Springfield harbors some secrets! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most incredible hidden details and Easter eggs on “The Simpsons.”
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00:00I can't avenge my partner's death with this pea-shooter.
00:03I don't want to hear it, Big Bang.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most incredible hidden
00:09details and Easter eggs on The Simpsons.
00:13I'm seeing double here.
00:15Four Krusties!
00:17Number 20.
00:18Failed Animated Shows on Gravestones In the early 90s, rival networks, hoping to
00:24cash in on the massive success of The Simpsons, tried to find their own primetime animated
00:29hits.
00:30Unfortunately, Fish Police, Capital Critters, and Family Dog all quickly flamed out and
00:36are basically only remembered for their failure.
00:39Well, you can't win them all.
00:44If you were paying attention to this Halloween episode, you might have noticed them referenced
00:48on a trio of, appropriately, gravestones.
01:00Though this might seem like the show gloating about the failure of its competition, it can
01:04also be read as giving them a tribute and keeping their names alive.
01:09Number 19.
01:11Rashomon Reference Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon is one of the
01:15most influential films of the 20th century.
01:28Telling the story of a violent crime from numerous perspectives, it showed the dramatic
01:33power of shifting POV.
01:35It also inspired a wonderfully subtle Simpsons joke.
01:39Trying to cheer up a grumbling Homer about the family's trip to Japan, Marge reminds
01:43him of his appreciation for the film.
01:45But Homer, of course, has a different memory.
01:52Even if you've seen Kurosawa's masterpiece, it's a joke so well-timed, it can escape
01:57notice.
01:58More than anything, we want to see an episode solely about Homer watching Rashomon.
02:03Number 18.
02:04Flanders Cider Mill Season Pass Number If there's a Simpsons character who would
02:10have a season pass to a historic cider mill, it would be Ned Flanders.
02:20So naturally, he proudly shows this to a disinterested Homer when he runs into him at the mill.
02:29It's a funny premise that's enhanced further if you notice the number on his pass.
02:34Number 1.
02:35This means Flanders was the first, and possibly only, person to get a pass.
02:40We're also not ruling out the possibility that the season pass wouldn't exist without
02:44Flanders requesting it.
02:46Depending on the cost, it might be worth the money.
02:55Number 17.
02:57Grad School Abbreviation Airing on network television means the Simpsons
03:02can't get away with using certain words they can on cable.
03:20But that doesn't mean they haven't slipped some four-letter words past the censors.
03:25One famous example is the storefront sign reading, "'Sneeds Feed and Seed' – formerly
03:30Chucks."
03:32Another is from this episode, which includes a flashback showing how Apu came to Springfield
03:37as a graduate student at the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology.
03:41Or yeah, we'll let you fill in the rest.
03:44A decade later, the comedy film, Accepted, would use the same abbreviation for a fake
03:50college name.
03:51Coincidence?
03:52Plagiarism?
03:53Tribute?
03:55Number 16.
03:59Shifting Presidents Day Apostrophe If you're a stickler for proper punctuation,
04:05you might have noticed this right away.
04:07But for the rest of us, we weren't nearly as quick.
04:10Though this episode starts and revolves around Valentine's Day, it ends with a Presidents
04:15Day pageant.
04:16And in three different instances of the holiday appearing in text on screen, it's punctuated
04:22three different ways.
04:24First, as plural possessive, then as singular possessive, and finally, as just plural.
04:30It's the kind of background joke that only exists to drive a certain narrow demographic
04:35mad and we love it.
04:37This orange drink is the only way to recoup our terrible losses from fire drill follies.
04:42I just don't know what went wrong.
04:44You opened the show with a fire drill and everyone cleared out.
04:48Hmm.
04:49So Mother was right.
04:51It was my fault.
04:52Also, in case you're wondering, the first one is correct.
04:56Number 15.
04:57Principal Skinner's POW Number Lovers of classic literature and or musical
05:02theater likely delighted in this tribute.
05:11At a swap meet, Principal Seymour Skinner comes across a helmet he was made to wear
05:16as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.
05:19I wore this for two years in a Viet Cong internment center.
05:22Never thought I'd see the old girl again.
05:24The number 24601 is no afterthought, as this is the prisoner number of Jean Valjean, a
05:31long-suffering protagonist of Les Miserables, originated by master writer Victor Hugo.
05:37Skinner, meanwhile, takes being reunited with this source of likely trauma in nostalgic
05:43stride.
05:44Oh, where all that?
05:45It is.
05:46It really, really is.
05:48Idea for a future episode?
05:50Les Mis with Skinner as Jean Valjean and Superintendent Chalmers as Javert.
05:57Number 14.
05:58Just Marge One continuous thread in the show is Marge's
06:02sister Selma's string of short-lived marriages.
06:05In this classic season 7 episode, she ties the knot with has-been movie star Troy McClure
06:11for what she doesn't realize is merely a publicity stunt.
06:15This is the best day of my life.
06:17It's a good day for me too, baby.
06:20She might have realized something was amiss sooner if she had taken a look at what was
06:24printed on her new hubby's vehicle.
06:27Following their nuptials, the rear window of Troy's DeLorean reads not, just married,
06:32but just Marge.
06:33In an episode jam-packed with incredible quotes and moments,
06:37I hate every ape I see, from chimpan-ay to chimpanzee.
06:45A cutting visual moment like this can be easy to miss, but knowing it's there now
06:50gives us more to appreciate.
06:53Number 13.
06:54Cruddler In this celebrity-packed show, Bart and Lisa
06:58help Crusty stage a comeback special following his show's cancellation.
07:03Among them is Bette Midler, whose anti-littering stance has taken to a hilarious extreme.
07:09Yo, pigs!
07:11Oh no, Bette Midler!
07:15Oh no!
07:18But we'd be remiss to not mention this subtly genius joke.
07:22Crusty mentions a thoroughbred owned by himself and the divine Miss M, a rather unflattering
07:28portmanteau of their names.
07:30Bette and I owned a racehorse together.
07:32Cruddler.
07:33The moniker alone is funny as is, but it becomes even funnier when you realize that they could
07:39have combined their names the other way to create a much more flattering name of Misty.
07:45But then again, Cruddler is far more memorable.
07:48This was a great show, Crusty.
07:50You deserve an Emmy for this.
07:52Forget it.
07:53The Academy hates me.
07:54I don't know why.
07:55A bunch of old know-nothing dinosaurs wouldn't know entertainment if it bit them in the…
08:00Hey, hey!
08:01Number 12.
08:03Frank Rules Simpsons writers have a reputation as being,
08:07well, nerds.
08:08But nerds are my mortal enemy!
08:10And what better way to demonstrate your nerd bonafide than by sneaking them into the background
08:15of a cartoon show?
08:17In this segment from the sixth Halloween special, Homer takes an unplanned trip to the third
08:22dimension and the show explores new realms in animation.
08:26Man, this place looks expensive.
08:29I feel like I'm wasting a fortune just standing here.
08:32A series of seemingly random numbers appear suspended in the air.
08:36But unless you're a mathematician or a software developer, you probably wouldn't realize
08:41that these are hexadecimal numbers, which translated to ASCII codes, read,
08:46Frank Rules.
08:48While we can't explain what that means, we can say we heartily agree with that statement.
08:53This forms a three-dimensional object known as a cube or a Frankahedron in honor of its discoverer.
08:59Number 11.
09:01Marge's distracted driving.
09:03When The Simpsons shifted to HD in season 20, it also underwent a new opening.
09:08One which honored the classic opening that began with season 2 while also adding some updates.
09:14Marge's parking her car in the garage previously sent Homer running scared.
09:21But this time around, she runs right into him, sending him crashing through the door.
09:27Is she deliberately trying to torment her beloved husband?
09:32No, because if you pause, you'll see she's actually looking at her smartphone.
09:37That's not an excuse, of course, but we don't know how canon these openings actually are.
09:44Remember, eyes on the road slash garage.
09:48Number 10.
09:49Stealth Signature.
09:50Simpsons creator Matt Groening's name doesn't just appear in the show's credits.
09:55It also pops up when one of his most famous characters is on screen.
10:00Well, sort of.
10:01The combination of Homer's hair and ear creates an M and a G shape, like the initials of his creator.
10:09The show has directly referenced this.
10:11And for some reason, my hair and ear form an M and a G.
10:16But with a character design as iconic as Homer's, knowing this isn't some kind of unwelcome distraction.
10:23Instead, it's a great reminder of how an artist can cleverly put their stamp on their work, one letter hidden in plain sight at a time.
10:31Matt Groening, what's he doing in a museum?
10:34He can barely draw.
10:36Ow!
10:37Oh no!
10:38I'm being erased!
10:39Move it, bub.
10:40We got an installation to installate.
10:42Number 9.
10:43Where's Waldo?
10:45How did we pass time on long car trips before smartphones and tablets?
10:50Well, trying to find Waldo, or Wally as he's known outside North America, in the crowded illustrations of his eponymous books.
10:58Find Waldo yet again.
11:01Man, he's just not trying anymore.
11:04When the whole town squeezes into the Flanders family bomb shelter to avoid an oncoming comet, things soon get overwhelming.
11:10I can't get the door closed.
11:12Somebody's gonna have to get out.
11:14I'd get out, but I don't know where I am.
11:17Look at the initial shot of everyone packed in and you'll see a familiar face, wearing glasses, a red and white striped shirt, and knit cap.
11:26And true to his character, he has a big smile.
11:29We can't say we'd be feeling the same way under those circumstances.
11:33Number 8.
11:34Vintage Otto and Marge
11:36One of the best things about The Simpsons is its rich array of unforgettable characters.
11:41From the main family to all kinds of supporting figures.
11:45You know, you can't just sit there watching TV all day.
11:48You know, you're right. I should do a little reading.
11:51You got any of those Where's Waldo books?
11:54No.
11:55How about anything written from the vampire's point of view?
11:57While Marge and lovable metalhead bus driver Otto don't share a ton of scenes together, this bit of background design features them in a rather ingenious way.
12:07On the wall of the Springfield Historical Society, Lisa and curator Hollis Hurlbut walk past a painting of a man driving a cart full of children, and a silhouette of a woman with a rather lengthy beehive.
12:20To use some words coined by this very episode, this edition embiggened in already cromulent installments.
12:27Embiggens? Hmm. I never heard that word before I moved to Springfield.
12:31I don't know why.
12:32It's a perfectly cromulent word.
12:34Number 7.
12:36Like their father and late mother, Rod and Todd Flanders do their best to be as pious as they possibly can.
12:43That said, they can inadvertently find themselves being accidentally unwholesome.
12:49Thank you, but we're not allowed.
12:51Aw, it's okay. There's no sugar in Pixie Stix. Trust me.
12:55Okay.
12:59Don't hug it off, smelly head!
13:01Go to hell, zit face!
13:02Playing for a peewee football team initially coached by their father, before Homer takes the reins, the Flanders brothers' jersey numbers are 66 and 6.
13:12The connotations of this don't register until they're standing next to each other, but it's such a quick shot that, as with numerous other moments on this list, it's not going to be noticed unless you're really paying attention.
13:25Okay now, everyone. Give me five laps and hit the showers.
13:30Oh, Rod, you don't have to. You're cut.
13:32Number 6. Willie's pool table.
13:35Groundskeeper Willie is one of those Springfield residents we'd love to get a full backstory about, especially with fascinating breadcrumbs like this.
13:44In season 10, we learn that Scott was conceived, born, and educated on a pool table of a tavern owned by his parents.
13:52So you're a back son?
13:54Aye.
13:55I suppose you'll be leaving soon.
13:57Aye.
13:58Seven seasons later, we flash back to his birth, and lo and behold, the unibrowed newborn Willie and his mother are on a pool table.
14:07You'll never amount to anything! You were born trash, and you'll be lucky if you grow up to be garbage!
14:12Har-coo-coo-rky-ar-my-owdy.
14:16Would you like to cut the cord?
14:17Let him cut it himself! It's time he learned life ain't one big party.
14:21What could have been just an amusing throwaway line is given a worthy payoff years later.
14:26Though we also can't help but wonder what kind of education Willie received on said table.
14:31Number 5. Not-so-secret guest stars.
14:35Name a famous actor or musician, and there's a good chance they've appeared on The Simpsons.
14:40However, two famous figures who appeared on the show in its early years did so pseudonymously.
14:46Howdy. I am a Texas cowboy. The year is 1830. You young'uns ask me any questions you like.
14:52Dustin Hoffman voiced Lisa's dedicated substitute teacher, Mr. Bergstrom, under the name Sam Eddick,
14:58while Michael Jackson played a man who's claiming to be the king of pop, using the moniker John J. Smith.
15:04Did you say your name was?
15:05Michael Jackson.
15:06Doesn't ring a bell.
15:07Well, have you heard of MTV?
15:08Nope.
15:09Motown?
15:10No.
15:11Beat it.
15:12You beat it!
15:13Two stars would have to be clearly identified, but no alternative names could hide these unmistakable voices.
15:20This is cheekily referenced to when Lisa returns from seeing the Itchy and Scratchy movie
15:25and talks about the uncredited cameos of the two stars, who she easily identified.
15:31And you wouldn't believe the celebrities who did cameos. Dustin Hoffman, Michael Jackson.
15:35Of course, they didn't use their real names, but you could tell it was them.
15:394. Homer and Krusty's Uncanny Resemblance
15:43Even casual fans of the show have undoubtedly picked up on how much Bart's TV idol Krusty the Clown
15:49looks like his father, albeit with makeup, green hair, and a red nose.
15:54Well, well, well, Velocity boy, I'm gonna give you the biggest ticket you...
15:59Hey, Krusty!
16:01I'm not Krusty.
16:02Oh, and I think I was gonna give you a ticket.
16:04In a series full of distinct character designs, why have a significant supporting character
16:09who looks so much like one of the main family members?
16:13Well, the initial plan was for Krusty to be Homer's alter ego,
16:17with the cruel irony being that Bart doesn't realize the clown he idolizes is the father he doesn't.
16:23Dad, you can't just go around pretending to be Krusty. It's sacrilege. He's a one and only.
16:28I mean, he invented the pie fight, the pratfall, and the seltzer bottle, as far as I know.
16:33This didn't happen and both characters were able to develop on their own,
16:37but their resemblance remained and was used to great effect in the classic season 6 episode,
16:43Homie the Clown.
16:44Good one, Krusty!
16:46Oh, crap.
16:48Number 3. God's Five Fingers
16:51Though not a regular character on the show, the creator of the universe has made some memorable appearances,
16:57usually with his face obscured and five fingers on each hand.
17:02God?
17:03Thou hast forsaken my church.
17:06Well, kind of, but...
17:09But what?
17:10Why is that notable?
17:12Well, characters on The Simpsons tend to have only four fingers, much like other animated characters,
17:18but God is afforded the full five. And the same also goes for his toes.
17:23This is a great way for the show to emphasize divinity, but not being too in-your-face about it.
17:30The show doesn't claim to have all the answers regarding religion,
17:33but we appreciate this charming bit of character design.
17:36Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to appear in a tortilla in Mexico.
17:40Number 2. Scanning Maggie
17:43You can't put a price on the joy of raising a baby,
17:46but there are lots of other costs that factor in, as any parent can tell you.
17:54When Maggie is scanned at the supermarket during the initial run of opening credits,
17:58she rings up for $847.63.
18:03This was the show doing its research,
18:05as that was reportedly the average monthly cost to care for an infant in the US at the time.
18:11Now, the show premiered in 1989, so that number is likely far, far higher now.
18:19However, the revamped credits didn't adjust for inflation.
18:23Instead, the cost of the groceries is doubled with the addition of the youngest Simpson.
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18:44Number 1. Hidden McBain Movie
18:47Long before the release of The Simpsons movie, there was a movie hidden in plain sight on the show.
18:52McBain is a movie action hero played by muscle-bound star Rainier Wolfcastle,
18:57and clips from his high-octane first outing are shown throughout various episodes.
19:12But their sporadic and out-of-order appearances made it tricky to realize
19:16they could be connected to create a cohesive storyline,
19:19in which McBain goes after a drug kingpin politician,
19:22avenges his partner, and fires plenty of bullets along the way.
19:36The show could have just had the scenes appear in chronological order,
19:40but we appreciate this approach.
19:42We just wish we could have seen the full-length version of this undeniably exciting actioner.
19:50What hidden Simpsons details have you caught? Let us know in the comments.
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