Over the years it seems the Simpsons have managed to miss out on several opportunities for financial security (and the panther doesn’t seem to be doing it’s job, either – they always have money troubles).
And while Homer may be able to recite every job he’s ever had, he doesn’t seem so good with numbers ( “10% of 120 million isn’t $12,000 …”).
So has anyone ever figured out a grand total of how much money they’ve lost/missed out on? (And if no one has that answer, we could list specifics to get a total.)I guess it may be hard to pick exactly what counts here, but I’d include money that was both passed up on and money made and lost quickly. Approximate cash value of prizes that were lost may count too.
So we’ve got at least $12,000 give or take three zeros …
They could have gotten a $1 million settlement from Mr. Burns after his limo hit Bart. Homer wanted to hold out for $2 million and ended up getting nothing.
At first, I thought this thread was about merchandising opportunities missed by Matt Greoning, et al.
Oh, well…
It wasn’t really a limo that hit Bart. It looked more like a Rolls.
Gold and jewelry are hidden between the floorboards of the Simpsons’ home, as seen in a few cutaway shots.
MOMENTS OF LOSS OR MISSED FINANCIAL OPPORTUNITY
“I represent Rebel Yell records, a division of Kumatsu corporation…”
“I’m calling to distract you while we repossess your truck.”
There was that missed Christmas bonus back in the first episode. All the money Marge had to spend to get Bart’s tattoo removed. That’s from the same episode. This is going to take a while…
Also, the Stampy’s food bill was over $300/day, so you can add that onto the (-) $10k from this episode. How long did they have him? I don’t remember specifics, but I’d guess about a week.
The episode with Lisa Kudrow was just on yesterday–the one where Homer and Bart enter the grease-selling racket. I don’t know how much their grease collection would have been worth if they’d gotten away with it.
Homer also invested nicely in pumpkins–but didn’t sell his stock until January. (“I told you to sell your stock before Halloween! BEFORE!”)
Oh, and the 25 puppies all become championship dog racers–thus driving Homer to bat a light bulb in the basement.
I think that was ‘Tombacco’ (tomatoe DNA mixxed with Tobacco DNA - hilarity results). That was for multi-millions.
Another is the Trillion ($1,000,000,000,000) Dollar Bill. Burns was willing to give a cut of 10%% to Homer and Smithers if they got away from the Treasury guys. Fidel Castro copped it.
A related question is ‘How many times have The Simpsons spent their life savings’?
Theoretically: Untold billions upon billions (the 10% of that big bill comprising most of it), thus proving that this is the most unlucky and utterly moronic family to ever grace the planet.
In reality: None, because this is merely an appication of the incredibly tired cartoon cliche, the Massive Fortune Slipping Through One’s Fingers, being used ad nauseum. So they never would’ve gotten anything, anyway. Same reason Mr. Burns has won each and every big prize in the history of Springfield; because he can’t not win. Think it’s a coincidence that the big check for the recycling plant Mr. Burns wrote ended up in the hands of the ONE PERSON IN THE CITY who wouldn’t accept it? Don’t be naieve.
See, what you all have to understand is that the “correct” thing always happens in Springfield. Nobody ever bought the Maliby Stacey doll because it would’ve represented a victory for Lisa, and she’s not allowed to win. (Someone on snpp.com actually identified this as the correct response.) Mayor Quimby being voted out of office, and permanently? Naw, because then there’d be a new mayor, and everyone knows that once city can have only one mayor until the end of time (cf. Powerpuff Girls, South Park). Dolph, Jimbo, and Kearney getting even the tiniest comeuppance? Pfft, not in this lifetime. No mistakes or deviations from the correct path in this city, my friends!
(Say, I think I have a couple more entries for my Glossary of Cartoon Terms right there… )
Jimbo burst into tears and begged Moe for his life when Bart framed him over the crank call made to Moe’s.
(I wasn’t going to kill you - just cut you a bit).
Bart’s crush subsequently broke up with Jimbo, telling Bart that she’d go out with him in a second if he was ‘old enough to grow a bad teenage moustache.’
and the op: Bart lost potential millions (billions? trillions?) by returning to his family rather than remain Mr Burns’ heir. By returning Bobo to Burnsie, Maggie cost the family a million dollars and three hawaiian islands. Homer and Bart made a lot out of grifting, but I’m not completely sure what happened to all that stuff.
I’m inclined to disagree that the Simpsons have missed out on a lot of money. In fact, I think they have actually done quite well (considering things like the Baby on Board royalties, Mr. Plow revenue, Homer selling Compuglobalhypermeganet, etc), because as Homer stated in the episode Mom and Pop Art, the average legal settlement is $68,000. That money has to be coming from somewhere and it sure isn’t the power plant.
Earlier this past season, Bart owned millions of shares in the company that produced the Angry Dad Internet short. I’m sure he could have made some money off of that if he sold them before the company went belly-up.
Homer held some shares in a company called AniMotion. Unfortunately for him, the company went bankrupt-and he was the company’s only shareholder.
Let’ snot forget that Marge’s weekely Lotto ticket was a winner, although it was the Lotto right after a big prize was given away (thus was merely in the thousands) and it would have been split with some other ladies (presumably Mrs. Carbapple, Ms. LoveJoy, and Agnes Skinner).
But she opted out of the ticket to pay for the operation on Santa’s Little Helper.
Still being petty, DKW: Everyone in Old Springfield became rich when they found gold in the riverbed. And I wouldn’t be 100% about Quimby, either. After all, using that logic they never would have killed off Maude Flanders. Flanders single? Not in this city!
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