For the past 35 years, The Simpsons has been one of the most popular TV series, building up an incredible array of hilarious, long-running background jokes. From secondary characters’ idiosyncratic traits to recurring visual gags, The Simpsons has always gotten the most out of its environment and never had an issue with returning to the same joke as it became funnier through repetition every time. These background jokes gave The Simpsons its sense of identity, which was part of the reason it became such a quotable touchstone of popular culture.

While many of The Simpsons’ best recurring jokes were related to the family itself, the contribution of the residents of Springfield can never be understated. Although Homer and Bart may be the first people who came to mind when viewers thought of The Simpsons, characters like Lionel Hutz, Hans Moleman, and Ol’ Gil provided some of the show’s best background jokes. With 35 seasons and counting, it may be true that they’ll never stop The Simpsons, as even after all this time, these background jokes were still hilarious.

15

Lionel Hutz Constant Cheapskate Tactics

The Simpsons’ shady lawyer always tried to get ahead

The incompetent and sleazy lawyer Lionel Hutz was truly one of the greatest secondary characters in The Simpsons whose hilarious cheapskate tactics never failed to make viewers laugh. Always desperate for cases and with a poor understanding of the law, Hutz consistently tried to trick his clients out of money, and this was encapsulated by his typo-filled business card, which seemed to say “no money down” while he still requested a $1,000 retainer. This was just one of countless examples of Hutz trying to get one over on his clients, the prosecutors, and court representatives.

14

Pank Calling Moe’s Tavern

The Simpsons children consistently pranked Moe Szyslak’

Bart and Lisa’s prank calls to Moe’s Tavern have been recurring jokes in The Simpsons since season one. That was hilarious not just because of the puns or double entendre of the jokes but because of Moe Szyslak’s furious reaction every time. As Bart called and jokingly asked to speak to fake customers like I.P. Freely, Seymour Butz, or Hugh Jass, Moe would threaten him with menacing warnings. While this joke became less common in later seasons, it’s still hilarious whenever it does reappear.

13

The Extreme Violence Of Itchy And Scratchy

The Simpsons fictional animated series was extraordinarily gory

The Itchy and Scratchy Show was a fictional animated series within the world of The Simpsons that parodied cat-and-mouse cartoons like Tom and Jerry. However, instead of mild cartoon violence, Itchy and Scratchy were intensely bloody and featured over-the-top sequences where Itchy would brutally murder Scratchy. This clever satire on cartoon violence was effective because of just how outrageous it was, as its frantically paced action, physical comedy, and brief narrative were consistently packed into less than half a minute of screen time.

12

The Reputation Of The Fox Network

The Simpsons consistently poked fun at their own network

The fact that Fox was the network that broadcast The Simpsons made the way the characters spoke about it within the show even funnier. An ongoing joke related to the network’s perceived lowest common demeanor programming, as characters consistently belittled it for being of poor quality. This hilarious self-referential joke highlighted how The Simpsons never had an issue making fun of itself as it jumped at every opportunity to undermine, comment on, or otherwise deride the very network that kept it on the air.

11

Homer Talking To His Brain

The Simpsons’ father often spoke with himself

Homer Simpson was notoriously one of the dumbest characters on TV, which was never more apparent than when audiences got a glimpse into the inner workings of his mind. Homer talking to his brain was a hilarious running gag on The Simpsons that gave a unique insight into how and why Homer acted the way he did. One of the best examples of this was Homer asking his brain why finding money under the couch was better than an old peanut, only to be told, to his delight, that “money can be exchanged for goods and services.”

10

Dr Hibbert’s Hair In Flashbacks

The Simpsons doctor’s style moved with the times

One of the more subtle background jokes in The Simspons involved Dr. Hibbert, who, whenever there was a flashback scene, would sport a new hairstyle reflecting that particular time period. From afros to fades, Dr. Hibbert’s ever-changing hair was a testament to how long The Simpsons has been on the air. As the decades have passed, Dr. Hibbert’s hairstyle choices were a reminder that The Simpsons have been an important touchstone of popular culture for the past 35 years.

9

Ol’ Gil Failing At Every Job

The Simpsons secondary characters often had a hard time

The hapless business Gil Gunderson just never seemed to be able to catch a break and was consistently seen failing at every new job, business endeavor, or money-making project he was involved in. Inspired by Jack Lemmon’s role as Shelley Levene in Glengarry Glen Ross, Ol’ Gil’s bad luck saw him get shot on his first day as a security guard, watch Marge immediately surpass him as a real estate agent, and briefly work at the Kwik-E-Mart before breaking his leg. While it wouldn’t be fun to be Ol’ Gil, it was always hilarious to see how he would fail.

8

Moleman Never Catching A Break

The Simpsons unluckiest man

Hans Moleman was a short, seemingly elderly man who once claimed to be 31 years old, as the sordid effects of alcoholism caused him to age rapidly. Moleman’s signature character trait was being extremely unlucky, as he was seen driving off cliffs, being set on fire, and even being trapped in the morgue while he was still alive. While The Simpsons has permanently killed off some characters before, one hilarious recurring joke was that no matter how many times Moleman met his end, he always returned.

7

Newspaper Headlines And Books

The Simpsons packed so many jokes into their books and headlines

From The Big Book of British Smiles to the pregnancy guide So You’ve Ruined Your Life, The Simpsons has consistently made viewers laugh with hilarious book covers. This also extended to newspaper headlines like “old man yells at cloud” about Grampa Simpson and “unusually large, ugly baby born” in the paper after Homer was born. These quick-fire jokes highlighted how The Simpsons never missed an opportunity to throw in a quick gag and that even background props like this were exploited for maximum humor.

6

Moe Calling Marge “Midge”

The Simpsons bar tenders rarely got Marge’s name right

One recurring joke in The Simpsons was that Moe Szyslak consistently referred to Marge as ‘Midge,’ which could be seen as a term of endearment or that he does not know her name. Even though Moe always held a candle for Marge, he rarely got to spend time with her, and this mispronunciation of her name likely came from the endless hours of listening to Homer drunkenly talk about her in Moe’s Tavern. This was a subtle, hilarious joke that has recurred throughout the years.

5

Mr Burn’s Doesn’t Know Who Homer Is

The Simpsons oldest man had memory issues

Although Homer Simpson has had an extraordinarily negative influence on the life of his boss Mr. Burns, the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant owner can never seem to remember who he is. Throughout the years, Mr. Burns consistently inquired about Homer as if they had never interacted before. A prime example of The Simpsons’ excellent use of meta-humor came when Smithers answered his question and told him, “All the recent events of your life have revolved around him in some way,” highlighting the pure ridiculousness of Mr. Burns forgetting Homer.

4

Dr. Nick’s Shoddy Medical Tactics

The Simpsons’ other doctor was not up to scratch

Dr. Nick Riviera was the stereotypical quack physician with a dubious medical degree who consistently swindled and maimed his patients. With little to no regard for medical ethics, Dr. Nick was a hilariously incompetent character who acted in stark contrast to the far more professional Dr. Hibbert. Dr. Nick’s lack of medical knowledge was on full display in the Season 4 episode “Homer’s Triple Bypass,” when he needed Lisa’s help to know where to make the incision when giving Homer’s vital surgery.

3

Mr. Burn’s Old-Timey Phrases

The Simpsons’ had plenty of very clever jokes

Charles Montgomery Burns was an extraordinary old man of uncertain age, between 81 and 120 years old, although sometimes he’s implied to be even older. Mr. Burns’ advanced age was essential to his character and even influenced how he spoke through the old-timey phrases he consistently used. Perhaps the best example was Mr. Burns saying “ahoy-hoy” when he answered the phone; this referenced telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell’s preferred phrase when picking up the phone, implying that Mr. Burns was so old he still used this outdated concept.

2

Springfield’s Location

The Simpson’s lived in an uncertain city

The fictional city of Springfield was intended to represent the average American city and not be a precise location. The Simpsons made full use of this uncertainty to repeatedly joke about the impossibility of Springfield’s existence, as the many clues about its geology, history, and distances from other cities often contradicted themselves. As The Simpsons has built up so much lore over the decades, it never fails to make audiences laugh when a new nugget of information regarding Springfield’s location was revealed.

1

The Couch Gag

The Simpsons’ iconic gag has gotten more over-the-top throughout the years

The most iconic visual joke in The Simpsons was the couch gag, which has been a staple of the show since as far back as Season 1. With the simple premise of the Simpson family running toward their couch, the amount of mileage the creators got out of this concept was extraordinarily impressive. Over the years, the couch gag has become more outlandish as it depicted everything from the evolution of humankind to even changing the format of the show itself into live-action, claymation, or flipbook animation.