The Simpsons/Characters

From Pop-Cult Guides

[edit] The title family

Homer Simpson is a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and a generally well-meaning buffoon with moods punctuated by rage and gleeful fancy whose short attention span often draws him into outrageous schemes and adventures. Homer is best known for his catchphrase "D'oh!" Homer's name, as it explains in the second season extras, was originated because Homer is the name of Matt Groening's father. Marge Simpson is for the most part a stereotypical American housewife and mother. Bart Simpson is a ten-year-old troublemaker who thinks of himself as a rebel and his catch phrase is either "Eat my shorts!","Aye carumba!" or "I'm Bart Simpson... who the hell are you!". Lisa Simpson is an extremely intelligent eight-year old middle child who is often involved in left-wing activism and loves playing the saxophone. Maggie Simpson is a baby who, for the most part, simply sucks on a pacifier and doesn't speak except in the episode Lisa's First Word. The family has had a series of pets, including several cats, at least two dogs, a lobster, an elephant and a monkey. Despite the fact that numerous yearly milestones, such as holidays and birthdays, clearly pass, the Simpsons do not physically age, indicating some form of a floating timeline.

The main characters were originally created by Groening as part of a series of original animated segments for The Tracey Ullman Show. Lisa, Maggie, Marge and Homer share names with Matt Groening's sisters, mother and father respectively. Bart, however, is an anagram for brat, with Groening having stated that he thought naming the boy "Matt" would be too obvious.

The Simpson lifestyle was initially fairly consistent with a one-income, middle class family. For example, in the first season episode "There's No Disgrace Like Home", Homer must pawn the family’s rabbit-eared television for $250 to afford a family therapy session. In other early episodes, Homer can only afford a very low-quality used RV, can't afford cable television, and must scrimp and save to get the family dog a $750 life-saving operation. As the seasons have progressed, however, the lifestyle has been shown to be more flexible to the needs of any given episode or comedic situation. In one sixth season episode, Homer pulls $1,100 out of his wallet to exchange for Itchy & Scratchy Money, and in a seventh season episode, "The Day the Violence Died", he pulls out $750 to give to Bart. The family now often makes extravagant purchases or vacations with little or no regard to cost, while at other times they still have financial problems. They almost always wear the same clothes.

Throughout the series, the Simpson family's religion has been a form of Protestant Christianity. The most important deviation from this came when Lisa became Buddhist in the episode She of Little Faith and when Bart and Homer became Roman Catholic in the episode The Father, the Son, and the Holy Guest Star, which did not "revert" at the end of those episodes.

See: Religion in The Simpsons

[edit] Secondary characters

Main article: List of characters from The Simpsons

The show also has a vast array of quirky supporting characters, including co-workers, teachers, family friends, extended relatives, and local celebrities. Originally, many of these characters were planned as one-shot jokes, or to fill a function in the town; a number of them gained expanded roles, and some have subsequently been the subject of their own episodes. These characters serve to represent facets of the American society that the show scathingly critiques.