‘The Simpsons’ hasn’t just created a media and merchandising empire that has brought the world 500 TV episodes, a movie, countless toys and even a theme park ride. It has also launched the careers of some of the biggest names in comedy (Conan O’Brien, we’ll always bow to you for the monorail episode) and turned its creator Matt Groening into a mainstream counterculture hero. So as the show reaches into its landmark 500th episode, it’s worth noting some of the more interesting facts and figures behind Springfield’s most famous residents.
Kevin Winter, Getty
Long before Groening became a giant
in television, he made his living with the alternative newspaper comic
strip 'Life in Hell,' a funny, bleak look at the world through the eyes
of a depressed rabbit named Bongo. Groening's artwork caught the eye of
Polly Platt, a production designer who worked on the Oscar-winning film
'Terms of Endearment' with 'Simpsons' co-creator James L. Brooks.
According to the book 'The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized
History' by John Ortved, she wanted to thank Brooks for getting her an
Oscar nomination and bought the original copy of one of Groening's 'Life
in Hell' comic strips titled "The Los Angeles Way of Death"
as a thank you gift. Ken Estin, a producer who worked with Brooks on
'Taxi,' also received a "Life in Hell" comic strip as a birthday gift
during a retreat to brainstorm ideas for what would become the Fox
sketch comedy series 'The Tracey Ullman Show.' The strips became the
topic of conversation during the retreat and the decision was ultimately
made to bring Groening on board to do short cartoons for the
short-lived sketch series.
2. The Simpsons are based on Matt Groening's family
Groening was initially asked to
make 'Life in Hell' cartoons for 'The Tracey Ullman Show,' but decided
at the last minute that he didn't want to lose the merchandising rights
to his offbeat comic strip. Instead, Groening dreamed up an idea on the
fly moments before meeting James L. Brooks that involved a family very
much like his own. (His dad's name is actually Homer, his mother
Margaret and his younger sisters are named Lisa and Maggie.) So where
did Bart come from? It's an anagram for "brat." (Groening has said the
character is loosely based on himself and his brother Mark.) Fun fact:
Groening's mom's maiden name is Wiggum.
3. Fox wanted to kill the early 'Simpsons' cartoons
While the ratings for 'The Tracey
Ullman Show' weren't exactly gangbusters, 'The Simpsons' shorts were a
huge hit with viewers. But that didn't stop Fox from wanting to scrap
them. The cartoons cost around $15,000 each to produce and test
audiences gave them low ratings. Thankfully, Brooks saw some deep
potential in the cartoon family and when the network canceled 'Ullman,'
he pushed for 'The Simpsons' to become a series of its own. So in
essence, 'The Simpsons' is the most successful spin-off of all time.
Scott Olson, Getty Images
4. Former First Lady Barbara Bush once got a personal letter from Marge Simpson
Stephen Shugerman, Getty
5. Homer has the most downloaded GPS voice in the world
Fox / OVGuide.com
6. Lisa correctly predicted three Super Bowl wins in one episode
The season three episode 'Lisa the
Greek,' one of the sweeter moments between the oafish Homer and the
brainy Lisa, featured the pair spending quality time by betting on NFL
football games thanks to Lisa's never-fail system for picking a winner.
The episode was timed to air just before Super Bowl XXVI between the
Washington Redskins and the Buffalo Bills. Lisa realizes that Homer only
wanted to hang out with her so he could bet on the winner. So the hurt
Lisa predicts that Washington will win, but if she subconsciously
doesn't love him and wants him to lose, Buffalo will win. According to
the DVD commentary, the cast rerecorded the lines to coincide with the
next two Super Bowls with the episode airing before each game.
Showrunner Al Jean said Lisa not only correctly predicted the outcome of
three big games, but he also bet against Lisa's picks in the Gracie
Films' notoriously competitive office pool and lost.
Travelshackblog.com / Google Mpas
7. A real life version of The Simpsons' home was built in Nevada
Fox and Pepsi got together to offer the ultimate collectible for 'Simpsons' fans: a real world replica of the family's colorful home in a subdivision in Henderson, Nevada, just outside Las Vegas. The winner, however, opted to take the cash prize instead of the home
and the eerily accurate house became a tourist stop for 'Simpsons'
fans. The four bedroom, two-bath home stayed in its traditional TV
colors until 2001 when the subdivision started to fill with other
residents. The developers had it repainted to fit the neighborhood's
scheme and stripped it of all of its 'Simpsons'-esque props and
furnishings. Today, it looks just like any other home on the block but
it does retain one 'Simpsons' reference: it's located in the Springfield
subdivision.
Scott Gries, Getty
8. 'Simpsons' toys are illegal in Iran
The Simpsons have always faced some
form of controversy since their skyrocketing popularity turned them
into a ratings and merchandising juggernaut. Iran, however, has taken a
rather extreme method of addressing their concerns over the show's
sarcastic, counterculture attitudes. The nation's Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults
recently 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 and the "destructive cultural and social
consequences" they supposedly promote. Iran has also placed Barbie dolls
on the same list, opting instead for a line of dolls that promote more
traditional Iranian, state-approved styles of dressing. Al Jean
responded to the ban by telling the Los Angeles Times, "This means war."
Fox / Hulu / Chris Jackson, Getty
9. Several of the show's characters are based on real people
Some of the show's more iconic
characters might seem like figments of some very talented imaginations,
but they actually come from some real people. The gruff, gravelly-voiced
Moe Szyslak is based on the similarly gruff, gravelly-voiced comedian Rich Hall
who used to work with 'Simpsons' writer George Meyer on the '80s comedy
series 'Not Necessarily the News.' Waylon Smithers, Mr. Burns' overly
devoted assistant, is actually based on 'Simpsons' associate producer
Richard Sakai, though reportedly somewhat out of spite. According to
'The Simpsons Uncensored,' Sakai started on the show as an assistant for
Brooks. Estin claims in the book that everyone liked Sakai, but noted
he was seen as a guy who was fiercely loyal to Brooks so the writers
modeled his behavior around the office for Smithers' devotion to Burns.
Fox
10. "D'oh!" is a real word in the Oxford English Dictionary...but not in 'Simpsons' scripts
'The Simpsons' have infiltrated
just about every aspect of modern culture, but perhaps it's most
impressive in its ability to worm its way into our language. The Oxford English Dictionary announced in 2001
that Homer's most frequent utterance, "D'oh!," would earn a spot in its
dictionary along with several other pop-culture phrases and words. The
OED defines it as "Expressing frustration at the realization that things
have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or
done something foolish." However, when it first appeared in a 'Simpsons'
script, the phrase was written as "annoyed grunt." Dan Castellaneta came up with the signature catchphrase,
which he claims to have borrowed from 'Laurel and Hardy' star Jimmy
Finlayson who would utter "D'oooooh" in a state of frustration. Groening
had him shorten it since the early shorts were only a minute long and
"D'oh!" was easier to animate.
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