Hans Moleman reminds me of that Greek myth where a man wishes for immortality but forgets to ask for eternal youth. So he can't ever die, but he keeps on aging (and shrinking) forever.
I always thought he said "sea bell," like a bell to scare off seagulls that trail fishing boats that are netting fish. I went online and found out what a "seed bell" is, which makes the joke even more funny. Seed bells are used to ATTRACT birds. LOL.
I don't know why but I've always found this little dude so freakin endearing. He's just this weird little potato headed guy that goes about his business enjoying his life and....it's adorable. That're really the best way I can describe him. He's just adorable and I hate watching bad things happen to him.
As a little kid, Moleman was my main reason to come back to the show. He just kept getting funnier and funnier, like when Moe has him locked in the floorboards, and his Gremlin car. I'm not gay for him, but I'm happy he exists.
As I'm getting older, I feel like everyday is just a journey towards becoming Hans Moleman myself...maybe that's why I like him so much. Hopefully I can look forward to a peaceful end, and not getting being killed by a rich guy who for some reason has a power drill in his desk drawer.
"...and not getting being killed by a rich guy who for some reason has a power drill in his desk drawer." I would like to say no, but sadly that's definitely a possibility.
yeah hans moleman is kinda like an example of where not to end up in life. ya dont wanna be a lonely old person who has nobody etc. ..where nobody is gay for you etc
I love what he says when Apu closed the store for 5 minutes with him inside, “You stole five minutes of my life and I want them back...oh I’s probably waste the anyway..” The best death was the bubble thing in the cult episode when Marge is escaping. He;s just standing there for no reason .
Theres something really endearing about this older guy putting himself out there to do things he would usually be considered too old to do like going to rock concerts and entering cooking competitions. Good for him
I'm dying to know more about Lenny's love for Classical Gas and Superintendent Chalmers' late wife and boyhood days in Utica, Queens, Mexico and Intercourse, Pennsylvania.
Josh I I’d like to know why superintendent chalmers sometimes wears a tutu and swings 2 black nunchucks around...seriously that’s apparently a thing he does, it’s one of his tasks in the simpsons tapped out called “breaking character”
When did they introduce the Yes guy? I feel like he's not early Simpsons but I'm sure he's not HD. In fact I don't even remember him in any HD eps or pre HD eps.
BlueLightningSky mhhhhyes guy only lasted about 3 or 4 seasons I believe, somewhere around season 10, late 90s early 2000s, I do want a video on him too!
Huh. So it turns out there *is* enough information to put together a history on someone like Hans Moleman... (This is the upside of covering a series with 600+ episodes.)
He truly is a hero. Whether he gets his brains drilled by Mister Burns or is set on fire, he's always back up the day after. He is a hero, and heroes never die.
I'm surprised you didn't mention how in the episode "A Test Before Trying" we see his wife and kids at the hospital pulling the plug off him despite his objections, suggesting animosity in the family. This animosity is no doubt caused by Han's playboy lifestyle as he's seen routinely trying to score dates, has a possible gay lover and has Lunchlady Doris as his mistress.
Can we appreciate that Hans Moleman and Red Barclay have two things in common: They regularly drive trucks and their "deaths" can be in part blamed on Homer (well, some of Moleman's deaths can)
My favorite Moleman moment and death is from Treehouse of Horror IV, where Otto runs him off the road. I think the next one should be Ned Flanders, since he is the trope namer for Flanderization.
The Moleman/Mole People joke works a lot better if you've watched enough MST3K to actually recognize the reference. They've even put in the Ishtar symbol in the background, and all the weird hats. 'Sides, I love the delivery of his "Except that." line.
I recently re-watched "Homer's Triple Bypass" from Season 4. Hans was driving a truck towing the birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe. I had never picked up on the reference to Poe's story "The Telltale Heart" until then.
In season 1 "The Telltale Head" during the cloudtalk scene, the cloud shaped like a man stabbed in his back reminds me a lot of Hans Moleman... vaguely the shape and the fact that he is getting killed despite not even being a human
"Oh my God, they killed Moleman. You b--tards!" Hans Moleman is actually one of those characters that (in the earlier, Golden seasons at least) it's actually easy to forget he's a character, as he appears irregularly, and as mentioned in the video, always has little if no relation to the plot. Regarding the comments of 8:55 I totally agree, I think the key to making some characters work and continue to work, is to actually not give too much away - which may even be broken down into the whole Golden/post-Golden era thing, as many second (or even third)-tier characters became too overexposed and almost started to feel like lazy gags sometimes other than anything funny and worthwhile when the appeared. I haven't seen anything after about s13, but if they're still mostly sticking with that with Hans then I'm glad. Other once great random/surreal appearance characters (I point to Ralph Wiggum) actually got too spoiled when they started over-using them in rather cliched appearances which didn't often end up that great anyway. Hans Moleman in a way is kinda like Mr. Magoo, confused as to the world around him but loveable that he carries on and still has a go anyway (and seems content with that). BTW is it me or does Hans' eyesight seem to vary with different appearances over time? Maybe he got his eyes lasered right about the time his skin changed colour. :) BTW Jims and idea for a Histories, or actually just as a whatever video - Was Bart ever really that naughty? When the Simpsons came out there was the huge outcry about the bad example he set (which they played upon with the famous "Underachiever and Proud of it" merchandise), and in those early couple of seasons he certainly did seem more rebellious that the mischievous but generally non-threatening little scamp he became by seasons 3/4 or so. Was it just the outcry of the time; and moreso because it was a cartoon which "is for kids"? Have we become desensitised with truly horrible kids in 'South Park' 'Family Guy', etc. Or was Bart once actually really a terrible kid? :)
I think you're right about Hans Moleman's comedy efficiency index. Every image you've put in this episode I just had to pause, because with every scene Moleman's in, I laugh hysterically just thinking about it. In particular the Lisa on Ice bit, where he falls down the stairs, and in Treehouse of Horror 4 where his car blows up. Hans Moleman is one of the funniest characters in all of media.
This enhanced rather than detracted from my enjoyment of the character. :) Best death has to be a toss up between a high Mr Burns drilling Moleman's brains to get his 'lucky charms' and mistaking a pack of hungry wolves for rescue dogs after firing off his last flare (which was mistaken by the town as a beautiful shining star).
Usually he's the most unfortunate character, sometimes he comes out on top. Sometimes you can relate with him and other times (every time) you laugh. Hans Moleman may be one of the most obscure characters in the show but he's the most memorable. There's just something about that character. Hands down my favorite character in the show
Another terrific history video! Hans is a fantastic character and he definitely doesn’t need a spotlight story. He makes for plenty of good one-off gags. I personally am a big fan of the Knife scene. That makes me laugh every single time I see it!
If only this sugar were as sweet as your videos, sir. Hans is a fantastic side character. Definitely worth a closer look. I always wondered about his skin tone changing so much. Any idea what's up with that?
Pixel Art Shop He was originally just a one-time character, so they probably didn't have a set skin colour for him until he became more of a recurring character.
When I was watching the video back, I wondered why I didn't comment on that, since it is so obvious when looking at the images. Yeah, I would guess they just didn't know what to do with the model sheet, with the whole "mole man" joke going around. It could play into people's theories that maybe there are a bunch of Molemans...
Ah yes, in "Homer's Odyssey." Matt Groening claims that Smithers was always intended to be white (er...yellow) but they miscolored him by mistake and didn't have the money to fix it. This was corrected in the next episode. Fun fact: in "Blood Fued" Smithers originally had a line that said "Just leave me enough to get home to my wife and kids" but it was cut for time.
Pretty sure I remember seeing an interview with Matt Groening saying it was because they animated it overseas and they were in such a rush in the early seasons. If you look at the older shows smithers was darker also.
lmao, he's like an elderly Millhouse. I had to UA-cam "Hans Moleman inspiration" just because he's such a strange character. That moment where Homer runs him off the road is just comic gold. 🤣
Fun fact: He owns two classic cars. One being a 1960's Cadillac convertible that he crashed into the top-side of a restaurant owned by celebrities and the other is a 1970's AMC Gremlin that blows up after nearly crashing into a tree.
In the episode "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play"there was that one moment in the episode where the jumbotron focuses on Hans Moleman revealing he has a wife.
Pound for pound, Hans is the funniest character on the show pre season 12. He rarely says anything but everything he says is hilarious whether by context or content.
He did win the academy award with “man getting hit by football”, although he lost the starring role to George C Scott. But he was still the lead writer/ producer/director
While it will mean having to address some recent controversy, I'd like to see an episode on Apu and your thoughts on whether his eventual development and many positive traits make his stereotypical origin more forgivable. Plus he's one of the few characters to really grow over time, carry his own episodes and represent an entire culture (however stereotypically) so he deserves an episode.
I had previously stated I was a little afraid to tackle Apu, given his what a heated topic it was, but I am kind of walking that stance back. This video series isn't necessarily about just the discussion/analysis at the end, and at least going through all of his appearances and history would have value. The ending will be the most challenging part to write, since I am no sociology expert (or novice, really). It would be a really big project, though, since he is such a major character. But I think Apu is probably inevitable for this video series at some point.
Being offended by Apu is really kinda stupid. We all have cognitive ease and stereotypes are just what everybody does; it's pretty normal. If we continue to create controversy out of something we all normally have and out of a well-known character from "The Simpsons", we risk creating a great divide and making the fans who admire and love him defensive and guilty for nothing. Hell, I'd argue that you run the risk of creating more racists than stopping them. If I were racist against Indians from India, Apu would probably be the last person I would use as a tool for hate. No, being called "Apu" back in your school days is not the same as sending racist threats. If they can make an episode set in India just as hilarious as it should be, which was frankly well-received by the fans (I loved the "Apocalypse Now" parody), then why f--king bother? Which character is really racist: the Indian who smells dirty and rapes women or Apu?
They are both racist. An uglier stereotype doesn't make a more flattering stereotype less stereotyped. It's like if I said "isn't a flambouyant, bitchy gay man less offensive than a burly moustache-and-leather rapist?" Both are very limiting. The solution to Apu was actually fairly simple: hire at least one Indian writer, recast Apu (or have Hank tone down the accent), and write his dialogue the way they would for a white character. Maybe make an episode in which he has an opportunity for promotion to a better job, but struggles to be taken seriously by the Kwik-E-Mart head office? That could be a good episode. Evolve him, don't get rid of him, and don't insult the audience. The solution they came up with instead was to have Lisa, the character least likely to tolerate racism, look at the audience and say "what can you do?" This is the antithesis of both her character and of their role as writers aiming to depict a version of 21st century America. It was maybe the creative lowpoint of the entire series. Apu may appear relatively inoffensive because he's always shown as a kind and intelligent pillar of the community, but the reason he was chosen for that documentary is that he is still the most famous Indian-American character in any medium, despite being played by (and written for) by white people. I hate to say it, but Apu is the Indian equivalent of an Uncle Tom or Mammy character. Those also lingered for a lot longer than they should, and contemporary white people couldn't see how they were a problem, especially if they grew up with those characters. It's a hard thing to accept, but we can't keep doing the same immigrant stereotypes three decades later, and making excuses for that because we thought it was all in good fun at the time.
Sure, but that's one hell of a straw man argument. Apu and Uncle Tom are not at all comparable. But I see where you are coming from. If Apu is such a problem that you compare him to Uncle Tom of all people, then why wasn't there significant controversy following his first appearances on the show? I'm pretty sure Indian-American communities still existed back then. And no, they didn't grow up with it to hate. You are part of the problem. You are creating an issue out of perceived confirmation bias. Now, on to the argument that his accent is exaggerated. Well, it kind of is. But it isn't that offensive. I've had some Indian friends back when I was in the Emirates whose voices and inflections were somewhat similar to that of Apu. Yes, I know, saying that I had Indian friends makes me look like a racist doofus in your eyes, but I can assure you, they had it. It's part of a spectrum, but it exists. Now, the argument that he was voiced and written by white people. (Oy vey) What kind of a problem do you have with that? Did they hire them because they were talented or because they were white? This isn't the "Chinamen era" anymore (wherein white actors portrayed Asians in a _legitimately_ offensive manner). If Hank can portray Apu with a stereotypical Indian accent that is based in reality, then I'd say he's certainly great at it. The "white man's job" argument is really irrelevant, now that I think about it. It doesn't really matter. If Apu was written in a racist manner, I'm pretty sure that it would have been called out on back when the show was in its heyday. Have you seen any protests that remind you of the Haitian-American protests against GTA Vice City? Not that I know of. The concept of impersonating people of other races is subjective and I can understand your concern, but it's really filler. Recasting him will create more of a problem than a solution, which is why political correctness is seen as a threat by many. If you want to hire an Indian writer for Apu, then may I suggest hiring a Scottish writer for Willie, a German-Austrian writer for McBain, a child writer for the kids, a fat father for Homer, a WWII veteran for Grampa, a Vietnam veteran for Skinner, a black writer for Carl, a female writer for, well, take a guess, and so on and so forth? I'm pretty sure many of them already got it covered. And this is an American show. Deal with it. You can't throw Hank Azaria in jail for doing something that nearly all comedians do. I get the feeling that you might be calling Robin Williams racist for his Gandhi impersonation by proxy. To quote KnowingBetter, "When you exaggerate everything, you diminish everything. When everything is the worst thing in the world, nothing is." Also, we have already seen his struggles with his job. He does his job really well, given the circumstances. "Evolve him, don't get rid of him, and don't insult the audience". One, he's already evolved and developed. If you have a problem with Apu in this regard, then many might get the feeling that you haven't actually watched the show and Apu-centric episodes in general. Two, thank you for not suggesting to remove him and three, the fact that you thought that Apu was in any way insulting the audience is legitimately insulting to the audience themselves, especially those who have actually watched the episodes where Apu was the main focus of the story. Especially "Homer and Apu" and "Much Apu About Nothing". Now to the argument that Apu wouldn't fit in 21st-century America. First of all, it's like saying Lenny and Carl wouldn't fit in 1970s America. It makes no sense in any regard. It's rather subjective. If you have a problem with non-threatening stereotypes, then may I suggest not watching the show and watching comedy with no substance? That is what you would get if comedy wasn't built on stuff like this. There is a difference between a character with stereotypical traits and a character who _is_ a stereotype. If one couldn't differentiate between these two, then he/she has no business in comedy. We laugh at Apu for his jokes and the scenarios he was involved in, not for the traits that he possesses. Only dumb people will take an issue of not being able to differentiate between cartoons and real-life. If "Apu" is used as a racial slur, it's the problem of those who use it, not the character himself. The idiots are the idiots. "It was maybe the creative lowpoint of the entire series". We already had that and it was nothing related to Apu and the staff's response. Ironically, in the same response, it shows the problems of toning down stories to fit the PC narrative, thereby making them less engaging and more tiresome. If the character was already evolved with nothing to "offend" anyone, it mean that he/she is no longer worth rooting for. You might as well have said, "Nuance? What's that?" while you're at it. No, he's not written for white people. He's written for us to see his perspectives and antics. Once again, it's the scenario that we laugh at, not the character (unless he does something stupid like Homer). Hank Azaria is not a bigoted asshole. Even he shared a story in which he received praise for his work on Apu from an Indian. Nor are the writers. Nor are the characters written by said writers. Sure, there are some jokes from the show that have not aged well, but Apu is certainly not one of them. The only people who are offended by Apu are people who have no idea how the world works. Just deal with it. Thank you, come again. Arguer's fault: False analogies, shortsightedness, confirmation bias, ignorance, misplaced contempt and the straw man fallacy.
I'm a lifelong fan and I have seen every golden-age episode many times. The arguments I'm making are based on what I have heard from Hari Kondabolu in both his documentary and the interviews and panels surrounding it. The blackface comparison was made by him, including in discussion with Whoopi Goldberg. As neither an Indian-American nor an African-American (or even an American, I'm from the UK where the same Indian stereotypes exist and are similarly damaging) I chose to hear them out and absorb what they had to say, rather than lecture them about their sensitivity. They had enough conviction on the subject to produce an elaborate documentary. Clearly this matters to them. The reason you didn't hear anyone kick up a fuss 30 years ago is simple: who was going to say it? Who was going to report on it? The people interviewed in the documentary were mostly kids at the time The Simpsons debuted, and nobody asked the Indian community how they felt or invited them to a platform to discuss it. Apathy from 30 years ago doesn't excuse apathy now. The problem with Apu is not that Apu is in and of himself a hateful character, or even a particularly insulting one. He's clearly a smart, nuanced character the creators and audience love deeply. The problem is that The Simpsons has been around for 30 years uninterrupted (an unprecedented run) and Apu is still the first Indian character most people think of. Actual Indians are expected to play the same stereotypes being exploited by white people for Apu. It's easy being offended by blackface characters, but there's more subtlety to understanding why the black actors of the 1930s were also giving performances which are now seen as problematic. "Master of None", Aziz Ansari's show on Netflix, has a whole episode dedicated to what Indian-American actors have to put up with when trying to land serious roles, and it came out before The Problem with Apu. It's taken until the last few years for a show which would satirise that problem to even exist. There are now several high profile Indian-Americans who get comedic leads or supporting roles, but the number of chances to tell their own stories is still limited and the roles written specifically for them are usually mired in stereotypes from a different era. I suggested adding an Indian writer to The Simpsons to expand the observational element of Apu and his family and integrate real experiences. They should have a diverse team in general; add more women (I know they've had a handful of female writers, but always the minority), more black voices, maybe a Japanese writer now that they've got a recurring Japanese character... The Simpsons could do with resuscitation in general, because the same tired stereotypes are the foundation of every character's jokes at this point and it's long gone stale. Don't worry about adding a fat father - I think that's most of the writers they've got. The Simpsons is at its best when it reflects America, but right now they are falling short in that regard, and episodes which try to cover contemporary subject matter (especially technology) are usually pretty cringeworthy. They have an opportunity to do something interesting, and instead they crammed a shitty "what can you do?" into an already shitty episode. They made the whole situation even worse by dismissing Hari's points entirely, rather than taking him up on his many invitations to discuss an issue which we need to get past in order for comedy to grow.
Anotherthing about Moeman's personality is love for Automobiles, the man have been seen driving all kinda of cars he owned a AMC Gremlin, a AMC Pacer Wagon, a 1981 Buick Regal, a Freightliner FLB, and many more.
I can see the collector of cars, but millionaire? You can buy most of those cars on Craigslist for $2,000. Except for the Freightliner, that will cost you about $10,000. He also owned that green 1964-66 Ford F100 in that Metallica scene you showed us, and a pink 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.
Hans Moleman actually has been happy a few times. For example, in the episode “Burns's Heir", he gets adopted by the Simpsons family after being confused with Bart, and Homer seems to really like him.
@@rupertperiwinkle4477 Hans does live in the retirement home though. The effects may have worn off after a while. The Simpsons seems to have unclear continuity.
Hans Moleman reminds me of that Greek myth where a man wishes for immortality but forgets to ask for eternal youth. So he can't ever die, but he keeps on aging (and shrinking) forever.
gokinsmen yeah, i member, and that's where crickets come from
He didn't wish for it, his semi-goddess girlfriend begged Zeus for his loved one's immortality
It’s the myth of Dawn and Tithonus :)
Yeah but he's only 31 years old
never heard of that myth en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tithonus
In a way, everyone's a winner. But in another more accurate way, Hans Moleman is not the winner.
Dang, I should have closed with that. So much better.
@@TheRealJims Don't beat yourself up for it.
Please add accurate closed captions for all your videos
@@TheRealJims dont hans holeman yourself for it.
FUUUU-
Moleman is the old guy we all want to be even if he is freaking great
"Are you really allowed to execute people in a local jail?"
"From this point on, no talking."
he ate my last meeeal!
Good times, good times.
If that's the worst thing what happens to you today consider yourself lucky
🤣🤣🤣🤣 Goddamn I miss 90s Simpsons
Lol! I died!!!
😂
"I need the biggest seed bell you have. No, that's too big."
He says seed bell! I always thought that he wanted a seatbelt and always wondered what the joke was.
One of the most elegantly constructed jokes in the whole series
I always thought he said "sea bell," like a bell to scare off seagulls that trail fishing boats that are netting fish. I went online and found out what a "seed bell" is, which makes the joke even more funny. Seed bells are used to ATTRACT birds. LOL.
That's gotta be one fucking gigantic seedbell.
@@Luboman411 why would he want one? Wasn’t that scene where loads of crows were flying around?
My favourite bit is where Marge says "maybe I am crazy, I'm talking to myself"
To which Moleman replies sadly that he thought he had made a friend.
That's my favorite too
An Excellent Joke
@@SkeligAh you just got there before me!
Let it be known that Moleman was indeed shouting; "Boo-urns"
Morb-ye Morb-ye! I was saying Boo-Urns
Don't take the Mark of the Beast! (666)
I Was Saying Boo-urns.
Yeah, one of his best jokes, the football thing is pretty funny, but that one always cracks me up!
Yoseqlo Yoseloq Agreed.
this
A farewell to kings!
It's curns, stupid!
"You're reading the wine list, sir."
"Very good."
Danny Rea
That's how I wish my first date goes
Yellow Q R Mailman
i just wonder how mailman got on there i have always wondered that
@@imahecc585 He probably misread something
"Dang blast it, isn't anyone in this cemetery dead?"
"I didn't want to cause a fuss but now that you mention it..."
I don't know why but I've always found this little dude so freakin endearing. He's just this weird little potato headed guy that goes about his business enjoying his life and....it's adorable. That're really the best way I can describe him. He's just adorable and I hate watching bad things happen to him.
That's how I feel about Sideshow Mel, he's cute and I don't like seeing Krusty throw things at him and just generally mistreat him
@@EdnaK728 It's funny how you get attached to background characters, isn't it?
@@kayleighbrown459 Mel is adorable and I'll always love him
Same I feel bad for Moleman
As a little kid, Moleman was my main reason to come back to the show. He just kept getting funnier and funnier, like when Moe has him locked in the floorboards, and his Gremlin car. I'm not gay for him, but I'm happy he exists.
Nobody's gay for Moleman
@@stuart0wen I am
"Im not fay for him but im happy he exists"
Gay for moleman
Sounds like what somebody who’s gay for Moleman would say
We’re all gay for Moleman deep down.
As I'm getting older, I feel like everyday is just a journey towards becoming Hans Moleman myself...maybe that's why I like him so much. Hopefully I can look forward to a peaceful end, and not getting being killed by a rich guy who for some reason has a power drill in his desk drawer.
"Oh no. my brains."
"...and not getting being killed by a rich guy who for some reason has a power drill in his desk drawer."
I would like to say no, but sadly that's definitely a possibility.
i'm going to get your lucky charms!
yeah hans moleman is kinda like an example of where not to end up in life. ya dont wanna be a lonely old person who has nobody etc. ..where nobody is gay for you etc
it's like kissing a peanut!
I want that "thing" out of my house.
Cowabunga dudes!
Mommy, Daddy, Can I have a Moleman too?
That line always makes me laugh
"You're certainly doing your job today Mr. Sun"
*gets set in fire from his glasses focussing the sun's rays on his clothes*
"Oh, rats"
A poem by Hans Moleman: I think that I shall never see, my cataracts are blinding me
And they thought I stunk
I love what he says when Apu closed the store for 5 minutes with him inside, “You stole five minutes of my life and I want them back...oh I’s probably waste the anyway..” The best death was the bubble thing in the cult episode when Marge is escaping. He;s just standing there for no reason .
That Cult episode was a GREAT post "Golden Age" episode
You took 10 minutes of my life and I want it back
Oh! I'd just waste it anyways.
fiory martin: 5 minutes
lol, nothing like wasting time. I suggest sleeping.
@@avialt3160 I think he's referring to the video length
4 minutes
"moleman always seems game for trying new things" is surprisingly inspiring
My favorite Death was probably the Burns one. He just wanted a much needed push broom re-bristling and instead got a power drill into his forhead.
Ow, my brains.
Theres something really endearing about this older guy putting himself out there to do things he would usually be considered too old to do like going to rock concerts and entering cooking competitions. Good for him
Favorite line:
“I need the biggest seed bell you have. No, that’s too big.”
"Oh no, my brains"
That's right, Mr. Burns was actually shot by Hans Moleman.
stop that :p
No, Jub-Jub shot Mr. Burns.
NO! it was spider pig!!
Miles Prower He didn’t exist yet.
It was the butterfly i tell ya! THE BUTTERFLY!
JUST EAT THE DAMN ORANGES
Lol
“Eating an orange is a lot like a good marriage” was a great line on its own honestly.
I vote for Kirk Vanhouten. I too don't like the idea of Milhouse having two spaghetti dinners in one day.
6sKi6z6 He sleeps in a race car, do you?
Johnny Canuck no i sleep in a bed with my wife
LOL, Kirk is such a lovable loser
He even says "At least I'm out doing things" when he's attached to the grill of Burns vehicle from getting hit.
I'm dying to know more about Lenny's love for Classical Gas and Superintendent Chalmers' late wife and boyhood days in Utica, Queens, Mexico and Intercourse, Pennsylvania.
Josh I I’d like to know why superintendent chalmers sometimes wears a tutu and swings 2 black nunchucks around...seriously that’s apparently a thing he does, it’s one of his tasks in the simpsons tapped out called “breaking character”
general chaos
It's from episode "To Surveil With Love".
His line, "This used to be just a little part of me." suggests a past of strange behaviour.
hahaha!
Josh I don't forget his college years at ball state
My Simpsons history nominees:
- Blue Haired Lawyer
- Lindsey Nagle
- Squeaky Voiced Teen
- Dederich Tatum
- Duffman
- The "Yessss" Guy
- Fat Tony
These are all great shouts
Who is Lindsey Nagle?
When did they introduce the Yes guy? I feel like he's not early Simpsons but I'm sure he's not HD. In fact I don't even remember him in any HD eps or pre HD eps.
BlueLightningSky mhhhhyes guy only lasted about 3 or 4 seasons I believe, somewhere around season 10, late 90s early 2000s, I do want a video on him too!
And Jay Sherman
I love Hans
He’s a mystery
An oddity
He’s like that leftover bit of a treehouse of horror that sneaks into regular episodes
Huh. So it turns out there *is* enough information to put together a history on someone like Hans Moleman...
(This is the upside of covering a series with 600+ episodes.)
Can you please do Simpsons Histories: Cletus Spuckler?
TheRealJims I really think you should do a video on Apu, especially considering the recent controversies with the character.
I think a Simpson’s history of Moe would be cool :)
TheRealJims that's was very informative and well presented, now may I request Gil, the salesman lol that guy had it just as rough than Hans
I think a Simpson's History on Mona Simpson would be good, I think she's a really interesting character
Hans is an underrated character. I vote Otto Man for Simpson's History. Go give the song Ballad of Hans Moleman by MC Lars a listen.
You can't keep Hans Moleman down
Good Moleman to you, Jims!
“Hans Moleman has never downloaded a song in his life, so I’m not surprised the band feels [that he is a true fan]”
I fucking died at that
He truly is a hero. Whether he gets his brains drilled by Mister Burns or is set on fire, he's always back up the day after.
He is a hero, and heroes never die.
Homer: "My friends....stop!"
*stuggling to hold flamming arrow*
Moleman: "Please hurry.......!"
Hans is the best character!
JoaoG R you're gay for moleman
"If only this sugar were as sweet as you." Best. Line. Ever. Especially when you think about it.
I'm surprised you didn't mention how in the episode "A Test Before Trying" we see his wife and kids at the hospital pulling the plug off him despite his objections, suggesting animosity in the family.
This animosity is no doubt caused by Han's playboy lifestyle as he's seen routinely trying to score dates, has a possible gay lover and has Lunchlady Doris as his mistress.
Hmmm, not sure how I missed that in my research... Thought I was being pretty thorough. There are too many Simpsons episodes.
TheRealJims
No biggie, it doesn't really matter if you miss one Moleman joke in some random episode. Your video is still pretty good, no matter what.
Can we appreciate that Hans Moleman and Red Barclay have two things in common: They regularly drive trucks and their "deaths" can be in part blamed on Homer (well, some of Moleman's deaths can)
"He called me Greenhorn. I called him Tony Randall. It was a thing we had..."
My favorite Moleman moment and death is from Treehouse of Horror IV, where Otto runs him off the road. I think the next one should be Ned Flanders, since he is the trope namer for Flanderization.
Misread this and though it was 'Simpsons Mysteries'. And I was like, yeah that makes sense. How does he keep on living? Are there more of him?
BadMouseProductions A wild commie appears.
I imagine it's something to do with the Fortress of the Moles.
BadMouseProductions
Dude's revealed to be 31. The questions keep on piling.
Communist. Shoot it.
Your favorite Hans Molement
You took 10 minutes of my life and I want them back!
Oh, I'd only waste them anyway..
He got his whole own Simpsons Histories episode how is that not a win?
So would that make Hans Moleman the Forrest Gump of the Simpsons universe?
"Oh no, my brains..."
The Moleman/Mole People joke works a lot better if you've watched enough MST3K to actually recognize the reference. They've even put in the Ishtar symbol in the background, and all the weird hats. 'Sides, I love the delivery of his "Except that." line.
Once again I would like the next episode to be about Groundskeeper Willie.
Simpsons Histories - Sideshow Mel
Yeah! I want to know about how he was a prolific actor in the theatre to then end as Krusty's punching bag.
I recently re-watched "Homer's Triple Bypass" from Season 4.
Hans was driving a truck towing the birthplace of Edgar Allen Poe.
I had never picked up on the reference to Poe's story "The Telltale Heart" until then.
In season 1 "The Telltale Head" during the cloudtalk scene, the cloud shaped like a man stabbed in his back reminds me a lot of Hans Moleman... vaguely the shape and the fact that he is getting killed despite not even being a human
That's crazy! I didn't even realise that he hasn't appeared before this
"Oh my God, they killed Moleman. You b--tards!" Hans Moleman is actually one of those characters that (in the earlier, Golden seasons at least) it's actually easy to forget he's a character, as he appears irregularly, and as mentioned in the video, always has little if no relation to the plot.
Regarding the comments of 8:55 I totally agree, I think the key to making some characters work and continue to work, is to actually not give too much away - which may even be broken down into the whole Golden/post-Golden era thing, as many second (or even third)-tier characters became too overexposed and almost started to feel like lazy gags sometimes other than anything funny and worthwhile when the appeared. I haven't seen anything after about s13, but if they're still mostly sticking with that with Hans then I'm glad. Other once great random/surreal appearance characters (I point to Ralph Wiggum) actually got too spoiled when they started over-using them in rather cliched appearances which didn't often end up that great anyway.
Hans Moleman in a way is kinda like Mr. Magoo, confused as to the world around him but loveable that he carries on and still has a go anyway (and seems content with that). BTW is it me or does Hans' eyesight seem to vary with different appearances over time? Maybe he got his eyes lasered right about the time his skin changed colour. :)
BTW Jims and idea for a Histories, or actually just as a whatever video - Was Bart ever really that naughty? When the Simpsons came out there was the huge outcry about the bad example he set (which they played upon with the famous "Underachiever and Proud of it" merchandise), and in those early couple of seasons he certainly did seem more rebellious that the mischievous but generally non-threatening little scamp he became by seasons 3/4 or so. Was it just the outcry of the time; and moreso because it was a cartoon which "is for kids"? Have we become desensitised with truly horrible kids in 'South Park' 'Family Guy', etc. Or was Bart once actually really a terrible kid? :)
I think you're right about Hans Moleman's comedy efficiency index.
Every image you've put in this episode I just had to pause, because with every scene Moleman's in, I laugh hysterically just thinking about it. In particular the Lisa on Ice bit, where he falls down the stairs, and in Treehouse of Horror 4 where his car blows up.
Hans Moleman is one of the funniest characters in all of media.
This is one of the best videos you have made. Wow. I had a nostalgic smile throughout the entire piece.
I can hear the Zelda's song in the background
This enhanced rather than detracted from my enjoyment of the character. :)
Best death has to be a toss up between a high Mr Burns drilling Moleman's brains to get his 'lucky charms' and mistaking a pack of hungry wolves for rescue dogs after firing off his last flare (which was mistaken by the town as a beautiful shining star).
He's lowkey my favorite Simpsons character. I always get excited when he shows up
This is one character who I never thought would get a History video. I guess I was wrong!
Do police chief Wiggum. That would be fun.
Usually he's the most unfortunate character, sometimes he comes out on top. Sometimes you can relate with him and other times (every time) you laugh. Hans Moleman may be one of the most obscure characters in the show but he's the most memorable. There's just something about that character. Hands down my favorite character in the show
Another terrific history video! Hans is a fantastic character and he definitely doesn’t need a spotlight story. He makes for plenty of good one-off gags. I personally am a big fan of the Knife scene. That makes me laugh every single time I see it!
Hans Moleman is immortal.... 'Nuff said.
If only this sugar were as sweet as your videos, sir. Hans is a fantastic side character. Definitely worth a closer look.
I always wondered about his skin tone changing so much. Any idea what's up with that?
Pixel Art Shop
He was originally just a one-time character, so they probably didn't have a set skin colour for him until he became more of a recurring character.
When I was watching the video back, I wondered why I didn't comment on that, since it is so obvious when looking at the images. Yeah, I would guess they just didn't know what to do with the model sheet, with the whole "mole man" joke going around. It could play into people's theories that maybe there are a bunch of Molemans...
Ah yes, in "Homer's Odyssey." Matt Groening claims that Smithers was always intended to be white (er...yellow) but they miscolored him by mistake and didn't have the money to fix it. This was corrected in the next episode. Fun fact: in "Blood Fued" Smithers originally had a line that said "Just leave me enough to get home to my wife and kids" but it was cut for time.
TheRealJims Perhaps each change of skin tones is due to drinking and getting hit with a football. A combination of those can change anybody.
Pretty sure I remember seeing an interview with Matt Groening saying it was because they animated it overseas and they were in such a rush in the early seasons. If you look at the older shows smithers was darker also.
Very well done 👍🏽
Loved every minute of this video
Love this channel! Another great video.
Hans Molemen isn’t a kindly old gentleman, he’s only thirty-one
It's established
I would love to see a Simpsons Histories on Smithers
Another great video, as always! I'm starting to crave these Simpsons histories vids. I would love to see one on the Italian mob!
lmao, he's like an elderly Millhouse. I had to UA-cam "Hans Moleman inspiration" just because he's such a strange character. That moment where Homer runs him off the road is just comic gold. 🤣
Fun fact: He owns two classic cars. One being a 1960's Cadillac convertible that he crashed into the top-side of a restaurant owned by celebrities and the other is a 1970's AMC Gremlin that blows up after nearly crashing into a tree.
That's not my uncle and this man's not dead!
That's what I've been trying to tell them!
The scene with hans moleman in the morgue traumatized me as a kid. I was terrified of that happening to me.
Thanks for this video on the greatest Simpsons character ever.
I vote for Barney Gumble!
Loving that Animal Crossing music 😍
Hans is now my new favorite character. Thank you.
I always get excited when you post new videos this is literally my favorite Channel on UA-cam
In the episode "Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play"there was that one moment in the episode where the jumbotron focuses on Hans Moleman revealing he has a wife.
My spirit animal
Wow, what a great series. I can't wait to watch more! :)
You know Hans Moleman is great when you are cracking up just remembering his scenes.
Well if this is the case, what about old Gill
if only the sugar were as sweet as you TheRealJims
Pound for pound, Hans is the funniest character on the show pre season 12. He rarely says anything but everything he says is hilarious whether by context or content.
Favorite moment: "This is a knife! Uh-oh, down I go!"Favorite death: "Oh no, my brains!"
He did win the academy award with “man getting hit by football”, although he lost the starring role to George C Scott. But he was still the lead writer/ producer/director
While it will mean having to address some recent controversy, I'd like to see an episode on Apu and your thoughts on whether his eventual development and many positive traits make his stereotypical origin more forgivable. Plus he's one of the few characters to really grow over time, carry his own episodes and represent an entire culture (however stereotypically) so he deserves an episode.
I had previously stated I was a little afraid to tackle Apu, given his what a heated topic it was, but I am kind of walking that stance back. This video series isn't necessarily about just the discussion/analysis at the end, and at least going through all of his appearances and history would have value. The ending will be the most challenging part to write, since I am no sociology expert (or novice, really).
It would be a really big project, though, since he is such a major character. But I think Apu is probably inevitable for this video series at some point.
Being offended by Apu is really kinda stupid. We all have cognitive ease and stereotypes are just what everybody does; it's pretty normal. If we continue to create controversy out of something we all normally have and out of a well-known character from "The Simpsons", we risk creating a great divide and making the fans who admire and love him defensive and guilty for nothing. Hell, I'd argue that you run the risk of creating more racists than stopping them.
If I were racist against Indians from India, Apu would probably be the last person I would use as a tool for hate. No, being called "Apu" back in your school days is not the same as sending racist threats. If they can make an episode set in India just as hilarious as it should be, which was frankly well-received by the fans (I loved the "Apocalypse Now" parody), then why f--king bother?
Which character is really racist: the Indian who smells dirty and rapes women or Apu?
They are both racist. An uglier stereotype doesn't make a more flattering stereotype less stereotyped. It's like if I said "isn't a flambouyant, bitchy gay man less offensive than a burly moustache-and-leather rapist?" Both are very limiting.
The solution to Apu was actually fairly simple: hire at least one Indian writer, recast Apu (or have Hank tone down the accent), and write his dialogue the way they would for a white character. Maybe make an episode in which he has an opportunity for promotion to a better job, but struggles to be taken seriously by the Kwik-E-Mart head office? That could be a good episode. Evolve him, don't get rid of him, and don't insult the audience.
The solution they came up with instead was to have Lisa, the character least likely to tolerate racism, look at the audience and say "what can you do?" This is the antithesis of both her character and of their role as writers aiming to depict a version of 21st century America. It was maybe the creative lowpoint of the entire series.
Apu may appear relatively inoffensive because he's always shown as a kind and intelligent pillar of the community, but the reason he was chosen for that documentary is that he is still the most famous Indian-American character in any medium, despite being played by (and written for) by white people.
I hate to say it, but Apu is the Indian equivalent of an Uncle Tom or Mammy character. Those also lingered for a lot longer than they should, and contemporary white people couldn't see how they were a problem, especially if they grew up with those characters. It's a hard thing to accept, but we can't keep doing the same immigrant stereotypes three decades later, and making excuses for that because we thought it was all in good fun at the time.
Sure, but that's one hell of a straw man argument. Apu and Uncle Tom are not at all comparable. But I see where you are coming from. If Apu is such a problem that you compare him to Uncle Tom of all people, then why wasn't there significant controversy following his first appearances on the show? I'm pretty sure Indian-American communities still existed back then. And no, they didn't grow up with it to hate. You are part of the problem. You are creating an issue out of perceived confirmation bias.
Now, on to the argument that his accent is exaggerated. Well, it kind of is. But it isn't that offensive. I've had some Indian friends back when I was in the Emirates whose voices and inflections were somewhat similar to that of Apu. Yes, I know, saying that I had Indian friends makes me look like a racist doofus in your eyes, but I can assure you, they had it. It's part of a spectrum, but it exists.
Now, the argument that he was voiced and written by white people. (Oy vey) What kind of a problem do you have with that? Did they hire them because they were talented or because they were white? This isn't the "Chinamen era" anymore (wherein white actors portrayed Asians in a _legitimately_ offensive manner). If Hank can portray Apu with a stereotypical Indian accent that is based in reality, then I'd say he's certainly great at it. The "white man's job" argument is really irrelevant, now that I think about it. It doesn't really matter. If Apu was written in a racist manner, I'm pretty sure that it would have been called out on back when the show was in its heyday. Have you seen any protests that remind you of the Haitian-American protests against GTA Vice City? Not that I know of. The concept of impersonating people of other races is subjective and I can understand your concern, but it's really filler. Recasting him will create more of a problem than a solution, which is why political correctness is seen as a threat by many. If you want to hire an Indian writer for Apu, then may I suggest hiring a Scottish writer for Willie, a German-Austrian writer for McBain, a child writer for the kids, a fat father for Homer, a WWII veteran for Grampa, a Vietnam veteran for Skinner, a black writer for Carl, a female writer for, well, take a guess, and so on and so forth? I'm pretty sure many of them already got it covered. And this is an American show. Deal with it. You can't throw Hank Azaria in jail for doing something that nearly all comedians do. I get the feeling that you might be calling Robin Williams racist for his Gandhi impersonation by proxy.
To quote KnowingBetter, "When you exaggerate everything, you diminish everything. When everything is the worst thing in the world, nothing is."
Also, we have already seen his struggles with his job. He does his job really well, given the circumstances.
"Evolve him, don't get rid of him, and don't insult the audience". One, he's already evolved and developed. If you have a problem with Apu in this regard, then many might get the feeling that you haven't actually watched the show and Apu-centric episodes in general. Two, thank you for not suggesting to remove him and three, the fact that you thought that Apu was in any way insulting the audience is legitimately insulting to the audience themselves, especially those who have actually watched the episodes where Apu was the main focus of the story. Especially "Homer and Apu" and "Much Apu About Nothing".
Now to the argument that Apu wouldn't fit in 21st-century America. First of all, it's like saying Lenny and Carl wouldn't fit in 1970s America. It makes no sense in any regard. It's rather subjective. If you have a problem with non-threatening stereotypes, then may I suggest not watching the show and watching comedy with no substance? That is what you would get if comedy wasn't built on stuff like this. There is a difference between a character with stereotypical traits and a character who _is_ a stereotype. If one couldn't differentiate between these two, then he/she has no business in comedy. We laugh at Apu for his jokes and the scenarios he was involved in, not for the traits that he possesses. Only dumb people will take an issue of not being able to differentiate between cartoons and real-life. If "Apu" is used as a racial slur, it's the problem of those who use it, not the character himself. The idiots are the idiots.
"It was maybe the creative lowpoint of the entire series". We already had that and it was nothing related to Apu and the staff's response. Ironically, in the same response, it shows the problems of toning down stories to fit the PC narrative, thereby making them less engaging and more tiresome. If the character was already evolved with nothing to "offend" anyone, it mean that he/she is no longer worth rooting for. You might as well have said, "Nuance? What's that?" while you're at it.
No, he's not written for white people. He's written for us to see his perspectives and antics. Once again, it's the scenario that we laugh at, not the character (unless he does something stupid like Homer). Hank Azaria is not a bigoted asshole. Even he shared a story in which he received praise for his work on Apu from an Indian. Nor are the writers. Nor are the characters written by said writers. Sure, there are some jokes from the show that have not aged well, but Apu is certainly not one of them. The only people who are offended by Apu are people who have no idea how the world works. Just deal with it.
Thank you, come again.
Arguer's fault: False analogies, shortsightedness, confirmation bias, ignorance, misplaced contempt and the straw man fallacy.
I'm a lifelong fan and I have seen every golden-age episode many times. The arguments I'm making are based on what I have heard from Hari Kondabolu in both his documentary and the interviews and panels surrounding it. The blackface comparison was made by him, including in discussion with Whoopi Goldberg. As neither an Indian-American nor an African-American (or even an American, I'm from the UK where the same Indian stereotypes exist and are similarly damaging) I chose to hear them out and absorb what they had to say, rather than lecture them about their sensitivity. They had enough conviction on the subject to produce an elaborate documentary. Clearly this matters to them. The reason you didn't hear anyone kick up a fuss 30 years ago is simple: who was going to say it? Who was going to report on it? The people interviewed in the documentary were mostly kids at the time The Simpsons debuted, and nobody asked the Indian community how they felt or invited them to a platform to discuss it. Apathy from 30 years ago doesn't excuse apathy now.
The problem with Apu is not that Apu is in and of himself a hateful character, or even a particularly insulting one. He's clearly a smart, nuanced character the creators and audience love deeply. The problem is that The Simpsons has been around for 30 years uninterrupted (an unprecedented run) and Apu is still the first Indian character most people think of. Actual Indians are expected to play the same stereotypes being exploited by white people for Apu. It's easy being offended by blackface characters, but there's more subtlety to understanding why the black actors of the 1930s were also giving performances which are now seen as problematic. "Master of None", Aziz Ansari's show on Netflix, has a whole episode dedicated to what Indian-American actors have to put up with when trying to land serious roles, and it came out before The Problem with Apu. It's taken until the last few years for a show which would satirise that problem to even exist.
There are now several high profile Indian-Americans who get comedic leads or supporting roles, but the number of chances to tell their own stories is still limited and the roles written specifically for them are usually mired in stereotypes from a different era. I suggested adding an Indian writer to The Simpsons to expand the observational element of Apu and his family and integrate real experiences. They should have a diverse team in general; add more women (I know they've had a handful of female writers, but always the minority), more black voices, maybe a Japanese writer now that they've got a recurring Japanese character... The Simpsons could do with resuscitation in general, because the same tired stereotypes are the foundation of every character's jokes at this point and it's long gone stale. Don't worry about adding a fat father - I think that's most of the writers they've got. The Simpsons is at its best when it reflects America, but right now they are falling short in that regard, and episodes which try to cover contemporary subject matter (especially technology) are usually pretty cringeworthy. They have an opportunity to do something interesting, and instead they crammed a shitty "what can you do?" into an already shitty episode. They made the whole situation even worse by dismissing Hari's points entirely, rather than taking him up on his many invitations to discuss an issue which we need to get past in order for comedy to grow.
Hey these videos are good and I'm glad you make them!
Thank you for all that you do.
"Hans Moleman is the man."
What Hans had a whole episode dedicated to him well never knew that
Nope just an opening for a longer but short joke
Anotherthing about Moeman's personality is love for Automobiles, the man have been seen driving all kinda of cars he owned a AMC Gremlin, a AMC Pacer Wagon, a 1981 Buick Regal, a Freightliner FLB, and many more.
You know your vehicle makes way better than me. In Season 30, they will reveal Moleman is a secret millionaire with a giant collection of cars.
I can see the collector of cars, but millionaire? You can buy most of those cars on Craigslist for $2,000. Except for the Freightliner, that will cost you about $10,000. He also owned that green 1964-66 Ford F100 in that Metallica scene you showed us, and a pink 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.
Brilliant character and brilliant analysis
Hans Moleman actually has been happy a few times. For example, in the episode “Burns's Heir", he gets adopted by the Simpsons family after being confused with Bart, and Homer seems to really like him.
Yes but then he is abandonned by them once they learn he is not their son
@@rupertperiwinkle4477 Eventually I guess so.
@@rupertperiwinkle4477 And we never know that they abandoned him because the episode never tells us what happened to him.
@@b.m.933 well he doesnt get to live in the simpsons home lol Poor Hans
@@rupertperiwinkle4477 Hans does live in the retirement home though. The effects may have worn off after a while. The Simpsons seems to have unclear continuity.
7:58 or maybe he's 31 in moleman years
Omg I'm so happy I found this channel 🤣👏🏻
Really love these analysis videos. Got my fingers crossed we could maybe see Professor Frink down the line.
Do a grandpa history as his continuity is weird or Moe because it's Moe.
Do you still have all those screencaps of Hans Moleman? i can't imagine having a better folder than that.
Ha ha ha. I started laughing out loud at your comedy/efficiency ratio.
I like the King of the Molemen joke, in that he’s finally in a position of power and is still pushed down by fate