0249 - Mayor Joe Quimby (Patreon)

By far this is the most significant character we'll be encountering in this episode, even if he's not the most important political figure we'll be seeing.

It's almost surreal that he doesn't show up until 249 characters in - if you'd asked me beforehand, I'd be sure he was a season 1 introduction. But here he is, finally!

Quimby is most defined as a parody of the Kennedys, but his roles within the town and show have long surpassed that as a factor. His role is more commonly used as a catch-all for the show's view on all politicians. As far as I can tell he is never explicitly identified as a Democrat, although he runs against the Republican party in Sideshow Bob Roberts". I don't say this to suggest that the Democrats are free from attack within the show - throughout the years all sides of the political spectrum gets their lumps - but I think despite Quimby's Kennedy-leanings, the show likes to keep him relatively neutral in an attempt to make the point that all politicians are useless and corrupt. He rarely displays any actual policy that would show him on any part of the political compass.

Similar to how Skinner is representative of the school system, he is the everyman's perception of what a politician is - sleazy, ineffectual and will do anything to stay in power. This is another example of how the show's generalised worldview infected a generation of young malleable minds, perhaps unfairly. I can certainly trace my personal cynicism in politicians directly back to Quimby, him being a baseline for what people in power are supposed to be like. Of course, we've certainly seen much unashamedly worse people in political power, but it is perhaps unfair to suggest that every politician is old Diamond Joe.

We will see other politician characters relatively soon, and some of them are even portrayed as decent (or at the very least "not evil") people, sometimes for absurdity's sake. But Quimby is the most common politician we see.

This generalised approach to Quimby - as a representative of politics rather than an actual character - means the show keeps him at arm's length, we are not given much insight into his personal life beyond a big broad stereotype. But that's okay, it's a cartoon.

This post is part of my "Every Simpsons Character Ever" series. For a list of my rules in this project, click here.