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You know what is probably the best joke from a “Treehouse of Horror” episode of The Simpsons? No, it isn’t from “Citizen Kang,” though that is probably the best segment. It’s up there, at least. My favorite joke from a “Treehouse of Horror” segment also isn’t a sight gag, such as a 3D Homer drooling over erotic cakes in the real world. It comes from a good, but not great, segment, which is “Fly vs. Fly.” However, this one joke takes it up a notch in my book.
The story is a riff on The Fly. Bart goes into a matter transporter (that only transports matter) with a fly, but he does it on purpose. He thinks he will become basically a superhero, a human who can fly. Instead, his head shrinks down and ends up on the fly’s body, while the fly’s head expands and is now on Bart’s body. So, a fly, with seemingly slightly more intelligence but still animalistic in nature, has Bart’s body.
Homer and Marge go see what is going on in their kitchen, and the family freaks out at what they are seeing. Then, Lisa, if I recall correctly, says she thinks that is Bart. Homer agrees, because, “The pants are a dead giveaway.” I love that joke. It’s accurate, but it’s also bizarre. It’s built on the cartoon reality of The Simpsons where most of the time they wear the same outfits. Bart’s shorts – not pants but why quibble – are well known. It’s clearly “Bart with a fly’s head,” but Homer kind of calls it out. Plus, there’s just something lovely about the phrase, “The pants are a dead giveaway.”
Happy Halloween.
