Sideshow Bob

] [] Grammer used his impression of Ellis Rabb, a man for whom Grammer had once worked, for Bob's voice.]

Brad Bird first designed Bob for "Krusty Gets Busted". As the episode's animation progressed he made Bob sleeker, more urbane and refined, and worked with Grammer's voice. For "Black Widower", David Silverman updated the model to reflect the animation of Bird.] Former Executive producer David Mirkin found Grammer a joy to direct as he was very funny, but noted that he hates doing the evil Sideshow Bob laugh.] Bob's prisoner number is often 24601, which is Jean Valjean's prisoner number in "Les Miserables".] Bob also has a wife named Francesca (voiced by Maria Grazia Cucinotta) and a son named Gino, both of whom were introduced in the season 17 episode "The Italian Bob", and both of whom returned for "Funeral for a Fiend".

Analysis

In "Planet Simpson", author Chris Turner writes that Bob is built into a highbrow snob and conservative Republican so that the writers can continually hit him with a rake and bring him down. He represents high culture while Krusty represents low culture, and Bart, stuck in between, always wins out.Turner, p. 129-131] In the book "Leaving Springfield" David L. G. Arnold examines how the episodes featuring Sideshow Bob enacts a cultural battle of high and low culture. Bart is a product of a mass-culture upbringing and therefore becomes Bob’s nemesis. [Alberti, p. 2-3] The first time we meet Bob, he is merely a sidekick on the Krusty the Clown Show. Frustrated by his role as a stooge in Krusty’s cheap gags, he frames Krusty and takes over the show. He changes the name of the show to "Sideshow Bob’s Cavalcade of Whimsy" and changes the contents of the show to readings of classic literature, Cole Porter tunes, and segments that take a look at social and emotional issue of pre-teens. He believes that by exposing the kids to high culture, he will enhance their lives. [Alberti, p. 12-13]

The problem with Bob is that his own conscience and morality is unaffected by the high culture he represents. Over the course of the series, he has been an armed robber, a multiple-attempted-murderer, a terrorist, an election fixer and other things. He tries to manipulate the tastes of the masses by becoming a criminal mastermind. [Alberti, p. 13.] This is most apparent in "Sideshow Bob Roberts", in which he rigs the election to become the mayor of Springfield. When later accused of election fraud he rants "Your guilty consciences force you to vote Democratic, but secretly you yearn for a cold-hearted Republican who’ll cut taxes, brutalize criminals, and rule you like a king! You need me, Springfield!" He considers himself a part of the social elite and has no problem using criminal means to acquire and exercise power. [Albert, p. 17]

Bob is clearly more intellectual than most of the residents in Springfield and knows that in order for the average person to understand him he has to dumb himself down. His intelligence can sometimes be a plus. When the Parole Board asked him why he had a tattoo that said "Die, Bart, Die," he simply replied that it was German for “The, Bart, The”. This impressed the Parole Board--since "no one who speaks German could be an evil man"--and prompted them to release Bob. However, his love of high culture can sometimes be used against him. For example, in "Cape Feare", Bob asks Bart if he had a final request before Bob killed him. Bart requested that Bob perform the operetta "H.M.S. Pinafore" in its entirety. This stalled Bob long enough for the police to save Bart. [Alberti, p. 16]

Reception

In a 2006 article, IGN.com ranked Bob in second position on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters", citing that he is "a man of contradictions; his goofy appearance, complete with palm tree like hair, doesn't seem to match up to the well spoken and even musically talented maniac." [] In a 2007 interview, "Simpsons" executive producer Al Jean listed Grammer as his second favorite guest star, saying "his voice is so rich".] In 2007,"Vanity Fair" called it the show's fourth best episode, because of its "masterful integration of filmic parody and a recurring character." [cite news | author = Orvted, John | title = Springfield's Best | publisher = Vanity Fair | date = 2007-07-05 | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/top10simpsons200708?currentPage=2 | accessdate=2007-10-12] Grammer's performance of "H.M.S. Pinafore" was later included on the album "Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons". [cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&token=ADFEAEE4781ED849AD7F20CE873E4AF6BE72F106DC4CC5940B2E4352DD953947990077E850BB8A92ECB633EB3BFBAE75E85810D2CAF154FCDC61713A87EBA06A383B5B7775&sql=10:ctom967ohepf|title=Go Simpsonic with the Simpsons|accessdate=2007-02-10|author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas|publisher=allmusic.com] The season seventeen episode "The Italian Bob" and its writer John Frink would win a Writers Guild of America Award in 2007 in the animation category. [cite news | title = 2007 AWARDS WINNERS | publisher = wga.org | url = http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517 | accessdate=2007-10-13]

Merchandise

Bob was made into an action figure, and two different versions were included as part of the "World of Springfield" toy line. The first shows Bob as he was on the "Krusty the Clown show" and was released in 2001 as part of the Krustylu Studios "Wave three playset". [cite web|url=http://www.simpsonscollectors.com/wospdb/figure.asp?fig=F0029|title=Sideshow Bob|accessdate=2007-10-12|publisher=Simpsons Collectors] The second, released in 2002, shows in the prison uniform he wore in "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming" and was a part of "wave nine". [cite web|url=http://www.simpsonscollectors.com/wospdb/figure.asp?fig=f0096|title=Prison Bob |accessdate=2007-10-12|publisher=Simpsons Collectors]

Notes

References

*cite book | last=Alberti | first=John (ed.) | year=2003 | title=Leaving Springfield: 'The Simpsons' and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture | publisher=Wayne State University Press | id=ISBN 0-8143-2849-0
*cite book | last=Turner | first=Chris | title= |publisher=Random House of Canada |id=ISBN 0-679-31318-4

External links

* [http://www.thesimpsons.com/bios/bios_townspeople_sideshowbob.htm Sideshow Bob's profile] at TheSimpsons.com
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