One of the reasons The Simpsons is one of the best animated sitcoms of all time is its prowess at making fun of real life. The show has great extended parodies that last the entire episode, as well as an endless number of spoofs that mirror television, film, and other media. These moments allow viewers to recognize the various media they are being made fun of and become more attached to the humor. They can also provide satirical commentary on current events. Parodies can also take the form of Springfield citizens—lampooning tropes and idiosyncrasies of famous characters, genres, and stars.
Most of them aren’t main characters, but their presence is prevalent enough in the franchise to make them one of the most fundamental parts of the show. Integral to the overall Simpsons vibe, these people can appear out of nowhere and deliver uproarious laughter time and again. They don’t necessarily have to be recurring characters, either, as some of the most memorable parody characters only appear in a single episode. Whether they’re obvious spoofs that anyone can recognize just by hearing their voices or more subtle jabs at showbiz phenomena, these walking, talking send-ups really bring The Simpsons’ world to life.
10
Poochie
Parody of Needlessly Added Sitcom Characters
The “Itchy and Scratchy Show” is all about the violence, and they’re as good as ever in season eight’s “The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show.” Unfortunately, ratings are down anyway, so the producers try to freshen things up a little by introducing a new character: a dog named Poochie. He’s supposed to appeal to a younger audience, but he’s not as cool as he thinks he is. All the more disastrous that Homer (Dan Castellaneta) voices him.
A real show would never have such an incompetent voice actor, but everything else about Poochie rings true about the television industry’s attempts to add new characters to a formula that’s already working well enough as is. Trying to be hip and cool can easily come across as shallow pandering, and it’s no surprise that the audience was glad to see Poochie getting killed off the show shortly after his debut. Along with his parallel in the episode, Roy, Poochie is a legendary parody character.
9
Shary Bobbins
Parody of Mary Poppins
She may also only show up in one episode, “Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious,” but Shary Bobbins (skilfully voiced by Maggie Roswell) is an unforgettable parody of the world-famous Mary Poppins. This nanny sings like Poppins, smiles like Poppins, and flies around with an umbrella like Poppins. She doesn’t quite clean like Poppins, though, as she encourages the kids with some shoddy advice: “If there’s a task that must be done, don’t turn your tail and run! Don’t pout, don’t sob—just do a half-assed job!”
Indeed, while Disney’s legendary nanny sang about how a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down, Shary Bobbins sings about cutting corners. It’s a catchy tune that makes us want to sing and laugh at the same time, embodying the Disney tone with the Simpsons‘ satirical aesthetic. Bobbins doesn’t get the fate she deserves, but she will always be remembered by fans for her warm yet comedic charisma.
8
Drederick Tatum
Parody of Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson was all over the news during The Simpsons Golden Era. Naturally, they had to make a parody of him as well: Drederick Tatum. Originally voiced by Hank Azaria and currently voiced by Jay Pharoah, Tatum has the look the high-pitched voice, and the fame of Tyson. While the real boxer was convicted of rape in 1992, the bit with Tatum is that he was put in prison for pushing his own mother down the stairs. It’s hilarious when a big riot breaks out in Springfield Penitentiary, and he just tells everyone calmly to shut up, and they all listen.
Another great moment is when one of the reporters asks Tatum if he regrets pushing his mom down the stairs and the boxer says he would certainly reconsider. From him telling Homer he would make an orphan of his children to trying to dedicate a match to an opponent’s former manager when his opponent already said he’d dedicate it to the man himself, Tatum is a classic part of the Simpson canon.
7
Duffman
Parody of Bud Man
Duffman (Hank Azaria) is a buff representative of the Duff Brewing Company. He wears sunglasses, a sleeveless shirt that says “Duff,” a red cape, a belt with cans of beer attached to it, white gloves, and a Duff hat. He is basically a superhero whose only power is partying, like when he brings an enormous barrel of beer to Moe’s for Barney—along with Duff cheerleaders, music (usually “Oh Yeah” by Yello), and enough Duff for everybody.
Amazingly, Duffman is based on a character from the early ’90s who showed up in Budweiser commercials. You guessed it: his name was Budman, and he looked ridiculous. He, too, had blue and red colors, sunglasses, and a cape. Unlike Duffman, though, Budman was a mascot and probably didn’t have a really jacked actor underneath the suit. Customers could win a prize if they found a Budman in cases of Budweiser, and Duffman follows through on similar promises as well. The best prize of all, however, is the humor.
6
Hank Scorpio
Parody of Bond villains
Every Bond villain and incredibly generous boss embodied in a single man? That would be Hank Scorpio, voiced by the great Albert Brooks. When Homer and the family move to a new and better neighborhood, Homer also gets a new and improved boss. Hank introduces himself with so much pep that he at first comes across as the exact opposite of Mr. Burns (Harry Shearer). Don’t be fooled, though; Hank is also a nuclear powerplant owner, and he uses his resources in ways that even Monty Burns would be impressed by.
We don’t learn about Scorpio’s villainy until he has a meeting with some world leaders about his doomsday device. It’s hilarious to watch Homer standing in that background and staring far off into the distance, totally unaware of his boss’ ugly side. The way he casually asks Homer which country he likes better (Italy or France) and later asks him to kill some people on his way out helps make “You Only Move Twice” perhaps the greatest parody episode in The Simpsons.
5
Troy McClure
Parody of B-Movie Actors
At the beginning of some educational videos, an actor will introduce themselves and then delve into the designated topic. It’s not exactly an Oscar-worthy role, and one Simpsons character encapsulates this phenomenon perfectly. Voiced by one of Saturday Night Live‘s best stars, Phil Hartman, Troy McClure will start off by saying “Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me from…” and then he’ll list a few movies with comically bad titles. He’s starred in films such as “Two Minus Three Equals Negative Fun” and “The Erotic Adventures of Hercules,” which are probably as bad as they sound.
He can also be seen on daytime television shows, trying out products in front of a live audience and pretending to be impressed. He always delivers his lines with a smiling face and moderate charisma, making for one of the funniest running gags in the show. His name was apparently taken from B-movie actors Troy Donahue and Doug McClure, which makes sense; those names are quite obscure nowadays.
4
Itchy and Scratchy
Parody of ‘Tom and Jerry’ and ‘Herman and Katnip’
It’s pretty amazing how much violence was built into cartoons like Looney Tunes back in the day. Tom and Jerry was another big one, and there was another cat-and-mouse duo with lots of violence: Herman and Katnip. With these precedents, The Simpsons came up with an extreme version of those programs early on in the show’s history: Itchy and Scratchy. Itchy is a deranged mouse who keeps killing the cat Scratchy in funny but brutal fashion.
Unlike the shows it’s making fun of, Itchy and Scratchy does show blood—which makes its graphic depictions of violence even more absurd. There is even an episode about turning it off the air for its influence on kids (“Itchy and Scratchy and Marge”), one of season two’s many masterpieces. But there have been even more episodes centered around Itchy and Scratchy, and they’re some of the strongest entries in the show.
3
Mayor Quimby
Parody of John F. Kennedy
President Kennedy had such a distinct voice that you can immediately hear it in Springfield’s mayor, “Diamond” Joe Quimby (Castellaneta). He’s heavier than Kennedy was, but he doesn’t have any less charm with the ladies—as demonstrated time and again. Quimby has been shown holding his baby born out of wedlock, dancing shirtless in a nightclub, sitting with a woman in a motel and asking if she would like a street named after her, and more controversial acts.
Quimby also simply represents all political corruption. He has publicly admitted that he’s had his enemies assassinated (with no consequences whatsoever), made deals with Police Chief Wiggum behind the scenes, and consistently stolen money from the city. Even viewers who aren’t very familiar with JFK (or the other Kennedys) will be able to enjoy watching Quimby, one of the most evil characters in the show.
2
Rainier Wolfcastle
Parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger
Given his ubiquitous presence in the film industry, Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most famous actors of all time. Since The Simpsons began when he was at the height of his fame, it would be an enormously missed opportunity if they hadn’t made a parody character with the man’s trademark bulky muscles and Austrian accent. The character’s name alone shouts movie star: Rainier Wolfcastle (Shearer). If that weren’t funny enough, the character he keeps playing is called McBain.
Schwarzenegger isn’t really known for playing a police officer, but Wolfcastle is often utilized to make fun of action-packed cop stories. Needless to say, the one-liners are fantastic: “Ice to see you” and “Meeting adjourned” don’t even need the visual context to make you crack up, but of course they’re better when the scenes play out in full. Whenever he shows up on (or even off) the Simpsons’ TV, we know we’re in for a good time.
1
Krusty the Clown
Parody of Bozo and Rusty Nails
Krusty the Clown is a bad name for a clown, but you want to hear one that’s worse? Rusty Nails, which was the real name of a real clown played by James H. Allen that Simpsons creator Matt Groening used to watch growing up in Oregon. Rusty wasn’t a degenerate, but one can certainly hear how Groening came up with Krusty’s name. Bozo the Clown was a more famous name and also hosted a show for kids, making him another inspiration for Krusty’s more child-friendly persona.
Obviously, Krusty (Castellaneta) has a much less child-appropriate side to him. The smoking, gambling, illiteracy, cynicism, drinking, etc.—all of these things make Krusty absolutely hilarious to watch. Taking such wholesome children’s characters with surprisingly negative names and turning them into a very cynical clown who makes a fool of himself on air becomes comedy gold. Krusty’s best episodes further emphasize why he’s arguably the most side-splitting parody character in Springfield.