Bart pulls a stunt that shocks the entire town, including the new friends he was trying to impress.
Early Simpsons balances character comedy with absurdist chaos; 67-point score signals growing pains.
Directed by Rich Moore · Written by Al Jean, Matt Groening, Mike Reiss
WAR
8.5
Wins Above Replacement
“The Telltale Head” ranks #549 of 552 The Simpsons episodes on the Humor Index, scoring 67.9 — Mixed. The episode packs 53 scored jokes at 2.6 per minute, averaging 6.4 on craft and 5.9 on impact, with Homer landing the most laughs. Every joke is ranked below with its individual craft and impact scores.
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Top Jokes
Homer: A boy without mischief is like a bowling ball without a liquid center
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Homer: Most lynch mobs aren't this nice
Homer Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Homer: It's... good to see you all in church
Homer Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart: What if you're a really good person, but you're in a really, really bad fight and your leg gets gangrene, and it has to be amputated. Will it be waiting for you in heaven?
Bart Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Chief Wiggum: If anyone has any information, please dial 'O' and ask for the police. That number again, 'O'
All Jokes — 53 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ Homer: I pulled a few boners
Homer: I can't let my only boy get ripped limb from limb by a bloodthirsty mob
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy Homer: We'll die together, like a father and son should
Homer Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Homer: About 23 minutes and 5 seconds
Homer Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch Mob: 23:05? Well, all right. Go ahead
Mob Absurdist Meta/Self-Referential Marge: Get your butts down here right now!
Marge: Bart, assume the position
Marge Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch Homer: This isn't gambling, Marge. It's a lead-pipe cinch
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer Character Comedy Observational Bart: Whoa! Are you talking to me?
Bart Visual Gag Character Comedy Bart: Will there be cavemen in heaven?
Bart Absurdist Character Comedy Bart: What if you're a really good person, but you're in a really, really bad fight and your leg gets gangrene, and it has to be amputated. Will it be waiting for you in heaven?
Bart Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Reverend Lovejoy: Gambling, the Eighth Deadly Sin
TV Announcer: You can't get enough... of that wonderful Duff
Homer: It's... good to see you all in church
Homer Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart: What about a robot with a human brain?
Sunday School Teacher: Is a little blind faith too much to ask?
Homer: He didn't say that under certain circumstances it was all right, did he?
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Marge: Those cute little monkeys? That's terrible
Marge Character Comedy Reaction Beat Marge: What about those really smart ones who live among us, who roller-skate and smoke cigars?
Marge Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Bart Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Homer: Share the wealth. That's what I always say
Homer Character Comedy Running Gag Bart: Might land on my face and end up looking like you
Bart Setup/Punchline Character Comedy Jimbo Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Bart: Well, okay. I just wanted to make sure we weren't deluding ourselves
Bart Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Apu: I've got eyes in the back of my head
Apu Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Bart: Share the wealth. That's what I always say
Bart Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Jimbo: Five-finger discount, man
Jimbo Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Bart: Like that one over there looks just like a cherry bomb
Bart Visual Gag Setup/Punchline Jimbo: It looks like a guy with a switchblade stuck in his back
Jimbo Escalation Dark/Subversive Dolph: That one looks like a school bus going over a cliff in flames, with kids inside screaming
Dolph Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Bart: I mean, without the head, of course
Bart Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Homer: Can you think of a better way for Daddy to spend his hard-won 50 bucks?
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer: The Stealth Bowler: The pins don't know what hit them
Homer Wordplay/Pun Observational Homer: Being popular is the most important thing in the world
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Homer: A boy without mischief is like a bowling ball without a liquid center
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Bart: Top of the world, Ma
Bart Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Homer: The Hammer of Thor: It will send your pins to Val-halla
Homer Wordplay/Pun Observational Chief Wiggum: If anyone has any information, please dial 'O' and ask for the police. That number again, 'O'
Marge: Is the Leaning Tower of Pizza just a statue?
Marge Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Barney: A beer, please, and make sure there's a head on it
Barney Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Jimbo: Yeah, that was just cloud talk, man
Jimbo Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Bart Wordplay/Pun Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Bart: You're not really talking to me. You're just my overactive imagination
Bart Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Krusty: Turn them in, and Krusty will send you a free slide whistle just like Sideshow Bob's
Krusty Character Comedy Absurdist Krusty: Turn them in, and Krusty will send you a free slide whistle just like Sideshow Bob's
Lisa: That's 'B-A-R-E' hands
Lisa Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Lisa: Although modern historians recently uncovered evidence that the bear, in fact, probably killed him
Lisa Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns: I love you, Smithers
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Mr. Burns · Smithers: I love you, Smithers. The feeling is more than mutual, sir
Smithers: The feeling is more than mutual, sir
Smithers Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Homer: Most lynch mobs aren't this nice
Homer Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Simpsons