The Simpsons showrunner Al Jean breaks down the messages for the latest Disney+ Mother’s Day animated short, before challenging viewers to a Disney-themed easter egg hunt. Produced to celebrate Star Wars Day and Mother’s Day, “May the 12th Be With You” saw Marge (Julie Kavner), Maggie, and a host of recognizable Disney mothers and mother figures come together. Released on May 12th on the streaming service, Springfield’s residents crossed paths with Star Wars heroes, Disney icons, and even a surprise appearance from their late-night animated counterparts.

With audiences having now seen “May The 12th Be With You” for themselves, Jean delved into deeper cuts and meanings behind The Simpson’s latest shorts. He wanted to show many forms of motherly bonds, challenging viewers to pinpoint every character. Check out Jean’s explanation and offer below:

I was just gonna say, we have a big sister who serve as a mother in Lilo and Stitch, we have a joke about Disney being unfair to stepmothers at the end. [Chuckles] I said to David, “Let’s just get every family unit that’s sort of a mother-child combination,” because it isn’t always just the traditional mother-child anymore. And it’s a tribute to all of them, it’s tribute to my own mother, who passed this year. I wouldn’t be anywhere without her. No, like, for example, Ahsoka from Star Wars is Rotta the Hutt’s guardian, so she’s not really a mother, but we were glad to have Ahsoka. In short, there was nobody that we wanted to get that we couldn’t. I’ll give a signed script cover to the first person who lists every Disney character in the short. [Laughs] Contact me on Twitter.

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The Simpsons

Animation
Comedy

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The Simpsons is a long-running animated TV series created by Matt Groening that satirically follows a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield. Homer, a bit of a schmoe who works at a nuclear power plant, is the provider for his family, while his wife, Marge, tries to keep sanity and reason in the house to the best of her ability. Bart is a born troublemaker, and Lisa is his super-intelligent sister who finds herself surrounded by people who can’t understand her. Finally, Maggie is the mysterious baby who acts as a deus ex machina when the series calls for it. The show puts the family in several wild situations while constantly tackling socio-political and pop-culture topics set within their world, providing an often sharp critique of the subjects covered in each episode. This series first premiered in 1989 and has been a staple of Fox’s programming schedule ever since.

Cast

Tress MacNeille
, Julie Kavner
, Harry Shearer
, Pamela Hayden
, Nancy Cartwright
, Hank Azaria
, Dan Castellaneta
, Yeardley Smith

Release Date

December 17, 1989

Seasons

35

Network

FOX

Franchise(s)

The Simpsons

Writers

Matt Groening
, James L. Brooks
, Sam Simon

Directors

David Silverman
, Jim Reardon
, Mark Kirkland

Showrunner

Al Jean