600 --> 00:22:31,440 Speaker 1: his great career achievements is writing that episode. I can imagine, 387 00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: because not only was a great episode, but you got 388 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: to write and then Phil Hartman brought your stuff to 389 00:22:36,400 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: life man like that was a big one. All right. Well, 390 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,960 Speaker 1: speaking of Phil Hartman, let's start talking about the cast, 391 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,160 Speaker 1: because this is gonna this is gonna take a little while. 392 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:51,959 Speaker 1: Are you ready. So, so, there's hundreds of characters in 393 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: the Simpsons universe, but really a lot of them, a 394 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,879 Speaker 1: lot of them boil down to the voices of just 395 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: six people. Yeah, so, um, two of them focus almost 396 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: exclusively on just one character each. Julie Kavner does Marge, 397 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: but then she also obviously does Marge's sisters Patty and 398 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: Selma and her mom Jacqueline in one episode, Yeah, the 399 00:23:15,480 --> 00:23:19,119 Speaker 1: Bouvier's yea. And then you'rd Lee Smith does just Lisa 400 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 1: for the for the show. Yeah, and she's the only 401 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: one that does a single voice. Um, Dan casting Lenetta 402 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: obviously does Homer. He also does Grandpa Abe. It's hard 403 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:32,640 Speaker 1: to not laugh just thinking of each one of these characters. 404 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: I know, you know, I kept laughing out loud researching 405 00:23:35,760 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: this stuff, at the very least, chuckling to myself, you know, yeah, 406 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:40,680 Speaker 1: strickling in the office today was like I gotta ask 407 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: what the heck is going on over there? And it's 408 00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: like we're doing an episode in Simpson's leaving Alan. He 409 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,960 Speaker 1: was like, what castle Lena also does Barney Gumble Krusty 410 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: the Clown, Groundskeeper, Willie Mayor Quimby Man so great Hans Moleman, Sideshow, 411 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:03,080 Speaker 1: mel Itchy, kdoskil Pucci, Uh, the Squeaky Boys Team Mr Burns, Lawyer, 412 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,680 Speaker 1: Krusty's Monkey, Mr Teeney, and he did Bill Clinton, Great 413 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:13,280 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton Team Real no fooling Pigs. What about Nancy 414 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:15,920 Speaker 1: cart Right, the Great Nancy cart Right. So she does 415 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: bart that's what she's best known for, but she does 416 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: some other voices of um, some other prepubescent uh characters 417 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,640 Speaker 1: like Ralph Wiggham one of the great all time voices ever, 418 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:32,040 Speaker 1: Um Todd Flanders, Nelson Months has a great one. Kearney 419 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:37,600 Speaker 1: the bald headed or shaved headed bully, and um Database. 420 00:24:39,119 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: I don't know who Database was. I think Database is 421 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,360 Speaker 1: more recent. And this is probably where I should say 422 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: that I haven't seen the Simpsons in a few years. 423 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,480 Speaker 1: I dabbled a little bit a couple of years ago 424 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,440 Speaker 1: and I was like, this is this is not bad? 425 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: And then you know, it was kind of hit or miss, 426 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 1: definitely compared to two years ago. But I'm not gonna 427 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: hate on anything that's going on today. It's still the 428 00:24:59,520 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: Simpson you know, of course, Uh, the great, great, great 429 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: great Hankers area. Uh. One of the fantastic additional cast members. Uh. 430 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,879 Speaker 1: While I say additional because he's not one of the Simpsons, 431 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:14,760 Speaker 1: but he's a primary cast member. Uh. He voices a Pooh. 432 00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: Do you want to try and say, who's last name 433 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:21,199 Speaker 1: a poo Nahasa Pima pedal on Uh. And by the way, 434 00:25:21,240 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: we should mention a Pooh is taking a lot of 435 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:26,160 Speaker 1: heat in recent years for the very least being an 436 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:30,840 Speaker 1: ethnic stereotype and some say straight up racist. Uh. And 437 00:25:30,880 --> 00:25:34,440 Speaker 1: there is a documentary airing Believe on True TV next 438 00:25:34,560 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 1: month called The Problem with a Pooh from uh comedian 439 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:44,399 Speaker 1: I really love Hari Kondabolou. And you know you should 440 00:25:44,680 --> 00:25:46,520 Speaker 1: watch it and sort of think of a Pooh a 441 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: little bit through uh, through Harry's lens or the lens 442 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: of an Indian person. So, um, well, you know, this 443 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: is not the first time that the Simpsons have been 444 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:59,440 Speaker 1: called the task for offending a group, sure, an entire 445 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:02,879 Speaker 1: group or race or country like It's it's definitely happened 446 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,520 Speaker 1: over the course of this the thirty seasons that's been 447 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,800 Speaker 1: going on. Um. Sometimes they apologize, sometimes they acknowledge it. 448 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,920 Speaker 1: Other times they're just like whatever for sure, um so 449 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 1: going on with hankas area. Besides the poo, mostes lack 450 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:22,119 Speaker 1: one the great characters, Chief Wigham. I mean, these are 451 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: all great comic book guy who, by the way, has 452 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 1: a real name, Jeff Albertson, never knew that. I can't 453 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:32,800 Speaker 1: remember where that one came from, but yeah, Carl a 454 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: beloved beloved friend of Homer's from the bar. Uh Dr 455 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: Nick Hi for rolls and body. Remember he went to 456 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 1: the Tijuana Upstairs Medical. That's where he graduated from uh 457 00:26:48,800 --> 00:26:53,480 Speaker 1: Captain McAllister, uh Superintendent Chalmers. And of course when I 458 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:55,360 Speaker 1: think of Chalmers, all I can think of is uh. 459 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: I can't remember the episode title, but the one with 460 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:02,119 Speaker 1: with Skinner and the I think that was like the 461 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 1: twenty two episodes about Springfield. One. Oh man, that's such 462 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,960 Speaker 1: a great one short films. I was never into that one. 463 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:11,320 Speaker 1: I loved it and I had no idea. But apparently 464 00:27:11,359 --> 00:27:15,920 Speaker 1: it's a reference to there was a documentary or okay, 465 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:18,879 Speaker 1: a movie twenty two short films about Glenn Gould. Love 466 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,480 Speaker 1: that movie. Okay, I've never even heard of it. And 467 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: this raises a really good point that I'd like to 468 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:25,600 Speaker 1: make her chuck if you'll indulge me for a second. 469 00:27:27,359 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 1: One of the things that The Simpsons did for me, 470 00:27:30,240 --> 00:27:33,159 Speaker 1: and I suspected for a lot of other people, is 471 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: that it pointed me in the direction of culture, like 472 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 1: it cultured me in culturated me. I'm not sure what 473 00:27:40,800 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: the word is. The Simpsons never taught me, but the 474 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: the the just the little signposts that they they point 475 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,360 Speaker 1: to through the references they make that you don't get, 476 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:52,479 Speaker 1: but then you find out about later what they were 477 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:55,120 Speaker 1: actually talking about. It might lead you to go see 478 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:57,879 Speaker 1: that movie or read that book, or just have a 479 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:00,600 Speaker 1: better understanding of the world than you did four It's 480 00:28:00,640 --> 00:28:04,399 Speaker 1: like backwards reference. Yeah, I mean some of them are 481 00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:07,679 Speaker 1: so subtle to like, there isn't a human alive that 482 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:10,560 Speaker 1: picks up on all the culture references that the Simpsons 483 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 1: throws out week the week. You know, whether it's uh 484 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:15,680 Speaker 1: something like you were just talking about, or whether it's 485 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,879 Speaker 1: just simply like in a show title like don't have 486 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,520 Speaker 1: to Live like a referee, little things like that. They're 487 00:28:21,560 --> 00:28:26,680 Speaker 1: just nuggets all over the place. Uh. Continuing of Mr Zaria, 488 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: Professor Frank Cleadas, the slack jall yokel who will get 489 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: to a little bit more some of those his children's names. Uh, 490 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:37,400 Speaker 1: we have some good stuff coming up, so I love 491 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 1: so get off the dang roof bumblebee man snake. Uh. 492 00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:47,960 Speaker 1: Kirk van Houghton man that that divorce episode was one 493 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:54,080 Speaker 1: of the best. Yeah, can I borrow a Drederick Tatum 494 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:57,280 Speaker 1: and Piro also known as Chase that was from that 495 00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: episode two? I think it wasn't that the American Ideator 496 00:29:00,560 --> 00:29:05,320 Speaker 1: that that Millhouse's mom dates. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I forgot 497 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:10,040 Speaker 1: about that. Oh man, Well, that's that's it. I think 498 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 1: these may not be complete list from Harry Shear Um, No, 499 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,120 Speaker 1: I'm sorry for my area. But Harry Shears next, do 500 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: you want to tackle some of these? He does Mr 501 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: Burns and Mr Smithers, which is that's great to to 502 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: basically take those two halves of a hole and be 503 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: able to fill them out like that. Yeah, and by 504 00:29:27,320 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: the way, Burns was in the very first episode and 505 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: Smithers is heard over the intercom but not seen in 506 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,720 Speaker 1: that episode one. That's a bit of trivia. But he 507 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,480 Speaker 1: can put in their pipe and smoke. Ned Flanders principal Skinner, 508 00:29:41,560 --> 00:29:46,440 Speaker 1: Reverend love Joys, great Dr Hibbert. That laugh, he's got 509 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:51,640 Speaker 1: a laugh that almost rivals, yours joke in awesomeness, Kent Brockman, 510 00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: great Scratchy. I don't know who does itchy, do you? 511 00:29:56,320 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: I don't know. I kind of figured he did both, 512 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:01,880 Speaker 1: you'd think so. But yeah, somebody all right in to 513 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: let us know Otto the bus driver, Ottoman, Jasper Abes, 514 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,480 Speaker 1: friend with the long beard who can't feel them a beard. 515 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:16,720 Speaker 1: Then Lenny Homer and Carl's other friends. Yeah, anybody else? Yeah, 516 00:30:16,840 --> 00:30:20,200 Speaker 1: wolf Castle and McBain. Oh yeah, that's right. Yeah. And 517 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: there's here's another old tidbit I can't even wait on 518 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:27,040 Speaker 1: from our our Easter egg section later on, is apparently 519 00:30:27,600 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 1: if you take out all the wolf Castle pieces throughout 520 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:35,680 Speaker 1: the years, there's a little coherent story that you can 521 00:30:35,720 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: actually follow that is masterful. Yeah. And I'm not sure 522 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 1: if someone has I'm sure someone has pulled that. Um. 523 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: I didn't get a chance to watch, but that's pretty amazing. Yeah, Uh, Herman, 524 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 1: George Bush, Judge Schneider, Eddie Renier, some of the other 525 00:30:52,600 --> 00:30:55,480 Speaker 1: Shearer characters. Do you remember who Eddie Renier was? No? 526 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 1: I don't. I don't either. Maybe we got some digging 527 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: to do, man, some some in bigg and digging. Uh, 528 00:31:04,560 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: we have to mention the great Pamela Hayden. She does Millhouse, 529 00:31:09,000 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: Rod Flanders, Janie Powell, Jimbo Jones, Malibu Stacy, Sarah Wigham 530 00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: uh and a couple of dearly departed cast members occasional 531 00:31:21,320 --> 00:31:24,800 Speaker 1: cast members. Marsha Wallace, the great Marsha Wallace from The 532 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,920 Speaker 1: Bob Newhart Show passed away in two thousand thirteen. She 533 00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 1: was Mrs Crabapple. I mean, what a beloved character and 534 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 1: as in so many ways they describe her in this article, 535 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: is sarcastic and sexy. That whole that whole um subplot 536 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:44,760 Speaker 1: that went through multiple episodes where she was dating Um Yeah, 537 00:31:45,000 --> 00:31:48,160 Speaker 1: Seymour Skinner and then later on Mary's ned Flanders. No 538 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:50,920 Speaker 1: one saw that coming, but the fact that this show 539 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: could take steps like that and then would would commit 540 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:59,040 Speaker 1: itself to to continuing it as long as as could 541 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: be and and keeping it up, you know what I mean, 542 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,640 Speaker 1: rather than just being like, oh, forget about that, it 543 00:32:03,640 --> 00:32:06,480 Speaker 1: doesn't matter that that was another hallmark of the show 544 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: as well, that it could had the chops to to 545 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,560 Speaker 1: make big leaps like that and then keep it going 546 00:32:11,600 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: without as seeming tried or tired or anything. Absolutely Marsha 547 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:19,600 Speaker 1: Wallace won an Emmy for her voice work. Uh, and 548 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,800 Speaker 1: they paid a tribute to her um in the episode 549 00:32:22,800 --> 00:32:26,640 Speaker 1: for Regrettings and a Funeral. Barts Chalkboard Gag at the 550 00:32:26,680 --> 00:32:31,080 Speaker 1: beginning said we'll really miss you, mrs Ka so sad 551 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,840 Speaker 1: so sad. Uh. And the Man who grew too much, 552 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:37,440 Speaker 1: Ned Flanders wears a black armband. Two more Edna, who 553 00:32:37,480 --> 00:32:40,080 Speaker 1: of course took the place of his departed wife. And 554 00:32:40,120 --> 00:32:44,600 Speaker 1: Maud Flanders. Yeah he's a widower twice over. Yeah. Man, 555 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,280 Speaker 1: that one where Maud died. That was really just a 556 00:32:47,320 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: great episode. Yeah, I mean that. That's the thing about 557 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:51,959 Speaker 1: The Simpsons is as silly as it was, they managed 558 00:32:52,000 --> 00:32:54,320 Speaker 1: to pull the heartstrings every now and then. It was 559 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 1: always they didn't do too much of it, but it 560 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: was always just well timed, you know, for sure, and 561 00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: like they could take on some thing like death and 562 00:33:01,440 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 1: grief and do it like with heart but also without 563 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:07,960 Speaker 1: making a very special episode of it. Always felt like 564 00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:11,000 Speaker 1: the Simpsons. Yeah, exactly. Uh. And of course Phil Hartman, 565 00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: who left us way too soon. He did a couple 566 00:33:14,480 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: of classic classic characters in Lionel Huts and Troy McLure. Uh. 567 00:33:20,360 --> 00:33:22,080 Speaker 1: And I had to get a few of my favorite 568 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:25,920 Speaker 1: Troy McClure lines in here. Um, and he was very famous. 569 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: If you don't know the Simpsons, Toroy McClure was uh, 570 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:34,280 Speaker 1: former semi famous actor who would pop up every now 571 00:33:34,320 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 1: and then in uh kind of like school films and 572 00:33:37,320 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: stuff like that, sure or um an infomercial. Yeah. He 573 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 1: was just like a former pretty boy actor basically. Yeah. 574 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: And his his running gag was I'm Troy McClure. You 575 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: might remember me dot dot dot right, So here's here's 576 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,720 Speaker 1: a few of my favorites. I'm Troy McClure. You might 577 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:58,440 Speaker 1: remember me from some self help videos as Smoke Yourself 578 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:06,040 Speaker 1: then and get comf and Stupid. Here's another one. You 579 00:34:06,120 --> 00:34:09,239 Speaker 1: might remember me from such driver's ed films as Alice's 580 00:34:09,239 --> 00:34:12,960 Speaker 1: Adventures through the Windshield Glass and the Decapitation of lead 581 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:18,359 Speaker 1: Larry Leadfoot, And then this one. You may remember me 582 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: from such educational films as to minus three equals Negative 583 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: fun and by a Crackers The Silent Killer so good, 584 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:31,919 Speaker 1: and Attorney Lama Huts was just great too, was good? 585 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:35,560 Speaker 1: And then which one did he date? He dated Patty 586 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:40,759 Speaker 1: or Selma? I can't remember which one. You're just I'm mortified. Well, 587 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: they're so interchangeable to me, Well, they are. One of 588 00:34:43,239 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 1: them came out as gay, actually, and one of the 589 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 1: recent seasons was not that one, right, um I I 590 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:56,239 Speaker 1: think it was Selma. No, it would have been Patty 591 00:34:56,320 --> 00:34:59,520 Speaker 1: because Patty is the one who was engaged to Principal Skinner. 592 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: That's right, um So, I guess he was dating Patty. 593 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: I just remember in that episode when he he went 594 00:35:05,880 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: out with her one night and then showed up the 595 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:09,520 Speaker 1: next day and said, you might remember me from certain 596 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:14,319 Speaker 1: dates as last nights. Right. One of my favorite lines 597 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:16,839 Speaker 1: from that episode is, um, there in like a nice 598 00:35:16,880 --> 00:35:21,239 Speaker 1: restaurant and um, Selma, No, Patty lights up a cigarette 599 00:35:21,600 --> 00:35:25,240 Speaker 1: and everybody's like, oh my gosh, she's smoking smoking. Somebody 600 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:32,040 Speaker 1: goes waiter, I ordered a zeema, not emphysema. What a 601 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:36,040 Speaker 1: great line, man, Yeah. Um So. Guest stars over the years, 602 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 1: um they have. There have been some very beloved people 603 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:44,960 Speaker 1: playing other people, and then many people playing themselves. Uh. 604 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: And I made a list of my favorite people playing 605 00:35:47,080 --> 00:35:54,000 Speaker 1: other people. Martin Sheen played Sergeant Seymour Skinner a k a. 606 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,720 Speaker 1: The real Seymour Skinner. Oh that was Martin Sheen. Wasn't it. Okay? 607 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:03,239 Speaker 1: The Great Albert Brooks played Hank Scorpio. Nice. Yeah, that 608 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:06,560 Speaker 1: was a great character. Glenn Close played Homer's mom and 609 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,920 Speaker 1: just such a great episode that that one. And I 610 00:36:10,000 --> 00:36:12,800 Speaker 1: think also the one where he goes and um tries 611 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:17,359 Speaker 1: to find what his middle his the j stand name. 612 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:19,439 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah yeah. I don't know if she was in that, 613 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:22,280 Speaker 1: but like she she's like a she's like an off 614 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: camera character because he meets like some of her old 615 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,720 Speaker 1: friends from back when he was such a sweet episode 616 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:32,600 Speaker 1: and then they all end up on um Payote I 617 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:37,760 Speaker 1: think in truth sim since fashion. Patrick Stewart played Number 618 00:36:37,760 --> 00:36:41,880 Speaker 1: one in the stone Cutters episode. Meryl Street played Jessica 619 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: Lovejoy Bart's love interest brief love interest. The late great 620 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 1: Johnny Cash played Homer Spirit Coyote. Yeah remember that. Remember 621 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 1: Rodney Dangerfield is Larry Burns. I get no esteem, noverre 622 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 1: god either. Ron Taylor played a bleeding gums Murphy Lee, 623 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:03,120 Speaker 1: his sort of mentor on the saxophone who played him 624 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 1: got named Ron Taylor. Okay, give him his due, and 625 00:37:07,160 --> 00:37:10,560 Speaker 1: arties If was played by John Lovitt Sure and John 626 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:13,000 Speaker 1: Lovitts played Jay Sherman, the critic in one of the 627 00:37:13,040 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 1: more hated episodes of all times. Yeah, the crossover episode 628 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:21,040 Speaker 1: where they throw a film festival in Springfield and Jay 629 00:37:21,080 --> 00:37:25,759 Speaker 1: Sherman shows up to to lead the jury for the 630 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 1: film festival. Well, it was. It was basically a vehicle 631 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:33,759 Speaker 1: to introduce America to the critic, which was now going 632 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,759 Speaker 1: to be on Fox after The Simpsons. And did you 633 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:40,239 Speaker 1: ever see that show? The critic? Yeah, yeah, yeah, I 634 00:37:40,280 --> 00:37:42,200 Speaker 1: saw that. It was a little smallsey, but I mean 635 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:44,160 Speaker 1: it had its charms here there. It wasn't like the 636 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:47,399 Speaker 1: worst thing anyone's ever put on TV. It certainly wasn't 637 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:52,280 Speaker 1: Simpsons caliber. But supposedly Matt Graining was so upset about 638 00:37:52,320 --> 00:37:54,880 Speaker 1: this that he made them take his name off of 639 00:37:54,920 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 1: the opening credits on the TV screen. He was that 640 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:01,360 Speaker 1: mad about this crawl sover that had been like shoved 641 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:04,600 Speaker 1: down his throat by Fox executives. As the legend goes, 642 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:08,719 Speaker 1: good for him, sure, um, And then you know, they've 643 00:38:08,719 --> 00:38:11,959 Speaker 1: had some legends that played themselves before Bob Hope passed away. 644 00:38:11,960 --> 00:38:15,880 Speaker 1: He was on the show. Ernest borg Nine, Robert Goulay, 645 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: Steve Allen, Robert Gooley swings his hello. He's sitting there, 646 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 1: he's doing the treehouse at Bart's Treehouse, he's doing a show. 647 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:28,399 Speaker 1: I don't know how he got booked there. I think 648 00:38:28,440 --> 00:38:31,759 Speaker 1: Nelson maybe was his agent, and like he's swinging his 649 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: microphone and the quarters are so close in the treehouse. 650 00:38:34,520 --> 00:38:37,520 Speaker 1: He smacks like I think millhouses glasses right off his face, 651 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:42,000 Speaker 1: like oh sorry kid, uh And then they I think 652 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:44,920 Speaker 1: there've been more than like seventy musicians and bands through 653 00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:49,239 Speaker 1: the years. They've always loved featuring bands. So at the time, 654 00:38:49,280 --> 00:38:52,360 Speaker 1: all the Living Beatles before George Harrison passed, and the 655 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 1: Ramons and the Who and Metallica and R E. M 656 00:38:55,120 --> 00:38:58,960 Speaker 1: and You Too and Aerosmith, Tom Petty, the late Great 657 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:01,319 Speaker 1: Tom Petty, Lenny Krab. It's like the list goes on 658 00:39:01,360 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 1: and on. But they've always had great musical guests. And 659 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 1: that YouTube episode that was the garbage Man episode, right, 660 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:10,080 Speaker 1: I think so so one of the great There's like 661 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,200 Speaker 1: this is a great illustration of just a throwaway joke 662 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,840 Speaker 1: on The Simpsons that just made it that much smarter 663 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:19,360 Speaker 1: that show. Right, So, like Homer is trying to sneak backstage, 664 00:39:19,880 --> 00:39:24,799 Speaker 1: so he dresses up like Irish potato delivery man, like 665 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:28,439 Speaker 1: there is such a thing, right, So, so the joke 666 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:30,360 Speaker 1: is that this is what Homer thinks is going to 667 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,719 Speaker 1: get him backstage. But then the added bonus to the 668 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:37,080 Speaker 1: joke is that it actually works, Like when he shows up, 669 00:39:37,360 --> 00:39:40,319 Speaker 1: the security guards like, where in the devil have you been? 670 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:42,960 Speaker 1: Like they've been waiting for the guy who delivers raw 671 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:47,560 Speaker 1: potatoes backstage at a YouTube concert? Like that's just the thing, right, 672 00:39:48,160 --> 00:39:52,640 Speaker 1: I love that show so much. Uh. And finally, as 673 00:39:52,680 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 1: far as guest voices, we would be we would be 674 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:59,120 Speaker 1: remiss without mentioning the great Kelsey Grammar at side show 675 00:39:59,160 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 1: Bob prominent prominent character. And then they ended up getting 676 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:07,279 Speaker 1: David Hyde pierced to play Cecil, his brother, and then 677 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:12,759 Speaker 1: John Mahoney all from Frazier to play his father, Dr 678 00:40:12,840 --> 00:40:17,600 Speaker 1: Robert to Willoker. Nice, so good, it's so so good, Chuck. Alright, 679 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:20,359 Speaker 1: let's take another break and we're gonna come back and 680 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:22,920 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about these episodes and how they 681 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:43,600 Speaker 1: are put together. Josh, Okay, Chuck, we're back, and you 682 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:46,280 Speaker 1: promised that we were going to talk more about the Simpsons, 683 00:40:46,320 --> 00:40:49,600 Speaker 1: so go all right, well we should talk a little 684 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:51,840 Speaker 1: bit about I mean, we can sit here and quote 685 00:40:51,840 --> 00:40:54,319 Speaker 1: lines all day long. I know, I hope this isn't 686 00:40:54,360 --> 00:40:57,319 Speaker 1: getting annoying for anybody. Hopefully everybody's having as much fun 687 00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,479 Speaker 1: as we are. No, I mean this one was bound 688 00:40:59,520 --> 00:41:02,200 Speaker 1: to get super wonky. But we should talk a little 689 00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:06,680 Speaker 1: bit technically about how the show is made. Hey, uh, 690 00:41:06,760 --> 00:41:08,839 Speaker 1: so here's how it starts, and the Grabs are did 691 00:41:08,840 --> 00:41:11,239 Speaker 1: a good job of kind of breaking this down, I think. Yeah. 692 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,279 Speaker 1: And also also I want to give a shout out 693 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:17,600 Speaker 1: to an article on the Verge called how uh Simpsons 694 00:41:17,680 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 1: episode is made. It goes into even greater detail. It's 695 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,520 Speaker 1: it's nuts what they do. Alright. So, like most shows, 696 00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:28,320 Speaker 1: or I would say probably every show, uh, it begins 697 00:41:28,320 --> 00:41:31,759 Speaker 1: in the writer's room. Writer's gonna pitch ideas to each 698 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:35,120 Speaker 1: other and the producers. An episode will get a green light, 699 00:41:35,600 --> 00:41:39,800 Speaker 1: and then a single writer usually sometimes they work in pairs, 700 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:42,399 Speaker 1: will go off and create a draft in a couple 701 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: of weeks. But that is not the end of the 702 00:41:44,960 --> 00:41:48,240 Speaker 1: writing process. No, no, no, no no. Supposedly, the writing 703 00:41:48,280 --> 00:41:54,360 Speaker 1: process is one of the most um uh shape shifting 704 00:41:55,880 --> 00:41:58,520 Speaker 1: parts of the entire process of making an episode. There's 705 00:41:58,560 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: a lot of people pokey at it. You've got the 706 00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:04,759 Speaker 1: show runner, who in this capacity serves as the um 707 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,680 Speaker 1: script editor and the head writer. Um, you've got the 708 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,080 Speaker 1: actual writers, you've got the writing team, you've got the 709 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:14,040 Speaker 1: writing assistance, You've got producers who are thinking about it. 710 00:42:14,280 --> 00:42:16,719 Speaker 1: You've got all these people who are thinking of the 711 00:42:16,760 --> 00:42:19,920 Speaker 1: script and rewriting it and editing it. That is supposedly 712 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 1: a script goes through rewrites um for like four to 713 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:28,120 Speaker 1: six weeks or something like that. Yeah, and like most 714 00:42:28,120 --> 00:42:30,640 Speaker 1: shows operate this way, there's a lot, especially comedies, a 715 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:33,080 Speaker 1: lot of rewriting that goes on to just I mean, 716 00:42:33,080 --> 00:42:36,760 Speaker 1: they'll come down and debate a word for a couple 717 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,160 Speaker 1: of hours to make sure they're getting the funniest stuff 718 00:42:39,160 --> 00:42:42,719 Speaker 1: they can get right. Um, then what comes next is 719 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:47,720 Speaker 1: the table read. And brother, you and I got really 720 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:50,600 Speaker 1: really lucky. When was this four or five years ago? 721 00:42:50,840 --> 00:42:54,000 Speaker 1: I think it was two thousand, thirteen or fourteen. So 722 00:42:54,120 --> 00:42:56,120 Speaker 1: here's how it went down. We had a listener, uh 723 00:42:56,239 --> 00:43:00,400 Speaker 1: named Jesse write us and say she did worked for 724 00:43:00,440 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 1: the Simpsons, but she was in somehow. I think she 725 00:43:02,680 --> 00:43:05,720 Speaker 1: had a friend. She was friends I think with Tom Gamble, 726 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:08,759 Speaker 1: the producer, one of the users of the Simpsons. Yeah, 727 00:43:08,800 --> 00:43:10,400 Speaker 1: and she said, you know, dudes, whenever you want to 728 00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:12,000 Speaker 1: come out to l A and go to a table read, 729 00:43:12,360 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 1: and then we were basically at the airport about an 730 00:43:14,440 --> 00:43:17,919 Speaker 1: hour later. So I don't know. We had a trip 731 00:43:17,920 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 1: booked for some reason or another, and we went out 732 00:43:19,600 --> 00:43:23,400 Speaker 1: there and uh we met at the Fox lot and 733 00:43:23,440 --> 00:43:26,600 Speaker 1: the building little bungalow outside the Simpsons. First of all 734 00:43:26,719 --> 00:43:29,880 Speaker 1: is just so exciting because they have topiaries of Simpsons 735 00:43:29,920 --> 00:43:34,319 Speaker 1: characters and of itself. And then the table read is 736 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:37,880 Speaker 1: a bit of a public thing, like it's not a 737 00:43:37,920 --> 00:43:42,279 Speaker 1: hundred people, but they were probably besides the cast in 738 00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:48,160 Speaker 1: writing staff an additional what people in there, like tourists 739 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 1: like us. Yeah, yeah, I would say something like that 740 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:54,800 Speaker 1: like friends, family members, um, just special invitees, the ambassador 741 00:43:55,000 --> 00:43:59,200 Speaker 1: of from Spain, like just just people were there and 742 00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:02,200 Speaker 1: and they were like you shut up, all of you. 743 00:44:02,440 --> 00:44:05,160 Speaker 1: Don't make a sound, turn off your cell phones, will 744 00:44:05,239 --> 00:44:07,400 Speaker 1: kill your whole family if you if you say anything, 745 00:44:07,400 --> 00:44:10,000 Speaker 1: because this is serious business. Yeah. So there's they're all 746 00:44:10,080 --> 00:44:11,960 Speaker 1: the people who work on the show. We're sitting at 747 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:15,359 Speaker 1: this big, huge, long conference table. And then the room 748 00:44:15,560 --> 00:44:18,480 Speaker 1: is lined all along the outside on four walls with 749 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:23,120 Speaker 1: chairs for people to just sit there quietly and uh, 750 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:26,439 Speaker 1: sit at the altar in reverence of what they're about 751 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: to see and we so the one we were there 752 00:44:29,200 --> 00:44:32,040 Speaker 1: um was a script read for the episode that became 753 00:44:32,239 --> 00:44:35,920 Speaker 1: the Wreck of the Relationship, right. I think Nick Offerman 754 00:44:36,080 --> 00:44:38,920 Speaker 1: guest starred in it as a sea captain. But basically 755 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:42,560 Speaker 1: Bart and Homer go off on this um father's son 756 00:44:42,760 --> 00:44:47,400 Speaker 1: bonding tour like aboard a ship, and uh. The b 757 00:44:47,680 --> 00:44:51,160 Speaker 1: subplot was that while they were gone, Marge had to 758 00:44:51,600 --> 00:44:56,200 Speaker 1: um pick Homer's fantasy football team, and she decided that 759 00:44:56,280 --> 00:45:00,719 Speaker 1: she should pick all place kickers and turns out that 760 00:45:00,760 --> 00:45:04,520 Speaker 1: she she was right. Um like, she ended up winning, 761 00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:07,040 Speaker 1: but in between picking them and not knowing what she 762 00:45:07,120 --> 00:45:09,879 Speaker 1: was doing and winning the whole thing, um, she ends 763 00:45:09,920 --> 00:45:12,520 Speaker 1: up like trash talking with Mo and Lenny and Carl 764 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:17,080 Speaker 1: um And it's a pretty good be subplot. Actually, yeah, 765 00:45:17,120 --> 00:45:19,480 Speaker 1: And I would love to say that, um, all of 766 00:45:19,520 --> 00:45:22,239 Speaker 1: the voice actors are in the room together. That is 767 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:24,960 Speaker 1: not the case because everyone is busy and doing other stuff. 768 00:45:25,000 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 1: And they got it down to a science now so 769 00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:30,440 Speaker 1: they don't have to rub elbows. But they're you know, 770 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:32,160 Speaker 1: calling it on the phone and they're doing the voices 771 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:35,000 Speaker 1: and stuff either be a phone or in person, and uh, 772 00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:38,319 Speaker 1: Matt Graining was there though, Uh, Dan Castelenetta was there 773 00:45:38,360 --> 00:45:41,120 Speaker 1: in the room, Julie Kavner was there. Julie Kavner was there, 774 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:45,319 Speaker 1: Udly Smith yep Beudy Smith and um, Pamela Hayden was there, 775 00:45:46,160 --> 00:45:49,480 Speaker 1: but we got no as Aria or Shearer, right, but 776 00:45:49,520 --> 00:45:51,239 Speaker 1: they were on the phone, so like we were sitting 777 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:53,880 Speaker 1: there listening to them do the voices. Yeah, so they 778 00:45:53,960 --> 00:45:56,560 Speaker 1: basically read through the script. They'll stop every now and 779 00:45:56,600 --> 00:45:59,520 Speaker 1: then and make suggestions or something on a different line 780 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,520 Speaker 1: reading and in the writers and producers are all furiously 781 00:46:02,560 --> 00:46:05,920 Speaker 1: scribbling and making notes and stuff like that. Uh. And 782 00:46:05,960 --> 00:46:11,320 Speaker 1: then afterward they they finished it up and we very 783 00:46:11,360 --> 00:46:14,520 Speaker 1: like a couple of six year old sheepishly grabbed our 784 00:46:14,560 --> 00:46:16,480 Speaker 1: scripts that we get to take with us because everyone 785 00:46:16,480 --> 00:46:20,360 Speaker 1: gets a script to read along and uh and met 786 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:27,360 Speaker 1: Matt Greening and it was surreal. It was um yeah. 787 00:46:27,480 --> 00:46:29,880 Speaker 1: What was I think even more surreal was that he 788 00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,480 Speaker 1: was like super nice, the nicest dude you could imagine, 789 00:46:33,520 --> 00:46:36,440 Speaker 1: Like he was like really nice, like Dan cast Lenetta 790 00:46:36,520 --> 00:46:38,920 Speaker 1: like didn't ever look up when like Umi was there, 791 00:46:38,960 --> 00:46:40,680 Speaker 1: and she took a picture of me with Dan castle 792 00:46:40,719 --> 00:46:43,080 Speaker 1: Lenetta and I'm saying they're giving a thumbs up, and 793 00:46:43,120 --> 00:46:46,200 Speaker 1: he's like looking down, like signing my script. Yeah, it's 794 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:48,120 Speaker 1: not like he wasn't a nice guy, but he just 795 00:46:48,160 --> 00:46:50,400 Speaker 1: wasn't quite as personable in person as I'm at Graining. 796 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:52,440 Speaker 1: But I think like Matt Greening like stood up and 797 00:46:52,440 --> 00:46:54,800 Speaker 1: shook hands and was like, hey, great to meet you, 798 00:46:54,920 --> 00:46:57,000 Speaker 1: and he didn't know who I was from Adam. He 799 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:01,000 Speaker 1: was just this surprisingly friendly guy. Yeah, we remember telling 800 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:03,360 Speaker 1: him that we uh you mean was just laughing the 801 00:47:03,360 --> 00:47:06,080 Speaker 1: whole time. She was like, you guys are just hysterical. Yeah, 802 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:08,200 Speaker 1: we really were like a couple of six year olds. 803 00:47:08,239 --> 00:47:10,680 Speaker 1: I was surprised at both of us actually, just how 804 00:47:10,760 --> 00:47:14,160 Speaker 1: quickly we were like kids. Yeah. I don't get superstar 805 00:47:14,280 --> 00:47:16,440 Speaker 1: struck anymore, and and this one just had me like 806 00:47:16,480 --> 00:47:19,839 Speaker 1: I was super super nervous. But I remember I think 807 00:47:19,880 --> 00:47:23,120 Speaker 1: I told him Mr. Graining that, you know, we have 808 00:47:23,160 --> 00:47:25,319 Speaker 1: a podcast and we talked about the Simpsons so much, 809 00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:28,319 Speaker 1: it's almost like an additional character on our show. And 810 00:47:28,360 --> 00:47:30,759 Speaker 1: he asked what the name of it was, wrote it 811 00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:33,520 Speaker 1: down stuff you should know on his script, and then 812 00:47:33,800 --> 00:47:36,319 Speaker 1: ate that piece of paper in front of you, and 813 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:38,200 Speaker 1: then he signed our script and he scribbles out a 814 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:40,920 Speaker 1: quick drawing he drew bart On my script I got 815 00:47:40,960 --> 00:47:44,879 Speaker 1: Homer and it says your pal Matt Graining. Yeah, so 816 00:47:45,080 --> 00:47:49,080 Speaker 1: nice man. That script is like under plexiglass, under lock 817 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,280 Speaker 1: and key trained Momo to kill anybody who comes anywhere 818 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:55,359 Speaker 1: near it. It's just like comprised possession. Now. Oh yeah, 819 00:47:55,400 --> 00:47:58,600 Speaker 1: for sure. We got Dan Castle Lenetta to sign it, uh, 820 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:01,120 Speaker 1: Julie Kabner to sign and I think those are the 821 00:48:01,120 --> 00:48:04,160 Speaker 1: only three autographs I got. But it was neat so 822 00:48:04,200 --> 00:48:06,880 Speaker 1: to us, we were just losing our minds. It was 823 00:48:06,960 --> 00:48:11,080 Speaker 1: so amazing to them, like it was straight up work, right, 824 00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:13,440 Speaker 1: Like this is work to them, and it was nicely 825 00:48:13,520 --> 00:48:15,960 Speaker 1: like they're they're fine, like seeing people that they're friends with, 826 00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:18,640 Speaker 1: who they invited or whatever. But um, I read an 827 00:48:18,640 --> 00:48:21,719 Speaker 1: interview with al Jean and al Jean said that he 828 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:26,160 Speaker 1: hates will Reads more than anything because it is real work, 829 00:48:26,640 --> 00:48:29,919 Speaker 1: but it's it's in this weird kind of in between state, 830 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,439 Speaker 1: like letting people come wat. Yeah, I wonder whose idea 831 00:48:32,480 --> 00:48:35,400 Speaker 1: that was. I don't know, but apparently a customed that 832 00:48:35,440 --> 00:48:37,520 Speaker 1: they've been keeping up this whole time, despite at the 833 00:48:37,600 --> 00:48:41,280 Speaker 1: very least one of the high powered executives in charge 834 00:48:41,280 --> 00:48:44,439 Speaker 1: of the show hating it interesting. Yeah, I think there's 835 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:46,880 Speaker 1: lots of distractions and stuff like that, but apparently they 836 00:48:46,960 --> 00:48:50,520 Speaker 1: muddled through every Thursday. Yeah, and it's I just can't 837 00:48:50,560 --> 00:48:54,359 Speaker 1: say enough it was. This is not hyperbole. It is 838 00:48:54,440 --> 00:48:58,640 Speaker 1: a genuine all time life highlight. You know. It was 839 00:48:58,719 --> 00:49:02,480 Speaker 1: just amazing, agree, Chuck. Alright, so I think we've reached 840 00:49:02,480 --> 00:49:06,040 Speaker 1: the end of part one of episode one thousand, technically 841 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:10,320 Speaker 1: episode that's a cliffhanger too, it is. Man, I'm pretty 842 00:49:10,360 --> 00:49:13,000 Speaker 1: I'm pretty psyched. Like this is not planned, Chuck. This 843 00:49:13,040 --> 00:49:14,960 Speaker 1: is a genuine cliffhanger. Yeah, right in the middle of 844 00:49:14,960 --> 00:49:17,400 Speaker 1: the production process, people are gonna be like, I have 845 00:49:17,480 --> 00:49:20,680 Speaker 1: to know how they make these shows. Well, just cool out, everybody, 846 00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:24,160 Speaker 1: cool out. You can wait until what Thursday? Right, Yes, 847 00:49:24,480 --> 00:49:28,000 Speaker 1: for our actual official episode one thousand, And in the meantime, 848 00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:30,200 Speaker 1: you can get in touch with us on Twitter. I'm 849 00:49:30,239 --> 00:49:33,360 Speaker 1: at josh um Clark and what the official handle is 850 00:49:33,520 --> 00:49:37,759 Speaker 1: s y s K podcast. Charles Chuck is at Facebook 851 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:41,440 Speaker 1: dot com slash Charles W. Chuck Bryant. There's also I'm 852 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:43,640 Speaker 1: on there somewhere you can try to find me Um 853 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:45,560 Speaker 1: And then there's also an official stuff you Should Know 854 00:49:45,640 --> 00:49:48,600 Speaker 1: one on Facebook. Two. You can send us all an email, 855 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:51,600 Speaker 1: including Jerry to stuff podcast at how stuff Works dot 856 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:53,840 Speaker 1: com and as always, hang out with us at our 857 00:49:53,920 --> 00:50:01,719 Speaker 1: home on the web, Stuff you Should Know dot com. 858 00:50:01,760 --> 00:50:04,200 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, is 859 00:50:04,239 --> 00:50:15,960 Speaker 1: a howstof works dot com