The Simpsons: 10 Important Details That Are Almost Never Mentioned

One of the show's most discussed aspects by fans, yet one that's rarely directly addressed in the show itself for somewhat self-evident reasons, is the characters' general lack of ageing.

The overwhelming majority of The Simpsons' characters simply haven't aged in some 33 seasons, no matter that the passage of time is regularly marked in various ways, such as characters having birthdays.

The characters mostly being frozen in time has also resulted in backstories being retconned and updated over the years to reflect time's passage, though there are a few instances where supporting characters have indeed grown up while everyone else remained the same age.

The most notable example is surely Apu's nephew Jay, who appears as a child in season four's "Homer the Heretic," and then re-appears as a young adult in season 27's "Much Apu About Something."

Selma Bouvier's adopted daughter Ling has also progressed from a baby to a toddler, which is especially amusing considering that Maggie Simpson has remained a baby for more than three decades.

This is definitely one of those things that fans just need to roll with, though it is fun to consider the possible metaphysical explanation for some characters ageing while others don't.