The Simpsons and SSM

Prime time TV, cartoons, internet diplomas, and same sex marriage, all wrapped in one story. How can I pass it up?

Rumors had been swirling around that a character on the Simpsons would turn out to be gay. The world has been wondering, who? FXCM reveal it is Patty, one of Marge’s sisters. After being rejected by every man in Springfield, Patty will turn to women. She will be seduced by a lesbian in a bar, and the two will become a couple. Evidently, Homer will turn to the internet to become a licensed minister after which he will join Patty and her new love in marriage.

I’m not sure what to think of all this. Patty becomes a lesbian because she’s rejected by men?! Homer is technologically savvy enough to surf the web? And becomes a minister? What will become of Selma? Will she be lonely sitting home alone smoking cigarettes and watching MacGyver? Or will she take up with Principal Skinner? Or Ned Flanders? I’d suggest a woman for Selma, but are there any unmarried female characters unrelated to Marge and her sisters?

I guess, I’m hoping I hear what others think. No need to watch the show to form an opinion; if you have one, fire away.

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16 Responses to The Simpsons and SSM

  1. 1
    Jake Squid says:

    I don’t have a problem w/ Homer surfing the net. After all, he was Mr. X for an episode.

    Patty has always been unconventional in a very conventional way. Therefore, depending on how it’s done, I think I can accept her attempting to find a man & concluding that that’s a failure before moving on to women.

    Unrelated female characters:

    Mrs. Krabapple
    Skinner’s mom
    Lisa’s teacher? (can’t remember the name)
    Any of the Mayors many former dalliances

    Wow, what an unsatisfying list.

  2. 2
    Q. Pheevr says:

    I, for one, shall continue to hope, quietly and ineffectually, for the requital of Smithers’s crush on Mr. Burns.

  3. 3
    Amanda says:

    They’ve hinted around that Patty is a lesbian before. I imagine it will play out much differently than the blurb says.

  4. 4
    lucia says:

    When I read this earlier, some one suggested Smithers would be the gay character.

  5. 5
    Raznor says:

    Requittal of Skinners’ love would require Burns to show some humanity, and Burns is too funny as an inhuman monster for me to want that.

    Also Lisa’s teacher is Ms Hoover.

    It has to be Patty. Remember the episode with the gay-pride parade when there’s a float dedicated to in-the-closet gays, and it’s Smithers and Patty hiding behind the doors?

    I don’t find it unrealistic for someone to fail at all his/her relationships with members of the opposite gender before realizing he/she is homosexual. Society puts such a stigma on homosexuality that self-denial is all too common.

    So my overall reaction is: good for Matt Groening. I look forward to that episode.

  6. 6
    alsis38 says:

    Smithers should forget all about Burns and instead set his eye upon Flanders.

  7. 7
    Tek says:

    I’m unable to express the ridiculousness (sp?) of it being Selma. I love the Simpsons, but I shake my head at the tv-bound masses who will allow the Simpsons storylines to shore-up the assumption that lesbianism as alast resort. If men won’t have her, certainly the lesbians will. Yeah right, you’ve seen Selma?!
    Anyway, I hope it’s finally Smithers finding his soul mate and adopting the child that will house Mr. Burn’s brain.

  8. 8
    Dan J says:

    There was a slide of Patty coming out of the burlesque house smoking, as well (well, she’s always smoking). This is no big revelation like Maude dying or something.

  9. 9
    Michael Jones says:

    Smithers? Worst. Outing. Ever.

    Patty is equally kind of obvious, but whatever. Rejected by men, though? Not really – she did the rejecting through declaring celibacy, no?

    Selma could always go see if Troy McClure needs another smokescreen for his unnamed guilty pleasures. Or Ned. Don’t think he’s gay, just real sensitive-like. I’d put better money on Seymour.

    The biggest surprise here would have to be Patty’s bride-to-be. Ms. Hoover or Edna would be fine picks, I agree, although Edna and Patty would be the ultimate ball-busting man-hating lesbian couple, and I doubt the writers are eager to prop up that stereotype. Would be a good decoy plot line though.

    I bet they introduce a new character into the mix. It’ll keep everyone guessing.

  10. 10
    alsis38 says:

    Wait ! Whatever happened to that nice divorced woman that did the Thelma & Louise take-off with Marge ? She was cool.

  11. 11
    Amanda says:

    I think that the article writers might be mixing up Patty and Selma. Selma is the man-hungry one who keeps failing at love. Patty refuses to date men.

  12. 12
    Richard Bellamy says:

    Most of my lesbian friends who I knew before they came out, dated a long string of the absolute loserlyish men around. I often wondered whether there wasn’t some part of them that was picking the worst men available in an attempt to show themselves that men were the wrong choice.

    It works the other way, too, with gay men dating some absolutely horrifyingly unpleasant women before they came out.

    Self-sabotage, I’d say.

  13. 13
    karpad says:

    hey hey, now~ Patty hasn’t dated loserlyish men!
    Troy Mclure? awesome
    Principal Skinner? … well…
    Bob “Sideshow” Tiwilliger? awesometacular.

  14. 14
    Crys T says:

    Actually, Karpad, it was Selma who dated (and married a couple of) those men. As someone above mentioned, Patty decided on celibacy a long while back.

    I don’t know what to make of this new development, and like others am waiting to see how it’s played out before I judge.

    I absolutely love the Simpsons, but they do occasionally piss me off. It does seem like in making Patty lesbian, they’re propping up the stereotype of the woman so undesirable to men, she has to turn to women. I mean, every time she’s on an episode, we’re reminded via other characters’ reactions of how physically revolting she’s supposed to be.

  15. 15
    NelC says:

    What, lesbians can’t be revolting? If they’ve got the right to be human beings, then they’ve got the right to have warts and all.

  16. 16
    Maureen says:

    Wait–I had thought that Mayor Quimby would have been the one coming out, because if someone else were coming out, he could have done their ceremony.