Lots of people love some good behind-the-scenes material, and the more candid, the better. Well, it’s hard to get more candid than an out-of-nowhere Twitter thread inviting users to ask any questions they want, and that’s exactly what former The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein did.
Weinstein, who served on The Simpsons as a writer and eventual showrunner between seasons 3 and 8, decided to get some engagement going with fans of the show via a Twitter thread. “So, for years, there have been Simpsons jokes/lines people misunderstood or misheard,” he explained in his introductory tweet before posing to fans, “What have you misunderstood or never got? List them in this thread & I or other Simpsons folk’ll try to answer.” He was mostly referring to gags from his run on the show, long before more current events like people trying to compare Marge Simpson to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
The tweet was accompanied by one such clip in gif form, featuring fan favorite classic character Hank Scorpio tossing his shoes before saying to Homer, “Ever see a guy say goodbye to a shoe?” Homer answers with a chuckle “Yes, once.” Naturally, Weinstein explains this particular line later down the thread. While fans have long been divided on whether Homer is referring to a specific instance in his past or, humorously, reminiscing about something that just happened a second ago, it turns out that neither are technically correct. In fact, the line was a complete ad-lib by Dan Castellaneta (voice of Homer Simpson) just as his attempt to keep up with the quick-witted Albert Brooks, who plays Scorpio.
Even aside from that joke, the thread is a goldmine for classic Simpsons fans. Many consider the time Weinstein was involved to be the show’s golden age, and it’s not difficult to see why. The sheer amount of absurdly funny gags that all seem to land is almost unbelievable, since it seems like most shows wouldn’t have been able to keep so consistent for so long. Some other highlights include one fan inquiring about an episode where legendary rock band The Ramones performed at Mr. Burns’ birthday party along with a few snarky remarks. Mr. Burns reacts by saying to Smithers, “Have the Rolling Stones killed.” Many have debated over the years whether the joke was Mr. Burns’ own ignorance about which band was on the stage, or had a deeper meaning suggesting he blames the Stones for creating an industry that allows The Ramones to exist. Weinstein confirmed it was the former.
Another particularly memorable gag involves Homer on the phone wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, saying into the phone, “You’ll have to speak up. I’m wearing a towel.” For years, fans have laughed at the absurdity of the line, including Weinstein himself. But like Luke Skywalker redeeming Darth Vader, the master learned from the student, as the fan asking the question clarified that he saw it as a reference to someone with long hair wearing a towel on their head after a shower. Homer is not only not wearing a towel over his ears, but barely has any hair to begin with, adding at least two layers to the joke. Amusingly enough, Weinstein wasn’t even aware of the reference, even though he still loved the joke. “This is now the one case so far that I actually don’t know! & this is one of my fav lines!”
The Simpsons endures to this day for many reasons, and that unique style of humor from its early seasons is absolutely one of them. While some lament the changes made to the show since, such things are inevitable, and it’s comforting to know that those classic moments will always be around for fans new and old to enjoy.
Source: Josh Weinstein|Twitter
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