296: The Bird’s Bedroom

We're going to follow up on the Simpsons and one in particular, one now, Ralph Wiggum.

John, what is going on with Ralph Wiggum and being a Viking?

I thought we covered it pretty well last episode, but there was at least one tidbit that I think we didn't say, and I wanted to get that in.

So to refresh everyone's memory, this is an episode of The Simpsons, a famous episode of The Simpsons, where Ralphie says, oh boy, sleep, that's where I'm a Viking.

And there is much debate about the meaning of that line.

The reason it sticks in all of our minds is we all find it funny and interesting, and it's been around at this point like decades.

John, it ends up almost being a secret weird thing where it is actually funny both ways.

It might be funny in a third way.

Like you.

Yep.

Yeah.

But I mean, I've always thought that was just because that was still pretty early on in Ralph's tenure.

And it was still funny whenever he would say something like, I bent my Wookiee or whatever.

Just that voice was so funny.

And he goes, oh boy, sleep.

That's where I'm a Viking.

Yeah, so last episode we read a tweet from Josh Weinstein who said that it was the simplest answer, which is that Ralph dreams of being a Viking.

And that's

somebody who, wait, now is that the show person or the person who sent it?

I don't know, but that is some person purportedly named Josh Weinstein.

But here's the thing we didn't read.

um to refresh the two things are does ralph saying that when he goes to sleep he has dreams where he's a viking or is ralph saying that sleep is an area of life where he excels and that's where i'm a viking means it's like a metaphorical saying i'm so good at sleep sleep is where i'm a viking watch me sleep i am so great i am so great and and uh part of the interesting thing about that joke is people have lots of ideas about what, quote-unquote, most people thought when they saw that episode.

Some people think, oh, well, obviously most people thought the way I think, and sometimes they're shocked to even hear that there could possibly be another interpretation than the one they thought.

But one of the things that also often comes up in the debate is, okay, well, regardless of what you thought when you saw this episode or what you think now, What was the joke? Like, what were they trying to say in that bit? Oh, and just in fairness,

when you're writing comedy, it's – at least a lot of the comedy I like is not, like, anti-comedy.