The Simpsons 3x6

Like Father, Like Clown

“Like Father, Like Clown” is the sixth episode of The Simpsons’ third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 24, 1991. In the episode, after recalling a traumatic memory, Krusty the Clown reveals to the Simpson family that he is of Jewish heritage, and that his father, Rabbi Hyman Krustofski, disowned him for pursuing a career in comedy. Krusty is emotionally upset and Bart and Lisa decide to try to reunite Krusty with his long-estranged father.

“Like Father, Like Clown” was written by the duo of Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky. Krusty’s religion had not been part of the original concept of the character, so Kogen and Wolodarsky decided to parody the 1927 film The Jazz Singer and establish that Krusty is Jewish. The episode was carefully researched and two rabbis, Lavi Meier and Harold M. Schulweis, were credited as “special technical consultants”. It was directed by Jeffrey Lynch and Brad Bird; as it was Lynch’s first credit as a director, Bird was assigned to help him. Comedian Jackie Mason, who had once been an ordained rabbi, provided the voice of Rabbi Krustofski. The rabbi later became an infrequently recurring character voiced by Dan Castellaneta. Mason returned to voice the character in several later episodes.