An Interview With Al Jean (Simpsons Showrunner)
Four Finger Discount (Simpsons Podcast)
The Four Finger Discount Network.
4.8 • 719 Ratings
🗓️ 23 April 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We cover a LOT of ground here, including his initial run as showrunner before leaving to create The Critic, (Al also gives us the scoop on The Critic revival), the time The Simpsons was almost cancelled, ignoring the internet criticism's of the show, working with Johnny Carson, the time Conan pitched Marge vs The Monorail and more!
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Boss, what's the most dreaded question that you can get when you tell people you host a podcast |
| 0:05.2 | called The Lapsed Fan? |
| 0:06.5 | Ugh, it's, what is it about? |
| 0:09.3 | And why is that, do you think? |
| 0:10.8 | Because to like pro wrestling is to lose the respect of others. |
| 0:16.0 | Now, what if we told you there's a podcast that explains exactly why that is, and why it's |
| 0:20.7 | kind of deserved. |
| 0:22.1 | For over a decade, we've taken fact-finding missions through the thicket of half-truths, that is |
| 0:26.4 | wrestling history. We watch old matches, call out carnies, laugh at our own jokes, and have so much |
| 0:32.1 | fun doing it that some people actually can't handle it. Think wrestling is an escape from real life? |
| 0:38.2 | Think again. |
| 0:39.3 | Same powered games, same office politics, same people lying to your face. |
| 0:43.7 | Just with entrance music and absolutely no company health insurance under any circumstances. |
| 0:48.7 | All I offer is opportunity, not benefits. |
| 0:51.4 | As do we, Vince, the lapsed fan podcast. |
| 0:54.2 | Come for the wrestling history, |
| 0:55.7 | stay for the uncomfortable truth |
| 0:57.1 | about why it used to be better |
| 0:58.4 | and why you still care. |
| 1:00.6 | Four finger discount, dude. |
| 1:05.3 | The United. |
| 1:06.8 | The song. |
... |
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