- 7 weeks ago
Hidden jokes, secret callbacks, and sneaky references - D'oh, you probably missed them! Join us as we explore the most cleverly concealed Easter eggs in Springfield's animated history. From background gags to freeze-frame bonuses, these hidden gems prove The Simpsons' writers are always one step ahead of viewers.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 10 Simpsons Easter Eggs You Missed.
00:24Countless celebrities have been on The Simpsons, both as themselves and as original characters.
00:28But not all of them have appeared under their own names.
00:32In Season 2's Lisa's Substitute, Dustin Hoffman portrayed Lisa's sensitive teacher, Mr. Bergstrom, under the name Sam Eddick.
00:40Since he's been gone, I've been looking for a substitute to teach me a lesson I sorely need.
00:46Mrs. Krabappel, you're trying to seduce me.
00:48And in Season 3's Stark Raving Dad, Michael Jackson played a man in a mental institution who claims to be the King of Pop, under the name John J. Smith.
00:58I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?
00:59I'm Michael Jackson.
01:00The Michael Jackson? Pfft, no way.
01:03The show later poked fun at its guest stars and their reluctance to be credited, when Lisa tells Bart about seeing the Itchy and Scratchy movie.
01:10It was the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life!
01:13And you wouldn't believe the celebrities who did cameos! Dustin Hoffman, Michael Jackson!
01:18Of course, they didn't use their real names, but you could tell it was them.
01:21Number 9. Matt Groening's Signature
01:24Homer Simpson is an instantly recognizable character, with defining traits like his white-collared shirt, muzzle, and two hairs on the top of his otherwise bald head.
01:33You're pregnant again?
01:37He even comes with his own artist signature, but it's one you might not even realize was there.
01:44The hair on the side of Homer's head and the ear below was first designed to create an M and a G, the initials of Simpsons creator Matt Groening.
01:53In one episode, Homer semi-breaks the fourth wall by drawing himself and making note of this.
01:59And for some reason, my hair and ear form an M and a G.
02:03Although later versions of the ear have less of a G-shape, due to fear of distracting viewers, Groening still reportedly draws it as a G when sketching Homer for fans.
02:14Matt Groening? What's he doing in a museum? He can barely draw!
02:19Ow! Oh no! I'm being erased!
02:22Number 8. Principal Skinner is Jean Valjean
02:25Despite being an animated sitcom on Fox, The Simpsons has made numerous allusions to pop culture over the years.
02:31I spent the next three years in a POW camp, forced to subsist on a thin stew made of fish, vegetables, prawns, coconut milk, and four kinds of rice.
02:41I came close to madness trying to find it here in the States, but they just can't get the spices right.
02:46In season 5's Homer's Barbershop Quartet, Principal Seymour Skinner visits military goods dealer Herman's booth at the local swap meet.
02:54He finds himself reunited with a mask he wore for two years as a prisoner of war while serving in Vietnam.
02:59Prisoner 24601. Oh god. I wore this for two years in a Viet Cong internment center. Never thought I'd see the old girl again.
03:09The number on the mask? 24601. The number assigned to Jean Valjean, the tormented protagonist in Victor Hugo's novel Les Misérables and the musical of the same name.
03:19Small world, eh?
03:20It is. It really, really is.
03:24It's commitment to seemingly minor details like this that makes The Simpsons more than just another cartoon.
03:31Number 7. A-113.
03:33A-113 has appeared multiple times on The Simpsons, but it isn't a reference to any literary character.
03:39Is Krusty the Clown about to trade in his baggy pants for the relatively snug uniform of Springfield Penitentiary?
03:44We'll find out tomorrow when his trial begins.
03:47It is, however, the number of an important classroom at the California Institute of Arts, one used by many prominent figures in filmmaking and animation.
03:56This includes former Simpsons director Brad Bird, who went on to make The Incredibles and Ratatouille.
04:01Hey, Rebby.
04:02How you doing?
04:03You told them?
04:04This alphanumerical Easter egg has also popped up in multiple Pixar films.
04:09On The Simpsons, it's been exclusively used for mugshots and prisoner numbers, including for the dastardly Sideshow Bob.
04:16Well, if it isn't my arch-nemesis Bart Simpson, and his sister Lisa, to whom I'm fairly indifferent.
04:23Hopefully, students at this school don't feel imprisoned.
04:26Number 6. Hidden Lentil Soup Recipe
04:28Three members of The Beatles have been on The Simpsons, and Paul McCartney's appearance had something extra.
04:34Wow, Paul McCartney! I read about you in history class. But where's your wife Linda?
04:39Right here, Lisa.
04:40When Lisa gives up meat for good, she meets two world-famous vegetarians, McCartney and his late wife Linda.
04:47Paul tells Lisa that, when played backwards, his song Maybe I'm Amazed has a lentil soup recipe.
04:53Linda and I both feel strongly about animal rights. In fact, if you play Maybe I'm Amazed backwards,
04:59you'll hear a recipe for a really ripping lentil soup.
05:02And, at the episode's close, a version of the song plays.
05:06Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man, who's in my pit of love, something.
05:11When this version is played backwards, you indeed do hear Paul reading a recipe for lentil soup.
05:16Maybe I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man, who's in my pit of love, something.
05:23We wish more songs came with recipes when played in reverse, rather than satanic messages.
05:42Number 5. Frank's Boast.
05:45The Simpsons is a show for nerds, by nerds.
05:48A great example of this is in the largely computer-animated treehouse of horror segment, Homer Cubed.
05:58When Homer finds himself trapped in the mysterious third dimension,
06:03the brainy Professor Frank tries to explain the situation.
06:06In the background around Homer are all kinds of sights, including a row of hexadecimal numbers.
06:11Hey, shut up!
06:13To the average viewer, including us, these don't mean anything.
06:20However, when converted to ASCII code, it translates to Frank rules.
06:25The Simpsons is the kind of show you can enjoy without a computer programming degree.
06:30But sometimes, you just gotta throw the nerds a bone.
06:32Nerd!
06:35Number 4. God's Hands.
06:36Like many cartoon characters, the Simpsons cast has four fingers on each hand.
06:42There are numerous advantages to this, including saving time on drawing an extra finger.
06:47However, one figure is granted a fifth digit during his rare appearances.
06:52Homer, it's a deal.
06:54Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to appear in a tortilla in Mexico.
06:58Whenever God appears on the show, he's typically rendered with five fingers on each hand.
07:02His son Jesus has been shown with five fingers as well, but sometimes he's depicted with four.
07:07Perhaps we should help.
07:09Squirrel her!
07:14Portraying revered figures such as these on a comedy show is inherently risky,
07:18so we understand the Simpsons staff wanting to be cautious with their depictions.
07:22God, I gotta ask you something.
07:24What's the meaning of life?
07:26Homer, I can't tell you that.
07:28And in terms of potential to offend, it is nothing compared to where Family Guy or South Park go.
07:35Number 3. Message to the Audience.
07:37The Simpsons has had a slightly complicated relationship with their fan base,
07:41and they're not shy to poke fun at them.
07:43You're a lifesaver, Homer. I can't deal with these hardcore fans.
07:47When Homer is exonerated after a false claim of sexual harassment,
07:51tabloid news show Rock Bottom issues a slew of corrections.
07:55In our mad pursuit of the scoop, we members of the press sometimes make mistakes.
08:01Rock Bottom would like to make the following corrections.
08:03These include,
08:04Lyndon Johnson did not provide the voice of Yosemite Sam,
08:07and Ted Koppel is a robot.
08:09This episode aired in the days before DVDs or streaming,
08:13so the only way to read it all is if you recorded it to VHS and carefully paused it.
08:18Then you would catch the message,
08:20if you are reading this, you have no life.
08:22The list does, however, end with the people who are writing this have no life.
08:27It truly takes one to know one.
08:28Wow, VHS isn't one eats gasoline.
08:31And Ted Koppel is a robot.
08:34Number 2. Maggie's Price.
08:36During the full opening credit sequence,
08:39infant Maggie Simpson is scanned at the grocery checkout line
08:42before a relieved Marge sees she's okay.
08:44The amount that popped up on the price reader during the original credits,
08:53$847.63,
08:56wasn't just picked randomly.
08:58This was reportedly the average monthly cost of raising a baby
09:01back when the show first premiered in 1989.
09:04When the opening was updated in 2009,
09:07it was changed so that Maggie instead doubles the cost of the groceries.
09:10That's definitely less stressful than adjusting for inflation,
09:19as $847 in 1989 is a lot more now.
09:23What?
09:24This is an outrage!
09:26Before we continue,
09:27be sure to subscribe to our channel
09:28and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos.
09:32You have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them.
09:35If you're on your phone,
09:36make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
09:42Number 1. Hidden McBain Movie.
09:44In multiple Simpsons episodes,
09:46we've seen clips of a movie called McBain,
09:49starring muscular Austrian action star Rainier Wolfcastle.
09:53I don't want to hear it, McBain!
09:55You're out of here!
09:59That makes two of us.
10:03While already hilarious in how they spoof ridiculous action movies,
10:07these scenes weren't just randomly chosen.
10:10When viewed in the right order,
10:11they form a cohesive, if over-the-top narrative,
10:15where McBain investigates a corrupt senator,
10:17fights his superiors,
10:19avenges his partner's death,
10:20and gets the girl.
10:22Although these clips are all from the show's first four seasons,
10:25it wasn't until 2011 that the hidden McBain movie
10:28became a part of Simpsons fan lore.
10:30This is truly a show that keeps on giving.
10:32Did you catch any of these Easter eggs?
10:37Let us know in the comments!
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