The Simpsons Writer Reveals Mr. Burns' Telephone Greeting Is Details He's Most Proud Of

The Simpsons continues to thrive all these years later, which is incredibly impressive since it [...]

By Matthew Aguilar

The Simpsons continues to thrive all these years later, which is incredibly impressive since it debuted back in 1989 (if you don't count the original shorts). Since then the show has debuted a number of memorable characters, including the now rather iconic Mr. Burns. The surly and manipulating businessman has been responsible for several hilarious moments, so you might be surprised to learn that writer Josh Weinstein's favorite Mr. Burns moment and perhaps favorite Simpsons moment is a really subtle Easter Egg that took place in the February 25th, 1996 episode Homer the Smithers, and the moment is specifically tied to how Burns answers the phone.

"This is it! The thing I'm most proud of. @thatbilloakley & I were obsessed with this little known fact & thought it was perfect for Mr. Burns Bell preferred "Ahoy-hoy" while his arch-enemy (and mine) Thomas Edison preferred "Hello". Edison won but we tried to even the score," Weinstein wrote on Twitter.

It's a blink and miss it Easter Egg, but still quite cool, and Simpsons is obviously chock full of them. You can check out Daily Simpsons History's full breakdown of the episode below.

"Although @JJSwartzwelder is credited with the script, the story was pitched by @scullymike. @thatbilloakley was surprised that it had not been done earlier. He thought the story sounded like it would have been done by the third season because it was "simple" and 'organic'."

"Mr. Burns answers the phone by saying "Ahoy, hoy!", which was suggested by Alexander Graham Bell to be used as the proper telephone answer when the telephone was first invented."

"Burns' kitchen is full of "crazy old-time" devices and contraptions. For inspiration, Weinstein brought in "a bunch" of old books with designs of old kitchen devices."

It also turns out that the fight in the episode was almost changed for being horrifying.

"The staff originally found the scene of Homer fighting Smithers "horrifying", as the sounds of character exertion made it seem too violent. After experimenting with the sound, they were eventually able to make the scene humorous by only leaving in sounds of the characters' agony."

".@thatbilloakley commented that the stuffed polar bear had always been in Burns' office, and they were excited to "finally" have a use for it."

Pretty cool reference right? Let us know your favorite Simpsons moment in the comments.

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