Sometimes, the main drama is behind the scenes! For this list, we’ll be looking at feuds, controversies, and heated behind-the-scenes stories surrounding Springfield’s most iconic family.
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00:00 "Simpson, eh?
00:01 Well, judging by his outlandish attire, he's some sort of free-thinking anarchist."
00:05 "I'll call security, sir."
00:07 Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 dark truths
00:12 about The Simpsons.
00:13 "Barney, that was me!"
00:14 "And I'd do it again."
00:18 For this list, we'll be looking at feuds, controversies, and heated behind-the-scenes
00:22 stories surrounding Springfield's most iconic family.
00:26 Do you have any dark Simpsons facts?
00:28 Let us know in the comments!
00:31 Hey Mojoholics, for a chance to win cash prizes, play our live daily trivia challenges
00:37 every day at 3pm and 8pm Eastern only at WatchMojo.com/play.
00:42 10.
00:43 "Fox Reluctant to Say Gay" While Smithers' feelings for Mr. Burns have
00:51 always been evident, Homer's phobia was the show's first episode to directly tackle
00:56 LGBTQ+ themes.
01:03 Homer is initially homophobic towards a gay man named John, but the episode takes a clear
01:08 stance against prejudice and ignorance with room for plenty of laughs.
01:20 Although it'd win an Emmy and GLAAD award, the episode almost didn't air due to censorship.
01:25 The showrunners received two pages of notes, with the use of the word "gay" being the
01:29 main point of contention.
01:31 The censors deemed the episode unacceptable for broadcast.
01:35 Thankfully, the censors were replaced following a change of leadership at Fox.
01:45 The new censors accepted Homer's phobia, which aired not long before Ellen's puppy
01:49 episode and the debut of Will & Grace.
01:53 9.
01:54 Slashing Over Critic Crossover Branching off from The Simpsons, writers Al
01:59 Jean and Mike Reiss created The Critic with James L. Brooks as a producer.
02:08 Following a swift cancellation at ABC, The Critic was given second life on Fox.
02:18 What better way to commemorate Jay Sherman's new home than with The Simpsons crossover?
02:23 Well, Matt Groening was critical.
02:26 Not only did he think it was a gimmicky commercial for a struggling show, but he feared audiences
02:31 would think he created The Critic.
02:33 When getting the episode pulled didn't work, Groening had his name removed and publicly
02:38 criticized Brooks.
02:39 Mr. Brooks was furious with Groening, saying, "Certainly he's allowed his opinion, but
02:45 airing this publicly in the press is going too far."
02:48 The Critic ended shortly after.
02:53 8.
02:56 The Reason For Maude Flanders' Death Maggie Roswell isn't the only Simpsons voice
03:01 actor to clash with the network over compensation, although her negotiations had the most infamous
03:07 outcome.
03:08 The voice of Maude asked for her rate to be raised from $2,000 per episode to $6,000 per
03:13 episode.
03:14 This wasn't due to ego, but because Roswell was flying from Denver to LA for line recordings.
03:26 Her salary didn't cover travel expenses, but Fox only offered her $150 extra.
03:31 Roswell quit and the writers decided to address Maude's absence by killing her off.
03:36 This would be one of the most contentious moments in the show's history.
03:40 Even Mike Reiss agreed when a critic said killing Maude was a sin.
03:51 Roswell later returned, but there was no resurrecting Maude.
03:57 Officially.
04:02 7.
04:06 The Adoption Joke That Writers Regret There are only a handful of jokes that the
04:10 writers might take back if they could.
04:13 One of them occurs in the classic episode "Homer's Triple Bypass".
04:22 Going into surgery, Homer tries to express his love for his children, but he struggles
04:27 to find the right words.
04:28 An otherwise heartfelt scene takes a grim turn when Bart jokingly tells Homer to inform
04:33 Lisa that she's adopted.
04:41 According to Mike Reiss, James Brooks pitched this line.
04:45 Reiss also recalled the Simpsons team receiving angry feedback from parents of adopted children.
04:50 The idea of an adopted child finding out that their parents don't like them is honestly
04:55 horrifying.
04:56 Parents made this abundantly clear to the Simpsons team, with Reiss acknowledging that
05:00 the joke probably crossed the line.
05:07 6.
05:09 Waltons vs. Simpsons Considering what other animated shows get
05:13 away with now, it's hard to believe that The Simpsons was once seen as TV's most
05:17 rebellious program.
05:19 So rebellious that it caught the attention of then-President George H.W. Bush, who said
05:24 that American families should be more like the Waltons than the Simpsons.
05:39 The crew swiftly responded with an opening addressing Bush's comment and the country's
05:43 financial situation.
05:48 Whether or not this contributed to Bush's failed re-election, the Simpsons weren't
05:52 done with the 41st.
05:54 A few seasons later, Bush moves across the street from the Simpsons, receiving a brutal
05:59 beating from Homer and an even more savage takedown of his political career.
06:06 Decades later, we all know the Simpsons, but how many people talk about the Waltons?
06:20 5.
06:21 Sam Simon's Exit Matt Groening created The Simpsons, but the
06:25 show wouldn't be what it is today without co-developers James Brooks and Sam Simon.
06:38 Simon felt that Groening and Brooks got a lot more credit for the show's success
06:42 with his contributions going overlooked.
06:50 People like Brad Bird would attest that Simon was the show's unsung hero.
06:54 As tensions rose, Simon left Gracie Films.
06:58 Although he retained his executive producer credit, he'd also receive a salary of more
07:02 than $10 million annually until his death in 2015.
07:07 Despite this contention, the team ended on better terms with Groening and Brooks honoring
07:11 Simon after his passing.
07:13 Taking his income into account, Simon said before his death, "I've gone from getting
07:17 too little credit for The Simpsons to too much."
07:20 4.
07:21 The Joke That Had to be Altered Once an episode airs, The Simpsons crew will
07:32 rarely go back and modify a joke.
07:39 They were compelled to do so with season 4's "Marge Gets a Job", however.
07:43 Mrs. Krabappel lists all of the excuses that Bart has come up with to get out of his tests,
07:49 including Tourette's Syndrome.
07:56 Bart then proceeds to imitate someone with Tourette's.
07:59 Many were offended by this, including a boy named Joshua Smith, who insisted the episode
08:04 not be re-aired, that Bart befriends somebody with Tourette's, and that Bart apologize.
08:10 While most of these requests went unfulfilled, Mike Reese apologized, saying it was a mistake.
08:21 For repeats, the line would be changed from Tourette's to rabies.
08:25 Which is ironic, since Bart is attacked by a wolf in the episode.
08:32 3.
08:35 Tracy Ullman Seeks Royalties Despite all the acclaim the Tracy Ullman
08:40 show garnered, it's best remembered for the original Simpsons shorts.
08:44 On April 19, 1987, America first met the Simpsons.
09:09 Ullman was offered the role of Marge, but due to her schedule, cast member Julie Kavner
09:13 lent her voice.
09:21 According to producer Ken Esten, Ullman wasn't thrilled with the shorts because she didn't
09:26 think they were the quality of her show.
09:28 Ullman nonetheless would make a guest appearance when the Simpsons became a series.
09:32 Not long after, though, Ullman pursued legal action against the show, claiming she was
09:36 entitled to more than $2.25 million.
09:40 The courts ruled in the Simpsons' favor, finding that Fox paid Ullman $58,000 in royalties
09:45 and another $3 million for her show.
09:48 Ullman was very disappointed, but has since joked about it.
09:54 2.
09:55 The Troy McClure Movie That Never Was Phil Hartman voiced various Simpsons characters,
10:01 most notably incompetent lawyer Lionel Hutz and fish-loving actor Troy McClure.
10:14 Hartman was especially fond of McClure, even showing enthusiasm for a live-action movie
10:19 based on the character.
10:20 Apparently, this was only an idea that didn't get far beyond the conception stages.
10:28 We'll never know what could have been, as Hart's life was cut tragically short on May
10:32 28, 1998.
10:34 His wife Brynne Almdahl murdered Hartman in his sleep before taking her life.
10:39 Hartman had already recorded his lines as McClure in season 10's Bart the Mother, which
10:44 aired four months later.
10:51 It would be the last time we heard Hartman on the show with his characters being retired
10:55 out of respect.
10:56 Nobody can replace Hartman in live-action or animated.
11:18 1.
11:20 Stark Raving Dad Pull In season 3, Homer befriends a Michael Jackson
11:25 sound-alike voiced by John J. Smith.
11:32 It was eventually confirmed that Smith was the real Jackson, although Kip Lennon provided
11:36 the character's singing voice.
11:45 Following Jackson's death, Fox re-aired Stark Raving Dad and the music video Do the Bartman,
11:51 which Jackson also worked on.
11:53 At the time of his death, Jackson was already a controversial figure.
11:56 Yet it wasn't until Leaving Neverland came out a decade later that the creators decided
12:01 to remove the episode from circulation.
12:04 While still available in some forms, you won't find it in syndication, on the DVD reprints
12:09 or on Disney+.
12:11 Since then, an MJ musical has come out with a biopic in the works, but Stark Raving Dad
12:17 remains locked away.
12:32 --
12:38 --