Random Things You Didn't Know About The Simpsons (45 items)

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  (#1) A Writer's Son Inspired Mr. Smithers's Coming Out

  In 2016, The Simpsons finally acknowledged the widely-believed rumor that Mr. Smithers is gay. The sexuality of Mr. Burns's loyal assistant wasn't much a secret before, but "The Burns Cage," finally gave audiences the confirmation they'd been waiting for. In the episode, Mr. Smithers finally accepts that his love for Burns will never be reciprocated. Homer later helps him search for real love.

  The writer of the episode, Rob LaZebnik, said the episode was inspired by his own gay son. “I am a Midwestern guy, so I don’t tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve,” LaZebnik told the New York Post. “But I thought, ‘What better way to tell my son I love him than to write a cartoon about it?’” LaZebnik's son came out as a teenager, and both his parents were accepting and loving.

  “The revelation that my father loves me is not much of a revelation, thankfully,” Rob's son Johnny LaZebnik said. “He’s unbelievably accepting. We’re as close as a straight dad and a gay son could be.”
  
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  (#2) God Is More Powerful Than Humans in The Simpsons Universe

  As in most cartoons, the characters have only four digits on each hand - except God, who always has five.
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  (#3) The Simpsons Can Predict the Super Bowl

   

  In 1992’s "Lisa the Greek," Lisa, angry at Homer for tricking her into helping him gamble on football, makes a bet that if she loves him, the winner of the Super Bowl will be The Washington Redskins and if she doesn't The Buffalo Bills will come out on top. Washington ended up winning. 

  When the show premiered, just before the Super Bowl, those two teams were actually squaring off in Superbowl XXVI and Washington came out on top 37-24. Over the next three years Fox made it a tradition to air the episode just before the Super Bowl and change the dialogue so that the teams would include the two teams that were playing that year. According to the DVD commentary, Lisa accurately picked the winning team every single year.

   
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  (#4) Homer Had the Most Downloaded Voice in the World

  TomTom hired Dan Castellaneta in 2009 to record directions for a Homer voice that customers could download for their GPS devices. At one point, Homer’s voice was downloaded 128,500 times in the US alone, which accounts for more than 40% of GPS devices in the world.
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  (#5) Phil Hartman's Characters Were Retired

  After popular voice actor Phil Hartman was murdered, the various characters he voiced, such as lawyer Lionel Hutz and actor Troy McClure, were retired rather than recast. However, they continued to appear silently in crowd scenes.
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  (#6) They All Have Full (Including Middle) Names

   

  The Simpsons' full names are:

  Homer Jay Simpson
  Marjorie Jacqueline Bouvier Simpson
  Lisa Marie Simpson
  Bartholomew Jojo Simpson
  Margaret Evelyn Simpson

   
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  (#7) McBain's Appearances Could Make a Movie

  The action star that's totally not Arnold Schwarzenegger makes many appearances on the show. So many, in fact, and so specific, that if edited together correctly his appearances form a cohesive movie.
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  (#8) It Holds Tons of Television Records

  Not only is The Simpsons the longest-running prime-time animated series in US TV history, it's the longest running prime-time comedy series as well. 
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  (#9) Danny Elfman Composed the Theme Song... Very Quickly

  It only took one day for Danny Elfman to compose the show's theme song.
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  (#10) The Couch Gag Is an Important Buffer

  The couch gag was originally designed as a time filler. If an episode is running long, the couch gag is kept brief, but if extra time is needed than the gag is extended.
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  (#11) Yellow Is Eye Catching

   

  The main characters were given a yellow coloring to attract the attention of channel hoppers. They were introduced in an over saturated market and needed something to further distinguish them. 

  Creator Matt Groening told the BBC, “An animator came up with the Simpsons’ yellow and as soon as she showed it to me I said: ‘This is the answer!’ because when you’re flicking through channels with your remote control, and a flash of yellow goes by, you’ll know you’re watching The Simpsons.”

   

   
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  (#12) Bart's Prank Calls to Moe Were Based on Real Life

   

  Bart's anonymous prank calls to Moe were inspired by "The Tube Bar Recordings," tapes of actual prank calls to Louis "Red" Deutsch, a New Jersey bartender famous for his violent temper.

  Deutsch would unfailingly respond to the prank calls with a stream of cursing, abuse, and threats. Bart's prank calls became less frequent after the first few seasons, simply because the writers had a hard time coming up with new ones.

   
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  (#13) Comic Book Guy Has a Name

  Comic Book Guy's real name is Jeff Albertson. 
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  (#14) Homer Was Originally Krusty

  There's a reason Krusty and Homer look so much alike. Originally, the idea was that Krusty was supposed to Homer in disguise, but this idea was eventually scrapped.
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  (#15) Homer Talks More Than Any Other Character

  Homer speaks 21% of the Simpson's dialogue, according to a 2016 study. Marge, Bart, and Lisa follow Homer, in that order. 
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  (#16) Lionel Hutz's Ivy League Law Degree Isn't Exactly Legit

  Lionel Hutz says he got his law degree from Princeton. Although most Ivy League schools offer a law degree, Princeton does not, which helps confirm that he is phony.
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  (#17) George H. W. Bush Didn't Want Americans to Be Like the Simpsons

   

  President George H. W. Bush gave a speech in 1992 in which he said, “We are going to keep on trying to … make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons.”

  The show responded with a rushed out segment for the next season in which Bart said, “Hey, we’re just like the Waltons. We’re praying for an end to the Depression, too.”
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  (#18) The Simpsons Is Technically a Spin Off

  The Simpsons originally got its start as short skits in 1987 on The Tracy Ullman Show. Eventually, The Simpsons was given a shot on its own.
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  (#19) The Cast Is So, So, So Rich

  The voice actors haul in $400,000 per episode, up from $300,000 after 2011 pay cuts were instituted. 
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  (#20) It Holds the Record for Most Guest Stars Ever

  Over 600 stars have lent their voices to the sitcom. Just a few include Michael Jackson, Steven Hawking, Jose Canseco, and Michelle Pfeiffer.
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  (#21) The Who Shot Mr. Burns Contest Had No Winner

  There was a dramatic two part mystery episode in which Mr. Burns was shot. The network held a contest planning, to split a prize between those who correctly guessed his shooter. It ended up being Maggie (with some decent clues), but no one guessed her, so there were no winners to split the prize between.
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  (#22) There's a Long-Running Frasier Joke

   

  Sideshow Bob is voiced by Frasier star Kelsey Grammar. In 1997 episode "Brother from Another Series," Cecil, Sideshow Bob's brother, is featured, and is voiced by David Hyde Pierce, who plays Frasier's brother Niles. Cecil also mentions Maris, Niles's never-seen wife, which is said ironically, since Bart is covering Cecil's eyes.

  They later completed the joke in 2007’s "Funeral for a Friend," in which Dr. Robert Terwilliger, Sr., father to Bob and Cecil, is voiced by John Mahoney, who played Frasier's father.

   
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  (#23) Mr. Burns Is Homer's Cousin

  According to a Simpson family tree designed by Matt Groening, Mr. Burns is a distant relative of Homer.
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  (#24) Poochie Was a Jab at Fox

  "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" was an episode in which the Itchy and Scratchy Show received another member: a wild wise-cracking dog. This was in response to Fox trying to convince the writers to add another member to the Simpsons family.
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  (#25) That Guy Who Thought He Was Michael Jackson Was Michael Jackson

  Michael Jackson guest starred as a mental patient who believed he was Michael Jackson.
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  (#26) Dr. Nick Killed Elvis

  Dr. Nick is named after George "Dr. Nick" Nichopoulos, who, after Elvis Presley’s death, was charged for prescribing thousands of doses of narcotics to cater to Elvis's massive appetite for prescription drugs.
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  (#27) Conan O'Brien Worked as a Simpsons Writer

  Conan O’Brien was a credited writer from 1991 to 1993, listed as writer or co-writer on a few episodes including the iconic “Marge vs. The Monorail” and “Homer Goes To College.”
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  (#28) Fox Planned for the Long Haul When Signing the Initial Contracts

  The network owns the exclusive rights to the show until 2082. Though other networks have since picked up syndication rights, Fox gets a cut of those too.
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  (#29) Simpsons Toys Are Illegal in Iran

  The nation’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults issued an edict that forbade the sale of any Simpsons toys in any Iranian store. The nation banned the toys for their ability to promote Western culture.
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  (#30) The Beatles Are Big Fans of the Show and Vice Versa

   

  Three of The Beatles have appeared on the show - George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney. 

   
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  (#31) The Bart Simpson Show

  Initially, the show was supposed to solely revolve around Bart. However, that idea was quickly abandoned.
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  (#32) "Do the Bartman" Burned up the Charts

  "Do The Bartman" was a #1 hit in the UK and Ireland. The song was written and produced by none other than Michael Jackson, a big fan of the show.
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  (#33) Moe's Tavern's Phone Number Is SMITHERS

  The telephone number at Moe's Tavern is 764-84377, or SMITHERS. This was revealed in "Homer the Smithers" (1996) when Mr. Burns tries to call Smithers but does not know his phone number. Naturally, SMITHERS was his only guess.
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  (#34) Bart Is Based on Dennis the Menace's Lack of Menace

  Matt Groening based the character Bart Simpson on the character of Dennis on Dennis the Menace.
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  (#35) Milhouse's Full Name Is Based on Some Awful People

  Milhouse Van Houten has been cursed with a nefarious name. "Milhous" was Richard Nixon’s middle name, and Miss Leslie Van Houten was a member of the Charles Manson family, one of those convicted in the LaBianca murders. To top it off, his middle name, "Mussolini," references Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
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  (#36) There's an HD Gag in the New HD Intro

  The new HD opening sequence includes a gag at the format's expense. The Simpson's new HDTV is shown hooked up with white, yellow, and red "composite A/V" cables, which can't actually carry an HD signal.
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  (#37) Springfield Itself Is a Mysterious Character

  Which Springfield is the Springfield (there are many in the US) is never fully and definitively revealed. Springfield is said to be 678 miles from Mexico City and 2,653 miles away from Orlando, FL. However, both cannot be true.

   
  In one episode, a letter to Mr. Burns indicates he lives in Springfield, NJ. In the episode "Behind the Scenes," the narrator announces "this Kentuckian family...", so with this information, Springfield is generally thought to be in Kentucky. However, the narrator may have been indicating that the family originally came from Kentucky, but that that is not where they live currently.
  

  
  
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  (#38) Some Actors Have Cameos as Themselves, Some Play Characters, and Some Do Both

  Elizabeth Taylor, Susan Sarandon, Alec Baldwin, Mark Hamill, Steve Buscemi and Joe Montegna are the only actors to play both themselves and a fictional character on the series. Others, like Denis Leary, have appeared as themselves.
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  (#39) The Show Has Changed the English Language

  Homer's annoyed grunt, "D'oh!" has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary, considered to be the ultimate authority on the English language.
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  (#40) Matt Groening Left a Permanent Mark on The Simpsons

  The show's creator and animator Matt Groening has stated that his initials appear in any animation of Homer Simpson. When looking at Homer from the side, one can see that the zig-zag of his hair forms an "M," and his ear forms the "G."
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  (#41) Dr. Marvin Munroe Was Killed Off... But Got Better

  Although it was believed that Dr. Marvin Monroe was killed off in 1995 (as his tomb stone can be seen in the Springfield cemetery), he reappears in "The Diatribe of a Mad Housewife" (2004), in which he tells Marge that he has been "very sick." The real reason for Monroe's relative absence in the series was because he became too much of a strain on Harry Shearer’s voice.
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  (#42) Minor Characters Have Epic Names

  Carl's last name is Carlson and Lenny's last name is Leonard. The sarcastic mustachioed guy's name is Raphael. Krusty the Clown's real name is Herschel Shmoikel Krustofski. The Bumblebee Man's name is Pedro. Judge Snyder's first name is Roy. Sideshow Bob's name is Robert Underdunk Terwilliger.
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  (#43) The Animation Process Takes Forever

  Even with modern technology the animation process for each episode takes at least three months. The team uses over 100 animators in South Korea to get the job done.
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  (#44) The First Season Was Very Different from the Others

   

  The animation in the series became noticeably more sophisticated and fluid after the first season. A few other things also changed after the early episodes, including Homer's voice (which was made higher pitched and less intelligent-sounding than it initially was), Chief Wiggum's hair color, and Smithers's skin color (he is Black in his first appearance, but becomes yellow in all future appearances).

  Early episodes also have a slightly different opening credits sequence. After Homer tosses the radioactive rod into the street, Bart is seen skateboarding, but we do not see any recognizable characters in the street as we do in later episodes. The skateboard sequence ends showing a group of generic townspeople running after a bus. We then see Lisa riding home on her bike, overloaded with schoolbooks, parking it in the garage just before Homer's car pulls into the driveway (after which the credits continue as usual).

   
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  (#45) In France Homer and Marge Are Really Married

  In France, Homer and Marge are dubbed by a married couple, Phillippe Peythieu and Veronique Augereau.

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