Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

<p>Squeeze onto the couch as a perfectly cromulent panel of Advent Calendar House regulars celebrate the 30th anniversary of “The Simpsons” and its series premiere, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire,” or as it was advertised to us in 1989, “The Simpsons’ Christmas Special.”</p><p><strong>CONTENT WARNING:</strong> We briefly discuss Mall Santas and 10-year-olds’ feelings on Mall Santas.</p><hr /><h4>On This Episode</h4><ol><li><strong>Mike Westfall</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/fallwestmike">@fallwestmike</a>), disowned last-place greyhound and future father of a bunch of Rory Calhouns.</li><li><strong>Brandon Medley</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/brandmed">@brandmed</a>), my unnaturally confident-sounding best friend from <a href="http://blessedarethegeek.tumblr.com">Blessed Are the Geek</a>.</li><li><strong>Erin Evans</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/mserinmevans">@mserinmevans</a>), the fire-dancing Santa of the South Seas.</li><li><strong>Joey O.</strong> (<a href="https://twitter.com/ImGonnaDJ24">@ImGonnaDJ24</a>), an established expert on Batman smelling, from <a href="http://ynotradio.net">Y-Not Radio</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Words_W_Nerds">Words With Nerds</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h4>Topics and Tangents</h4><ol><li>Remembering the buildup and promos for “The Simpsons’ Christmas Special” in 1989, and the time I accidentally watched “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_aexTQoGdo&list=PL6D2J826PbrRdP3xbOFPZ6jDWrNVbUBSb">The Tracey Ullman Show</a>,” because I was too sick to get up and change the channel.</li><li>We can’t talk about early Simpsons without mentioning <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQo2d8EKHxA">Burger King toys</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K1AT0x3LaI">The Simpsons arcade game</a>, and of course, “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdntmGp7lO4">Do the Bartman</a>.”</li><li>Bart’s first <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMxqUku71qs">Butterfinger commercial</a> predates the show by a year.</li><li><a href="http