Ever since being acquired by the Mouse Home, The Simpsons has been producing a variety of synergistic shorts for Disney+, combining the world of Springfield with Disney-owned franchises like Star Wars and Marvel — however sadly not Die Exhausting or Fuzzbucket.
The newest quick, The Most Great Time of the 12 months, finds Sideshow Bob celebrating Halloween with a musical quantity that includes a number of the most well-known villains in Disney historical past, not counting present and former CEOs. Being a Sideshow Bob-centric story, naturally it options a number of references to his best non-human nemesis: the yard rake.
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As we’ve talked about earlier than, the drawn-out gag from Season 5’s “Cape Feare,” through which rake handles preserve smacking Bob within the face for a painfully very long time, was initially created as a technique to pad out the episode, which was working quick. Producer Sam Simon argued, “When one thing’s humorous, and you then do it a lot that it’s not humorous, for those who preserve doing it, it’d get actually humorous.”
The joke has subsequently turn out to be iconic, therefore why it’s been repeatedly referenced in subsequent Sideshow Bob episodes. Even in final week’s White Lotus parody, Bob brags that he’s turn out to be wealthy after inventing a rake with a collapsible deal with. Sadly for Bob, it nonetheless does a quantity on his junk.
The Most Great Time of the 12 months equally options some rake-based humor. At one level Loki creates an enchanted rake for Sideshow Bob to step on, and ultimately the entire thing even ends (spoiler alert for a two-minute cartoon) with Bob taking one final large rake to the face. As a curtain closes, Bob complains concerning the “drained gag” earlier than uttering his trademark grumble.
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This would possibly simply be the rake gag to finish all rake gags. Actually.
Whereas another experiences about basic Simpsons working jokes being scrapped for good turned to be inaccurate, this data comes straight from producer Al Jean. In an interview with Inverse, Jean revealed that the ultimate joke of the quick stemmed from director David Silverman. “I like the joke,” Jean proclaimed earlier than explaining that “the purpose of the gag was that we stored repeating it.” However then he added, “That’s the final time I’ll do it.”
Jean clarified that, whereas he believes the joke has run its course, he can’t make it an official Simpsons mandate. “I imply I can’t inform anyone else to not, however I’ve lastly had my fill,” Jean confessed.
Which is just a little stunning to listen to, particularly for the reason that poster for this quick was actually simply Sideshow Bob driving a flying rake.
We’ll need to see if Jean’s moratorium on rake jokes sticks or not. As a result of if there’s one actor who loves not letting previous character bits relaxation in peace, it’s Kelsey Grammer.
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