I have thought about this problem for many years. There is nothing that states all of the episodes occur in chronological order. Unless an episode specifically references events of a past episode then we can't fully assume that all past episode events predate all future episode events. Maybe Apu's children being born happened chronologically before or at the same time as Maggie even though it is not presented as such. Maybe in the Simpsons' universe they have extreme gravity or speed that is causing time to move different at the Simpsons house versus Apu's house. It is hard to say haha.
You all are missing the most obvious explanation. There is a new couch gag in the beginning of every episode. The couch throws them into a new reality every time.
My theory is similar. Every episode creates a new timeline. But, Simpsons Roasting is a universal constant, which explains Santa's Little Helper. Grift of the Magi is the exception. Also the past and future timelines are universal constants as well.
@@point_decascadia there's a couple of other plot points that persist throughout the series as well. Kirk and Luann's divorce (and eventual remarry), all the character deaths (Maude, Edna Krabapple, Mona Simpson, etc.) I'm sure there are others that I can't think of at the moment. Not sure how that fits with your theory. It definitely makes it harder to pin down what exactly is going on with the Simpsonverse, though.
Liz G Well, deaths are hard to explain, especially because Edna and Maude made appearances in Lisa’s wedding, which takes place after their deaths. Right now, my explanation is that deaths create split timelines. One where it happened, and one where it didn’t. Because of this, Lisa’s Wedding, and Days of Future Future(?) could play out differently because of Maude and Edna’s Death. Kirk and Luann’s divorce, on the other hand, is also a universal constant that I forgot to put in my original theory. Edit: (?)=it might be the wrong episode I’m talking about.
There's a Christmas episode where Gill literally lives a full year in the Simpsons' house. So if there was a linear timeline or any continuity, he'd be in their home almost every episode.
In the Simpsons/Family Guy crossover episode, 10-year-old Bart tells Chris how he's being tormented every day by Nelson. Chris asks him how long this has been happening and he says, "26 years."
@Conrad Ferrus i mean, they remember past events. I think they just mean it's not something the simpsons would actually remember happening, because it technically didn't canon-wise
Cartoons are fun. Listening to an adult make full fledged literary arguments about the universe is also fun. Having to wade through YT comments about arbitrary portions of said cartoon universe with absolutely no literary care at all... Is weird.
Matt Thornton and they get new writers that don't like dome of the old ideas ( bart's lucky red cap.) and bart not remembering magyver. ( possibly because kids now days wont remember magyver-)
Well, the writers kind of care about continuity and they kind don't care at all. It's weird when the make past references to episodes and things seem to change while at the same time not changing at all.
This video made me feel weird. Mostly the idea of Bart going through 10 Xmases while never getting older. It's weird how Futurama has such a perfect timeline and was made by the same people.
The Futurama timeline is just as ridiculous. The fact that the years change in sync with the real world doesn't change the fact that the character's don't age lmao.
Also, this video completely omits the countless cultural references. Besides the 5 different presidencies, there are also celebrities that appear and have long died by now, while the children are still the same age, etc.
Another theory: Burns' pollution of the Springfield watersupply started some time in the late 80's because Burns didn't want to die of old age, somehow the radioactive material is making everyone not age or at the very least age slowly. Being affected by it takes a few years however, which is why Apu's kids are seemingly older than Maggie now.
Could be radioactive waste being used as cattle feed, which would mean that Apu's family would be less affected by it, and with their children being bottle fed and avoiding beef, and Manjula not being a native would likely have a far slower uptake of any anti-mutagenic proteins from mutated cattle, as only Apu would be consistently exposed to it through his products at his gas station, along with much greater amounts of socialization with the rest of Springfield.
He already has that weekly regimen to cheat death for another week... though maybe that has something more to do with his condition. You know the one. “Everything.”
If and when they ever get to a final episode... I really hope the plot of that last episode is all about the time-line. Like how it's all professor Frink's fault or something. Like he could come out and admit to the town that one of his wacky time machines has been acting up for a few decades and he's finally figured out how to shut it down. And they get all angry at him, and tell him yeah, go ahead and do it then. And suddenly Bart is 40 and fat and bald, Homer looks like his father and EVERYBODY is unhappy with the reality of what they're "supposed" to look like (like MUCH older versions of the original Tracy Ullman animation)... so they tell Frink to just turn his wonky machine back on and everything returns to the status quo one last time. The End.
I really like this idea, would the town itself change too? Like would everyone from Barts class suddenly have new jobs, Homer be retired (or still be at the plant, under the somehow still alive Burns" etc. Or would they all just age up and keep doing the same thing but realize how awful it is?
John Smith Uh... good question. I guess there's a number of ways you could go. I suppose it would have to be the first way if you wanted the gag to go beyond "look how weird everybody looks." But then it wouldn't really make sense for everyone to be aware of the changes. Maybe if it was only the Simpsons who talked to Frink and knew what had happened. Or just Bart and Lisa. It'd be cool to see things like the rusted remains of the Mono-rail. And maybe the tire fire has finally burnt itself out. Little bits of dreaded continuity everywhere.
I kinda prefer the alternative timeline explanation, as it explains away why characters have personality traits that differ and are more or less exaggerated from episode to episode (when in reality it's because of the preference of the writer of the episode). For example one episode Otto can be completely incompetent as a bus driver while other he's just a laid back guy who happens to drive the bus, one episode Barney is a recovering alcoholic and the next he's one of the lads with no reference made.
But doesn't that ruin ALL tension? Why should I care if a character wins or loses, dies or survives, if in an alternate timeline the opposite happened? If both exist then neither matter.
@@HOTD108_ Wow, an actual factual Futurama character in a video about The Simpsons. I also think the alternative timeline makes the most sense. It was also so wonderful idea to think about, when I heard about alternate timelines theory in real life.
My theory is that characters age when they are outside of Springfield, and that Springfield is cursed so nobody ages. Maybe Gino Terwilliger, Jamshed Nahasapeemapetilon, the Octuplets, and Mary Spuckler aged from being in different locations.
And yet in Mary’s case, she somehow became a little girl again later the same season. Yeah I remember being legitimately shook (there’s no other way to put it) when I saw a promo pic of her and she was an adult. ...and then being relieved when she went back to normal because there is no way she could have aged up in just a couple of years and then aged back down soon after
What I want is during a 22 episode season, the drawing style starts to deteriorate enough to be noticeable if you watch the first episode and last of that season. Then they end on their way to talent show. With the show basically saying "look how far we've come, thank you for watching. Goodbye."
The best username I could come up with The Simpson's go by the cartoon goldie locks rule. Being locked into the perfect status quo to ensure the writers always have a sustainable Simpson life and status quo on Simpson world. What you just mentioned that loop would be called an infnite Goldie Locks Zone on lock. Above I explain the Goldie locks zone for cartoons vs life action sitcoms.
I wish I could re-write this video to adjust the tone of it. I completely agree that it's just a cartoon and the whole thing is silly. It's completely cuckoo-bananas! This video is more or less a, "Look at how ridiculous cartoon logic becomes after 20 years" demonstration, and how convoluted a theory has to become just to (kinda) make it work. I think The Simpsons is worth looking at because it is such a ridiculous mess.
Thank you for acknowledging that. Entertainment doesn't necessarily need to make sense. Sometimes it does in more serious shows that need a specific continuity. But I'm ok with the Simpsons having 4 or 8 Christmases with no change in characters. Just roll with the story, not punching many holes in the plot.
threre's a book about all the mathematical references in the simpsons, which gets to pretty advanced stuff, so I wouldnt be at all surprised if they had included ideas about parallel worlds - this needn't even be consistent, there are competing theories about the multiverse, so perhaps they have touched on all of them. Also, I would be eager to hear what you thought about the 'homer in a coma' theory, and if you dont agree, what to make of the episode where god tells homer he will die in 6 months. Keep up the good work!
my theory is that bart got electrocuted by a his pikachu when bart was trying to protect him from a flock of spearow, and all the events that occur in the simpsons are just occurring in barts comatose mind.
pyrotheevilplatypus thats kinda retcon- and most of the time they don't age- i know they do in a future episode.) but they weren't made when they had the (Lisa's wedding 2010.) so they some how dont exist in that timeline. ( because they weren't written back then.)
Minor correction: The "Time and Punishment" Treehouse of Horror segment isn't technically completely separate universes. It's really a split timeline (although the split point happens a long time ago). It's far enough back to basically be separate universes, though.
Very good with one exception: first episodes never count. All sorts of things change from episode 1 to 2. It's normal in TV. You should have excluded episode one from your exposition.
TheRealJims remember in season 20 when homer was thinking about all the times he got hurt and said yeah what a week the kids have noticed they don't age and lisa has noticed things that are off to I think it's a circular time that keeps looping or there just in hell by the way Springfield is in Kentucky not only do they say it in behind the laughter but there's a Springfield and Shelbyville there the only place with apple trees lemon trees and snow and there's also a nuclear power plant there just look into it I did over 18 years ago
Remember when Homer and Marge were seniors in high school in 1974? Remember when Lisa got married at age 23 in 2010? Abe fought in WW2 and was born in 1907.
I always thought that there is a simpsons family for each year. In the 2020 time line, bart will be born in 2010. By 2030 if the show is still running, bart will be born in 2020 a year we are not even in. Each timeline add important events from past ones like apu having kids and maude dying, it just happens in different years. I belive that once a year in our wold is gone, the simpsons we had at that year keep on with their lives and we switch to different ones, for all we can know 1989's bart will turn 40 next year, is just that we don't follow him anymore.
I'm glad someone finally tried to figure out how a floating timeline works rather than just chalking it up to "it's just a cartoon". Another great video from RealJims
Also, this is what I get for waiting to record the ending until after animating. I got a pretty bad cold in the middle of editing. You can totally hear it in my voice during the wrap-up. :p
TheRealJims The Simpson's go by the cartoon goldie locks rule. Being locked into the perfect status quo to ensure the writers always have a sustainable Simpson life and status quo on Simpson world.
The simpsons writers obviously didnt care about continuation and things like that. What is the point of trying to decode the timeline if there is none?
Kamrat because it's fun to think about? it's not like anyone is trying to lay down the law of exactly how the timeline of The Simpsons goes, it's just fun thinking about the weirdness that comes from trying to apply real world logic to a fictional world that completely disregards some of the fundamental rules of our reality.
Kamrat for a while they were consistent with uta ( that german kid.) - ( the writers laughed saying : it was one of the only things they chose to be consistent about.)
Just because the writer did not intend for a underlying meaning to be in a work, does not mean it is not there. In other words, the author's intent doesn't matter. The piece speaks for itself, not the author.
One thing I thought about that always confused me is how they've met celebrities that have both been on the show and passed away during the show's run. Like James Brown, Leonard Nimoy and such. But I'm guessing the whole "character death" thing is a big enough issue with the timeline as is, like you said with Maude. But then there's like Bleeding Gums Murphy who dies, meaning that Moaning Lisa, Dancing Homer and Round Springfield (along with any other episode he's in) have to happen in the same timeline, but wouldn't effect anything if they're taken out of all of the others. I am confusing myself greatly.
I think the most noticeable thing are all the kid characters growing up in the era where they can run around and play in the first seasons, to seeing those same characters now be stuck on cellphones all day. Bart could be playing a NES knock-off in a 90's ep and he could consider it an ancient console nowadays. Homer (like most people) went from not knowing how to use a computer, to being able to surf the web and use memes and whatnot (also like most people).
I'd love to see "Kill Gil" worked into the Christmas paradox. We get two Christmases in one episode and the entire year in between, including the start of the new school year with, you guessed it, no promotions for Bart or Lisa.
That toaster theory actually has some visual proof. In one episode, Milhouse has a snake tongue for a quick gag like at the end of Time and Punishment. And not all treehouses of horror stories have to be non canon. Still something to think about. Maybe this could even explain the minor changes in each intro and the various couch gags.
I wish they would've stopped doing the floating time line thing and actually let the characters get a little older every few years. The show would be so much better because they'd be able to come up with so many fresh new ideas.
I always figured "Bart Gets An F" could fit in the same timeline as Kamp Krusty or Summer of 4'2". It's winter in Bart Gets An F, with snow on the ground, so maybe Bart was worried about his midterms (which usually happen in winter) and then comes the summer paradox. I think Kamp Krusty and Summer of 4'2" could happen in the same year, but at different points in the summer break. We don't know if Kamp Krusty was supposed to last the entire summer or just a few weeks.
Another thing you left out is that some episodes are specifically set in certain years. For example, the episode where young Homer & Marge and baby Bart are living in an apartment before moving to their current house in the suburbs specifically says its in 1980. Also in another episode Homer is shown to be a teenager when the moon landing happened in 1969. Yet with the 90's episode that is all thrown out the window.
There are 5 realities, 6 if you include Abe Simpson, one for each Simpson. Each reality is how they remember it happening. For the adults remembering, the kids grade level is always kind of fuzzy since they aren't going through it. Same with the kids realities viewing the adults, the jobs are kind of fuzzy. The areas of the show with what appears to be continuity errors is showing where events are recalled differently by at least 2 Simpsons. Some realities are self aggrandizing while are self deprecating, some view other Simpsons on a pedestal while others as if in a gutter. A true Simpsons timeline might exist but since each reality is lived by a different Simpson there is no exist way of knowing the objective truth of how the events to place.
Maybe the Simpsons live in a realm where no one ages yet the influence of the outside world can still enter the realm. The only person who is affected by age is “Just Stamp The Ticket Man” because he looks older in Lisa Goes Gaga. The characters never move on to other grades because they forget the previous year, and think they’ve reached a new year. So, the realm was created in the first episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”. After this, we’re witnessing the aftermath of a WandaVision-like Hex in a provincial town that was broadcast on live television. The characters remember what happens before the realm was created, as we see in flashback episodes like Fland Canyon. In “So Its Come to This”, Homer falls into a coma and remembers all he’s seen in the realm, but never mentions it after this as he’s once again affected by the realm. That or I need more sleep.
Bart is the deity of Springfield, through his hundreds of detentions he has perfected eternal youth, and can open up a portal which takes him to any time, he can implant memories to anyone around him and is an omniscient and omnipotent being who lives outside of time, any stories we are told through this show called “The Simpsons” are simply this being’s thoughts bleeding into our own timeline.
This is a fascinating subject. The real world has changed a lot since the Simpsons began and this show will certainly never completely catch up. Thank you for doing this video. I think that the alternative timeline theory does make a lot of sense. They have done even more Christmas specials now which of course makes things even more complicated. I always enjoy your mystery discussions. Never know what surprise is going to come around that bend!
That could be a decent theory. It could actually be Maggie telling the story to her kids/ grandkids. Matt Groening implies that Marge's hair isn't really that big, it's huge from the point of view of a child.
I have heard rumours that The Simpsons was meant to be originally set in the 1950's, but the producers changed it to the "present day", so that audiences could relate to it a lot more
Easy, Occam's Razor answer: the show was never intended to exceed more than a few seasons, due to its strange premise and controversial nature. Other similar shows released around the same time rarely survived past a 2nd season, hence the writers and creators of the Simpsons just created show after show -- myopically -- without any real forethought or intention of the series lasting for multiple decades. Probably at the end of the golden era, the writers just became self-aware of the show's longevity, and just continued making Christmas episodes with no regard for the flow of time. Here's a good comparison using another Fox sitcom that had several seasons: "That '70s' Show" was created just to be a goofy novelty show with no intention of being popular or having longevity, which is why episodes of the first season take place at random dates and years in the 1970s. There's an early episode where the main cast goes to see Star Wars in the theater (1977), and a subsequent episode involves a bicentennial celebration (1976 of course). Again, the writers didn't figure the show would catch on and survive for how long it ultimately did, and just stopped regarding linear continuity.
Also similar to the Goldbergs. The main kid started out at like 12 and now is almost out of high school. The show also constantly is like “oh this famous movie just came out” so if you tried to put events of the show to the actual dates hinted at , it would be super convoluted
Theory: the Simpsons are just memories from the Simpsons family past, that are being retold by them. The reason certain things don’t make sense is because sometimes memories are patchy. Their age is another instance of this patchy memory. The ‘mistakes’ in the timeline are the memories being retold wrong.
Maybe the Simpsons are robots similar to the ones in westworld, living the same year over and over for each set of visitors that come. What we see is a selection of stories that occur during different run throughs.
One of my favorite Simpsons paradoxes comes from whether Futurama is fictional, or rather The Simpsons. Futurama has the garbage planet littered with Bart Simpson dolls, yet in The Simpsons, Matt Groening is the acclaimed Futurama creator. Of course, more recently, we have "Simpsorama" and the comic book crossover crisis to thank for meddling even more!
I have wondered about how/if the Halloween episodes connect to the others even when I heard they don't. Like I especially wondered about the one with Bart's twin
My favourite theory about this is the one put forward by the XKCD guy: the Simpson family is under a wizard spell that keeps the family, especially the kids, from ageing, because that way Bart never turns 11 and never gets his Hogwarts (or I guess Ilvermony) letter.
The multiverse theory makes sense, especially when you consider that one of the couch gags included Rick and Morty, who's plot heavily revolves around the multiverse. It would explain multiple past and futures, while some things stay the same. It could also make the treehouse of horror episodes cannon, since they would just exist in a separate universe than the more regular Simpsons.
The three graduation episodes aren't actually contradictory. 'Bart Gets an F' clearly happens in late winter or early spring, as there is snow present. It's even a plot point. 'Kamp Krusty' shows Bart's last day in the fourth grade as well as the six weeks the kids spend at the camp during summer. 'Summer of 4 Ft. 2' shows Lisa's last day of second grade, and could take place during 'Kamp Krusty'. The parts when the family goes to the Flanders' summer house could easily be set later in the summer, perhaps after the kids has been to Kamp Krusty. Lisa's identity insecurities would probably still exist even after her visit to the camp. Otherwise, I really enjoyed these videos. I find the Simpsons timeline to be interesting too, and it really bothers me that they screwed up with the Christmas episodes. The whole concept of a floating timeline bothers me.
that hypothetical about bart not batting an eye about graduating 4th grade 3 times just made me laugh hysterically and then have a mini existential crisis
I maintain the loop starts on Halloween. Treehouse of Horror could be the time in which the universe suddenly does hiccups and backflips, needing to reset afterwards. The escalation of the insanity of what's depicted in Treehouse of Horror could be explained as the universe is becoming more fragile with each reset--and this is why elements that should only be confined to it start to seep more into the actual episodes themselves (hence, as mentioned in the video, jockey elves--and all that sort of stuff). The first Treehouse of Horror stuff even started out as more structured, just starting out as spooky stories the kids told themselves in the treehouse, the basis for the reset being only where reality begins cracking in the imagination. However, the next one is presented as more of a play of sorts, with Marge coming from behind a curtain to warn about the horror, but this one is moving a little beyond the imagination, but still seen as fictional in the universe. Once the framing device was dropped however, is when the events started to affect the "real" world itself. It's an event that is growing larger and like somebody mentioned is probably Professor Frink's fault. Glavin.Yeah, this video is 2 years old, but I still wanted to posit this. Maybe somebody will read it and enjoy the ridiculous postulation.
I just realized something: Lisa has dated Ralph, Milhouse, and Nelson. Let's take a look at their ages. Lisa and Ralph make sense. Milhouse is in the fourth grade. Milhouse and Lisa are two grades apart. In the episode with the bus in the river, Nelson had gotten held back twice, which means he SHOULD be in the sixth grade. A sixth grader dating a second grader. Weird pairings going on here.
When you brought up "Grandpa vs Sexual Inadequacy" I thought you were going to bring up something that I noticed, but I guess not. Anyway, at the end of that episode, Grandpa and Homer simultaneously burn down the farm Homer grew up in. However, in "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed grunt)" the Simpsons move there after Homer pussies out of his duel with the Southern gentleman. Come to think of it, there was also that episode where Homer finds out his middle name, and I think that took place there too. Anyway, that's just another contradiction to throw into the pile.
One really awkward part about trying to put every episode into a single continuity, squeezing them all into a single year, is that Gil would be living at the Simpsons' house during nearly every episode...
This is very well thought out, and presented excellently. Furthermore, this adds a tremendous amount of 'entertainment value' to The Simpsons. Looking forward to the future timeline episode!!! There have been a lot of those in-the-future episodes...
My idea is that they are ageless in the present, that they keep going through time, and are aware of it, as in when in the Family Guy crossover, Stewie asks Bart how long Nelson has been bullying him, and he says '24 years' or something. It's just that the characters are the same age, but still learn and change in some ways. The plot is to me that the Simpsons characters are personalities living through the lifespan of the shows, and other events they reference are relative to when they are referenced. They have referred to 2010 as the far future, but they were still airing in 2010, and they still are to this day. It's how Maggie can have been born in both 1988 and 2016. The future of 2010 is just from a fortune teller. There is no way to vouch for it being canon. 'That '90s Show' is a retelling of the past from a future reference point. Every year, the show is about a lower-middle class family in America in the current year. How they'll react and interact to and with the world around them. There is also another layer, where these personal permanent changes occur. It's as if the characters are ageless and playing the roles of themselves every year, acting out whatever story it is this time. This also explains all fourth wall breaks. The Simpsons isn't just a show to us. It's a show to them. There is an episode where they talk about what it's like to film The Simpsons. I think this will be revealed at the end of the series, in a rather clever way.
Only problem with that is, people would say it's too similar to family guy, as that's the canonical reason for family guy's weirdness with status quo stuff (sorry for replying to such an old comment lol).
@@jddi1527 in Family Guy canon, all the characters are actors on a reality show IIRC, it's a weird meta kind of way to explain the status quo nature of that show. If Simpsons pulled that trick, the angry nerds would probably accuse them of copying.
DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN i have to say, TH-cam is littered with people who all do the same damn thing, but this , this is the kind of work that makes youtube great. you a true youtuber dude
Okay, I've got an idea: The series begins with the original Christmas skit, Then the timeline splits off into three seperate timelines for when Bart graduates 4th grade, And they reconverge anywhere between those episodes and next Christmas, with any appropriate episodes in between.
I'd say it's a selectively resetting timeline. The chronological year moves forward by one, but the relative ages and personalities of the characters stay the same, they just reset. If new characters are introduced, they enter the loop. If old characters die, they're not back for the next run. The characters retain a vague-ish knowledge of prior events, but aren't aware that the loop keeps resetting.
And you still haven't addressed how Mr. Burns, in just a few seasons, went from being only 81 to being 104, or how Moleman has allegedly gone from being a very poorly aged 31 year old to actually being in his 80s several seasons later. All the while, Homer has only aged about four years through the entire span of the show. I would like to see your take on Mr. Burns and Moleman.
I love how much thought, effort and time was put into taking this seriously and trying to providing a complex convoluted answer. The simple answer however is the writers either ignore or acknowledge the passing of time when it suits them and the story they want to tell that episode. The advantage of a cartoon is that they have the freedom to do this.
Obviously they're in a time cube, living four simultaneous years in four corners of the same reality and four sides on all four corners. The writers are well researched.
I like how they brought back Mike Scioscia and referred back to his previous episode where he got radiation poisoning while working at the power plant. :D
I think the Simpsons timeline works the same as what Roland Deschain goes through in The Dark Tower. Time flows forward at a pace more or less consistent with the real world until some undefined event takes place that resets the world to a previous set starting point. With each "loop" the characters may or may not remember the events of previous loops but certain things happen that stick and stay the same on all future loops, such as Maude Flanders being dead. Things like the repeated appearances of Sideshow Bob can be explained by the initial episode Krusty Gets Busted being the same on each loop and subsequent stories being a "part two" to that one episode on different loops (unless there's an episode I'm forgetting that references them all of course). The most likely explanation for why the infinite loop is occurring probably has something to do with Professor Frink and one of his experiments that went wrong and thus the loop is probably contained to Springfield and the fictional state of North Takoma that the town is in.
This video made me remember how much I loved the first 3 seasons of this show! Then I think it's still pretty solid until season 8 where after that it goes very downhill! But great video man!
This was a really interesting video, it's a good look at how mad the story of The Simpsons really is and has some fun theories to think about. I think for casuals like myself, we tend to forget previous episodes so we never think they'd ever actually follow a logical storyline. But I remember noticing in a few episodes, sometimes when a character would look out the kitchen window, you'll see Springfield Penitentiary in one episode, then in a different episode you'll see the graveyard but then Krusty Burger another episode. Then I read somewhere that the writers/producers would change the location of buildings to suit the convenience of the story and/or for comedic effect. So since then I've just accepted that and learned to simply enjoy the show and not think about it logically. But the theories in your video are definitely fun to think about, would be nice to have a nice loop to the beginning when the show inevitably ends.
When you talked about asking Bart about his memories, that made me think of something: maybe The Simpsons is what Lisa and Bart remember about their childhoods. All the stuff happens in different years, but when they think back to it, they think "yeah, I was about 10" or "yeah, I was about 8". What if the cartoonier parts of the show are them remembering how they experienced things as children? You could even explain their clothes almost never changing this way. Maybe the family were wearing those clothes in their only surviving family photos, and so that's what they remember?
I like the different universes theory, that's the first thing that came to my mind. And the point you made about the toaster ties it all together nicely. I think this could also then theoretically explain the differences between writers. Like when a character does something that feels kind of out of character because of a guest writer or something similar. Great video, I love thinking too deep into things like this although it does make my brain hurt. You've gained a new sub!
Whiney Wolf has kissed lady gaga , and one of the other regular women characters. Short answer no- but marge actually was meant to have rabbit ears under hair.
Hey. I have suggestion for new simpsons mysteries. Money! They were broke in the early years, then well doing, and sometimes it seems money is no problem at all. They get second car, travel around etc... Then Homer and Marge do age a bit during the show as described in video about simpsons past. There's also bunch of episodes with Homer and Marge doing all sorts of jobs that could affect their finances both ways. Is there pattern? Seems right up your alley! Evergreen terrace 742 video was my favorite thus btw... So keep up the good and for these brilliant videos!
Don't forget Apu's children. Maggie is still a baby since before Apu met his wife. Now all 8 children are the same age or even older than Maggie.
Maggie is the time god
Woah I never thought of this!!
Yeah the same thing happened with Ling Bouvier and sideshow bob’s son Gino 😂
Holy crap
I have thought about this problem for many years. There is nothing that states all of the episodes occur in chronological order. Unless an episode specifically references events of a past episode then we can't fully assume that all past episode events predate all future episode events. Maybe Apu's children being born happened chronologically before or at the same time as Maggie even though it is not presented as such. Maybe in the Simpsons' universe they have extreme gravity or speed that is causing time to move different at the Simpsons house versus Apu's house. It is hard to say haha.
You all are missing the most obvious explanation. There is a new couch gag in the beginning of every episode. The couch throws them into a new reality every time.
Thanks captain obvious
Apart from when they repeat couch gags?
My theory is similar. Every episode creates a new timeline. But, Simpsons Roasting is a universal constant, which explains Santa's Little Helper. Grift of the Magi is the exception. Also the past and future timelines are universal constants as well.
@@point_decascadia there's a couple of other plot points that persist throughout the series as well. Kirk and Luann's divorce (and eventual remarry), all the character deaths (Maude, Edna Krabapple, Mona Simpson, etc.) I'm sure there are others that I can't think of at the moment. Not sure how that fits with your theory. It definitely makes it harder to pin down what exactly is going on with the Simpsonverse, though.
Liz G Well, deaths are hard to explain, especially because Edna and Maude made appearances in Lisa’s wedding, which takes place after their deaths. Right now, my explanation is that deaths create split timelines. One where it happened, and one where it didn’t. Because of this, Lisa’s Wedding, and Days of Future Future(?) could play out differently because of Maude and Edna’s Death. Kirk and Luann’s divorce, on the other hand, is also a universal constant that I forgot to put in my original theory.
Edit: (?)=it might be the wrong episode I’m talking about.
There's a Christmas episode where Gill literally lives a full year in the Simpsons' house. So if there was a linear timeline or any continuity, he'd be in their home almost every episode.
Gilraggle@@wolfgalaxy9086
if that would happen i would show up to fox studios with a sternly worded complaint
In the Simpsons/Family Guy crossover episode, 10-year-old Bart tells Chris how he's being tormented every day by Nelson. Chris asks him how long this has been happening and he says, "26 years."
Actually he tells this to Stewie
Also, this crossover is non-canon.
@Conrad Ferrus i mean, they remember past events. I think they just mean it's not something the simpsons would actually remember happening, because it technically didn't canon-wise
Hate to be that guy but it was 24 years
Cartoons are fun. Listening to an adult make full fledged literary arguments about the universe is also fun. Having to wade through YT comments about arbitrary portions of said cartoon universe with absolutely no literary care at all... Is weird.
I'll just stick to the most logical answer. The writers and producers threw continuity out of the window years ago.
Yeah, but then we wouldn't get an awesome 17 minute video about that.
Matt Thornton and they get new writers that don't like dome of the old ideas ( bart's lucky red cap.) and bart not remembering magyver. ( possibly because kids now days wont remember magyver-)
Well, the writers kind of care about continuity and they kind don't care at all. It's weird when the make past references to episodes and things seem to change while at the same time not changing at all.
Nah, the most logical answer: a wizard did it.
nah a wizard did it you got it wrong (like if you like the joke)
Ned's wife dies, he recovers, he remarries, and his new wife dies, all in less than a year...
edna dies??
@@phnix6242 the voice actresses died
Moral of the story: never marry Ned Flanders
Man of God, Man of Action.
This video made me feel weird. Mostly the idea of Bart going through 10 Xmases while never getting older. It's weird how Futurama has such a perfect timeline and was made by the same people.
A big youtube here ?
And NO comments ??
It's free real estate !
@@k4four615 frrrr me and u both lol
It doesn't help when the main cast are kids as opposed to adults, but i agree
Wow barley any replies
The Futurama timeline is just as ridiculous. The fact that the years change in sync with the real world doesn't change the fact that the character's don't age lmao.
It blows my mind when I realize that I was the same age as Bart and Lisa when the show started, and now I'm the same age as Homer and Marge.
Straight up...I passed homer
Now you’re even older :/
That's when you know a show has been kept alive far too long.
there's one mistake in the B-sharps episode. santa's little helper is present even though bart and lisa are toddlers
That's not santa's little helper, it's a different dog.
JamesPlaysGames95 hmmm
It's Santa's Little Helper. They previously owned a different cat, but not a different dog. It's just a timeline mistake. But who really cares?
Also, this video completely omits the countless cultural references. Besides the 5 different presidencies, there are also celebrities that appear and have long died by now, while the children are still the same age, etc.
Good catch!
Another theory: Burns' pollution of the Springfield watersupply started some time in the late 80's because Burns didn't want to die of old age, somehow the radioactive material is making everyone not age or at the very least age slowly. Being affected by it takes a few years however, which is why Apu's kids are seemingly older than Maggie now.
Could be radioactive waste being used as cattle feed, which would mean that Apu's family would be less affected by it, and with their children being bottle fed and avoiding beef, and Manjula not being a native would likely have a far slower uptake of any anti-mutagenic proteins from mutated cattle, as only Apu would be consistently exposed to it through his products at his gas station, along with much greater amounts of socialization with the rest of Springfield.
I second this
Does this mean Blinky could still be with us, if it was not for the fact he was cooked by Marg?
He already has that weekly regimen to cheat death for another week... though maybe that has something more to do with his condition. You know the one. “Everything.”
@@warrenlehmkuhleii8472 do you mean pinchy?
If and when they ever get to a final episode... I really hope the plot of that last episode is all about the time-line. Like how it's all professor Frink's fault or something. Like he could come out and admit to the town that one of his wacky time machines has been acting up for a few decades and he's finally figured out how to shut it down. And they get all angry at him, and tell him yeah, go ahead and do it then. And suddenly Bart is 40 and fat and bald, Homer looks like his father and EVERYBODY is unhappy with the reality of what they're "supposed" to look like (like MUCH older versions of the original Tracy Ullman animation)... so they tell Frink to just turn his wonky machine back on and everything returns to the status quo one last time. The End.
I really like this idea, would the town itself change too? Like would everyone from Barts class suddenly have new jobs, Homer be retired (or still be at the plant, under the somehow still alive Burns" etc.
Or would they all just age up and keep doing the same thing but realize how awful it is?
John Smith Uh... good question. I guess there's a number of ways you could go. I suppose it would have to be the first way if you wanted the gag to go beyond "look how weird everybody looks." But then it wouldn't really make sense for everyone to be aware of the changes. Maybe if it was only the Simpsons who talked to Frink and knew what had happened. Or just Bart and Lisa.
It'd be cool to see things like the rusted remains of the Mono-rail. And maybe the tire fire has finally burnt itself out. Little bits of dreaded continuity everywhere.
zardox78 Pl np
sara harley-ward Sy wt?
zardox78 you know they may actually do that.😲😀😮I sure never thought of it before.
I kinda prefer the alternative timeline explanation, as it explains away why characters have personality traits that differ and are more or less exaggerated from episode to episode (when in reality it's because of the preference of the writer of the episode). For example one episode Otto can be completely incompetent as a bus driver while other he's just a laid back guy who happens to drive the bus, one episode Barney is a recovering alcoholic and the next he's one of the lads with no reference made.
But doesn't that ruin ALL tension? Why should I care if a character wins or loses, dies or survives, if in an alternate timeline the opposite happened? If both exist then neither matter.
@@HOTD108_ in a comedy, surely its about whats funny, not whats tense.
@@HOTD108_ Wow, an actual factual Futurama character in a video about The Simpsons. I also think the alternative timeline makes the most sense. It was also so wonderful idea to think about, when I heard about alternate timelines theory in real life.
One weird episode, In the season 17 episode Sideshow Bob moves to Italy becomes major and has a son, who appears to be older than Maggie.
same thing happens with Apu octoplets and Selma adopted chinese daughter
My theory is that characters age when they are outside of Springfield, and that Springfield is cursed so nobody ages. Maybe Gino Terwilliger, Jamshed Nahasapeemapetilon, the Octuplets, and Mary Spuckler aged from being in different locations.
Wibbly wobbly timey wimey
VENDETTA!!!
And yet in Mary’s case, she somehow became a little girl again later the same season. Yeah I remember being legitimately shook (there’s no other way to put it) when I saw a promo pic of her and she was an adult. ...and then being relieved when she went back to normal because there is no way she could have aged up in just a couple of years and then aged back down soon after
I heard that if the show ends, Matt Groening wants it to end at the talent show, infinite loop.
or would Matt Groening be better off making The Simpsons end by having Homer and Marge putting their kids to bed? ;)
What I want is during a 22 episode season, the drawing style starts to deteriorate enough to be noticeable if you watch the first episode and last of that season. Then they end on their way to talent show. With the show basically saying "look how far we've come, thank you for watching. Goodbye."
The best username I could come up with The Simpson's go by the cartoon goldie locks rule. Being locked into the perfect status quo to ensure the writers always have a sustainable Simpson life and status quo on Simpson world. What you just mentioned that loop would be called an infnite Goldie Locks Zone on lock. Above I explain the Goldie locks zone for cartoons vs life action sitcoms.
The best username I could come up with elaborate..
Chaz Bono your comment shows a mature evolution of humanity (not.) - respond constructively and factually.
man, the art quality really went down after season 39
There’s a timeline where the show goes off the air and becomes an internet series supported by pattern
Patreon*
ALL HAIL THE DARK LORD OF THE TWIN MOONS!
@@WILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLU
No there isn't. There is no scientific evidence for alternate timelines.
I am simpson
I am simpson
I wish I could re-write this video to adjust the tone of it. I completely agree that it's just a cartoon and the whole thing is silly. It's completely cuckoo-bananas! This video is more or less a, "Look at how ridiculous cartoon logic becomes after 20 years" demonstration, and how convoluted a theory has to become just to (kinda) make it work. I think The Simpsons is worth looking at because it is such a ridiculous mess.
I usually hate stuff like this but your tone was clear to me at least, I really enjoyed this exercise
don't forget edna died :(
Thank you for acknowledging that. Entertainment doesn't necessarily need to make sense. Sometimes it does in more serious shows that need a specific continuity. But I'm ok with the Simpsons having 4 or 8 Christmases with no change in characters. Just roll with the story, not punching many holes in the plot.
you are right, thank you for thanking someone for recognising that a cartoon is a cartoon
threre's a book about all the mathematical references in the simpsons, which gets to pretty advanced stuff, so I wouldnt be at all surprised if they had included ideas about parallel worlds - this needn't even be consistent, there are competing theories about the multiverse, so perhaps they have touched on all of them. Also, I would be eager to hear what you thought about the 'homer in a coma' theory, and if you dont agree, what to make of the episode where god tells homer he will die in 6 months. Keep up the good work!
Uh-Oh. I think watching this may have brained my damage.
Brained your damage? What?
@D C too bad
Too me
I love these episodes, looking at the weirdness of The Simpsons and asking "What if a Wizard DIDN'T do it?"
my theory is that bart got electrocuted by a his pikachu when bart was trying to protect him from a flock of spearow, and all the events that occur in the simpsons are just occurring in barts comatose mind.
This comment is one of the best comments in all of TH-cam, it's amazing
Lmao
I’m laughing so hard omg keep meming king
@@JenniferH977 really needed someone to tell me I'm funny today thanks queen my next meme is dedicated to you
No reference to the fact that Apu's kids age?
pyrotheevilplatypus thats kinda retcon- and most of the time they don't age- i know they do in a future episode.) but they weren't made when they had the (Lisa's wedding 2010.) so they some how
dont exist in that timeline. ( because they weren't
written back then.)
They went from being born to infants to toddlers to about 4 or 5.
Minor correction: The "Time and Punishment" Treehouse of Horror segment isn't technically completely separate universes. It's really a split timeline (although the split point happens a long time ago). It's far enough back to basically be separate universes, though.
TheRealJims its a cartoon dude seriously
As well as the fact that that short isn't canon
Very good with one exception: first episodes never count. All sorts of things change from episode 1 to 2. It's normal in TV. You should have excluded episode one from your exposition.
What is the name of the background music?
TheRealJims remember in season 20 when homer was thinking about all the times he got hurt and said yeah what a week the kids have noticed they don't age and lisa has noticed things that are off to I think it's a circular time that keeps looping or there just in hell by the way Springfield is in Kentucky not only do they say it in behind the laughter but there's a Springfield and Shelbyville there the only place with apple trees lemon trees and snow and there's also a nuclear power plant there just look into it I did over 18 years ago
Remember when Homer and Marge were seniors in high school in 1974?
Remember when Lisa got married at age 23 in 2010?
Abe fought in WW2 and was born in 1907.
The Simpsons always takes place in whatever year it currently is
Samuel Freakin' Adams like James Bond
This is true.
I always thought that there is a simpsons family for each year.
In the 2020 time line, bart will be born in 2010.
By 2030 if the show is still running, bart will be born in 2020 a year we are not even in.
Each timeline add important events from past ones like apu having kids and maude dying, it just happens in different years.
I belive that once a year in our wold is gone, the simpsons we had at that year keep on with their lives and we switch to different ones, for all we can know 1989's bart will turn 40 next year, is just that we don't follow him anymore.
@@magicduckman5568 Lets hope it's over by 2030, this has gone on far too long.
I'm glad someone finally tried to figure out how a floating timeline works rather than just chalking it up to "it's just a cartoon". Another great video from RealJims
Also, this is what I get for waiting to record the ending until after animating. I got a pretty bad cold in the middle of editing. You can totally hear it in my voice during the wrap-up. :p
It's okay!
But you're creeping me out a lot, RealJims!
are you going to a do a timeline video looking at the future?
Yep, next time!
(After a Pixar video.)
TheRealJims The Simpson's go by the cartoon goldie locks rule. Being locked into the perfect status quo to ensure the writers always have a sustainable Simpson life and status quo on Simpson world.
The simpsons writers obviously didnt care about continuation and things like that. What is the point of trying to decode the timeline if there is none?
Kamrat because it's fun to think about? it's not like anyone is trying to lay down the law of exactly how the timeline of The Simpsons goes, it's just fun thinking about the weirdness that comes from trying to apply real world logic to a fictional world that completely disregards some of the fundamental rules of our reality.
Kamrat for a while they were consistent with uta ( that german kid.) - ( the writers laughed saying : it was one of the only things they chose to be consistent about.)
Just because the writer did not intend for a underlying meaning to be in a work, does not mean it is not there. In other words, the author's intent doesn't matter. The piece speaks for itself, not the author.
IDC, I just think its interesting
Simpsons has lots of smartness build in to it.That's the main reason why they last.
One thing I thought about that always confused me is how they've met celebrities that have both been on the show and passed away during the show's run. Like James Brown, Leonard Nimoy and such. But I'm guessing the whole "character death" thing is a big enough issue with the timeline as is, like you said with Maude. But then there's like Bleeding Gums Murphy who dies, meaning that Moaning Lisa, Dancing Homer and Round Springfield (along with any other episode he's in) have to happen in the same timeline, but wouldn't effect anything if they're taken out of all of the others.
I am confusing myself greatly.
You just melted my mind
@@jaylong4705 I have no memory of typing this.
@@ToonrificTariq 🤣🤣🤣🤣
I think the most noticeable thing are all the kid characters growing up in the era where they can run around and play in the first seasons, to seeing those same characters now be stuck on cellphones all day. Bart could be playing a NES knock-off in a 90's ep and he could consider it an ancient console nowadays. Homer (like most people) went from not knowing how to use a computer, to being able to surf the web and use memes and whatnot (also like most people).
You know that scene where Homer lists every job he's ever had? That kind of proves the comic book timeline theory.
I thought they were just making up those jobs. Did he really have all those jobs in the show?
@greywolf7577 absolutely! I don't remember the episode number, but he goes on for several seconds listing all of his jobs.
I'd love to see "Kill Gil" worked into the Christmas paradox. We get two Christmases in one episode and the entire year in between, including the start of the new school year with, you guessed it, no promotions for Bart or Lisa.
That toaster theory actually has some visual proof. In one episode, Milhouse has a snake tongue for a quick gag like at the end of Time and Punishment. And not all treehouses of horror stories have to be non canon. Still something to think about. Maybe this could even explain the minor changes in each intro and the various couch gags.
I wish they would've stopped doing the floating time line thing and actually let the characters get a little older every few years. The show would be so much better because they'd be able to come up with so many fresh new ideas.
Melissa0774 itd also make the Simpsons unique
It's a cartoon
There's the problem, the writers are lazy.
@@poppyryder6386 King of the Hill allowed characters to age.
I always figured "Bart Gets An F" could fit in the same timeline as Kamp Krusty or Summer of 4'2". It's winter in Bart Gets An F, with snow on the ground, so maybe Bart was worried about his midterms (which usually happen in winter) and then comes the summer paradox. I think Kamp Krusty and Summer of 4'2" could happen in the same year, but at different points in the summer break. We don't know if Kamp Krusty was supposed to last the entire summer or just a few weeks.
Another thing you left out is that some episodes are specifically set in certain years. For example, the episode where young Homer & Marge and baby Bart are living in an apartment before moving to their current house in the suburbs specifically says its in 1980. Also in another episode Homer is shown to be a teenager when the moon landing happened in 1969. Yet with the 90's episode that is all thrown out the window.
There are 5 realities, 6 if you include Abe Simpson, one for each Simpson. Each reality is how they remember it happening. For the adults remembering, the kids grade level is always kind of fuzzy since they aren't going through it. Same with the kids realities viewing the adults, the jobs are kind of fuzzy. The areas of the show with what appears to be continuity errors is showing where events are recalled differently by at least 2 Simpsons. Some realities are self aggrandizing while are self deprecating, some view other Simpsons on a pedestal while others as if in a gutter. A true Simpsons timeline might exist but since each reality is lived by a different Simpson there is no exist way of knowing the objective truth of how the events to place.
Daniel Mies I like this idea
"You liked Rashomon!"
"That's not how I remember it!"
My theory is that it's probably a cartoon.
Poe Territory Maybe
+Poe Territory no shit fucking sherlock
+Swegg Spoder I see you are wise in way of cartoons.
Poe Territory
My theory is that the time itself is in a ground hog day esk loop but the characters aren't (atleast mentally)
That our everything is a cartoon in some point
"A wizard did it, when ever there's something you don't understand, a wizard did it..."
"bu-"
I'm so high thanks for uploading this
This... is probably one of my better videos for that. Good timing.
me too man this is the greatest video i've ever seen
TheRealJims what is the song that you used called? :0
Spread Eagle Across Da Block neck ya self
Maybe the Simpsons live in a realm where no one ages yet the influence of the outside world can still enter the realm. The only person who is affected by age is “Just Stamp The Ticket Man” because he looks older in Lisa Goes Gaga. The characters never move on to other grades because they forget the previous year, and think they’ve reached a new year. So, the realm was created in the first episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”. After this, we’re witnessing the aftermath of a WandaVision-like Hex in a provincial town that was broadcast on live television. The characters remember what happens before the realm was created, as we see in flashback episodes like Fland Canyon. In “So Its Come to This”, Homer falls into a coma and remembers all he’s seen in the realm, but never mentions it after this as he’s once again affected by the realm.
That or I need more sleep.
Grandpa is 90
But fought in both world Wars
You need more subscribers.
Totally
This is the first video I watched of his and I am actaully shocked at his subs
Your the best Simpsons youtuber jims
The Simpsons now goes around the loop, revisiting old themes/episodes for a re-do but with update pop-culture references.
Bart is the deity of Springfield, through his hundreds of detentions he has perfected eternal youth, and can open up a portal which takes him to any time, he can implant memories to anyone around him and is an omniscient and omnipotent being who lives outside of time, any stories we are told through this show called “The Simpsons” are simply this being’s thoughts bleeding into our own timeline.
This is a fascinating subject. The real world has changed a lot since the Simpsons began and this show will certainly never completely catch up. Thank you for doing this video. I think that the alternative timeline theory does make a lot of sense. They have done even more Christmas specials now which of course makes things even more complicated. I always enjoy your mystery discussions. Never know what surprise is going to come around that bend!
Maybe it's all just stories being told by an aging/senile Bart Simpson.
Or it's just a cartoon.
Chandler no that could actually be taken as a theory
That could be a decent theory. It could actually be Maggie telling the story to her kids/ grandkids. Matt Groening implies that Marge's hair isn't really that big, it's huge from the point of view of a child.
I have heard rumours that The Simpsons was meant to be originally set in the 1950's, but the producers changed it to the "present day", so that audiences could relate to it a lot more
Easy, Occam's Razor answer: the show was never intended to exceed more than a few seasons, due to its strange premise and controversial nature. Other similar shows released around the same time rarely survived past a 2nd season, hence the writers and creators of the Simpsons just created show after show -- myopically -- without any real forethought or intention of the series lasting for multiple decades. Probably at the end of the golden era, the writers just became self-aware of the show's longevity, and just continued making Christmas episodes with no regard for the flow of time.
Here's a good comparison using another Fox sitcom that had several seasons: "That '70s' Show" was created just to be a goofy novelty show with no intention of being popular or having longevity, which is why episodes of the first season take place at random dates and years in the 1970s. There's an early episode where the main cast goes to see Star Wars in the theater (1977), and a subsequent episode involves a bicentennial celebration (1976 of course). Again, the writers didn't figure the show would catch on and survive for how long it ultimately did, and just stopped regarding linear continuity.
Also similar to the Goldbergs. The main kid started out at like 12 and now is almost out of high school. The show also constantly is like “oh this famous movie just came out” so if you tried to put events of the show to the actual dates hinted at , it would be super convoluted
Theory: the Simpsons are just memories from the Simpsons family past, that are being retold by them. The reason certain things don’t make sense is because sometimes memories are patchy. Their age is another instance of this patchy memory. The ‘mistakes’ in the timeline are the memories being retold wrong.
Maybe the Simpsons are robots similar to the ones in westworld, living the same year over and over for each set of visitors that come. What we see is a selection of stories that occur during different run throughs.
I actually like that theory lol
One of my favorite Simpsons paradoxes comes from whether Futurama is fictional, or rather The Simpsons. Futurama has the garbage planet littered with Bart Simpson dolls, yet in The Simpsons, Matt Groening is the acclaimed Futurama creator. Of course, more recently, we have "Simpsorama" and the comic book crossover crisis to thank for meddling even more!
I forgot about that toaster, that clears a lot up
I have wondered about how/if the Halloween episodes connect to the others even when I heard they don't. Like I especially wondered about the one with Bart's twin
This is a fantastic look into the problems of "divergent timelines" as an explanation for continuity issues in a long running TV series
My favourite theory about this is the one put forward by the XKCD guy: the Simpson family is under a wizard spell that keeps the family, especially the kids, from ageing, because that way Bart never turns 11 and never gets his Hogwarts (or I guess Ilvermony) letter.
the whole show is about Homer in a coma from one of his 1st season head hits
where is danny black any ideas about a character in a coma is so bland
or after his early season 2 death. or the first clip show in season 4.
where is danny black Noooo “it was all a dream” theories suuuuuuuuuck
The multiverse theory makes sense, especially when you consider that one of the couch gags included Rick and Morty, who's plot heavily revolves around the multiverse. It would explain multiple past and futures, while some things stay the same. It could also make the treehouse of horror episodes cannon, since they would just exist in a separate universe than the more regular Simpsons.
The three graduation episodes aren't actually contradictory. 'Bart Gets an F' clearly happens in late winter or early spring, as there is snow present. It's even a plot point.
'Kamp Krusty' shows Bart's last day in the fourth grade as well as the six weeks the kids spend at the camp during summer.
'Summer of 4 Ft. 2' shows Lisa's last day of second grade, and could take place during 'Kamp Krusty'. The parts when the family goes to the Flanders' summer house could easily be set later in the summer, perhaps after the kids has been to Kamp Krusty. Lisa's identity insecurities would probably still exist even after her visit to the camp.
Otherwise, I really enjoyed these videos. I find the Simpsons timeline to be interesting too, and it really bothers me that they screwed up with the Christmas episodes. The whole concept of a floating timeline bothers me.
that hypothetical about bart not batting an eye about graduating 4th grade 3 times just made me laugh hysterically and then have a mini existential crisis
In the words of Lisa, "cartoons don't have to be 100% accurate".
*Trying to figure out the Simpsons continuity*
Universe: ight imma head out
This was awesome to watch. Thank you so much for taking the time to publish these observations. I enjoyed this. You are super smart.
I maintain the loop starts on Halloween. Treehouse of Horror could be the time in which the universe suddenly does hiccups and backflips, needing to reset afterwards. The escalation of the insanity of what's depicted in Treehouse of Horror could be explained as the universe is becoming more fragile with each reset--and this is why elements that should only be confined to it start to seep more into the actual episodes themselves (hence, as mentioned in the video, jockey elves--and all that sort of stuff). The first Treehouse of Horror stuff even started out as more structured, just starting out as spooky stories the kids told themselves in the treehouse, the basis for the reset being only where reality begins cracking in the imagination. However, the next one is presented as more of a play of sorts, with Marge coming from behind a curtain to warn about the horror, but this one is moving a little beyond the imagination, but still seen as fictional in the universe. Once the framing device was dropped however, is when the events started to affect the "real" world itself. It's an event that is growing larger and like somebody mentioned is probably Professor Frink's fault. Glavin.Yeah, this video is 2 years old, but I still wanted to posit this. Maybe somebody will read it and enjoy the ridiculous postulation.
For those who tl;dw The Simpson's timeline is fucked.
Basically, this.
I just realized something: Lisa has dated Ralph, Milhouse, and Nelson. Let's take a look at their ages. Lisa and Ralph make sense. Milhouse is in the fourth grade. Milhouse and Lisa are two grades apart. In the episode with the bus in the river, Nelson had gotten held back twice, which means he SHOULD be in the sixth grade. A sixth grader dating a second grader. Weird pairings going on here.
There was just a recent episode as just a throwaway joke where Milhouse was briefly interested in Maggie lol creepy meter up to 11
The music selection in these videos is impeccable. The music is really doing work in making these videos super engaging.
When you brought up "Grandpa vs Sexual Inadequacy" I thought you were going to bring up something that I noticed, but I guess not.
Anyway, at the end of that episode, Grandpa and Homer simultaneously burn down the farm Homer grew up in. However, in "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed grunt)" the Simpsons move there after Homer pussies out of his duel with the Southern gentleman. Come to think of it, there was also that episode where Homer finds out his middle name, and I think that took place there too. Anyway, that's just another contradiction to throw into the pile.
One really awkward part about trying to put every episode into a single continuity, squeezing them all into a single year, is that Gil would be living at the Simpsons' house during nearly every episode...
Oh that’s true actually cause he lives with them for months
I kinda like the idea of Gil just being offscreen for most episodes. Maybe the family threw him in the attic.
This is very well thought out, and presented excellently. Furthermore, this adds a tremendous amount of 'entertainment value' to The Simpsons. Looking forward to the future timeline episode!!! There have been a lot of those in-the-future episodes...
I´m gonna go with Cracked´s answer and say they live in the Matrix
Chronitons. The answer is always chronitons
As Lucy Lawless explained in one Halloween episode: It's always the wizard.
What a lovely episode on an issue I gave up on ages ago... So neat to see someone tackle it in a serious fashion ^_^
These videos are the best, thank you for making them!
My idea is that they are ageless in the present, that they keep going through time, and are aware of it, as in when in the Family Guy crossover, Stewie asks Bart how long Nelson has been bullying him, and he says '24 years' or something.
It's just that the characters are the same age, but still learn and change in some ways.
The plot is to me that the Simpsons characters are personalities living through the lifespan of the shows, and other events they reference are relative to when they are referenced. They have referred to 2010 as the far future, but they were still airing in 2010, and they still are to this day. It's how Maggie can have been born in both 1988 and 2016.
The future of 2010 is just from a fortune teller. There is no way to vouch for it being canon.
'That '90s Show' is a retelling of the past from a future reference point.
Every year, the show is about a lower-middle class family in America in the current year. How they'll react and interact to and with the world around them. There is also another layer, where these personal permanent changes occur. It's as if the characters are ageless and playing the roles of themselves every year, acting out whatever story it is this time. This also explains all fourth wall breaks. The Simpsons isn't just a show to us. It's a show to them. There is an episode where they talk about what it's like to film The Simpsons.
I think this will be revealed at the end of the series, in a rather clever way.
Only problem with that is, people would say it's too similar to family guy, as that's the canonical reason for family guy's weirdness with status quo stuff (sorry for replying to such an old comment lol).
@@nobbytheskeleton9919 wdym?
@@jddi1527 in Family Guy canon, all the characters are actors on a reality show IIRC, it's a weird meta kind of way to explain the status quo nature of that show. If Simpsons pulled that trick, the angry nerds would probably accuse them of copying.
DAMNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
i have to say, TH-cam is littered with people who all do the same damn thing, but this , this is the kind of work that makes youtube great. you a true youtuber dude
Great vid! Thanks for adding the music selection at the end man.
Okay, I've got an idea:
The series begins with the original Christmas skit,
Then the timeline splits off into three seperate timelines for when Bart graduates 4th grade,
And they reconverge anywhere between those episodes and next Christmas, with any appropriate episodes in between.
I'd say it's a selectively resetting timeline. The chronological year moves forward by one, but the relative ages and personalities of the characters stay the same, they just reset. If new characters are introduced, they enter the loop. If old characters die, they're not back for the next run. The characters retain a vague-ish knowledge of prior events, but aren't aware that the loop keeps resetting.
And you still haven't addressed how Mr. Burns, in just a few seasons, went from being only 81 to being 104, or how Moleman has allegedly gone from being a very poorly aged 31 year old to actually being in his 80s several seasons later. All the while, Homer has only aged about four years through the entire span of the show. I would like to see your take on Mr. Burns and Moleman.
I love how much thought, effort and time was put into taking this seriously and trying to providing a complex convoluted answer. The simple answer however is the writers either ignore or acknowledge the passing of time when it suits them and the story they want to tell that episode. The advantage of a cartoon is that they have the freedom to do this.
Obviously they're in a time cube, living four simultaneous years in four corners of the same reality and four sides on all four corners. The writers are well researched.
I like how they brought back Mike Scioscia and referred back to his previous episode where he got radiation poisoning while working at the power plant. :D
I think the Simpsons timeline works the same as what Roland Deschain goes through in The Dark Tower. Time flows forward at a pace more or less consistent with the real world until some undefined event takes place that resets the world to a previous set starting point. With each "loop" the characters may or may not remember the events of previous loops but certain things happen that stick and stay the same on all future loops, such as Maude Flanders being dead. Things like the repeated appearances of Sideshow Bob can be explained by the initial episode Krusty Gets Busted being the same on each loop and subsequent stories being a "part two" to that one episode on different loops (unless there's an episode I'm forgetting that references them all of course). The most likely explanation for why the infinite loop is occurring probably has something to do with Professor Frink and one of his experiments that went wrong and thus the loop is probably contained to Springfield and the fictional state of North Takoma that the town is in.
This video was so great! I love The Simpsons, and I love how you thought this idea out! Very well done theory!
great video Jim! super interesting and must've taken so much work
Maybe this show and Family Guy, since they have crossed over, are all in the Futurama multiverse(s). Bender is currently sitting in their basement.
The comic book buy also got a girlfriend who appears every few episodes when he is in a public area making a funny remark or just being there.
Great stuff as always!
This video made me remember how much I loved the first 3 seasons of this show! Then I think it's still pretty solid until season 8 where after that it goes very downhill! But great video man!
One thing I’ve always wondered:
Did Nelson age slightly throughout the show?
It's aaaall alternative universes, Morty!
Tomáš Holec I am here if you need to talk 😊
I'm here if YOU need to talk.
Tomáš Holec why dont we ALL listen instead of always talking.
Because if nobody talks, there will be nothing to listen to.
Always exciting when you upload a video! Keep it up!
This was a really interesting video, it's a good look at how mad the story of The Simpsons really is and has some fun theories to think about. I think for casuals like myself, we tend to forget previous episodes so we never think they'd ever actually follow a logical storyline. But I remember noticing in a few episodes, sometimes when a character would look out the kitchen window, you'll see Springfield Penitentiary in one episode, then in a different episode you'll see the graveyard but then Krusty Burger another episode. Then I read somewhere that the writers/producers would change the location of buildings to suit the convenience of the story and/or for comedic effect. So since then I've just accepted that and learned to simply enjoy the show and not think about it logically. But the theories in your video are definitely fun to think about, would be nice to have a nice loop to the beginning when the show inevitably ends.
When you talked about asking Bart about his memories, that made me think of something: maybe The Simpsons is what Lisa and Bart remember about their childhoods. All the stuff happens in different years, but when they think back to it, they think "yeah, I was about 10" or "yeah, I was about 8". What if the cartoonier parts of the show are them remembering how they experienced things as children? You could even explain their clothes almost never changing this way. Maybe the family were wearing those clothes in their only surviving family photos, and so that's what they remember?
Weren't there like 6 episodes about how Homer and Marge met/got married?
raydarable and remarried
I like the different universes theory, that's the first thing that came to my mind. And the point you made about the toaster ties it all together nicely.
I think this could also then theoretically explain the differences between writers. Like when a character does something that feels kind of out of character because of a guest writer or something similar.
Great video, I love thinking too deep into things like this although it does make my brain hurt. You've gained a new sub!
Love these videos!
Does Marge Simpson is gay?
Whiney Wolf has kissed lady gaga , and one of the other regular women characters. Short answer no- but marge actually was meant to have rabbit ears under hair.
You have too much time on your hands
considering this topic is pointless
Ross Carroll don't they it's only a cartoon 😂
your watching to so you hypercritic
Gary Getty Your English is so bad I'm not even going to begin to attack it
Damn, That exactly what I thought when I clicked on this video.
“I’ve never met Bart Simpson before. He’s a CARTOON CHARACTER.” - The Real Jims
Hey. I have suggestion for new simpsons mysteries. Money!
They were broke in the early years, then well doing, and sometimes it seems money is no problem at all. They get second car, travel around etc...
Then Homer and Marge do age a bit during the show as described in video about simpsons past. There's also bunch of episodes with Homer and Marge doing all sorts of jobs that could affect their finances both ways. Is there pattern?
Seems right up your alley! Evergreen terrace 742 video was my favorite thus btw... So keep up the good and for these brilliant videos!