Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire watch the dog's owner angrily disowning him for losing the race. Bart pleads with Homer to keep the dog as a pet, and he reluctantly agrees. When Bart and Homer return home, Homer finally comes clean to the family that he did not get his Christmas bonus; however, the family assumes Santa's Little Helper is their present and are overjoyed by Homer's gesture. The Simpsons family then celebrate by singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". "The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening conceived of the idea for the Simpsons in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Brooks, the producer of the sketch
Media in The Simpsons let the users of the Internet vote over what direction "The Simpsons" should take. In the twenty-second season finale "The Ned-Liest Catch", the characters Ned Flanders and Edna Krabappel started dating. The episode ends with Homer and Marge Simpson giving the viewers a link to the official "The Simpsons" website, TheSimpsons.com, and encouraging them to go on the website and vote over the summer of 2011 on whether Ned and Edna should stay together. Showrunner Al Jean said in an interview that the writers decided it would not be interesting for them to do another episode where a relationship ended,