It has recently been revealed that many classic jokes from The Simpsons have long been misunderstood, and Ralph's line about being a Viking when he sleeps is yet another example. As one of the longest-running shows on television, The Simpsons' legacy is undeniable. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the many jokes from the show that have since become oft-quoted and achieved relevance in pop culture, even outside of the context of The Simpsons.
After it came to light that one of the show's most memorable jokes - Homer Simpson's "wearing a towel" joke had long been misunderstood by even some of the show's writers, many have begun to question other lines from the show's long history. As The Simpsons is a show with 33 seasons (and counting) of history, the discussion about the meanings of certain jokes may rage for some time. The Simpsons' humor often focuses on current events and hot topics, meaning that some audiences may even be unfamiliar with references in early episodes, something which only fuels the discourse.
One oft-debated Simpsons joke's meaning has now been confirmed by Josh Weinstein via Simpsons joke is often mistaken to be metaphorical - but Weinstein has confirmed that it was actually literal. However, unlike the joke, Weinstein's explanation was more complex than it seems, as the misinterpretation even went as far as to affect other Simpsons writers.
The alternative interpretation of the line is that Ralph was speaking metaphorically - that he's so good at sleeping that he could be considered "a Viking" at it. This is a read that was backed up by long-time Simpsons writer Mike Scully, who also interpreted the joke when it was initially pitched to be metaphorical. Weinstein challenged the idea, and asked David Mirkin, who wrote it, to weigh in, leading to the definitive answer.
Mirkin was firm in his explanation of Ralph's Viking line, though, clearing up any misconceptions. The Simpsons' Ralph Wiggum was "never written with the ability to understand a complex and obscure metaphor" such as the alternative read of the joke. Mirkin even poked fun at Scully's misunderstanding of the intention of the joke, saying he "would have fired him" if he had known that his fellow writer had misunderstood it.
Though some jokes from The Simpsons' long history have been misunderstood due to being taken too literally, the opposite is the case with Ralph's Viking line. It makes perfect sense: Ralph is a very simply-written and literal character, so the idea that he enjoys sleep due to the literal imaginative nature of his dreams is both in line with his character and inherently sweet. Though it seems that some have been misunderstanding the joke for years, the veteran writers of The Simpsons were on hand to clear up the misunderstanding.