Simpsons EP Reveals What Treehouse Of Horror Joke Made The Writers' Room Laugh The Most Across 36 Seasons

The Simpsons executive producers Al Jean and Mike Reiss revealed the "Treehouse of Horror" joke that made the writers' room laugh the most. The "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween episodes have been a tradition for the series since season 2. Each episode features three non-canon stories, usually parodies, that feature a heavy amount of blood and violence. The "Treehouse of Horror" episodes are popular with audiences and are considered some of the show's best episodes.

While speaking with Cracked, Jean and Reiss spoke about the season 3 episode "Treehouse of Horror II," which aired in 1991. Jean brought up that two of the episode's best lines were written by Jay Kogen, which were Homer's "I'm not nodding, it's the air conditioning" and "Look at me I'm Davy Crockett!" Reiss followed up Jean's comment by sharing that the Davy Crockett line had the biggest laugh in the writers' room in the entire history of the long-running show. Their comments can be found below:

Jean: Two of the best lines for this episode were written by Jay Kogen: "I'm not nodding, it's the air conditioning" in the second segment, and in the final one, there was, "Look at me I'm Davy Crockett!" Reiss: "Look at me I'm Davy Crockett" is the biggest laugh I ever remember in 36 years in the writers' room.

What Treehouse of Horror Means For The Simpsons

The Halloween Episodes Are A Fun Tradition For The Long-Running Show

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With how popular the "Treehouse of Horror" episodes are, it's not surprising that the biggest laugh from the writers came from one of them. Since the episodes are not canon to the show, it allows the show's creators to have more freedom. The fact that it's a Halloween episode also allows them to embrace being as violent as they can get away with. One example is the 2015 "Treehouse of Horror" episode from season 27, where Sideshow Bob was able to finally kill Bart, which could never happen in a regular episode.

Related Why The Simpsons Halloween Specials Are Called “Treehouse of Horrors” The Simpsons will soon air their thirty-first Treehouse of Horror special, but why are the show's Halloween outings known by this moniker?

The "Treehouse of Horror" episodes also allow The Simpsons to make fun of pop culture. This even includes parodies outside the horror genre, like Avatar and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Some segments even switch animation styles to better fit the story they are doing a parody of. The next "Treehouse of Horror" episode for season 36 will drop on November 3, 2024, on Fox. There is already high anticipation, especially after The Simpsons season 36's premiere got high praise from audiences.

Our Take On The Davy Crockett Line Getting The Biggest Laugh From The Writers

The Line Perfectly Sums Up The Treehouse Of Horror Series

The Davy Crockett line shows why The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" episodes are so popular. Even though the episodes feature the show embracing much more violence and shock value, they still find a way to use that to their advantage and create funny dialogue. This makes the episodes perfect for those who want the show to fully embrace Halloween, while still providing the comedy that audiences of The Simpsons expect to get each episode.

Source: Cracked