For anyone born in the eighties or nineties The Simpsons will hold a special place within their childhood memories. Sin’s Kieran Kilkelly reminds us why we love the Halloween specials so much…
The famous yellow family has been on our screens for 24 years this December and are still held dear to this day. Although there are many classic episodes, the Halloween specials, ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episodes are the highlight of each season.
There are many reasons why we love these once-off episodes. Firstly, the ‘couch gags’ are unique to every special. Although they are somewhat unique to every episode of The Simpsons, it is the comical but frightful element that is present every time. Successful producer Guillermo del Toro recently created the latest one for ‘Treehouse of Horror XXIV’.
After the customary ‘couch gag’ intro, the parodies of much loved Halloween themed films begin. Movies such as The Amityville Horror, A Nightmare on Elm Street and various Hitchcock films are made into comical spoofs. It is the ability with which the writers turn some of the most frightening films into hilarity that we fall in love with.
There are also references made towards trending television shows and films that don’t possess the traditional scary film element. In the most recent special, the much loved How I Met Your Mother is used as a basis for one of the three mini scenes.
The mockery made of Twilight in one of these mini episodes, entitled “Tweenlight”, (Treehouse of Horror XXI) is another main reason why we love these yearly shows. The inclusion of Daniel Radcliffe as the voice of Edward Cullen makes it more so ironic. It is through these popular cultural references that we can relate to the episodes more so than usual.
While making these references, the usual format of The Simpsons remains the same. The childish humour that we all know and love still remains. Even when they change the characters to personify something or someone else, their personality stays the same. Homer’s funny ignorance, Marge’s insecurities, Bart’s devilment, Lisa’s intellect and Maggie’s silence all are present.
Finally, the quotes from these stories will live long in the memory. From “no beer and no TV make Homer go crazy” (cue Homer’s insanity) to “Dad, you killed zombie Flanders”, ‘he was a zombie?’ they are quotes to be adored time and time again.
And if you can’t quote or remember anything mentioned in this article it might be time to brush up on your Simpsons trivia over Halloween.
