The Simpsons

Scene from "A Midsummer's Nice Dream"

"The Simpsons" is a popular and influential American satirical animated TV show (1989- ), created by Matt Groening, featuring the family Simpson and their daily struggles in modern society. The main characters are the not-too bright father Homer, his conventional wife Marge, bratty teenage son Bart, intellectual daughter Lisa and mute baby daughter Maggie. The show features hundreds of secondary characters, some of them more popular with viewers than The Simpsons themselves.

In 1977, Groening had launched a comic strip, Life in Hell, which producer James L. Brooks wanted to adapt into animated TV shorts by 1987. Groening, however, changed this plan into a new concept, which became The Simpsons, who originated as short animated segments during the Tracey Ullman show in 1987-1989. During its early years, in the 1990s, "The Simpsons" were the most succesful prime time animation show since "The Flintstones" (1960-1967). The program also drew controversy due to Bart's rebellious behaviour and the satirical attacks on politics, religion, values, media, advertising and modern American society in general. President George Bush even loathed the program in a speech he gave in 1992 addressing the Republican Party: "America needs to be a lot more like "The Waltons" and a lot less like "The Simpsons". In the next broadcast of the show The Simpsons watched Bush's speech on TV whereupon Bart striked back: "Hey, we're just like The Waltons. We pray for an end to the Depression too."

During the earliest seasons much of the animation was provided by Gabor Csupo. "The Simpsons" also hold the record as the TV show with the most celebrity guest appearances in its history. Among them: Michael Jackson, Johnny Carson, Larry King, Ringo Starr, James Brown, Paul McCartney, Linda Ronstadt, Tom Waits, Cheech & Chong, Jerry Lewis, Little Richard, Johnny Cash, The Who, Mick Jagger,...

Zappa and The Simpsons

Magazine snippet from Simpsons Illustrated, Fall 1991.

"The Simpsons" was created by Matt Groening, who is a huge Zappa fan. In 1989, he wanted Zappa to compose the opening theme of the show, but FOX executives rejected this proposal since they had never heard of him. Groening's second choice, John Zorn, was also rejected. They eventually agreed on Danny Elfman, who had just composed the soundtrack to the new blockbuster Batman movie by Tim Burton. In the liner notes of The Simpsons soundtrack CD album Songs In The Key of Springfield (1997), Groening revealed that he gave Elfman a cassette recording with inspirational melodies to compose the opening theme, one of them being Zappa's Remington Electric Razor radio jingle.

According to the DVD commentary to the episode Bart's Dog Gets An "F" (1991) this was the first episode Zappa caught on TV and he got in contact with Groening soon afterwards. Groening said that Zappa felt the scene where Homer tries to sell Santa's Little Helper over the phone was the funniest moment of that episode. The same year, Zappa and his family visited The Simpsons studio.

In a July 1991 issue of Interview (see image) Zappa said that he and his daughter Diva Zappa watched The Simpsons every Thursday night.

Zappa once suggested appearing as a special guest voice on The Simpsons, as he had done for Ren And Stimpy, but became too ill before he could record his part.

According to Mike Keneally, Zappa's song title Good Lobna was inspired by a comment Bart Simpson makes about "good lobna" in the 1992 The Simpsons episode New Kid On The Block.

Frank Zappa about The Simpsons

Don Menn: How do things like The Simpsons] slip onto television?
Frank Zappa: "Well, that's a good question."

Matt Groening: I'm mystified myself. I don't know.
Frank Zappa: "I just hope they don't cut you."

Matt Groening: I think that – as you know – you make people laugh, and sometimes you fool them.
Frank Zappa: "Yeah, but you didn't fool the nuclear industry or the lumber guys."

Matt Groening: "No, the fact that a little radioactive rod falls in the back of Homer's neck in every episode, they caught on to that one. No, you can say anything on television as long as you say it once, but if you start repeating it, then they start catching on. That's why – you can't imagine the kind of stuff we get taken apart for on The Simpsons. It's everything. Promoting homosexuality, and disrespect..."

- The Mother Of All Interviews (Part 2), Don Menn and Matt Groening interviewing Frank Zappa, 1992.

References to Zappa in "The Simpsons"

So far, two undeniable references to Frank Zappa have been found in "The Simpsons".

• In the episode "The Girl Who Slept Too Little" (2005) The Simpsons walk into a convention. The banner welcomes visitors with the words: "Welcome to the Fathers of Invention", with the words "And Mothers" scribbled above it.

• In the episode "A Midsummer's Nice Dream" (2011) Homer takes Bart and Lisa to his the attic to let them listen to his old Cheech & Chong albums. In a brief scene a copy of the rock magazine "Crawdaddy" can be seen with Zappa's face on the cover.

See Also

• Wikipedia article on The Simpsons