How The Simpsons' Iconic Sideshow Bob Rake Gag Was Stolen By A 2018 Live-Action Kids' Movie

The Simpsons' iconic Bob rake gag was copied by a beloved live-action kids' movie from 2018. The adaptation of Peter Rabbit offers more than just fluffy bunnies and charming animation. It is peppered with Easter eggs and pop culture references that appeal to a wider audience.

One particularly delightful nod, sure to elicit a chuckle from long-time The Simpsons fans, is a live-action recreation of the iconic Sideshow Bob rake gag. This hilarious tribute to the classic "Cape Feare" episode perfectly captures the spirit of the original bit. It demonstrates that even a children's movie can deliver a dose of sophisticated, adult-oriented humor, something that the Fox series has been delivering up until The Simpsons season 36.

Peter Rabbit's 2018 Movie Has A Live-Action Version Of The Simpsons' Sideshow Bob Rake Gag

The Original Gag On The Simpsons Was An Instant Classic

Sideshow Bob steps on a rake in The Simpsons

Long-time The Simpsons viewers will see a very familiar gag in Peter Rabbit (2018): the classic garden rake. In The Simpsons, the criminal mastermind is surprisingly vulnerable to this innocuous gardening tool. In the season 5 episode “Cape Feare”, when Bob is out for Bart’s blood yet again, 12 garden rakes catch him by surprise at Terror Lake. This scene became so iconic that the “Rake Take” even has its own page on TVTropes. Sideshow Bob goes on to call the humble rake his “arch enemy” in one of the best The Simpsons Sideshow Bob quotes.

The behind-the-scenes detail of the “Cape Feare” episode makes the rake scene even funnier...

The behind-the-scenes detail of the “Cape Feare” episode makes the rake scene even funnier and worthy of a reference in Peter Rabbit. According to Cracked, the editors ran into a runtime problem. After despairing that it was still “20 friggin’ seconds short”, they decided to fill runtime by simply having Sideshow Bob step on a rake multiple times. The exact number of rakes was reportedly chosen because, at a certain point, it stops being funny, but then gets funny again. The result is a bit of comedy genius and a The Simpsons gag that took 31 years to be retired.

Peter Rabbit's Easter Eggs & References Make It A Worthwhile Watch For Older Viewers Too

Its Healthy Mix Of Generational References Make This Movie Fun For All Ages

Because “Cape Fear” aired in 1993, and the gag became synonymous with Sideshow Bob, it was a great choice to reference it in Peter Rabbit to appeal to both younger and older audiences. Mr. McGregor actor Domnhall Gleeson said in an interview with Movies.iethat the garden rakes were part of a slapstick, Home Alone style approach to comedy. It works really well for his character, whose curmudgeonly nature is also reminiscent of The Simpsons’ Sideshow Bob.

Peter Rabbit has several references that make it enjoyable for all ages. For example, it does not miss the obvious opportunity to reference Watership Down from 1978, reaching a generation of parents who would have grown up with the animated movie. It also references Thomas & Friends which has been popular with viewers since the ‘80s, and the live-action classic 1995 movie Babe. This is well-balanced with more recent references like Transformers: Robots in Disguise, a TV series that was current at the time Peter Rabbit was released. That said, its The Simpsons tribute is arguably the easiest to recognize.

Source: TVTropes, Cracked, Movies.ie