Ralph Wiggum

For the Bloodhound Gang song, see Hefty Fine.

Ralph Wiggum^[1] is a recurring character in the animated series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright.^[2] Ralph, the son of Police Chief Wiggum,^[3] is a classmate of Lisa Simpson^[3] and is characterized by his frequent non-sequiturs which range from nonsensical and bizarre to profound. His dim-witted behavior lends him an air of blissful ignorance.

Ralph Wiggum
The Simpsons character
First appearance	"Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" December 17, 1989
Created by	Matt Groening
Designed by	Matt Groening
Voiced by	Nancy Cartwright
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Student at Springfield Elementary School Future Police Chief of Springfield 2008 US Presidential candidate with bi-partisan endorsement
Family	Chief Wiggum (father) Sarah Wiggum (mother) Iggy Wiggum (grandfather)

The creator of the show, Matt Groening, has cited Ralph as his favorite character.^[4] 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.^[5]

Role in The Simpsons

Ralph is characterized as a mentally challenged and good-natured 8-year-old boy in Lisa Simpson's second-grade class,^[3] 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,^[6] "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 Wiggum in a graffiti in Vic, Catalonia

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!",^[7]

However, in other instances, Ralph speaks 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 even been used to break the fourth wall straightforwardly.^[8]

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.^[9]

Creation and design

Ralph was named after comedian Jackie Gleason's character on The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden.^[10][11] 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.^[12][11] 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".^[13] Groening considers Ralph "really hard to write."^[13]

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.^[14] In one particular issue of the comic book, Ralph is drawn in a realistic style, depicted with blonde hair.^[15] 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 other ones. 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.^[16]

References

1. Groening 2010, pp. 186, 1099, 1199.
2. Groening 2010, p. 1099.
3. Groening 2010, p. 186.
4. Moro, Eric (2007-07-28). "SDCC 07: The Simpsons Panel". IGN. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
5. "The Simpsons: Top 25 Peripheral Characters". IGN. 16 February 2012.
6. Mula, Frank; Archer, Wes (1993-02-11). "I Love Lisa". The Simpsons. Season 04. Episode 15. Fox.
7. Scully, Mike; Anderson, Bob (1994-11-13). "Lisa on Ice". The Simpsons. Season 06. Episode 8. Fox.
8. Spoiler-centric events near the end of the game involving Ralph.EA Redwood Shores, Rebellion, Amaze Entertainment (October 30, 2007). The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation Portable). Electronic Arts.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. The Simpsons episode "Moms I'd Like to Forget."
10. Larry Carroll (2007-07-26). "'Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers". MTV. Retrieved 2007-07-29.
11. Reiss, Mike; Klickstein, Mathew (2018). Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons. New York City: Dey Street Books. p. 105. ISBN 978-0062748034.
12. Jean, Al (2001). The Simpsons season 1 DVD commentary for the episode 'Moaning Lisa' (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
13. Joe Rhodes (2000-10-21). "Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves". TV Guide.
14. Grau, Doris; Mitzman Gaven, Marcia (2007). The Simpsons Handbook: Secret Tips from the Pros. HarperPaperbacks. ISBN 978-0-06-123129-2.
15. Hamill, Mark (w), Morrison, Bill (a). Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror, "Catastrophe in Substitute Springfields", no. 7 (September 2001). Bongo Comics.
16. . The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 2007-06-23. Retrieved 2006-04-26.

Bibliography

• * Groening, Matt (2010-10-28). Richmond, Ray; Gimple, Scott M.; McCann, Jessie L.; Seghers, Christine; Bates, James W. (eds.). Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (1st ed.). HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061711282.