Hans Moleman
Encyclopedia
Hans Moleman is a recurring character in the animated television series
The Simpsons
. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta
, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming
". He normally appears in a running gag
, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events. As a result, Moleman is often compared to Kenny McCormick
from South Park
.
", his driver's license says he was born August 2, 1961, and in "Duffless
", Moleman confessed his real age at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, implying that his grotesque appearance has been caused by severe alcoholism), though Moleman has been seen at the Springfield Retirement Home on season ten's "The Old Man and the "C" Student" and in the season 13 episode Little Girl in the Big Ten
. He has cataract
s and is almost entirely blind (which has severely impaired his reading ability and has led to repeated revokings of his driver's license), and has used medical marijuana
. He carries a brown cane with him everywhere, which has once been shown to contain a giant hidden knife
. In the episode "Burns' Heir
", Hans is mistaken for Bart and accidentally "de-programmed" (Homer and Marge had hired a cult de-programmer, hoping to convince Bart to move out of Mr. Burns' mansion and back in with them), apparently leading him to believe he is the son of Homer and Marge. On "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife, and Her Homer", it's revealed that Hans Moleman slept with Lars Ulrich
's grandmother, and is considered by Metallica
to be a "real fan".
His home address is 920 Oak Grove, Springfield
. He has also been seen living at the Springfield Retirement Castle and (in a deleted scene) he is shown to live in a small house directly below the dam that was erected (and subsequently destroyed) in "Brother from Another Series
".
's jazz station KJAZZ-FM, in which he introduces himself unenthusiastically as "This is Moleman in the Morning, Good Moleman to you". In A Star Is Burns
, Moleman enters a film entitled 'Man Getting Hit By Football' into the Springfield Film Festival. The film depicts him getting hit in the crotch by a football. Later, George C. Scott is shown winning a Best Actor Academy Award for a film of him being hit in the crotch by a football. It is implied that the idea for the film was stolen from Moleman's original. One of his other jobs was driving a truck filled with sugar (which he subsequently flipped onto its side, spilling its contents, much to Homer's delight). He is often seen driving other types of trucks as well. In one episode, he flattens Homer with a car falling from his vehicle transport truck. In another episode
, he is seen transporting the birthplace of Edgar Allan Poe in a truck. He could also be seen driving a truck in The Simpsons Movie, during Bart's nude skateboarding scene. He also teaches an orange-eating class
at the Adult Learning Centre in Springfield. On another occasion
, it is implied that he works at a bird sanctuary, as he has to order "the biggest bird seed bell you have... no, that's too big". He once worked as a postal worker
. He was also a librarian for the Springfield jail. He once worked as a janitor
at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and received a severe head wound from Mr. Burns
when Moleman asked Burns for seventeen dollars for a push-broom rebristling; Burns, high on ether
, mistook him for the Lucky Charms
leprechaun
and went to his skull with a power drill. He has also been seen representing a Solar Power company in The Last Temptation of Homer
. In Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder
, in a reference to the 1956 film The Mole People, Homer stumbles across Hans Moleman, dressed in the Elinor's, the High Priest of the Sumerians, robes in an underground fortress complete with earthquake machines. He also has been spotted in "The Blunder Years
" in a kissing booth with Agnes Skinner and Seymour. He was temporarily an Olympic gold medalist due, in part, to a set of replacement mechanical legs (which he wore in the episode "Moe 'n' a Lisa" but was never seen in again.)
Most recently, he has been sighted working as a teller at the First Bank of Springfield and as a marriage-license clerk at Springfield Town Town Hall. Aside from these, Hans has a tendency to be a cheery man, and has made a living of giving people compliments; though in a deleted scene from season 8, Hans threatens God at gunpoint, and forces him to keep it raining money.
machine for possibly an entire weekend, being buried alive, being left forgotten and alive in a purgatory and being engulfed by an "anti-escape bubble" that was attempting to catch Marge (a parody of a similar device from the '60s show The Prisoner
), and he also was run over by Homer in The Parent Rap
, after the whole family promised they wouldn't commit any crimes for a whole year. Homer ran over Hans once again while he was carrying a sign saying "YOU SUCK" in a field of signposts saying "Keep-out" in regards to Lake Springfield in The Simpsons Movie
. Many times people will totally disregard him, usually leading to something like death, or simply imprisonment, but since he appears, even after "dying", those later appearances could indicate he survived. He has also had several accidents where he was not severely injured. He further angered the crowd at Bart and Lisa's junior hockey final
because he fell down the steps then shouted 'We paid for blood!'. He also crashed his 1959 Cadillac into the side of Springfield's Planet Hype restaurant (which Marge mistook for a clever decoration). Recently in E Pluribus Wiggum
, he was crushed by debris of fast-food boulevard, and three episodes later in The Debarted
, suffocated by a car's airbag. In Treehouse of Horror IV
, his AMC Gremlin
is run off the road by Otto Mann
and stops just short of a tree. As Moleman expresses his relief, the car explodes. He appears in the new opening sequence, peeking out of a sewer grate, but Marge runs it over with her car. In Treehouse of Horror XV
, in the Ned Zone sketch, Hans is eaten by sewergators. In an episode called Double, Double, Boy in Trouble
he is eaten by Vac-u-bots. He is also the worlds first professional midget juggler. Also in yet another accident he crashes his car and fires a flaregun hoping for help, which Homer mistakes for the Star of Bethlehem, and wolves approach in an aggressive manner but Moleman mistakes them for rescue dogs. Hans has also been kept as a prisoner by Moe Szyslak
in The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
.
episode "Principal Charming
", but he looked so shriveled and unrealistic that someone proclaimed to look like a "mole man". However, he was used in several episodes and later became a recurring character. According to the episode "Principal Charming
", his name was Ralph Melish, which is a reference to the Monty Python
sketch "The Adventures of Ralph Melish: Hot Dog and Knickers" from The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief
. According to a DVD commentary for one episode, some number of viewers were offended by Moleman's appearance, and he was reused in order to annoy people of such a viewpoint. Matt Groening has claimed that Hans Moleman was inspired by Tex Avery's
Droopy, who shares many of Moleman's deadpan and unassuming mannerisms.
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis "Dan" Castellaneta is an American actor, voice actor, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Noted for his long-running role as Homer Simpson on the animated television series The Simpsons, he voices many other characters on The Simpsons, including Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, Barney Gumble,...
, and first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming
Principal Charming
"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge's sister Selma is looking for a husband, so Marge orders Homer to help her find one...
". He normally appears in a running gag
Running gag
A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling....
, where he usually suffers unfortunate, nearly fatal, events. As a result, Moleman is often compared to Kenny McCormick
Kenny McCormick
Kenneth "Kenny" McCormick is a fictional character in the animated television series South Park. He is one of the four central characters along with his friends Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, and Eric Cartman. His oft-muffled and indiscernible speech—the result of his parka hood covering his...
from South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
.
Biography
Hans Moleman is the retconned name of an earlier character named "Ralph Melish." Although apparently elderly, he claims to be only 31 years old (in 1993's "Selma's ChoiceSelma's Choice
"Selma's Choice" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season and originally aired on the Fox network on January 21, 1993. In the episode, Selma decides to have a baby, inspired by her late aunt's wish that she would not spend her life alone. She experiences a life with children by...
", his driver's license says he was born August 2, 1961, and in "Duffless
Duffless
"Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons fourth season and originally aired on the Fox network on February 18, 1993. After getting arrested for drunk driving, Homer tries to remain sober, at Marge's request. Meanwhile, Lisa attempts to prove that Bart is dumber than a hamster after he...
", Moleman confessed his real age at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, implying that his grotesque appearance has been caused by severe alcoholism), though Moleman has been seen at the Springfield Retirement Home on season ten's "The Old Man and the "C" Student" and in the season 13 episode Little Girl in the Big Ten
Little Girl in the Big Ten
"Little Girl in the Big Ten" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 12, 2002. In the episode, after seeing John F. Kennedy in a hallucination during gym class, Lisa befriends two college students in order to...
. He has cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
s and is almost entirely blind (which has severely impaired his reading ability and has led to repeated revokings of his driver's license), and has used medical marijuana
Medical cannabis
Medical cannabis refers to the use of parts of the herb cannabis as a physician-recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy, or to synthetic forms of specific cannabinoids such as THC as a physician-recommended form of medicine...
. He carries a brown cane with him everywhere, which has once been shown to contain a giant hidden knife
Swordstick
A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane incorporating a concealed blade. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century, but similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Japanese shikomizue and the Ancient Roman dolon.- Popularity :The swordstick...
. In the episode "Burns' Heir
Burns' Heir
"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience which prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies...
", Hans is mistaken for Bart and accidentally "de-programmed" (Homer and Marge had hired a cult de-programmer, hoping to convince Bart to move out of Mr. Burns' mansion and back in with them), apparently leading him to believe he is the son of Homer and Marge. On "The Mook, the Chef, the Wife, and Her Homer", it's revealed that Hans Moleman slept with Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich
Lars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
's grandmother, and is considered by Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
to be a "real fan".
His home address is 920 Oak Grove, Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
. He has also been seen living at the Springfield Retirement Castle and (in a deleted scene) he is shown to live in a small house directly below the dam that was erected (and subsequently destroyed) in "Brother from Another Series
Brother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
".
Careers
Like many recurring characters, Hans Moleman has had a wide variety of careers over the course of the series. He runs an early morning radio show, on SpringfieldSpringfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
's jazz station KJAZZ-FM, in which he introduces himself unenthusiastically as "This is Moleman in the Morning, Good Moleman to you". In A Star Is Burns
A Star is Burns
"A Star Is Burns" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 5, 1995. In the episode, Springfield decides to hold a film festival, and famed critic Jay Sherman is invited to be a judge...
, Moleman enters a film entitled 'Man Getting Hit By Football' into the Springfield Film Festival. The film depicts him getting hit in the crotch by a football. Later, George C. Scott is shown winning a Best Actor Academy Award for a film of him being hit in the crotch by a football. It is implied that the idea for the film was stolen from Moleman's original. One of his other jobs was driving a truck filled with sugar (which he subsequently flipped onto its side, spilling its contents, much to Homer's delight). He is often seen driving other types of trucks as well. In one episode, he flattens Homer with a car falling from his vehicle transport truck. In another episode
Homer's Triple Bypass
"Homer's Triple Bypass" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on December 17, 1992. In the episode, Homer Simpson suffers a heart attack when Mr. Burns shouts at him at work. Dr...
, he is seen transporting the birthplace of Edgar Allan Poe in a truck. He could also be seen driving a truck in The Simpsons Movie, during Bart's nude skateboarding scene. He also teaches an orange-eating class
Secrets of a Successful Marriage
"Secrets of a Successful Marriage" is the twenty-second and final episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 1994. In the episode, Homer fears he may be a little slow, so he goes to the adult education center...
at the Adult Learning Centre in Springfield. On another occasion
Itchy & Scratchy Land
"Itchy & Scratchy Land" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons sixth season and first aired on October 2, 1994. Wanting a perfect family vacation, the Simpson family visits Itchy & Scratchy Land. The trip starts out great, but things take a turn for the worse when a horde of Itchy and Scratchy...
, it is implied that he works at a bird sanctuary, as he has to order "the biggest bird seed bell you have... no, that's too big". He once worked as a postal worker
Postal worker
A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the and the American Postal Workers Union, part of the AFL-CIO. In Canada, they are represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers and in the United Kingdom by the...
. He was also a librarian for the Springfield jail. He once worked as a janitor
Team Homer
"Team Homer" is the twelfth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 7, 1996. In the episode, Homer starts a bowling team with Moe, Apu, and Otto. When Mr. Burns discovers the team was funded with his money, he insists on joining...
at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and received a severe head wound from Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
when Moleman asked Burns for seventeen dollars for a push-broom rebristling; Burns, high on ether
Diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...
, mistook him for the Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms
Lucky Charms is a brand of cereal produced by the General Mills food company of Golden Valley, Minnesota, United States. It first appeared in stores in 1964. The cereal consists of two main components: toasted oat-based pieces and multi-colored marshmallow bits in various shapes, the latter making...
leprechaun
Leprechaun
A leprechaun is a type of fairy in Irish folklore, usually taking the form of an old man, clad in a red or green coat, who enjoys partaking in mischief. Like other fairy creatures, leprechauns have been linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann of Irish mythology...
and went to his skull with a power drill. He has also been seen representing a Solar Power company in The Last Temptation of Homer
The Last Temptation of Homer
"The Last Temptation of Homer" is the ninth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 1993. In the episode, a female employee named Mindy is hired at the nuclear power plant...
. In Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder
Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder
"Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder" is the sixth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 14, 1999. In the episode, Homer becomes a local celebrity after bowling a 300 game, but his fame quickly...
, in a reference to the 1956 film The Mole People, Homer stumbles across Hans Moleman, dressed in the Elinor's, the High Priest of the Sumerians, robes in an underground fortress complete with earthquake machines. He also has been spotted in "The Blunder Years
The Blunder Years
"The Blunder Years" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons’ thirteenth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 9, 2001. The episode sees Homer, after being hypnotized by the hypnotist Mesmerino while having dinner at the restaurant Pimento Grove, reminded by a...
" in a kissing booth with Agnes Skinner and Seymour. He was temporarily an Olympic gold medalist due, in part, to a set of replacement mechanical legs (which he wore in the episode "Moe 'n' a Lisa" but was never seen in again.)
Most recently, he has been sighted working as a teller at the First Bank of Springfield and as a marriage-license clerk at Springfield Town Town Hall. Aside from these, Hans has a tendency to be a cheery man, and has made a living of giving people compliments; though in a deleted scene from season 8, Hans threatens God at gunpoint, and forces him to keep it raining money.
Accidents
Much of the humor associated with Hans has involved him cheating death innumerable times, usually highly improbably. He survived his car blowing up, catching on fire due to the powerful magnifying effect of his glasses, a hallucinating Montgomery Burns drilling into his brain, capital punishment (in a local jail) after Homer eats his last meal, left inside an X-RayX-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
machine for possibly an entire weekend, being buried alive, being left forgotten and alive in a purgatory and being engulfed by an "anti-escape bubble" that was attempting to catch Marge (a parody of a similar device from the '60s show The Prisoner
The Prisoner
The Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
), and he also was run over by Homer in The Parent Rap
The Parent Rap
“The Parent Rap” is the second episode and official premiere of the thirteenth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 11, 2001. In the episode, Bart and his father, Homer, are sentenced by the cruel judge Constance Harm to be tethered to each...
, after the whole family promised they wouldn't commit any crimes for a whole year. Homer ran over Hans once again while he was carrying a sign saying "YOU SUCK" in a field of signposts saying "Keep-out" in regards to Lake Springfield in The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
. Many times people will totally disregard him, usually leading to something like death, or simply imprisonment, but since he appears, even after "dying", those later appearances could indicate he survived. He has also had several accidents where he was not severely injured. He further angered the crowd at Bart and Lisa's junior hockey final
Lisa on Ice
"Lisa on Ice" is the eighth television episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on November 13, 1994. In the episode, Principal Skinner hands out academic alerts to the Springfield Elementary students, and Lisa discovers that she is in peril of...
because he fell down the steps then shouted 'We paid for blood!'. He also crashed his 1959 Cadillac into the side of Springfield's Planet Hype restaurant (which Marge mistook for a clever decoration). Recently in E Pluribus Wiggum
E Pluribus Wiggum
"E Pluribus Wiggum" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season, first broadcast January 6, 2008 on Fox. It was written by Michael Price and directed by Michael Polcino, and it guest starred Jon Stewart and Dan Rather as themselves...
, he was crushed by debris of fast-food boulevard, and three episodes later in The Debarted
The Debarted
"The Debarted" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season. It was first broadcast on March 2, 2008, and guest stars Topher Grace and radio host Terry Gross have a cameo. A new troublesome student named Donny arrives at Springfield Elementary School, prompting a gleeful Bart to...
, suffocated by a car's airbag. In Treehouse of Horror IV
Treehouse of Horror IV
"Treehouse of Horror IV" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons fifth season and the fourth episode in the Treehouse of Horror series of Halloween specials. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 28, 1993, and features three short stories called "The Devil and Homer...
, his AMC Gremlin
AMC Gremlin
The AMC Gremlin is a two-door subcompact car produced in the United States and Canada by the American Motors Corporation between 1970 and 1978. AMC reduced its development and manufacturing costs by adapting a shortened Hornet platform with a Kammback-type tail...
is run off the road by Otto Mann
Otto Mann
Otto Mann is a fictional character on the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer. He is the school bus driver for Springfield Elementary School...
and stops just short of a tree. As Moleman expresses his relief, the car explodes. He appears in the new opening sequence, peeking out of a sewer grate, but Marge runs it over with her car. In Treehouse of Horror XV
Treehouse of Horror XV
"Treehouse of Horror XV" is the first episode of Season 16 and also the fifteenth Halloween episode of The Simpsons, airing November 7, 2004, one week after Halloween in the US, the latest any Halloween episode has ever aired...
, in the Ned Zone sketch, Hans is eaten by sewergators. In an episode called Double, Double, Boy in Trouble
Double, Double, Boy in Trouble
"Double, Double, Boy in Trouble" is the third episode of the The Simpsons twentieth season, and first aired October 19, 2008. Bart meets the rich Simon Woosterfield, who happens to be Bart's exact look-alike...
he is eaten by Vac-u-bots. He is also the worlds first professional midget juggler. Also in yet another accident he crashes his car and fires a flaregun hoping for help, which Homer mistakes for the Star of Bethlehem, and wolves approach in an aggressive manner but Moleman mistakes them for rescue dogs. Hans has also been kept as a prisoner by Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
in The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
The Computer Wore Menace Shoes
“The Computer Wore Menace Shoes” is the sixth episode of The Simpsons twelfth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 3, 2000. In the episode, Homer buys a computer and creates his own website to spread gossip...
.
Character
Moleman first appeared as a character model for the season twoThe Simpsons (season 2)
The Simpsons second season originally aired between October 11, 1990 and May 9, 1991, and contained 22 episodes, beginning with "Bart Gets an F". Another episode, "Blood Feud" aired during the summer after the official season finale. The show runners for the second production season were Matt...
episode "Principal Charming
Principal Charming
"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge's sister Selma is looking for a husband, so Marge orders Homer to help her find one...
", but he looked so shriveled and unrealistic that someone proclaimed to look like a "mole man". However, he was used in several episodes and later became a recurring character. According to the episode "Principal Charming
Principal Charming
"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge's sister Selma is looking for a husband, so Marge orders Homer to help her find one...
", his name was Ralph Melish, which is a reference to the Monty Python
Monty Python
Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...
sketch "The Adventures of Ralph Melish: Hot Dog and Knickers" from The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief
The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief
Free Record Given Away with the Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief, later shortened to simply The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief, is the fourth album by the comedy group Monty Python, released in 1973.-Cover and Packaging:...
. According to a DVD commentary for one episode, some number of viewers were offended by Moleman's appearance, and he was reused in order to annoy people of such a viewpoint. Matt Groening has claimed that Hans Moleman was inspired by Tex Avery's
Tex Avery
Frederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
Droopy, who shares many of Moleman's deadpan and unassuming mannerisms.