28-Year-Old Simpsons Joke Corrected By Original Writer After Disney+ Gets It Wrong

The Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein corrects a 28-year-old joke from the show after an incorrect Disney Plus transcription was noticed by a viewer. First airing in 1989, the hit animated sitcom follows the hilarious misadventures of the titular American family in the fictional town of Springfield. Many of the show’s writers and key creatives remain active on social media, frequently offering insight into some of the series’ funniest moments.

Now, as new episodes of The Simpsons season 35 continue to air, Weinstein has responded to a viewer on X (formerly known as Twitter), who asks about the spelling of a word featured in episode 16 of season 6. The joke involves an Australian father who is flabbergasted at his phone bill following the acceptance of a collect call from Springfield, and it turns out Disney Plus has incorrectly transcribed one of the words.

“Wait…Frinkiac and Disney Plus both subtitle this scene ‘900 dollar-adoos’ — i’ve been referring to it as dollarYdoos for as long as I can remember — have I been wrong all this time??” asks Tristan Cooper.

“As one of the two people who came up with this word and wrote it down, I can tell you it’s spelled dollaridoos,” Weinstein responds, setting the record straight. He even includes a picture of the script hard copy from 1994 as proof.

Why The Simpsons Is Still So Popular Today

Now almost 35 years old, The Simpsons holds the record as the longest-running animated sitcom. It didn’t take long for the series to find an audience, and it would actually become the first series for Fox to land in the top 30 ratings in only one season. Even today, 34 seasons later, the show remains a popular offering, and, with The Simpsons season 36 having been confirmed, it shows no signs of slowing down.

One of the big reasons for the success of any sitcom, of course, is the writing. The Simpsons features clever, often timeless jokes that remain funny to this day. In addition to just being funny, the writing often feels ahead of its time. The Simpsons is renowned for predicting the future, and this includes everything from Super Bowl winners and presidential candidates to the discovery of the “God particle” and the censoring of Michelangelo’s David.

The jokes are accompanied by a novel and distinct animation style with unique character designs, and the visual presentation is why so many of the physical gags work so well. No discussion of The Simpsons‘ lasting popularity would be complete without mention of the show’s relatability factor. The titular nuclear family is distinctly middle class in what feels like an average American town and suburb, and they face many issues that will feel familiar to audiences around the country.