The Simpsons Fans Are Divided Over Krusty The Clown's Funniest Line

Almost everyone on "The Simpsons" has that extra special saying or incredibly hilarious line that gets immortalized by fans, and Krusty the Clown (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) is a great example of a character with some truly hilarious things to say.

The raspy voice of Krusty has been making home audiences laugh since he first arrived on the small screen in 1989 on "The Tracey Ullman Show." The creator of the critically acclaimed series "The Simpsons," Matt Groening, based the character on a clown from his childhood called Rusty Nails. In Krusty's tenure on the Emmy-winning animated sitcom, the chain-smoking children's entertainer has been framed for murder, faked his death, staged a comeback special with a star-studded lineup, and hosted numerous seasons of the hit program "The Krusty the Clown Show" over several decades. The cynical performer has provided many unforgettable moments across the franchise, including video games, theme park rides, and "The Simpsons Movie," each time saying something wickedly funny along the way.

After years on "The Simpsons," it is no secret that the infamous TV show host has had his fair share of worthwhile quotes. With so many great Krusty lines to select from, some fans may be conflicted on which ones to choose, while some have made their voices heard on which Krusty quote is better than the rest.

A poll in the r/TheSimpsons subreddit showcases five contenders for best Krusty quote, and it seems that one phrase from the infamous clown claims the championship title over its competition. The line is, "Homer gave me a kidney. It wasn't his, I didn't need it, it came postage due, but still a lovely gesture." This memorable moment from Krusty occurred in Season 18, Episode 13, "Springfield Up," which was a parody of the British "Up" series of documentaries that followed several individuals from the age of 7 onward, with seven-year intervals in between new installments.

"There are only two rules in TV: don't swear, and don't whip it out. It's not rocket science!" from Season 18, Episode 22 ("You Kent Always Say What You Want"), and "I almost swallowed some of the juice!" from Season 4, Episode 10 ("Lisa's First Word") were also worthy candidates that came up short. 

A lot of Krusty's humor can be traced back to his origins. In an interview from the Archive of American Television (via FoundationINTERVIEWS), Dan Castellaneta talked about the thought process behind Krusty's notable antics that helped expand the scope of the series. He said, "It was a chance for The Simpsons world to take a shot at show business, and the writers to take shots at comedians and TV show hosts that they have written for ... they could sort of put it all into Krusty." The talented voice actor also said that Krusty has been compared to Jackie Gleason or Milton Berle despite being the host of a kids' show.

The direction the writers took with Krusty proved successful, ensuring the character would continue to entertain fans of "The Simpsons" with his signature style of comedy.