The Simpsons is more than just a mindless sitcom. Through their run, they have managed to weave in a number of deeper subjects. Perhaps one of the more interesting subjects is one that they didn't have the time to work in.
A recurring theme in The Simpsons is that Bart has a strange relationship with Krusty the Clown. Bart's character is almost a pure anarchist, except for his strange idolization of Krusty the clown. He idolizes him despite all of Krusty's very obvious problem.
Show creator Matt Groening said that they wanted to take that one step further. Krusty was originally Homer in disguise. Both characters look pretty similar. The idea was that Homer couldn't get any respect from his son, except when he dressed as a clown.
They thought it was too complicated of a storyline, so they dropped it, and Krusty became a character on his own. The thematic thread got picked up later, though, when Homer joins Krusts' clown college in the sixth season.