The Simpsons is a popular American animated television series created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company in 1989. The series followed the lives of bumbling husband and father Homer (Dan Castellaneta), well-meaning wife and mother Marge (Julie Kavner), mischievous ten year old son and brother Bart (Nancy Cartwright), intelligent eight year old daughter and sister Lisa (Yeardley Smith), and infant Maggie. With over 500 half hour episodes, the series remains one of the longest running American television shows.
Our Gang references[]
| Pictures | Episode | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
"Marge vs. the Monorail" January 14, 1993 |
The Rascals' earliest known Simpsons reference was a brief mention in this season four episode. Guest star Leonard Nimoy asks Joe Quimby (Castellaneta) if he knows who he is. Quimby asks if he was one of the Little Rascals. |
| "Radioactive Man" September 24, 1995 |
Recurring character Moe Szyslak (Hank Azaria) reveals that he was once a member of the original Little Rascals. He holds up a movie poster reading "The Little Rascals in Laff And A Haff. Featured in the poster is a young Moe, surrounded by "Simpsonized" versions of Stymie, Alfalfa, Buckwheat, Chubby, Spanky, and Pete. Homer asks Moe if he played "the ugly one." "No, I was the tough kid, Smelly," Moe replies. "My shtick was looking into an exhaust pipe and getting a face full of soot. Nobody could do that better than me. Of course, it was kind of hard to think of reasons for me to look in that exhaust pipe every time, but, you know -- we had good writers. William Faulkner can write an exhaust pipe gag that would really make you think." Barney Gumble (Castellaneta) then asks Moe why he is no longer a movie star. A flashback to the filming of a Rascals short is shown, in which the Gang (a young Moe, along with Spanky, Darla, Stymie, Chubby, Alfalfa, and Pete) are playing a game of marbles. LeRoy Shield's Good Old Days theme underscores the scene. Moe accidentally shoots his marble into the exhaust pipe of a nearby truck. Alfalfa heads towards the exhaust pipe to retrieve the marble, only to receive a face full of soot. An angered Moe begins smashing Alfalfa's head into the ground, shouting "You stole my bit!" A man interrupts, exclaiming "He's killed the original Alfalfa!" In the present, adult Moe explains that Alfalfa was an orphan owned by the studio. Note: Chubby never appeared during the Spanky and Alfalfa years. | |
|
"Homer the Smithers" February 25, 1996 |
Marge is awoken by Homer and reassures him: "Homie, it's 4:30 in the morning. Little Rascals isn't on until 6." "I know, I'm taping," Homer responds. |
| "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken" January 17, 1999 |
In one scene, Bart, Lisa, and their friends go through a hole in the fence, dragging a wagon of electronics with them. Milhouse is dressed as Alfalfa. Accompanying the kids is a dog that bears a strong resemblance to Pete. The scene irises in on the dog, who winks at the camera, while a parody of "Good Old Days" plays in the background. | |
| "The Musk Who Fell to Earth" January 25, 2015 |
A news item from Kent Brockman (Kenny Brokelstein): "Attention fans of the Little Rascals! the last of them died today in Palm Springs." |
Connections[]
- Susan Blu provided voices for the series. Blu was also a voice actress in the Little Rascals animated series.
- Phil Hartman provided voices for both The Simpsons and the animated Rascals series. He was also a cast member on Saturday Night Live
- Russi Taylor provided voices for both The Simpsons and the animated Rascals series.
- Frank Welker provided voices for both The Simpsons and the animated Rascals series.