The Complete Simpsons Timeline of Waylon Smithers

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ธ.ค. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 587

  • @Boundlessness
    @Boundlessness 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +805

    I like how the joke isn’t exactly that he’s gay, but that it’s *Mr. Burns* he’s crushing on.

    • @VisualEnjoyer9756
      @VisualEnjoyer9756 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +134

      Even as a kid it never striked me as odd that he liked a man but rather that of ALL the men in Springfield it was Mr. Burns 😂

  • @lanternsown3525
    @lanternsown3525 ปีที่แล้ว +819

    Waylon Smithers The Man, The Myth, The Legend he truly is an Overlooked Character. Thanks for covering him Lydia.

    • @stickynorth
      @stickynorth ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Agreed. I say he would make a great spin off series myself along with the rest of Gay Springfield... Woof! ;-)

  • @dr.doofenshmertz
    @dr.doofenshmertz ปีที่แล้ว +1233

    "Well sir I think sea men and women don't mix."-Waylon smithers, Treehouse of horror three, King Homer

    • @GizmoGuy57015
      @GizmoGuy57015 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      You spelled Doofenshmirtz wrong.

    • @Grane1234
      @Grane1234 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      We all know what you think smithers

    • @dr.doofenshmertz
      @dr.doofenshmertz ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@Grane1234 yes sir

    • @GavinLepley
      @GavinLepley ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I never knew Dr. Doof was a Simpsons fan.

    • @HopelessHermit
      @HopelessHermit ปีที่แล้ว +5

      8yo me: that's funny Adult me: literally laughing out loud

  • @MTTT19
    @MTTT19 ปีที่แล้ว +423

    “Ah, nuts to this! I’ll just go get Homer Simpson!” That line always floors me!

    • @apmdelaney
      @apmdelaney 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Same

  • @kanelovec4315
    @kanelovec4315 ปีที่แล้ว +616

    The age thing could be theorized cause by nuclear waste mutations. Or burns stole his youth with magic. Can see Smither willing giving up some of his age/youth to Burns so he can live longer.

    • @snaketooth0943
      @snaketooth0943 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      I'll go with the nuclear waste mutations one.

    • @jeremymartin1957
      @jeremymartin1957 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      He could also be an upper classman and Homer just bullied everyone

    • @ds82wrestling
      @ds82wrestling ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Excellent.

  • @americaroleplayer
    @americaroleplayer ปีที่แล้ว +239

    I love the idea that Mr. Burns has killed people, polluted the earth, but has never kicked his dog. That's a line he won't cross. XD

    • @kitkatbreaker1270
      @kitkatbreaker1270 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      He has multiple dogs no?

    • @VisualEnjoyer9756
      @VisualEnjoyer9756 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      Didn't he go Cruella de Vil and wanted to skin Santas Little Helpers puppies to make a fur coat?

  • @quintell8208
    @quintell8208 ปีที่แล้ว +368

    I use to feel sorry for Smithers but now that I look at it. He is a volunteer and insane but not a victim. He knows exactly how Mr.Burns is, what he do and how he act and yet he still keep going back... Volunteer

    • @hannamarie7677
      @hannamarie7677 ปีที่แล้ว +64

      Honey he knows it but he can’t let go. That’s the thing about the love that can hurt you the most love can make you do some harmful things to yourself and to the other person. And to me I think he is the victim.

  • @Venemofthe888
    @Venemofthe888 ปีที่แล้ว +315

    I really like Smithers because he was the first gay character on TV I saw due to having limited TV channels at the time. It was honestly nice to have him even if he was portrayed as a joke for a while.

    • @QuackZack
      @QuackZack ปีที่แล้ว +22

      Ironically it would've been more controversial to have a regular gay character than a punchline gay character at the time (compared to today). That's how 99.99% of gay characters in adult sitcom shows were represented at the time. And unfortunately, that's the only way they were allowed to slide without people complaining.

    • @admiralmonocle3874
      @admiralmonocle3874 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Every Simpsons character gets treated like joke. It's a comedy.

    • @Steven9567
      @Steven9567 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      thats a dumb reason to like a character and he wasn't gay at first he was burns right hand but over time they flanderize him into being gay

    • @Steven9567
      @Steven9567 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@QuackZack what everyone was mock on sitcoms

    • @jamesrgamesoffical
      @jamesrgamesoffical หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      The joke didn't feel like hw was gay rather that he was in love with Mr burns specifically

  • @thegingergyrl455
    @thegingergyrl455 ปีที่แล้ว +138

    Smithers is one of the best characters. Mr. Burns is probably my second favorite character and Smithers is his constant companion and makes Burns better.

  • @CSS-Tails_Forever
    @CSS-Tails_Forever ปีที่แล้ว +171

    Nice! I felt bad that Smithers. He lost his dad so early....

  • @JoshRazauskas
    @JoshRazauskas ปีที่แล้ว +67

    Smithers has done a lot of growing over the years as a character. I really enjoyed this timeline great work as always, Lydia!

  • @amitysluzara2022
    @amitysluzara2022 ปีที่แล้ว +116

    I love that they gave Smithers more spotlight in recent years

  • @khalidhenry3857
    @khalidhenry3857 ปีที่แล้ว +2360

    He needs a boyfriend who treats him right

    • @SMAS_YT
      @SMAS_YT ปีที่แล้ว +44

      Yea

    • @noneyourbiz8886
      @noneyourbiz8886 ปีที่แล้ว +91

      I agree. Mr Burns is not it

    • @steampunk-llama
      @steampunk-llama ปีที่แล้ว +67

      He deserves so much better fr

    • @elliswebster7041
      @elliswebster7041 ปีที่แล้ว +62

      @@iicadenxxi1713Personal problem 🤷‍♂️

    • @iicadenxxi1713
      @iicadenxxi1713 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@elliswebster7041 what do you mean?

  • @kaileyanne4839
    @kaileyanne4839 ปีที่แล้ว +153

    I assumed that Homer found Smithers dads body after a few years. Like I thought the radiation slowed down the decomposition process

    • @TheSimpsonsTheory
      @TheSimpsonsTheory  ปีที่แล้ว +64

      That's actually a really good point that explains it. Thank you 🙂

    • @xironevarus576
      @xironevarus576 ปีที่แล้ว

      Radiation would cook you quicker

    • @Shewrites26
      @Shewrites26 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@TheSimpsonsTheoryhey i like you videos 🎉

  • @LowellLucasJr.
    @LowellLucasJr. ปีที่แล้ว +27

    I used to work for Mr. Burns till I was fired...and now look at me! i'm drinking cheap booze and watching Comedy Central!
    Dr. Hibbert: OH GOOD LORD!

  • @austinandhisfriends
    @austinandhisfriends ปีที่แล้ว +44

    Nice timeline Lydia. I've been waiting for a Smithers timeline FOREVER!! Thank you very much. So for your next timeline I think you should do the squeaky voiced teen next. After all he never gets a lot of spotlight moments so you should definitely give him some spotlight time.🙂

  • @Martina_B
    @Martina_B ปีที่แล้ว +93

    I don't like the idea that Mr Burns raised Smithers after his father died, besides the fact that this would make Smithers attraction to him weird, there's no solid proof of that besides some vague statements and the timeline of the show is not solid and pretty inconsistent, I don't even think Mr Burns would be the type of person to raise a child, he didn't even raise his biological son Larry, plus if i remember correctly Smithers mentioned that he also has a stepfather.

  • @darkmookie6
    @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    That entire video was amazing! Ive been so excited for it, and im very pleased with the results. I'm hoping that for the future we can see episodes that's not based around him being Gay. Maybe one that explores more of the friendship that him and Marge have created, possibly following the agreement of meeting each other on Thursdays that was decided in "The Last Traction Hero" I also think that it would be cool to see more about the overall character, as there's no denying hes more than a gay lackey as alot of people see him. Like stated in this amazing video, he did participate in theatre and we can see he has an artistic side as in an episode I forget, Marge is at the plant and says "Oh Waylon! I was hoping I would run into you! I saw the collage you made on facelook and it's wonderful!" He also aids Marge in creating a quilt in The Last Traction Hero.

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Now that we know that The Simpsons got renewed for two seasons more and with the release of the "Barbie" movie this summer, I’d love to kinda get a sequel to "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy". I’ve always enjoyed Smithers' interaction with Lisa there (or his scenes with her & Bart in "Mountain of Madness").
      Perhaps, since he’s the world’s(?) biggest Malibu Stacys collector and wrote a musical about her, he’d be invited to the preview of a Malibu Stacy movie (I’m sure he must be pretty famous in the dolls collector scene).
      Maybe if he would get two tickets, Marge could ask him to take Lisa with him, or Lisa could ask Marge to ask for that favour.
      I’m sure if there was a Malibu Stacy movie (and it’d be as interesting, meta, bizarre, and camp as the Barbie movie sounds like) they’d both be thrilled to bits.

    • @darkmookie6
      @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@BecKM94 yeah that would be really interesting! You’re right about the Lisa Smithers interactions being nice. Lisa is very polite with him and that makes him happy. Also, another malibu stacy episode could be nice because all we see of him with malibu stacy is Lisa vs Malibu stacy, the episode where he writes the musical and that one scene of him ironing his clothes. In homer’s enemy, an episode coming out (3?) years after Lisa vs Malibu Stacy there was a children’s contest to design a new nuclear plant as a mini model and ralph brought in a malibu stacy doll house and just wrote nuclear plant on it and it wasn’t acknowledged by smithers. Every time i watched that episode I expected to see him chickly and say “oh wel thats obviously the malibu stacy doll house!” Its almost like that episode never happened. There could be more when his love for the dolls were acknowledged or just invisible that I missed, but to leave you on a high note theres a funny simpsons comic where Smithers is cloned about a hundred times to work at the plant, and all of them start trying to be Mr Burns’ favourite but they get lured away by men in a conga line, and then bart throws a malibu stacy doll into a massive vault causing them all to run in after it, and he locks them in there.

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@darkmookie6 I actually remember him saying “It’s pretty good, sir! 😊” when he saw Ralph’s Malibu Stacy-“power plant”-model, so I think they subtly acknowledged it.
      And I liked how in S33’s “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire” you could see posters of Malibu Stacy and his musical in his office (together with a picture of his late father, and I think there was a photo of Burns and later of him and his new bf). Tho I’m wondering, since when does he have that individual room somewhere in the plant? I think it was also the case in S32’s “Undercover Burns”, but when did this begin? In the past he’d always have his desk directly in front of Burns' office’s door (where you could also often see the photo of Burns & Elvis Mr. Burns gave to him in “Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk”). Maybe he has two offices…
      And thanks for mentioning the comics, I love them! I have a lot of them at home and I’m reading some of them at the moment (I’m sadly lacking a few and never read in the past the Specials like Treehouse of Horror, Winter Wingding, Bart Simpson’s comics, etc. I’m making my way through them at the moment by reading them on comiconlinefree net. There are so many great ones I didn’t know before!).
      The one with the clones is amazing (#30 I think); you’ve also got to see his love for his dolls in "The Man with Two Wives" (#60) where he becomes Homer’s assistant because Burns lost him at poker. Also in “A Brand New Smithers” (#205) where through a lighting strike he gets a personality change and becomes very assertive and dominant and takes over the plant.
      He’s gotten some great comic stories, I love how much he and Burns were featured in them. There was also a focus on him in e.g. “The Yes-Man Who Would Be King” (#56), “He Who Controls the Donuts, Controls the World” (#180), “D'oh vs. the Volcano” (#206) and probably more.
      And there were so many amazing Burns-centric comic stories (where Smithers is of course also featured), that would be a whole new comment, there are so many I love and recently re-read (like #91: 3000’s Company, #128: 25, #132+133: A Brand New Burns Part 1+2, are some of my favourites). The comics in general were awesome!

    • @darkmookie6
      @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@BecKM94 I noticed the Malibu Stacy musical poster too! That really made me smile because its like the writers still acknowledge the old episodes that younger viewers probably didnt see (unless they sat for 69 hours straight binging everything on disney+)
      About the comics, I dont own any however theres a website ive been reading them all on. Im not very far but im pretty sure it doesnt matter what order they’re read in. I could comment the link for you but it will probably be tomorrow because im busy for the rest of the night.
      Oh and about #60, thats pretty funny considering he was used as a poler chip in the episode where Burns bets about whether Marge and Homer will stay together

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@darkmookie6 Oh yeah, I always love when they’re doing callbacks to earlier stuff and you can see they haven’t forgotten about characters’ quirks and the things there characters own, love and cherish.
      I always read the comics that I don’t own on comiconlinefree, I dunno what website you use, but I can really recommend that one =)
      But I know there are also a few others out there with all the Simpsons+specials comics…
      Poor guy has really been used as a bet wager quite a few times… in this comic story (It’s btw pretty funny to see how much Smithers and Marge are rivals there, considering they later became such good friends), then as you said in “Moho House”, also in “The Burns and the Bees” (at least in these instances Burns didn’t lose him), it also looked in a scene like the Rich Texan won him in “The Seemingly Never-Ending Story” after the bet/scavenger hunt.

  • @Starwarsdude8221991
    @Starwarsdude8221991 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    I never got to watch the show much as a kid but Smithers stood out in my mind for some reason couldn't tell you why but this was a nice video

  • @darknesswithin8145
    @darknesswithin8145 ปีที่แล้ว +66

    Yay, I’ve been waiting for this! 🎉 Smithers is one of my favourite Simpsons characters! 😊😁

  • @darkmookie6
    @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +75

    2:44 based on the wiki, it seems that Smithers is minimum 2 years older than homer. However, I have a picture of a frame that shows a 30 year flashback with homer being nine. Marge is there and she is also younger however we see Smither SR there as well so its kinda funny. He would already been dead because at the time Smithers Jr would have been at least 11. It also shows Ned Flanders to be the same age as Homer even though he's literally 21 years older. Its a pretty funny frame 😂

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Oh yeah, that was in “Walking Big & Tall”, right? I really liked the scenes at the beginning with all of Springfield singing their hymn throughout the decades, but yeah, Smithers Sr.‘s presence and Ned’s age there make no sense at all XD
      I think you’re right about the “minimum two years older than Homer”; I’ll hold Troy McClure’s word here to be true that Smithers is “in his early 40s (is unmarried and currently resides in Springfield)”. That also makes sense, since “The Old Man and the Lisa” established his birth year as 1954 (market crash of 1929 + 25 years) and “Bobby, It’s Cold Outside” his birthday at the 25th December, so he would have been 42 yo in-universe at the time of “The Old Man and the Lisa” (then his mother’s age also works).
      I always imagined him to be a couple years older than Homer, too, who’s mostly depicted as 36-40 (I think nowadays they mostly go with 38/39/40).
      I like the idea of @KaileyAnne that Homer found Smithers Sr.’s body years later (that’s what I always thought when watching it) and that maybe the radiation slowed down the decomposition process.
      Maybe it wouldn’t make much sense in real life, but anything radioactive- and nuclear-related on the show has always come from the realm of fantasy 🤷‍♀️

    • @darkmookie6
      @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@BecKM94 i dont know if thats what you were talking about but it is canon that Homer finds Smithers Sr’s body. There was a full episode about it because a hypnotist made him relive the trauma. He found it when he was (I think 12) also wow thats a massive analysis on Waylon Smithers Junior’s age. Good for you. Lastly, I think there were multiple episodes openly stating homer is 39

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@darkmookie6 Sorry, I should have been more specific: I know that Homer found the body, when he was 12, I mean that in my mind this happened years later after Smithers Sr.‘s death. So, not that he died when Smithers Jr. was a baby and in the same year Homer found him, but that Homer found the body after over a decade (and that maybe the radiation slowed down the decomposition). That could make Smithers and Homer almost the same age (in my mind 42 & 39).

    • @darkmookie6
      @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@BecKM94 yeah I agree with that

    • @alvexok5523
      @alvexok5523 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@BecKM94If Flanders was 60 when Homer was 42, then he'd have been 40 in the episode when Homer married Marge, since Homer was 24 then. But Grandma Flanders was still alive then. The one who said "Hello Joe", that was Ned's grandmother, right? So she would've had to have been 90 then (which also makes sense that she was no longer around in the present Simpsons time)

  • @LowellLucasJr.
    @LowellLucasJr. ปีที่แล้ว +32

    I remember when Smithers was the weasily, petty and slimey right hand man of Mr. Burns...willing to fire Homer for hair growth tonic to thinking woman and seamen don't mix... Since then, he's been fixing shrews twisted ankles, giving Homer a fruit basket for knocking Mr. Burns out of his window and taking responsibility for shooting Mr. Burns! He's truly a wholesome guy who'd rather work for a Saturday cartoony villain like Mr. Burns, than the likes of Hank Scorpio; friendliest boss of Cypress Creek & Globex!

  • @ratmanmorris
    @ratmanmorris ปีที่แล้ว +9

    AHHH my favorite character! I was waiting for thiissss I was so happy when I got the notification for this!

  • @HopelessHermit
    @HopelessHermit ปีที่แล้ว +48

    I'd want to hang out with Smithers if I lived in Springfield. He seems genuine and nice.

  • @Kenzieislovely
    @Kenzieislovely ปีที่แล้ว +39

    Lets admit it we all love her voice

  • @deangelostrachan1709
    @deangelostrachan1709 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    One of my favorite OG Springfield character thanks for this timeline Lydia 💜

  • @davidirving9242
    @davidirving9242 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Thanks for this ,been waiting for this one!

  • @debbiewright4386
    @debbiewright4386 ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Love these! This is my favourite TH-cam series besides your tree house of horror kill count

    • @TheSimpsonsTheory
      @TheSimpsonsTheory  ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Thanks Debbie ☺️

    • @robertoalonzo9956
      @robertoalonzo9956 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@TheSimpsonsTheoryhey the treehouse of horror xxxv has released🎉

  • @horridJ
    @horridJ ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Ahh Smithers, this will be dare I say, “Excellent..” 😂

  • @s.deegan3740
    @s.deegan3740 ปีที่แล้ว +26

    My cousin Chris was one of the voice actors on the Simpsons for years. My whole family loves them, I even got a Simpsons coffee mug for Xmas this past year! 🎉

    • @beccas.7762
      @beccas.7762 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Oh wow, that is my dream job!

    • @andybray9791
      @andybray9791 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Christopher Collins?

  • @Fennecfiree
    @Fennecfiree ปีที่แล้ว +3

    YESS IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR LIKE 5 YEARSSSSSS

  • @FLAMEandICE_
    @FLAMEandICE_ ปีที่แล้ว +4

    First Unicorn Rainbow posts after months of absence & now we get a Smithers video by u
    AWESOME

  • @dylanbahret6511
    @dylanbahret6511 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Great video Lydia keep up the great work, always loved the timelines the most

  • @BecKM94
    @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Great work as always, Lydia! (Very long text coming, sorry…)
    Smithers has always been - besides Mr. Burns - my favourite character. What I love the most about him is how all over the place his morals are. I definitely wouldn’t call it inconsistent, it’s just that he has his standards and lines that shouldn’t be crossed, but most of the time he genuinely seems to enjoy assisting this evil, old billionaire.
    I love how he’s outside of work basically a pretty kind, polite, rational, and helpful person, but with Burns he often gleefully and happily follows his evil orders; then there are times where he does it only reluctantly; other times he tries to convince Burns to use different means; and then you have the few times where he openly objects to and refuses an order (or works behinds Burns' back) even at the risk of losing his job (as in e.g. “Blood Feud”, “Sideshow Bob Roberts” or “Who Shot Mr. Burns? I”).
    I like how he can casually say “Who would you like killed?” when Burns is talking about cheating in “Homer at the Bat”, but then he also faces moral dilemmas whenever Burns goes a step too far.
    I’ve also always kinda enjoyed the more petty, smug and jealous Smithers in e.g. “Simpson and Delilah” or in the episodes where Burns was in love.
    I always liked the decision to make the reason for his loyalty and devotion to Burns to be genuine love and attraction, instead of e.g. money, status, power or career prospects. When you have a character that’s so much of a sycophant and bootlicker, brown-noser, ass-kisser, whatever you may call it, I find the former motives much more interesting and humanising (and funnier) than the latter.
    Like, being a yes-man to your boss can seem potentially pretty unlikeable - but to your crush? That’s much more relatable.
    I enjoy how divergent he can sometimes act, as said above, firstly in regards to his morals. But also, he’s very, very submissive and servile by nature (probably one of the few people in Springfield who are actually competent at and fitting for their job and - at least mostly - are enjoying it), but also I think he’s the second-in-command at the power plant? When he’s not acting as Burns' personal assistant but more as the SNPP’s executive assistant he can also show a bit of an authoritarian streak, especially when dealing with Homer, Lenny & Carl.
    And I like how he’s mostly this very orderly, matter-of-factly, sometimes a bit uptight (maybe not unlike Skinner) person, the “sober yin to my raging yang” as Burns put it, but then he also has his quirks (like being the world’s biggest Malibu Stacy dolls collector) and a bit more dramatic, emotional (like his mental breakdown in “Homer the Smithers”) and flamboyant side.
    Talking of that, I actually find it quite fascinating to have a gay character on a show exist from 1990 to now.
    How many queer characters have been +30 years on air? Especially on a show that loves its status quo so damn much, where characters don’t change and evolve much, but the times and RL world around them does, and so they do with them (e.g. if you compare Homer in “Homer’s Phobia” to “Three Gays of the Condo” to “There’s Something about Marrying”).
    It’s interesting how he went from a typical sycophantic yes-man (basically the stereotype/archetype/role he should represent) -> to being very obsessed with his boss -> to then being in love with his boss -> to then being “Burnssexual” (afaik there was some debate among the writers if Smithers should have a Single-Target-sexuality as TVTropes would call it or be generally gay) -> to then being a closeted gay man -> and then nowadays an openly gay man (who can also have once in a while a love interests besides Mr. Burns), who’s active in Springfield’s gay scene (and also confident and comfortable enough to do Drag).
    It’s nice to see him embrace his sexuality nowadays.
    You have really see and feel the LGBTQ+ jokes change over the decades (not just with his character, but in general). The early 00s and Season 11-20 was kinda the worst time for that (and I’m saying this btw as someone who enjoys a lot of later season episodes, and thinks the hate for anything >S9 is overrated/exaggerated, so I don’t want to generalize about all eps).
    As TheRealJims says in his Smithers video, this was kinda the time where they wouldn’t know what to do with him (as opposed to S20), so he was often mostly there for gay jokes. And since it was the early 2000s, it was often very tired, dated, “edgy” and maybe poorly-aged gay jokes (I came out as gay in 2009/10, so I remember the cultural climate of that time).
    While in earlier seasons the joke first wasn’t even that he was gay, it was that he was attracted to BURNS of all people + the way his crush was very obvious to us through references/(sub)text/jokes/fantasies/innuendos/etc. while Burns was kinda-sometimes-more-oblivious-sometimes-less (depending on the episode).
    Later when the writers had settled on a more generally gay Smithers instead of being Burnssexual, the humour came more from him trying to stay closeted, while probably every single person in Springfield knew.
    At least for me, pretty much all these jokes still hold up very much (I’m saying this as a lesbian, maybe queer men will see it differently, but I find them as utterly hilarious as I did when I was younger).
    Nowadays, whenever the show has episodes that heavily feature queer plots and/or characters, I feel they want to laugh more with the gays than about the gays. In episodes like e.g. “Livin’ La Pura Vida” or “Marge the Lumberjill” or “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire” I have the feeling it’s more gay jokes written by gay people if you know what I mean.
    That being said, while I’m happy that we have gotten some pretty good Smithers-episodes post-Season 20 (and I really like that they had him interact with other characters than Mr. Burns like Moe or Marge! (after “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" and "Mountain of Madness" I always wanted to have him and the kids in an episode again)), I don’t like how kinda mean-spirited they’ve made the relationship between Burns and Smithers in the recent years (not always, but often). I don’t ship them or anything, but I’ve always really, really enjoyed their dynamic, especially when they would do like fun stuff together like money fights, running the power plant on their own, playing Rocket League with the town’s snow plows, aso. And while there were always times where Burns was abusive to him (I never said it was a healthy relationship or anything! It’s pretty unhealthy and co-dependent. I’m talking here btw mostly about “cartoon violence”-like things like getting strangled (Burns’ heir), burned with tea (Brush with Greatness) or hit (A Star is Burns)), I feel like nowadays Burns is sometimes much more verbally and physically abusive and there is less camaraderie between them.
    I miss the times where Burns would ask Smithers how his weekend was (Homer Defined), genuinely wanted him to enjoy his vacation and see “lots of pictures” (Homer the Smithers), invite him to hang out with him in retirement (Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk), save his life (Midnight Rx) or Burns calling him “my dear friend” (Burns’ heir).
    I feel like nowadays they want to have Smithers be more independent of Burns and get a bit over this helpless pining, so he puts himself out more, is on dating apps, had boyfriends in Julio and Michael; all things I enjoy and very approve of.
    At the same time this show loves its status quo, so just like e.g. Selma is the “hopeful romantic and single woman who always falls for the wrong guys, marries them way too fast and is six times divorced”, Smithers will always be “the assistant in love with his boss”.
    I feel like they kinda want to have their cake and eat it, too. I wish they could find a way to have Smithers be more independent of Burns - if this is the route they want to go - while also not destroying this dynamic (After all the negative talk tho, I wanna say I love A LOT of +S10/20/30 episodes, especially Season 33 and 34 have been really good. And I really liked e.g. Burns advising Smithers to keep Michael in “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire”, because he got himself a billionaire boyfriend (and even one who pollutes the environment very badly), so that’s a great catch in Burns’ eyes, lol).

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      P.S.: re: his age: It really doesn’t make much sense when you compare all the episodes with each other where we’ve seen Homer and Smithers. In my mind, he’s always been a couple years older than Homer.
      So if Homer’s around 36-40 (I think nowadays they mostly go with 38/39/40), I believe Troy McClure that Smithers is “in his early 40s (is unmarried and currently resides in Springfield)”. I think “The Old Man and the Lisa” established his birth year as 1954 and “Bobby, It’s Cold Outside” his birthday at the 25th December, so he would have been 42 yo in-universe at the time of “The Old Man and the Lisa”. That makes sense to me.
      P.P.S.: re: his family: Maybe that’s just my personal headcanon, but I never really thought that Burns raised him, I think there’s no direct evidence for that in the show. Smithers' mother is definitely still alive (as you said, we hear that e.g. in S3 “Homer Defined” and hear/see that in S28 “Moho House”). It‘s also possible that she re-married (I means there’s like +40 years between Smithers Sr.’s death and the present time), considering Smithers’ line in “Bart After Dark” with “my PARENTS insisted I give it a try”.
      I have no doubt that Burns surely always played a big part in his life and had a strong presence, but I find it weird when people say he was his ‘adoptive father’ or something like that, since there’s no full confirmation for that and their relationship definitely doesn’t reflect such an familial backstory.

    • @Martina_B
      @Martina_B ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@BecKM94 Plus I don't even think Mr Burns is the type of person to raise children, he didn't even raise his biological son Larry, let alone Waylon

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@Martina_BOh yeah, I can’t really see that, too, tho I really like Burns’ interaction with baby Smithers in “The Blunder Years” (the "So, you're a baby, huh? How's that working out for you?" is darn funny and adorable).
      I could see Smithers growing up with his mother or potentially mother & a step-father, but having Burns maybe as a sorta uncle-like or godfather-like figure in his life (Burns & Smithers Sr. seemed to be really close and good friends and actually more like equals than Burns & Smithers Jr.) and he probably begun interning at the power plant and working for Burns very young. In my mind, there was already a trusting relationship between them through their bonds to Waylon Smithers Sr., but they quickly and early on established a professional boss/assistant-relationship (and devotee/crush-, and at good times kinda-friends-relationship), but nothing son/father figure-like.

    • @bravebeard6225
      @bravebeard6225 ปีที่แล้ว

      Too long didnt read.

    • @SeinIshamiado
      @SeinIshamiado ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@bravebeard6225 lmao

  • @borntoclimb7116
    @borntoclimb7116 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Smithers is a very interesting character, underrated.

  • @darkmookie6
    @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    16:48 I really like that he has a buddy now. I thought that this scene was so amazing I did a few sketches of the dawg.

  • @starkravinglad8099
    @starkravinglad8099 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I just want to say I love your matter-of-fact delivery!

  • @darkmookie6
    @darkmookie6 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Yesssss ive been so excited for this!!!! Thank youuuuuuuuu!!!

  • @jacobfagerland3762
    @jacobfagerland3762 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I love your videos and I'm so happy you did one on mister Smithers. I wish you dod it a bit sooner

  • @deshawnedwards6412
    @deshawnedwards6412 ปีที่แล้ว +244

    FINALLY! Smither's Timeline. I've been waiting for this one, I'm so happy and gay we finally got it. 🌈🏳️‍🌈

    • @alexanderruiz3929
      @alexanderruiz3929 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Is it's okay to be gay?🤨

    • @thescorchingpteranodon7986
      @thescorchingpteranodon7986 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@alexanderruiz3929 yeah, while it is not ok to be homophobic, so go get checked. Also, learn to write.

    • @aaroniscool7521
      @aaroniscool7521 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      I might be straight but i love Smithers. Watch the Smithers love song by your favorite martian and you'll appreciate it

    • @ogan2631
      @ogan2631 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@alexanderruiz3929 yeah

    • @Chilliconkanye
      @Chilliconkanye ปีที่แล้ว

      Gaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy

  • @cezzie
    @cezzie ปีที่แล้ว +5

    omg ive been waiting for this vid forever smithers is best simpsons character u cant deny 👍

  • @poppinpatty2507
    @poppinpatty2507 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    Love the innuendos! Great job Lydia, interesting and fun, that was an awesome biography! could you do a video about the history for a place in Springfield instead of a character like the school for example? that could be a cool twist for a video in your character biography series. Keep up the great work and great content! Smell you later😉☺️ 18:05

    • @TheSimpsonsTheory
      @TheSimpsonsTheory  ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Hey Patty 🙂 funny you say that because the next video is on the history of Springfield with an appearance from TheRealJims.
      But I like your idea of a history of a building, a Moe's video could be really interesting

  • @cottonuwu3167
    @cottonuwu3167 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    Smithers is a strange case as the series lasted so long that the character that represented how gays acted evolved as irl attitudes towards gay people, and gay people , changed. You can see the evolution in every season, from the first jokes just being subtle or very stereotipic, to the more recent seasons where he is more open at it and even intertwines to a plot

  • @DanielLopez-cy2tq
    @DanielLopez-cy2tq ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you for theses video. I do enjoy watching or listening to them at work

  • @briangriffinfamilyguyfan81
    @briangriffinfamilyguyfan81 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Smithers is such an interesting character on The Simpsons

  • @SellavinAtoms
    @SellavinAtoms ปีที่แล้ว +18

    I think Smithers is definitely one of the best supporting characters in the simpsons and a lot of episodes do focus on him as a character I think hes 1 of those characters that you know that's there he doesn't take up a lot of space but when he shows up he always steals the show and adds more energy to wear and at least that's in my opinion I don't I don't hate the character and hes 1 of those characters that I asked hes like 1 of my favorite scenes with the Fake angel and the Everybody thought that the world was gonna end he went Straight to Mr. Burns and give him a big fat kiss like what the hell and Burns knows Smithers is gay he's not stupid so He let's him be and doesn't abuse him For it that was probably one of my favorite movements of all time.

  • @scottyoshihara2458
    @scottyoshihara2458 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Thanks Lydia this was an interesting timeline.

  • @Kakmanmartinez666
    @Kakmanmartinez666 ปีที่แล้ว +44

    I'm honestly really happy for Smithers. I haven't seen the recent seasons as I don't really watch TV (I use my phone). I hope to see more development for him. I'm happy he became more comfortable with himself and got into doing drag and attending pride parades. I love him so much

  • @beyondview
    @beyondview 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    3:14 Smithers may have gotten discharged under DADT which was a law that targeted gay men and women in the US armed forces. If someone just assumed you were gay you could be discharged.

  • @MichaelG3558
    @MichaelG3558 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Ah Lydia you’re my favorite TH-camr

  • @billcipher119
    @billcipher119 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    He's weird but really funny too no matter if he's gay or not he is still beloved just the way he is

  • @s.deegan3740
    @s.deegan3740 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Oh and I love your videos!

  • @bobson1499
    @bobson1499 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Hey I don't know if you rember me but I rember when you have 30k subs now you're nearly a 200k I have you see this and keep up the good work 😁👍

  • @Trac480
    @Trac480 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Oooh, so you're lookin for a Mr. SMITHERS, ay? First name WAYLON, is it?!

  • @vish114
    @vish114 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    ive been waiting for this

  • @ZakJordan98
    @ZakJordan98 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Waylon Smithers at the retirement party proved there was indeed a cane in Citizen Cane

  • @sarkisianhavens
    @sarkisianhavens ปีที่แล้ว +12

    Maybe do a timeline on Patty & Selma? Very interesting

  • @MichaelG3558
    @MichaelG3558 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Wow thanks so much for that Lydia

  • @frankjohnson3506
    @frankjohnson3506 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    It's amazing how u can make anyone seem like the main character

  • @LeaderOfTheLGHDTV
    @LeaderOfTheLGHDTV ปีที่แล้ว +22

    Such a great video ❤might seem odd but I love how although he is a queer character, he is not just portrayed as perfect or good, he has layers of grey. As a gay man, that 'greyness' oddly makes him even more relatable, since we are all flawed people. Definitely one of my favourite animated characters ever, thank you Lydia!!!

  • @carerforever2118
    @carerforever2118 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    The Simpsons was just renewed again! 2 more seasons up until 2025. Yay! I can't wait to watch them! 😁👍

  • @Tontu_Nina
    @Tontu_Nina 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    15:47 OMG HIS SIDE PROFILE IM CRYING 😭😭😭

  • @grapeshot
    @grapeshot ปีที่แล้ว +8

    If anybody's ever seen RoboCop 2 you've seen live-action Smithers.

  • @alvexok5523
    @alvexok5523 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    8:07 - 8:12 - "Oh my god, you need booze!"
    (next scene, Dr. Nick to Smithers laying on ground outside hospital)
    9:36 - 9:40 - "Ohh, who am I kidding, the boathouse was the time!"

  • @everhernandez915
    @everhernandez915 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Awesome video thank you for making it.i would like to have the next video to *The Grumble* please

  • @LowellLucasJr.
    @LowellLucasJr. ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Whats wrong with this country?! Can't a man walk down the street without being offered a job?!

  • @JUSTJUAN27
    @JUSTJUAN27 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Maggie is my favorite Simpson character. Says so much without saying anything: So much personality

  • @reesequigley4104
    @reesequigley4104 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Smithers is my favourite and that will never change

  • @xxLJEGTxx
    @xxLJEGTxx ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I love his character so much. Also I had no idea he had a backstory!

  • @EllislovesCrossovers
    @EllislovesCrossovers ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I hope we get a timeline about Revered Lovejoy! :)

  • @jaereanwes5848
    @jaereanwes5848 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Both Smithers and Moe are my most favorite characters! ^w^

  • @brandonscott5544
    @brandonscott5544 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great the Simpson theory Lydia 💙

  • @chadhawksworth1197
    @chadhawksworth1197 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I appreciate you answering my question on why you didn’t answer my question on why you didn’t do the Kang and Kodos timeline. I understand completely but since you said you’d do it on your character tier ranking, maybe you can do a video explaining why you can’t

  • @paisleykcombs
    @paisleykcombs ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I bet that’s it’s because homer got held back for a couple of grades

  • @rothstokes981
    @rothstokes981 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    That’s really sad why can’t someone treat him right ;-;

  • @gachacorn
    @gachacorn ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Thank you so much!!! I love this character 😍🌈

  • @uptownkittydc
    @uptownkittydc ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Standing ovation for Lydia . Another funny & informative time-line 👍🏽

  • @Sam-747
    @Sam-747 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    You should do a timeline of how technology evolves in The Simpsons from Homers first computer at work in the episode 'King Sized Homer' (1995) to present day with some of the latest episodes and latest computers and cell phones.

  • @arthurmartin4616
    @arthurmartin4616 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    You know what? The puppy may have been a small win for Smithers, but a win none the less. He deserves the puppy love for all he puts up with.

  • @cedgson91
    @cedgson91 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The blunderyears is one of my favourite episodes
    Smithers is great❤

  • @emiliaholmberg3320
    @emiliaholmberg3320 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I hope that Mr.Smithers gets to know what true love feels like and what it means to have someone who loves you back as much as he loves them

  • @blueraccoon1088
    @blueraccoon1088 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Lidyia would you do loveline of Bart or the whole couples of Springfield? It could be another tier list

  • @The_simpsons_fan
    @The_simpsons_fan ปีที่แล้ว +1

    This is really Amazing 🤩

  • @CatKun1234
    @CatKun1234 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    That face when you get when you don’t see it coming 13:36

  • @cofefazineyrb862
    @cofefazineyrb862 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    First comment 2nd like btw love your videos

  • @inaaronshead7331
    @inaaronshead7331 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Another great timeline.. but Lydia, quick question.. do you still plan on doing more King of the Hill timelines?

  • @cheesyschannel
    @cheesyschannel ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Can you do a timeline for sideshow mel?

  • @saikoormike
    @saikoormike ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Man needs to come out. He's been hiding it for 30 YEARS and it's the only reason he's working for Burns
    He’s also my favourite character other than Comic Book Guy

    • @BecKM94
      @BecKM94 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      He’s actually been pretty much out to everyone for years now. This S27 episode where they teased him “coming out” wasn’t actually really a in-universe coming out episode, maybe more an episode where they showed “Okay, we’re not using subtext, innuendos, references etc. anymore, we’re showing directly and casually that all these Springfieldians like Homer, Lenny, Carl, Moe, Marge aso. know he’s gay”. I’d argue this was already a bit the case in S22’s “Flaming Moe”.
      They have still in the recent years done their sometimes Burns-is-more-oblivious-sometimes-less-thing, but in S33’s “Portrait of a Lackey on Fire” Smithers even goes to Burns for relationship advice (or advice about billionaires?) and just mentions to him he has a boyfriend. It takes Burns a bit to catch on, but as soon as he recognizes Smithers' famous bf’s name, it’s a complete non-issue.
      So, nowadays he’s an openly gay guy and nobody in Springfield ever had problems with that :-)

    • @saikoormike
      @saikoormike ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@BecKM94 Oh ok my mistake
      I forgot about those episodes

  • @manoftheusajones5147
    @manoftheusajones5147 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Do The Compmete Simpsons Timeline of Radioactive Man next, Lodia!.

  • @PikminandOatchi
    @PikminandOatchi ปีที่แล้ว +4

    "Wanda" kinda cute though.

  • @jaidastallworth5395
    @jaidastallworth5395 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Would love a Martin prince or patty and Selma timeline :)

  • @TaijanDean
    @TaijanDean ปีที่แล้ว +6

    Believe it or not, Mr Smithers gives his exact year of birth away in the episode “The old man and the Lisa”. During a scene where Mr. Burns asks why he wasn’t told about the Stock Market Crash ,presumably the crash of 1929, Smithers remarks that it happened 25 years before he was born. This means that Smithers was born in 1954.
    This isn’t too far fetched as it would make the scene where Smithers’ dad dies likely 1955 (which based on the look of Mr. burns and the scientific and technological progress regarding Nuclear physics around this time makes sense) and since we know that Homer went to college in the 1960s (based on almost all accounts) and Smithers is there with him and since Homer was born around 1950, we could take it as Homer being in later years / classes than Smithers, meaning they would still have gone to college together at some point. Also, since Smithers seems to be a guy who’s always changing his style, it’s not ridiculous to assume his looks don’t always line up with his age, especially when he works with Mr Burns which I have no doubt aged him at times.
    His age becomes more of an issue when dealing with when the show is fundamentally set and, despite changes in technology, the Simpsons seem never to have aged beyond what was established in 1989 and thus, I personally consider that to be the year the show is set (or thereabouts) no-matter anything else (aside from exceptions that explicitly show different dates past that which are still exceptions since the characters still don’t change.
    Anyway, if the scene depicting his death is accurate as well as the date of birth given by Smithers himself, Smithers would have died in or around 2004-2005.
    But if that is true, then Burns (being 104 in 1989) would be around 119-120 years old at the time he married causing Smithers’ death.
    Piecing timelines like this is something I surprisingly enjoy.

  • @tenebrousoul9368
    @tenebrousoul9368 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    Smithers!
    Also, what is the net worth of Burns? Like, how rich is he?

  • @slanetroyard92
    @slanetroyard92 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    Despite all the crazy stuff he's done for burns I always thought Waylon was a good guy.

  • @joseywosey
    @joseywosey 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Smithers is the best man of all of the Simpsons world I love him so much thank you for telling us about the timeline.

  • @shadowhell8378
    @shadowhell8378 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Smithers needs a good relationship hell comic book guy got a serious relationship that works before smithers.

  • @lordofthefilms4056
    @lordofthefilms4056 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    So close to 200k.

  • @MillhouseSpeaks
    @MillhouseSpeaks ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Please do the Flanders family the bbq scene show he has family from all over the world

  • @gregoberlander6775
    @gregoberlander6775 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Willy is favorite. Has the most memorable & funniest lines.

  • @1superstar817
    @1superstar817 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    🤣Why is baby Smithers wearing glasses?!🤣