The Simpsons: 12 Guest Stars Who Surprisingly Parodied Themselves

9. 'N Sync

Episode: New Kids On The Blecch Taking potshots at boybands is hardly the height of satire but few step into The Simpsons' firing line so admirably as 'N Sync. From entering their scenes with a complicated dance routine to their painfully hip catchphrases (''Oldschool!'', ''Word!'') the group has as much fun laughing at its squeaky-clean image as we do. After Bart, Milhouse, Nelson and Ralph are moulded into a pop group/subliminal recruitment tool for the US Navy known as Party Posse, their first gig at Springfield Elementary earns them a handful of famous fans. When the two groups meet backstage, it is difficult to tell who is more excited, with Justin Timberlake exclaiming ''I can't believe I'm meeting Milhouse!'' It is this sense of humour and acute self-awareness (Lance Bass: ''Dudes, we've gotta go. Our clothes are getting a little out of date.''/Chris Kirkpatrick: ''To the Bandana Republic!'') that make 'N Sync surprisingly good sports. They even close the episode with a salute to the tireless efforts of the US Navy, who are ''out there every day protecting us from ''Godzilla... pirates... and jellyfish''.