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| {{short description|Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise}} | |||
| {{Simpsons character| | |||
| {{for|the Bloodhound Gang song|Hefty Fine{{!}}''Hefty Fine''}} | |||
| image= ]| | |||
| {{multiple issues| | |||
| name=Ralph Wiggum| | |||
| {{original research|date=April 2020}} | |||
| gender=Male| | |||
| {{in-universe|date=May 2018}} | |||
| hair=Wavy black, possibly brown| | |||
| }} | |||
| age=8| | |||
| {{Infobox character | |||
| job= Student at Springfield Elementary| | |||
| | name = Ralph Wiggum | |||
| relatives=], father, ], mother, (See ])| | |||
| | series = ] | |||
| | image = Ralph Wiggum.png | |||
| voiceactor=] | |||
| | caption = | |||
| | first = "]" (1989) | |||
| | creator = ] | |||
| | designer = Matt Groening | |||
| | voice = ] | |||
| | gender = Male | |||
| | occupation = {{unbulleted list|Student at Springfield Elementary School|Future Police Chief of Springfield|2008 US Presidential candidate with bi-partisan endorsement}} | |||
| | family = {{unbulleted list|] (father)|] (mother)|Iggy Wiggum (grandfather)}} | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''Ralph Wiggum''' is a ] in the long running ] '']'', voiced by ].. He is best known as the show's resident oddball, and has been immortalized for his seemingly random ] and erratic behaviour. His lines range from ridiculously nonsensical, or bizarre interpretations of a current event, to surprisingly profound statements that go over people's heads. For this, Ralph is somewhat of an outcast among his peers, although he seems to be on good relations with a good number of the major child characters on the show such as ], ], and ]. | |||
| The son of ] and mother ], Ralph is a good-hearted and generally well-meaning boy who unfortunately suffers from either severe learning and social disabilities, or some other form of childhood psychiatric disorder. Ralph fits the ] of the school weirdo. The nature of his mentality however is kept rather ambiguous, much like many of the signature traits of much of the show's cast. Like almost every other character on the show, he may not be quite as simple as he first seems, as evidenced by his hinted immense potential as a performer. | |||
| Whatever the case may be, Ralph is undoubtedly one of the Simpsons's most popular and beloved characters. With his bizarre, albeit rather interesting personality and his hilarious commentary, he is one of the most recognizable of Springfield's citizens. Show creator ] has stated that Ralph is one of his personal favorite characters on the ''Simpsons''. | |||
| ==Profile== | |||
| Ralph is quite an ] of a child. Upon first glance, one might mistake him for a child with ]; or perhaps they might even look is at him as a ] child. Throughout the course of the show however, there have been many hints dropped over the true nature of his character. What is definite however, is that he suffers from ] of some sort, as evidenced by his apparently slow grasp of things in the world around him, his difficulty in studying, and his sporadic speech impediments. His unique manner of speech is often the source of the character's trademark random quotes, where Ralph may make a commentary such as "It tastes like...burning!", or "], you're blindeded!," as well as his tendency to call his teacher "School Mommy" and on one occasion calling Superintendent Chalmers "] Chalmers." However, Ralph is also able to speak in a normal manner much of the time, which only adds to the question of his condition and character. For more information on the mystery surrounding his mentality, see ]. | |||
| Ralph is often seen in very awkward situations such as eating glue ], and other such erratic forms of behavior that have since become a staple of the character. Ralph has a rather immense imagination, and is seemingly oblivious to the world around him. As such, he is generally a very cheerful boy. However, Ralph also has a hint of tragedy and dark satire to him, like almost every other character on the show. Throughout the show's history, Ralph is eternally the odd one out among his peers at school. This was the basis of the episode "]," one of two episodes in which Ralph played a significant role. Ralph seems to be fully aware of his difficulty fitting in with children his age. In this episode, he is heartbroken on ] over the fact that, despite his best efforts, he himself receives absolutely no valentines from any of his classmates. In a bout of platonic pity, Lisa Simpson rewrites a valentine card for Ralph to cheer him up. Ralph, however, sees this as something a little more. His genuinely endearing attempt to woo Lisa fills the majority of the episode, an escapade which unfortunately ends with heartbreak when Lisa reveals her true intention with the valentine. | |||
| Afterwards, a distraught Ralph laments over his heartbreak as well as social difficulty to his, unfortunately clueless but well meaning ]. Ralph, however, is cast to play ], the lead role in a major school play, alongside Lisa, and it is here that another of Ralph's hinted traits are revealed as Ralph stuns the audience with his incredible performance as the first president, which Ralph uses as an emotional outlet. Afterwards, a genuinely remorseful Lisa apologizes to Ralph and they agree to be friends. This would not be the last hint viewers would see of Ralph's hidden potential. As of now, Ralph has been the focus of one other episode, "]." In the episode, Bart is forced to spend a day with Ralph because ] feels sorry for him when he is picked on in the beginning. While Bart is at first less than thrilled with this, he genuinely has a good time with Ralph during their time together, eventually learning a thing or two about him in the process. Despite Ralph's awkward behavior and occasionally irritating moments, he is consistently depicted as being a nice kid who just wants to help. In the comic story ''The Squish of Death'', Bart sums up his general opinion of Ralph nicely when Ralph states "I like to color outside the lines!" to which Bart responds, "We know, Ralph, and that's alright with us." | |||
| ==Relations== | |||
| Ralph seems to generally get along with many people, as well as occasionally irritating and baffling them as well. Ralph's father is the ] of ], Clancy Wiggum and his mother is Sarah Wiggum. Ralph's relationship with his parents seems to be very loving, Clancy in particular rather adores his son as the two do much together, such as various road trips or Ralph's first trip to a major league baseball game as depicted in the comic ''If you can't Wiggum, join 'em!''. Ralph can apparently be quite a handful as well however, and there are times where Clancy can be neglectful of his son as well. When it comes to school, Ralph is predictably not so popular, although he seemingly enjoyed notoriety after his role of Washington at least. Bart is probably the closest thing Ralph has to a friend, as he is often included in groups with the prankster for various hijinks. Although he can get irritated with him, Bart at times also defends Ralph from verbal bullying. It is hinted that in the future, Ralph and Bart's friendship may become much stronger. Ralph also does a fair bit with Lisa, although she too can get irritated from time to time. Their friendship after "I Love Lisa" has endured. Ralph is often seen with a wide variety of children as well, but on schoolgrounds Ralph is unfortunately known as "the most harmless kid in school", which opens him up to bullying like much of the young cast in the show. Ralph is treated as somewhat of a nuisance by the school board, Marge Simpson however seems to have taken particular notice of Ralph and his potential strengths as well as generally positive character. Ralph has a multitude of imaginary friends as well, Wiggle Puppy and a ] ] being particularly well known among viewers. Ralph's teacher, Ms Hoover, is quite indifferent to his personality and his imagination.. Though she will often correct him in a dull, condescending manner, she is yet to outright scold him. It is often implied by various official works of the show as well, such as the ''Ralph Book'' that Hoover's callous behavior denies Ralph positive attention he may need. | |||
| ==Ralph's mentality and hidden talent== | |||
| The nature of Ralph's mentality and developmental problem is very ambiguous. Although it is easy to pass off Ralph as a mentally challenged child, there are many things which show that this may not be the case. Ralph is quite capable of acting in a normal manner, he once in a while even makes very valid and sensible points. Oftentimes his bizarre behavior is attributed to his wild ]. Ralph's behavior and difficulty in school is highly reminiscent of a few childhood psychiatric disorders such as severe ], ], and some others perhaps as well, all of which are not impediments of intelligence but rather of social and environmental development. | |||
| Ralph often makes ]s for things to explain to himself how the world works around him, such as describing shutting down the Nuclear Power Plant to avert a meltdown by comparing it to catching a ] and wrapping it in tinfoil. This is a quality often associated with children who have a mild case of autism or perhaps ], and also by children who have a very high degree of creative and artistic intellect. One could even say that Ralph has either a very unique perspective of everything, or he simply can't word out what he's thinking easily. As such, Ralph could be many things from a mentally disturbed child, to possibly even an artistic ] which brings up the subject of his prowess in ]. Ralph is consistently shown to have a high degree of latent creative and performing talent. | |||
| Aside from his role of Washington, Ralph apparently impressed Marge a great deal with his portrayal as ] and his acting exploits are referred to a few more times. His talents don't stop there either, he has impressive talent in singing (comic story ''Faking the Band''), dancing ("]"), critique ("]"), he draws very often and in the comic a substitute teacher insists that he is an artistic genius due to his tendency to speak in ]. Despite his supposedly subpar level of intelligence, when representing ] at the ] club, he actually knows the words to the ] as seen in "]." Although he has botched up on stage occasionally as well, generally it's strongly implied that he has genuine talent. Ralph also seems to be aware that he isn't "normal". | |||
| Children who are highly gifted in creative and artistic intellect are often mistaken by school officials to be mentally disrupted. Ralph is often used as ] to poke fun at modern school's tendency to misjudge young children in this manner, as well as their inability to give children special attention they need due to budget constraints. Regardless of everything however, in the end ''The Simpsons'' can be just as random as Ralph himself. Much like the case with every character on the show, it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide what Ralph's true nature is. | |||
| ==The typical Ralph moment== | |||
| Ralph's signature use as a character in the show is to deliver either an odd bit of behavior, or dialogue which either perplexes others or merely gives the audience a quick laugh. A good example is during class, Ralph's teacher ] will stop lecturing the class for a moment to question Ralph's actions such as eating something he shouldn't, or saying something bizarre or oblivious. Another common use is that Ralph will be at a major event in the episode's story, and will say commentary which can either perplex everyone present or point out something so glaringly obvious it's funny. Ralph has quite a knack for getting himself into sticky situations as well, which is another type of scene he is often used for. There is criticism that as the show has gone on, Ralph has become less a merely clueless and eccentric child to more of a dim-witted one liner character with little subtlety. Although his endearing qualities are more inconsistent than before, this hasn't stopped him from being one of the show's most recognizable and remembered characters. | |||
| '''Ralph Wiggum'''{{Sfn|Groening|2010|pp=186, 1099, 1199}} is a recurring character in the ] ''].'' He is voiced by ].{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=1099}} Ralph is characterized largely by his frequent ] which range from nonsensical and bizarre to profound. His ] behavior lends him an air of blissful ignorance. | |||
| In the official ''Simpsons'' comic by ], Ralph is often featured prominently in short stories and one takes. | |||
| The creator of the show, ], has cited Ralph as his favorite character.<ref>{{cite news | first = Eric | last = Moro | title = SDCC 07: The Simpsons Panel | publisher = ] | date = 2007-07-28 | url = http://tv.ign.com/articles/808/808965p1.html | access-date=2007-07-29}}</ref> He generally remains one of the more popular and often quoted secondary characters in the show. In 2006, '']'' ranked Ralph No. 3 on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters," behind ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |title=The Simpsons: Top 25 Peripheral Characters |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/02/16/the-simpsons-top-25-peripheral-characters |website=IGN|date=16 February 2012 }}</ref> | |||
| ==Origins== | |||
| ==Role in ''The Simpsons''== | |||
| ]."]]Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was the episode "]," although he has appeared as an unnamed character beforehand in even the very first episode "]." However, he was considerably different in both appearance and behavior from his later appearances. So much in fact that many consider the episode "]" his "true" first appearance because he is first depicted as he appears for the rest of the series here, although he appears in "]" sporting his new look but humorously speaking with his old voice which is highly reminiscent of ]'s tone. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer", Ralph eventually took on a life of his own. The show's writing staff figured that he'd also fit perfectly as the son of Chief Wiggum, a fact made canon in "]" (although he is referred to by his last name of Wiggum in "]" before). | |||
| Ralph is characterized as a slow-witted and good-natured 8-year-old boy in ]'s second-grade class,{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=186}} taught by ]. Initially, he was mostly used as a silent background character without consistent characterization. However, in later seasons his role expanded, being a featured character in several episodes. | |||
| These episodes include: "]", an episode which set him apart from other tertiary characters and largely defined much of his character,<ref name=ilovelisa>{{cite episode |title=I Love Lisa|episode-link=I Love Lisa|series=The Simpsons |credits=]; ]|network=Fox |airdate=1993-02-11|season=04|number=15}}</ref> "]" and "]"; as well as appearances both minor and prominent in many other episodes. Ralph also appears in various other media, such as the ], and has even received his own entry in ] series. | |||
| ==Popular Culture== | |||
| ===Personality=== | |||
| With a combination of his hilarious commentary and his endearingly innocent character, Ralph eventually became one of the show's most popular characters. He is a favorite character to feature on merchandise such as stickers and clothing, and when Nancy Cartwright appeared on the ] show her characterization of Ralph sparked a massive reaction far greater than her other characters including Bart. Ralph's popularity as a character has even spread so far that the rock band ] made a song called "Ralph Wiggum," dedicated to the character and comprised solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. The song can be found on their album ''Hefty Fine''. Another band, ] has a member named Ralph Wiggum, presumably a ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| Ralph's primary role in the show is to deliver clueless asides and odd ''].'' Ralph is presented as quite stupid, verbally challenged, and slow. In one of his most famous quotes, Ralph responds to the news that he is failing English class with the retort: "Me fail English? That's unpossible!"<ref name=lisaonice>{{cite episode |title=Lisa on Ice|episode-link=Lisa on Ice|series=The Simpsons |credits=]; ]|network=Fox |airdate=1994-11-13|season=06|number=8}}</ref> | |||
| In other instances, Ralph has been shown to speak with relative ease, notably in "]" when he gives an uncharacteristically powerful performance as ] in a school play. Occasionally, Ralph has been used to break the ] straightforwardly.<ref>Spoiler-centric events near the end of the game involving Ralph.{{cite video game|title=The Simpsons Game|developer=EA Redwood Shores, Rebellion, Amaze Entertainment |publisher=Electronic Arts|date=October 30, 2007<!-- (USA) -->|platform=Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable}}</ref> | |||
| ==Future== | |||
| Although it has never been explicitly stated in any Simpsons-related media that Ralph is intellectually disabled and/or ]d, in a flashback ] drops baby Ralph, who lands flat on his head. When Wiggum picks Ralph up again, Ralph suddenly has difficulty drinking out of his bottle.<ref>'']'' episode "]".</ref> | |||
| Ralph's future is one of the murkiest and most vague of all the children on the show. ''The Simpsons'' frequently featured non-] episodes, and the 'future' episodes are among them. Due to the timeless nature of the show, the dates are relative: | |||
| ] | |||
| * "]": By far Ralph's most mysterious sighting. "Sideshow Ralph Wiggum" is a name mentioned on a very fast scrolling list of celebrities that have been arrested in a witchhunt-like manner. The reference is easy to miss, and may require a ] player going frame by frame to catch. Also, Ralph is barely able to be seen behind the aged ] during the wedding. | |||
| * "]": Ralph's most prominent role in a future episode. Ralph is very good friends with Bart, and shares an apartment with him. Surprisingly, Ralph seems to be the voice of maturity in Bart's immediate life, and he is pretty well composed with a full head of thick brown hair and a more focused attitude. In spite of this, he isn't above the random behavior of his childish self from time to time. His friendship with Bart is turbulent due to Bart's flakey ways; but he apparently sticks with him in the end. | |||
| * "]": Ralph has a brief cameo during his ] ], in which he claims he can use the ]. Although he is only briefly featured, he appears to be an older version of his younger self here complete with non-sequitur. Ralph becomes inadvertently intoxicated when ] ]s the punch, leading to humorous hallucinations. | |||
| * ''']''': This story in the comic series featured a 'future' reminiscent of the one in ''Lisa's Wedding'', but it is different in many ways. Ralph has a cameo alongside his aging father where Ralph is surfing a futuristic version of the ]. | |||
| * "]": Lisa has a pessimistic daydream where she imagines becoming like her father in the future. Ralph appears as Lisa's husband, being introduced through the line, "Hi Lisa, it's me, your husband, Ralph." In this imaginary scenario, Ralph and Lisa have also have many kids and Lisa is grossly ] while Ralph appears to have a minimum wage job. This sequence was of course, from Lisa's paranoid imagination and thus is not real. | |||
| ==Creation and design== | |||
| ==Ralph's unconventional eating habits== | |||
| Ralph was named after comedian ]'s character on '']'' Ralph Kramden.<ref>{{cite news |author=Larry Carroll |date=2007-07-26 |title='Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers |publisher=] |url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071218115716/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 18, 2007 |access-date=2007-07-29}}</ref><ref name="sprcon" /> Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was in the episode "]", where he was considerably different in appearance and behavior. Ralph's modern design first appeared in the second-season episode "]". Early Ralph spoke with a voice similar to that of ]'s until Cartwright settled into his higher-pitched whine. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer," Ralph eventually took on a life of his own.<ref name=Jean>{{cite video|people=Jean, Al|year=2001|title=The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode 'Moaning Lisa'|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref><ref name="sprcon">{{cite book |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |last2=Klickstein |first2=Mathew |title=Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons |date=2018 |publisher=Dey Street Books |isbn=978-0062748034 |page=105|location=New York City}}</ref> The staff later retconned Ralph into the son of ], a fact initially hinted at in "]" and later made canon in "]".<ref name=tvguide>{{cite news|title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves|date=2000-10-21|work=]|author=Joe Rhodes}}</ref> Groening considers Ralph "really hard to write."<ref name=tvguide/> | |||
| *] in "]," "]," and "]" | |||
| *His red ] in "]" | |||
| *] in "]" | |||
| *The caps from his cap gun in "]" | |||
| *His ] in "]" | |||
| *His ] in "]" | |||
| *"The purple berries" in "]" | |||
| *A ] in "]" | |||
| *"Plastic candy" (the set and props for his dance recital) in "]" | |||
| *] building blocks in "]" | |||
| *] in "]" | |||
| Ralph's normal attire usually consists of a blue long-sleeve shirt with a collar, a belt with a red buckle, and brown pants. However, almost all ''Simpsons-''related media and merchandise, portray Ralph with white or light gray colored pants. Ralph's hair is meant to evoke a ] style.<ref name=thesimpsonshandbook>{{Cite book| last1 =Grau | first1 =Doris | last2=Mitzman Gaven | first2= Marcia | title =The Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips from the Pros | publisher =]| year =2007 | isbn =978-0-06-123129-2| title-link =List of The Simpsons books#2000s }}</ref> In one particular issue of the comic book, Ralph is drawn in a realistic style, depicted with blonde hair.<ref name=thoh1>{{cite comic | writer=] | artist=] | title=Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror, "Catastrophe in Substitute Springfields" | issue=7 | date=September 2001 | publisher=]}}</ref> Adult Ralph in "]" has light brown hair. | |||
| ==Quotes== | |||
| {{wikiquote}} | |||
| ==Reception== | |||
| Some examples of Ralph's famous dialogue include: | |||
| Ralph has become one of the show's most popular characters. He is commonly featured on media and merchandise related to the show, including the ] home media box set. ] released Ralph as a separate figure from the rest of their ''Simpsons'' line of figurines in 2009. The figure is twice as large as the others. The comedy band ] made a song titled "Ralph Wiggum" on the album ''],'' dedicated to the character and composed solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. Show creator ] has stated that writers will most likely take credit for Ralph when someone asks who writes specific characters, which is a common misconception about the writing process.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47771/3 |title=Matt Groening {{!}} The A.V. Club |website=] |access-date=2006-04-26 |archive-date=2007-06-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070623071111/http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47771/3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| * '''Ralph:'''(with stranded group looking for food) "I ated the purple berries! Ohhhh...ohh." (groans and collapses)<br />''']:''' "What do they taste like, Ralph? Good?"<br />'''Ralph:''' "They taste like... burning!" | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| * "My kitten likes milk." | |||
| * "My cat's breath smells like cat food." | |||
| * "Someone should iron you." (Upon seeing a group of senior citizens.) | |||
| * "Why does everyone run away from me?" (Ralph then wets his pants.) | |||
| * "Me fail English? That's unpossible." | |||
| * "In my house, we call them uh-oh's!" (''Brothers Little Helper'', referring to fires) | |||
| * "Hi, Lisa. Hi, ] Chalmers." (Instead of ']' Chalmers.) | |||
| * "When I grow up, I want to be a principal or a caterpillar! I love you, ]!" | |||
| * "I'm happy and angry!" (After eating too much sugar.) | |||
| * "I bent my ]" | |||
| * "I love glue" (instead of "I Love you") | |||
| * "I'm cuckoo for contraband!" | |||
| * (Playing ])"Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck ..." (35 times at least) | |||
| * "Pop music is hard work." | |||
| * "Principal Skinner's an old man who lives in the school." | |||
| * '''Ralph:'''(locked inside the school at night) "Mr. Army Man, sir, I can't sleep without my Reggie Rabbit."<br/>''']:''' "Here. Have this scouring pad." (Hands him a scouring pad)<br/>'''Ralph:''' "But it's cold and hurty..." | |||
| == |
===Bibliography=== | ||
| * * {{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |title=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |title-link=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |date=2010-10-28 |publisher=] |isbn=9780061711282 |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |edition=1st |editor2-last=Gimple |editor2-first=Scott M. |editor2-link=Scott M. Gimple |editor-last3=McCann |editor-first3=Jessie L. |editor-last4=Seghers |editor-first4=Christine |editor-last5=Bates |editor-first5=James W.}} | |||
| * | |||
| * at SNPP.com | |||
| * A very comprehensive fansite featuring Ralph's appearances by episode, character profile, and a massive image archive among its features. | |||
| * A profile on the official Simpson website. | |||
| {{ |
{{The Simpsons}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 00:59, 6 November 2024
Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise For the Bloodhound Gang song, see Hefty Fine. | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
| Ralph Wiggum | |
|---|---|
| The Simpsons character | |
 | |
| First appearance | "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (1989) |
| Created by | Matt Groening |
| Designed by | Matt Groening |
| Voiced by | Nancy Cartwright |
| In-universe information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation |
|
| Family |
|
Ralph Wiggum is a recurring character in the animated series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Ralph is characterized largely by his frequent non-sequiturs which range from nonsensical and bizarre to profound. His dim-witted behavior lends him an air of blissful ignorance.
The creator of the show, Matt Groening, has cited Ralph as his favorite character. He generally remains one of the more popular and often quoted secondary characters in the show. In 2006, IGN ranked Ralph No. 3 on their list of the "Top 25 Simpsons Peripheral Characters," behind Sideshow Bob and Troy McClure.
Role in The Simpsons
Ralph is characterized as a slow-witted and good-natured 8-year-old boy in Lisa Simpson's second-grade class, taught by Ms. Hoover. Initially, he was mostly used as a silent background character without consistent characterization. However, in later seasons his role expanded, being a featured character in several episodes.
These episodes include: "I Love Lisa", an episode which set him apart from other tertiary characters and largely defined much of his character, "This Little Wiggy" and "E Pluribus Wiggum"; as well as appearances both minor and prominent in many other episodes. Ralph also appears in various other media, such as the Simpsons comic book series by Bongo, and has even received his own entry in The Simpsons Library of Wisdom series.
Personality
Ralph's primary role in the show is to deliver clueless asides and odd non-sequiturs. Ralph is presented as quite stupid, verbally challenged, and slow. In one of his most famous quotes, Ralph responds to the news that he is failing English class with the retort: "Me fail English? That's unpossible!"
In other instances, Ralph has been shown to speak with relative ease, notably in "I Love Lisa" when he gives an uncharacteristically powerful performance as George Washington in a school play. Occasionally, Ralph has been used to break the fourth wall straightforwardly.
Although it has never been explicitly stated in any Simpsons-related media that Ralph is intellectually disabled and/or brain damaged, in a flashback Chief Wiggum drops baby Ralph, who lands flat on his head. When Wiggum picks Ralph up again, Ralph suddenly has difficulty drinking out of his bottle.
Creation and design
Ralph was named after comedian Jackie Gleason's character on The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden. Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was in the episode "Moaning Lisa", where he was considerably different in appearance and behavior. Ralph's modern design first appeared in the second-season episode "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment". Early Ralph spoke with a voice similar to that of Nelson Muntz's until Cartwright settled into his higher-pitched whine. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer," Ralph eventually took on a life of his own. The staff later retconned Ralph into the son of Chief Wiggum, a fact initially hinted at in "Kamp Krusty" and later made canon in "I Love Lisa". Groening considers Ralph "really hard to write."
Ralph's normal attire usually consists of a blue long-sleeve shirt with a collar, a belt with a red buckle, and brown pants. However, almost all Simpsons-related media and merchandise, portray Ralph with white or light gray colored pants. Ralph's hair is meant to evoke a bowl-cut style. In one particular issue of the comic book, Ralph is drawn in a realistic style, depicted with blonde hair. Adult Ralph in "Bart to the Future" has light brown hair.
Reception
Ralph has become one of the show's most popular characters. He is commonly featured on media and merchandise related to the show, including the season 13 home media box set. Kidrobot released Ralph as a separate figure from the rest of their Simpsons line of figurines in 2009. The figure is twice as large as the others. The comedy band The Bloodhound Gang made a song titled "Ralph Wiggum" on the album Hefty Fine, dedicated to the character and composed solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. Show creator Matt Groening has stated that writers will most likely take credit for Ralph when someone asks who writes specific characters, which is a common misconception about the writing process.
References
- Groening 2010, pp. 186, 1099, 1199.
- Groening 2010, p. 1099.
- Moro, Eric (2007-07-28). "SDCC 07: The Simpsons Panel". IGN. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
- "The Simpsons: Top 25 Peripheral Characters". IGN. 16 February 2012.
- Groening 2010, p. 186.
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - The Simpsons episode "Moms I'd Like to Forget".
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Bibliography
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