Top 20 The Simpsons Fan Theories

This is definitely one of the more out there ideas that some fans have for the show. Of course we all know Moe the bartender and Barney Gumble, two prominent figures at Moe’s Tavern and a part of Homer’s life. However, some have proposed the idea that both Moe and Barney are the same person. How can that be? Well, apparently, Moe pressured Professor Frink into using his time machine to alter his childhood to improve his life. He took on the name Barney Gumble but then walked into Moe’s and forgot everything.

The Simpsons can be rather crass in their behavior especially compared to their next door neighbor Ned Flanders and his family. Perhaps we’ve been looking at things all wrong, as this theory suggests. The reason why Homer is boorish and inconsiderate is because that’s how Ned views him. The same can be said for Bart, whose bratty behavior would look worse compared to the respectable Rod and Todd. In fact, you can argue that the reason why the Flanders flock look so idyllic compared to the Simpsons is because of Ned’s bias towards his family while having contempt for Homer and his family.

Before Homer ever joined the Stonecutters, Reddit user TyPiper93 posits that Bart was already a member. There are only two ways to join the secret society, one being saving the life of a member or being the son of one. Back in season 2, Bart saved Mr. Burns’ life which would grant him membership. He’s also Abe’s grandson but we don’t know how strict they are with family ties. Later, when Homer is revealed to be the Chosen One, he commands Lisa to be removed from the room and Bart happily follows the order. There’s also the fact Bart frequently evades trouble at school since Principal Skinner is also a member of the order.

Being on the air for more than 30 years certainly messes with the show’s continuity. Not only does the layout of the town change but so does that of the Simpson house depending on the episode. In earlier seasons of the show Marge and Homer meet in the ‘70s but in more recent seasons they’re both Gen-Xers. Both Grandpa and Mr. Burns are shown as having fought in World War II but they’d be close to 100 years old. One way to explain the shifting physical and temporal properties of the show is that each episode is its own universe, meaning there’s no overarching continuity.

There’s nothing more classic than watching one of Bart’s prank phone calls to Moe. After being pranked for so many years, you’d think that Moe would eventually figure out who’s behind it all. Redditor Senor_Schnarf proposes that he does in fact know it’s Bart but he admires the boy and him to be happy. There is some evidence to back this up. After Homer is fired from the power plant, he’s out drinking at Moe’s. Marge sends Bart to bring Homer home right after a prank call. When Bart enters the bar and starts speaking, Moe immediately recognizes his voice and is thrilled to see the younger Simpson.

The Flanders seem to have the perfect life, especially compared to their neighbors, the Simpsons. However, fans have noted several instances that would indicate that maybe Maude isn’t the loving, devoted wife we all assume she is. When Ned snaps and is institutionalized after his home is destroyed by a hurricane, Maude is nowhere to be found. When a comet is about to hit Springfield, Ned is forced out of his bomb shelter and she doesn’t raise much opposition. Later, after she’s passed on, Ned has preserved her indentation in their bed and she’s positioned such that she slept facing away from her husband.

Ever notice how Milhouse and his parents have similar features such as blue hair and big round noses? It’s a good indication that they’re related but some fans have noticed that the same can’t be said about Ralph Wiggum and his parents. For one, they don’t resemble each other all that much, leading some to speculate that Chief Wiggum might not be Ralph’s father. Who would be the boy’s dad? Look no further than the Chief’s underling, Eddie, given that he and Ralph both have thin, stringy hair. While we can’t say for sure, the resemblance is oddly suspicious.

It’s no secret that Marge’s sisters aren’t particularly fond of Homer. Redditor Bteatesthighlander1 argues that the twins sisters’ poor treatment of Marge is what pushed her to marry Homer. There are several instances where Patty and Selma are mean to a young Marge and this had a profound effect on her when she grew up. Homer can be a handful at times but he has a pretty strong devotion to his wife which is a stark contrast to Patty and Selma’s behavior towards Marge. Since they want to continue to dominate their younger sister’s life, they want Marge to be with a partner they approve of, thus treating Homer poorly in an attempt to convince her to move on from him.

Way back in season one, Homer becomes the safety inspector of the nuclear power plant. At the time it made sense since he had just been on a public safety crusade. In the years following, he’s been shown to be rather incompetent at his job as we’ve seen him responsible for several near catastrophes. Frank Grimes even points out that accidents have doubled every year since Homer’s been safety inspector. Mr. Burns is aware of Homer’s ineptitude since someone who did the job well would force the plant to fix the problems. When German investors buy the plant, they immediately fire Homer and find out how expensive it would be to bring the plant up to code. When Burns buys it back, he rehires Homer.

Homer is frequently portrayed as oafish on the show but when there’s a crime involved, he becomes suspiciously competent. When Springfield instituted prohibition, he came up with a genius plan to supply the town with alcohol. Not only was Marge impressed with his scheme but no one was able to catch him until he came out and admitted it. In another episode, once Bart shows him how to illegally download movies, he starts his own backyard theater screening the ill gotten films to the townsfolk. He even breaks into the Springsonian Museum with Lisa to view the Orb of Isis, commenting how his fingerprints are on file with the Springfield police.

Conjured up by Redditor user JustEmbarrassing - this theory prophecies that Bart will grow up to be Matt Groening. Considering the show's creator based the Simpsons on his own family, going as far to use their names, it makes sense that Bart would be partially based on himself. The Redditor points out that the prankster has already proven to be a capable writer and comedian, ghost-winning an award for an Itchy and Scratchy episode and crafting an Academy-Award winning 'Angry Dad' short. Like Groening, Bart's family tends to serve as inspiration for his creative work.

Maybe not the sexiest theory, but it still makes a whole lot of sense. Redditor Somewherecheap speculates that despite working as an underpaid Nuclear Safety Inspector, Homer still lives in relative luxury and can afford to travel the world with his family. As part of the Grammy-winning Barbershop Quartet, Homer has probably earned a decent chunk of change via royalties. However, when it comes to the rest of the Be Sharps, Barney would have drunk any money away, Apu's eight children forced him into a life of modesty, and Skinner seems to be better off than his school board income should allow.

Season six ends with Mr. Burns getting shot by a mysterious attacker, who in the season seven opener was revealed to be none other than Maggie Simpson. Since then, many have speculated on whether the baby was the true culprit, with one Redditor user pinning the crime on Marge. As a devoted mother who loves Springfield, Marge definitely had the motive to hate Mr. Burns. During the “Marge Gets a Job” episode, the villainous Burns falls in love with Marge, explaining why he would not single her out. And yes, we know Homer unceremoniously claimed to have been the culprit in season 18, but Marge-as-the-shooter is still an interesting theory to entertain.

For this theory – drafted by redditor Dataforge – we need to take the “Treehouse of Horror” episodes as canon, but otherwise, stuff checks out. In the segment “Time and Punishment”, Homer creates a quick time-machine and messes with the time continuum, resulting in a few crazy alterations. With things continuously getting worse, Homer remembers some advice from his father and settles for a timeline that is close enough to the original. This might suggest that Abe is an experienced time-traveler, partially explaining why his recollection of history is all over the place. Mind you, it's more plausible that Abe is actually just senile.

A handful of theorists focus their energy on justifying the later seasons of the Simpsons; especially when it comes to Homer’s increasingly destructive personality. RaysofDavies' theory harbors back to the classic season four episode “Homer the Heretic”, which concludes with Homer dreaming of God and learning the meaning of life. The Redditor believes that God told Homer that he's a cartoon, explaining why the once lovable doofus turned into a mean-spirited jackass who acts only in his best interest. If nothing is real, then consequences are a thing of the past.

There is more than one horse in this race. The identity of Nelson's biological father has always inspired many a discussion, with some speculating that Barney is his real daddy. Putting aside that Bart once found Mr. Muntz at a circus; a theory by BrownieJames suggests that Nelson's real father is Snake Jailbird, pointing towards their similar physical appearance. Focusing on their personalities, Snake and Nelson are both sensitive with a complete disregard for authorities. For those who prefer their theories with a dose of sci-fi, FireRobin88 suggests that Nelson and Barney are actually the same person due to his forcing Professor Frink to interfere with the past with a time machine.

After decades on the air, nobody involved with “The Simpsons” can be called stupid. Lisa is the only member of the family praised for her intelligence, a distinction that might not be accurate. With regards to the dumbest of the bunch, Kerbyklok's theory points towards season 12's revelation that Homer is only stupid due to a crayon lodged in his head. Meanwhile, Marge has excelled in nearly every profession she has tried; while Bart is creative and capable of picking up a foreign language at the drop of a hat. With the exception of Lisa, the rest of the family seem to choose ignorance over brains.

Springfield is generally not the safest place, but that goes double for Hans Moleman. Whenever the unlucky Ralph Melish shows up, fans know that Homer is about to unintentionally deliver a world of hurt. Most of Homer's antics should be fatal, but the Moleman always comes back for more. Is this just Tom & Jerry logic? Or is there something else going on? Arin3 theorizes that there are multiple Molemen running around, and Homer is constantly killing a different one. This is borderline confirmed in the season 11 episode 'Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder.'

The Springfield Effect is among the more popular and detailed Reddit theories out there. Springfield seems to be stuck in a time loop since none of the residents have aged, despite the years clearly passing by in the rest of the world. The size of the town fluctuates depending on the situation, with buildings moving around to better fit the narrative. The theory suggests that Springfield exists outside of time and space, with the characters being unable to notice any anomalies in their lives. Well, it makes as much sense as any other explanation.

This one almost makes TOO much sense. The Redditor called Hardtopickaname believes that Homer never woke up from his coma during season four's clip show. Six months earlier, God revealed to Homer that his time was nearly up, coinciding neatly with the later coma. To be fair, the episode does end with Homer suddenly snapping back to reality, but this could be waved away as a dream. The theory explains why nobody ever ages and why subsequent episodes can be rather insane. Really, any theory that discredits ‘The Principal and the Pauper’ deserves the benefit of the doubt.