When it comes to running gags on The Simpsons you immediately think of the opening sequence, with Bart writing on the chalk board, and, of course, the couch gag in each and every episode. Then there's the various newspaper headlines planted throughout miscellaneous episodes that essentially serve as Easter Eggs for eagle-eyed viewers. Another running joke you may have forgotten is the Church Marquee gag. Posted on the sign out front of Reverend Timothy Lovejoy's First Church of Springfield, these marquees generally take the form of social commentary - often pointing out the foibles of religion, as well as trumpeting local goings on and making the odd political statement. And honestly, there are a lot of such statements to be made. In over five hundred episodes of The Simpsons, there have been dozens of different statements on the noticeboard. That's not a bad tally for something that would likely have been overlooked before the days of DVD box sets and DVRs, where fans could go back and appreciate the joke if they missed it. So lets head to church as we take a glimpse at the twenty-five best church marquees to have been featured on The Simpsons!
25. Free Wi-Fi During Sermon
Season twenty-one's Postcards From The Wedge (where Homer and Marge end up at odds over Bart's struggles at school) reminds us just what a hard time churches have getting worshipers in the doors these days. Free wifi though? Well, that might just get us up early on a Sunday! Of course, no one's going to be paying much attention to the sermon when they're glued to their tablets - but it's the headcount that matters, right?
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
