- 11 hours ago
The Simpsons have never been shy about poking fun at pop culture giants, and Disney is no exception. From sly jokes to outright parodies, they’ve taken numerous playful jabs at the House of Mouse over the years. Join us as we explore some of the most hilarious and clever moments where Springfield’s favorite family calls out Disney’s quirks and creations in classic Simpsons style.
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00:00Oh my god, full house.
00:04We're gonna win!
00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most trenchant digs at Disney on The
00:11Simpsons part.
00:12Minor spoilers to come.
00:20Number 30. Ratatouille.
00:22This Simpsons episode, like a certain Pixar film, featured some culinary animals.
00:27Marge loses her sight, which predictably throws The Simpsons' household into even more chaos than usual.
00:36Why did I bring the baby and the dog to the poison store?
00:39Homer walks into the kitchen to find it swarming with rats.
00:44Aw, rats in the kitchen! Just like that delightful movie I taped in the theater.
00:50Not only that, but one rat begins to control Homer.
00:53It's a fun and pretty spot-on spoof of the beloved Pixar original.
00:58Unlike Linguini, though, Homer is not as impressed by his rat's efforts and opts to find some rat poison.
01:03Anyone can be a cook, but not everyone can impress Homer.
01:07Mmm, this is good.
01:09Good, but not great. I'll go get some rat poison.
01:15Number 29. Radio Disney.
01:18Disney's tendency towards boulderization and squeaky-clean morality is mocked soundly with this bite-sized gag.
01:24In the car, Marge and Maggie listen to Radio Disney, which changes even the most vulgar of lyrics into wholesome
01:30family-friendly ones.
01:31Or, as The Simpsons put it,
01:38As it turns out, Radio Disney was actually a thing, the company launching it in 1996.
01:44It focused on playing contemporary hits for tweens and teens, as well as Disney's own hits.
01:49Editing suggestive lyrics where applicable.
01:51To find your local station or listen online, you can go to RadioDisney.com.
01:55It finally shut down in 2021, though not before the Simpsons parody.
02:01Ed, let the milk out! Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck!
02:05That's good satire. It doesn't hurt anyone.
02:09What do you think, Maggie?
02:10Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck!
02:12Number 28. Up.
02:13This series knows what's up.
02:15In this episode, a gush of Norwegian immigrants leads the town of Springfield to create a border patrol,
02:21known as the Star-Spangled Goofballs.
02:23But first, our group needs a name that evokes America's proud history of citizens rising up to defend our way
02:29of life.
02:30Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work out.
02:32Not in the least, because surveying the skies in the air leads to Lenny and Carl freezing in a balloon,
02:37along with Carl's flying balloon house.
02:40This is ground, loser. What's your position? Over.
02:43C-c-c-cold.
02:45So very cold.
02:47This isn't the only time The Simpsons referenced the 2009 Pixar film.
02:50It also poked fun at the film's famous married life sequence through the in-universe cartoon The Itchy and Scratchy
02:56Show.
02:56Hilarious.
03:10Number 27. Bear Nightmare.
03:12We definitely know if Homer would choose a man or a bear.
03:16In this episode, Homer meets a grizzly bear at the city dump.
03:27The almost incident turns Homer into a nervous wreck, and he begins to hallucinate all kinds of bears.
03:33Not just Paddington Bear and Smokey the Bear, but also Winnie the Pooh gets spoofed,
03:37now turned into bloodthirsty beasts out to get Homer.
03:43Are you a care bear?
03:45I'm an intensive care bear.
03:47The scene appropriately plays a score akin to the pink elephants on parade scene from Disney's Dumbo.
03:52That's two Disney references in one.
03:55Look out, look out.
03:57They're walking around the bed, on their head.
04:00Clippity-cloppity parade.
04:02In braid, pink elephants on parade.
04:05As always, The Simpsons was ahead of the curve with the whole evil Winnie the Pooh bit.
04:10Number 26. Disney Historical Park.
04:13Disney ruins everything, at least according to The Simpsons.
04:16A Springfield Elementary School trip goes awry when the historical park they go to suddenly begins to charge a fee
04:21per student.
04:23Five dollars a child? Last year it was free.
04:26Hmm, no ownership.
04:27Of course, the park is now owned by the Disney Company, which prevents the school from looking over the fence
04:33for free.
04:35Hey, they're trying to learn for free!
04:38Get them!
04:39Use your phony guns as clubs!
04:41Run, children!
04:43That and severe government budget cuts lead Springfield teachers to strike, leaving children adrift and Bart having to face the
04:50horrifying prospect of having his mother as his teacher.
04:53The House of Mouse's greedy, profit-loving ways have terrible consequences indeed, in both real life and the show.
04:59The PTA has disbanded!
05:03No, no, the PTA has not disbanded!
05:09Number 25. Disney Couch Gag.
05:12The series' famous couch gags are among the most beloved in its history.
05:16One of the most creative is this special sequence from episode 19 of season 27.
05:28Created by award-winning Disney animator Eric Goldberg, this intricate gag is an homage parody of the company's long history.
05:34Beginning with a spoof of the black-and-white Mickey Mouse episodes, it leads to Lisa's Cinderella.
05:45Marge's segment references Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Homer is Baloo from The Jungle Book, and Bart is the
05:51Sorcerer's Apprentice from Fantasia.
05:53What a tribute!
05:59Number 24. Bambi's Mom and Walt Disney.
06:03It's an oldie, but a goodie.
06:04The Simpsons' second Treehouse of Horror special begins with a tour of gravestones in the Springfield Cemetery, including two Disney
06:11references.
06:14The tombstone of Bambi's Mom references that infamous death scene from the Disney classic.
06:19Still too soon.
06:24There is also a tombstone of Walt Disney, referencing not just the company's founder, but an old legend about his
06:30death.
06:30This theory posits that Disney's body was frozen so that he could be reanimated in the future.
06:35Sure enough, Disney's tombstone has some snow.
06:38This is horrific, alright.
06:42Number 23. Cartoon Cult.
06:45Sometimes the show's digs at Disney are more of a subtle nature.
06:48In this episode, Homer and a huge chunk of the town get brainwashed into joining a cult called the Movementarians.
06:54The circle of judgment never fails to destroy their self-esteem.
06:58Then he'll be ours to mold.
07:00They promise their followers a life on a new planet on their intergalactic spaceship.
07:04In the compound, Homer and the rest of the loyal followers even spot the mysterious leader,
07:08waving a white-gloved hand out of the window of his Rolls-Royce.
07:12Boy, we get to see the leader pass by.
07:14We toil in the fields and he rides around in a Rolls-Royce?
07:17Yes, it would be nice to feed by American, but what are you gonna do?
07:21While the cult is an obvious spoof of Scientology and the Heaven's Gate cult,
07:25the white glove is actually a reference to Mickey Mouse himself.
07:28Ouch.
07:29Fox also gets lampooned, and that of course is now also owned by Disney.
07:34It's wonderful to think for ourselves again.
07:37You said it, sister.
07:38You are watching Fox.
07:40We are watching Fox.
07:45Back in 1928, Mickey Mouse began to whistle a tune so catchy,
07:49it turned this animated short into a staple of pop culture.
07:59And wouldn't you know it, Itchy and Scratchy have a very similar origin.
08:03A bit too similar, actually.
08:05Steamboat Itchy.
08:10Yeah, everything from the title to the black and white to the whistling rhythm
08:13is a total rip-off of Disney's classic short.
08:15Just with a lot more violence.
08:18The Simpsons isn't one for loving homages.
08:20It's a good thing Disney owns the show now,
08:22because at the time,
08:23David Silverman was sure they were gonna get sued over the cheeky joke.
08:30Number 21.
08:32Inside Out.
08:33The show has been around so long,
08:35it is able to parody Pixar's later films.
08:37In this episode,
08:39Homer falls into a poker habit.
08:41He ends up promising Lisa that if he wins big,
08:43Homer will be able to send her to band camp.
08:45Anyway, it's a little pricey.
08:47So, if you win big tonight,
08:49maybe you can help make a little girl really happy.
08:52Don't worry, sweetie.
08:53I'm gonna win, and you know why?
08:56Alas, Homer's biggest enemy is Homer himself,
08:59as his anthropomorphic emotions
09:00encourage him to keep his poker face up.
09:03That means Lisa goes to band camp!
09:05As long as Homer doesn't let them know how good his hand is!
09:09That is, of course, a very close parody of Pixar's Inside Out.
09:13Unfortunately, Homer precipitates himself and loses big.
09:16The consequences of referencing Disney are still very great.
09:21Blow the whole damn thing to hell!
09:23That would be terrible.
09:25Worst jammed-in movie parody ever.
09:28Come on, Homer!
09:29Poker face!
09:32Gah, stupid git!
09:36Even more than a year after its release,
09:39Frozen continued to rage on.
09:47When the latest Simpsons Christmas special came to town,
09:51a reference to the Disney blockbuster seemed inevitable.
09:54This couch gag naturally casts Lisa as the misunderstood Elsa,
09:57with Marge as Anna,
09:59Bart as Kristoff,
10:00Maggie as a troll,
10:01and Santa's little helper sporting Sven's reindeer antlers.
10:05Bart isn't interested in building a snowman,
10:07but he instigates a snowball fight.
10:09The cold doesn't bother Lisa,
10:11but Bart does,
10:12retaliating against him with an ice palace.
10:18Homer also appears as Olaf,
10:21in the market for a new nose.
10:22Since then,
10:23Krusty, Patty, Selma,
10:25and Principal Skinner
10:25have had their own frozen experiences,
10:27with the storm showing no end in sight.
10:29Number 19.
10:31Homer meets Genie
10:32We all know Dan Castellaneta
10:35as the voice of Homer Simpson.
10:36However,
10:37did you know that Castellaneta
10:39also filled in for Robin Williams
10:40as the genie in The Return of Jafar,
10:42the Aladdin TV series,
10:44and the Kingdom Hearts games?
10:45Please, kid,
10:46leave the intros to a professional.
10:48The one and only
10:49Genie of the Lamp!
10:51Universes collide in this episode
10:53where Homer has an Arabian nightmare.
10:55Riding a magic carpet,
10:56Homer rubs a lamp
10:57to release a blue genie,
10:58voiced by Castellaneta.
11:00Just like the Disney version,
11:02this genie has a never-ending
11:03arsenal of impressions up his sleeve,
11:05including Jack Nicholson.
11:07There's Genie!
11:09Now do Flanders!
11:10It's all fun and pop culture references
11:12until the genie starts
11:14transforming Western society,
11:16much to a misguided Homer's horror.
11:18Nobody can top Williams,
11:20but this in-joke
11:21has us looking back
11:22at Castellaneta's genie
11:23with fonder memories.
11:25Number 18.
11:26Shady and the Vamp
11:27The Simpsons has parodied
11:29Lady and the Tramp
11:30numerous times,
11:31particularly the iconic
11:32Postacus,
11:33which works just as well
11:34with a chili dog.
11:37Mmmmm.
11:38Footlong chili dog.
11:45In season 19,
11:46Cho dedicated an entire segment
11:48to the 1955 tale of puppy love.
11:50At first,
11:51the parody sticks closely
11:53to the film
11:53with Marge
11:54as an aristocratic dog
11:55and Homer as a mutt
11:56from the other side
11:57of the dog track.
11:58Things take a darker turn
12:00when the Vamp
12:00becomes pregnant
12:01and Shady
12:02straight up abandons her.
12:03That's odd.
12:04I'm never sick
12:05in the morning.
12:06What could it be?
12:07Is that a fox hunt
12:09I hear?
12:14Shady does come around
12:15to fatherhood
12:16following a misadventure
12:17at the pound,
12:18complete with a goofy
12:19knockoff.
12:19This place is no picnic,
12:21but it sure beats
12:22working for Disney.
12:24You'll all be working
12:25for Disney soon enough.
12:26However,
12:27Shady isn't prepared
12:28for how many puppies
12:29the Vamp has.
12:30Where's Cruella
12:31when you need her?
12:32Number 17.
12:33Trash-Talking
12:34California Adventure
12:35Nowadays,
12:37California Adventure
12:38is regarded
12:39as a worthy addition
12:40to the Disneyland Resort
12:41with several
12:42must-see attractions.
12:44This wasn't
12:45always the case.
12:46Opening with
12:47a massive amount
12:47of hype,
12:48many were disappointed
12:49with the lack
12:50of Disney signature magic.
12:51It's all the fun,
12:52all the adventures
12:53of California
12:54as only Disney
12:54could do it.
12:55Are you mouse enough?
12:57Before Bob Iger
12:58initiated an overdue makeover,
13:00The Simpsons
13:01expressed their frustration
13:02with the park
13:02in an episode
13:03fittingly titled
13:04The Great Louse Detective.
13:06At a prison packed
13:07with killers
13:08and other criminals,
13:09the kids note
13:09that it's still
13:10a better family destination
13:11than Disneyland's
13:12lesser neighbor.
13:13I don't think
13:14this was a great place
13:15to bring the children.
13:17It still beats
13:17Disney's California Adventure.
13:19Mm-hmm.
13:20Homer and Marge
13:21can't argue otherwise.
13:22With Mother Simpson
13:23on the run
13:24in another episode,
13:25Homer plots to hide
13:26her somewhere
13:26virtually deserted.
13:28Want to take a guess
13:29what the punchline is?
13:31Mom,
13:32I'm gonna hide you
13:32where there's no one
13:33around for miles.
13:35Disney's California Adventure.
13:39Avengers Campus
13:40can't get here soon enough.
13:42Number 16,
13:43Lisa and the Seven Dwarfs.
13:45Before commencing
13:46this timeless tale,
13:47Lisa reminds
13:48Springfield's resident lawyer
13:49that Snow White
13:50is a public domain fairy tale.
13:51The story you're about
13:53to tell is the copyrighted
13:54property of the
13:55Walt Disney Corporation.
13:56Can you sharpen these?
13:57Excuse me,
13:58but Snow White
13:59is a fairy tale
13:59from hundreds of years ago.
14:01No one owns that.
14:02While Lisa's version
14:03also takes a few notes
14:04from the Disney classic,
14:06parody is thankfully
14:07fair use.
14:08Not only are the Dwarfs
14:09assigned clever names
14:10that align with
14:11their Simpsons counterparts,
14:12but we also get
14:13an earworm of a song
14:15that echoes
14:15Hi-Ho.
14:24Lisa casts herself
14:25as the titular princess
14:26with groundskeeper
14:27Willie playing
14:28the huntsman.
14:29Unlike Snow White,
14:31Lisa is smart enough
14:32to realize when someone
14:33is offering her
14:34a poisoned apple.
14:35The queen thus
14:36forces it down her throat.
14:37Instead of a prince,
14:39Lisa is saved
14:40by a female doctor,
14:41which honestly sounds
14:42like something
14:43that would happen
14:43in a live-action
14:44Disney remake.
14:45And she lived happily
14:46ever after?
14:47Well, she couldn't indulge
14:48in strenuous activities
14:49like handball,
14:51but otherwise,
14:51she was fine.
14:52That's nice.
14:54Number 15.
14:55Bill Cipher
14:56Shows like Gravity Falls
14:58provide the missing link
14:59between Disney
14:59and The Simpsons.
15:00The series might have aired
15:01on Disney's
15:02kid-oriented networks,
15:03but the writing
15:04channeled The Simpsons' wit.
15:05This should be fun!
15:07Remember,
15:07reality is an illusion,
15:08the universe is a hologram,
15:10buy gold, buy!
15:12Unsurprisingly,
15:13creator Alex Hirsch
15:14grew up watching
15:15The Simpsons,
15:15knowing the show
15:16so well that he could
15:17differentiate seasons
15:18based on the size
15:19of the character's pupils.
15:20It was a dream come true
15:22for Hirsch
15:22when he got to lend
15:23his voice to The Simpsons
15:24as Gravity Falls'
15:25greatest threat,
15:26Bill Cipher.
15:27The Norse god
15:28of mischief Loki
15:29takes on various forms
15:30in this episode,
15:31including Bill,
15:32who has gone from
15:33endorsing gold
15:33to championing crypto.
15:35Buy crypto, suckers!
15:37Granted,
15:38this all might be
15:38an appetizer-induced fantasy,
15:40but as Bill would say,
15:41reality itself
15:42is an illusion.
15:44Number 14,
15:45Mouse Ears
15:47Upon release,
15:48The Simpsons movie
15:49was the highest-grossing
15:50non-Disney
15:51traditionally animated feature.
15:53We guess that record
15:54technically doesn't apply anymore
15:55seeing as how the film
15:56has become a Disney property.
15:58I don't know what to tell you,
15:59Marge!
16:00I don't think about things!
16:02This makes the film's digs
16:03at Disney even funnier.
16:05If you thought the death
16:06of Bambi's mother
16:07was traumatic,
16:08just wait until you see
16:09Homer and Marge
16:10get a fairytale happy ending
16:11in front of Alaska's
16:12woodland critters.
16:19Mickey isn't safe
16:20from ridicule either.
16:22Rummaging through luggage,
16:23Bart plops a black bra
16:24on his head.
16:25With a high-pitched voice,
16:27he imitates
16:27Disney's corporate mascot.
16:29Bart may be chuckling now,
16:31but in just over a decade,
16:32he'll have to put on
16:33a pair of mouse ears
16:34for real.
16:35What are you doing up there?
16:36Looking through
16:37people's luggage.
16:38I'm the mascot
16:39of an evil corporation.
16:41Get down from there.
16:43We suppose Mickey
16:44got the last laugh.
16:46Number 13.
16:47Boozing with Goofy
16:48The Simpsons has produced
16:50a few Disney Plus
16:51exclusive shorts,
16:52including the villain-themed
16:53Welcome to the Club.
16:55Villains get to sing
16:56diabolical tunes,
16:58which become
16:58drag show favorites.
17:012021's Plusiversary
17:02packs the most
17:03Disney references.
17:04Some feared that
17:05franchises like
17:06The Simpsons might be
17:07toned down
17:08under the mouse's umbrella.
17:09This short solidified
17:11that this wouldn't
17:11be the case.
17:12On the contrary,
17:14Disney allowed
17:14The Simpsons to depict
17:15some of their most
17:16treasured characters
17:16in a more mature light.
17:18Most notably,
17:19Goofy throws back
17:20a few beers with Homer.
17:22Some days,
17:23you just don't feel
17:24like being goofy,
17:26you know?
17:30I don't know
17:31if you're a cow
17:32or a dog,
17:33but you're
17:33definitely a downer.
17:35Hey,
17:35it's not as bad
17:36as when Goofy
17:37was a smoker.
17:38Characters from
17:39Pixar,
17:39Star Wars,
17:40and Marvel
17:40are present
17:41to hear Lisa's song
17:42about streaming,
17:43the world's
17:43most lucrative
17:44babysitter.
17:54It's the moment
17:55where The Simpsons
17:56making fun of Disney
17:57became Disney
17:58making fun of Disney.
18:00Number 12,
18:01Duff Gardens.
18:02Although the name
18:03is a play on
18:04bush gardens,
18:05Duff Gardens
18:05takes just as many
18:06shots at Disneyland.
18:08In addition to
18:09The Seven Duffs
18:09and Beer Hall
18:10of Presidents,
18:11the park's main
18:12attraction is
18:12The Little Land of Duff.
18:14Sending up
18:15It's a Small World
18:15with a song
18:16you'll find
18:16either incredibly
18:17catchy or annoying,
18:19the boat ride
18:19unites all the
18:20cultures of the
18:21world in their
18:21mutual love of
18:22liquor.
18:30It's hilarious
18:31that nobody
18:32questions the
18:33alcoholic branding
18:34of this supposed
18:34family-friendly park.
18:36The kids might
18:36not be old enough
18:37to drink beer,
18:38but nothing is
18:39stopping Lisa
18:40from drinking
18:40the ride's water.
18:41What was already
18:43a surreal ride
18:43becomes even
18:44trippier,
18:45sending the
18:45Lizard Queen
18:46running into
18:47the Main Street
18:48Electrical Parade.
18:51I can see
18:53the music.
18:55Number 11,
18:55Underwater Wonderland.
18:57The same year
18:58The Simpsons
18:59made its debut
18:59as a series,
19:00Disney kicked off
19:01an animation
19:02renaissance
19:02with The Little Mermaid.
19:03Listen to me.
19:04The human world,
19:06it's a mess.
19:07Life under the sea
19:08is better than
19:09anything they got
19:10up there.
19:11As different as
19:12they are,
19:12both projects would
19:13change the medium
19:14forever.
19:15They ultimately
19:16merged five years
19:17later when Homer
19:17finds himself in
19:18hot water.
19:19To escape the
19:20allegations against
19:21him, Homer proposes
19:22that his family move
19:23away, under the sea.
19:25Under the sea,
19:27under the sea,
19:40Homer envisions
19:40an underwater
19:41wonderland where
19:42the media can't
19:43get to him and
19:43there are plenty
19:44of sea friends to
19:45eat.
19:46Singing a joyous
19:47song while stuffing
19:48his face, Homer
19:49leaves a trail of
19:50aquatic skeletons
19:51behind.
19:51Leave it to Marge
19:53to burst Homer's
19:53bubble.
19:54Homer, that's your
19:55solution to everything,
19:56to move under the
19:56sea.
19:57It's not gonna
19:57happen.
19:58Not with that
19:59attitude.
20:00Homer has seen
20:01The Little Mermaid
20:02one too many times.
20:03That is, until he
20:04records over it.
20:06Number 10, The
20:0720th Century Fox
20:08Acquisition.
20:09The title of this
20:10season 10 episode,
20:11When You Dish
20:12Upon a Star, is an
20:13obvious take on the
20:14Disney anthem, When
20:15You Wish Upon a
20:16Star.
20:17While the episode has
20:17nothing to do with
20:18Pinocchio, it did
20:19predict that the
20:20stars would one day
20:21align for Disney to
20:22purchase the show's
20:23parent company, Fox.
20:24Through a visual gag,
20:25it's noted that
20:2620th Century Fox is a
20:27division of Walt
20:28Disney Company.
20:29At the time, this was
20:30presumably poking fun at
20:31Disney's recent
20:32acquisitions of the
20:33ABC and ESPN
20:34networks.
20:35The joke wound up
20:36being even more
20:37relevant nearly 20
20:38years later, however,
20:39when Disney entered
20:40negotiations to
20:41purchase Fox.
20:42The deal officially
20:43went through in
20:43March 2019, making
20:45The Simpsons part of
20:46the Disney family.
20:48Number 9, Copyright
20:49Expired.
20:50It's no secret that
20:51Disney is very
20:52protective of its
20:53property.
20:53If your product invites
20:55too much comparison
20:56to the Disney brand,
20:57a lawsuit is likely
20:58on the horizon.
20:59So when Principal
21:00Skinner uses the
21:01slogan, the happiest
21:02place on earth for
21:03the school carnival,
21:04Disneyland threatens
21:05to sue Springfield
21:06Elementary.
21:07The happiest place
21:08on earth is a
21:09registered Disneyland
21:10copyright.
21:11Well, gentlemen,
21:12it's just a small
21:13school carnival.
21:14And it's heading
21:15for a great big
21:15lawsuit.
21:16What Disney's lawyers
21:17don't realize is that
21:18Skinner was a Green
21:19Beret in the United
21:20States Army.
21:21Before a legal battle
21:22can ensue, Skinner
21:23commences a literal
21:24battle that leaves
21:25the lawyer and one
21:26of his bodyguards
21:27whimpering on the
21:28ground.
21:28Another Disney minion
21:29attempts to get away,
21:31but Skinner sends
21:31him packing with a
21:32mouse-eared briefcase.
21:36Copyright
21:36expired.
21:37Of course, now that
21:38Disney owns The
21:39Simpsons, we shouldn't
21:41expect any more
21:41copyright wars.
21:43Number 8, Sherry
21:44Bobbins.
21:45This practically
21:46perfect episode
21:47parodies Disney's
21:48Mary Poppins,
21:49although Sherry
21:50Bobbins claims up
21:51front that she is an
21:52original creation.
21:53Did you say Mary Popp?
21:54No, I definitely
21:55did not.
21:56I'm an original
21:57creation like Ricky
21:58Rouse and
21:58Monald Muck.
21:59Julie Andrews
22:00herself was actually
22:01set to voice this
22:02send-up of her
22:03iconic character,
22:04but the producers
22:04ultimately gave the
22:05role to Maggie
22:06Roswell, the voice
22:07of Maude Flanders.
22:08If you cut every
22:12corner, it is really
22:14not so bad.
22:16Everybody does it,
22:18even Mom and
22:19Dad.
22:19The episode puts
22:20several satirical
22:21spins on classic
22:22Sherman Brothers
22:23songs, including
22:24The Perfect Nanny,
22:25A Spoonful of Sugar,
22:26and Feed the Birds.
22:27We also get
22:28groundskeeper Willie
22:29channeling Bert and
22:30Mr. Burns flying a kite.
22:32I feel practically
22:33super-duper
22:34Frederick Kelly
22:34egg-feeling.
22:37It's this strange
22:39sensation in my chest.
22:40I think your heart's
22:41beating again.
22:42Oh, that takes me
22:43back.
22:44Unlike the Banks
22:45family, though,
22:45the Simpsons remain
22:46completely dysfunctional,
22:48prompting Sherry to fly
22:49away with her umbrella.
22:50Do you think we'll
22:51ever see her again?
22:52I'm sure we will,
22:54honey.
22:54Number 7.
22:55See my vest.
22:57In addition to
22:58referencing the famous
22:58spaghetti scene from
22:59Lady and the Tramp,
23:00this episode largely
23:01satirizes 101 Dalmatians.
23:03I'm sure he's plotting
23:05some brilliant scheme
23:06to get those puppies.
23:07When the Simpsons find
23:08themselves looking after
23:0925 Greyhound puppies,
23:11Mr. Burns kidnaps the
23:12dogs in order to make
23:13them into a tuxedo.
23:14Instead of Cruella de Vil's
23:16song, however,
23:17Burns borrows a few
23:18notes from the BR guest
23:19number in Beauty and
23:20the Beast.
23:20See my vest.
23:24See my vest made from
23:25real gorilla chest.
23:27Feel this sweater.
23:28There's no better than
23:29authentic Irish setter.
23:31Sadly, the puppies won't
23:32be the first animals to
23:33have died in the name of
23:34fashion, as Mr. Burns shows
23:36off his wardrobe of
23:37turtle's necks, grizzly
23:38bear underwear, and a vest
23:40made from gorilla chest.
23:49Byrne sings the tune with
23:50the same upbeat charisma
23:51as Lumiere, which is
23:53hysterically at odds with
23:54its grim, even graphic
23:55subject matter.
24:01Number 6.
24:03Disneyland.
24:04A not-so-subtle imitation
24:06of various Disney parks,
24:07Disneyland is briefly seen
24:09in Season 2.
24:10The amusement park
24:11resurfaces in Season 26,
24:13and this time the writers
24:14come off as much more
24:15cynical, describing it as
24:17the happiest hell on
24:18Earth.
24:18A lengthy car trip is
24:20followed by an even more
24:21tedious journey simply to
24:22enter the park.
24:24Look!
24:24I see land!
24:29Once inside, the Simpsons
24:31end up bleeding their
24:32wallets dry and sitting
24:33through repetitive rides.
24:34I just want to sit down,
24:36but the line for the
24:37bench is too long.
24:38The episode also draws
24:40attention to Disney's
24:40acquisition of Star Wars
24:42and the overhaul to make
24:43Pirates of the Caribbean
24:44more politically correct.
24:46They revamped this ride
24:47because of massive
24:48complaints from two people.
24:51No means no.
24:53We know now.
24:55A Springfield-themed area
24:56is currently located at
24:57Universal Studios, but it'll
24:59be beyond ironic if
25:01Simpsons attractions start
25:02popping up in Disneyland
25:03later down the line.
25:06At any Oscar or Golden
25:08Globe ceremony, Pixar is
25:10almost always a safe bet for
25:11Best Animated Feature.
25:13The creative team from
25:14Mixar!
25:15Pardon me.
25:16I have seen all of your
25:17movies except Cars.
25:19When Bart's short film
25:20garners award buzz, he
25:21faces fierce competition in
25:23an animation powerhouse
25:24called Mixar.
25:25One of the key Mixar
25:27personnel is the spitting
25:28image of John Lasseter,
25:29from the glasses to the
25:30Hawaiian shirt.
25:31The Mixar staff is not
25:33quick to make friends with
25:34the competition, enlisting
25:35Randy Newman to sing a song
25:36entitled You've Got an
25:38Enemy.
25:38You better have nine
25:40lights because we have
25:42eight nights.
25:43Yes, you've got an
25:44enemy.
25:47You've got an
25:48enemy.
25:50They also have a giant
25:51Luxo lamp, Mr. Carrot
25:53Head, and a Wally-like
25:54robot in their corner.
25:55The Mixar short in
25:57contention is Condiments, a
25:59CGI western that spoofs
26:00Pixar's tendency to give
26:01inanimate objects life,
26:02and create worlds within
26:04worlds.
26:05Timmy's coming!
26:06Assume your positions!
26:08And yes, this episode
26:09predated Sausage Party.
26:12Number 4.
26:12Epcot Center.
26:14Let's be honest, if
26:15you're going to visit a
26:15Florida theme park, Epcot
26:17probably isn't top of the
26:19list.
26:19The Simpsons' Epcot Center
26:21does little to distinguish
26:22itself from Epcot, with
26:24its signature structure being
26:25a large geodesic sphere.
26:27Homer is bored from the
26:28second they fly over the
26:29park, which is advertised as
26:30the place you go when
26:31everything else is booked.
26:33The park's vision of the
26:34future apparently hasn't
26:35been updated since the late
26:3660s, and it really shows.
26:39The world of tomorrow.
26:41Don't walk.
26:42Fly in your personal
26:44Eastern Airlines air buggy.
26:46Eventually, Homer decides
26:48to make a break for
26:48Disney World, although he is
26:50horrified to learn that the
26:51churros are $14.
26:59As many jabs as the episode
27:01takes at Epcot, the writers
27:03have to admit that Disney
27:04parks do have some incredible
27:06restaurants.
27:07Number 3.
27:08Itchy the Lucky Mouse.
27:10We all know who Walt Disney
27:11is, but fewer people are
27:13familiar with Mickey's co-creator
27:14Ub Iwerks.
27:15That's the first itchy cartoon
27:16ever made, and it was made by
27:18me, Chester J.
27:20In this episode, it's revealed
27:22that Roger Myers stole the
27:23character Itchy from another
27:24animator in 1928, the same
27:27year Mickey made his debut.
27:28This doesn't exactly parallel
27:30Disney and Iwerks' partnership
27:31as both played a hand in
27:32creating Mickey, but that
27:33being said, there's no denying
27:35that the public associates
27:36Mickey more with Disney than
27:37Iwerks.
27:38Okay, maybe my dad did steal
27:40Itchy, but so what?
27:42Animation is built on
27:44plagiarism.
27:45Roger Myers is clearly meant
27:46to be a Walt Disney parody,
27:48right down to a line about him
27:49being cryogenically frozen.
27:50I lost everything.
27:52I can't even keep my dad's
27:53head in the freaking
27:54cryogenic center anymore.
27:57Of course, this episode
27:59could also be seen as a shot
28:00at Charles Mintz, a distributor
28:02who took control of Oswald
28:03the Lucky Rabbit away from
28:04his creators, Disney and Iwerks.
28:07Number two, the Roger Myers
28:09story.
28:10We're now approaching our
28:11final destination, Itchy and
28:12Scratchyland, the amusement
28:14park of the future where
28:15nothing can possibly go wrong.
28:16A vacation to Itchy and
28:18Scratchyland invites
28:19numerous possibilities for
28:20parodies, including a
28:21documentary about fictional
28:23founder Roger Myers Sr.
28:24Roger Myers Sr., the gentle
28:26genius behind Itchy and
28:28Scratchy, loved and cared
28:30about almost all the
28:31peoples of the world.
28:32And he, in return, was
28:34beloved by the world, except
28:36in 1938 when he was
28:38criticized for his
28:39controversial cartoon,
28:40Nazi Supermen are our
28:42superiors.
28:43The documentary depicts
28:44Myers as a seemingly
28:45wholesome figure who
28:46actually had a few
28:47skeletons in his closet.
28:48Just as Walt Disney has been
28:50accused by some of being
28:51anti-Semitic, Myers landed
28:53in hot water for his
28:54controversial cartoon,
28:55Nazi Supermen are our
28:56superiors.
29:04Myers' filmography also
29:05includes an ultra-violent
29:06version of The Sorcerer's
29:08Apprentice entitled
29:09Scratch-Tasia.
29:18His follow-up feature is a
29:20Pinocchio parody called
29:21Pinicchio, which is perhaps
29:23even more shocking than the
29:24original novel by Carlo
29:25Collodi.
29:26A manic Scratchy robot
29:27destroys the screen before
29:29the documentary's conclusion,
29:30but we can't help but wonder
29:31if Itchy and Scratchy ever
29:32got the Bambi treatment.
29:37When the late Bleeding Gums
29:39Murphy appears to Lisa in
29:40the sky, it's hard not to
29:41think about Mufasa's
29:42heavenly message to Simba.
29:55Actually, Mufasa appears
29:57alongside Bleeding Gums
29:58with Darth Vader and
29:59James Earl Jones.
30:00While the Lion King
30:01Lampoon is evident,
30:02there's another joke that
30:04might have flown over your
30:05head.
30:05Mufasa accidentally says
30:07Kimba instead of Simba.
30:08Animation fans will know
30:10that this is a reference to
30:11Kimba the White Lion,
30:12an anime series from the
30:1360s that shares an
30:14astonishing amount in
30:15common with the Disney
30:16film.
30:24Lion King directors Roger
30:25Allers and Rob Minkoff
30:26claim they had no
30:27knowledge of the anime
30:28while making their film,
30:29but this moment seems to be
30:31suggesting that somebody at
30:32Disney was familiar with it.
30:34Which other Disney
30:35reference did you spot in
30:36The Simpsons?
30:36Let us know in the comments
30:37below.
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