It's November 25th, 1990, on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Rob Cohen presses gently on the gas pedal, carefully keeping his distance from the parade float in front of him.

Sitting next to him as a dancer in a large, colorful costume.

Rob has to wrinkle his nose. Costume stinks, sweat, and damp felt.

Still, he doesn't mind. After all, it isn't every day that you get to drive Bart Simpson

in the Hollywood Christmas parade. In the back seat, two other performers wear life-sized costumes of Bart's siblings, Lisa and

Maggie Simpson, and in the car behind them are their parents Homer and Marge.

With their spiky hair, bright yellow skin, and bulging eyes, Rob thinks the figures look a little

creepy, but the people lining the street don't seem to

mind. There must be thousands here to enjoy the spectacle. They've already shouted themselves

hoarse to cheer the parade king, Arnold Schwarzenegger, as well as a host of other celebrities.

Rob wonders if the crowd will take as much interest in a bunch of glorified mascots. But those worries soon disappear.

As the Simpsons family waves to their devoted fans, deafening screams explode from both sides of the street.

Rob waves too, but no one recognizes him. The people of Los Angeles are here to see the Simpsons,

not a lowly production assistant like him.

Rob presses a button on the dashboard, and speakers pump out one of the hottest tracks of

the year, the novelty rap song, Do the Bart Man.

The dancer wearing the Bart costume stands up in the front seat and begins to dance,

driving the crowd mad. Everyone goes wild. They're only halfway

down the boulevard when the crowd suddenly surges forward. People of all ages mob the convertible,

desperate to reach out and touch their favorite TV family. Rob has to hit the brakes to avoid

hitting anyone. He can only shake his head in disbelief. It's chaos and

...