Simpson Characters Killed Off

 

    This show has been on for over 30 years and there have been a few characters that have been only one-time characters, or characters that have been killed off and not many people seem to notice.

    Here are some of the Simpson characters that have.......died. Why? Maybe their character wasn't popular enough, or the voice actor passed away. Who knows...but here are a few.

     One of the first to die was Lisa's idol Bleeding Gums. Voiced by the late Ron Taylor, then again by Kevin Michael Richardson, Bleeding Gums shared the same blues that Lisa had when she was feeling down in the first season. He came back again, only to die from...I have no idea how he died, but he was in the hospital. He had a fabrigae egg collection that was considered a habit of his.

    His son was introduced in a recent episode where the son is deaf and the first thing he listens to after the surgery is his father's records.

   Mrs. Glick was introduced in the second season and was voiced by the late Cloris Leachman. Later was voiced by Tress McNeal....she was more a side character. Considered seen once in a while. They killed her off while she was playing the church organ.

   However, I've seen her character come back. Either it was an animation error...or she had a twin sister. Who knows.

  The Simpson family has gone through tragedies of their own. First with the death of Snowball One. Then...Snowball II was killed after being hit by a car. After replacement cats killed themselves...I think, Lisa got another cat similar to Snowball II.

    She named it Snowball V, but decided to keep Snowball II's bowl and ever since Snowball II or V has stayed with the Simpson family.

    Maude Flanders was featured in the second season and voiced by Maggie Rosswell. She was pretty good, was more a side character and wife of Ned Flanders. After Maggie left temporarily, they killed off Maude Flanders with a barrage of t-shirts.

   She has come back in either a ghost or seen in episodes that contain the past. Maggie Rosswell did come back, and so did Maude....once in a while. She still wants revenge on Homer at times.

   This is sadder than having to have a character off because the fans got tired of them. Marcia Wallace voiced Edna Krabapple until her death of cancer.

     Mrs. Krabapple married Flanders after Maude died. Only to relive the death of her after Marica died. They even had a chalkboard saying... we'll miss you Mrs. K. It's hard to watch old episodes only to know Marica is no longer with us...but only as a teacher who retired because the voice actress died.

   A long while ago, Homer wanted to take Flanders to Vegas. They end up getting married and when they come back, Homer's kicked out of the house. Amber is his second wife. Soon getting a divorce after she 'accidently' married Grandpa Simpson.

   She was killed off after standing up in a roller coaster. I think the Simpson crew didn't want to deal with another character.

   Joe Mantanga has voiced Fat Tony since the third season. A couple of seasons later...they killed Fat Tony....or did they?

    Well Fat Tony had a story of his own. Losing his wife; having a son in the same grade as Lisa and dealing with a lot of mob stories. Ended up getting heart attack and dying after Homer reveals that he was snitch.

     Fit Fat Tony comes and replaces his cousin, also voiced by Joe Mantanga. I guess it's the same thing as Snowball II. Keep the name.... but a different story.

   Glenn Close voiced Homer's mother Mona who was absent most of his life because she was on the run. She has come back in a couple of episodes. However; she dies without her and Homer reconciling the fight they were having.

    The episode aired during Mother's Day and it was dedicated to the voice actor of Homer, Dan Castellaneta's mother who passed away a few weeks before the episode aired. Mona does come back, but mostly in Homer's dreams.

    A recent episode of the Simpsons killed off a character mostly seen in Moe's bar. His name was Larry. No one knew about him until his death and his mother talked about how kind Homer and his bar friends were.

   They decide to find out more about Larry and go on a journey which revealed something else about Larry. Something that neither Homer, Lenny nor Carl knew about.

   Hershel Krustofski was Krusty the Clown's father. He passes away while telling Krusty how he felt about him.

  Krusty starts getting depressed thinking that his father wasn't proud of him. After all... his father was a Rabbi, and he thought Krusty would do the same. Finding out later that his father loved him and the jokes he told.

   There have been other characters that have died, but they were mostly one-time characters like Frank Grimes, Sherri Bobbins and many more.

    Sometimes you realize why certain cartoons kill off a character. Maybe because the voice actor died and didn't want to be replaced.... or something else. There are many reasons. Some Simpson voice actors have passed away, but with some voicing more than one character, they got a replacement. God rest their souls.

Dead Poet Society 37 years later

 

     We all miss Robin Williams. Recently, I saw 'Dead Poet's Society' and thought about what has happened to the actors that were in the movie. Where are they now? Well...let's talk about this movie first.

   'O Captain, My Captain.' A line mostly said at the end of the movie when everyone says goodbye to their friend and mentor John Keeting (portrayed by the late Robin Williams) The story takes place in a private school for men. A lot of the male leads were in their mid to late twenties playing teens. 

    The story happens when, after meeting Keeting, they decide to start a club called 'Dead Poets Society' A club where they would read poems written by deceased poets. However, stuff happens that soon ends in tragedy for one of them.

       Neil Perry is one of the leads played by Robert Sean Leonard. HIs character, Neil, wants to be in plays and star in theater. His father (played by Kurtwood Smith) wants him to follow the family and become a doctor. Neil doesn't want that and decides to follow his heart.

    After starring in a play, his father pulls him out of school and Neil...commits suicide.

       The actor that portrays Neil will soon be a doctor in the show HOUSE which is one show I love. So... I guess he did follow the Perry family's footsteps after all.

    Ethan Hawke portrayed Todd Anderson. Ethan was eighteen when he was in the role. Might have been the only actor that was the teenage age...but then again...many of these actors could have been in their late teens.

   After the movie, Ethan went on to star in other movies such as 'Great Expectations', 'The Purge', 'Boyhood' and many more. HIs daughter, Maya, is also an actress and following her parents' footsteps. Ethan said that he was suffering from depression himself when starring in the movie.

   Josh Charles starred as Knox. Another student that wanted for a cheerleader to fall in love with. Although he seemed like a coward in the movie, Josh Charles is considered a hilarious actor. I started noticing him in more roles recently.

     One being in a show called 'Best Medicine.' Thankfully getting a second season, this show follows Charles as a doctor who only cares about patients and fears blood. 

  I remember Neil's father, portrayed by Kurtwood Smith, from a show called 'That 70's Show' where he portrayed Red. That show was funny.

   He even had a guest role in an episode of House where he reunited with Robert Sean Leonard. In his character in the movie, he's overbearing and wants his only son to follow in his father's footsteps. Finding out her disobeyed him pushed Neil over the edge to suicide.

 

   This movie was written by Tom Schulman who also wrote the screenplay for Honey I shrunk the kids' The film was even nominated for best picture but lost to Driving Miss Daisy. I think Dead Poets should have won, but Driving Miss Daisy is ok. 

   Best Director and Best Screenplay as well. It won for best screenplay but lost for director. 

     Robin, we will never forget you...and we miss you every day. 37 years later, and this movie is still worth seeing.

  Loved it from beginning to end. Sad about a death, but you can tell why one character wants to do something without upsetting his father...then again, he took the one way out which is the coward's way.

    This movie was great and it is worth seeing even after Robin is gone. One of the top 15 of the best Robin Williams Movie. I'd rank it at number 11. 'O Captain....My Captain'

How kids were punished in the past

 

   Long time ago...corporal punishment was known in schools and would make kids squeamish and fear their teachers. 

   Back before people talked about their feelings, teachers didn't care if they ended up fired. They only cared if the students would pay attention.

   Some used whips to keep students in line. Others would make kids have their hands out, sometimes showing their knuckles as a ruler is taken out and smacked against the knuckles feeling pain.

   Sometimes, kids would feel that pain all day. Other times, they would have red marks on their hand. Mostly, when my father was a kid, he would go to a Catholic school, and the nuns would do the same thing for the kids that would talk back or not know the lord's prayer.

 Back in medieval times, they were worst to the children. Even leading to spankings and other forms of threats that would not be tolerated today.

   Kids would be scared to even be seen by their teachers even if they've been punished. Never telling their parents in fear of getting hurt some more.

 Even the famous dunce cap is known back when my family, as well as I were kids. It would make kids feel as if they are stupid.

  Sitting or standing in a corner facing the wall. A dunce cap on their head to signify they were lower and weren't as smart as the other students.

    Now a days, people would feel ashamed and teachers would be fired. A couple of years after I left school, corporal punishment in schools were starting to take a different toll.

   Some parents started to become concern about their children's wellbeing as well as their mental health. I would be.

   I remember Bart Simpson writing on the chalkboard almost in every episode. Now a days, they're barely chalkboards in the schools. Been replaced by whiteboards. Now a days, kids don't even write on the Chalkboard anymore. But it was a form of punishment back when I was young.

      Now a days, using corporal punishments in schools is considered a ground for teachers being fired or placed under arrest.

   A lot of states are taking punishments involving being hit by a ruler or sent to the corner. But kids would still be sent to the principal's office for being rude or doing anything to hurt others.

    Somes schools now have concealers that can help troubled children.

    I guess back before the internet was born, kids were afraid of disappointing their teachers. Thinking that they would end up in detention or in a metal crate with nails sticking out.

   Getting slapped with a wooden board on their behind. Now a days, a few states still do it.... but it's miniscule at best. We now know that people need to open up about their feelings, so they won't be afraid to get punished just because they acted out. Thank God corporal punishment has diminished every year and kids are now safe to no longer fear their teachers. Unless they're sent to the principal's office.

The heat from hell- POEM

 

The heat feels as if

it's coming early

as if summer

is creeping closer

eliminating spring

It's May,

Almost Mother's Day,

and it's starting to feel,

like summer,

once in a while,

as the rain,

returns,

after the heat

A fan,

is turning on,

as we feel,

as if,

summer is 

already here

Beautiful skies,

allergies still here,

as Spring still has not left,

I feel sneezy,

watery eyes,

and hot at the same time

May is feeling as if,

Spring is leaving,

and when June arrives,

Summer arrives,

And when it comes,

we will melt away

Can movie sequels surpass the original?

 

    Seeing many movies, some of them end up having sequels. Some good...some...not so good. But can a movie sequel surpass the original that it becomes better than its predecessor. Here are some of them that are better than the original. So much better...that some movies, I don't even see the first.

  Shrek 2- The first Shrek was about an Ogre saving a princess who also was an Ogre. They fall in love and....

 ....in the sequel Prince Charming (voiced by Rupert Everett) finds Fiona not there. His mother, who is the fairy godmother (voiced by Jennifer Saunders) turns Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) into a human and well...it was great. The story was good, we had new characters and it should have ended there. The third movie was fine.... but it should not have made a fourth; and there's a fifth coming. NOT WORTH SEEING. But the second is the best of the Shrek Movies.

    Terminator 2: Judgement Day- If you remember the first Terminator movie, you will remember Arnold Schwarzenegger wanting to kill Sarah Conner (played by Linda Hamilton) in the sequel, he wants to save her son. It was amazing. Robert Patric played another Terminator sent to kill the young boy and Sarah Conner breaks out of a mental ward when the evil Terminator comes for her.

    ...After that...they started making more sequels to milk in money. They should have stopped at this one. Because after that...they started getting worse.

  Paddington 2- A couple of years ago, Paddington, based on a book, became a movie starring Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Julie Bowen and many more. Nicloe Kidman was the antagonist who wanted Paddington stuffed.

   It was ok. The sequel was better. Hugh Grant frames Paddington and he is in prison where he makes friends, a mess and creates marmalade sandwiches for everyone. He finds a way out and tries to stop Hugh Grant from stealing jewelry. They made a third recently...it was fine, but the second one was better.

   Addams Family Values- I don't feel like talking about the cartoon or the sequel. Because both movies aren't worth it. 

    I want to talk about the 1993 version. The first movie came out in 1991. It was fine, funny, and the acting was good. The sequel, they have a baby. You think the baby would kill the movie. It doesn't...it makes it funnier. Wednesday and Pugsley are sent to Summer Camp; Fester falls in love with the nanny...and all hell breaks loose. I loved it from beginning to end. RIP Raul Julia...the best Gomez ever.

   The Rescuers Down Under- This movie is sadly underrated. It great from the voice acting to views of Australia. 

    A young orphan boy ends up in danger while saving a rare eagle. Bernard wants to marry Binaca, but never to gets a chance to propose since things get in the way. They meet another mouse while dealing with a villain (voiced by the late George C. Scott) capturing the young boy and stealing the rare eagle. It's a great movie and it's worth seeing. Sad it is not seen much, but it's worth it.

   Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back- The best Star Wars movie ever made. Better than the first, the prequels and sequels. Why? A dark truth is found out about what happened to Luke and Leia's father. The iconic quote: "No I am your father." still is true that is amazing writing finding out Darth Vadar is your father.

    When I saw it the first time, I already knew about the twist. It didn't surprise me. Obi Wan was protecting Luke from evil. This movie is worth the watch. It is better than the sequel trilogy with Rey...already knowing she is related to the dark side as well.

  Indiana Jones and the last crusade- Indiana Jones already had a sequel beforehand, but it wasn't worth it. This one concludes the whole Indiana Jones series (event though they made two more after this) This is worth the ending of a true great series.

   Sean Connery portrays Indiana's father. He knows something about the Holy Grail that contains everlasting life. A few bad guys that are considered Nazi's want to know as well. They kidnap Indiana's father and Indiana saves him. They go through an amazing adventure, almost die, and ride off into the sunset.... concluding the series.

  The Dark Knight- Christopher Nolan takes a crack at the Batman series. First off, Batman Begins is ok.... but I think Dark Knight was amazing. 

   Heath Ledger had to be one of the top three best Jokers next to Mark Hamill's voice and Jack Nicholson. Portraying a psychotic mastermind that wants to see Gotham burn. It was rumored Heath Ledger was going to be in the third, but he sadly passed away.

     The Dark Knight Rises wasn't that great either. The Dark Knight is the crowning winner of the Christopher Nolan Batman movies.

     There are so many good sequels that surpass the original. Puss in Boots had a sequel called the last wish which was amazing as well. Toy Story 2 and 3 were good. Spider Man 2 with Octoman as the villain was great. 

    Many movies like to have sequels, and when you find one that is better than the original...you know that the people writing them really do care about the original and want to make it better. Mission Accomplished on a few