Bart Sells His Soul

"Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart scornfully dismisses the concept of the soul, and to show he is serious in his skepticism he agrees to sell his soul to Milhouse. However, after several strange events make him think he really has lost his soul, he desperately tries to regain it. "Bart Sells His Soul" was written by Greg Daniels, who was inspired by an experience from his youth where he had purchased a bully's soul. Director Wes Archer and his team of animators visited Chili's for examples to use in Moe's family restaurant. The episode includes cultural references to the 1968 song "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" by Iron Butterfly, which is played during the show, and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda, as well as a parody of Judy Blume's 1970 book Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. Writers from the fields of religion, philosophy, popular culture, and psychology cited the episode in books discussing The Simpsons and the show's approach to the nature of the soul. The episode was critically acclaimed and is regarded as one of the series' best. The creative team of The Simpsons puts the episode among the top five best episodes of the series, and series creator Matt Groening cited "Bart Sells His Soul" as one of his favorite episodes. It has been used by secondary schools in religious education courses as a teaching tool.