Characters / The Simpsons - Church, Doctors, Celebrities

The Simpsons Main Character Index
Simpson Family (Homer Simpson, Bart Simpson) | The Simpsons Extended Family | Springfield Elementary School | Government, Judges and Lawyers, Police and Criminals | Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Springfield Shopkeepers | First Church of Springfield, Doctors, Celebrities | Friends and Neighbors, Families | Other Recurring Characters | Itchy & Scratchy Characters | One-time Characters

First Church of Springfield

Reverend Timothy Lovejoy

Oh, good Lord...

Debut: "The Telltale Head"

The preacher at the church that the Simpsons family and the Flanders family attend. He really doesn't care much about his job or his "flock" at all, and can even be read as not actually being that religious. He's often no more reasonable on religious matters than Springfield's other religious characters — he just usually has ulterior motives, typically relating to increasing the money he gets from the church. It's revealed that his original caring nature and sincere drive to help his congregation was basically eroded by coming into contact with Ned Flanders and his fixation on being a "proper" Christian. Voiced by Harry Shearer.

• Badass Preacher: Has saved Homer's life on at least one occasion, as well as Flanders' in another occasion.
• The Bore: His sermons are so lackluster and boring, he has a sound effect generator to wake people up from them.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He may be a quirky priest, but "Homer the Heretic" implies Lovejoy somehow knows the entire Bible by heart, or at least the Gospels, and can quote any specific verse he is asked. Other episodes similarly imply he has a great theological knowledge, much to his listeners' boredom.
• Butt-Monkey: His trains are always getting destroyed.
• Character Catchphrase: "Damn Flanders..."
• Christianity is Catholic: Averted. Although he wears a clerical collar, the church the Simpsons belong to is a weird pastiche of Protestantism^note though the Roman Collar is most associated with the Catholic Church, priests/leaders/preachers of Protestant denominations sometimes will elect to wear the collar or similar garments., Lutheran, and Presbyterian, specifically, the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism. In fact, a lot of episodes show that Reverend Lovejoy thinks Catholicism is a pagan religion, a real if fringe belief in real life ("Homer Simpson in: 'Kidney Trouble'" had Reverend Lovejoy sarcastically reply, "Why don't you ask me to do a voodoo dance?" after Marge asks Reverend Lovejoy to give Grampa his last rites, which is common in Catholicism). He also gets into a nasty brawl with an Irish Priest after the two quarrel about the subject of Catholic vs. Protestant practices.
• The Cobbler's Children Have No Shoes: He has trouble reining in his unruly daughter.
• Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere: He once told Marge that it was fine for her to divorce Homer regardless of it being a sin, because according to him everything, including going to the bathroom, is a sin.
• Color Motifs: Like his wife and daughter, Lovejoy wears a pink item of clothing which is his pink shirt.
• Depending on the Writer: He has been outright apathetic towards Christianity, a fire-and-brimstone preacher, a reasonable but boring minister, and an engaging preacher. On rare occasions, he has even been something of a Badass Preacher, such as rescuing Flanders from baboons.
• Dreary Half-Lidded Eyes: He has oval-shaped eyes with long droopy eyelids (in contrast to the round eyes of many other characters) reflecting his constant tiredness and uncaring nature. His eyes stay this way even while preaching to emphasize his boring, monotone delivery.
• Driven by Envy: From season 16 on, he has a jealous, antagonistic relationship with the Episcopal church across the street from his. His resentment is almost blasphemously petty, arising solely because the Episcopalians have poached some of his parishioners — and their offerings. This jealousy has spurred Reverend Lovejoy into multiple plots, including raising money to equip his church with a steeple taller than the Episcopalians' and joining Ned Flanders's anti-evolution crusade so that the controversy will attract newcomers to replace his lost parishioners.
• Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: If Homer's encounter with God in his dreams is to be believed, even God finds Lovejoy to be a complete bore who uses His name for fear mongering.
• Flanderization: In reverse, but only because Ned Flanders had become so religious, he had lost his own enthusiasm for serving God.
• Freudian Excuse: His apathy was the result of Ned whining to him about everything.
• Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: For some reason, he still carries on with his job, despite his passion for Christianity and preaching being slowly eroded through the years by Ned Flanders' overbearing ways.
• Hiding Behind Religion: He does have faith but most of his actions is for money and influence. He admits at one point the fundraising for a higher bell tower is simply compensating on his part.
• Ironic Name: His last name. He's not a loving or joyful person, and despite his job he comes off as cynical and apathetic (although a lot of it was no thanks to Ned Flanders).
• Jade-Colored Glasses: After Ned's constant whining got to him, he just stopped caring (of course, by then, it was the 1980s, and no one really noticed).
• Jerkass: Negligent towards his profession, apathetic towards the tenets of his faith, and indifferent to the well-being of his flock.
• Jerkass to One: Of the "jerkass to everybody and even more to one" type. He has no love for anybody in his flock at all, but he hates Ned Flanders. Justified because Ned's persnickety fundamentalism destroyed his love for his job.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: His description of his fight with the baboons at the zoo.
  And that's when I got mad.
• Odd Friendship:
  • With Rabbi Krustofski of all people, and they even did a public radio show every Sunday night.
  • He also has this with Ned Flanders; Ned's devotion to his faith and overcaution has burnt out Reverend Lovejoy over the years or caused outright scorn for Ned, yet the two are seen together outside of the church and are on the same bowling team.
• Overly Narrow Superlative: He states in a sermon that the Springfield church's dogma is the one true faith; that is, the Western Branch of American Reform Presbylutheranism.
• Parental Neglect: Apparently the reason why Jessica Lovejoy is not a good girl. Lovejoy refuses to pay attention to her, and when faced with her issues simply chooses to ignore them.
• Pet the Dog: In spite of his apathetic nature, in the episode “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily”, he offers his condolences to Ned during Maude’s funeral.
  Lovejoy: But, whether you noticed her or not, Maude was always there...and we thought she always would be.
• Preacher Man: His main role in the series is being the community priest.
• Rail Enthusiast: His off-job hobby is model trains, though he rarely gets a chance to enjoy them.
• Stopped Caring: Once upon a time he was a young reverend ready and eager to give spiritual guidance to his flock. After about a decade of dealing with Ned Flanders's incessant whining he gave up entirely.
• Verbal Tic: His habit of voicing the last consonant of important words ("And that's when I got mad-uh.") spoofs the typical charismatic Southern preacher, in particular Billy Graham.

Helen Lovejoy

Won't someone please think of the children?!

Debut: "Life on the Fast Lane"

Reverend Lovejoy's snooping, interfering, gossipy busy-body of a wife. Voiced by Maggie Roswell (1990-1999, 2002-) and Marcia Mitzman Gaven (1999-2002).

• The Alcoholic: After intentionally spiting Lisa to make her angry at Bart, Helen declares she will reward herself with a box of wine.
• Ambiguous Gender Identity: The Parson tells Lovejoy he remembers back when her name was Harold, but she's also been depicted as a little girl.
• Ambiguously Bi: During her and Timothy's roleplaying in "Sky Police" she becomes very interested when she hears another woman at the door, asking Tim to send her in.
• Ambiguously Jewish: The Parson says he remembers her when her last name was Schwartzbaum.
• Asshole Victim: In the "Exor-Sis" section of Treehouse of Horror XXVIII, she catches a fireplace poker through the skull courtesy of the possessed Maggie. Non-canon though it may have been, Helen SO had it coming. Not just as far as that episode in particular is concerned, either.
  Marge: Thank you.
• Character Catchphrase: "Ohhh, won't somebody PLEASE Think of the Children!?"
• Church Lady: By default, being Rev. Lovejoy's wife, but she lives up to the trope quite well on her own. She's a notorious scandalmonger who sees threats to "the children" at every turn, mostly at any open mention of sexuality.
• Color Motif: Like her husband and daughter, she wears pink which are her pink sweater and pink nightie.
• Demoted to Extra: For a period, when her voice actress (who was also the voice actress for Ned Flanders' wife, Maude) left the show, the writers pretty much kept her in the background and only bring her out in crowd scenes.
• Drama Queen: Her Think of the Children! argument is often preceded by exaggerated sobbing.
• Flanderization: She went from "the nagging wife of the pastor" to "a stuck-up bitch who has to get the dirt on everyone, but mostly on Marge". She seems to exist to antagonize Marge for no reason other than because she can.
• Foil: She's a straw Moral Guardian like Marge, but while Marge is a mild-mannered Nice Girl, Helen is a heartless bully and Drama Queen who gets pleasure out of ruining peoples' lives. Also, while Marge works hard to discipline Bart, Helen chooses to ignore her daughter Jessica's issues.
• Friendly Enemy: Sometimes she and Marge are depicted as friends, Depending on the Writer.
• Gossipy Hens: She introduces herself as "the gossipy wife of the minister"; when she has nothing else to gossip about, she resorts to telling secrets about her own personal life.
• Hate Sink: She is an entitled bitch that has little to no likable traits to speak of.
• Hypocrite: The Trope Namer for Think of the Children!, but like her husband, she chooses to ignore the fact that her daughter is a bigger troublemaker than Bart.
• Jerkass to One: Type II. She's generally catty and condescending, but it seems that Marge is the one she has it out for in particular.
• Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: No redeeming factions, whatsoever, and the few times she did nice things for others was for selfish reasons.
• Kick the Dog: She's done this many times. Like making sure Marge ends up in jail for accidental theft, intentionally withholding the info that Homer had eaten highly spicy peppers instead of drinking so she could induce an ugly divorce, crashing into Marge's shopping cart so she can make make Bart and Lisa hate each other, sending the Yakuza to kill the entire family out of spite, and so on.
• Moral Guardian: A puritanical protestant who's quick to demand that things be banned at risk of corrupting Springfield's youth.
• Obnoxious Entitled Housewife: Especially after Flanderization; while she was originally characterized as Revered Lovejoy's nagging wife, nowadays she is an annoying woman who always goes out of her way to get dirt on other people's lives, especially Marge's, for no reason other than because she wants to. Helen is also quick to demand for things to be banned if she finds them offensive with the argument to Think of the Children! (while ignoring that her own daughter is a huge troublemaker) and the few times she does something nice for others it is only for her own benefit.
• Sitcom Arch-Nemesis: Serves as one for Marge, going out of her way to oppose her on several occasions.
• Think of the Children!: Trope Namer. Frequently, when something stirs up public outcry in Springfield, she screams "Won't somebody please think of the children?".

Ms. Albright

Debut: "The Telltale Head"

The Sunday School teacher for First Church of Springfield. Voiced by Tress MacNeille.

Doctors

Dr. Julius Hibbert

Debut: "Bart the Daredevil"

Unflappable family doctor to the Simpsons and a number of other Springfieldians. Voiced by Harry Shearer (1990-2021)/Kevin Michael Richardson (2021-present).

• All Men Are Perverts: Some episodes show he has a few fetishes and how he has an open marriage with his wife. In "In the Name of the Grandfather", he and his wife are among the small group of swingers approaching the hot tub. In "500 Keys", he once hosted a key party and invited Homer and Marge to it (who left immediately once they realised what a key party was). Despite this, he's still one of the more competent townsfolk of Springfield and more than capable of doing his job.
• Back-Alley Doctor: Zigzagged. While he is sometimes seen as a genuinely competent doctor, he does seem to have questionable practices. It's even implied that he might be practicing without a medical licence. Though whatever the case, he's always much more competent than Dr. Nick.
• Black Republican: Shown attending meetings of the Republican party.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Since the town's only other doctor is Nick Riviera, Dr. Hibbert is able to get away with some disturbing habits, such as his inappropriate laughter.
• Card-Carrying Villain: He makes absolutely no effort to conceal the fact that he can be a very cruel man whenever he feels like it, especially if you can't afford to pay his medical work. As a result, Depending on the Writer he can switch between Affably Evil and Faux Affably Evil (and the now increasingly-rare Only Sane Man moments) at the drop of a hat.
• Characterization Marches On: In his first appearance, "Bart the Daredevil", he is as a stern, competent professional. By the end of season two, he became somewhat absent-minded and laugh-prone ("Ah-hee-hee-hee!") and an expy of Bill Cosby, complete with a wife who looks like Phylicia Rashad (only with darker skin), a teenage son who looks like Malcolm-Jamal Warner, and a daughter who looked like Keisha Knight-Pulliam.
• Consistent Clothing Style: Whenever he's not in his medical uniform, he wears a plethora of rather colourful sweaters.
• Dissonant Serenity: The smile and the laughter very rarely leave his face, especially in moments he's about to do something cruel, and when they do it's either a sign of an incoming Take That! or a rare Only Sane Man moment.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In his first appearance Hibbert was more realistc looking than the other characters, but by the end of the season two he has more cartoonish features.
• Expy: When Fox made the suicidal decision to put The Simpsons against The Cosby Show, Groening went all in and introduced Springfield's own Cliff Huxtable.
• Funny Flashback Haircut: He is the best of all examples of this trope. As a Running Gag, whenever he's shown in flashback, he has a different hairstyle, including a Funny Afro in The '70s, dreadlocks with beads and a Mr. T-style Mohawk at different points in The '80s, and a high-and-tight in The '90s.
• Fun with Acronyms: He runs a HMO that stands for "Hibbert's Moneymaking Organisation" rather than "Health Maintenance Organisation".
• Getting High on Their Own Supply: Much later down the line, Hibbert reveals to Homer that inappropriate laughter is the result of a morphine addiction. He then laughs that off.
• The Hyena: Dr. Hibbert laughs at everything, and anything he doesn't find funny is usually the subject of a Take That!. This got lampshaded by "Bleeding Gums" Murphy in his last episode, when he refers to his brother (given up for adoption) that always laughed at inappropriate times. Cue Dr. Hibbert.
  Dr. Hibbert: That appears to be a Ford urinating on a Chevrolet.
  Bernice Hibbert: Don't you usually laugh at everything?
  Dr. Hibbert: Yes. I usually do.
• Iconic Sequel Character: One of the supporting characters who didn't appear in the first season, as he's introduced in season 2.
• Inconvenient Hippocratic Oath: He can't in good conscience help someone become morbidly obese, but he can recommend them Doctor Nick Riviera.
• Long-Lost Relative:
  • It is implied that he and Bleeding Gums Murphy are long-lost brothers; Hibbert says he has a long-lost brother who is a jazz musician, and Murphy says he has a brother who is a doctor that chuckles at inappropriate times, but somehow the two don't put these clues together.
  • He has a twin brother who runs an orphanage. Naturally, Homer doesn't bother to tell him.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate:
  • Originally, Hibbert was one of the few competent people in Springfield and often played the role of Only Sane Man, but he eventually became this.
  • He seems to spend more time finding ways to have his patients sign away their right to sue before the inevitable malpractice issue than actually being a quality doctor. He also has made it clear repeatedly that he will not do 'anything' to help a patient unless he's paid (preferably in advance).
  • He also profited heavily when all companies in Springfield eliminated their health care programs, forcing people to pay at a premium. He actually created his own HMO: a Hibbert Moneymaking Organization.
  • He is horrified and cannot in good conscience assist Homer in becoming morbidly obese, so he instead gives Homer the address of Dr. Nick Riviera's clinic.
  • He shills medicines for any company that pays him, regardless of how effective they are.
  • He once showcased that he has knowledge (and most probably contacts) in the baby trafficking black market. When a horrified Marge made clear that she was keeping her baby (Maggie), Hibbert backpedaled with his offer by saying he was legally monitoring her.
  • Likely his most immoral action (by the standards of Real Life medicine) was approving of an obviously unhealthy eating contest (as it was in a restaurant he held half-ownership of) where one contestant actually died of beef poisoning, and then claiming it was caused by another restaurant.
  • Strangely averted in the episode "Eeny Teeny Maya Moe"; he refuses to shorten Moe's legs because it's "completely unethical".
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He was based on Bill Cosby, namely his role in The Cosby Show.
• Only in It for the Money: During one episode he's seen setting up a HMO: Hibbert Moneymaking Organization.
• Pet the Dog:
  • He is the first person to show concern of Smithers's wellbeing in "Who shot Mr. Burns?".
  • In the episode "The Great Money Caper" he buys a new dog for Bart when the original is apparently eaten by a shark.
  • In the The Simpsons Movie he is genuinely worried about people losing their lives due to the hospital generators giving out.
• Sad Clown: In one episode ("Make Room For Lisa") he mentions that he guffaws all the time to deal with the constant stresses he suffers ("Before I started doing that, I was on the quick path to the cemetery").
• Signature Laugh: His deep, booming "Ah-hee-hee-hee!" Notable for almost always being delivered at inappropriate times.
• Strawman Political: He's a proud member of the Springfield Republican Party, who are literal Card Carrying Villains with Supervillain Lair castle included.
• Would Hurt a Child: Heavily implied in "And Maggie Makes Three", given he knows the exact price a healthy newborn fetches on the black market. He quickly covers his ass by telling Marge he was testing her.
• Your Size May Vary: Varies between being slightly taller than Homer Simpson and sometimes shorter.

Doctor Nick Riviera

"Hi, everybody!"^note "Hi, Dr. Nick!"

Debut: "Bart Gets Hit by a Car"

A quack physician with an exaggerated Hispanic accent. Voiced by Hank Azaria.

• Afraid of Blood: Shown being squicked by blood while learning surgery.
• Ambiguously Evil: He seems nice and helpful, but he's willing to do some very immoral things and God help you if you depend on him for treatment.
• Back-Alley Doctor: In "King-Sized Homer"^note The Season 7 episode where Homer purposely gains weight so he can work from home, he tells Bart that he went to Hollywood Upstairs Medical College (which sounds dubious), but in "Homer's Triple Bypass," there's a flashback that implies he went to a real university, though the only thing he remembers from his college days is going to a frat party and hitting on a hippie chick. He also has a "no questions asked" policy with his clients, to the point that he (and his staff) has Seen It All when it comes to crime-related injuries and tells a gut-shot Snake in one episode: "You don't have to lie to me! Save it for the police!"
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: He may be a quack doctor, but he's a good quack doctor—that is to say, while going to him for a legitimate medical treatment is practically a suicide attempt, if you're looking for someone whose morals are as murky as their medical accreditation, he's the man to get you what you want in lieu of what you need to the point of essentially being the Saul Goodman of medical practitioners. In "22 Short Films About Springfield", this ends up saving his job when his performance review (with his accreditation on the line) is interrupted by Grampa Simpson barging in with a scalpel and specifically demanding a quack doctor to listen to his complaints, STAT. The other more professional doctors are unable to get Grampa to listen, but Dr. Nick—being the only quack in the house—manages to get through to him and calm him down with a "treatment", at the same time saving his accreditation by demonstrating just why the doctors of Springfield need a quack among them.
• Character Catchphrase: "Hi, everybody!"
  • If he screws up, he tends to say "Uh, oh!".
• Comically Inept Healing: His primary gag. If you're lucky, his medical procedure is quack nonsense.
• First-Name Basis: Well, more like title plus first name basis. Averted however in Japanese dub; they always call him "Dr. Riviera".
• Foil: To Dr. Hibbert, as Dr. Hibbert is an extremely competent doctor (at times), while Dr. Nick is the epitome of a Back-Alley Doctor.
• Getting High on Their Own Supply: In "Pork and Burns" he prescribes opioids to himself and becomes woozy as result.
• Iconic Sequel Character: Introduced in season 2 episode "Bart Gets Hit by a Car" and has been a recurring character ever since.
• Insane Troll Logic: His diagnosis are usually this; for example you might lose weight by following his "eat anything you want anytime you want" diet.
• Lab Coat Of Science And Medicine: Usually wears a slightly too large lab coat.
• Morally Ambiguous Doctorate: Not evil, but clearly missing a few marbles, something his patients often suffer as a result of. He actually went to medical school (proven by a flashback) but it isn't known if he actually graduated, and while he practices medicine, he uses controversial and often illegal methods. To give some examples:
  • In one episode a hospital review board brings up the accusations against him which include performing surgery with a knife and fork from a seafood restaurant and misuse of cadavers (he had put them in his car in order to use the carpool lane and get to work quicker).
  Dr. Nick: But I cleaned them with my napkin!
  • In another episode, he is asked to talk to the coroner, and he says, "Ugh, the coroner. I'm so sick of that guy!" suggesting his patients get sent there rather often. (Ironically, this is the episode where Nick does Homer's double bypass surgery, and Nick actually does it right, but Lisa helps him a little.)
  Dr. Nick: Well if isn't my old friend, Mister McGreg! With a leg for an arm and an arm for a leg!
  • In "King-Sized Homer" he is recommended by Doctor Hibbert on the grounds that he will help someone become morbidly obese while he can't in good conscience do it.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed:
  • His design is after Gábor Csúpo, one of the presidents of animation company Klasky-Csupo, which did the animation for the Tracey Ullman shorts and the first season episodes.
  • His thick accent, gross incompetence, and name were taken from Dr. George C. "Nick" Nichopoulos, who was famous for overprescribing his patients—the best known among them being Elvis Presley, who was on fourteen separate medications when he died.
  • Azaria described his voice as a bad Ricky Ricardo impression.
• Perpetual Smiler: He is always in a happy mood. He's even cheerful when he shows up at his own medical malpractice review board.
• Phrase Catcher: "Hi, Doctor Nick!" in response to his catchphrase. So much that every character in The Simpsons: Road Rage says this to him when they pick him up.
• Quack Doctor: He is the doctor to go to if you are OK with having an unskilled practitioner in exchange for nominally lower costs. In "King Size Homer", Doctor Hibbert (who is competent most of the time) recommends him to Homer, on the grounds that he will help someone become morbidly obese while Hibbert can't in good conscience do it.
• Unexplained Recovery: He seems to die in The Simpsons Movie, but is alive and well in later episodes. The creators state that he merely fainted.
• What the Hell Is That Accent?: He is supposed to be an immigrant from somewhere, but where is never specified, and his accent is hard to place. His last name, Riviera, could be Spanish or Italian, but at times his manner of speaking has a more Eastern European, Yakov Smirnoff-vibe. Doesn't help that he occasionally has a lisp.
• Your Size May Vary: He is usually a very short man, but tends to range between barely taller than Bart to just a bit short by the standards of the adults.

Dr. Marvin Monroe

Debut: "There's No Disgrace Like Home"

A TV psychologist in Springfield. Voiced by Harry Shearer.

• Alliterative Name: Marvin Monroe
• Bus Crash: He was retired around the seventh season as no one on the crew (not even his voice actor, Harry Shearer, who found Monroe's gravelly voice a real strain on his vocal chords) liked the character. The "Marvin Monroe Memorial Hospital" is mentioned in "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)" as a way of quietly implying the character had passed away offscreen. His death was confirmed during the 138th episode spectacular. This episode revealed the death in the form of a question: "What two popular Simpsons characters have died in the past year?", to which the answer was, "If you said Bleeding Gums Murphy and Dr. Marvin Monroe you were wrong; they were never popular." Later episodes almost make a Running Gag out of it, with his gravestone being seen in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" and the Marvin Monroe Memorial Gymnasium appearing in "Bye Bye Nerdie". However...
• Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Several years later he spontaneously appears at Marge's book signing, buying a copy of her book, The Harpooned Heart. Marge, shocked to see him, exclaims that she hasn't seen him in years. Dr. Monroe explains: "Oh, I've been very sick."
• Vocal Evolution: In the pilot episode, "Some Enchanted Evening", his voice is noticeably more relaxed and smooth. By his final few appearances, the rasp in his voice became more exaggerated. This was to the detriment of his actor, Harry Shearer who found voicing Monroe increasingly more strenuous as a result.

Celebrities

Kent Brockman

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Democracy simply does not work.

"Now, at the risk of being unpopular, this reporter places the blame squarely on you, the viewers!"

Debut: "Krusty Gets Busted"

The primary reporter for the local TV News channel. Voiced by Harry Shearer.

• Ambiguously Jewish: It is revealed that he changed his name from "Kenny Brockelstein" and he is seen wearing a Hebrew chai necklace in "Dog of Death", but he frequently attends Reverend Lovejoy's church and mentions his belief in the New Testament Book of Revelation in "Marge on the Lam".
• Deadpan Snarker: In the vein of a typical news anchor, he makes monotone quips about everything.
• Delusions of Local Grandeur: Kent Brockman is a strawman Republican who got the idea to foray into politics due to the long decades he's spent as a newsreader and anchorman of Springfield's TV News channel.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Most of his crew hates him. It's telling that the network's emergency card is a picture of Kent in a straitjacket.
• Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: Jaded that he is a sellout for a local channel but enjoys the money and attention from the towns folks.
• Hostility on the Set: In-Universe — him being a prima donna and the rest of the station's personnel hating him and tossing barbs at him any way they can (like making the "technical difficulties" card a drawing of an insane Kent in a straightjacket, Arnie Pye's constant on-air trading of insults, and replacing him with Bumblebee Man) is a Running Gag.
• Immoral Journalist: His personal brand of reporting has absolutely no problem being sleazy as all hell if he thinks it will bring him ratings, such as saying that Marge Simpson has killed people and must be stopped before she kills again when she escapes a mental institution in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge", his assumption that a space shuttle has been invaded by alien ants and his declaration that he's willing to serve them in "Deep Space Homer" or him calling the local Army base "the kill-bot factory" in "Homer Loves Flanders". He also mentions in "Girly Edition" that he only bothers to do "human interest" stories because it's a sure-fire ratings booster.
• It's All About Me: The opening to Eye on Springfield is A) filled with beautiful women in little clothing, and B) Kent's various activities.
• Jerkass: Frequently rude and insensitive, especially to those he works with, and keeps a list on everyone in town he suspects to be gay.
• Kent Brockman News: The Trope Namer himself. He blatantly skews reports to fit his political or personal interests, and his helicopter newsman hates him. He has been fired mid-story at least once, quit mid-story at least once, and always brings his personal views to a story. In "Radio Bart", he ignores the rescue of Bart from a well to cover a squirrel that looks like Abraham Lincoln (soon afterwards, the squirrel is assassinated, and a shaken Brockman pledges to "cover this (story) all night if we have to"). At one point it's implied that Brockman only covered the fall of the Berlin Wall because his infant daughter convinced him to. This is referenced in an episode wherein, at the advice of said daughter, he dedicates his entire half-hour news broadcast to a children's doll (this reporter found it hard to stop talking), and mentions only just before the fadeout that, on that same day, the president was arrested for murder.
• Lost Food Grievance: When Bart steals Brockman's danish to give to Krusty, Brockman refuses to do his broadcast in protest. He's quickly kicked off the set by Bumblebee Man.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Based on equal parts Los Angeles newscaster Jerry Dunphy and ABC anchor Ted Koppel, whose appearance directly inspired Brockman's design, and whose Nightline series is parodied by Brockman's "Smartline." According to Matt Groening, Dunphy loved the parody of him and rarely missed an opportunity to remind friends that he'd inspired Brockman.
• Pet the Dog: He might be an apathetic and immoral reporter, but he shows decency from time to time:
  • Zigzagged when Bart burnt the tree. He seems to be truly pissed by it...but then thanks the Simpson for giving him such a good story for the ratings.
  • He seems to find Lisa's attempt to save the oldest tree in Springfield genuinely endearing.
  • When he thought he had made Bart throw his cake, he was willing to pay for it.
  • After Homer kidnapped children, Kent was far more concerned with the victims' health than chronicling Homer's attempt to escape.
• The Quisling: Infamously, in "Deep Space Homer", for one, "welcome(d) our new insect overlords". He even provides the current page image.
  "I'd like to remind [the Insect Overlords] that as a trusted TV personality I could be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves!"
• Smug Smiler: He is overly self-righteous, and enjoys rubbing his own achievements in the faces of other citizens, especially on the air. All the while, he wears a casually superior smirk.
• Straight Man: To Arnie Pye's fame-chasing vigilante.
• Strawman Political: Proud to be a Republican, which in most of the episodes where it's plot-important translates to "Card-Carrying Villain plotting to spread tyranny throughout Springfield". He also makes clear in two different episodes that he is not fond of democracy.
• Vague Age: He is middle-aged at the minimum, with visible wrinkles and white hair (which is shown to be a toupee at one point). "The Great Louse Detective" and The Simpsons Movie show that in its natural state, his face is so saggy and wrinkly◊ that he needs clothespins to keep it back, and "Mother Simpson" shows that he's been reporting since at least the 1960s. All that is known for sure is that he's under 70, because he's affected by the amended curfew set at the end of "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken".
• White Hair, Black Heart: To quote Arnie Pie.
  Do I have a magic lens that can see into peoples souls? Well yours would be BLACK Kent, Black as the ace of spades!

Krusty the Clown

Hey, hey, kids!

Debut: "The Krusty the Clown Show"

Debut on the The Simpsons: "The Telltale Head"

The most famous celebrity in Springfield, due to being the host of the city's favorite children's entertainment program, The Krusty the Klown Show. Born Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky, an Orthodox Jew, he was estranged from his Rabbi father due to his wanting to be a clown instead of following in his father's footsteps. Originally an optimistic fellow who just wanted to help people laugh, years in the ugly reality of showbusiness have left him grizzled, sarcastic, jaded and indifferent, striving only to make as much money as possible. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.

• Alter Kocker: Is either on his way to this trope or already there, Depending on the Writer.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: He's capable of brilliant physical comedy and has demonstrated a knack for subversive humor. He even used to be a thoughtful and incisive interviewer. It's just that he became used to the trappings of fame over the years and prefers making loads of cash by licensing his name and likeness.
• Butt-Monkey: Despite being a celebrity (although how big of one he is depends on the writer; see below), if Krusty's backstory is anything to go by, he often found himself the victims of Disproportionate Retribution and George Jetson Job Security. Such cases include being fired for 22 years just because a pair of stage shutters wouldn't open, pissing him off and making him start using language that wasn't acceptable on TV at the time, or getting his bus pass revoked for drinking a soda.
• Character Catchphrase:
  • "Hey hey, kids!" or "Hey, hey" followed by his goofy laugh.
  • There's also "Uuuuggggh", for when his jokes don't land. Which unfortunately is often.
• Character Development: In "Krusty Gets Busted", he admits that, despite promoting children's literacy, he's illiterate himself (which was also a telltale sign of his innocence). Later episodes would show that he'd since become at least semi-literate.
• Conspicuous Consumption: From lighting cigars with $100 bills to buying a new house because the old one is dirty.
• Critic-Proof: An In-Universe example. When Krusty first debuted, the reviewers said he wouldn't last a week. More recently, he says that there's no way he could win an Emmy, since the Academy hates him and it's mentioned multiple times that he steals jokes and has nothing above kid's entertainment material. None of this stops Krusty from having a massive fanbase and hosting the number one children's show in America.
• Cry Laughing: Switches between laughing and crying after he reveals he's bipolar.
• The Cynic: He's always pessimistic about everything when he's not on the air.
• Deadpan Snarker: He's this when he's not performing.
• Decomposite Character: Originally an alter-ego of Homer Simpson before becoming a separate character entirely.
• Denser and Wackier: An In-Universe example occurs with Krusty's show. In the early '60s, Krusty started out hosting a serious political discussion show, featuring guests such as AFL-CIO chairman George Meany. Later, the show started to become sillier (Robert Frost appeared as a serious guest, but Krusty dumped a load of snow on him), until it became the full-fledged kiddie show people know and love today.
• Depending on the Writer:
  • The show flip-flops on whether or not his pure white face is make-up or not (and if it's not, what exactly causes it also varies) and whether or not he can read.
  • Also depending on the writer is whether he is a local celebrity known only around Springfield or he is a media mogul with a national following and friends among the A list.
• Depraved Kids' Show Host: Due to his Freudian Excuse.
• Did I Just Say That Out Loud?:
  • "Let's just say [Burns' film] moved me... TO A BIGGER HOUSE!"
  • "Uh oh, I said the quiet part loud and the loud part quiet."
• Dirty Old Man: Krusty loves pornography and has had multiple flings with much younger women. Apu gives Homer (dressed as Krusty) a 5% discount off anything in store because Apu considers Krusty's predilection for pornographic magazines to have been key for establishing himself in the first year of running his store. He's also sexually harassed at least one woman to the point where the courts appointed "Ms. 'No Means No'" as a new sidekick to warn him whenever he goes too far...and Krusty immediately began to hit on her.
• The Eeyore: Widely adored by almost every child in Springfield, yet continues to have an apathetic outlook on life.
• Everyone Has Standards:
  • Finds no humor in the prospect of Apu cheating on his wife when he has a ton of kids.
  • Shameless sellout he may be, but even he is horrified by the conditions the kids were forced to live in at Kamp Krusty and makes it up to them by taking them on a trip to Tijuana.
• Flanderization: He went from being a cheery and fun-loving children's entertainer who loved having the camera on him to a weary and cynical old showbiz figure with a heart of gold, to a greedy and shameless sellout. Plus the later seasons show Krusty doing enough drugs to make the movie version of Jordan Belfort proud (he was originally just a chain smoker). This might have something to do with how he actually was originally Homer himself in disguise - note their appearances - something that was abandoned early.
• A Fool and His New Money Are Soon Parted:
  • Thanks to the fluid nature of the show, Krusty has a weird budget and net worth. In some episodes, he's only a locally known kids' show host and he hardly has any money, and in other episodes he's a media empire on par with Disney.
  • Inconsistencies aside, it's heavily implied that Krusty's Conspicuous Consumption, lawsuits resulting from his Plagiarism in Fiction and No Product Safety Standards and his massive gambling debts mean he constantly squanders his money as fast as he earns it.
• Freudian Excuse: As a child, his father, Hyman Krustofsky, who's extremely devoted to the Jewish faith and also the town rabbi, had disapproved of young Herschel's goal to become a world-famous comedian. Even after making up after 25 years, he still remains a bitter individual.
• The Gambling Addict: He has such a problem frittering away money on ridiculous bets that he makes a wager against the Harlem Globetrotters. This ends up incurring the wrath of The Mafia.
• Genre Shift: In-universe.
  • "Bart Of Darkness" reveals that Krusty originally hosted a show on politics in the early 60s. He regards that a step down from where he currently is.
  • When he realizes that his material and persona are growing stale in "The Last Temptation of Krust", Krusty reinvents himself as a more adult-oriented social-comic. He's able to find a lot of success by channeling his bitterness and cynicism into social commentary, though by the episode's end he chooses the corporate-sponsored lifestyle over his rebellious-though-not-as-well-paying persona.
  • As revealed in "The Ten-Per-Cent Solution", he actually started out as a serious and well-respected stand-up comedian before his agent convinced him that cheap laughs payed more.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff:
  • An In-Universe example. Krusty is widely beloved in America, but he's also revered by the French à la Jerry Lewis.
  • Also inverted, as when Krusty sold the rights to usage of his likeness to the international market, every foreign version of Krusty ended up becoming more popular than him. The original Krusty the Clown was the least popular version of Krusty the Clown.
• Grandfather Clause: He's the host of a local TV kids' show, something that was already dying out when the series began and became totally moribund through The Simpsons' run.
• Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight: He hates being a clown, but loves the attention so much that he keeps doing his act for a living. He was such a hard-core version of this Trope (even before Flanderization kicked in) that he used to be the Trope Namer.
• The Hyena: He has a very hard time staying serious during an interview with Kent Brockman; he is issued a First-Name Ultimatum.
• Identical Stranger: Krusty heavily resembles Homer in clown makeup. This is a plot point in "Homie the Clown", where Homer becomes a Krusty impersonator and no one in Springfield can tell them apart. In the episode "Fears of a Clown", Krusty struggles with a heavy bout of depression and stops putting on his clown makeup, making his resemblance to Homer even more obvious and uncanny, so much so that Homer himself comments on it.
• Jerkass: On his worse moments, he comes as this, being a Bad Boss who constantly belittles his co-workers. He is also constantly shown to be an Ungrateful Bastard who completely forgets all the good things Bart has done for him, and often behaves in rather unpleasant manner.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: On his better days.
• "Just Joking" Justification: When the Simpsons look horrified when he says he can have somebody whacked if you pay him a thousand dollars, he responds with "When you give me that look, it's a joke."
• Mean Boss: His poor treatment towards Sideshow Bob is the reason for Bob's attempt to frame him and kill him in other episodes. His successor Sideshow Mel and Mr. Teeny are treated similarly by Krusty. This might be why the opening of "Round Springfield" shows him to be The Friend Nobody Likes.
• The Merch: In universe, he has merchandised everything including home pregnancy tests, legal forms and traffic signs. Most of these products are extremely shoddily made.
• Money, Dear Boy: In-Universe. He will always choose selling out over artistic integrity. He endorses so many products, in fact, that in "Homie The Clown" there's almost nothing left that he doesn't already endorse. That said, he's so bad with money that he almost has to shill everything he can to avoid going broke.
• Money Dumb: Krusty's made millions of dollars during his career. Unfortunately, he's also found all kinds of ways to waste it: lighting his cigarettes with everything from hundred-dollar bills to strings of pearls to copies of Action Comics #1; eating omelets made from rare condor eggs; sending roses to Bea Arthur's grave even when she was still alive; buying a ruby-studded clown nose; hiring Kenny G to play for him in his elevator; buying a new house because his old one is dirty; buying pornographic magazines (which Apu says kept him in business during his first year); settling lawsuits other comedians launch when he steals their material; and gambling on everything from horse races to sporting events to operas. His spending problems are so bad that he's nearly bankrupted himself more than once.
• Monster Clown: Krusty has the uncanny ability to sometimes cause heart attacks in people with pacemakers. He even has one himself (which is why his face is so pale, though a lot of past episodes imply that his white makeup is just makeup and, in one case, can be genetically passed ^note In "Marge vs. the Monorail", a woman begs Krusty to look at her son. He has the same white facial skin as Krusty). One Treehouse of Horror episode had him show his audience what he would look like in HD. It wasn't pretty. All that being said, unlike most examples of this trope, Krusty isn't evil at all, just a deeply cynical, broken and mentally ill Jerk with a Heart of Gold. The real Monster Clown is his Evil Former Friend Sideshow Bob.
• Mood-Swinger: He goes from cheerful and goofy to sassy and cynical at the drop of a hat.
• Morality Chain: Despite his trouble remembering him, Bart can sometimes be played as this.
• Multiple Demographic Appeal: An In-Universe example. The Krusty The Klown Show is enjoyed by children, but many adults like Homer also enjoy it.
• Nice Character, Mean Actor: "When I'm off the clock, kids can go jump in a lake for all I care."
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: Krusty is a Composite Character of many real-life celebrities:
  • His being a TV clown is a tribute to famous real-life clowns like Bozo (with Dan Castellaneta's vocal performance an homage to the original Bozo, Bob Bell), Pinky Lee (who like Krusty once suffered a heart attack on live television) and Soupy Sales, who notoriously asked children to steal money from their parents and send it to him (an incident referenced several times on the show). However, Matt Groening based him most directly on Portland-area children's entertainer Rusty Nails (real name James Allen), whom he regularly watched growing up and knew slightly as an adult. Groening recalls that Rusty was a "sweet clown" and a nice guy in Real Life unlike Krusty, but Groening was disturbed by the character's odd name as a child which gave him the idea for a clown who's much less kid-friendly than he first appears.
  • Krusty derives other traits from Jerry Lewis (Krusty's Percodan addiction, his popularity in France, his feud with Sideshow Bob [which parallel's Lewis's real life feud with Dean Martin], Krusty's easily believing he could get the French Legion of Honour and his telethons for motion sickness [which parallels Lewis's real life telethons for muscular dystrophy]);
  • Much like Woody Allen, Krusty had a tempestuous marriage with Mia Farrow;
  • Krusty's show borrows many elements from The Tonight Show as hosted by Steve Allen, including opening monologues, interviews with guests and wacky comedy skits, even to the point of directly plagiarizing some of Allen's own gags;
  • One of the most subtle is Johnny Carson (Krusty's thwarted a number of rival children's show hosts who've all tried to dethrone him as the number one children's show in America, similar to how Carson repeatedly beat various rival talk show hosts who tried to outdo him on late night TV);
  • Krusty's general Conspicuous Consumption lifestyle and Money Dumb financial problems are reminiscent of any number of real life celebrities who have the same issues.
• Non-Ironic Clown: Krusty is a cynical parody of this (more specifically, Bozo), yet despite his being greedy and apathetic, his merchandise being low-quality and dangerous, and his show's shrinking budget, he manages to bring joy to children, and we occasionally see hints that even after everything, he still loves comedy. Even if he is a hack. In a flashback to his childhood, he admits to his rabbi father that he wants to be a clown because "I want to make people laugh!"
• No Product Safety Standards: Every product he endorses. Krusty has even been shown to endorse a product without even looking at it before stamping it with his 'seal of quality'. When Bart wins a legal settlement after swallowing a jagged metal Krusty-O, it's replaced with flesh eating bacteria. His pregnancy tests can apparently induce birth defects.
• Older Than They Look: He looks about the same age as Homer (who is in his late thirties, though he himself is a case of Younger Than They Look) but in many episodes he talks about being in show business for decades (fifty years according to a Season 26 episode).
• Old-Timey Bathing Suit: He wears one in the episode "Insane Clown Poppy". Apparently for a jaded and washed-up celebrity who likes to indulge in vices, he draws the line at showing off his midsection (though it could just be to hide his third nipple and/or pacemaker scar).
• Only in It for the Money: He will shill almost anything as long as it means a steady income. This includes his show being sponsored by the very drug he has been battling an addiction to.
• Overly Long Name: Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky.
• Parental Neglect: Although he does try to be a supportive daughter to his illegitimate daughter Sophie, old habits do prevent him from being the best dad.
• Plagiarism in Fiction: Krusty regularly plagiarizes material from other comedians.
• Sad Clown: Krusty suffers from depression and can be quite self-loathing, which he self-medicates with alcohol. It's even discussed in one episode.
  Homer: Let's tell Krusty! That guy's hilarious!
  Marge: I keep telling you: off-camera he's a desperately unhappy man.
• Signature Laugh: “Hoohoohoohahaha!”
• Skin-Tone Disguise: "Bart the Fink" has Krusty the Clown give up on clowning. Bart and Lisa meet him as he's preparing to board a ship, and see that he's not wearing his clown facepaint. They eventually convince Krusty to come back, and when he does, he wipes his face off, revealing that his clown face is the real one. This idea was introduced in Season 4's "Homer's Triple Bypass", where Krusty reveals to Homer that his pale face is not make-up, but rather a side effect of his struggles with heart disease.
• Smoking Is Edgy: He regularly smokes off stage to show that he is a Depraved Kids' Show Host who Hates the Job, Loves the Limelight. The episode "The Last Temptation of Krust" shows him smoking on stage as well after reinventing himself as an edgier, anti-establishment stand up comedian.
• Smoky Voice: He speaks with a very gruff, raspy voice. This can be attributed to, among other things, his nicotine addiction.
• So Unfunny, It's Funny: The Krusty the Klown Show runs on this, with clumsy gags and skits, awkward slapstick, and stolen jokes. The writers have claimed Krusty is a bit tricky to handle for this reason; writing someone who isn't funny and then making it funny is something of a balancing act.
• Spinoff Babies: An unusual In-Universe variant. Some clips of The Krusty The Klown Show depict it almost as a version of The Tonight Show for children.
• Triple Nipple: Among his identifying features is a "superfluous" third nipple just below his right one.
• Undiscriminating Addict: At the height of his opulent lifestyle, he admits to inhaling moon rocks. All it does at that point is help him get to normal.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Time and again he forgets about the good deeds people like Bart did to him that helped him avoid jailtime or outright cancellation of his show. It's all about him in the end.
• Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Flashbacks to his childhood show that Krusty was a happy child who wanted to become a clown because he enjoyed making people laugh.
• Xtreme Kool Letterz: Tends to replace the "C"s in his shows' names with "K"s, to match his stage name. It bites him in the ass when he starts the "Krusty Komedy Klassic", and realizes too late just what the show's acronym spells. To make matters worse, he was live at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem at the time.
• Yiddish as a Second Language: Krusty often peppers his dialogue with Yiddish words like ferkakta, schlub, and putz to give his phrases extra punch, although he makes an effort to hide this (and by extension his Jewish heritage) whenever he's on camera or performing.

Melvin Van Horne (Sideshow Mel)

I shall make this into my SCREENSAVER!

Debut: "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"

Krusty's sidekick on his TV show, a replacement for Sideshow Bob (who was arrested after attempting to frame Krusty the Clown by robbing the Kwik-E-Mart), Melvin Van Horne plays the part of an inarticulate caveman on stage, but is actually a very refined, dignified intellectual in his private life. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.

• Always Someone Better: Apparently, Krusty told him that he could never live up to the comedic genius of his predecessor, Sideshow Bob, something he complains about when the two meet for the first time.
• Ambiguous Gender Identity: In "Burger Kings", when Krusty's LGBTQBLT campaign is failing, he asks Mel for advice, since he's "three of those letters"… whatever that means. Given that Mel has been shown to crossdress, Krusty, in his usual ignorance, could be referring to that.
• Ambiguously Bi: If Krusty's comment on Mel from above doesn't refer to his gender identity then it could also refer to his sexual orientation. However he's only ever shown having attraction to women and has been married to one.
• Awful Wedded Life: He does NOT have a good relationship with his wife, Barbara. It eventually culminates with her leaving him in The Nightmare After Krustmas.
• Beehive Hairdo: Less extreme than Marge Simpson's, but bright green with a bone through the middle. Apparently his natural hairstyle.
• Big Damn Heroes: In "Who Shot Mr. Burns? - Part 2", he manages to figure out that the arrested Smithers actually had an alibi for the shooting, by proving that he was at home watching TV.
• Broken Ace: Despite having achieved success as an entertainer, he feels like a jaded sellout, and urges Lisa not to go down his path.
• Butt-Monkey: Krusty generally treats him like dirt, and while he's a brilliant intellectual and a gifted performer, his talents are utterly wasted on Krusty's lowbrow slapstick. He doesn't learn to give up and stop looking for the good things in life, though.
• Classically-Trained Extra: Like Sideshow Bob before him. And just like Bob, Mel is a gifted intellectual and performer whose talents are utterly wasted on Krusty's moronic slapstick.
• Continuity Snarl: His marital situation is one of the most inconsistent elements of the series' lore, with him being Happily Married, divorced, in an open marriage, involved in a bitter custody battle, childless and infertile, and several other factors. The only consistent element is that his wife's name is Barbara, but even then she has been two completely different characters.
• Deadpan Snarker: Whenever he's playing Straight Man to Krusty.
• Good Counterpart: He shares some similarities to Sideshow Bob, but he's much more pleasant. In one comic, he even saves Bart from Sideshow Bob.
• Greek Chorus: He frequently serves as the spokesperson for the opinion of a crowd of people.
• Ivy League for Everyone: Went to Cornell.
• Large Ham: When not in character on the Krusty show, Mel speaks in a grandiose English/Shakespearean accent and owns many poodles.
  "I'll see to it that Mr. Burns suffers the infernal machinations of Hell's grim tyrant!"
• Long-Haired Pretty Boy: Implied when the bone from his hair is removed.
• Nice Guy: At least until you give him a sandwich with cheese in it, triggering his lactose intolerance.
• Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: He uses a lot of figure of speech and grand synonyms in his everyday life.
• So Beautiful, It's a Curse: According to one comic book story at least. He's considered so attractive when his hair is down that he's constantly mobbed by women. Mel laments that, "It was a empty existence. No one could see the real me inside."
• Stock Femur Bone: Mel perpetually wears a bone in his hair which may or may not be permanently affixed.
• Sucksessor: He's apparently one of these, as revealed in "Black Widower" when Krusty reunites with Sideshow Bob during a telethon:
  Krusty: That jerk I got to replace you, he isn't fit to hold your slide whistle.
  Sideshow Mel: [watching at home, visibly hurt] All I can be is myself.
• Suspiciously Similar Substitute: He was hired to replace Sideshow Bob after he got arrested from framing Krusty by arm robbing the Kwik-E-Mart. He's just as talented and intelligent as Bob was, and like Bob his talents are completely wasted on Krusty's idiotic slapstick.
• Trrrilling Rrrs: Frrrequently.
• The Voiceless: When he first showed up in Season 2, he only communicated with his slide whistle. He starts speaking in Season 3, with his first voice-over being triumphantly singing in "Radio Bart".
• Walking Shirtless Scene: And pants-less too!

Mr. Teeny

Debut: "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"

Krusty's pet monkey who also acts as one of his sideshows as well as his chauffeur. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.

• Amplified Animal Aptitude: Given that he can drive Krusty's limo... (the comics also have him be Krusty's agent, which goes poorly).
• Cigar Chomper: Often seen puffing away on a cigar, presumably because seeing a monkey smoke is just funny.
• Non-Human Sidekick: To Krusty.
• Silly Simian: Much of the humour around his character comes from Mr Teeny doing human things (like driving or smoking) despite being a monkey.

Rainier Luftwaffe Wolfcastle

Debut: "The Way We Was"

An Austrian who moved to Springfield and became an action movie star, Rainier Wolfcastle is legendary for the over-the-top nature of his movies and his bad acting. Voiced by Harry Shearer.

• The Ahnold: Of the man the trope is named after no less. He is one of the best known examples and currently the image on the trope page.
• Bad "Bad Acting": Part and parcel of his archetype. Whenever he isn't shouting, his tone of voice can best be described as "reading his lines off cue cards."
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: There's been a few quick gags showcasing he's more vile than he looks, such as acting chummy with Krusty when the latter says out loud that he's an anti-Semite (instead of a "self-hating Jew", It's a Long Story) and his appearances as a member of the Springfield Republican Party. He also admitted outright that his father was a Nazi (a reference to Gustav Schwarzenegger) and he's implied to be a sympathizer.
• Bond One-Liner: Is fond of these both in his movies and in person.
• Cannot Tell a Joke: One of the McBain movies was a stand-up movie where he tells lame jokes and attacks hecklers with a machine gun and a grenade.
• Character Catchphrase: Mendoooozaa!!
• Commie Nazis: Trope Namer. He fought them in his movies.
• Depending on the Writer: While he's never portrayed as especially intelligent, just how dumb he is varies from episode to episode. While he's generally shown as at least being able to function as a human being, in "A Star is Burns", it's shown he takes several hours to recognize he's been insulted and, when the target of his wrath distracts him by claiming Wolfcastle's shoes are untied, it takes him the entire evening of staring at the shoes to figure out he's wearing loafers.
• Destination Defenestration: The kinds of movies he stars in means he gets to do plenty of this to others.
• Dull Surprise: In-universe example. Outside of anger, he barely shows any emotion. When his partner's dying in the McBain movie, he responds to him asking his name in the most bored tone possible.
• Dumb Muscle: Upon being told his shoes were untied, he bent down to look. It took him hours of staring at his feet to realise he was wearing loafers.
• Expy Coexistence: Over time the writers have added multiple details that have made Wolfcastle less of a generic The Ahnold and more of a full-on Expy of Schwarzenegger (such as a wife named Maria, like Arnold's (now ex-) wife). Schwarzenegger appears as the President of the United States in The Simpsons Movie.
• Fake Nationality: In-Universe, his character of McBain has a Scottish name and is depicted as an all-American hero. Despite this, Wolfcastle himself is clearly Austrian.
• Hand Cannon: The weapon of choice for his McBain character, and that's when he's packing light.
• I Am Not Spock: In-universe example; even when he's not acting, people tend to refer to him as McBain. In fact, the name "Rainier Wolfcastle" was invented well after the character's debut, to avoid legal problems from the makers of the actual movie ''McBain".
• More Dakka: How McBain solves all his problems. And possibly Wolfcastle as well, given his reaction to a man insulting him is to threaten him with an assault rifle.
• Not Even Bothering with the Accent: He makes no attempt to disguise his thick Austrian accent, even though most of his roles are American.
• Pet the Dog: In "King of the Hill", Rainier Wolfcastle becomes Homer's personal fitness coach seemingly out of kindness. Two months later, Homer is a lot more physically fit than he was before.
• Rhetorical Question Blunder: Movie critic Jay Sherman makes one while interviewing Wolfcastle and reviewing one of his movies.
  Wolfcastle: The film is just me in front of a brick wall for an hour and a half. It cost $80 million.
  Sherman: How do you sleep at night?
  Wolfcastle: On top of a pile of money with many beautiful ladies.
  Sherman: Just asking.
• Shameless Fanservice Guy: He has no reservations with people seeing his junk, on the grounds that "the whole world saw it" when he went full-frontal in one of his movies.
• Show Within a Show: Type II. A hilariously well-hidden example that spoofs hardboiled Cowboy Cop and '80s action flicks.
• Weight Woe: In one episode he claims he's gaining weight for a movie about a fat secret agent, but in a later episode he's at the same fat camp as Bart was in The Heartbroke Kid.

Troy McClure

You might remember me from such character pages as this one!

Debut: "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment"

Final Episode: "Bart the Mother"

An aging actor who starred in an incredibly wide variety of B-movies, short-lived TV shows, and other projects (like telethons, funerals, medical education films, infomercials, self-help videos, TV retrospectives, Broadway shows, and automated welcome messages for museums, airports, and Nordstrom department store), who frequently reminds people of the works he's been in and clings to his stardom. Voiced by Phil Hartman.

• A Day in the Limelight: "A Fish Called Selma", which explores his tarnished career, and features his attempts at a comeback by dating Selma.
• The Alcoholic: A severe one, according to "Bart's Inner Child". He used to be a fifty-a-day man.
  Troy: "Sweet liquor eases the pain."
• Bestiality Is Depraved: His career was killed after rumors spread that he does "weird things" to fish, including an indecent act he did at the local aquarium. His fish fetish is so bad, he brings a new, disgusting meaning to the phrase, "sleeping with the fishes".
• Blind Without 'Em: Pretty much blind without his glasses, but he refuses to wear them.
• Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: All of Hartman's characters were retired after his death, as production thought it would be in poor taste to simply replace him (the fact that his children would be watching was often cited). On very rare occasions, they will turn up in the background, though.
• Drop-In Character: The cast and crew liked Phil Hartman a lot, and would use any excuse to write one of his characters into an episode because it meant Hartman could come by the studio. Troy was a particularly common recipient, because writing him into an episode was as simple as having one of the characters watch TV when one of his programs was on.
• Genius Ditz: "A Fish Called Selma" implies that, under the eccentricities, the terrible roles, and the fish thing, Troy is actually a very competent actor and performer. He downright kills it as George Taylor in the Planet of the Apes (1968) musical, and he was getting optioned for bigger things rather soon afterward.
• The Long List: Has been in a lot of films, TV shows, infomercials, tele-phons, public service announcements, and stage productions throughout his career.
• Mad Libs Catchphrase: "Hi, I'm Troy McClure! You may remember me from such [medium he's currently appearing in]s as [title X] and [title Y]." A few episodes play with this:
  • In "Das Bus", he only appears in-character on a TV movie based on the story of Noah's Ark. When Marge tells the family to get to bed, Lisa had this line:
    Lisa: You let us stay up to watch Troy McClure in such other bible epics as David vs. Super-Goliath and Suddenly Last Supper.
  • In "Treehouse of Horror IX", he was supposed to host a special on executions. When he was replaced with guest star Ed McMahon after Hartman died, we get this greeting:
    McMahon: Hi, I'm Ed McMahon! Tonight on FOX, from the producers of When Skirts Fall Off and Secrets of National Security Revealed, it's World's Deadliest Executions!
• New Job as the Plot Demands: As an actor, a number of his appearances are simply different projects he's done.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He's a mash up of Troy Donahue and Doug McClure, the latter of which thought the character was hilarious.
• Not Even Bothering with an Excuse: When Selma confronted Troy about marrying her to improve his career, not only does he not deny it, he manages to spin it as a good thing. Selma's so desperate that the companionship and perks of being the wife of a celebrity are too tempting to pass up, at least until his agent tries to get them to have a kid together.
• Pet the Dog: While his first date with Selma was just a bribe to get her to pass his eye exam at the DMV, when she is reprimanded for smoking in a restaurant, he lights up a cigar so she won't feel embarrassed.
• Stylistic Suck: Pretty much everything he's ever been in, which is mostly low-budget documentaries that seem to be right out of the 1950s. A particularly fun one is his documentary on DNA, which abruptly ends when someone asks him what DNA stands for.
• Vague Age: He could be anywhere from his mid 40s to mid 60s.
• White-Dwarf Starlet: His best years in cinema (such as they were) are long behind him, to the extent that his agent didn't contact him for twelve years.
• You Might Remember Me from...: The Trope Namer and an In-Universe example with a Mad Libs Catchphrase in which he introduces himself as having been part of multiple (constantly absurdly-named) works related to whatever he's presenting.

Drederick Tatum

Debut: "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment"

A Mike Tyson-esque boxer, complete with a Don King-esque promoter named Lucius Sweet. Was from Springfield, and hated it. He stated in an interview that, "If you ever see me back in Springfield, you know I fucked up bad."^note "fucked" was bleeped out Voiced by Hank Azaria (1991-2022)/Jay Pharoah (2022-present).

• Badass in a Nice Suit: Usually wears a suit when he's not in the ring, and is very imposing and formidable.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Do NOT make him angry. Apparently the reason he was incarcerated was because he pushed his own mother down the stairs. We don't know why he did it, though when asked if he regretted doing so he confirmed that if he could do it all over again, "[he] would certainly reconsider it." Then he said he will make orphans of Homer's children.
• The Dreaded: Once stopped a full-blown prison riot from his cell by telling the rioters "Hey guys, come on, shut up!" while eating, and without raising his voice. The rioters promptly complied, immediately returning to their cells, and even a guard is shown to apologize to him.
• Early Installment Character-Design Difference: In Tatum's first few appearances he looked a lot different than he does now, e.g. he had no beard, a more snout-ish nose (like Chief Wiggum) and his hair was more flat.
• Genius Bruiser: Despite his career as a professional boxer, he's shown to be rather intelligent and supportive of science. He also uses cannabis regularly to deal with pain management, as confirmed by Highway to Well, and is highly educated on the subject.
  Tatum: (decks Homer) That's what I think of the Fourth Estate!
  Homer: What are the first three?
  Tatum: Nobility, clergy, and commoners. Learn your French history.
  Homer: (fearful) Okay!
• Gentle Giant: He's very calm, friendly and level-headed in person. Until you provoke him.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take much to provoke him. Homer uses it to his advantage when he's a paparazzi.
  Homer: Hey, Drederick!
  Drederick: Yes, how can I help you, my handsome friend?
  Homer: Your hip hop CD was forceful and unnecessary.
  Drederick: Okay, here we go.
• Nice Guy: He's generally pretty friendly as long as you don't provoke him.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: He is a direct parody of Mike Tyson, right down to his violent criminal record, high-pitched, lisping voice and his mansion full of exotic animals. As mentioned above, he even has a Don King-esque promoter named Lucius Sweet (who was also Moe's promoter back when Moe was into boxing). Sweet was voiced by Paul Winfield, who played the real Don King in a 1995 Tyson biopic.
• Polyamory: A comic story revealed that Drederick has multiple wives.
• Punch-Clock Villain: In his first appearance, he was Homer's opposition and said he planned to make orphans of his kids but made clear he had nothing personal against him and was very nice to him after the match.
• Retired Badass: Highway to Well confirms that Drederick is more or less retired from boxing and now works as a businessman. Like George Foreman, he even has his own line of grills and warns Marge not to use metal utensils on the teflon surfaces.
• Scary Black Man: The guy's main selling point.
• Tranquil Fury: He never even so much as raises his voice. The kind of brutal pummeling that he can deliver with minimum effort or even looking angry is the reason he was The Dreaded during his prison stay, and also makes his promise to turn Homer's children into orphans at the press conference before their match all the creepier.
• Took a Level in Kindness: Easily provoked but he doesn't have the same maliciousness that he had in his first episode.
• Vocal Dissonance: Like Mike Tyson, he has a nasal voice with a slight lisp that contrasts with his hulking build.
• Would Hurt a Child: When Nelson starts bullying him because Lisa covered Tatum with nerd sweat, he tells the remorseful Nelson he doesn't have a choice but hit him.

Chespirito (Bumblebee Man)

¡Ay, ay, ay!

Debut: "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie"

A Latino entertainer for Channel Ocho. In his sitcom, he dresses in a bumblebee costume and performs slapstick comedy. Voiced by Hank Azaria (1992-2020)/Eric Lopez (2020-present).

• Captain Ersatz: Of El Chapulín Colorado.
• Character Catchphrase: His catchphrases of choice are typically "¡Ay, ay, ay, no me gusta!" ("I don't like it!"), "¡Ay, ay, ay, no es bueno!" ("That's not good!") and "¡Ay, Dios no me ama!" ("God doesn't love me!").
• Characterization Marches On: Since the early comics only had "Bart Gets Famous" to go with, they portrayed Bumblebee Man as a world-weary man who speaks almost entirely in classical literary quotes, making him The Smart Guy of Springfield celebrities, until "22 Short Films About Springfield" came out.
• The Chew Toy: Whether in his show or in life, the poor guy keeps suffering from Amusing Injuries.
• Consummate Professional: Even though his show is arguably lowbrow slapstick, Bumblebee Man takes its quality very seriously and tries to ensure the production is the best it can be. Interestingly, this makes him similar to his inspiration Roberto Gómez Bolaños, who was a noted perfectionist and whose programs eventually dropped the Laugh Track as a matter of respect for the audience.
  Bumblebee Man: Ay ay ay! No me gusta!...(In his normal voice) Ugh, I'm sorry, I'm just not comfortable with this Ethan. (Removes prop lobster from his butt)
  Ethan: What's the matter, love?
  Bumblebee Man: It's just the same old tired gags, isn't it? I mean, let's give the audience some credit!
  Ethan: How about a giant mousetrap?
  Bumblebee Man: I love it! (A giant mousetrap prop is clamped to his butt)
  Ethan: Action!
  Bumblebee Man: (Back to his Spanish voice) Ay ay ay! No me gusta!
• Gratuitous Spanish: The creators say that several words spoken by him (woodpequero for woodpecker) were made up on purpose for the audience who the writers expected not to know a lick of Spanish.
• Kent Brockman News: He actually steals Brockman's job as news anchorman when the latter protests over a stolen danish, and proves to be better at the job. At least until Bumblebee Man freaks out over the Kuala Lumpur tsunami and falls out of his chair.
• Lazy Mexican: He's a Captain Ersatz of the main character of El Chapulín Colorado, and is obviously Latino. When not doing unfunny slapstick comedy, he's usually depicted as sitting down and being idle or using the lazy stereotype in some other way.
• Limited Wardrobe: Bumblebee Man never takes off his costume in public, and almost never in private. The sole exception is a short segment showing his private life.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: "Bart Gets Famous" reveals that he actually speaks perfect English with an English accent, and that the whole Spanish part of his character is just an act. This was given a Retcon in "22 Short Films About Springfield", which shows him speaking Spanish in his private life - and is apparently as much of a Butt-Monkey outside of the show as he is in it.

Captain Lance Murdock

Debut: "Bart the Daredevil"

A daredevil performer who does death-defying stunts. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.

• Amusing Injuries: He gets a lot of these, and is usually in traction when he's not performing a stunt.
• Butt-Monkey: Every single one of his appearances sees him suffering some sort of horrendous injury.
• Captain Ersatz: Of Evel Knievel, and even more of Super Dave Osborne.
• Iron Butt Monkey: When he's not in traction in the hospital, he's suffering gruesome injuries that land him there.
• Made of Iron: He's broken every bone in his body throughout his career.

Bill and Marty

Debut: "Bart Gets an 'F'" (voices only), "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" (onscreen)

The DJ duo for Springfield's KBBL station. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta and Harry Shearer.

• Dumbass DJ: Marty especially. He keeps playing "The Monster Mash" by Bobby Pickett on days like Valentine's Day and Bill refers to him as dead weight when he makes an awful pun.
• Those Two Guys: They're never seen apart from one another.

Booberella (real name: Barbara Jane Lelavinsky)

Debut: "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can"

An ample-chested vampire-looking woman and a local TV personality in Springfield. Voiced by Tress MacNeille.

• Bob from Accounting: Not her, but her father Bill is in the Accounts dept. at the power plant.
• Big-Breast Pride: She constantly tries to make sure her TV audience is staring at her breasts.
• Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Her skin is a much paler shade than most characters. It's probably makeup to make her look vampire-ish.
• Horror Host: Being a parody of Elvira, she fulfills this role on TV in-universe.
• Ladyella: Her stage name is likely a portmanteau of "boob" + "Vampirella" or perhaps "Barbarella."
• Ms. Fanservice: Invoked, as she treats dressing in revealing clothes and explicitly calling attention to her chest as part of her job.
• Navel-Deep Neckline: She dresses in low-cut vampire-style outfits whose neckline goes down to her navel.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: She's a parody of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark.

Ernst and Gunter

Debut: "$pringfield"

A German duo of animal performers. Voiced by Harry Shearer and Hank Azaria.

• Captain Ersatz: Of Siegfried and Roy.

Arnie Pye

Debut: "Homer Alone"

Springfield's chopper news reporter. Voiced by Dan Castellaneta.

• Deadline News: Occasionally, things go really bad for him while he's in the middle of reporting. In one notable incident, he's about to crash into a mountain during a blizzard just before the (now upside-down) camera cuts off.
• Deadpan Snarker: When dealing with Kent.
• Epunymous Title: Originally defied, as his news segment used to be titled "Arnie In The Sky", missing out on the far more obvious pun.
• Hostility on the Set: In-Universe — Arnie tossing insults at Kent mid-broadcast because of his resentment acting up is a Running Gag. In one episode where Kent is kicked out and Arnie takes over as anchor, his speech about how he's glad to be the one delivering the news is loaded with smarminess.
• Meet the New Boss: In one episode where Kent is kicked out and Arnie takes over as anchor, it's made pretty clear that he's no different from Kent.
• Motor Mouth: As one would expect of a chopper news reporter.
• The Resenter: He despises Kent Brockman for his greater success in TV news.
  Kent: I think what the viewers want to know, Arnie, is "Is my house okay?"
  Arnie: You mean is your giant castle okay, Kent? [This as the view from the helicopter shows a gated mansion likely to be Kent's.]
  Kent: Don't hate me because I bought at the right time, Arnie.
  Arnie: When's my right time, Kent? When's my right time!?
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Has a terrible working relationship with Kent Brockman, whom he regularly insults on air.
• They Killed Kenny Again: He has been in several, presumably fatal, helicopter crashes.

Barry "Duffman" Duffman

Debut: "The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson"

Duffman is the mascot and spokesman for Duff Brewing Company. He is an athletic and charismatic figure who is seldom seen without his signature uniform consisting of tights, cape, and a utility belt that holds cans of Duff. Voiced by Hank Azaria.

• Ambiguously Bi: In some episodes Duffman is shown to be gay, but in one of his first appearances it's revealed that he lied to a buxom blonde bartender to get her to sleep with him. He also mentions having two kids and when he was shot by Frank Grimes Jr. he said "I love you, Doris" before losing consciousness. Much like Milhouse, the writers can't seem to decide whether Duffman is straight, gay, or bi, though given that Duffman is a character played by multiple actors, the answer could very well be "all of the above".
• Character Catchphrase: "Oh yeah!", usually accompanied by a hip thrust.
• Expy: Duffman is based on Bud Man, an old mascot and spokesman for Budweiser.
• Informed Judaism: Mentions that he is Jewish in one episode, while making Nazi puns for a Duff lager no less. In another episode ("Hungry, Hungry Homer") he asks to himself "what would Jesus do?" before flinging the Isotopes' owner away in rebellion. Given that he's a character played by multiple actors, the answer could be that at least one of them is Jewish but the rest aren't.
• Iconic Sequel Character: Introduced in season 9 and remains a recurring character for the rest of the show.
• Irony: Despite being a beer mascot, the actors who portray Duffman are contractually obliged to stay sober on the job and are injected with a chip that sends a jolt through their body if it detects alcohol in the bloodstream. Except the part about the chip is a lie told to new Duffmen. They just randomly inject them.
• Large Ham: "OH YEAH!"
• Legacy Character: There are multiple actors who play Duffman, including one who died. As he said, "Duffman can never die... Only the actors who play him! Oh yeah!" In one scene, there's three or four of them in the same room.
• Legacy Immortality: Duffman has seemingly died several times on-screen, but it's made clear that there is more than one actor that plays "Duffman".
• Leitmotif: Yello's "Oh, Yeah" (a.k.a. the song that plays over the end credits of Ferris Bueller's Day Off).
• Manly Gay: At least one Duffman is in a committed relationship with another man.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: His voice and attitude resemble that of professional wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage.
• Third-Person Person: Duffman is generally known for his overly enthusiastic speech in which he refers to himself in the third person! Oh, yeah!

Shauna Tifton A.K.A. Princess Kashmir

Voiced by: Maggie Roswell

Debut: "Homer's Night Out"

Princess Kashmir (real name Shauna Tifton) is an exotic dancer.

• The Cameo: Sometimes. In "Bart After Dark", for example, she appears doing a Fan Dance and dancing with Chief Wiggum in "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment".
• Hooker with a Heart of Gold: In the episode "Radio Bart", Princess Kashmir is one of the celebrities who volunteer to sing with Sting on the song "We're Sending Our Love Down the Well."
• Ms. Fanservice: Chances are, she'll be wearing a skimpy outfit in her appearances.
• Really Gets Around: She has been seen with many men, including Apu (before his marriage to Manjula) and his brother Sanjay, Dr. Nick, Otto, Sideshow Mel, Hans Moleman, and even the married Chief Wiggum.
• Recurring Extra: She gets multiple cameos in the show.
• Statuesque Stunner: She's shown being very tall, usually. In her initial appearance, she's slightly taller than the 6' tall Homer and significantly taller than Wiggum in "Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment".
• Sultry Belly Dancer: She's dressed as a belly dancer for a bachelor party and has often appeared in her belly dancer garb in other episodes.
• What, Exactly, Is His Job?: According to her career rundown in "Homer's Night Out", Shauna Tifton is a stripper for nearly every gentlemen's club in Springfield under many names, such as "April Flowers". She also works as a belly dancer for bachelor parties and can be seen dancing at nightclubs. She is also somewhat of a celebrity in Springfield.

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