Top 20 Times Shows Made Fun of The Simpsons

“Animaniacs” (1993-98)

If you want to make it in showbiz, having a few famous friends doesn’t hurt. Even if you don’t have any well-known contacts, that shouldn’t stop you from doing the schmooze. Yakko, Wakko, and Dot name-drop several A-listers in this song, although only one is a fellow toon. As Dot brags about suggesting that the eldest Simpson child be named Bart, a familiar hairdo wanders across the screen. Of course, this boy has eight spikes instead of nine, avoiding any copyright lawsuits. Getting Bart to cameo probably wouldn’t have been that hard since Nancy Cartwright also voices Mindy. In reality, Matt Groening conceived the name Bart as an anagram of Brat. Dot might bend the truth, but that’s how you do the schmooze.

“101 Dalmatians: The Series” (1997-98)

“The Simpsons” delivered one of their funniest Disney send-ups with the episode “Two Dozen and One Greyhounds.” Whether intentional or not, “101 Dalmatians: The Series” would bring things full circle three years later. In this quote-unquote behind-the-scenes episode, the Dalmatians list several potential angles they considered for the series. One included a primetime satire that recreates the Simpsons’ living room to a T. Lucky, Cadpig, and Rolly model themselves after Bart, Lisa, and Maggie for a couch gag. Unfortunately, there isn’t enough room on the couch for the other puppies, causing the couch to fall through the floor. This parody could actually pass as a legitimate “Simpsons” couch gag. All that’s missing is a song about seeing Mr. Burns’ vest.

“Solar Opposites” (2020-)

In the Season One finale of this sci-fi sitcom, Terry and Korvo reminisce about the wacky shenanigans they’ve gotten into since arriving on Earth. While some of these memories call back to past episodes, we hear about a few others for the first time. Namely, the Solar Opposites and the Simpsons went head to head with the Monstars on the basketball court. Homer, Bart, and Marge were all present, although it looks like the Solar Opposites did most of the hard work with Terry wearing Michael Jordan’s number. Man, why couldn’t this have been the plot to “Space Jam: A New Legacy?” Or at least gotten its own episode? In a way, though, not knowing how this team-up came to fruition makes the joke funnier.

“Drawn Together” (2004-07)

No cartoon is safe in this animated reality show. “The Simpsons” was an obvious target with the characters occasionally popping up in the background. The most savage example occurred in Season Two with Bart and Lisa’s skeletons being found between the ceiling and attic floor. As if that wasn’t gruesome enough, a live-action cow terrorizes Springfield in the same episode. It’s worth noting that Connecticut is canonized as the state Springfield is located in - at least as far as this universe is concerned. This clever in-joke is easy to miss, as we cut to the mayhem the mad cow has unleashed upon the Simpson household. Don’t have a cow, man. No seriously, we want nothing to do with this cow. Also, did Bart die twice?

“Married... with Children” (1987-97)

During the network’s infancy, two suburban sitcoms helped shape the Fox network’s edgy identity: “The Simpsons” and “Married... with Children.” Both centered on families with smark-aleck children, a beautiful matriarch, and a patriarch who isn’t especially bright. The most apparent difference is that one show was animated while the other was live-action. That didn’t stop “Married... with Children” from treating Al Bundy like a cartoon character. In Season 7, Peggy draws a character named Mr. Empty Pants, who resembles Al. Peggy tells him to embrace his newfound fame, although Al insists he isn’t a cartoon like Homer Simpson. “The Simpsons” writers took plenty of shots at the Bundys, but we wonder if they had this episode in mind when Bart created Angry Dad.

“The Big Bang Theory” (2007-19)

Is there really a problem with Apu? Wherever you stand on the debate, Hank Azaria hasn’t voiced the Kwik-E-Mart proprietor since 2017. Almost a decade earlier, Howard Wolowitz gave his two cents. Raj goes out with Penny on what may or may not be a date. Howard encourages Leonard not to stand idly by while Penny is with “Dr. Apu,” drawing the parallel since Rajs is also from India. When Leonard finds this comment offensive, Howard responds with the argument that white people typically make: Apu is a cherished “Simpsons” character. How can the comparison be racist? If “The Simpsons” ever decides to bring back Apu, maybe actor Kunal Nayyar should be considered as a replacement. Just don’t ask Howard to do his Indian accent.

“Arrested Development” (2003-06; 2013-19)

Harvard University is known for three things: law school graduates who are still paying off their student loans, tech-savvy dropouts who will likely become richer than those with a diploma, and “Simpsons” writers. This in-joke carried over to one of the shows that followed “The Simpsons,” “Arrested Development.” When Michael Bluth finds out that Maggie is supposedly carrying the child of a Harvard graduate, he assumes that the father is some “geek ‘Simpsons’ writer.” After Michael relays this story to his sister Lindsay, she remarks that not every “Simpsons” writer is necessarily a geek. She doesn’t refute the assumption that most of them are from Harvard, however.

“American Dad!” (2005-)

“The Simpsons” once claimed that Stan Smith plagiarized Peter Griffin, who in turn ripped off Homer. The “American Dad!” writers naturally didn’t take this lying down. As the show approached its 100th episode, Roger the Alien threw shade at the whole ‘Maggie shot Mr. Burns’ twist. At the same time, there’s clearly an appreciation for “The Simpsons” among the “American Dad!” crew. This is reflected in another episode where Haley and Steve go into the fake ID businesses. One of their clients is somebody named Mike Rotch. You might think that sounds like one of the fake names Bart would use to call Moe’s Tavern. That’s because Bart is the one behind this, taking time off from pranking Moe to get back at the Smiths.

“Dinosaurs” (1991-94)

Despite not being animated, “Dinosaurs” was often grouped with “The Simpsons” as one of the more high-concept family sitcoms to debut in the 90s. The comparison wasn’t lost on either crew. In 1992, the Simpsons watched a show resembling “Dinosaurs,” mentioning how it closely resembles their lives. The “Dinosaurs” writers pushed back the following year as Earl Sinclair watches TV, noticing how virtually every half-hour comedy is about an idiotic father. Earl argues that they’re just making the same show over and over. Baby Sinclair responds with a catchphrase he most likely got from one of those shows. It’s not as if these sitcom tropes started with “The Simpsons” or “Dinosaurs.” Decades later, they’re still showing no signs of going extinct.

“Portlandia” (2011-18)

We may never know for sure what state the Simpsons live in, but Matt Groening is originally from Oregon. Groening revisits his roots in this episode of “Portlandia,” but he isn’t back in Oregon for pleasure. It’s business as Groening pursues legal action against Spyke for knock-off Bart Simpson T-shirts with a character named Bart Ska-mpson. We hope we’re pronouncing that right. While Groening is usually lenient about bootleg merchandise, he takes offense concerning the shoddiness of the shirts and how horrible the pun is. The case seems open and shut until a surprise witness is called: the real Bart Simpson who inspired Groening and Spyke. This Bart is all grown up now, although he still sounds like Nancy Cartwright.

“Robot Chicken” (2005-)


A parody within another parody, this “Robot Chicken” sketch sees journalist Pat O'Brien of “The Insider” giving his viewers the latest scoop on several shows, including “The Simpsons.” Feeling that the series has become too liberal, Rupert Murdoch gives it a Fox News attitude. When Apu lashes out at Homer for calling French Fries, “Freedom Fries,” Homeland Security busts in and arrests the resident Kwik-E-Mart clerk. The Simpsons enjoy a red, white, and yellow barbeque while Apu is chained up. Hopefully, someone out there is making a documentary about Apu’s problematic incarceration. This wouldn’t be the last time that these two animated universes collided. The “Robot Chicken” gang has contributed to multiple “Simpsons” couch gags, once going full stop-motion and later mixing different animation styles.

“The Real Ghostbusters” (1986-91)


With yellow skin, overbites, and four fingers on each hand, the Simpsons would admittedly look rather off-putting if they existed in our world. If anything, they’d seem less like humans and more like paranormal creatures. “The Real Ghostbusters” even poked fun at their odd appearances in this episode. Coming back from vacation, the Ghostbusters are appalled to find that their headquarters has been taken over by a ghostly yellow family that’s clearly modeled after the Simpsons, as well as the Bundys from “Married with Children.” Of course, the Grungy family is far more grotesque with misshapen, sluglike bodies. The Grungys eventually decide to relocate, although it’s uncertain where they’ll go next. Maybe Maude Flanders has a room for rent in the afterlife. Too soon?

“The Critic” (1994-95)


“The Critic” was an all-too-short-lived animated series created by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who served as co-showrunners for “The Simpsons” Seasons Three and Four. Jean returned as showrunner in Season 13, holding the position ever since. You might remember Jay Sherman from such crossovers as “A Star Is Burns,” which saw the critic drop by Springfield for a film festival. While the Simpsons never came to visit Jay, “The Critic” did allude to them multiple times. In this meta moment, Geraldo Rivera claims that Jay’s references always go over his viewers’ heads. Jay responds with an obscure reference, frustrating a family watching at home. The family changes the channel to Homer stepping on a rake and Bart saying a catchphrase, which is more their speed.

“Garfield and Friends” (1988-94)


This “Garfield” segment borrows a page from “Duck Amuck,” a classic Warner Bros. short in which the animator toys with Daffy Duck’s reality. Aside from paying homage to the Looney Tunes, the episode also makes commentary on animation’s increasing reliance on computers. When Garfield is “digitized,” he goes through a few different simulations, parodying “He-Man,” “Muppet Babies,” and various other cartoons that were popular at the time. Just when Garfield thinks that he couldn’t possibly look worse, he’s given spiky hair, bulging eyes, and a blue shirt, a la Bart Simpson. As far as Garfield is concerned, this is a new low. He probably would’ve felt more comfortable in Scratchy’s skin.

“Futurama” (1999-)


It took almost a decade and a half for “The Simpsons” and “Futurama” to have a full-blown crossover on the small screen. Of course, both Matt Groening shows had already referenced each other several times before. In the case of “Futurama,” the funniest instance comes in Season One when the Planet Express crew lands on a massive ball of garbage heading for Earth. Fry couldn’t be more excited upon spotting a pile of discarded Bart Simpson dolls. With Nancy Cartwright providing the voice, one of the dolls says Bart’s iconic “eat my shorts” catchphrase, which Bender takes literally. This is actually a clever sendup of all the merchandise spawned from Bartmania during the early ‘90s. We guess the unsold Bart products had to go somewhere!

“Tiny Toon Adventures” (1990-92)


While this “Tiny Toons” episode primarily satirizes “SNL,” the guest host is unmistakably a Bart Simpson caricature, albeit with purple skin instead of yellow. Like Bart, Blard Simpleton is from an animated show that’s fairly grounded in reality. Blard is in for a rude awakening when he arrives on the “Tiny Toons” set where characters are blown up, eaten alive, and maimed on a regular basis. Unfortunately for Blard, he can’t renege on his hosting duties and ultimately winds up falling through the stage with the rest of the cast. Blard is voiced by Tress MacNeille, who also voiced Babs Bunny. Funnily enough, another episode saw Babs impersonating Marge, Bart, and Maggie. Even more fitting, MacNeille has also voiced various supporting players on “The Simpsons.”

“Duckman” (1994-97)


Founded by former husband and wife Arlene Klasky and Gábor Csupó, Klasky Csupo provided the animation for the original “Simpsons” shorts on “The Tracey Ullman Show.” The company also produced the first three seasons of “The Simpsons” before branching out with shows like “Duckman.” The “Duckman” crew made a couple of allusions to their “Simpsons” roots, most notably in this episode. After cracking a haunting case, Duckman and Cornfed are rewarded with donuts. They’re suddenly confronted by what appears to be a real ghost, which turns out just to be Homer under a bedsheet. Dan Castellaneta himself cameos as Homer and even recycles a line from an old “Tracey Ullman” short. The episode was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, although it ironically lost to “The Simpsons.”

“The Fairly OddParents” (2001-17)


On a journey through the airwaves, Timmy Turner inserts himself into numerous parodies of classic cartoons. One of the shows Timmy enters is called “The Feldmans,” which commences with a faithful recreation of “The Simpsons” intro. Following a chalkboard gag, Timmy darts out of detention with Cosmo serving as his skateboard. Timmy encounters a handful of residents inspired by Springfield locals, such as Krusty the Clown, Ned Flanders, and Barney Gumble. Vicky, meanwhile, steals from El Barto’s book, vandalizing the nuclear power plant. An ensuing accident turns the Barney lookalike into a “radioactive man.” Even with these newfound powers, he’s still drawn to this universe’s equivalent of Moe’s. Also, Alec Baldwin voices Future Timmy and we assume he’s happy to be far away from Homer.

“Family Guy” (1999-2003; 2005-)


Honestly, we could probably do a separate list of all the times “Family Guy” made fun of “The Simpsons” and vice versa. For now, though, there isn’t a better example than this crossover episode, in which the Griffins happen upon Springfield. At first, the Simpsons and Griffins get along great given their similarities. They prove too similar, however, as Homer accuses Peter’s favorite beer of being a Duff imitator. While the “Family Guy” writers take just as many shots at themselves, they also aren’t afraid to bring up the fatigue “Simpsons” fans started experiencing during the later seasons. This accumulates with a Giant Chicken fight (minus the chicken) between Homer and Peter. Don’t expect the Simpsons to have an extended stay in Quahog anytime soon.

“South Park” (1997-)


In his hopeless pursuit of world domination, Butters is annoyed that his best ideas have already been done on “The Simpsons.” Matt Stone and Trey Parker know how Butters feels, as they’ve also come up with several great ideas only to find that the Simpsons beat them to it. A notable example came in Season Six when they planned to have Cartman block out the sun. Reportedly even while writing this episode, it was brought to their attention that a subplot involving Sea People worshipping Cartman mirrored a “Treehouse of Horror” storyline. This coincidence brought everything together in the end, however, as Butters learns that it’s okay if the Simpsons did something first. Besides, “South Park” would rather invite comparison to “The Simpsons” than “Family Guy.”


What’s your favorite “Simpsons” send-up? Let us know in the comments!