Matt Groening

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend

Comedian and 'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening joins Conan O'Brien for a humorous and nostalgic conversation about his career in animatio

Key takeaways

• Matt Groening reflects on the collaborative yet chaotic energy of early 'Simpsons' writers' rooms, highlighting how sustained creativity fueled over 800 episodes.
• Groening shares anecdotes about maintaining joke continuity across decades of animation, emphasizing the importance of long-term comedic planning.

Main topics

• The creative process behind 'The Simpsons' and 'Futurama'
• Long-term joke tracking and comedic legacy

Notable quotes

"I feel honored about being Conan O'Brien's friend. And why? Because, Conan, you are the Bob Hope of the 21st century."

Conclusion

The episode closes with a blend of heartfelt camaraderie and absurd hu

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:03) My name is Matt Groening, and I feel honored about being Conan O'Brien's friend. And why? Because, Conan, you are the Bob Hope of the 21st century. Oh, my God. So Speaker 2 (0:15) I'm going to have a huge deal with Texaco. Exactly. I'm going to stick around and show business for a really long time and confuse the younger generation. Speaker 3 (0:26) Fall is here. Speaker 3 (0:35) I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Speaker 2 (0:45) Hey there, welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend. Sona Misesian, hello. Speaker 4 (0:49) Hello. Speaker 2 (0:49) And Matt Gourley, how are Speaker 3 (0:51) you? Speaker 2 (0:51) Hi, Speaker 3 (0:51) boss. Speaker 2 (0:51) Driving to work today, I saw so many Waymos driving around. I saw, I think in one minute, I saw six different self-driving Waymo cars zip by, crisscrossing, going this way and that. I started imagining that they were ghosts commuting. Oh, my God. And it made me really happy. It made me really happy because I just thought, OK, there there is an afterlife and you're a ghost, but you still have to get around Los Angeles. You have shit to do. Do you know what I mean? And they have to sit in traffic. You know, they have to stop and get gas. And man, it's a lot. It's costing a lot right now. Straits of Formosa are closed. And so that, yeah, they're just invisible. They Speaker 4 (1:33) don't fly. Speaker 2 (1:34) No, they don't fly. Speaker 4 (1:35) Okay. Yeah. Speaker 2 (1:36) What are their ghost jobs that they're going to and from? Well, you know, I saw one was probably a podcaster. I saw another one who works at Lowe's. Oh, wow. You know, in the gardening department. So, yeah, they just have jobs like anyone else. And it's funny because sometimes they get into, you know, this little road rage and the ghost will flip someone off, but nobody knows. And so- You were just Speaker 4 (2:02) thinking this on the way in? I was thinking Speaker 2 (2:03) all of this while I was driving around and it was making me happy because then I'd see another one pass by and I'd go like, oh, there's a ghost. He looks like he's late. But they're still on their Speaker 3 (2:11) phones. So there's just a phone floating. Yeah, there's a Speaker 2 (2:13) phone floating there. They're watching their phones. They're buying shoes on the internet when they can't wear shoes. It's just sad. Speaker 3 (2:20) I was on my way to work here one time on one block. I saw a Waymo and then one of those Coco delivery bots. And then I shit you not, an Orthodox Jewish person on a hoverboard. You know, those one wheel. Sure. Speaker 2 (2:31) All on one. But wait, if you're Orthodox Jew, you can ride a hoverboard. I think something. I Speaker 3 (2:37) thought Speaker 2 (2:37) there was so. Oh, maybe that's Speaker 1 (2:38) a Speaker 2 (2:38) certain after certain traditions. Speaker 4 (2:40) Sabbath. Just Speaker 2 (2:40) on the Sabbath. You can't ride a hoverboard. Right. Speaker 4 (2:42) That Speaker 2 (2:43) says that in the Old Testament. No, no hoverboard on the Sabbath. Yeah. That's incredible. Yeah. You know, those little robots, those. Cocos. Yeah. Cocos. They I'm just going to admit that I'm. Whenever I see one of those, I want to hit it with a bat. Come on. Speaker 3 (3:03) I don't have any hostility towards it, Speaker 2 (3:05) but it does look like you just want to give it a whack because it's going. He's just doing Speaker 4 (3:10) his job. Is he though? Yeah, he's delivering stuff. I have a lot of sympathy. Speaker 2 (3:15) Yeah, a ghost just ordered some tacos. I love Speaker 4 (3:21) those little robots. I have a lot of sympathy towards them. But it can't Speaker 2 (3:23) work. Does it work? I can't believe it's still going. I just think that. You know, it's so hard to get people to follow the social contract and not spray paint over something or not park terribly or not smash something that's that's nice that's sitting out. It's very hard to get people just to follow that rule. But once you have a little tiny little little robot machine going, excuse me, excuse me. You know. I just, I mean, I'm a law-abiding citizen, but I want to smash that thing. You know, Speaker 3 (3:53) you're not alone as the former operator of a moving trash can. I can tell you a lot of people's instinct was to kick that thing. Not just kids. And just back it up in Speaker 2 (4:02) case people aren't aware of your origin story. This is your origin story. This is your being bit by a radioactive spider. Your job at Disneyland was to control a robot trash can. that would walk around and say, you know, feed me litter. Yeah. And you were sort of in the background with a remote control in your pocket. Yeah. Speaker 3 (4:23) And a lot of little bully kids would come up and just start wailing on the thing. Of course they would. And Speaker 2 (4:28) to the point Speaker 3 (4:28) where I would say in the trashcan voice, like. Where are Speaker 2 (4:31) your parents? Speaker 3 (4:32) Why aren't they doing anything? Somebody please help me. And he has a nerd voice. Did you ever say, oh, Speaker 4 (4:38) the humanity? I did. I literally did. Did you say that? I swear Speaker 2 (4:41) to God. Of course you did. All the Speaker 4 (4:43) time. Am I Speaker 2 (4:44) not a man? If you cut me, do I not bleed? A pound of flesh. Oh, my God. Speaker 3 (4:52) That's incredible. I Speaker 1 (4:53) truly Speaker 3 (4:53) did, yeah. I would say that all the time. If I Speaker 2 (4:55) had that gig, the things I'd be doing would get. me thrown out and maybe Disneyland shut down. Yeah. Because I would say things like, I'll murder you. Speaker 4 (5:05) I Speaker 3 (5:05) wasn't far off. I was always hitting on the other trash cans and, you know, saying like, don't divorce me and things like that to the other trash cans. Like they had a prior relationship or something. Or why won't Speaker 2 (5:16) you Speaker 3 (5:16) talk to me? Did people, Speaker 4 (5:17) did they have to have conversations with you if you crossed the line? Was there like a manager, like a trash manager? Speaker 2 (5:23) No, no, he had, he weren't. Goofy, Goofy was. Oh, I gotta talk to you. He's Speaker 4 (5:29) got his arms crossed. The Anaheim Department of Sanitation would come Speaker 3 (5:32) in and give me acting notes. Speaker 4 (5:37) No, Speaker 3 (5:38) they left us alone because it was just a one person job. They often forgot about us. So I was just out there on my own for the most part. Speaker 2 (5:45) It just occurred to me, let's try and do something where we have a little Coco bot, call a Waymo and then get in. Wouldn't that be great? The Coco Speaker 4 (5:54) bot calls a Waymo? Speaker 2 (5:55) Yeah, we call or we call a Waymo for a Coco bot and the Waymo pulls up and then the Coco bot and we put a little ramp up and it gets in. You tell the Speaker 3 (6:05) Coco bot it has to deliver something inside Speaker 2 (6:07) the Waymo. So that's why it Speaker 3 (6:09) thinks Speaker 2 (6:09) it has to go in. And then, I mean, I would just love, yeah, then it's a robot driving a robot around. Speaker 4 (6:14) That's pretty cool. I mean, my boys are at the age where they're always just going to know robots. cars existed. Isn't that nuts? I Speaker 3 (6:22) think about that all the time. Yeah. I would say that to Glenn. Just look, no one's driving the car. And she's like, big deal, granddad. Big deal. You're not my real father. Where's my father? Who's this guy? Speaker 4 (6:32) Yeah, you talking trash can. I love Glenn bullying you. I think that'd be fun. She Speaker 3 (6:39) does. Were Speaker 4 (6:40) there other trash can guys? Were you guys a crew? Speaker 3 (6:43) Well, we never worked together because it was always, you know, it was a solo job. Speaker 2 (6:47) Were Speaker 4 (6:48) you friends? Yeah. Did you watch and were like judging? Was Speaker 2 (6:51) there one guy who was better at it than you? You're looking at him, man. You're looking at him. Speaker 4 (6:55) The best one? Speaker 2 (6:56) It's the only brag I can do. You were the best. No, I'm Speaker 3 (6:59) kidding. Speaker 2 (7:00) I wasn't. Is it Speaker 4 (7:01) a brag? Speaker 2 (7:02) I don't understand. There Speaker 4 (7:03) were Speaker 2 (7:03) other people that you knew that also operated trash cans and you would watch them do it? Speaker 3 (7:07) No, we had to originally to learn. A guy came from Florida that built this thing and showed us how to do it. I think we all here on the West Coast went a little loosey-goosey with it. You know what I mean? Yeah, sure. We were really let loose. You're Speaker 4 (7:21) in Anaheim now, bitch. Yeah. Speaker 2 (7:25) And Speaker 3 (7:25) the thing would break down all the time and just die. The battery would die in the middle and it would be left. So you, like the voice was losing battery. So it'd be like, oh, Speaker 2 (7:34) please, somebody save Speaker 4 (7:37) me. Speaker 3 (7:38) So Speaker 2 (7:38) wait, Speaker 3 (7:38) then Speaker 2 (7:38) could you. you'd blow your cover if you walked over and started you had to you Speaker 3 (7:42) had to because by then the people were like about to light it on fire you know oh my god you know what everyone's instinct is to trash a robot yeah it is yeah um why because i think their instinct is to trash us you know it's kill or be killed oh i don't know dog Speaker 4 (7:57) eat Speaker 3 (7:57) dog world they just Speaker 4 (7:58) want to deliver food and drive you places that's Speaker 3 (8:00) what they want you to think yeah um Speaker 4 (8:02) yeah Speaker 3 (8:02) well Speaker 4 (8:03) i i heard the waymo cars are being controlled by it people somewhere else. Wait, Speaker 2 (8:07) where did you hear this? Speaker 4 (8:09) I Speaker 2 (8:09) don't Speaker 4 (8:09) know. Speaker 2 (8:09) They're autonomous. No one's controlling them. I thought there was Speaker 4 (8:12) a Speaker 2 (8:12) guy in a helicopter saying, take a right, take a left. Why is your conspiracy Speaker 3 (8:16) like not the opposite of a conspiracy? It's Speaker 4 (8:20) people are controlling them like radio. Yeah, Speaker 3 (8:22) the food delivery robots, the cocoa robots are controlled by people. And the Waymo is also. can't have people take over when there's an issue. Yes, Speaker 2 (8:31) yes, they can have people take over. Wait, Speaker 3 (8:33) so Speaker 2 (8:33) I can get a job? Speaker 3 (8:34) No, but that's different than Speaker 2 (8:34) what you said. Okay. But the food delivery robots are controlled by people. But what do you mean they're controlled by people? Where is the person? It doesn't matter. It's remote. Cratched in Speaker 4 (8:43) there. Speaker 2 (8:43) It's remote. It's just that's why, like, if you wave at it and Speaker 3 (8:47) say hi, the person will say, like, hello, and it'll wink and stuff at you. Really? But there's someone sitting Speaker 2 (8:52) at a terminal. Yes. And they're they're seeing a blinking dot that says it's going down. Or do they have a camera? They Speaker 3 (8:58) have a camera. It's Speaker 2 (8:59) like a remote control car. So now I can't trash one. Speaker 4 (9:02) No, because there'll be footage of Speaker 2 (9:03) me on the Internet. Yes. Me saying, hey, little bitch bot. Speaker 2 (9:09) It's time for you to taste Louisville Slugger. Ka-chang. And then that's all over the internet. Speaker 4 (9:17) Yeah. Those Waymo cars, too. I mean, what's stopping people from just, like, taking off their pants in the backseat? What? Who Speaker 2 (9:24) would want to take off their Speaker 3 (9:25) pants? Sounds Speaker 2 (9:26) like you've got a little fantasy. What are you talking about? Oh, Speaker 3 (9:29) my Speaker 2 (9:29) fantasy is to have my bare ass on a commonly used car seat. I can't wait. Speaker 2 (9:36) And I think people that want to do that Speaker 3 (9:37) prefer a driver in the car. Speaker 4 (9:39) I don't know. Or like, you know, just like do drugs or like do sex stuff. Maybe Speaker 2 (9:45) they do. Right. Speaker 4 (9:46) Is that I mean, like who's stopping you? Speaker 2 (9:49) I think, well, I think they have like a spray that activates. I don't think there's a spray. Yeah, it's Speaker 4 (9:54) a Speaker 2 (9:54) calming, soothing gel. I Speaker 4 (9:56) don't know. Speaker 2 (9:57) Makes the penis shrivel. Oh. Speaker 4 (9:59) That's Speaker 2 (9:59) true. I've heard that. A calming, soothing gel that then makes the penis shrivel? Yeah, well, first it calms you and soothes you. Okay. Speaker 3 (10:06) Then Speaker 2 (10:07) it makes your Don Johnson take a little holiday. Turns Speaker 3 (10:11) your Don Johnson into an Artie Johnson. Yeah, exactly. Speaker 2 (10:15) An Artie Johnson reference. God bless you. Is that a rap sign? God bless you. Yeah, that's a rap sign. Yeah, I think your rap sign was an Artie Johnson reference. That Speaker 3 (10:22) was only for Speaker 2 (10:22) you. That was your rap sign. All right, let's do this thing. My guest today is an Emmy award-winning writer and animator who created one of the most iconic animated series of all time. I'm going to say the most iconic. I'm going to go out on a limb. Yeah. I don't have any skin in this game, or do I? That's right, The Simpsons. He also created the Hulu series Futurama, which is currently airing its 14th season. Having him on the podcast is, well, it's just been so long overdue. I am ecstatic that this gentleman joins us today. Matt Groening, welcome. Speaker 2 (11:03) It is so great you're here. Thank you. Because the fans are going to freak out. You're a big part of my life changing in this amazing way. My origin story, for people that don't know, is I was working on Saturday Night Live. I was in a funk. I loved that job and I loved everyone there, but I thought I need to go. I'm just in a bad place in my life. So I walked away from SNL with no job. Two of your writers, I think it was Reese and Gene, heard that Conan O'Brien might be loose. available. So the next thing I knew I was submitting, I don't know, some of the sketches I had written on SNL. And then I was told you've got a job on the Simpsons and you need to be here like in four days. And it really saved my life. Wow. It was as magical part of my life. So I thank you. God, do I thank you. Speaker 1 (11:52) I don't know Speaker 2 (11:52) where I'd be if I hadn't gone there. I Speaker 1 (11:54) want you to know that your old office has been preserved. It is used for storage. Speaker 3 (12:04) And Speaker 1 (12:05) it's right next to my office. And yesterday I asked my assistant, Violet, I said, let me see Conan's old office so I can talk about it. And she said, no, no, no, no, no, don't. You can't. You can't. And you cannot mention it. And I said, come on, just let me see it. She goes, please don't talk about it. Please. I beg you. And I opened the door and it is floor to ceiling. with Simpson's merchandise. Oh, Speaker 2 (12:28) wow. Yes. Speaker 1 (12:29) In fact, this is the merchandise that popped out. Oh, my Speaker 2 (12:35) God. Mr. Sparkle. Oh, my. Look at this. And I got you one, too. Thank Speaker 1 (12:40) you. These are amazing. Oh, Speaker 4 (12:42) my God. Speaker 1 (12:44) That's after your time. This is 1997. Oh, Speaker 2 (12:48) my God. But those are. I Speaker 1 (12:48) love Speaker 4 (12:49) Mr. Sparkle. Does Speaker 2 (12:50) it, like, lose all its value if I open it? Speaker 4 (12:51) Yes. Don't. Speaker 2 (12:53) Okay. You know Speaker 1 (12:55) what I love? Speaker 2 (12:56) On the back, Homer's head with bubbles coming out the back is saying, Mr. Sparkle. First of all, it says Mr. Sparkle, I guess. Is this Japanese? And it says, Mr. Sparkle is disrespectful to dirt. I love these translations that never make sense. And this is what Homer is saying. Join me or die. Can you do any less? Speaker 3 (13:18) This is a children's toy for Lucky Best Wash. Speaker 1 (13:22) What it is, Homer found a Japanese detergent box in the Springfield dump, and he didn't understand why his name was, or his face was on the cover of the box. I just love it. It's one of the great episodes. Speaker 1 (13:36) For lucky best wash, Speaker 2 (13:37) use Mr. Sparkle. I'm disrespectful to dirt. Can you see that I am serious? This is fantastic. Thank you so much. Speaker 4 (13:46) I didn't mean to tell you not to open it. We should see Speaker 2 (13:48) one. I'll open mine. We want to keep Speaker 3 (13:50) ours pristine. Yeah, you guys keep yours pristine. I Speaker 4 (13:53) want Speaker 3 (13:53) you to sign this. What I... Oh, sure. I know what you're going to do. It'll be on eBay tomorrow. Speaker 2 (13:59) Okay, here's Speaker 3 (14:00) a Speaker 2 (14:00) really... People always ask me... working at the Simpsons, what's it like? Matt Groening, what can you tell us? And I have a very clear memory of one of your fun things that you did was in your travels, you would seek out illegal, like bootleg Simpsons merchandise, not to like, let's nab them and sue them, but just because it amused you. And I remember, I think you were in Mexico. I remember sitting around, we were working on a script. You came in, there's a screen door to the writer's room at the Simpsons. It had this, you know, you think it's like the Speaker 3 (14:32) biggest show in the world. It had this. Speaker 2 (14:35) rusty screen door kind of creaky. So you heard, and like Pavlovian, we would all look up, maybe food's here, you know, maybe lunch is here because that's what you would hear when they would bring in the fried food that we lived off of. And you walked in and you