10 Times The Simpsons Broke Its Own Rules

10. Marge's Fear Of Flying

The aptly titled Season 6 episode Fear of Flying focusses on Marge Simpson and her struggles with aerophobia. Yes, that really is what it's called.

It is established in this episode that Marge links planes and flying to the childhood trauma she suffered after seeing her father working as a flight attendant. That might seem like a ridiculous plotline, but remember, this was episode came out in the 90s. Standards were different back then.

Clearly this issue with flying has been with Marge her entire adult life, so how on Earth did she manage to fly to Washington D.C. with her family in the Season 3 episode, Mr. Lisa Goes To Washington?

You could argue that Marge's phobia was triggered by her flight in Season 6, but it certainly appears as if she knew ahead of time that this would set her off. Also, in Season 3, there is a sequence where Bart releases all the oxygen masks, causing Homer and the other passenger to freak out. But not Marge.

Phobias and other psychological disorders are nuanced, but the likelihood is that Marge's inconsistent fear of flying is down to the writer's room's own fear of continuity.