As a lifelong The Simpsons fan, I've often said that there are single moments from the show that are funnier than what can be found on some other shows' entire lifespans. Granted, some of the best episodes from The Simpsons are from earlier seasons, but I would argue that even modern day episodes are better than what most other comedies have to offer today. Which is why The Simpsons shorts on Disney+ should be a perfect fit for every fan of comedy.
That said, some of The Simpsons shorts are definitely funnier than others. Interestingly, The Simpsons was the most watched show on Disney+ in 2021, and, in my opinion, The Simpsons is the best part of Disney+ right now. Even so, some fans might not even realize that there are Simpsons shorts on the platform. So, which ones are the funniest and actually worth your time? Well, you're about to find out.
7. Maggie Simpson In "The Longest Daycare"
The very first The Simpsons short (Well, unless you’re counting the original shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show), Maggie Simpson in “The Longest Daycare” debuted back in 2012 in front of Ice Age: Continental Drift. It starred Maggie in an adventure of sorts at the Ayn Rand School For Tots.
It was actually nominated for an Oscar, but lost to the arguably far superior, Paperman. In the short, Maggie confronts her sworn enemy, Baby Gerald (You know, the one with the unibrow), as he tries to destroy a butterfly that she wants to save. Throughout the short, she does everything in her bite-sized power to protect the pretty butterfly.
It's really cute, but it's not really all that funny. Maggie Simpson wouldn't even be in my top 20 Simpsons characters that make me laugh, so maybe that's working against it. But, I also don't think it's meant to be laugh-out-loud funny, since there's no dialogue, and it's mostly just sight gags. I enjoy it for what it is, but I just don't find it all that funny, is all.
6. Maggie Simpson In "Playdate With Destiny"
Another Maggie short, this one was featured before 2020's Onward, which is still one of my favorite Pixar movies. In this one, Maggie meets a boy who she's smitten with, and she pines over him. It's also very cute.
But, unlike "The Longest Daycare," I actually find this one humorous. There's that classic Simpsons charm in seeing Maggie have a crush, and the finale, which involves a train that circles around the park (though, Maggie doesn't realize that), works and puts a smile on your face. It's not hilarious, but it definitely elicits a smirk.
5. Te Deseo Lo Mejor The Simpsons X Bad Bunny
Not so much a short, and more like a music video, Disney+ has this under its The Simpsons Shorts, though, so I'm including it here. In this video, which is entirely in Spanish, Homer is ignoring his wife by focusing on his cell phone, and she leaves him. Later on, Homer realizes the error of his ways, and reunites with her.
There have to be at least 20 episodes of The Simpsons (probably more) in which Homer makes Marge mad, and she forgives him in the end, so there's nothing special about the plot. But, there are some pretty funny gags in this one, like Homer walking through the hedges backward, which became a famous gif, and Bad Bunny (who is now also a pretty good wrestler), stomping on Homer's phone so that Homer and Marge reconcile. It's much funnier than it had to be, all things considered.
4. The Simpsons: When Billie Met Lisa
The most recent The Simpsons short, “When Billie Met Lisa” focuses on Lisa Simpson, who, try as she might, can’t practice her sax in the house, so she resorts to practicing underneath a bridge. Billie Eilish and her brother, FINNEAS, end up finding her and want to work with her. Eilish scats The Simpsons theme song, and the denizens of Springfield rejoice.
This one is funny since it pokes fun at Billie Eilish, and she’s in on the joke. There are gags about her hair color frequently changing, as well as the spiders in her mouth from the “you should see me in a crown” video. Funny stuff all around.
3. Maggie Simpson In “The Force Awakens From Its Nap”
Yet another Maggie short, this one is definitely the best of the three. Maggie is dropped off at a Star Wars daycare center, and there are references aplenty from both the Star Wars prequels, and the Star Wars sequels, as well as the original trilogy. There isn’t really much of a story here, but Maggie does have a pacifier lightsaber battle with Baby Gerald, who resembles Darth Maul, so that’s something.
Still, there are SO many Star Wars sight gags here that it’s a little hard to keep up. But, they’re all pretty funny. My favorite involves an exploding Death Star, as well as a “Star Wars Rules” segment at the end, which is pretty accurate (for example: “Beloved characters never really die.”) This is definitely a Maggie short that I can get behind!
2. The Simpsons: The Good, The Bart, And The Loki
What The Force Awakens from Its Nap was to Star Wars, The Good, the Bart, and the Loki is to Marvel, but I think this one’s a little funnier. In this short, Loki gets banished to Springfield, and he makes a way for himself living with The Simpsons. Lisa becomes Thor, and she tosses Loki (who’s really Bart) into the sky. The other Springfield residents come to the rescue resembling famous Marvel characters. Great stuff all around.
But, the best part is the MULTIPLE mid-credit scenes, as you can tell the writers were really having fun with this one. This short coincided with the Loki series when it was still debuting new episodes, so a lot of the jokes are even funnier if you’re currently watching Loki. I know this is more of a European term, but they were really "taking the piss" with this one.
1. The Simpsons In Plusaversary
Released on Disney+ Day, “Plusaversary” is the best The Simpsons short on Disney+ by a mile. There’s a party going on at Moe’s Tavern to celebrate a year of Disney+, and Homer is not invited. He becomes a plus one to Goofy, though, and the two make for some pretty depressing drunks.
This short feels like vintage The Simpsons content. Every joke pokes fun at Disney, and pretty much every category of character on Disney+ has a joke at their expense. We see Star Wars characters, Marvel characters, Disney characters, Pixar characters, and the only thing missing is something from National Geographic.
Lisa comes in and sings a silly song, also at Disney’s expense, and it just feels like The Simpsons of old that didn’t care who was paying the light bills. The creators were going to give their brand of satire all the same, and it works. It’s definitely my favorite Simpsons short on Disney+.
But, what do you think? For more news on The Simpsons, make sure to stop by here often.
