Where Did THAT Come From – Cristo of Springfield

In our silly lil game, we sometimes see things pop in that we have no clue as to their Origin. They seem familiar, but we just can’t pinpoint from where. So that is why we decided to make a fun lil reminder out of it. To let you know just Where did THAT Come From?

christredeemer

Wowza… the Springfield Games hit our towns and its one interesting event fusing different things. One of the premium items offered for 75 donuts is Cristo de Springfield. I have to admit, I saw this offering and snatched it up faster than a TSTO-addicted Wookiee eats Cheetos and let me tell you, that’s pretty quick. It might be because visiting the real statue in Brazil is on my bucket list and that I’ve always been fascinated by the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue in Rio but I love this item.

Cristo Redentor statue in Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Of course, I call it the big ol’ Jesus but it’s the same thing. Having it in my town seemed like a reminder of future travel plans. If it needs to be pointed out, the pseudo-Olympic nature of this new event surely inspired the designers to pull an icon from Rio De Janeiro for our games. But what the heck does this statue have to do with the Simpsons TV series? Where does in feature in the show? Well, no worries, I am happy to show you just where. Let’s head off to “Blame it on Lisa” (S13:E15), shall we?

In an episode about Rio de Janeiro that actually prompted the city to consider suing FOX and prompted an apology from the showrunners of the Best. Show. Ever., the Simpson family head to Brazil to try and find Lisa’s orphan boy she’d been sponsoring named Ronaldo. The two were corresponding frequently but letters suddenly stopped. Lisa is worried and arranged inexpensive air fare to Brazil with multiple layovers. Homer is easily convinced and the family is off on another adventure.

Rio De Janeiro Simpsons

Is it any surprise that the giant statue of Jesus is seen in the episode? It’s actually the first thing they see upon arriving and looks a little different than what we have in the game. I just enjoy Homer saying, “Wow. It’s like he’s on the dashboard of the entire country.”

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue Simpsons

It’s also seen during Carnival.

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue Carnival Rio Simpsons

To find a version that looks more familiar, we head to the other Simpsons go to Brazil episode aka “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee” (S25:E16). This episode starts with Lisa not being able to use her impressive speech about Madame Curie because Martin picked the same topic. As a hail mary, she chooses to speak about her dad’s willingness to red card her for diving as an example of heroism. The speech goes viral and prompts the Executive Vice President of the World Football Federation (“What you Americans call soccer” aka what “the guys at the dry cleaners get so excited about every four years”) to ask Homer to referee the World Cup as a symbol of integrity. This was actually quite topical since corrupt referees were in the actual news. The World Cup was held in Brazil that year so no surprise that we get a shot of the Big Jesus when our favorite family goes on an all expenses paid trip to the greatest sporting event in the world. No, not the 2008 Super Bowl, the World Cup. The new TSTO statue features when the games go to Rio De Janeiro.

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue Rio De Janeiro Simpsons

You can also see a super tiny version when the family is visiting the grave of Il Divo.

Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue Rio Cemiterio Simpsons

If you want to read a full version of this episode, here’s the recap I did. So there you go friends. The origin of Cristo de Springfield which is actually a small version of a much bigger statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that I want to visit some day. What are your thoughts on it? Did you add it to your town? Have you ever been to the real thing? I placed mine in the backyard area of my First Church of Springfield.

TSTO Cristo of Springfield

Sound off with your comments and happy tapping my friends. You stay classy.

TTFN… Wookiee out!

25 responses to “Where Did THAT Come From – Cristo of Springfield

  1. Placed mine above the Springfield sign. Looks great. Wish I knew how to post a picture. Been trying.

  2. Russian Tigger

    Never made it as far as Brazil, but I have been to Lisbon where they have Christ the King overlooking the city. It was inspired by Christ the Redeemer in Rio, and is pretty spectacular. Would love see this one.

  3. There’s one in Lisbon, too.

    • Didn’t know that… thanks for sharing. It’s a bit smaller though, no?

      • Russian Tigger

        The statue itself is quite bit smaller but is on a tall base which elevates it in order it looks over the City. I guess it’s a bit like the mini Statue of Liberty in Paris, it’s not the real thing but still pretty cool to see.

  4. Huh, he only has 4 fingers.

    • Funny, I didn’t even check that. Strange because a running gag in the show is that God has five fingers. I’d have to go back and check but I suspect Jesus does too in his appearances. I can’t tell how many fingers the statue from the Season 25 episode had. Gonna try and not fall down a rabbit hole of curiousity here.

  5. It was also in season 25 episode when it was world cup and Homer was referee

  6. Maudlin Monarch.

    I had been away from the game for about two weeks {Superheroes part deux burnout… didn’t even get Dr. Crab}, and saw this at a neighbour’s town. I immediately thought it was a free gift to commemorate the Rio Olympics and thought I missed the opportunity.

  7. Has anyone tried putting him in front of the Elevator To Nowhere? I think that would look HILARIOUS.

  8. Did the event end early? I swear it was running until next week. Yesterday I was on last 2 ribbons needed for surprise building and it said event ended!

  9. I placed mine behind the notre dame cathedral. My town in a mess now. Using the down time to tidy and reshape.

  10. I got it and put it next to the “cliffs” by the beach in the Springfield Heights section so it can at least appear to be a bit elevated..

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