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Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
'' and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in '' The Tracey Ullman Show'' short " Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of
James L. Brooks James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. His television and film work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Taxi'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Broadcast News'', ''As G ...
' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip, ''
Life in Hell ''Life in Hell'' is a comic strip by Matt Groening, creator of ''The Simpsons'', '' Futurama'', and '' Disenchantment'', which was published weekly from 1977 to 2012. The strip features anthropomorphic rabbits and a gay couple. The comic covers ...
'', but instead decided to create a new set of characters. While the rest of the characters were named after Groening's family members, Bart's name is an
anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into ''nag a ram'', also the word ...
of the word ''brat''. After appearing on ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' for two years, the Simpson family received its own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989. Bart has appeared in every ''Simpsons'' episode except "
Four Great Women and a Manicure "Four Great Women and a Manicure" is the twentieth and penultimate episode of the twentieth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. First broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 10, 2009, it is the sec ...
". At ten years old, Bart is the eldest child and only son of Homer and
Marge Marge is a feminine given name, a shortened form of Marjorie, Margot or Margaret. Notable Marges include: People * Marge (cartoonist) (1904–1993), pen name of Marjorie Henderson Buell, American cartoonist * Marge Anderson (1932–2013), Ojibwe ...
, and the brother of
Lisa Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), ...
and
Maggie Maggie is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret. Maggie may refer to: People Women * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), A ...
. Bart's most prominent and popular character traits are his mischievousness, rebelliousness and disrespect for authority.
Hallmarks A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of metal, mostly to certify the content of noble metals—such as platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium. In a more general sense, the term ''hallmark'' can al ...
of the character include his
chalkboard gag The opening sequence of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'' is among the most popular opening sequences in television. It is accompanied by " ''The Simpsons'' Theme", one of television's most recognizable theme songs. The fi ...
s in the opening sequence; his prank calls to Moe; and his catchphrases "Eat my shorts", "'' ¡Ay, caramba!''", "Don't have a cow, man!", and "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?". However, with the exception of "''¡Ay, caramba!''", these hallmarks have been retired or are not often used. Bart has appeared in other media relating to ''The Simpsons'' – including video games, ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'', ''The Simpsons'' Ride, commercials, and
comic books A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are oft ...
 – and inspired an entire line of merchandise. In casting, Cartwright originally planned to audition for the role of Lisa, while Yeardley Smith tried out for Bart. Smith's voice was considered too high for a boy, so she was given the role of Lisa. Cartwright found Lisa uninteresting, so she instead auditioned for Bart, which she thought was a better role. During the first two seasons of ''The Simpsons'', Bart was the show's
protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
and "Bartmania" ensued, spawning Bart Simpson-themed merchandise touting his rebellious attitude and pride at underachieving, which caused many parents and educators to cast him as a bad role model for children. Around the third season, the role of the protagonist was taken over by his father, and series started to focus more on the family as a whole, though Bart still remains a prominent
breakout character A breakout character is a character in serial fiction, especially a member of an ensemble cast, who becomes much more prominent, popular, discussed, or imitated than expected by the creators. A breakout character may equal or overtake the ot ...
. '' Time'' named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century, and he was named "entertainer of the year" in 1990 by '' Entertainment Weekly''. Cartwright has won several awards for voicing Bart, including a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
in 1992 and an
Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally des ...
in 1995. In 2000, Bart, along with the rest of his family, was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.


Role in ''The Simpsons''

''The Simpsons'' uses a
floating timeline A floating timeline (also known as a sliding timescale) is a device used in fiction, particularly in long-running serials in comics and animation as well as other media, to explain why characters age little or not at all over a period of time—de ...
in which the characters do not age or age very little, and as such, the show is always assumed to be set in the current year. In several episodes, events have been linked to specific times, though sometimes this timeline has been contradicted in subsequent episodes. Bart's year of birth was stated in "
I Married Marge "I Married Marge" is the twelfth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 26, 1991. In the episode, Marge worries that she may ...
" ( season three, 1991) as being in the early 1980s. In "
Simpsorama "Simpsorama" is the sixth episode of the twenty-sixth season of the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 558th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 9, 2014. This epi ...
" (
season 26 A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pola ...
, 2014) Bart states his birthday as February 23. "February 23rd." "Ha! February has no 23rd!" "Yes it does!" He lived with his parents in the Lower East Side of Springfield until the Simpsons bought their first house. When Lisa was born, Bart was at first jealous of the attention she received, but he soon warmed to her when he discovered that "Bart" was her first word. Bart's first day of school was in the early 1990s. His initial enthusiasm was crushed by an uncaring teacher and Marge became worried that something was truly wrong with Bart. One day during recess, Bart met
Milhouse Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series ''The Simpsons'' voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at ...
and started entertaining him and other students with various gestures and rude words. Principal Skinner told him "you've just started school, and the path you choose now may be the one you follow for the rest of your life! Now, what do you say?" In his moment of truth, Bart responded, "eat my shorts". The episode " That '90s Show" ( season nineteen, 2008) contradicted much of the backstory's time frame; for example, it was revealed that Homer and Marge were childless in the early 1990s. Bart's hobbies include skateboarding, watching television (especially ''The
Krusty the Clown Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ) better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Caste ...
Show'' which includes ''
The Itchy & Scratchy Show ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'' (often shortened as ''Itchy & Scratchy'') is a Story within a story, fictional animated television series featured on ''The Simpsons''. Description The show depicts a blue mouse named Itchy who repeatedly and violen ...
''), reading comic books (especially Radioactive Man), playing video games and generally causing mischief. His favorite movies are ''
Jaws Jaws or Jaw may refer to: Anatomy * Jaw, an opposable articulated structure at the entrance of the mouth ** Mandible, the lower jaw Arts, entertainment, and media * Jaws (James Bond), a character in ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Moonraker'' * ...
'' and the '' Star Wars'' Trilogy. For the duration of the series, Bart has attended
Springfield Elementary School Springfield is the primary fictional setting of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' and related media. It is an average-sized, fictional city within an indeterminate state in the United States. The fictional city's geography, surroundi ...
and has been in
Edna Krabappel Edna Krabappel-Flanders ( Krabappel; ) is a fictional character from the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Marcia Wallace from 1990 until her death in October 2013. She was a 4th-grade teacher, who taught Bart Simpson's class ...
's fourth grade class. While he is too young to hold a full-time job, he has had occasional part-time jobs. He works as a bartender at Fat Tony's social club in " Bart the Murderer" ( season three, 1991); as Krusty the Clown's assistant in "
Bart Gets Famous "Bart Gets Famous" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 3, 1994. In the episode, Bart gets a job as Krust ...
" ( season five, 1994); as a doorman in Springfield's burlesque house, the Maison Derrière, in "
Bart After Dark "Bart After Dark" is the fifth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 24, 1996. After accidentally breaking a stone gargoy ...
" ( season eight, 1996); and briefly owns his own factory in "
Homer's Enemy "Homer's Enemy" is the twenty-third episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on May 4, 1997. "Homer's Enemy" was directed by Jim Reard ...
" ( season eight, 1997).


Character


Creation

Matt Groening first conceived of Bart and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987, while waiting in the lobby of producer
James L. Brooks James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. His television and film work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Taxi'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Broadcast News'', ''As G ...
' office. Groening had been called in to pitch a series of animated shorts for ''The Tracey Ullman Show'', and had intended to present an adaptation of his ''Life in Hell'' comic strip. When he realized that animating ''Life in Hell'' would require him to rescind publication rights, Groening decided to go in another direction. He hurriedly sketched out his version of a
dysfunctional family A dysfunctional family is a family in which conflict, misbehavior, and often child neglect or abuse and sometimes even all of the above on the part of individual parents occur continuously and regularly, leading other members to accommodate such ...
, naming the characters after members of his own family. For the rebellious son, he substituted "Bart", an anagram of the word ''brat'', for his own name, as he decided it would have been too obvious for him to have named the character 'Matt'. Bart's middle initial ''J'' is a "tribute" to animated characters such as
Bullwinkle J. Moose Bullwinkle J. Moose is a fictional character which premiered in the 1959–1964 ABC network animated television series ''Rocky and His Friends'' and ''The Bullwinkle Show'', often collectively referred to as '' Rocky and Bullwinkle'', produced b ...
and Rocket J. Squirrel from ''
The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show ''The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends'' (commonly referred to as simply ''Rocky and Bullwinkle'') is an American animated television series that originally aired from November 19, 1959, to June 27, 1964, on the ABC and NBC tel ...
'', who received their middle initial from Jay Ward. According to the book '' Bart Simpson's Guide to Life'', Bart's full middle name is "JoJo". Bart had originally been envisioned as "a much milder, troubled youth given to existential angst who talks to himself", but the character was changed based on Cartwright's voice acting. Groening has credited several different figures with providing inspiration for Bart: Matt Groening's older brother Mark provided much of the motivation for Bart's attitude.Groening, Matt. (2006). Commentary for "
My Sister, My Sitter "My Sister, My Sitter" is the seventeenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 2, 1997. In the episode, Marge and Homer leav ...
", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.
Groening, Matt. (2006). Commentary for "
Bart Carny "Bart Carny" is the twelfth episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series, ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 11, 1998. Homer and Bart start working at a carnival and ...
", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Ninth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.
Bart was conceived as an extreme version of the typical misbehaving child character, merging all of the extreme traits of characters such as
Tom Sawyer Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...
and Huckleberry Finn into one person. Groening describes Bart as "what would happen if the son of
Eddie Haskell Edward Clark Haskell (also referred to as Edward W. Haskell) is a fictional character on the American television sitcom '' Leave It to Beaver'', which ran on CBS from October 4, 1957, to 1958 and on ABC from 1958 to 1963. He was played by Ken ...
rom_'' rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver''">Leave_It_to_Beaver.html"_;"title="rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver">rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver''got_his_own_show"._Groening_has_also_said_that_he_found_the_premise_of_''Dennis_the_Menace_(1959_TV_series).html" ;"title="Leave_It_to_Beaver''.html" ;"title="Leave_It_to_Beaver.html" ;"title="rom '' rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver''">Leave_It_to_Beaver.html"_;"title="rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver">rom_''Leave_It_to_Beaver''got_his_own_show"._Groening_has_also_said_that_he_found_the_premise_of_''Dennis_the_Menace_(1959_TV_series)">Dennis_the_Menace''_disappointing_and_was_inspired_to_create_a_character_who_was_actually_a_menace. Bart_made_his_debut_with_the_rest_of_the_Simpson_family_on_April_19,_1987,_in_''The_Tracey_Ullman_Show''__short_"Good_Night_(The_Simpsons_short).html" ;"title="Leave It to Beaver">rom ''Leave It to Beaver''">Leave_It_to_Beaver.html" ;"title="rom ''Leave It to Beaver">rom ''Leave It to Beaver''got his own show". Groening has also said that he found the premise of ''Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series)">Dennis the Menace'' disappointing and was inspired to create a character who was actually a menace. Bart made his debut with the rest of the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' short "Good Night (The Simpsons short)">Good Night". In 1989, the shorts were adapted into ''The Simpsons'', a half-hour series airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company. Bart and the Simpson family remained the main characters on this new show.


Design

The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. The family was crudely drawn, because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings. Bart's original design, which appeared in the first shorts, had spikier hair, and the spikes were of different lengths. The number was later limited to nine spikes, all of the same size. At the time Groening was primarily drawing in black and "not thinking that
art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
would eventually be drawn in color" gave him spikes which appear to be an extension of his head. The features of Bart's character design are generally not used in other characters; for example, no other characters in current episodes have Bart's spiky hairline, although several background characters in the first few seasons shared the trait. The basic rectangular shape of Bart's head is described by director Mark Kirkland as a coffee can. Homer's head is also rectangular (with a dome on top), while spheres are used for Marge, Lisa, and Maggie. Different animators have different methods of drawing Bart. Former director
Jeffrey Lynch Jeffrey Lynch is an American animator and graphic artist. His past work includes: animation director on ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama;'' assistant director on ''Spider-Man'', ''Spider-Man 2'', ''Spider-Man 3,'' and ''The Iron Giant'' as story d ...
starts off with a box, then adds the eyes, then the mouth, then the hair spikes, ear, and then the rest of the body. Matt Groening normally starts with the eyes, then the nose, and the rest of the outline of Bart's head. Many of the animators have trouble drawing Bart's spikes evenly; one trick they use is to draw one on the right, one on the left, one in the middle, then continue to add one in the middle of the blank space until there are nine. Originally, whenever Bart was to be drawn from an angle looking down so the top of his head was seen, Groening wanted there to be spikes along the outline of his head, and in the middle as well. Instead, Wes Archer and David Silverman drew him so that there was an outline of the spikes, then just a smooth patch in the middle because "it worked graphically". In " The Blue and the Gray", Bart (along with Lisa and Maggie) finally questions why his hair has no visible border to separate head from hair. In the season seven (1995) episode "
Treehouse of Horror VI "Treehouse of Horror VI" is the sixth episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the sixth episode in the ''Treehouse of Horror'' series. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on ...
", Bart (along with Homer) was computer animated into a
three-dimensional Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called '' parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the inform ...
character for the first time for the "Homer3" segment of the episode. The computer animation was provided by Pacific Data Images. While designing the 3D model of the character, the animators did not know how they would show Bart's hair. They realized that there were vinyl Bart dolls in production and purchased one to use as a model.Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Johnson, Tim; Silverman, David; Mirkin, David; Cohen, David X. "Homer in the Third Dimension" (2005), in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.


Voice

Bart's voice is provided by Nancy Cartwright, who voices several other child characters on ''The Simpsons'', including
Nelson Muntz Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and the lead school bully from the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', where he is best known for his signature mocking laugh "Ha-ha!". He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was first intro ...
, Ralph Wiggum, Todd Flanders, and Kearney. While the roles of Homer and Marge were given to
Dan Castellaneta Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...
and
Julie Kavner Julie Deborah Kavner (born September 7, 1950) is an American actress. Best known for her voice role as Marge Simpson on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', Kavner first attracted notice for her role as Brenda Morgenstern, the younger ...
because they were already a part of ''The Tracey Ullman Show'' cast, the producers decided to hold casting for the roles of Bart and Lisa. Yeardley Smith had initially been asked to audition for the role of Bart, but casting director
Bonita Pietila Bonita Pietila (born January 14, 1953) is a casting director and producer. She is best known for her work on ''The Simpsons'', with which she has won three Emmy Awards (in 1998, 2000, and 2001). Pietila has been with the series since its beginning ...
believed her voice was too high. Smith later recalled, "I always sounded too much like a girl. I read two lines as Bart and they said, 'Thanks for coming! Smith was given the role of Lisa instead. On March 13, 1987, Nancy Cartwright went in to audition for the role of Lisa. After arriving at the audition, she found that Lisa was simply described as the "middle child" and at the time did not have much personality. Cartwright became more interested in the role of Bart, who was described as "devious, underachieving, school-hating, irreverent, ndclever". Matt Groening let her try out for the part instead, and upon hearing her read, gave her the job on the spot. Cartwright is the only one of the six main ''Simpsons'' cast members who had been professionally trained in voice acting prior to working on the show. Cartwright's normal speaking voice is said to have "no obvious traces of Bart". The voice came naturally to Cartwright; prior to ''The Tracey Ullman Show'', she had used elements of it in shows such as ''
My Little Pony ''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature ...
'', ''
Snorks ''Snorks'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and ran for a total of four seasons (consisting of 65 episodes) on NBC from September 15, 1984, to May 13, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987 ...
'', and ''
Pound Puppies Pound Puppies is a toy line that was created by Tonka in the 1980s. It later inspired an animated TV special, two animated TV series, and a feature film. Shipments of the toys over five years generated sales of $300 million in 35 countries. Toy ...
''. Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform, saying, "Some characters take a little bit more effort, upper respiratory control, whatever it is technically. But Bart is easy to do. I can just slip into that without difficulty." She usually does five or six readings of every line in order to give the producers more to work with. In flashforward episodes, Cartwright still provides the voice of Bart. For "
Lisa's Wedding "Lisa's Wedding" is the nineteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 19, 1995.season six, 1995), Bart's voice was electronically lowered. Despite Bart's fame, Cartwright is rarely recognized in public. When she is recognized and asked to perform Bart's voice in front of children, Cartwright refuses as it "freaks
hem A hem in sewing is a garment finishing method, where the edge of a piece of cloth is folded and sewn to prevent unravelling of the fabric and to adjust the length of the piece in garments, such as at the end of the sleeve or the bottom of the ga ...
out". During the first season of ''The Simpsons'', the Fox Network did not allow Cartwright to give interviews because they did not want to publicize that Bart was voiced by a woman. Until 1998, Cartwright was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing for casting of new voices. The dispute was resolved and Cartwright received $125,000 per episode until 2004, when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 an episode. The dispute was resolved a month later, and Cartwright's pay rose to $250,000 per episode. After salary renegotiations in 2008, the voice actors received approximately $400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Cartwright and the other cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut to just over $300,000 per episode.


Hallmarks

In the
opening sequence A title sequence (also called an opening sequence or intro) is the method by which films or television programmes present their title and key production and cast members, utilizing conceptual visuals and sound (often a opening theme song with vis ...
of many ''Simpsons'' episodes, the camera zooms in on Springfield Elementary School, where Bart can be seen
writing lines Writing lines is a form of punishment handed out to misbehaving students by people in a position of authority at schools. It is a long-standing form of school discipline and is frequently satirised in popular culture. Description Writing lines in ...
on the chalkboard. The sentences, which changes from episode to episode, has become known as the "chalkboard gag". Chalkboard messages may involve political humor such as "The First Amendment does not cover burping", pop culture references such as " I can't see dead people", and meta-references such as "I am not a 32-year-old woman" and "Nobody reads these anymore". The animators are able to produce the chalkboard gags quickly and in some cases have changed them to fit current events. For example, the chalkboard gag for "
Homer the Heretic "Homer the Heretic" is the third episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 8, 1992. In the episode, Homer decides to forgo going ...
" ( season four, 1992) read, "I will not defame New Orleans." The gag had been written as an apology to the city for a controversial song in the previous week's episode, "
A Streetcar Named Marge "A Streetcar Named Marge" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 1, 1992. In the episode, Marge wins the role of ...
", which called the city a "home of pirates, drunks and whores".Martin, Jeff (2004). "The Cajun Controversy", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox. Many episodes do not feature a chalkboard gag because a shorter opening title sequence, where the chalkboard gags are cut, is used to make more room for story and plot development. One of Bart's early hallmarks were his prank calls to Moe's Tavern owner Moe Szyslak in which Bart calls Moe and asks for a
gag name A gag name is a pseudonym intended to be humorous through its similarity to both a real name and a term or phrase that is funny, strange, or vulgar. The source of humor stems from the double meaning behind the phrase, although use of the name wit ...
. Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but rapidly realizes it is a prank call and (despite not knowing who actually made the call) angrily threatens Bart. These calls were based on a series of prank calls known as the Tube Bar recordings. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner Louis "Red" Deutsch, whose often profane responses inspired Moe's violent side. The prank calls debuted in "
Homer's Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...
" ( season one, 1990), the third episode to air, but were included in " Some Enchanted Evening", the first episode of the series that was produced. Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al. (2001). Commentary for " Some Enchanted Evening", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' VD 20th Century Fox. As the series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe's angry response, so the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season but they have occasionally resurfaced on the show. The catchphrase "Eat My Shorts" was an ad-lib by Cartwright in one of the original table readings, harking back to an incident when she was in high school. Cartwright was in the marching band at Fairmont High School, and one day while performing, the band chanted "Eat my shorts" rather than the usual "Fairmont West! Fairmont West!" It could also be an homage to '' The Breakfast Club'', as John Bender says the phrase to Principal Vernon. John Bender would become the inspiration for another Matt Groening creation, Bender from '' Futurama''. Bart's other catchphrases, "''¡Ay, caramba!''" came from a Portuguese flamenco dancer and "Don't have a cow!" had been around since the 1950s which derived from the British phrase "Don't have kittens"; both were featured on T-shirts manufactured during the production of the early seasons of ''The Simpsons''. "Cowabunga" is also commonly associated with Bart, although it was mostly used on the show after it had been used as a slogan on the T-shirts. Reiss also stated the writers took the phrase from Chief Thunderthud on ''
The Howdy Doody Show ''Howdy Doody'' is an American Children's television series, children's television program (with circus and Western (genre), Western frontier themes) that was created and produced by Victor F Campbell
''. The use of catchphrase-based humor was mocked in the episode "
Bart Gets Famous "Bart Gets Famous" is the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 3, 1994. In the episode, Bart gets a job as Krust ...
" ( season five, 1994) in which Bart lands a popular role on
Krusty the Clown Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ) better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Caste ...
's show for saying the line "I didn't do it." The writers chose the phrase "I didn't do it" because they wanted a "lousy" phrase "to point out how really crummy things can become really popular". Bart commonly appears nude in the show, although in every case only his buttocks are visible. In ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'' (2007), Bart appears in a sequence where he is skateboarding while fully nude; several different items cover his genitalia, but for a brief moment his penis can be seen. The scene was one of the first worked on for the film, but the producers were nervous about the segment because they thought it would earn the movie an R rating.Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Scully, Mike; Silverman, David; Castellaneta, Dan; Smith, Yeardley. (2007). Commentary for ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the long-running animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. The film was directed by the show's supervising director David Silverman and stars the show's regular cast of Dan Caste ...
'' VD 20th Century Fox.
Despite this, the film was rated PG-13 by the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distrib ...
for "Irreverent Humor Throughout". The scene was later included by '' Entertainment Weekly'' in their list of "30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes".


Personality

Bart's character traits of rebelliousness and disrespect for authority have been compared to that of America's founding fathers, and he has been described as an updated version of
Tom Sawyer Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), ''Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, Dete ...
and Huckleberry Finn, rolled into one. In his book ''
Planet Simpson ''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation'', also abbreviated to ''Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Defined a Generation'', is a non-fiction book about ''The Simpsons'', written by Chris Turner ...
'', Chris Turner describes Bart as a
nihilist Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning. The term was popularized by Iv ...
, a philosophical position that argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value. Bart's rebellious attitude has made him a disruptive student at
Springfield Elementary School Springfield is the primary fictional setting of the American animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' and related media. It is an average-sized, fictional city within an indeterminate state in the United States. The fictional city's geography, surroundi ...
, where he is an underachiever and proud of it. He is constantly at odds with his teacher Ms. Krabappel, Principal Skinner, and occasionally
Groundskeeper Willie William MacMoran MacDougal, better known as Groundskeeper Willie, is a recurring character on ''The Simpsons'', voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the head groundskeeper and Janitor at Springfield Elementary School. Willie is almost feral in nature ...
. Bart does poorly in school and is well aware of it, having once declared, "I am dumb, okay? Dumb as a post! Think I'm happy about it?" On one occasion, Lisa successfully proves that Bart is dumber than a
hamster Hamsters are rodents (order Rodentia) belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae, which contains 19 species classified in seven genera.Fox, Sue. 2006. ''Hamsters''. T.F.H. Publications Inc. They have become established as popular small pets. The ...
, although Bart ultimately outsmarts her. Bart's thoughts are often illogical; he once thought if he died and reincarnated as a butterfly, he would be able to burn the school down without being suspected, thinking that he would be able to hold a gas can as a butterfly. He has also thought if he wrote his name in wet cement, people who see it after it dries will wonder how he managed to write his name in solid cement. In "
Separate Vocations "Separate Vocations" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 1992. In the episode, Springfield Elementa ...
" ( season three, 1992), Bart becomes hall monitor and his grades go up, suggesting that he struggles mainly because he does not pay attention, not because he is stupid. This idea is reinforced in "
Brother's Little Helper "Brother's Little Helper" is the second episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 3, 1999. In the episode, Bart floods the school ...
" ( season eleven, 1999), in which it is revealed that Bart has
attention deficit disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inap ...
. His lack of smarts can also be attributed to the hereditary "Simpson Gene", which affects the intelligence of most male members of the Simpson family. Although he gets into endless trouble and can be sadistic, shallow and selfish, Bart also exhibits many qualities of high integrity. He has, on a few occasions, helped Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel: In "
Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song" is the nineteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 100th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on Ap ...
" ( season five, 1994), Bart accidentally got Skinner fired and befriended him outside the school environment. Bart missed having Skinner as an adversary and got him rehired, knowing that this would mean that the two could no longer be friends. Due to Bart's mischievousness and Homer's often uncaring and incompetent behavior, the two have a turbulent, jaded, violent, and at times borderline sadistic relationship. Bart regularly addresses Homer by his first name instead of "Dad", while Homer in turn often refers to him as "the boy". Homer has a short temper and when enraged by Bart will strangle him on impulse in a cartoonishly violent manner. One of the original ideas for the show was that Homer would be "very angry" and oppressive toward Bart, but these characteristics were toned down somewhat as their characters were explored. Marge is a much more caring, understanding and nurturing parent than Homer, but she also refers to Bart as "a handful" and is often embarrassed by his antics. In "
Marge Be Not Proud "Marge Be Not Proud" is the eleventh episode of the seventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 17, 1995. In the episode, Marge refuses to b ...
" ( season seven, 1995), she felt she was mothering Bart too much and began acting more distant towards him after he was caught shoplifting. At the beginning of the episode, Bart protested at her over-mothering but as her attitude changed, he felt bad and made it up to her. Despite his attitude, Bart is sometimes willing to experience humiliation if it means pleasing his mom. Marge has expressed an understanding for her "special little guy" and has defended him on many occasions. She once said "I know Bart can be a handful, but I also know what he's like inside. He's got a spark. It's not a bad thing ... Of course, it makes him ''do'' bad things." Bart shares a sibling rivalry with his younger sister, Lisa, but has a buddy-like relationship with his youngest sister Maggie, due to her infant state. While Bart has often hurt Lisa, and even fought her physically, the two are often very close. Bart cares for Lisa deeply and has always apologized for going too far. He also believes Lisa to be his superior when it comes to solving problems and frequently goes to her for advice. Bart is also highly protective of Lisa: When a bully destroys her box of cupcakes in "
Bart the General "Bart the General" is the fifth episode of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 4, 1990.. In the episode, Bart Simpson enlists Grampa's help to battle local bully ...
" ( season one, 1990), Bart immediately stands up for her. Bart is portrayed as a popular cool boy and has many friends at school. Out of all of them his best friend is
Milhouse Van Houten Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a recurring character in the Fox animated television series ''The Simpsons'' voiced by Pamela Hayden and created by Matt Groening. Milhouse is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class ...
, although Bart has at times shown embarrassment about their friendship. Bart is a bad influence on Milhouse, and the two have been involved in a lot of mischief together. Because of this behavior, Milhouse's mother forbids Milhouse from playing with Bart in "
Homer Defined "Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 17, 1991. In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the ...
" ( season three, 1991). While at first he pretended that he did not care, Bart eventually realizes that he needs Milhouse, and Marge manages to convince Mrs. Van Houten to reconsider. Milhouse is a frequent target for local bullies Nelson Muntz and his friends
Jimbo Jimbo is a diminutive form of the given name James. It is also a Japanese surname, and it means state or province in Swahili. It may refer to: Given name or nickname * Jimbo (drag queen), Canadian drag queen * Jimbo Aquino (born 1985), Filipi ...
,
Dolph Dolph may refer to: People Given name or nickname * Dolph Briscoe (1923–2010), Governor of Texas from 1973 to 1979 * Dolph Camilli (1907–1997), American Major League Baseball player * Dolph Eckstein (1902–1963), American football player ...
, and Kearney. At times, Bart also finds himself at the hands of their abuse. Despite being the more socially powerful of the two, Bart's social popularity has temporarily subsided various episodes either due to extreme embarrassment caused by his family or other people (or even himself) or an unfortunate coincidence. Milhouse describes their social standing as "Three and a half. We get beat up, but we get an explanation." While Bart and the bullies have been adversaries at times, with Bart once declaring war on Nelson, the school bullies actually like Bart for his ways and hang out with him at times, especially Nelson who eventually becomes close friends with him. Bart is one of the biggest fans of children's television host
Krusty the Clown Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ) better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Dan Caste ...
. He once declared, "I've based my whole life on Krusty's teachings", and sleeps in a room filled with Krusty merchandise. He has helped the clown on many occasions, for example, foiling
Sideshow Bob Robert Underdunk Terwilliger Jr., PhD, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a sel ...
's attempt to frame Krusty for armed robbery in "
Krusty Gets Busted "Krusty Gets Busted" is the twelfth and penultimate episode of the first season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on April 29, 1990.season one, 1990), reuniting Krusty with his estranged father in "
Like Father, Like Clown "Like Father, Like Clown" is the sixth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 24, 1991. In the episode, Krusty the Clown reve ...
". and helping Krusty return to the air with a comeback special and reignite his career in "
Krusty Gets Kancelled "Krusty Gets Kancelled" is the twenty-second and final episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 13, 1993. In the episode, a new show fea ...
". For his part, Krusty has remained largely ignorant of Bart's help and treats Bart with disinterest. One summer, Bart enthusiastically attended Kamp Krusty, which turned out to be a disaster, with Krusty nowhere to be seen. Bart keeps his hopes up by believing that Krusty would show up, but is soon pushed over the edge, and finally decides that he is sick of Krusty's shoddy merchandise and takes over the camp. Krusty immediately visits the camp in hopes of ending the conflict and manages to appease Bart. One of the original ideas for the series was that Bart worshiped a television clown but had no respect for his father, although this was never directly explored. Because of this original plan, Krusty's design is basically Homer in clown make-up. When Bart foiled Sideshow Bob's plans in "Krusty Gets Busted", it sparked a long-standing feud between the two. The writers decided to have Bob repeatedly return to get revenge on Bart. They took the idea of the Coyote chasing the Road Runner and depicted Bob as an intelligent person obsessed with catching a bratty boy.Jean, Al. (2003). Commentary for "
Black Widower "Black Widower" (originally titled "The Return of Sideshow Bob") is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 9, ...
", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.
Bob has appeared in fourteen episodes, generally plotting various evil schemes which often have to do with getting revenge on Bart (and sometimes the entire Simpson family by proxy), but is always foiled in the end.


Reception and cultural influence


Bartmania

In 1990, Bart quickly became one of the most popular characters on television in what was termed "Bartmania". He became the most prevalent ''Simpsons'' character on memorabilia, such as T-shirts. In the early 1990s, millions of T-shirts featuring Bart were sold; as many as one million were sold on some days. Believing Bart to be a bad role model, several American public schools banned T-shirts featuring Bart next to captions such as "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" and "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')". ''The Simpsons'' merchandise sold well and generated $2 billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales. The success of Bart Simpson merchandise inspired an entire line of
black market A black market, underground economy, or shadow economy is a clandestine market or series of transactions that has some aspect of illegality or is characterized by noncompliance with an institutional set of rules. If the rule defines the s ...
counterfeit To counterfeit means to imitate something authentic, with the intent to steal, destroy, or replace the original, for use in illegal transactions, or otherwise to deceive individuals into believing that the fake is of equal or greater value tha ...
items, especially T-shirts. Some featured Bart announcing various slogans, others depicted redesigns of the character, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Bart, Air Simpson Bart, ndRastaBart". Matt Groening generally did not object to bootleg merchandise, but took exception to a series of " Nazi Bart" shirts which depicted Bart in Nazi uniform or as a white power skinhead. 20th Century Fox sued the creator of the shirts, who eventually agreed to stop making them. Bart became so associated with Fox that, when bidding in 1993 to show pro football, the network had to assure the NFL and reporters that the character would not announce games. Due to the show's success, over the summer of 1990 Fox decided to switch ''The Simpsons'' timeslot so that it would move from 8:00 p.m. ET on Sunday night to the same time on Thursday, where it would compete with '' The Cosby Show'' on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are ...
, the number one show at the time. Through the summer, several news outlets published stories about the supposed "Bill vs. Bart" rivalry.Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Reiss, Mike; Silverman, David. (2002). Commentary for "
Bart Gets an 'F' Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartholo ...
, in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' VD 20th Century Fox.
The August 31, 1990 issue of '' Entertainment Weekly'' featured a picture of
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
wearing a Bart Simpson T-shirt. "
Bart Gets an 'F' Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc. Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartholo ...
( season two, 1990) was the first episode to air against ''The Cosby Show'', and it received a lower Nielsen rating, tying for eighth behind ''The Cosby Show'', which had an 18.5 rating. The rating is based on the number of household televisions that were tuned into the show, but
Nielsen Media Research Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
estimated that 33.6 million viewers watched the episode, making it the number one show in terms of actual viewers that week. At the time, it was the most watched episode in the history of the Fox Network, and it is still the highest rated episode in the history of ''The Simpsons''. Because of his popularity, Bart was often the most promoted member of the Simpson family in advertisements for the show, even for episodes in which he was not involved in the main plot. Bart was described as "television's king of 1990", "television's brightest new star" and an "undiminished smash". ''Entertainment Weekly'' named Bart the "entertainer of the year" for 1990, writing that "Bart has proved to be a rebel who's also a good kid, a terror who's easily terrorized, and a flake who astonishes us, and himself, with serious displays of fortitude." In the United States
congressional A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
,
senatorial A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the e ...
and
gubernatorial A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of politica ...
elections of 1990, Bart was one of the most popular write-in candidates, and in many areas was second only to Mickey Mouse amongst fictional characters. In the 1990 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Bart made his debut as one of the giant helium-filled balloons for which the parade is known. The Bart Simpson balloon has appeared at every parade since. This was referenced in ''The Simpsons'' in the episode "
Bart vs. Thanksgiving "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" is the seventh episode of the second season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 22, 1990. In the episode, Bart runs away fro ...
", which aired the same day as the parade, where Homer tells Bart, "If you start building a balloon for every flash-in-the-pan cartoon character, you turn the parade into a farce!" Meanwhile, behind and unbeknownst to him, the television briefly shows a Bart Simpson balloon. The album ''
The Simpsons Sing the Blues ''The Simpsons Sing the Blues'' is the first album released as an offshoot of ''The Simpsons''. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first f ...
'' was released in September 1990 and was a success, peaking at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and becoming certified 2× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. The first single from the album was the pop rap song "
Do the Bartman "Do the Bartman" is a song from the 1990 album '' The Simpsons Sing the Blues'', featuring the voice cast of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It was performed by ''The Simpsons'' cast member Nancy Cartwright (the voice ...
", performed by Nancy Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by Bryan Loren, a friend of
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...
. Jackson was a fan of ''The Simpsons'', especially Bart, and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show.Brooks, James L. (2003). Commentary for "Stark Raving Dad", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season'' VD 20th Century Fox. Jackson eventually guest starred in the episode "
Stark Raving Dad "Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991. In the episode, Homer is sent to a mental ins ...
" ( season three, 1991) under the pseudonym John Jay Smith. While the song was never officially released as a single in the United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom. In 1991 it was the number one song in the UK for three weeks from February 16 to March 9 and was the seventh best-selling song of the year. It sold half a million copies and was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry British Phonographic Industry (BPI) is the British recorded music industry's Trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards, the Classic BRIT Awards, National Album Day, is home to the Mercury Prize, and co-owns the Official Charts Company with ...
on February 1, 1991.


Bart as a role model

Bart's rebellious nature, which frequently resulted in no punishment for his misbehavior, led some parents and conservatives to characterize him as a poor role model for children. Robert Bianco of the '' Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'' wrote that "
art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...
outwits his parents and outtalks his teachers; in short, he's the child we wish we'd been, and fear our children will become." In schools, educators claimed that Bart was a "threat to learning" because of his "underachiever and proud of it" attitude and negative attitude regarding his education. Others described him as "egotistical, aggressive and mean-spirited." In response to the criticism,
James L. Brooks James Lawrence Brooks (born May 9, 1940) is an American director, producer, screenwriter and co-founder of Gracie Films. His television and film work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', ''Taxi'', ''The Simpsons'', '' Broadcast News'', ''As G ...
said, "I'm very wary of television where everybody is supposed to be a role model, you don't run across that many role models in real life. Why should television be full of them?" In 1990 William Bennett, who at the time was
drug czar Drug czar is an informal name for the person who directs drug-control policies in various areas. The term follows the informal use of the term ''czar'' in U.S. politics. The 'drug czar' title first appeared in a 1982 news story by United Press Int ...
of the United States, visited a drug treatment center in Pittsburgh and upon noticing a poster of Bart remarked, "You guys aren't watching ''The Simpsons'', are you? That's not going to help you any." When a backlash over the comment ensued, Bennett apologized, claiming he "was just kidding" and saying "I'll sit down with the little spike head. We'll straighten this thing out." In a 1991 interview,
Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...
described Bart as a bad role model for children, calling him "angry, confused, frustrated". In response, Matt Groening said, "That sums up Bart, all right. Most people are in a struggle to be normal. He thinks normal is very boring, and does things that others just wished they dare do." On January 27, 1992, then-President George H. W. Bush said, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." The writers rushed out a tongue-in-cheek reply in the form of a short segment which aired three days later before a rerun of "
Stark Raving Dad "Stark Raving Dad" is the first episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 19, 1991. In the episode, Homer is sent to a mental ins ...
" in which Bart replied, "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too." Although there were many critics of the character, favorable comments came from several quarters. Columnist
Erma Bombeck Erma Louise Bombeck (''née'' Fiste; February 21, 1927 – April 22, 1996) was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper humor column describing suburban home life, syndicated from 1965 to 1996. She also published 15 bo ...
wrote, "Kids need to know that somewhere in this world is a contemporary who can pull off all the things they can only fantasize about, someone who can stick it to their parents once in a while and still be permitted to live." In 2003, Bart placed first in a poll of parents in the United Kingdom who were asked "which made-up character had the most influence" on children under 12 years old.


Commendations

In 1998, '' Time'' named Bart one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century. He was the only fictional character to make the list. He had previously appeared on the cover of the edition of December 31, 1990. He was also ranked No. 48 in '' TV Guide''s "50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time" in 1996 and both he and Lisa ranked No. 11 in ''TV Guide's'' "Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time" in 2002. In 2022, '' Paste'' writers claimed that Bart is the 26th best cartoon character of all time. At the
44th Primetime Emmy Awards The 44th Primetime Emmy Awards were held on Sunday, August 30, 1992. The ceremony was broadcast on Fox from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. It was hosted by Tim Allen, Kirstie Alley and Dennis Miller, and directed by ...
in 1992, Cartwright won a
Primetime Emmy Award The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime ...
for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for voicing Bart in the season three episode "
Separate Vocations "Separate Vocations" is the eighteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 27, 1992. In the episode, Springfield Elementa ...
". She shared the award with five other voice actors from ''The Simpsons''. Various episodes in which Bart is strongly featured have been nominated for Emmy Awards for Outstanding Animated Program, including "
Radio Bart "Radio Bart" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 9, 1992. In the episode, Bart receives a microphone tha ...
" in 1992, "
Future-Drama "Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of the sixteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. The 350th episode overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 17, 2005. In the episode, ...
" in 2005, "
The Haw-Hawed Couple "The Haw-Hawed Couple" is the eighth episode of the eighteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 10, 2006.Homer's Phobia "Homer's Phobia" is the fifteenth episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 16, 1997. In the episode, Homer dissociates himself fro ...
", which won the award in 1997. In 1995, Cartwright won an
Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally des ...
for "Voice Acting in the Field of Animation" for her portrayal of Bart in an episode. In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2014 Bart Simpson became the second mascot of Russian football club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg, wearing number 87 on his back (referring to the character's debut in 1987; the club's first mascot is a blue-maned lion).


Merchandising

Alongside T-shirts, Bart has been included in various other ''The Simpsons''-related merchandise, including air fresheners, baseball caps, bumper stickers, cardboard standups, refrigerator magnets, key rings, buttons, dolls, posters, figurines, clocks, soapstone carvings,
Chia Pet Chia Pets are American styled terracotta figurines used to sprout chia, where the chia sprouts grow within a couple of weeks to resemble the animal's fur or hair. Moistened chia seeds (''Salvia hispanica'') are applied to a grooved terracotta ...
s, bowling balls and boxer shorts. ''The Bart Book'', a book about Bart's personality and attributes, was released in 2004. Other books include '' Bart Simpson's Guide to Life''. '' The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer'', which is not an official publication, includes a chapter analyzing Bart's character and comparing him to the "
Nietzschean Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) developed his philosophy during the late 19th century. He owed the awakening of his philosophical interest to reading Arthur Schopenhauer's ''Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung'' ('' The World as Will and Repres ...
ideal". Bart has appeared in other media relating to ''The Simpsons''. He has appeared in every one of ''The Simpsons'' video games, including '' Bart vs. the World'', '' Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly'', '' Bart vs. the Space Mutants'', '' Bart's House of Weirdness'', '' Bart vs. The Juggernauts'', '' Bartman Meets Radioactive Man'', '' Bart's Nightmare'', '' Bart & the Beanstalk'' and ''
The Simpsons Game ''The Simpsons Game'' is a 2007 platform game based on the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' made for the Nintendo DS, Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. The game was published, and distributed by Ele ...
'', released in 2007. Alongside the television series, Bart regularly appears in issues of ''Simpsons Comics'', which were first published on November 29, 1993, and are still issued monthly, and also has his own series called ''Bart Simpson Comics'' which have been released since 2000. Bart also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride, launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
. Bart appears as a playable character in the
toys-to-life Toys-to-life is a video game feature using physical figurines or action figures to interact within the game. These toys use a near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), or image recognition data protocol to determine ...
video game ''
Lego Dimensions ''Lego Dimensions'' is a Lego-themed action-adventure platform crossover video game developed by Traveller's Tales and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox One and Xbox 360. I ...
'', released via a "Fun Pack" packaged with a Gravity Sprinter accessory in November 2015. Bart, and other ''The Simpsons'' characters, have appeared in numerous
television commercials A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...
for Nestlé's
Butterfinger Butterfinger is a candy bar manufactured by the Ferrero SpA, a subsidiary of Ferrero. It consists of a layered crisp peanut butter core covered in a chocolatey coating. Invented by Otto Schnering of the Curtiss Candy Company in 1923, the name o ...
candy bars from 1990 to 2001, with the slogan "Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger!" Lisa would occasionally advertise it too. Matt Groening would later say that the Butterfinger advertising campaign was a large part of the reason why Fox decided to pick up the half-hour show. The campaign was discontinued in 2001, much to the disappointment of Cartwright. Bart has also appeared in commercials for
Burger King Burger King (BK) is an American-based multinational chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. Headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida, the company was founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida–based restaurant chain ...
and
Ramada Inn Ramada is a large American multinational hotel chain owned by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts. As of December 31, 2018, it operates 811 hotels with 114,614 rooms across 63 countries under the Ramada brand. Name The ''Ramada'' name derives from ...
. In 2001,
Kellogg's The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toast ...
launched a brand of cereal called "Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch", which was available for a limited time. Before the half-hour series went on the air, Matt Groening pitched Bart as a spokesperson for
Jell-O Jell-O is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert (genericized as jello) is the signature of the brand. "Jell-O" is a re ...
. He wanted Bart to sing "J-E-L-L-O", then burp the letter O. His belief was that kids would try to do it the next day, but he was rejected. On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled a series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Bart and the four other members of the Simpson family. They are the first characters, other than ''
Sesame Street ''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) an ...
'' characters, to receive this accolade while the show is still in production. The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009.


References

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Further reading

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External links


Bart Simpson
on IMDb {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Bart The Simpsons characters Television characters introduced in 1987 Child characters in television Male characters in animated series Child characters in animated films Animation controversies in television Prank calling Animated human characters Comedy film characters Television controversies in the United States Fictional pranksters Fictional tricksters Fictional skateboarders Characters created by Matt Groening Fictional characters with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Fictional elementary school students Fictional victims of domestic abuse