You Probably Completely Missed This Homer Simpson Easter Egg In Futurama
With two of quite possibly the most beloved animated sitcoms of all time under his belt, Matt Groening's creations have amassed a legacy that spans generations. He would first satirize American life with "The Simpsons" starting in 1989, and the show continues to reign as the longest-running animated and scripted primetime series of all time (via Guinness World Records). He followed up the massive hit with the iconic "Futurama," this time poking fun at and predicting future life with even more ambitious storytelling and comedic edge. While it may not have had as smooth a run on television as its yellow-skinned counterpart, the sci-fi comedy series nevertheless racked up a strong fanbase and place in pop culture, with a highly anticipated reboot on Hulu slated for 2023 (via The Hollywood Reporter). Both shows have proven their place in the realm of television entertainment, influencing countless adult animated series in the process.
With both shows so ingrained in pop culture, it would be no surprise that both would reference one or the other over the years. Some of these Easter eggs are more obvious than others, with the cumulation of their relationship being a full-on crossover special from "The Simpsons" Season 26, "Simpsorama." But if we're talking the very opposite — the most subtle of subtle hints — look no further than one of the first episodes of "Futurama" for a nearly blink and you'll miss an homage to the head of the Simpsons household.
Bender represents Homer proudly (but not so loudly)
In the Season 1 "Futurama" episode, "My Three Suns," we follow Philip J. Fry and the gang as they make a delivery to a planet of fluid-based beings. When Fry accidentally drinks the planet's Emperor, he is appointed the role. One of his first acts is to make the foul-mouthed robot, Bender, his prime minister. After Fry makes an important speech to his subjects, Bender shows up with a series of badges strapped along his chest. One of the particularly yellow badges toward the bottom of his collection is a profile view of Homer Simpson's head.
On a subreddit by u/MonsieurWuwu that points out the Easter egg, fans couldn't get enough of the unique little detail, such as u/btaylos who wrote, "Sheesh, on a TV like mine, I bet I couldn't even make out that awesome badge." Others started noticing other possible Easter eggs on the badges. A second Redditor, u/CharDMacDennis2 joked, "I think that's the Mr.Sparkle logo," in reference to the detergent box logo from "The Simpsons" Season 8 episode "In Marge We Trust" that strongly resembles Homer.
The little Homer Easter egg opens up the possibilities of where these shows intersect. In an interview with Lisa Simpson's voice actress, Yeardley Smith, in talking about the "Simpsorama" crossover, the actress said she believes that the shows are in " ... the same universe, if not the same planet" (via StarryMag). And if that's the case, it certainly is nice to see Bender take good care to represent his distant sister show.