Summary
The Simpsonswas created to be a TV show about the whole family when it first aired in 1989. However, one character in this show quickly became a firm favorite among the fans. Bart Simpson is the ten-year-old son of Homer and Marge who is a rebellious force in the show. The character is most well-known for his various pranks and catchphrases, but the writers have added more depth to the Bart character over the years.
Bart Simpson still gets into plenty of mischief, but it is now more obvious to fans that the boy is far more clever than he lets on. As a result, Bart has had some great quotesover the last thirty years.
6"I Can’t Promise I’ll Try, But I’ll Try To Try"
Season 8: Episode 20 - “The Canine Mutiny”
Bart gets a new, well-trained dog as part of a credit card scam he is running. The only catch is that he has to give up Santa’s Little Helper to keep this dog when the repo men show up. When Bart later discovers that he misses his old friend, he tracks him down to find the dog living with a blind man.
Bart resolves that the only way to get the old dog back is to break in and steal him. Lisa is part of this scam and tries to warn Bart not to scare the blind man. In response, Bart says, “I can’t promise I’ll try, but I’ll try to try.” This funny quote leads viewers on a journey to learn that Bart really doesn’t want to do anything wrong if he can keep himself under control.
5"But Who’d Want To Hurt Me? I’m This Century’s Dennis The Menace!"
Season 5: Episode 5 - “Cape Feare”
Bart Simpson is hardly the first young rebel on TV. In 1951, adults were horrified by the actions of a new comic book character known as Dennis the Menace. While this character’s antics are far from troubling today, they were a big deal at the time.
Ironically, this is how people of today have started to view Bart. That is why he proclaims the words “But who’d want to hurt me? I’m this century’s Dennis the Menace!” in this comedic jibe at his own character afterreceiving death threatsfrom an unknown source. It just goes to show how times change and how introspectiveThe Simpsons' writing team was.
4"I’m Bart Simpson. Who The Hell Are You?"
Season 1: Episode 1 - “The Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire”
WhenThe Simpsonsfirst aired, the creators came up with a variety of catchphrases for Bart to say in an effort to promote the show. These often cheesy sayings showed up on t-shirts, toys, and mugs, and one of the most iconic lines is said duringthe very first episodeof the show.
Homer loses his Christmas bonus and is forced to work as a mall Santa to pay for the holidays that year. In an attempt to cause trouble, Bart decides to sit on his lap and taunt the man without realizing it is his own dad. One of the first remarks out of his mouth is “I’m Bart Simpson. Who the Hell are you?” This has gone down as one of the better catchphrases for the character over the years, and it shows just how rebellious Bart can be.
3"If You Don’t Watch The Violence, You’ll Never Get Desensitized To It"
Season 3: Episode 20 - “Colonel Homer”
This episode starts with Marge and Homer going into an adult movie showing and Bart taking Lisa to see something a bit more gory. The movie the pair is watching is not shown to fans, but it is clear from Lisa’s reaction that she is not enjoying it. Since Bart still wants to watch the movie, he tries to console his sister by saying, “If you don’t watch the violence, you’ll never get desensitized to it.”
The result is Lisa giving up and looking at the screen and screaming. The line may not have had the desired effect on his sister, but Bart’s comment is a very clever observation about how movie violence is warping the youth of America. Just a bit of the writers' intelligence slipping through as the words of a child, as it often does in the show. It also showcases that Bart is smarter than he lets on, as the words he uses in this quote are somewhat uncharacteristic for him, but he still utilizes them in this way to play a light prank on Lisa.
2"I Didn’t Do It"
Season 5: Episode 12 - “Bart Gets Famous”
It was almost impossible to escape Bart Simpson in the early 90s. This phenomenon was called Bartmania, and it referenced just how big Bart Simpson became whenThe Simpsonsfirst began. Every child was spouting his catchphrases, and Bart even ended up onTIME Magazine’slist of the most influential peopleof the 90s. However, Bart’s star would soon fade, and the show would go on to embrace more characters.
Rather than lament this downfall, the writers decided to make fun of these events in the season five episode, “Bart Gets Famous.” In this episode, Bart becomes a global star after coming up with the catchphrase “I didn’t do it.” As the episode goes on, people start to get tired of the joke, and Bart’s career comes to an end. This satirical quote works both as a funny line in the show and as a way to highlight the show’s early years.
1"Aye Carumba!"
Season 4: Episode 10 - “Lisa’s First Word”
Aye Carumba quickly becameBart’s signature catchphrase, one that he has said many times over the years. However, the best use of this catchphrase comes in an episode from season four, which discusses the child’s very first words.
When Bart is only young, he wanders into his parents' bedroom at night and catches them snuggling. His response is to shout “Aye Carumba,” which is normal, considering his character’s personality, but as it turns out, these were Bart’s first words. This was a great way to keep the gag going and give further meaning to a catchphrase that had grown stale by this point in the show.
