About this episode
🎄 Every unstoppable monster has a beginning. Squeeze onto the couch as a perfectly cromulent panel of Advent Calendar House regulars celebrate the 30th anniversary of The Simpsons and its series premiere, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire , or as it was advertised to us in 1989, “The Simpsons’ Christmas Special.” CONTENT WARNING: We briefly discuss Mall Santas and 10-year-olds’ feelings on Mall Santas. **** 🎙 Guests: Brandon Medley ( @brandmed , Blessed Are the Geek ). Erin Evans ( @mserinmevans ). Joey O. ( Y-Not Radio , Words with Nerds , @ImGonnaDJ24 ). **** 💬 Topics & Tangents: 1. Remembering the buildup and promos for “The Simpsons’ Christmas Special” in 1989, and the time I accidentally watched The Tracey Ullman Show , because I was too sick to get up and change the channel. 2. We can’t talk about early Simpsons without mentioning Burger King toys , The Simpsons arcade game , and of course, Do the Bartman . 3. Bart’s first Butterfinger commercial predates the show by a year. 4. Al Jean’s 5 favorite Simpsons episodes , as told to The Wall Street Journal. 5. Among the animators who worked on this first episode was Eric Stefani, who had already founded some band with his sister . 6. The crowdsourced origins of “ Jingle Bells, Batman Smells ,” (research by Rob Weir, 2006) and the “like a light bulb!” interjections to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (research by Azizi Powell, 2017). 7. Feel free to Google image search “ simpsons moth tattoo ” for a gallery of real, intentionally unfinished tattoos. 8. The tattoo artist is retroactively identified as Mervin Monroe , the younger brother of Dr. Marvin Monroe. 9. Early, strange in hindsight prototypes of Springfield citizens, including a more competent Ralph Wiggum, a cockier Milhouse, and a Ned Flanders who says, “Happy holidays.” 10. NED FLANDERS SAYS, “HAPPY HOLIDAYS.” 11. The time Brandon cut down his own Christmas tree . 12. My guest appearance on the Two Bad Neighbors podcast to discuss the Simpsons’ next Christmas episode, Marge Be Not Proud . **** “The Simpsons” and “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” ©1989 20th Century Fox Television. Closing Music: The Simpsons Theme , performed by Green Day , ©2007 Reprise Records. Full show notes with links at adventcalendar.house . Say hi on Twitter @adventcalhouse . Theme song by Bronwen’s Ghost . Full show notes and social links at adventcalendar.house .