As the longest running American sitcom and a beloved cultural touchpoint that has entertained audiences the world over, there is no better contemporary parallel than The Simpsons to what Commedia dell’Arte was as an art form hundreds of years ago. Almost anywhere you go in the world, people know these characters and might have a favorite episode or catch phrase.

In the words of Tammy Faye Bakker and RuPaul Charles, “Everybody loves puppets!”.

But especially me. Why? It comes down to a certain feeling I get, one that’s kind of hard to explain. But I’ll do my best. I believe there’s a special switch in every person’s brain - the “on” switch position translates to *best Dr. Frankenstein voice* “It’s ALIIIIIVE!” and the “off” position is along the lines of *cue 80s synthpop beat* “I think we’re alone now”.