appearances on the show, we have discovered that his father disowned him because he wanted to become a clown instead of a rabbi, he has a pacemaker, he is illiterate, and he has three nipples. Bart has starred on his show, saved him from a murder accusation, and convinced him to return to television after he left his show for a life as a fisherman, yet through another bizarre quirk on the show, Krusty has no idea who Bart is. Similar extensive development is provided for countless other characters on the show, revealing more about the main and supporting characters than any other show on television. The growth of the cast members allows the viewers to form somewhat of a relationship with the members of the show. This relationship translates into loyalty, which has contributed to the endurance of the show’s popularity over time. During the early years of “The Simpsons,” the show seemed to be simply a cartoon version of the other mindless shows on the air. Bart, the rebellious, spunky fourth-grader, was the focus of the show and a marketing superstar. His signature catchphrases, such as “Aye Carumba!” and “Eat my shorts,” were plastered on the shirts and lunchboxes of children across the nation. If the creators had chosen to continue to emphasize Bart as the star of the show, as they easily could have done, the program would have inevitably died in a few years’ time. Fortunately, the producers recognized this reality. In fact, they were so aware that they actually based an episode on a nearly identical situation. Bart, while making an unscheduled appearance on the “Krusty the Klown Show,” accidentally knocks down the entire set of the show. He stares at the mess for a moment, looks at the audience and says, “I didn’t do it.” The crowd goes wild, and each time Bart repeats the line, the crowd gets louder. He is an instant star. Toys, t-shirts, and...
