The Most Dated References in ‘Simpsons’ History
When Abe Simpson warned Simpsons fans that, one day, what they’re “with” won’t be “it,” he was talking to his writers, too.
The Simpsons has been on television since 1989, and, in that time, the topicality of the show has lead to some hilarious moments that will have modern fans who weren’t even born when we found out who shot Mr. Burns scratching their heads. At this point, many of the early season references sound about as sane to a contemporary audience as if an old man walked into their place of work and asked them, “I’d like to send this letter to the Prussian Consulate in Siam by aeromail. Am I too late for the 4:30 auto-gyro?”
In the DVD commentary for the Simpsons Season Eight DVD set, prolific Simpsons writer and producer Josh Weinstein once said that the sign outside the Cypress Creek Elementary School in the iconic Simpsons episode “You Only Move Twice” was the most dated joke in the show’s history because, in 1996, a school having its own website was still a novelty. However, the Simpsons subreddit recently discussed their own favorite dry-aged deep cuts that haven’t been hip since Bill Clinton’s first term.
Here are the fans’ picks for the most dated references in Simpsons history….
“The Falklands have been invaded!”
Jay Sherman Outing MacGyver
The VHS Village
