Difference between revisions of "The Leader"

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The Leader was a one-time fictional character from The Simpsons, voiced by Hank Azaria. He appeared in the episode "The Joy of Sect".

Role in Episode

The Leader is the founder of a cult posing as a new religion, the "Movementarians". He aspires to brainwash and dominate the will of the people of Springfield and take their money. Homer is invited to come to an introductory session. Everyone except Homer is brainwashed by their video (which states that all Movementarians will be taken by a spaceship to a new planet). After the cult's other methods fail on Homer, they finally win him over by singing the theme to Batman, replacing the word Batman with the word Leader in the song. The Leader lived in the "Forbidden Barn," and would sometimes observe the workers, while driving around in a black limo, and would wave his visible white-gloved hand to the people.

The Movementarian compound is a vast agricultural facility fenced off with barbed wire, where everyone is forced to grow and harvest lima beans from dawn to dusk. The children resist brainwashing at first, but the movementarians have their ways: Bart is taken by their "Lil' Bastard Brainwashing Kit", Lisa decides that getting good grades is more important (even though she knows it's stupid to say "The Leader" created everything), and Maggie is brainwashed by Barney the Dinosaur, who himself is brainwashed. Marge, however, resists all their methods and just barely escapes the compound. She gets help from Reverend Lovejoy and Groundskeeper Willie, who help her kidnap the family.

In Ned Flanders' rumpus room, Marge brings back her children by promising them hover-bikes (which are fake). Homer remains strong, but gives in when Ned offers him a beer. Just as a single drop lands on Homer's tongue, he is captured by the Movementarians' lawyers. Back at the compound, Homer reveals that he is himself again and opens the Forbidden Barn (which was said to house "The Leader's" spaceship), intending to expose the fraud of the Movementarians. The door is opened and to Homer's surprise reveals "one hell of a spaceship." However, as it flies off, the ship falls apart revealing "The Leader", on a pedal-powered aircraft, running off with everyone's money, and everyone's faith is broken. However, "The Leader" does not get very far, crashing on Cletus' front porch. In the end, Cletus gets the money, by pointing a shotgun at "The Leader".

References

The Leader was based largely on L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology.

• However, The reference to The Leader's penchant for Rolls-Royce automobiles may be a reference to the Oregon-based cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, or Osho, who was reputed to have a different Rolls-Royce for every day of the year, all of them bought by his followers.

Appearances

• Episode – "The Joy of Sect"