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{{short description|Fictional character from The Simpsons franchise}}
{{Simpsons character|
{{Infobox character
image= [[Image:Mayor Quimby.png|222px]]|
name=Mayor "Diamond" Joe Quimby|
| name = Mayor Quimby
| series = [[The Simpsons]]
gender=[[Male]]|
| image = Mayor Quimby.png
hair=Brown|
| first_major = "[[Bart Gets an 'F']]"
age=56 (As of Feb. 9th 2007)|
| first_date = October 11, 1990
job=[[Mayor]] of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]|
| creator = [[David M. Stern]]
relatives= '''Wife:''' Martha Quimby<br> '''Brother:''' Clovis <br> '''Nephew:''' Freddie <br> '''Children:''' Several illegitimate by various mistresses |
| designer = [[Matt Groening]]
appearance="[[Bart Gets an F]]" |
voiceactor=[[Dan Castellaneta]] |
| voice = [[Dan Castellaneta]]
| based_on = [[Kennedy family]], particularly [[Ted Kennedy]] and President [[John F. Kennedy]] <br> [[The Edge]] (namesake)
| full_name = Joseph Fitzgerald O'Malley Fitzpatrick O'Donnell The Edge Quimby
| gender = Male ♂
| occupation = [[Mayor]] of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]
| relatives = [[The Boy Who Knew Too Much (The Simpsons)|Freddy]]
| spouse = [[Martha Quimby]]
| children = {{Plainlist|
*Shirley (daughter)
*3 unnamed sons
*1 unnamed daughter
}}
}}
}}
'''Joseph "Joe" Fitzpatrick Fitzgerald Fitzhenry Quimby''',<ref>http://www.thesimpsons.com/quimby2000/index.html</ref> a.k.a. '''"Diamond Joe" Quimby''', or simply '''Mayor Quimby''' (voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]]), is a [[fictional character]] featured in ''[[The Simpsons]]'' [[animated series]], as the [[mayor]] of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]].


'''Mayor Joseph Fitzgerald O'Malley Fitzpatrick O'Donnell The Edge''' "'''Joe'''" '''Quimby''',<ref>{{cite episode |title=Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes|episode-link=Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Curran, Kevin; Kramer, Lance |network=Fox |airdate=2008-09-28|season=20 |number=1 }}</ref> nicknamed "'''Diamond Joe'''", is a recurring character from the [[Animated cartoon|animated sitcom television series]] ''[[The Simpsons]]''. He is voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]], and first appeared in the episode "[[Bart Gets an 'F']]{{-"}}. Quimby is the [[mayor]] of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], and is a [[Composite character|composite]] [[parody]] of U.S. Senator [[Ted Kennedy]] and certain other members of the [[Kennedy family]] who have entered politics.
== Origin of name ==
Joe Quimby's name partly comes from NW Quimby Street in [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]], [[Oregon]], the hometown of show creator [[Matt Groening]]. The rest of the character's name is from Portland [[mobster]] and chief of police, "Diamond" [[Jim Purcell]].


== Profile ==
==Concept and creation==
Joe Quimby is a parody of [[Massachusetts]] [[United States Senate|Senator]] [[Ted Kennedy]] and the [[Kennedy family]].{{r|brown20070702}} Like the Kennedys, Quimby [[Irish Americans|is of Irish descent]], "speaks with a [[Boston accent]], throws money at political problems, and vacations in a coastal resort called the '[[Kennedy Compound|Quimby Compound]]{{'"}}.{{r|brown20070702}} Dan Castellaneta voices Quimby with [[mid-Atlantic accent|mid-Atlantic]] and Boston accents, resulting in a voice reminiscent of that of President [[John F. Kennedy]].<ref>Groening, Matt (2005). Commentary for the episode "[[Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. Twentieth Century Fox.</ref>
Quimby has long served as the [[mayor]] of the fictional city of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]. He appears as a slick, opportunistic politician whose chief priorities seem to be keeping himself in office, womanizing, and various forms of corruption, including embezzlement of tax money and taking bribes from [[mobster]] [[Fat Tony]].


==Appearances==
He is known to be a womanizer, and to occasionally amuse himself with [[pornographic]] [[playing card]]s during town meetings. Quimby was once the subject of 27 separate [[paternity suit]]s; a result, no doubt, of his frequent womanizing. One of the women he allegedly impregnated was [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Cookie Kwan|Cookie Kwan]], who held up a baby remarkably similar to Quimby in both looks and mannerisms. With characteristic evasion, Quimby immediately passed the baby to one of his handlers, instructing him to "Raise the child as your own." Presumably, the paternity suits are still ongoing. Quimby also is frequently noticed in bed with the same blonde woman who is [[illiterate]], who was later reveled to be [[List of recurring characters from The Simpsons#Miss Springfield|Miss Springfield]] in "[[See Homer Run]]". He frequently takes overseas vacations, which take him out of town for extended periods of time, leading to the headline "Mayor Visits City" in the ''Springfield Shopper''. He once referred to Springfield as ''Springfeld'' at a public meeting.
Quimby has long served as the [[mayor]] of the city of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]. He appears as a slick, opportunistic politician whose chief priorities seem to be keeping himself in office and various other forms of corruption, including [[embezzlement|embezzling]] tax money, taking [[bribery|bribes]] from [[Fat Tony (The Simpsons)|Fat Tony]], and giving monthly [[Political corruption#Kickbacks|kickbacks]] to Police [[Chief Wiggum]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer the Vigilante|episode-link=Homer the Vigilante|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John |network=Fox |airdate=1994-01-06|season=5 |number=11 }}</ref> The seal on the wall of his office reads "Corruptus in Extremis",<ref>{{cite episode |title=Marge in Chains|episode-link=Marge in Chains|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Bill Oakley; Josh Weinstein; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox |airdate=1993-05-06|season=4|number=21 }}</ref> which means "extremely corrupt".


Like Kennedy, Quimby is known as a [[wikt:womanizer|womanizer]],<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ghaly |first1=Sera Jane |title=High Culture: 10 Of The Best Cannabis Moments On The Simpsons |url=https://herb.co/news/culture/10-best-cannabis-moments-simpsons/ |work=[[Herb (company)|Herb]] |date=2022-12-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Sachleben |first1=Mark |last2=Yenerall |first2=Kevan M |title=Seeing the Bigger Picture Understanding Politics Through Film & Television |date=2004 |publisher=[[Peter Lang (publisher)|Lang]] |location=Switzerland |isbn=9780820462486 |page=161}}</ref> and occasionally amuses himself with [[Pornography|pornographic]] [[playing card]]s during town meetings. Quimby was once the subject of 27 separate [[Paternity (law)|paternity suit]]s. One of the women he impregnated is [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Cookie Kwan|Cookie Kwan]], whose baby is remarkably similar to Quimby in both looks and mannerisms.<ref>{{cite episode |title=She Used to Be My Girl|episode-link=She Used to Be My Girl|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Nastuk, Matthew; Long, Tim |network=Fox |airdate=2004-12-05|season=16 |number=4 }}</ref> Quimby also is frequently noticed in bed with the same or similar blonde woman/women, at least one of whom was [[Miss Springfield]].<ref name="Stephanie1">{{cite episode |title=See Homer Run|episode-link=See Homer Run|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Kruse, Nancy; Gillis, Stephanie |network=Fox |airdate=2005-11-20|season=17 |number=6 }}</ref> He also once accidentally courted his own niece, which is one of the few things Quimby has ever shown shame over.
It has been implied on occasion that he is connected to Fat Tony, the local [[Mafia]] [[Don (mafia)|Don]]. It is certain that Quimby will bend the law if it suits his purposes: he once arranged [[Marge Simpson]]'s release after she was arrested for blocking traffic on a bridge after suffering a [[nervous breakdown]], claiming that if she went to jail, Quimby could kiss the "chick vote" goodbye. He also resorted to bribing witnesses when assault charges were brought against his nephew, leading [[Bart Simpson]] to observe that "the system works: just ask [[Claus Von Bulow]]".


Despite being the mayor for such a long time, Quimby does not know or care much about his city, often privately (or even publicly) showing his outright contempt for Springfield's citizens.<ref name=Slate2013-05-17/> He frequently takes overseas vacations, which take him out of town for extended periods of time, leading to the headline "Mayor Visits City" in the ''Springfield Shopper''. He once referred to Springfield as "Springfeld" at a public meeting. However, he makes frequent, albeit short, public appearances for local festivities, events, business openings, etc.
He does not get along with local Police Chief [[Clancy Wiggum]]. Quimby's corrupt personality and love of overseas junkets is perhaps most amusingly highlighted during one episode where he announces that after a three-month "fact-finding mission", he has concluded that it is NOT feasible to build a high-speed rail link between Springfield and the tropical paradise resort of [[Aruba]].


If bending the law will suit Quimby's purposes, he will likely do so. He once arranged [[Marge Simpson]]'s release after she was arrested for blocking traffic on a bridge after suffering a [[Mental breakdown|nervous breakdown]], claiming that if she went to jail, Quimby could kiss the "chick vote" goodbye.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer Alone|episode-link=Homer Alone|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Kirkland, Mark; Stern, David M. |network=Fox |airdate=1992-02-06|season=3 |number=15 }}</ref> He also resorted to bribing witnesses when assault charges were brought against his nephew, leading [[Bart Simpson]] to observe that "the system works: just ask [[Claus von Bülow]]".<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Boy Who Knew Too Much|episode-link=The Boy Who Knew Too Much (The Simpsons)|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Lynch, Jeffrey; Swartzwelder, John |network=Fox |airdate=1994-05-05|season=5 |number=20 }}</ref>
Quimby was once labeled as illiterate by Republican talk radio personality [[Birch Barlow]], as well as "tax-cheating," "wife-swapping," and "[[marijuana|pot]]-smoking." Quimby retorted back towards the radio as he watered his plants, "Hey! I am no longer illiterate." The plant in question appeared to be a cannabis plant.


His [[catch phrase]] is "Vote Quimby", which he always finds an opportunity to say, even during [[sexual intercourse|sex]] or in situations where it would be disadvantageous to identify himself, like inadvertently being caught by Homer in a motel room with his mistress. He also introduced [[Lisa Simpson]]'s documentary [[An Inconvenient Truth|An Irritating Truth]] in [[The Simpsons Movie]].
His [[catchphrase]] is "Vote Quimby", which he always finds an opportunity to say, even in situations where it would be disadvantageous to identify himself, like inadvertently being caught by Homer in a motel room with his [[Mistress (lover)|mistress]].


Quimby was elected Mayor of Springfield in 1986 (three years before the show's debut) and has been re-elected several times since, despite openly admitting to fraud and wrongdoing. In the season 4 episode "[[Krusty Gets Kancelled]]" he admits to using taxpayer dollars to fund the [[murder]] of his enemies, but thanks to a clever use of a popular Gabbo catchphrase ("I'm a bad wittle boy"), he is re-elected in a landslide.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Krusty Gets Kancelled|episode-link=Krusty Gets Kancelled |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Silverman, David; Swartzwelder, John |network=Fox |airdate=1993-05-13 |season=4 |number=22 }}</ref>
Ex-prime minister of [[Czech Republic|Czech]] government [[Jiri Paroubek]] is famous for resemblance of Quimby.


[[Image:Dan Castellaneta 2.jpg|right|thumb|[[Dan Castellaneta]], the voice of Quimby.]]
== Elections ==
Quimby's political stranglehold on Springfield has earned him the hatred of Springfield's small but vocal [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] elite, themselves portrayed as mostly dark, ghoulish figures who meet in a castle. When the Republicans nominate [[Sideshow Bob]] as their mayoral candidate, Bob rigs the election, briefly deposing Quimby. He is re-instated when Bob is found guilty of fraud and imprisoned.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Sideshow Bob Roberts|episode-link=Sideshow Bob Roberts |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Kirkland, Mark; Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh |network=Fox |airdate=1994-10-09 |season=6 |number=5 }}</ref> Later, Quimby briefly flees the city thinking his corruption has been exposed and is deemed to have "abandoned office" and is replaced by a short-lived "council of learned citizens" headed by [[Lisa Simpson]], [[Professor Frink]], [[Comic Book Guy]], [[Lindsey Naegle]], [[Dr. Hibbert]], and [[Principal Skinner]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=They Saved Lisa's Brain|episode-link=They Saved Lisa's Brain|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits= Michels, Pete; Selman, Matt |network=Fox |airdate=1999-05-09 |season=10 |number=22 }}</ref> He also survives a [[recall election]], with no candidate in the race against him (candidates include [[Rainier Wolfcastle]] (a [[California recall election, 2003|Schwarzenegger reference]]), [[Kent Brockman]], and even [[Homer Simpson]]) garnering the five percent necessary to force a recall.<ref name="Stephanie1"/>
Quimby was elected Mayor of Springfield in [[1986]]. He has been re-elected several times since, despite rather open admissions of [[fraud]] and wrongdoing. He once admitted to using taxpayer dollars to fund the [[murder]] of his enemies, but thanks to a clever use of a popular [[catch phrase]] ("I'm a bad wittle boy"), he was re-elected in a landslide. Further evidence of his apparent political ideology, Quimby has earned himself the hatred of Springfield's small but vocal [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] elite, themselves portrayed as mostly dark, ghoulish figures who meet in a castle.


==Reception==
When the party nominated [[Sideshow Bob]] as its mayoral candidate, Bob rigged the election, briefly deposing Quimby. He was re-instated when Bob was found guilty of fraud and imprisoned. He also survived a [[See Homer Run|recall election]] in [[2005]], with no candidate in the race against him (candidates included [[Rainier Wolfcastle]] (another [[California recall election|Schwarzenegger reference]]), ''[[Kent Brockman]]'', and even [[Homer Simpson]]) garnering the 5% necessary to force a recall.
Literary critic [[Paul Cantor]] has cited Mayor Quimby as an example of Springfield's [[Atomism (social)|atomistic politics]], noting "Mayor Quimby is a demagogue, but at least he is Springfield's own demagogue. When he buys votes, he buys them directly from the citizens of Springfield."<ref>{{cite journal
| last = Cantor
| first = Paul A.
| date = Dec 1999
| title = The Simpsons: Atomistic Politics and the Nuclear Family
| journal = Political Theory
| volume = 27
| issue = 6
| pages = 734–749
| doi = 10.1177/0090591799027006002
| jstor = 192244
| s2cid = 143998133
}}</ref> During the ''[[USA Today]]'' contest to choose which Springfield would host the release of ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'', [[Ted Kennedy]] himself appears in a video in which he invited "Diamond Joe" Quimby and the film to premiere in [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], and even mocked his own oft-mocked pronunciation of the word "Chowder" (as "Chow-Dah"); however, [[Springfield, Vermont]] was chosen instead.<ref name="brown20070702">{{cite news|last=Brown|first=John Robbie|title=Kennedy backs city's 'Simpsons Movie' campaign|url=http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/07/02/kennedy_backs_citys_simpsons_movie_campaign/|newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]]|date=July 2, 2007|access-date=November 13, 2017}}</ref> On May 17, 2013, following reporting on a new scandal, Justin Peters, crime reporter for [[Slate (magazine)|''Slate'' magazine]] compared gaffe-plagued [[Mayor of Toronto]] [[Rob Ford]] to Quimby. Peters prepared a list of 20 outrageous statements, and asked readers to guess which ones were uttered by the fictional Quimby, and which were uttered by the real life Ford.<ref name=Slate2013-05-17>{{cite news|last=Peters|first=Justin|title=Who Said It: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford or Simpsons Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby |url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/crime/2013/05/17/rob_ford_crack_cocaine_simpsons_mayor_diamond_joe_quimby_or_toronto_mayor.html?wpisrc=most_viral|magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=November 6, 2013|access-date=November 13, 2017|quote=In fact, the public servant Ford most closely resembles is the fictional mayor from The Simpsons, Diamond Joe Quimby. Both men are heavyset. Both are often at odds with constituents, colleagues, and the press. And both are prone to saying outrageous things in public.}}</ref>


== Future ==
==See also==
* [[Politics in The Simpsons|Politics in ''The Simpsons'']]
In the episode ''[[Lisa's Wedding]]'', set in the future, it is found that Quimby eventually relinquished his position as mayor after being [[indictment|indicted]] for an unspecified crime (presumably fraud) and ends up being a [[taxicab]] driver for [[Springfield Elementary School#Otto Mann|Otto]]'s taxi company using the [[pseudonym|alias]] "Mohammed Jafar", a likely reference to disgraced former [[West Virginia Governor]] [[William C. Marland]]'s turn as a cabbie in [[Chicago]] after leaving office.
{{portal bar|The Simpsons|Animation|Television|Comedy}}

== Comparisons to the [[John Kennedy|Kennedy]] family==
There are many things about Quimby and his family that are simalar to [[U.S.]] [[president]] [[John F. Kennedy]] and his famlily such as:

*He speaks with a [[Boston accent]], in a style most resembling that of [[Ted Kennedy]], commonly separating words with "er" and "ah".
*The mayor is apparently a Democrat, like the Kennedys.
*He enjoys moderate [[wealth]].
*He lives on a coastal estate (the "Quimby compound") with his family—not unlike the [[Kennedy Compound]] in [[Hyannisport, Massachusetts]].
*Quimby is married to a woman who wears a pink suit and [[pillbox hat]] similar to one [[Jacqueline Kennedy]] made famous, whom he met while she was working in [[Bart After Dark|Maison Derriere]]. She may be also related to actor [[Rainier Wolfcastle]], who is modeled after [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] (husband of JFK's niece, [[Maria Shriver]]); Wolfcastle has been spotted at Quimby family functions.
*The mayor's nephew, Freddy Quimby, was [[The Boy Who Knew Too Much|once]] tried for [[assault]] (a possible reference to the [[William Kennedy Smith]] [[rape]] trial) during which Mayor Quimby tried to [[bribery|bribe]] witnesses.

During the USAToday.com contest to choose which Springfield would host the Simpsons Movie premiere, Ted Kennedy himself appears in a video in which he invited "Diamond" Joe Quimby to the town, and even mocked his own oft-mocked pronunciation of the word "Chowder" (as "Chow-Dah").


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references/>


==External links==
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.simpsonsworld.com/character/mayor_quimby Profile of Mayor Quimby] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114093148/http://www.simpsonsworld.com/character/mayor_quimby |date=2017-11-14 }} from SimpsonsWorld.com
*[http://www.thesimpsons.com/quimby2000/index.html Official site of Joe Quimby's 2000 presidential election campaign]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160306170712/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003006/ Mayor Quimbi] on [[IMDb]]
*[http://www.doh.springfieldspringfield.co.uk Mayored to the Mob: A Mayor Quimby Tribute]
{{The Simpsons}}

==See also==
*[[Politics in The Simpsons]]

{{Simpsons characters}}

[[Category:The Simpsons characters|Quimby, Joe]]
[[Category:Characters introduced in 1990|Quimby, Joe]]
[[Category:Fictional United States Democrats|Quimby, Joe]]
[[Category:Fictional mayors|Quimby, Joe]]
[[Category:Fictional politicians|Quimby, Joe]]
[[Category:Fictional Irish-Americans|Quimby, Joe]]



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[[Category:Television characters introduced in 1990]]
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[[nl:Joe Quimby]]
[[Category:Fictional mayors]]
[[Category:Fictional Democrats (United States)]]
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[[Category:Fictional political bosses]]
[[pt:Joe Quimby]]
[[Category:Male characters in animated television series]]
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Revision as of 07:42, 9 July 2024

Mayor Quimby
The Simpsons character
First appearance
Created byDavid M. Stern
Based onKennedy family, particularly Ted Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy
The Edge (namesake)
Designed byMatt Groening
Voiced byDan Castellaneta
In-universe information
Full nameJoseph Fitzgerald O'Malley Fitzpatrick O'Donnell The Edge Quimby
GenderMale ♂
OccupationMayor of Springfield
SpouseMartha Quimby
Children
  • Shirley (daughter)
  • 3 unnamed sons
  • 1 unnamed daughter
RelativesFreddy

Mayor Joseph Fitzgerald O'Malley Fitzpatrick O'Donnell The Edge "Joe" Quimby,[1] nicknamed "Diamond Joe", is a recurring character from the animated sitcom television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, and first appeared in the episode "Bart Gets an 'F'". Quimby is the mayor of Springfield, and is a composite parody of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and certain other members of the Kennedy family who have entered politics.

Concept and creation

Joe Quimby is a parody of Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy and the Kennedy family.[2] Like the Kennedys, Quimby is of Irish descent, "speaks with a Boston accent, throws money at political problems, and vacations in a coastal resort called the 'Quimby Compound'".[2] Dan Castellaneta voices Quimby with mid-Atlantic and Boston accents, resulting in a voice reminiscent of that of President John F. Kennedy.[3]

Appearances

Quimby has long served as the mayor of the city of Springfield. He appears as a slick, opportunistic politician whose chief priorities seem to be keeping himself in office and various other forms of corruption, including embezzling tax money, taking bribes from Fat Tony, and giving monthly kickbacks to Police Chief Wiggum.[4] The seal on the wall of his office reads "Corruptus in Extremis",[5] which means "extremely corrupt".

Like Kennedy, Quimby is known as a womanizer,[6][7] and occasionally amuses himself with pornographic playing cards during town meetings. Quimby was once the subject of 27 separate paternity suits. One of the women he impregnated is Cookie Kwan, whose baby is remarkably similar to Quimby in both looks and mannerisms.[8] Quimby also is frequently noticed in bed with the same or similar blonde woman/women, at least one of whom was Miss Springfield.[9] He also once accidentally courted his own niece, which is one of the few things Quimby has ever shown shame over.

Despite being the mayor for such a long time, Quimby does not know or care much about his city, often privately (or even publicly) showing his outright contempt for Springfield's citizens.[10] He frequently takes overseas vacations, which take him out of town for extended periods of time, leading to the headline "Mayor Visits City" in the Springfield Shopper. He once referred to Springfield as "Springfeld" at a public meeting. However, he makes frequent, albeit short, public appearances for local festivities, events, business openings, etc.

If bending the law will suit Quimby's purposes, he will likely do so. He once arranged Marge Simpson's release after she was arrested for blocking traffic on a bridge after suffering a nervous breakdown, claiming that if she went to jail, Quimby could kiss the "chick vote" goodbye.[11] He also resorted to bribing witnesses when assault charges were brought against his nephew, leading Bart Simpson to observe that "the system works: just ask Claus von Bülow".[12]

His catchphrase is "Vote Quimby", which he always finds an opportunity to say, even in situations where it would be disadvantageous to identify himself, like inadvertently being caught by Homer in a motel room with his mistress.

Quimby was elected Mayor of Springfield in 1986 (three years before the show's debut) and has been re-elected several times since, despite openly admitting to fraud and wrongdoing. In the season 4 episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled" he admits to using taxpayer dollars to fund the murder of his enemies, but thanks to a clever use of a popular Gabbo catchphrase ("I'm a bad wittle boy"), he is re-elected in a landslide.[13]

Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Quimby.

Quimby's political stranglehold on Springfield has earned him the hatred of Springfield's small but vocal Republican elite, themselves portrayed as mostly dark, ghoulish figures who meet in a castle. When the Republicans nominate Sideshow Bob as their mayoral candidate, Bob rigs the election, briefly deposing Quimby. He is re-instated when Bob is found guilty of fraud and imprisoned.[14] Later, Quimby briefly flees the city thinking his corruption has been exposed and is deemed to have "abandoned office" and is replaced by a short-lived "council of learned citizens" headed by Lisa Simpson, Professor Frink, Comic Book Guy, Lindsey Naegle, Dr. Hibbert, and Principal Skinner.[15] He also survives a recall election, with no candidate in the race against him (candidates include Rainier Wolfcastle (a Schwarzenegger reference), Kent Brockman, and even Homer Simpson) garnering the five percent necessary to force a recall.[9]

Reception

Literary critic Paul Cantor has cited Mayor Quimby as an example of Springfield's atomistic politics, noting "Mayor Quimby is a demagogue, but at least he is Springfield's own demagogue. When he buys votes, he buys them directly from the citizens of Springfield."[16] During the USA Today contest to choose which Springfield would host the release of The Simpsons Movie, Ted Kennedy himself appears in a video in which he invited "Diamond Joe" Quimby and the film to premiere in Springfield, Massachusetts, and even mocked his own oft-mocked pronunciation of the word "Chowder" (as "Chow-Dah"); however, Springfield, Vermont was chosen instead.[2] On May 17, 2013, following reporting on a new scandal, Justin Peters, crime reporter for Slate magazine compared gaffe-plagued Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford to Quimby. Peters prepared a list of 20 outrageous statements, and asked readers to guess which ones were uttered by the fictional Quimby, and which were uttered by the real life Ford.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ Curran, Kevin; Kramer, Lance (2008-09-28). "Sex, Pies and Idiot Scrapes". The Simpsons. Season 20. Episode 1. Fox.
  2. ^ a b c Brown, John Robbie (July 2, 2007). "Kennedy backs city's 'Simpsons Movie' campaign". The Boston Globe. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  3. ^ Groening, Matt (2005). Commentary for the episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts", in The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season [DVD]. Twentieth Century Fox.
  4. ^ Reardon, Jim; Swartzwelder, John (1994-01-06). "Homer the Vigilante". The Simpsons. Season 5. Episode 11. Fox.
  5. ^ Bill Oakley; Josh Weinstein; Reardon, Jim (1993-05-06). "Marge in Chains". The Simpsons. Season 4. Episode 21. Fox.
  6. ^ Ghaly, Sera Jane (2022-12-12). "High Culture: 10 Of The Best Cannabis Moments On The Simpsons". Herb.
  7. ^ Sachleben, Mark; Yenerall, Kevan M (2004). Seeing the Bigger Picture Understanding Politics Through Film & Television. Switzerland: Lang. p. 161. ISBN 9780820462486.
  8. ^ Nastuk, Matthew; Long, Tim (2004-12-05). "She Used to Be My Girl". The Simpsons. Season 16. Episode 4. Fox.
  9. ^ a b Kruse, Nancy; Gillis, Stephanie (2005-11-20). "See Homer Run". The Simpsons. Season 17. Episode 6. Fox.
  10. ^ a b Peters, Justin (November 6, 2013). "Who Said It: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford or Simpsons Mayor Diamond Joe Quimby". Slate. Retrieved November 13, 2017. In fact, the public servant Ford most closely resembles is the fictional mayor from The Simpsons, Diamond Joe Quimby. Both men are heavyset. Both are often at odds with constituents, colleagues, and the press. And both are prone to saying outrageous things in public.
  11. ^ Kirkland, Mark; Stern, David M. (1992-02-06). "Homer Alone". The Simpsons. Season 3. Episode 15. Fox.
  12. ^ Lynch, Jeffrey; Swartzwelder, John (1994-05-05). "The Boy Who Knew Too Much". The Simpsons. Season 5. Episode 20. Fox.
  13. ^ Silverman, David; Swartzwelder, John (1993-05-13). "Krusty Gets Kancelled". The Simpsons. Season 4. Episode 22. Fox.
  14. ^ Kirkland, Mark; Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh (1994-10-09). "Sideshow Bob Roberts". The Simpsons. Season 6. Episode 5. Fox.
  15. ^ Michels, Pete; Selman, Matt (1999-05-09). "They Saved Lisa's Brain". The Simpsons. Season 10. Episode 22. Fox.
  16. ^ Cantor, Paul A. (Dec 1999). "The Simpsons: Atomistic Politics and the Nuclear Family". Political Theory. 27 (6): 734–749. doi:10.1177/0090591799027006002. JSTOR 192244. S2CID 143998133.
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