Happy Birthday, "The Simpsons!"
Today, December 17, 2014, marks the 25th anniversary of what may be the greatest sitcom (maybe even TV series) of all time: "The Simpsons." The series' first full-length episode, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" aired on December 17, 1989 (although the Simpson family appeared for several years in shorts on "The Tracey Ullman Show" beforehand).
Obviously, the best way to celebrate such a momentous occasion would be... to watch "The Simpsons." But for some fans, simply watching Homer get his hand caught in a toaster or strangle his elementary school-aged son isn't enough. They need to live "The Simpsons."
Fans like Michael Baxter, an Australian prison guard who, according to the Daily Mail, got a staggering full back tattoo of "The Simpsons" recently, in an attept to gain the Guiness World Record for most tattoos of the same cartoon character (the current record holder, Lee Weir, has a collage of 41 Homer Simpsons on his arm).
The tattoo took 130 hours of needling to complete, and cost something close to AU$12,000.
Or, you could take Oregon's "Simpsons" tour- a tour of Springfield Oregon, a town that purports to be the real-life Springfield from the series. They've got a Moe's Tavern and everything (even if it's really called Max's Tavern) and a number of specifically "Simpsons"-related cites, says KVAL.com.
There was also a 25th anniversary celebration for "The Simpsons" at the Hollywood Bowl, including fireworks, music, celebrity appearances and even exclusive animations of the Simpson family, just for the event.
Weird Al and Hanz Zimmer (conducting an orchestra that performed the "Simpsons" music) appeared, along with a rendition of "Spider-Pig" from the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.
Hopefully they'll have just as much hoopla prepared for the 50th anniversary. Because you know there'll be a 50th.
Check back soon for the latest "Simpsons" news.
Join the Conversation