Bill Cosby vs. Bart Simpson in Retrospect

25 years ago this fall, The Simpsons--then, at the height of its popularity--moved from its cushy Sunday spot to Thursday for one sole reason: to unseat The Cosby Show from its place of prime-time dominance. Cosby, being no fan of The Simpsons, fired back at his competition: "The mean-spirited and cruel think this (kind of programming) is 'the edge,' and their excuse is, that's the way people are today. But why should we be entertained by that?"

A quarter-century has passed since the Simpsons/Cosby feud, and, in the interests of diplomacy, we've assembled a concise list that pits Bart Simpson's (Cosby's number one target) transgressions against Cosby's own, to find out who, truly, is a worse role model for the children of America. And if you can't imagine an era of the entertainment industry with such impossibly low and boring stakes, pity those of us who had to live through it.

Bart Simpson

Spray-painted Principal Skinner's face, along with a word bubble that said "I am a weiner" on the Springfield Elementary School building.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Vandalized a statue of his hometown's founder, Jebediah Springfield, in order to impress his peers.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Burned his name into Springfield Elementary's grounds using sodium tetrasulfate.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Used a Mr. Microphone to fool the town of Springfield into thinking a young boy named Timmy O' Toole fell into a well.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Wrote romantic letters to his teacher under the guise of a heartthrob named "Woodrow" in order to humiliate her.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Destroyed his grandpa's false teeth by using them to swing from the blades of a rotating ceiling fan.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Influenced Homer and his new college friends to steal the mascot from a rival college.

Bill Cosby

Accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

Bart Simpson

Went on to co-star in 17 mostly forgettable seasons of a television show.

Bill Cosby

Played the main character in a once-beloved sitcom for 8 years that no one seems to remember outside of the episode where he gave birth to a hoagie. Also, accused of sexual misconduct by 26 women (as of this writing).

– Bob "BobServo" Mackey