The Simpsons celebrated its historic milestone with the return of R.E.M. co-founder and former frontman Michael Stipe, who sang a parody of the rock band’s hit 1992 song “Everybody Hurts.”
Season 37 of the long-running animated sitcom came to an end Sunday night with a two-part episode, the second marking the show’s 800th installment.
Titled “Homer? A Cracker Bro?,” the final episode follows Homer Simpson and Kirk Van Houten as they launch a hugely successful business venture together — a “crumbless” cracker that sweeps the nation. However, Kirk’s life “is flipped upside down after suffering a manic episode that has left him with depression,” according to the installment’s logline.
At one point in the episode, a montage plays of Kirk walking around his home in a depressed haze, snacking on a whole rotisserie chicken. While he moves from room to room, an animated version of Stipe, 66, serenades him with a spoof of “Everybody Hurts.”
“When your day is long, and at night, at night you snack alone / When you’re sure your hunger is gone for this life, well hang on,” he sings. “Don’t let yourself choke just because your mouth is dry / Everybody Kirks, crumb-times.”
The Simpsons fans are overjoyed by Stipe’s surprise cameo, with one commenting on Instagram: “Loved it! Between that and the Philly-centric episode before it, it was the most fun I’ve had watching TV on a Sunday night in forever.
“Rem in The Simpsons in 2026? Hell yeah,” a second said, with a third writing: “This is just what I needed.”
“Today’s my birthday and my daughter heard me laughing, I explained to her my favorite band and TV show teamed up,” another added. “She asked if they did that for me. I say yes.”
Stipe first appeared on The Simpsons in a 2001 Thanksgiving episode alongside his “Losing My Religion” band, who were tricked into performing at Homer’s newly opened garage bar after being told it was a fundraiser to save the rainforest.
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“I was super flattered to be invited back into The Simpsons universe, and particularly with this grand message of great hope,” Stipe said of his new cameo, according to Stereogum.
The Simpsons is the longest-running scripted primetime series in TV history. It debuted in 1989, and showrunner Matt Selman recently insisted it will “never have a finale.” Last April, Fox renewed the show for an additional four seasons.
Season 37 of The Simpsons is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+.
