From the very beginning, The Simpsons has understood the joy of mindlessly zoning out in front of the TV. Now, thanks to a new-fangled invention created by an enterprising fan, we can finally replicate the show’s slack-jawed couch-staring with a miniature version of the Simpsons’ chunky old purple CRT that does nothing but play random episodes from the series’ past.
The aptly-named Simpsons TV was created by Brandon Withrow, who showed off his work over on Reddit through a short video of the device in action. The clip sees the cartoon TV brought to life in a 3D-printed model that fits in one hand and, as Withrow wrote in the comments, has working volume and power controls.
Withrow loaded it with the show’s first 11 seasons, which ensures it sticks to the hits, and he used a tiny Raspberry Pi Zero computer loaded with 32 gigabytes of storage so the episodes can play continuously without requiring an internet connection. (More granular tech details are available in the Reddit comment, if you’re curious).
He calls it “the perfect desk companion for the devoted Simpsons fanatic (me)“ and writes that if Disney’s paying attention to what he’s done, he wants to know if “y’all got an R+D position available.” Withrow’s also working on a guide over at his website that will let others print their own version of the device. (“TV for some, miniature American flags for others!” he adds.)
The Simpsons’ middle-class lifestyle may now be out of our generation’s reach, but hey, at least we live in a time where we can replicate the cartoon family’s television to distract ourselves from that fact by endlessly watching their show.
[via Exclaim!]
Send Great Job, Internet tips to gji@theonion.com