David Cooper
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0267 - Karl
🕑 Added 2023-10-09 08:00:03 +0000 UTCKarl is the most significant character introduced in this episode, and is perhaps one of the most single celebrated single-appearance characters of all time.
His devotion to his boss - to the extent that he would rather ultimately quit his position as Homer's assistant rather than see Homer fail - is remarkably odd. Because we, the audience, want Homer to succeed, we do not question this devotion (and perhaps attraction) too closely, even though it's strange for someone to love their employer this intensely. Hell, I don't even like my employer, and I'm self-employed.
Karl is also our most openly LGBTQ+ character yet, even though his homosexuality is never explicitly stated. Smithers has obviously appeared before this, but his sexual preferences have not come up - early on Waylon is a "Burns-sexual" rather than a homosexual, and even that hasn't really come up. The show has gotten much better with this representation as it has gone on, but in 1990 this was the most you could really get away with on network television.
Although I suppose they "got away" with a lot:
This is not the first male-male kiss on television, but there certainly weren't a lot before this. And it is most likely the first animated one, at least.
Perhaps the most concrete evidence that Karl is gay comes from the fact that he is (wonderfully) performed by Harvey Fierstein, who had been openly gay for a long time at this point - practically an ambassador for the community. And what a voice!
Anyway, I say Karl is a "single appearance" character, but he actually appears a few times after this episode, although sadly never voiced again:
The funniest one is this background appearance from "Marge vs. the Monorail", in which someone clearly mistook him for an off-model Kent Brockman:
COMPLETELY UNRELATED: I have now organised all the "Every Simpsons Character Ever" posts into their own collection on here, making it easier to browse through all of them! Ah, memories. Remember Santa Instructor? Or Kid? Or Secretary? Now it's easier than ever to look through them all!
This post is part of my "Every Simpsons Character Ever" series. For a list of my rules in this project, click here.
Comments
David Cooper
Aw I'm so glad! He's definitely a fondly remembered character, with good reason!
Emma
I know this is a few months old but I have to comment on because I love Karl and he looks so great here! I still treasure the sharpie drawing you did of him for my Do the Artman zine ❤️
Axlendyl
Great writeup, David! One of my favorite characters. I hope you do a print of a scene from this episode some day
sea
We all need a Karl in our lives
