Words by Richard “Treats” Dryden/Illustration by Knotti Chris
The West Indies—specifically Jamaica—and its language, music, and fashion have played a part in The Simpsons, the TV’s longest-running sitcom ever, since its inception 25 years ago. The show’s creator Matt Groening has a well-known appreciation for Jamaican culture, having started his career as a music journalist covering reggae. He even named one of the show’s most beloved reoccurring characters, Dr. Julius Hibbert, after Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals. Meanwhile, Groening’s other sitcom, Futurama, featured a Jamaican main character, Hermes (albeit one with a horribly deficient attempt at a yardie accent).
On the heels of the FXX channel’s recent marathon airing of all 522 Simpsons episodes, and with the show’s 26th season set to kick off Sept. 28, here’s a look back at some of the greatest Caribbean moments in The Simpsons‘ illustrious history.
10. “Rastas Love Dancin’ Homer”
Although The Simpsons exist in the fictional universe of Springfield, the show’s writers have always been known to take them out of their bubble and make them feel like they’re a part of our cultural fabric by incorporating other states and nations. In “Dancin’ Homer,” the memorable fifth episode of The Simpsons‘ second season, Homer’s dance routines became the rage at the Springfield Isotopes home games. Homie put his own twist on the run-of-the-mill songs played on the organ, like adding a little reggae twist to Henry Mancini’s “Baby Elephant Walk” while in “a Caribbean mood.” Walk like a champion, Homer!
Homer’s car radio is like a jukebox of timeless oldies. Classics like “Sunshines, Lollipops, and Rainbows,” and even D’Angelo’s “Cruisin’” have been played while Homer was at the wheel. In this clip, we only know that “Jamaican Beats” are playing, but what he’s singing along to is anyone’s guess.
8. Marge Sings “I Shot the Sheriff”
The Simpsons took a self-deprecating look at their popularity in Season 11’s “Behind the Laughter” episode, a parody of VH1’s Behind the Music documentary series. The Simpsons broke the fourth wall, poking fun at their fame in the mainstream and fabricating the future of their careers beyond their status of America’s animated family. (They eventually fell on hard times, and went their separate ways before the inevitable reunion, in typical Behind the Music fashion.) As the family members all go on to solo ventures, Marge starts performing songs like Bob Marley’s “I Shot the Sheriff” with her band Just Marge (And Friends). No embeds available on this clip, but click this link to watch the episode, and skip to 16:22 for the scene.
Trinidad & Tobago get much love in this episode where Lisa’s classroom starts a Model U.N. Club. We were expecting Jamaica, but Sherri and Terri were written in as reps for TnT. Unfortunately, if you haven’t seen the episode you’ll have to take the above screen grab as evidence: there’s currently no sharable footage from this episode online, except this clip. Finland–let’s see that native dance!
Bart: “Dad you can’t wear that, it’s a Rastafarian hat.”
Homer: “I’ve been Rastafarian since before you were born.”
Lisa: “Wearing a Jamaican hat makes a bold statement about your connection to reggae music.”
There’s always one guy in a dreadlock rasta hat at a festival, with those fake dreads sewn in. Homer got side-eyed for looking like a sore thumb at his first trip to Lollapalooza. He got called a narc and a poser. But Homer is proud, and lets his roots rock for reggae.
This is another one that’s unavailable as an embed (take it up with Fox), but click this link to watch the full episode with overdubs in Romanian!
The end of “The Canine Mutiny” episode ended on a high note. Every little thing was going to be alright, like Bob Marley once said, because Mr. Mitchell (a blind man) got a seeing eye dog in Laddy; Bart Simpson was reunited with his best friend, Santa’s Little Helper; and Chief Wiggum and his squad smoked the blind man’s weed. Mr. Mitchell originally called the police to report a burglary because Bart was trespassing on his property as he tried to reclaim Santa’s Little Helper. When Wiggum and co. showed up, Laddy sniffed around and revealed the weed. Wiggum did as Wiggum does, and completely negates what’s more important and invites Eddie and Lou over to smoke. Cue Bob Marley’s “Jammin,” roll credits.
4. Rasta Homer
In “Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo,” The Simpsons earned themselves a cheap trip, but didn’t exactly know where they were headed until they showed up to the gate. Looking up at the screen of departures, they’re hoping they’ll head somewhere favorable. Homer has his heart set on Jamaica, and his reason couldn’t be more perfect.
Cops aren’t always the brightest. Chief Wiggum, the most delusional police officer, embodies their stupidity. And we know the reality TV show Cops as their moment in the spotlight floodlight. To compliment Wiggum’s buffoonery on the Season 4 episode “Cops in Springfield,” we have “Bad Cops,” a parody of Inner Circle’s “Bad Boys” song that kicks off the Conan O’Brien produced episode.
2. Dr. Hibbert
The most enduring Jamaican reference on The Simpsons comes in the form of the show’s beloved Dr. Julius Hibbert, known for his easy laugh. An avowed reggaephile, Matt Groening named the character after legendary Toots and the Maytals singer Toots Hibbert, of “Pressure Drop” and “54-46 Was My Number” fame.
Side note: Was Sideshow Bob the first cartoon character to wear dreadlocks?
1. Jamaican Krusty and “The Itchem and Scratchem Blow”
Last season, on an episode entitled “Yellow Subterfuge,” The Simpsons gave us their most extensive—and, arguably, funniest—nod to Jamaican culture yet. Finding himself broke, Krusty franchises his name out to Krusty the Clown impersonatators from around the globe, specifically Ireland and Jamaica. Not only do we get a glimpse of how a Jamaican Krusty would sound, but a one-off yardie version of The Itchy and Scratchy Show, dubbed “The Itchem and Scratchem Blow.” It might be a stretch, but do you think Matt Groening, a fan of Jamaican culture, put a smart spin on his famous cat and mouse team, worthy of standing up to Rastamouse’s popularity? We’re not ruling it out.
As the scene, from the episode “The Old Man and the Lisa,” goes:
Lisa: “What about recycling, Mr. Burns?”
Mr. Burns: “Re-cy-cling…”
[Mr Burns scans mental dictionary for recycling but comes up blank, the closest word is Ragamuffin.]
Mr. Burns: “Shut up you adorable little raggamuffin”
+2: Bart Marley + The Simpsons Go Funky Reggae
The Simpsons have blended with reggae culture in a few ways that were not envisioned by the show’s writers. Most notable and memorable are the “Bart Marley” T-shirts (Bart with dreads and a spliff) sold by street vendors and at flea markets in the early ’90s, part of a wave of Bart-inspired bootleg tees. If you’re lucky (and a ’90s nostalgist), you might still be able to find one of these in your local thrift shop, or at least on Ebay. (The once ubiquitous “Bart Marley” tee even made it into The Rough Guide to Jamaica).
Then there’s “The Simpsons Go Funky Reggae,” a fake album by The Simpsons dreamed up by Simpsons Illustrated, a comic book accompaniment to the franchise which created a gallery of cover art for Simpsons albums that would never be made.
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