Difference between revisions of "Breaking the fourth wall"

Revision as of 10:51, August 9, 2013

This is a list of when the fourth wall is broken in the show. Breaking the fourth wall in The Simpsons occurs when the characters acknowledge that they are fictional or acknowledge the audience or sometimes the cast and crew. It can also occur when the cast and crew acknowledge the media and try to affect it.

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Season 1

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"Bart the General"	Bart sits on a table in a library and talks directly to the camera about the seriousness of war.	5

Season 9

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"Bart Star"	Joe Namath talks to the viewers about vaporlock.	184

Season 11

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"	Homer informs the viewers that the show will be back after the commercial break.	229
200px	"Saddlesore Galactica"	Comic Book Guy wears a shirt that proclaims the ongoing episode to be the "worst ever".	240
200 px	"Missionary: Impossible"	A Fox pledge-a-thon presented by Betty White interrupts the ending of the episode. When Bart pledges the needed money, he receives a phone call telling him that he's saved the network. He comments that it "wouldn't be the first time".	242
200px	"Pygmoelian"	Carl tells the viewers "You see, that's why I don't talk much", after starting a dialogue which ends in tears.	243

Season 12

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"New Kids on the Blecch"	'N Sync talks to the camera about the navy.	262
200px	"Trilogy of Error"	Mr. Teeny murmurs in monkey language "this plot made no sense" to the camera.	266

Season 14

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200 px	"Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington"	A promo for Joe Millionaire appears on the screen, which Homer picks up and eats, then spits it out.	305
200 px	"Old Yeller-Belly"	Homer remarks to the camera about how the plan to get Santa's Little Helper back is working.	310

Season 20

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"Father Knows Worst"	Homer tells the viewers he's a "great dad to both his kids".	438

Music videos

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
200px	"Do the Bartman"	Bart tells the viewers about his story of how he invented the Bartman dance moves.	SPECIAL
200px	"Deep, Deep Trouble"	Bart talks to viewers the whole short on how he got in prison.	SPECIAL

Leaning on the Fourth Wall

Leaning on the fourth wall is where something almost breaks the fourth wall, only for it to be an in-media effect, such as the camera panning to reveal that the character was talking to another character rather than the audience.

Season 6

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
	"Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)"	Dr. Hibbert, with his trademark chuckle says "Well I couldn't possibly solve this mystery. Can YOU?" pointing at the screen, at what is thought to be the viewer. The camera zooms out to show that he is pointing to Chief Wiggum, who says he will give it a shot, since it is his job.	128

Season 10

Image	Episode	Description	Ep #
	"Mom and Pop Art"	After insulting Matt Groening by saying "What's he doing in a museum? He can barely draw!", Homer is attacked by the eraser of a giant pencil, as if Matt Groening is trying to erase Homer. It is then revealed that two museum employees are carrying the giant pencil, which is actually a work of art by Claes Oldenburg, and trying to put it on its display stand.	222