The official Disney YouTube channel released a video with the best Disney references in The Simpsons. In 2019, Disney bought 21st Century Fox, acquiring the rights of the iconic animated series.
All the 30 seasons of The Simpsons have been exclusively available on Disney+ since the launch of the streaming platform. The acquisition, however, sparked some controversies among fans. Disney+ chose to display the show only in the most recent 16:9 ratio, rather than the original 4:3 format. This means that many background jokes are unavoidably cut. Luckily, following backlash from the fans, Disney promised it will bring the original format back later this year. Additionally, a beloved episode featuring Michael Jackson is missing from the streaming service.
On January 17, Disney’s official YouTube channel released a video with the best references to The Mouse House’s intellectual properties in The Simpsons. The Disney movies, parodied by the Simpsons, that get referenced in the video are Snow White, Mary Poppins, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid and Frozen. There’s also a funny scene, taken from the episode “The Man Who Came to Be Dinner” of the animated series, where Homer and Marge take the kids to Diz-Nee-Land, a Disneyland parody. Curiously, in that episode a billboard states “20th Century Fox, a division of Walt Disney Co.", predicting the industry-changing acquisition of 2019.
The Simpsons started in 1987 as a series of shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show. Matt Groening, the creator of the series, named all the characters from the members of his own family except Bart, who represents Groening himself. In fact, the yellow bad boy’s name is an anagram of the word “brat”. Groening’s shorts had so much success that they were turned into a full-length animated sitcom in 1989. Since then, The Simpsons won an endless array of awards, other than a star on the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. With its satirical nature, the show sparked several controversies over the years. In the ’90s, T-shirts featuring Bart were banned from schools due to the character’s rebellious attitude.
Adding The Simpsons to Disney+ is definitely a smart move to attract subscribers: Despite criticism about the most recent seasons and their declining quality, the yellow family still has a huge following. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Disney is doing its best to advertise the show, even on its official social media channels. Lastly, the animated sitcom will attract even more nostalgic fans when Disney will release the original 4:3 ratio.
Next: When You Should STOP Watching The Simpsons On Disney+
Source: Disney/YouTube
