Mr. Burns' iconic "See My Vest" musical number from The Simpsons is a Beauty And The Beast parody. The Simpsons debuted back in 1989 and has run for a record-breaking 31 seasons so far. It even managed to uproot classic Western series Gunsmoke as the holder of the most scripted episodes for a primetime series in 2018 when it reached episode 636. It also spawned a movie version in 2007 and has received countless spinoff comics, video games and assorted merchandise.
The quality of the writing on The Simpsons may have dipped since its heyday in the 1990s, but the show is still clearly doing something right. Those early seasons have made it one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, and it has to remind one of the most quoted shows in existence. Given The Simpsons evergreen popularity, there don't appear to be any plans for it to end anytime soon, while a movie sequel is currently in development.
A fan-favorite episode of The Simpsons is season 6's "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds," where Santa's Little Helper fathers a litter of 25 adorable puppies. Local villain Mr. Burns eventually steals them and while he initially appears to be a loving owner he reveals - via song - that he plans to skin them to make a nice new coat. From the title to the premise the episode is clearing inspired by 101 Dalmatians, but Mr. Burn's show-stopper is actually inspired by 1991's Beauty And The Beast.
Namely, The Simpsons' "See My Vest" is a parody of Beauty And The Beast's "Be Our Guest." This was the animated adventure's most popular number and sees Lumière and the enchanted objects of the Beast's castle prepare a fancy dinner for Belle. Its upbeat tone is given a seriously dark undercurrent in "See My Vest," as Mr. Burns' displays his large wardrobe made out of various animals, from his gorilla chest vest to his puddle hat.
The sheer jaunty delight Mr. Burns displays during his "See My Vest" number whilst showing off his horrific line-up of clothing reveals just how casually evil the character is. The Simpsons used the catchiness of "Be Our Guest" to underline this, making for one of the show's most famous songs. At the very least Mr. Burns didn't end up using the puppies to make a coat, but hopefully, he didn't wind up adding any more items to his packed closet in the years that followed.