"It's just hard not to listen to TV; it's spent so much more time raising us than you have." - Bart Simpson

After a trip to a candy convention, Homer lands hot water when his attempt to extract a precious gummi from the babysitter's butt gets misconstrued as sexual harassment. As a media circus surrounds his home and makes his life a living hell, Homer finds an unlikely savior in a lone Scottish pervert.

Our Guest: Cartoonist Mattie Lubchansky

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, we're celebrating the inception of World Simpsons Day, investigating the possibility of a The Critic reboot, and trying our best to figure out when the next exclusive episode will hit Disney Plus. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast with the eye of the tiger AND the mouth of a teamster!

"Francine, you be very careful out there today—we're at terror alert orange! Which means something might go down somewhere in some way at some point in time... So look sharp!" - Stan Smith

This week, we're switching gears and looking back at the first episode of American Dad, which only just returned to Fox after over a decade of basic cable existence. Though the series was at first seen as a cheap copy of Family Guy born out of the misery of the George W. Bush administration, American Dad didn't take long to carve out its own weird, wonderful identity and quietly thrive over the last two decades. So join us as we explore the roots of an entirely different prime-time cartoon that refuses to die.

What a Cartoon! - American Dad! "The Best Christmas Story Never Told" | Patreon | Free Feed

What a Cartoon! - American Dad! "Gold Top Nuts" | Patreon | Free Feed

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"It's your child versus mine. The winner will be showered with praise; the loser will be taunted and booed until my throat is sore!" - Homer J. Simpson

In order to pass gym class, Lisa finds herself enrolled in the violent, competitive world of pee-wee hockey. But when her surprising goalie skills end up making her Homer's favorite, Lisa and Bart end up in an air-kicking, fist-windmilling battle for their parents' love (and one pet turtle's safety). 

Our guest: Jesse Farrar from The Go Off Kings and Your Kickstarter Sucks

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

"Smithers, we could make a fortune with these Bible pictures. And I've been looking for a way to launder the money I made selling club soda as flu vaccine." - C. Montgomery Burns

Sick of the filth known as "mainstream entertainment," Ned Flanders becomes a budding director and wins over audiences with his gory, Passion of the Christ-like short films. But when an outraged Marge boycotts his financier—Mr. Burns—Ned and Homer team up to get his religious message out there on a much bigger platform: the Super Bowl halftime show.

Our guest: Alex Navarro from Nextlander

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

"Jessica, I don't think we should hang out together anymore. You're turning me into a criminal, when all I want to be is a petty thug." - Bart Simpson

Bart falls in love—again—when the previously unseen Lovejoy daughter arrives in Springfield and makes him consider cleaning up his act. But when Jessica identifies his bad boy status and reveals her true colors, Bart becomes the fall guy for a number of her attention-seeking schemes.

Our guest: Lindsay Katai, co-host of the podcast Teen Creeps

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, we discuss the little Simpsons news available in this post-season drought, Seth MacFarlane's new Stewie series, and the untimely end of Smiling Friends. And, as always, we read and respond to your comments and questions from the last round of episodes. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that'll turn you inside-out... with hilarity!

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"One thing Moe Szyslak has never had is a partner. Nor a wife, a friend, a chum, a casual acquaintance, a pen pal, a parrot, a meaningful conversation, a brief hug, or eye contact. I'm just going to call the suicide hotline now. ...And they've blocked my number." - Moe Szyslak

Homer bails out Moe's by mortgaging the Simpson home, and Marge supervises this new investment by helping turn the run-down tavern into a classy British pub. But as Homer's bartender grows closer to his wife, will this scabby dead-eyed hunchback make him wear the horns of a cuckold?

Our guest: Stuart Wellington from The Flop House podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

"Relax, kids; I've got a GUT FEELING Uter is around here somewhere. After all, isn't there a little Uter in all of us? In fact, you might even say we just ATE UTER and he's in our stomachs right now! Wait—scratch that one." - Seymour Skinner

It's time once again to bask in the warm, glowing, warming glow of yet another Simpsons Halloween special—and, quite possibly, the funniest one to date. On this fifth installment, Homer becomes an axe-wielding, family slaying psychopath, the family gets trapped in a dystopian society lorded over by Ned Flanders, and Bart and Lisa risk being gooified by their hungry teachers. And if that's not enough, it all culminates with a show-stopping, inside-out dance number!

Our guest: Ian Jones-Quartey, creator of OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

"Because of the Xanax, I'm not overanxious about being a Simpson anymore. I am a little anxious about being on Xanax, but the Zoloft covers that nicely." - Lisa Simpson

Mr. Burns cancels the company's prescription plan, causing the disease-ridden Simpson family to seek a Canadian solution to their very American problem. But when Homer and Abe's drug-smuggling operation goes bust, the two find an unlikely friend in a certain 104-year-old Springfieldian who owns an aircraft perfect for a wild, third act caper.

Our guest: Luke Savage from the Michael and Us podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! To close out the month of February, we talk about The Simpsons' 800th episode, strange Disney+ censorship, and the 10th anniversary of the screenshot search engine, Frinkiac. And, as always, we read and respond to your questions and comments from the last round of podcasts. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that derides your truth-handling ability!

"I'm currently incarcerated... Convicted of a crime I didn't even commit! Huh! 'Attempted murder;' now, honestly, what is that? Do they give a Nobel Prize for 'attempted chemistry?' Do they?" - Bob Underdunk Terwilliger

Sideshow Bob returns and dabbles in the world of Springfield politics in ways that may remind you of Watergate and the 1988 US presidential election. But when he uses his new mayoral powers against the Simpsons, Bart and Lisa have to team up or else risk living in a motel that probably costs more than six dollars a night. 

Our guest: Chris Wade, producer of the Chapo Trap House podcast

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Bluesky and Instagram!

Your regularly scheduled episode of Talking Simpsons is being pushed to next week for a very good reason: we've decided to shift our priorities a bit and cover an infamous animated special that's the perfect fodder for our podcast. (And we haven't lost our minds—it's for a good cause.) So if you head on over to our Patreon shop, you'll see that we've covered "The Simpsons Guy," The Family Guy season 13 premiere that mashes up Our Favorite Family with... that other family. The price? A meager $10. And every penny of it will go to the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota.

Can't afford an extra $10 this month? We'll see you next week, when we cover season six's Sideshow Bob Roberts. But just remember the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota is always accepting donations, so keep them in mind whenever you've got a little extra in the bank.

Again, if you'd like to hear our exclusive podcast all about the season 13 Family Guy episode, "The Simpsons Guy," just click right here to head over to our Patreon shop.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please DO NOT buy the episode via the iOS Patreon app! Apple personally jacks up the price by $4.50, and that extra fee goes directly to them.

"My son's making so much cash in the t-shirt game that I don't have to work another day in my life! ...Assuming my health does not deteriorate as I age." - Homer Simpson

When Bart's final baby tooth falls, he puts away his childish things and enters the burgeoning adult world of chestwear entrepreneurship. But when he's ripped off by an unscrupulous kook, Homer once again assumes his man of the house role by resolving things with the threat of nuclear annihilation.

Our guest: Chris James from Guys: A Podcast About Guys and Not Even a Show

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month (and the beginning of a new year), which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, we discuss the most recent Simpsons episodes—before the upcoming drought—and news about another upcoming Simpsons movie: Boots Riley's silver screen adaptation of Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play. And, as always, we read and respond to your comments and questions from the last round of episodes. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that's even more fun than Unnecessary Surgery Land!

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"This truly was the best vacation ever. Now let us never speak of it again." - Marge Simpson

When The Simpsons head to a new, Krusty-sponsored amusement park, they find just about everything can possib-lie go wrong, from the lack of novelty "Bart" license plates to highly intelligent robots that turn evil via flash photography. But, like so many before them, the family soon learns that battling terrifying automatons can bring any dysfunctional group closer together.

Our guest: Mike Carlson from Podcast: The Ride

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"She's taken my daughter to an erupting volcano? That's it! She's off the Christmas card list." - Marge Simpson

An old high school chum returns to Springfield, and Marge can't help but feel insecure about her own lack of worldly accomplishments. Can she reclaim her role as Lisa's female role model and save her young daughter from an agonizing, lava-based death?

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

The Talking Simpsons Network is taking a week off for the holiday season, so to fill the content gap, we've decided to post an episode of our Patreon-exclusive Talking Futurama podcast miniseries! If you like this episode and want to hear the rest (with more to come every month), head over to Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and sign up at the $5 level. Once you do, you'll have immediate access to all of our limited miniseries, covering animated shows like King of the Hill, Mission Hill, The Critic, and Batman: The Animated Series. (That's over 200 bonus episodes to date!) So visit Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and sign up today!

This episode was originally posted on December 8, 2024.

Happy New Year! In case you didn't know, every month we release the premium podcast, What A Cartoon Movie. And, as we take a week off to rest and recharge, we're giving all of our listeners a chance to hear a free sample of this Patreon-exclusive series. So please, enjoy our ultra-long look at Toy Story! And if you'd like to hear 85 more episodes of What A Cartoon Movie—with a new one to come every month—simply head on over to the Talking Simpsons Network and sign up at the $10 level. If you enjoy hearing us talk about cartoons, you'll be glad you did!

This episode was originally posted on November 30, 2019.

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, we discuss the most recent Simpsons episodes, participate in the Ella McCay challenge, and bemoan the first major delay to hit The Simpsons Movie 2. And, as always, we read and respond to your comments and questions from the last round of episodes. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the podcast that promises to give you the most traumatic hose-soaking of your life!

"Mom, romance is dead. It was acquired in a hostile takeover by Hallmark and Disney, homogenized, and sold off, piece by piece.'" - Lisa Simpson

In what's probably the worst episode of The Simpsons—or at least the biggest waste of time—the family recounts stories of love and loss via 16 clips and/or clip packages. Come for the jokes you've already laughed at, stay for roughly five minutes of new animation, and leave knowing this production somehow occupies valuable space in the otherwise incredibly solid season six.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"Sometimes you have to adopt your son's bully in order to bring your own family temporarily closer." - Marge Simpson

After her own children lose interest in her motherly ways, Marge becomes a surrogate parent to Nelson, who takes a shine to living in a mostly loving home and eating meals that don't consist of live tadpoles. Meanwhile, Lisa develops serious body issues that can't be wrapped up in a single sitcom episode, but still manage to be partially resolved via skunk justice.

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"I can't live the button-down life like you. I want it all: the terrifying lows, the dizzying highs, the creamy middles. Sure, I might offend a few of the bluenoses with my cocky stride and musky odors—oh, I'll never be the darling of the so-called 'City Fathers' who cluck their tongues, stroke their beards, and talk about 'What's to be done with this Homer Simpson?'" - Homer J. Simpson

Lisa becomes the victim of her own insecurities when she meets Allison Taylor: a perfectly nice girl who just happens to be younger and better than her at everything. As she struggles to accept being number two, Homer gains control of a sugar pile empire that could very well be stolen from under his nose by roving, tea-drinking Englishmen.

Our guest: Actor and improv comedian Betsy Sodaro, co-host of the podcasts A Funny Feeling and We Love Trash

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

"When Virginia Woolf wrote, 'Every woman needs a room of one's own,' she must have been talking about the kitchen." - Marge Simpson

When the Simpsons' kitchen receives a much-needed renovation, Marge ups her cooking game and enters a culinary contest that puts her morality (and dessert-making skills) to the test. Meanwhile, Bart's discovery of nudity-free Playdude magazines causes him to adopt the lifestyle of an urbane early '70s pervert who's far too young to appreciate the lesser short fiction of John Cheever.

Our guest: Will Sloan from the Michael and Us podcast, and author of Ed Wood: Made in Hollywood USA

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!

We've reached the end of the month, which means it's time for another episode of our community podcast! This time around, we're discussing the end of Al Jean's reign of laughter, Fortnite crossovers, news about the 800th episode, and the unfortunate loss of another great Simpsons writer. And, as always, we read and respond to your comments and questions from the last round of episodes. It's all happening on Talk to the Audience: the only thing more exciting than an optics festival!

Support this podcast and get over 200 ad-free bonus episodes by visiting Patreon.com/TalkingSimpsons and becoming a patron! And please follow the official Twitter, @TalkSimpsonsPod, not to mention Bluesky and Instagram!