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 #226 of 226 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
A boy without mischief is like a bowling ball without a liquid center
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Most lynch mobs aren't this nice
Homer Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch It's... good to see you all in church
Homer Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch 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 If anyone has any information, please dial 'O' and ask for the police. That number again, 'O'
All Jokes — 53 analyzed
Show all ↓ Hide ↑ I can't let my only boy get ripped limb from limb by a bloodthirsty mob
Homer Dark/Subversive Character Comedy We'll die together, like a father and son should
Homer Absurdist Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch About 23 minutes and 5 seconds
Homer Meta/Self-Referential ★ Rewatch 23:05? Well, all right. Go ahead
Mob Absurdist Meta/Self-Referential Get your butts down here right now!
Bart, assume the position
Marge Setup/Punchline Visual Gag D'oh!
Homer Character Comedy Reaction Beat ★ Rewatch This isn't gambling, Marge. It's a lead-pipe cinch
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Laza who?
Homer Character Comedy Observational Whoa! Are you talking to me?
Bart Visual Gag Character Comedy Will there be cavemen in heaven?
Bart Absurdist Character Comedy 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 Gambling, the Eighth Deadly Sin
You can't get enough... of that wonderful Duff
It's... good to see you all in church
Homer Misdirection Character Comedy ★ Rewatch What about a robot with a human brain?
Is a little blind faith too much to ask?
He didn't say that under certain circumstances it was all right, did he?
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Those cute little monkeys? That's terrible
Marge Character Comedy Reaction Beat What about those really smart ones who live among us, who roller-skate and smoke cigars?
Marge Absurdist Escalation ★ Rewatch Perish the thought
Bart Irony/Sarcasm Character Comedy Share the wealth. That's what I always say
Homer Character Comedy Running Gag Might land on my face and end up looking like you
Bart Setup/Punchline Character Comedy You're witty
Jimbo Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm Well, okay. I just wanted to make sure we weren't deluding ourselves
Bart Character Comedy Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch I've got eyes in the back of my head
Apu Setup/Punchline Visual Gag Share the wealth. That's what I always say
Bart Callback Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback Five-finger discount, man
Jimbo Character Comedy Wordplay/Pun Like that one over there looks just like a cherry bomb
Bart Visual Gag Setup/Punchline It looks like a guy with a switchblade stuck in his back
Jimbo Escalation Dark/Subversive That one looks like a school bus going over a cliff in flames, with kids inside screaming
Dolph Escalation Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch I mean, without the head, of course
Bart Setup/Punchline Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Can you think of a better way for Daddy to spend his hard-won 50 bucks?
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm The Stealth Bowler: The pins don't know what hit them
Homer Wordplay/Pun Observational Being popular is the most important thing in the world
Homer Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch A boy without mischief is like a bowling ball without a liquid center
Homer Absurdist Character Comedy ★ Rewatch Top of the world, Ma
Bart Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm The Hammer of Thor: It will send your pins to Val-halla
Homer Wordplay/Pun Observational If anyone has any information, please dial 'O' and ask for the police. That number again, 'O'
Is the Leaning Tower of Pizza just a statue?
Marge Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy ★ Rewatch A beer, please, and make sure there's a head on it
Barney Wordplay/Pun Dark/Subversive ★ Rewatch Yeah, that was just cloud talk, man
Jimbo Character Comedy Irony/Sarcasm ★ Rewatch Callback My head
Bart Wordplay/Pun Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch You're not really talking to me. You're just my overactive imagination
Bart Meta/Self-Referential Character Comedy Turn them in, and Krusty will send you a free slide whistle just like Sideshow Bob's
Krusty Character Comedy Absurdist Turn them in, and Krusty will send you a free slide whistle just like Sideshow Bob's
That's 'B-A-R-E' hands
Lisa Wordplay/Pun Character Comedy Although modern historians recently uncovered evidence that the bear, in fact, probably killed him
Lisa Irony/Sarcasm Observational ★ Rewatch I love you, Smithers
Mr. Burns Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch I love you, Smithers. The feeling is more than mutual, sir
The feeling is more than mutual, sir
Smithers Character Comedy Cringe/Discomfort ★ Rewatch Most lynch mobs aren't this nice
Homer Dark/Subversive Deadpan/Understatement ★ Rewatch Top Episodes — The Simpsons
