The Simpsons: When Smithers’ Gay Clues First Started

The Simpsons has been dropping clues about Mr. Smithers’ sexuality and love for Mr. Burns for years, but when did it all begin? Let’s take a look.

You Are Reading :The Simpsons When Smithers Gay Clues First Started

The Simpsons has a variety of characters, each with a unique backstory, and one that viewers have always been curious about is Waylon Smithers Jr, Mr. Burns’ assistant. Over the course of the series, there have been many clues about Mr. Smithers’ sexuality, but when did they all begin? Created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons began as a series of animated shorts in The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987, and it was developed into a half-hour prime time show three seasons later. The series made its official debut in 1989 and has been pretty much unstoppable ever since, with over 30 seasons and counting.

The Simpsons follows the ups and downs in the lives of the title family and other colorful characters from Springfield. The Simpsons have earned a couple of enemies and allies as well, and one that can play as both is Mr. Smithers. The always loyal Smithers works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant next to his boss and self-proclaimed best friend Mr. Burns, and though he does his best to serve as a voice of reason, he ends up doing whatever his boss wants.

One of the running jokes in the series is that of Smithers’ love for Mr. Burns, to the point where some consider him to be “Burnsexual”. The Simpsons dropped clues about Smither’s sexuality and attraction towards Mr. Burns without explicitly addressing his homosexuality for years, but where can the first clues be found?

The Simpsons Hinted At Smithers Being Gay In Season 1

Mr. Smithers made his debut in The Simpsons in season 1’s third episode, “Homer’s Odyssey”, though he can be heard over a speaker in the series first episode, “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire”. Mr. Smithers went through a couple of changes in his first episodes: he was originally black, but was quickly changed to yellow, just like the rest, with executive producer Jay Kogen saying that Smithers being black and gay was “too much” so they “just kept him gay”. The first clues about Smithers’ sexuality, then, arrived in episode 8, “The Telltale Head”, marking the beginning of a lot of references about his true (and strong) feelings for Mr. Burns. By season 2, the writers started to like the Smithers/Burns dynamic, and so continued to add more references in subsequent seasons.

Since then, The Simpsons has dropped all types of clues about Smithers being gay, some more subtle than others, such as Smithers frequently visiting Springfield’s gay section and going on an all-male cruise. The most memorable ones can be found in the episodes “Marge Gets a Job”, which features that unforgettable dream sequence with Burns flying through his window; “Rosebud”, with Smithers fantasizing of a naked Burns popping out of a birthday cake; and “Lisa vs Malibu Stacy”, where it’s revealed that his computer’s screensaver is a nude Mr. Burns saying “Hello Smithers. You’re quite good at turning me on”.

The writers decided to finally give him his moment in season 27’s episode “The Burns Cage”, where he’s devastated by Burns’ lack of affection towards him and ends up falling in love with a man named Julio and moving to his homeland, Cuba. Needless to say, the way The Simpsons handled Smithers’ coming out wasn’t well received by the audience, and it’s unlikely they will properly address it in a near future, but they will surely keep making jokes out of it.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/simpsons-smithers-gay-clues-early-season/