The New ‘Simpsons’ Short May Have Retired a Classic Running Gag for Good

Ever since being acquired by the Mouse House, The Simpsons has been producing a number of synergistic shorts for Disney+, combining the world of Springfield with Disney-owned franchises like Star Wars and Marvel — but sadly not Die Hard or Fuzzbucket.

The latest short, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, finds Sideshow Bob celebrating Halloween with a musical number featuring some of the most famous villains in Disney history, not counting current and former CEOs. Being a Sideshow Bob-centric story, naturally it features multiple references to his greatest non-human nemesis: the yard rake.

As we’ve mentioned before, the drawn-out gag from Season Five’s “Cape Feare,” in which rake handles keep smacking Bob in the face for a painfully long time, was originally created as a way to pad out the episode, which was running short. Producer Sam Simon argued, “When something’s funny, and then you do it so much that it’s not funny, if you keep doing it, it might get really funny.”

The joke has subsequently become iconic, hence why it’s been repeatedly referenced in subsequent Sideshow Bob episodes. Even in last week’s White Lotus parody, Bob brags that he’s become rich after inventing a rake with a collapsible handle. Unfortunately for Bob, it still does a number on his junk.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year similarly features some rake-based humor. At one point Loki creates an enchanted rake for Sideshow Bob to step on, and eventually the whole thing even ends (spoiler alert for a two-minute cartoon) with Bob taking one last giant rake to the face. As a curtain closes, Bob complains about the “tired gag” before uttering his trademark grumble. 

This might just be the rake gag to end all rake gags. Literally. 

While some other reports about classic Simpsons running jokes being scrapped for good turned to be erroneous, this info comes straight from producer Al Jean. In an interview with Inverse, Jean revealed that the final joke of the short stemmed from director David Silverman. “I love the joke,” Jean proclaimed before explaining that “the point of the gag was that we kept repeating it.” But then he added, “That’s the last time I’ll do it.”

Jean clarified that, while he believes the joke has run its course, he can’t make it an official Simpsons mandate. “I mean I can’t tell anybody else not to, but I’ve finally had my fill,” Jean confessed. 

Which is a little surprising to hear, especially since the poster for this short was literally just Sideshow Bob riding a flying rake.

We’ll have to see if Jean’s moratorium on rake jokes sticks or not. Because if there’s one actor who loves not letting old character bits rest in peace, it’s Kelsey Grammer.

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time you’re reading this).