For those of us born within a certain timeframe — from the late ’60s up until perhaps the early ’90s — there exists an entire cultural lexicon unintelligible to many from older generations. Since The Simpsons premiered as a sitcom in 1989, it has amassed a following devoted enough but way too large to be considered “cult.” Say the phrase “dental plan” within the right crowd, get an immediate response of “Lisa needs braces!,” no further explanation necessary. While not everyone who grew up during the era of Springfield’s heyday is fluent in references from the show, those in the know seem to outnumber those on the outside.
It’s this that drives “Woo Hoo! Classic Simpsons Trivia”, the monthly trivia night where excessive knowledge of every in-universe Simpsons reference comes in handy (seasons 1 to 11 only, thanks). On the second Tuesday of every month (including tonight at 7:30), the Cadillac Lounge becomes a safe harbour for Simpsons fans, a Moe’s Tavern for obsessive devotees, a real Candyland of the pop-culture-addled mind.
The language of The Simpons has trickled down into daily use. “D’oh” and “meh” have been have been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. “Okely Dokely,” “Jeebus,” and “that’s unpossible!” can all be used in regular conversation without raising eyebrows. But for the hardcore Simpsons fans, allusions go far beyond the more memorable catchphrases. Teams that make regular appearances at the Cadillac Lounge include “That Idiot Tibor Lost Our Team Name,” “The Team That Barely Touched Their Banana Kabooms” and “We’re The Stupid Morons With Ugly Faces and Big Butts and Our Butts Smell and We Like to Kiss Our Own Butts.” As each team name is announced after the first round, it tends to elicit a round of giggles around the room as the audience collectively remembers the episode referenced. The questions themselves bring out more obscure moments, including “How can one recognize the phony pope?” and “According to Homer, what is the population of Dumpsville?” (The answers, of course, being “by his high top sneakers and incredibly foul mouth,” and “you.”)
When doing the hard-hitting research for this piece, I asked some of my friends what their favourite Simpsons lines were. Nobody could give me a single answer. “That’s like asking a parent to choose their favourite child,” said one. “I will have to get back to you; that is overwhelming,” answered another. Others gave me five or six answers, ranging from single moments to entire scenes (“Any Grampa rant!” “All the lyrics to ‘Can I Borrow a Feeling!”).
Andrew Ennals, co-founder and host of Woo Hoo! Trivia, had a similar answer: “It changes almost hourly, I think. All of them from 1992 to 1998?” The trivia night started when Ennals, along with co-founder Amanda Factor, needed an outlet for their excessive Simpsons quoting (currently, the event is co-hosted by Ennals and Chris Brazeau). Turnouts are in the hundreds, a second monthly event is also held in Brooklyn, and the competition is tough.
Like most people in our demographic, Ennals grew up watching the show. “I wasn’t NOT allowed to watch it,” he says, “but my parents tended to say very disapproving things about it because they had read all kinds of outraged articles about how the show was this terrible influence on youth. Ironically, it probably turned out to be one of the best influences a kid could have.”
Between rounds, classic episodes are screened, and lines are quoted in unison. Whenever an episode with a song airs, the room becomes one big synchronized karaoke hall. There is a huge comfort in indulging in a mass obsession with a room full of strangers, at least once in a while. My current roommate and I became friends after bonding over the ability to hold a conversation entirely in Simpsons jokes: phrases built on a series of references, that tend to not make sense out of context (said roommate now accompanies me to trivia night, camping out early to get a good table). Sure, the words might not be our own, but to immerse oneself into that time tested reserve of jokes created by Matt Groening and company is a retreat into the familiar. Screw Flanders.
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Anna Fitzpatrick is the web editor at WORN Fashion Journal. Follow her on Twitter at @bananafitz.
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