Simpsons, The Easter Egg - Harvard In-Jokes

Many writers for The Simpsons are Harvard alums. The Harvard Lampoon (a campus humor magazine which sucks) sends many of its alums to write for shows such as Letterman, SNL, Conan O'Brian (who is an alumni himself), and The Simpsons. This group of writers takes many opportunities to mock their favorite rivals, Princeton and Yale, and occasionally themselves. Some examples:

-In the episode where Bart and Lisa write Itchy and Scratchy cartoons, one of the I&S writers is a Harvard alum who is abused and fired by the show's producer. Great moment: the producer calls the alum to make him sing "Fair Harvard", then throws a paperweight at his head, prompting him to say, "You, sir, have the boorish manners of a Yalie"

-At the end of one of the Sideshow Bob episodes, Bob is returned to his minimum-security prison, where a boatful of rowers calls out to him to help row against "the alums from Princeton", causing him to say "[shudder], Princeton", and hop in.

-During the Sideshow Bob and Cecil episode, Bob and Cecil have and argument, during which Bob points out Cecil's "four years in clown college", to which he replies, "I would prefer it if you not refer to Princeton in that manner"

There may be others, but I forget or have not caught them.

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Contributed By: whelpdog on 01-10-2000
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Comments

trutkowski writes:
This is in the episode where Mr. Burns meets his long-lost son. In the begging of the episode he is returning from a Harvard-Yale football game in which Yale looses. He says “Harvard can have its sports and academics, Yale will always be first in gentlemanly club life.”
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Scoby writes:
In the chili cookoff episode, Mr. Burns has a booth which features Yale style chili. If you look closely, the substance he is pouring into the chili is saltpeter.
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joekool311 writes:
in some episode concerning dogs (cant remember which) Mr burns says that the dog has the "stiff posture and memorable face of a yale man" or something like that.
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Goat writes:
The episode where the Simpsons get Laddie the amazing dog, Burns peers at Laddie and says something like "Smithers, I believe this dog was in Skull and Bones."
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RobNich writes:
In the episode trutkowski is referring to, in the same scene, Burns says "I' don't know why Yale bothers showing up at all. They barely won!" Or something to that effect.
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EH writes:
In the episode in which Lisa cheats on a test, she is offered the answers by Nelson while undergoing a moral struggle. A Harvard man pops up out of one of the stalls saying something to this effect. Harvard Man: Your failing of this test closes the doors of Harvard to you forever but we'll make sure to pass your application along to (shudder) Brown. Bart: Hey Otto, didn't you go to Brown? Otto: Ya man, I almost got tenure.
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Here's a real egg from a Harvard alum: The Springfield librarian is named Hollis Hurlbutt. Both Hollis and Hurlbutt are the names of Harvard freshman dorms.
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finkel writes:
On the episode when Homer starts the bowling team. After They have to kick Otto off for Mr. burns he is trying to win a Harvard diploma out of the machine.
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alan writes:
dis to Villanova in the episode where the simpsons go to new york city. Drunk Barney to homer "All i remember about the past 2 months is giving a guest lecture at villanova...or maybe it was a street corner"
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Fup Dup writes:
Does anyone know what Goat it smoking, or if I missed something can you explain it?!?!??
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csick writes:
Goat's comment is a reference to another Ivy League in-joke. Skull and Bones is one Yale's secret societies -- George Bush (the dad, I'm not sure about sonny) was a member and it was the loose basis for the movie "The Skulls" starring Joshua Jackson. It is like a frat except very secretive and exclusive. In the Laddie episode, while walking through the park, Burns sees Laddie, shakes his hand, and says to Smithers, "I think this dog was in Skull and Bones." Basically, the joke is that Burns thinks this dog was a member of one of the most exclusive and prestigious groups at Yale (which either reflects very well on Laddie or is quite a little shot at Yale).
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little_vicki writes:
Also in the episode where Mr. Burns meets his son Larry, he says "I don't know why Harvard bothered showing up. They barely even won'. I guess all the Harvard alumni love poking fun at Yale.
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antfarm007 writes:
There is also an episode in which the Simpsons are in jail, and Bart says, "Lisa is going to Stanford! Lisa is going to Stanford!" Homer joins in and him and Bart chant it twice. Marge than says "Nobody is going to Stanford!"
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STK0919 writes:
-Fup Dup, I believe Goat is referring to the fact that there's a secret society/organization at Harvard (that even President George W. Bush was a member of in his college days) by the name of "Skull and Bones". (I'm not 100% sure if that's the correct name, so somebody correct me if I'm wrong)
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Ganon writes:
In the same episode that Bart and Lisa create the cartoons, the harvard guy comes back to Mr. Myre's office, complaining that he locked his office door and that he wants to get his harvard mug back!
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erlo writes:
Sideshow bob supports harvard in a few episodes. The actor who plays his voice also plays Frasier crane in frasier/cheers. Frasier went to harvard as well.
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Loser writes:
Homer's half brother Herm, says "I don't know why I hired you Harvard dead heads anyway..." in a meeting about what new cars his engineers were designing. One of them replies, "Because you went there sir."
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