Matt Groening wanted his characters to be different from conventional cartoons. So, when an animator showed him the initial design of The Simpsons, which the animator had made using yellow ink, Groening immediately finalised it.
Although why the animator chose yellow ink, is up for debate. But one thing can be said for certain: he must have known about the colour theory or at least he was aware of the effect of yellow colour on human psychology.
Reasons Why are the Simpsons yellow
There are several reasons why the show-runners of The Simpsons chose yellow as the skin colour of the show’s characters:
To make the character of the show look different from other cartoons. Yellow catches the eye easily. As a symbol of a dysfunctional American modern family. For depicting skin and hair.
To Make the Character of the Show look different from other cartoons
In an interview, Matt Groening stated that even before the looks of the characters were decided, he wanted to create something that would be different from the crowd. So when an animator showed him the designs of the characters using yellow ink, he was impressed and said,” This is the answer”. This is how the yellow complexion of the character of The Simpsons was finalised.
Yellow Catches the Eye Easily
This reason is Psychological. Yellow is a bright colour which stimulates our eyes and hence it attracts our attention to everything that is bright yellow. This is probably why Groening selected this colour when he was shown the designs of The Simpsons. And it is only fair to assume that the same reason is responsible for other popular cartoon characters like the Spongebob Squarepants, Pikachu etc. being yellow.
As a Symbol of a Dysfunctional American Modern Family
In the documentary ‘My Wasted Life’, Groening explains that the yellow colour of the Simpsons is also appropriate symbolically, because according to him, “ how the yellow colour looks like there is something wrong with your TV”. Therefore it symbolises the dysfunctionality of modern American families.
For depicting skin and hair
Mike Reiss, the former show-runner and writer of the show, has added one more reason. In his book Springfield Confidential, he has written, “Bart, Lisa and Maggie have no hairlines — there’s no line that separates their skin from their hair points. So the animators chose yellow — it’s kinda skin, kinda hair.”
Conclusion: Why are the Simpsons yellow
Matt Groening was right in choosing yellow as the complexion of The Simpsons’ characters. However, that’s not the only reason for the show’s success, the writers have also done their part wonderfully. The Simpsons have entertained and tickled us for decades. Even after 30 years, the show is still running and the last episode of the thirty-third season premiered in May 2022.
Why is Marge’s hair blue?
Marge’s hair started to turn grey at an early age, so to save herself from the mortification of looking older than she is, she started dying her hair blue. It wasn’t until the thirteenth episode of the twenty-second season, The Blue And The Grey, that she found out that the fumes of the dye that her hairdresser uses, erase her memory. Therefore, she doesn’t remember her hair ever turning grey.
Did The Simpsons finally end?
No, the showrunner of The Simpsons, Al Jean, came forward and announced its renewal through 34 seasons in 2021. The show finished its thirty-third season in May 2022. Jean has confirmed that the show is expected to end in 2023 and that they have also planned how the show will end.
Why does Bart call Homer by his name?
In the show, Bart always refers to his father, Homer, by his name because when he was younger, everyone around him called Homer by his name. So, being the kid that he was, he thought he was also supposed to call him by his name.
Is The Simpsons R rated?
In most of its episodes, The Simpsons have received a TV-PG rating which may require parental guidance for the younger children. Apart from that, it also received a TV-14 rating which may include some material that parents may find unsuitable for children under 14 years of age. Furthermore, some of its episodes have been banned altogether in the U.S. and other countries such as Germany, Japan, the UK, China and South Korea.
