Behind the Laughter Behind the Laughter "Behind the Laughter" is the twenty-second and final episode of "The Simpsons" eleventh season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 21, 2000. In the episode, which is a parody of the VH1 series "Behind the Music", the Simpson family are portrayed as actors on a sitcom, and their dramatic inner turmoil and struggles are detailed. Told in a narrative format, the episode tells a fictional story of how "The Simpsons" began. The episode was directed by Mark Kirkland and written by Tim Long, George Meyer, Mike Scully and Matt Selman.
The Bart Wants What It Wants episode, Jean stated that the scene was written at a time when celebrity look-alikes were making "excellent livings". At one point in the episode, Bart and Greta are seen playing Scrabble, a word game manufactured by Hasbro. The music cue that plays before and after Skinner's comedy routine is based on the intro music from the American television sitcom "Seinfeld". The episode title is a reference to the common phrase "the heart wants what it wants". In its original American broadcast, "The Bart Wants What It Wants" received a 6.1 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, translating to approximately 6.4