10 Changes The Simpsons Hoped You Wouldn’t Notice

8. Homer, I'm Only 81

The Simpsons Mr Burns Telephone
20th Television

Mr. Burns' age is one of the ongoing jokes in the Simpsons, with many different takes on how old he really is. Lisa once finds an image of a Colonel Burns during the American Civil War, to which he responds that he hasn't heard his father's name in years. He was also represented on an old wood carving, terrifying young children, sometime in the 19th Century.

He is frequently called Springfield's oldest citizen, with an entire episode based around the fact (warding off a kiss from Britney Spears while he's at it).

So, with this being the case, the fact that he made a point of telling Homer in season two's Samson and Delilah seems to have been quietly ignored and forgotten by the writers. 81, in today's society, is not the truly ancient age that we might have thought it was when we were but toddlers, so for him to be only 81, it doesn't really fit with all of the old age jokes bandied about.

On top of this, he wouldn't be nearly old enough to have appeared in all of the different time frames that he's been depicted in. If anything, the man is a vampire - immortal, if frail, and will probably go on long after the town is reduced to dust! That statement about him being 81? Chalk that up to senility!

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"