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Difference between revisions of "Mona Simpson"

Wikisimpsons - The Simpsons Wiki
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{{Quote|You know, [[Moe]], my Mom once said something that really stuck with me. She said, "Homer, you're a big disappointment." And God bless her soul, she was really on to something.|[[Homer Simpson]]|There's No Disgrace Like Home}}
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{{Character  
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{{Icons|FA}}
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|name = Mona Simpson
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{{Character
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|image = [[Image:3f06_mona.jpg|200px]]
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|name = Mona Penelope J. Simpson
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|gender = Female
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|image = [[File:Mona Simpson.png|150px]]
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|age = 60 (at death)
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|caption= Artwork of Mona from ''[[The Simpsons: Tapped Out]]''
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|hair = Gray
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|gender = {{Female}}
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|job = Unknown
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|status = Deceased
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|relatives ='''Husband:''' [[Abraham Simpson]] <br> '''Child:''' [[Homer Simpson]] <br> '''Grandchildren:''' [[Bart Simpson]], [[Lisa Simpson]] and [[Maggie Simpson]]
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|alias = Sunny.<ref name="Sunny"/>
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|appearance = '''First Appearance:''' [[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]] <br> '''Last Appearance:''' [[Mona Leaves-a]]
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|age =
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|voiced by = Glenn Close
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|hair = Gray (formerly maroon)
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|job = Fugitive<br>Former hippie and political activist
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|relatives = '''Ex-Husband:''' [[Abraham Simpson]]<br>'''Son:''' [[Homer Simpson]]<br>'''Stepchildren:''' [[Herbert Powell]] and [[Abbey]]<br>'''Grandchildren:''' [[Bart]], [[Lisa]] and [[Maggie Simpson]]<br>'''Parents-in-law:''' [[Orville J. Simpson]] and [[Yuma Hickman]]
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|appearance = "[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]"
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|voiced by = [[Maggie Roswell]]<br>[[Glenn Close]]<br>[[Pamela Hayden]]<br>[[Tress MacNeille]]
 
}}
 
}}
  
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'''Mona J. Simpson''',<ref name="Mother Carjacker">"[[My Mother the Carjacker]]"</ref> also known as '''Martha Stewart''', '''Muddy Mae Suggins''', '''Anita Bonghit''', '''Mona Stevens''' and '''Penelope Olsen''', was the mother of [[Homer Simpson]], ex-wife of [[Abraham Simpson]], mother-in-law of [[Marge Simpson]] and paternal grandmother of [[Bart]], [[Lisa]] and [[Maggie]].
  
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'''Mona J. Simpson''' is the mother of [[Homer Simpson|Homer J. Simpson]] and estranged wife of [[Abraham Simpson]]. She is currently voiced by [[Glenn Close]].
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== Biography ==
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=== Early life ===
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[[File:Mona Simpson first appearance.png|thumb|left|Mona, at a young age, with a baby Homer. Seen in "[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]"]]
  
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==Profile==
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Abe and Mona first met during the 1950s, when Abe had joined the air force and Mona was a cocktail waitress, where she was known as '''Sunny'''.<ref name="Sunny">"[[Let's Go Fly a Coot]]"</ref> Sometime before or during the 1960s, Mona married Abe, later giving birth to a son, Homer. Before Homer's birth, she had cheated on Abe with [[Mason Fairbanks|a lifeguard]], when a love letter was discovered in the hands of a mailman after being frozen. The letter stated that "in his heart he'll know that the baby she carries is his". When Homer discovers the letter in his late thirties/forties, he questions who his father is, although it is later discovered that Abe's DNA was a perfect match for Homer.<ref>"[[Homer's Paternity Coot]]"</ref> At some point before Homer's birth, she also found out about Abe Simpson fathering [[Herbert Powell|a child]] with a carnival prostitute before he married her, and shortly after Homer was born, made him promise that he never tell Homer about the incident at the carnival, as she wanted Homer to grow up to respect his father.<ref>"[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]"</ref>
  
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While Homer was still a small child in the 1960s, Mona became increasingly caught up in the hippie movement and participated in various acts of political activism, her beliefs being ignited by seeing Joe Namath's long hair during Super Bowl III. On one of these acts, Mona and a gang of other activists protesting germ research entered Burns's laboratory and destroyed all the biological warfare experiments. As the gang escaped, she stayed behind to help a fallen Burns, who in turn threatened her. Since that night, Mona was forced to leave her family. Seeking to comfort his son, Abe lied and said Mona had died while Homer was at the movies. He continued the lie by claiming Walt Whitman's gravestone was actually Mona's.  
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[[File:Woodstock (Abe & Mona).png|thumb|right|200px|Abe and Mona at Woodstock.]]
  
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While Mona's whereabouts were unknown for most of her life, it was later revealed that for several years she resided at a hippie commune where she painted a mural dedicated to her son Homer. She continued to care for him from afar, sending him care packages every week. However because Homer never tipped his letter carrier, none of them had been delivered and had instead been stored at the post office for years. It was revealed that she was unfaithful to Abe during this period, but Abe didn't realise this.
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During the 1960s, whilst Homer was a small child, she became increasingly involved in a hippie movement and political activism. She cited {{Ch|Joe Namath}}'s long hair during Super Bowl III as igniting her beliefs. She took Homer and Abe to the [[Woodstock Festival]], where Homer ended up being influenced by the hippies. She and other activists, protesting germ research, entered a facility owned by [[Charles Montgomery Burns]], destroying all the biological warfare experiments and in the process curing [[Clancy Wiggum]] of asthma. Whilst escaping, she stopped to tend to a fallen Burns, who threatened her with arrest.<ref name="Mother Simpson"/>
  
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Mona and Homer used to bake pies together, which gave Homer his love of food. Mona would write messages to Homer on the back of the recipes, which were his most treasured possession. Grampa threw the recipes off a cliff, which were then used by the owner of [[The Timberlog Diner]].<ref>"[[Forgive and Regret]]"</ref>
  
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A couple of weeks before Mona left, Homer and Abe went out fishing and the boat capsized. Homer and Abe later arrived back at the holiday home a few hours late and with no fish. Mona was just relieved that her greatest treasure, Homer, was safe. It was because of this incident, Homer thought that he was the reason that Abe and Mona split up and felt guilty about it ever since.<ref name="Wet Your Mother">"[[How I Wet Your Mother]]"</ref>
  
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When Homer fakes his own death in "[[Mother Simpson]]", Mona hears the news and visits her son's open grave, into which Homer had just accidentally fallen. They are reunited, and Mona spends some quality time catching up with her family, but when Burns sees her at the post office and recognizes her face, she is forced to go on the run again. She is given secret information for escape from [[Chief Wiggum]], because the chemicals she used to destroy Burns' biological samples inadvertently rid Wiggum of his asthma as well, which was holding him back from being a police officer.
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She eventually left her husband and son, with Abe later telling Homer that she had died whilst he was at the movies. Abe even went so far to point out a grave, telling Homer it was Mona's, although the grave belonged to [[Walt Whitman]].<ref name="Mother Simpson"/>
  
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In "[[My Mother the Carjacker]]", Homer discovers a secret message left by her in a newspaper. After some time at a diner, she is found by the cops. She goes to trial for the crime she committed, but due to Homer's testimony she is acquitted. Mr. Burns later has her imprisoned for the minor charge of signing into a federal park under a false name (one pseudonym mentioned in this episode was "Anita Bonghit"). Homer attempts to break her free from the prison bus, but the chase ends in what appears to be her death when the bus drives off of a cliff and lands in the water, where it explodes, and sets off a rock avalanche which buries it. In truth, she narrowly escaped before the bus went off of the cliff, and is still on the run, last known to be eating Rhode Island-style clam chowder.
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After leaving [[Springfield]], her exact movements are unknown, although it is later revealed she resided at the hippie commune [[Groovy Grove Natural Farm]] for several years, painting murals of Homer.<ref name="D'oh-in' in the Wind">"[[D'oh-in' in the Wind]]"</ref> She sent Homer care packages each week, although Homer was unaware of this, because of his refusal to tip his letter carrier, with Homer collecting the packages years later.<ref name="Mother Simpson">"[[Mother Simpson]]"</ref> During this time, she also cheated on Abe, having a ''menage a trois'' relationship at Groovy Grove with [[Seth]] and [[Munchie]], who later fondly remembered her as a "pretty groovy chick" and "a demon in the sack".<ref name="D'oh-in' in the Wind"/> Abe, in the meantime, remained unaware of her whereabouts.
  
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In the episode [[Homer's Paternity Coot]], a letter is found by a 40 year old mailman after being frozen, addressed to Mona. It was a love note from a lifeguard she had an affair with unknown to Grampa, saying "in his heart he'll know that the baby she carries is his", making Homer believe that Abe was not his real father but later it was discovered that Abe's DNA was a perfect match to Homer's, meaning he was the real father.
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=== Return to Springfield ===
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When Homer faked his death to avoid work, Mona hears of her son's death on the news and visits her son's still open grave, finding Homer in the grave, who accidentally fell in. She returns to the [[Simpson family|Simpson]] [[742 Evergreen Terrace|house]], spending time with Homer and her new family, including Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. She also meets Abe, although their dislike only intensifies as Abe remains angry over her leaving him and Homer, whilst Mona becomes angry after learning he had told Homer she was dead. When Homer and Mona go to [[Springfield Post Office|the post office]], to collect years worth of care packages, she is spotted and recognized by Burns. Mona is forced once again to leave Springfield, on the run from the police, although the now police chief, Clancy Wiggum, aides her escape after being cured of asthma because of Mona in the 1960s.<ref name="Mother Simpson"/>
  
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== Death ==
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=== Second return to Springfield ===
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In the 19th episode of the 19th season [[Mona Leaves-a]], Mona visits Homer for awhile while she's running from the law. She and Homer end up having a fight and he decides not to speak to her. Eventually Homer feels guilty and he goes to apologize to her. Homer finds her sitting in an armchair, but doesn't respond when Homer tries to talk to her. It is revealed that she is dead. In her recorded will she gives Bart her army knife, Lisa her rebellious spirit, Marge an old purse, and she asks Homer to release her ashes at the top of a specific mountain at 3 P.M. This was in fact a plan as the ashes were sucked into a launch computer of a missile base owned by Mr. Burns within the mountain, with which his plan was to fire Springfield's nuclear waste into the Amazon rain forest. Eventually Homer unwittingly destroys the base, fulfilling his mother's final wish.
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Sometime later, Homer discovers a hidden message in a newspaper, left by his mother. She is discovered by the police at a diner and is arrested, later put on trial. She is acquitted because of evidence given by Homer, although she is later imprisoned, thanks to Mr. Burns, for signing into a federal park under a false name. Homer attempts to break his mother out of prison on a prison bus, with a police chase ensuing. The chase ends when she apparently dies, after the bus drives off a cliff and into some water, where it explodes, which sets off a rock avalanche, burying the bus. Mona, however, narrowly escapes the bus before it went off the cliff. She again goes on the run, where she sends another hidden message in a newspaper to Homer, written whilst eating a Rhode Island-style clam chowder.<ref name="Mother Carjacker"/>
  
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=== Brief return ===
 +
For unknown reasons she briefly returned to Springfield about a year later. Mona was seen watching the Li'l Starmaker auditions at the [[Springfield Mall]].<ref>"[[A Star Is Torn]]"</ref>
  
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===Creation===
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=== Final return and death ===
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[[Image:Mothersimpson.PNG|200px|thumb|Homer reunites with Mona.]]
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[[File:Mona Simpson dead.png|thumb|left|Homer realizes his mother is dead]]
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Prior to [[The Simpsons (season 7)|the seventh season]], Mona Simpson had only made two brief flashback appearances, the first being [[The Simpsons (season 2)|season two]]'s "[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]" and the second being [[The Simpsons (season 6)|season six]]'s "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]" and in both cases she was voiced by [[Maggie Roswell]].<ref name="IGN"/> Mona's first major appearance was in [[The Simpsons (season 7)|the seventh season]] episode "[[Mother Simpson]]", which was pitched by [[Richard Appel]], who was desperately trying to think of a story idea and decided that he had to really reach for an idea and decided to do something about Homer's mother, who previously had only been mentioned once.<ref name="Appel">{{cite video | people=Appel, Richard|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The writers used the episode as an opportunity to solve several little puzzles, such as where Lisa's intelligence came from.<ref name="Appel"/> The character is named after Richard Appel's wife, whose maiden name is Mona Simpson.<ref name="Appel"/> Mona Simpson was designed in a way so that she has little bit of Homer in her face, such as the shape of her upper lip and her nose.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video | people=Silverman, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> There were several design changes because the directors were trying to make her an attractive older and younger woman, but still be Simpson-esque.<ref name="Silverman"/> The inspiration for the character comes from [[Bernardine Dohrn]] of the [[Weatherman (organization)|Weather Underground]], although the writers acknowledge that several people fit her description.<ref name="Oakley"/> Her crime was intentionally the least violent crime the writers could think of, as she didn't harm anyone and was only caught because she came back to help Mr. Burns.<ref name="Oakley"/>
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[[File:Mona's last moments.png|thumb|The last moments of Mona Simpson]]
  
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Glenn Close, who was directed in her first performance by Josh Weinstein,<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video | people=Oakley, Bill|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> was convinced to do the episode partially because of [[James L. Brooks]].<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> When Mona gets in the van, her voice is done by [[Pamela Hayden]] because Glenn Close could not say "d'oh!" properly<ref name="Oakley"/> and thus they used the original temp track recorded by Hayden.<ref name="Appel"/>
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Mona returns to Springfield again, visiting Homer. The two fight and Homer decides not to speak to her. Shortly before midnight, feeling guilty, he attempts to apologize to his mother. Finding her sitting on an armchair, he apologizes, before realizing his mother is dead. Her death devastates Homer. She is cremated and, sometime after her cremation, the Simpson family watches her recorded will. She leaves Bart her army knife, Lisa her rebellious spirit (although Lisa takes her earrings) and Marge an old purse made of hemp, asking Homer to release her ashes from the top of [[Springfield Monument Park]] at 3:00 PM. Homer completes his mother's wish, releasing the ashes, which are sucked into a missile launch computer within the mountain, owned by Mr. Burns. The ashes stop the missile from launching, preventing the [[Springfield Nuclear Power Plant|nuclear power plant's]] waste being blasted to the Amazon rain forest. Homer is captured, but manages to escape, with help from Marge, Bart and Lisa, destroying the base and fulfilling his mother's final wish.<ref>"[[Mona Leaves-a]]"</ref>
  
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===Development===
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=== Homer's bed wetting ===
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[[Glenn Close]] would record original material for another episode, [[The Simpsons (season 15)|season fifteen]]'s "[[My Mother the Carjacker]]", and a deleted scene featuring Mona from "Mother Simpson" would appear in [[The Simpsons (season 7)|season seven]]'s "[[The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular]]". The character would also have a speaking appearance in [[The Simpsons (season 10)|season ten]]'s "[[D'oh-in in the Wind]]", this time voiced by [[Tress MacNeille]]. Glenn Close will return as Mona for the third time in a yet to be specified episode in the [[The Simpsons (season 19)|nineteenth season]].<ref name="TVguide">{{cite news | author = | title = Simpsons Writers Dish on Movie and New Season | publisher = TV Guide | url = http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Tv-Guide-News/Simpsons-Writers-Dish/800019303| accessdate=2007-07-28}}</ref>
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Sometime after Mona's death, Homer started wetting the bed. This was triggered by a fishing trip he and Bart went on, similar to one his father and he went on years ago. The whole family enters Homer's dreams to get to the bottom of Homer's bed wetting and meet Mona Simpson there, who's still alive in Homer's thoughts and dreams. She first saved them, dressed as Death, and then showed Homer the memory of him and Abe going fishing and returning. She then explained to Homer that the reason he started wetting the bed again was because he was still feeling guilty as he thought that the fishing trip gone bad was the reason that Mona left him and Abe. She reassured him that this was not the case and that Homer was her greatest treasure, and that she, his father and his younger self would always be in his memories. She then tells them to leave the dreams and to wake up, with Homer saying good bye to his mother one last time.<ref name="Wet Your Mother"/>
  
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==Reception==
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== Non-canon ==
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"Mother Simpson" is one of [[Bill Oakley]] & [[Josh Weinstein]]'s favorite episodes as they feel it is a perfect combination of real emotion, good jokes and an interesting story<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video | people=Weinstein, Josh|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> and they have expressed regret about not submitting it for the [[Emmy award]] in the "[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)|Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)]]" category.<ref name="Oakley"/>
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{{Noncanon}}
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=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
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{{TranscludeSection|The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Oldies|Mona}}
  
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[[IGN|IGN.com]] ranked Glenn Close's two performances as Mona as the 25th best guest star in the show's history.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances|accessdate=2007-10-06|author=Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian|publisher=IGN}}</ref> In 2007, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' called Glenn Close one of "fourteen guest stars whose standout performances on TV make us wish they'd turn up in a ''Simpsons Movie 2''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20049408,00.html|title=''Simpsons Movie 2'': Our Dream cast|accessdate=2007-10-06|author=Bruno, Mike|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>
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== Trivia ==
 +
*Homer said that his mother said to him that he was a big disappointment, way before Mona was introduced.<ref>"[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]]"</ref>
 +
*Mona is 5ft 6in, weights 120lb and has brown eyes.<ref name="Mother Simpson"/>
  
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==Appearances==
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== Behind the Laughter ==
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{{incomplete}}
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=== Creation ===
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* [[There's No Disgrace Like Home]] (mentioned only)
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Prior to [[Season 7|the seventh season]], Mona Simpson had only made two brief flashback appearances, the first being [[Season 2]]'s "[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]", appearing again in the [[Season 6|sixth season]] episode "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]". In both episodes she was voiced by [[Maggie Roswell]].<ref name="IGN"/>
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* [[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]] (flashback)
 
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* [[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]] (flashback)
 
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* [[Mother Simpson]]
 
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* [[The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular]]
 
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* [[D'oh-in in the Wind]] (flashback)
 
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* [[My Mother the Carjacker]]
 
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* [[Homer's Paternity Coot]] (mentioned only)
 
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* [[Mona Leaves-a]]
 
  
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==References==
+
Mona's first major appearance was in [[Season 7|the seventh season]] episode "[[Mother Simpson]]", which was pitched by [[Richard Appel]], who was desperately trying to think of a story idea and decided that he had to really reach for an idea and decided to do something about Homer's mother, who previously had only been mentioned once.<ref name="Appel">{{cite video | people=Appel, Richard|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The writers used the episode as an opportunity to solve several little puzzles, such as where Lisa's intelligence came from.<ref name="Appel"/>
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<references/>
 
  
 +
[[File:Glenn Close.jpg|thumb|Glenn Close, voice of Mona Simpson]]
  
 +
The character is named after Richard Appel's wife at the time, whose maiden name is {{W|Mona Simpson}}.<ref name="Appel"/> Mona Simpson was redesigned in "[[Mother Simpson]]" from her previous brief appearance in "[[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?]]" and also images from "[[The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album]]" in a way so that she had more resemblance to Homer in her face, such as the shape of her upper lip and her nose.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video | people=Silverman, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> There were several design changes because the directors were trying to make her an attractive older and younger woman, but still be Simpson-esque.<ref name="Silverman"/> The inspiration for the character comes from Bernardine Dohrn of the Weather Underground, although the writers acknowledge that several people fit her description.<ref name="Oakley"/> Her crime was intentionally the least violent crime the writers could think of, as she did not harm anyone and was only caught because she came back to help Mr. Burns.<ref name="Oakley"/>
  
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{{DEFAULTSORT: Simpson, Mona}}
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[[Glenn Close]], who was directed in her first performance by [[Josh Weinstein]],<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video | people=Oakley, Bill|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> was convinced to do the episode partially because of [[James L. Brooks]].<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> When Mona gets in the van, her voice is done by [[Pamela Hayden]] because Glenn Close could not say "d'oh!" properly<ref name="Oakley"/> and thus they used the original temp track recorded by Hayden.<ref name="Appel"/>
−
{{simpsons characters}}
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{{Simpson Family Relatives}}
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Mona was originally voiced by [[Maggie Roswell]], before [[Glenn Close]] took over in the episodes "Mother Simpson", "[[My Mother the Carjacker]]" and "[[Mona Leaves-a]]". [[Tress MacNeille]] voiced her flashback appearance in the episode "[[D'oh-in' in the Wind]]". [[Pamela Hayden]] has also voiced Mona, due to Glen Close's inability to say '[[d'oh]]'.
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[[Category: Characters|Simpson, Mona]]
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[[Category:Simpson family|Simpson, Mona]]
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=== Development ===
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[[Category:Characters Voiced by Guest Stars]]
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[[Glenn Close]] would record original material for another episode, [[Season 15|season fifteen's]] "[[My Mother the Carjacker]]", and a deleted scene featuring Mona from "Mother Simpson" would appear in [[Season 7|season seven's]] "[[The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular]]". Mona also had a speaking appearance in [[Season 10|season ten's]] "[[D'oh-in' in the Wind]]" episode, this time voiced by [[Tress MacNeille]]. Glenn Close returned as Mona for the third time in the nineteenth season episode "[[Mona Leaves-a]]".<ref name="TVguide">{{cite news | author = | title = Simpsons Writers Dish on Movie and New Season | publisher = TV Guide | url = http://community.tvguide.com/blog-entry/TVGuide-News-Blog/Tv-Guide-News/Simpsons-Writers-Dish/800019303| date=2007-07-28}}</ref>
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[[Category:Deceased Characters]]
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 +
=== Foreign dubs ===
 +
{{Dub voices
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|deVoice={{W|Inge Solbrig}}
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|itVoice={{W|it:Sonia Scotti|Sonia Scotti}}
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}}
 +
 
 +
== Reception ==
 +
"Mother Simpson" is one of [[Bill Oakley]] & Josh Weinstein's favourite episodes, as they feel it is a perfect combination of real emotion, good jokes and an interesting story<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video | people=Weinstein, Josh|year=2005|title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson"| medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> and they have expressed regret about not submitting it for the Emmy Award in the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)" category.<ref name="Oakley"/>
 +
 
 +
IGN.com ranked Glenn Close's two performances as Mona as the 25th best guest star in the show's history.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances|accessdate=2007-10-06|author=Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian|publisher=IGN}}</ref> In 2007, ''Entertainment Weekly'' called Glenn Close one of "fourteen guest stars whose standout performances on TV make us wish they'd turn up in a ''Simpsons Movie 2''".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20035285_20035331_20049408,00.html|title=''Simpsons Movie 2'': Our Dream cast|accessdate=2007-10-06|author=Bruno, Mike|publisher=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref>
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== Appearances ==
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{{Scroll|
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{{TO}}
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{{Season1A
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|E4=yes
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|E4n=mentioned
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}}
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{{Season2A
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|E15=yes
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|E15n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season6A
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|E10=yes
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|E10n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season7A
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|E8=yes
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|E10=yes
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|E10n=archive footage
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}}
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{{Season10A
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|E6=yes
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|E6n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season12A
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|E1=yes
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|E1n=picture
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}}
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{{Season13A
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|E17=yes
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|E17n=archive footage
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}}
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{{Season15A
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|E2=yes
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}}
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{{Season16A
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|E18=yes
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}}
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{{Season17A
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|E10=yes
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}}
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{{Season19A
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|E19=yes
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}}
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{{Season21A
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|E21=yes
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|E21n=picture
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}}
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{{Season22A
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|E15=yes
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|E15n=picture
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}}
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{{Season23A
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|E16=yes
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|E16n=dream
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}}
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{{Season24A
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|E8=yes
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|E8n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season25A
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|E22=yes
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}}
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{{Season26A
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|E20=yes
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|E20n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season27A
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|E13=yes
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}}
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{{Season28A
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|E14=yes
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|E14n=flashback
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}}
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{{Season29A
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== References ==
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{{Images|Mona Simpson}}
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{{Simpson family}}
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{{Deceased characters}}
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{{Tapped Out characters|oldies=yes}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Mona}}
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[[Category:Seniors]]
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[[Category:Criminals]]
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[[Category:Characters voiced by Maggie Roswell]]
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[[sv:Mona Simpson]]

Latest revision as of 09:13, November 13, 2024

"You know, Moe, my Mom once said something that really stuck with me. She said, "Homer, you're a big disappointment." And God bless her soul, she was really on to something."
―Homer Simpson[src]
Mona Penelope J. Simpson
Mona Simpson.png
Artwork of Mona from The Simpsons: Tapped Out
Character Information
Gender:
Female ♀
Status:
Deceased
Alias(es): Sunny.[1]
Hair: Gray (formerly maroon)
Occupation: Fugitive
Former hippie and political activist
Relatives: Ex-Husband: Abraham Simpson
Son: Homer Simpson
Stepchildren: Herbert Powell and Abbey
Grandchildren: Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson
Parents-in-law: Orville J. Simpson and Yuma Hickman
First appearance: "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
Voiced by: Maggie Roswell
Glenn Close
Pamela Hayden
Tress MacNeille
v • d • e • h


Mona J. Simpson,[2] also known as Martha Stewart, Muddy Mae Suggins, Anita Bonghit, Mona Stevens and Penelope Olsen, was the mother of Homer Simpson, ex-wife of Abraham Simpson, mother-in-law of Marge Simpson and paternal grandmother of Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

Biography[edit]

Early life[edit]

Mona, at a young age, with a baby Homer. Seen in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Abe and Mona first met during the 1950s, when Abe had joined the air force and Mona was a cocktail waitress, where she was known as Sunny.[1] Sometime before or during the 1960s, Mona married Abe, later giving birth to a son, Homer. Before Homer's birth, she had cheated on Abe with a lifeguard, when a love letter was discovered in the hands of a mailman after being frozen. The letter stated that "in his heart he'll know that the baby she carries is his". When Homer discovers the letter in his late thirties/forties, he questions who his father is, although it is later discovered that Abe's DNA was a perfect match for Homer.[3] At some point before Homer's birth, she also found out about Abe Simpson fathering a child with a carnival prostitute before he married her, and shortly after Homer was born, made him promise that he never tell Homer about the incident at the carnival, as she wanted Homer to grow up to respect his father.[4]

Abe and Mona at Woodstock.

During the 1960s, whilst Homer was a small child, she became increasingly involved in a hippie movement and political activism. She cited Joe Namath's long hair during Super Bowl III as igniting her beliefs. She took Homer and Abe to the Woodstock Festival, where Homer ended up being influenced by the hippies. She and other activists, protesting germ research, entered a facility owned by Charles Montgomery Burns, destroying all the biological warfare experiments and in the process curing Clancy Wiggum of asthma. Whilst escaping, she stopped to tend to a fallen Burns, who threatened her with arrest.[5]

Mona and Homer used to bake pies together, which gave Homer his love of food. Mona would write messages to Homer on the back of the recipes, which were his most treasured possession. Grampa threw the recipes off a cliff, which were then used by the owner of The Timberlog Diner.[6]

A couple of weeks before Mona left, Homer and Abe went out fishing and the boat capsized. Homer and Abe later arrived back at the holiday home a few hours late and with no fish. Mona was just relieved that her greatest treasure, Homer, was safe. It was because of this incident, Homer thought that he was the reason that Abe and Mona split up and felt guilty about it ever since.[7]

She eventually left her husband and son, with Abe later telling Homer that she had died whilst he was at the movies. Abe even went so far to point out a grave, telling Homer it was Mona's, although the grave belonged to Walt Whitman.[5]

After leaving Springfield, her exact movements are unknown, although it is later revealed she resided at the hippie commune Groovy Grove Natural Farm for several years, painting murals of Homer.[8] She sent Homer care packages each week, although Homer was unaware of this, because of his refusal to tip his letter carrier, with Homer collecting the packages years later.[5] During this time, she also cheated on Abe, having a menage a trois relationship at Groovy Grove with Seth and Munchie, who later fondly remembered her as a "pretty groovy chick" and "a demon in the sack".[8] Abe, in the meantime, remained unaware of her whereabouts.

Return to Springfield[edit]

When Homer faked his death to avoid work, Mona hears of her son's death on the news and visits her son's still open grave, finding Homer in the grave, who accidentally fell in. She returns to the Simpson house, spending time with Homer and her new family, including Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. She also meets Abe, although their dislike only intensifies as Abe remains angry over her leaving him and Homer, whilst Mona becomes angry after learning he had told Homer she was dead. When Homer and Mona go to the post office, to collect years worth of care packages, she is spotted and recognized by Burns. Mona is forced once again to leave Springfield, on the run from the police, although the now police chief, Clancy Wiggum, aides her escape after being cured of asthma because of Mona in the 1960s.[5]

Second return to Springfield[edit]

Sometime later, Homer discovers a hidden message in a newspaper, left by his mother. She is discovered by the police at a diner and is arrested, later put on trial. She is acquitted because of evidence given by Homer, although she is later imprisoned, thanks to Mr. Burns, for signing into a federal park under a false name. Homer attempts to break his mother out of prison on a prison bus, with a police chase ensuing. The chase ends when she apparently dies, after the bus drives off a cliff and into some water, where it explodes, which sets off a rock avalanche, burying the bus. Mona, however, narrowly escapes the bus before it went off the cliff. She again goes on the run, where she sends another hidden message in a newspaper to Homer, written whilst eating a Rhode Island-style clam chowder.[2]

Brief return[edit]

For unknown reasons she briefly returned to Springfield about a year later. Mona was seen watching the Li'l Starmaker auditions at the Springfield Mall.[9]

Final return and death[edit]

Homer realizes his mother is dead
The last moments of Mona Simpson

Mona returns to Springfield again, visiting Homer. The two fight and Homer decides not to speak to her. Shortly before midnight, feeling guilty, he attempts to apologize to his mother. Finding her sitting on an armchair, he apologizes, before realizing his mother is dead. Her death devastates Homer. She is cremated and, sometime after her cremation, the Simpson family watches her recorded will. She leaves Bart her army knife, Lisa her rebellious spirit (although Lisa takes her earrings) and Marge an old purse made of hemp, asking Homer to release her ashes from the top of Springfield Monument Park at 3:00 PM. Homer completes his mother's wish, releasing the ashes, which are sucked into a missile launch computer within the mountain, owned by Mr. Burns. The ashes stop the missile from launching, preventing the nuclear power plant's waste being blasted to the Amazon rain forest. Homer is captured, but manages to escape, with help from Marge, Bart and Lisa, destroying the base and fulfilling his mother's final wish.[10]

Homer's bed wetting[edit]

Sometime after Mona's death, Homer started wetting the bed. This was triggered by a fishing trip he and Bart went on, similar to one his father and he went on years ago. The whole family enters Homer's dreams to get to the bottom of Homer's bed wetting and meet Mona Simpson there, who's still alive in Homer's thoughts and dreams. She first saved them, dressed as Death, and then showed Homer the memory of him and Abe going fishing and returning. She then explained to Homer that the reason he started wetting the bed again was because he was still feeling guilty as he thought that the fishing trip gone bad was the reason that Mona left him and Abe. She reassured him that this was not the case and that Homer was her greatest treasure, and that she, his father and his younger self would always be in his memories. She then tells them to leave the dreams and to wake up, with Homer saying good bye to his mother one last time.[7]

Non-canon[edit]

Donut Homer.png The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened or existed.

The Simpsons: Tapped Out[edit]

This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Oldies. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
Mona
Image Cost Unlock method Unlock message
Mona Simpson.png FREE Valentine's Day 2016
The Golden Age of Swingers Pt. 5 		I'd have visited sooner... but I had to lose my tail.
Donut60 Valentine's Day 2018 and Love, Springfieldian Style
Premium (Date Night Mystery Box)
FREE The Real Moms of Springfield
The Real Moms of Springfield Pt. 3 (with Nana Sophie Mussolini)
Mystery Box Token1 Love and War
Love and War Mystery Box
Donut75 Valentine's 2024 Promotion
Premium
Technical Information ID Groups Quest(s) Internal Name
149000 The Simpsons Family, Regular Characters, Regular Female, Parents, Adult A Woman of Much Importance
The Maude in the Machine 		Mona
Taps Final Update
Wave Cost Release
2 Donut75 October 1, 2024

Trivia[edit]

  • Homer said that his mother said to him that he was a big disappointment, way before Mona was introduced.[11]
  • Mona is 5ft 6in, weights 120lb and has brown eyes.[5]

Behind the Laughter[edit]

Creation[edit]

Prior to the seventh season, Mona Simpson had only made two brief flashback appearances, the first being Season 2's "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", appearing again in the sixth season episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy". In both episodes she was voiced by Maggie Roswell.[12]

Mona's first major appearance was in the seventh season episode "Mother Simpson", which was pitched by Richard Appel, who was desperately trying to think of a story idea and decided that he had to really reach for an idea and decided to do something about Homer's mother, who previously had only been mentioned once.[13] The writers used the episode as an opportunity to solve several little puzzles, such as where Lisa's intelligence came from.[13]

Glenn Close, voice of Mona Simpson

The character is named after Richard Appel's wife at the time, whose maiden name is Mona Simpson.[13] Mona Simpson was redesigned in "Mother Simpson" from her previous brief appearance in "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" and also images from "The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album" in a way so that she had more resemblance to Homer in her face, such as the shape of her upper lip and her nose.[14] There were several design changes because the directors were trying to make her an attractive older and younger woman, but still be Simpson-esque.[14] The inspiration for the character comes from Bernardine Dohrn of the Weather Underground, although the writers acknowledge that several people fit her description.[15] Her crime was intentionally the least violent crime the writers could think of, as she did not harm anyone and was only caught because she came back to help Mr. Burns.[15]

Glenn Close, who was directed in her first performance by Josh Weinstein,[15] was convinced to do the episode partially because of James L. Brooks.[16] When Mona gets in the van, her voice is done by Pamela Hayden because Glenn Close could not say "d'oh!" properly[15] and thus they used the original temp track recorded by Hayden.[13]

Mona was originally voiced by Maggie Roswell, before Glenn Close took over in the episodes "Mother Simpson", "My Mother the Carjacker" and "Mona Leaves-a". Tress MacNeille voiced her flashback appearance in the episode "D'oh-in' in the Wind". Pamela Hayden has also voiced Mona, due to Glen Close's inability to say 'd'oh'.

Development[edit]

Glenn Close would record original material for another episode, season fifteen's "My Mother the Carjacker", and a deleted scene featuring Mona from "Mother Simpson" would appear in season seven's "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular". Mona also had a speaking appearance in season ten's "D'oh-in' in the Wind" episode, this time voiced by Tress MacNeille. Glenn Close returned as Mona for the third time in the nineteenth season episode "Mona Leaves-a".[17]

Foreign dubs[edit]

Language Voice dubber
Germany.png Deutsch Inge Solbrig
Italy Flag.png Italiano Sonia Scotti

Reception[edit]

"Mother Simpson" is one of Bill Oakley & Josh Weinstein's favourite episodes, as they feel it is a perfect combination of real emotion, good jokes and an interesting story[18] and they have expressed regret about not submitting it for the Emmy Award in the "Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)" category.[15]

IGN.com ranked Glenn Close's two performances as Mona as the 25th best guest star in the show's history.[12] In 2007, Entertainment Weekly called Glenn Close one of "fourteen guest stars whose standout performances on TV make us wish they'd turn up in a Simpsons Movie 2".[19]

Appearances[edit]

References[edit]

The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to Mona Simpson.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Let's Go Fly a Coot"
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "My Mother the Carjacker"
  3. ↑ "Homer's Paternity Coot"
  4. ↑ "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Mother Simpson"
  6. ↑ "Forgive and Regret"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "How I Wet Your Mother"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "D'oh-in' in the Wind"
  9. ↑ "A Star Is Torn"
  10. ↑ "Mona Leaves-a"
  11. ↑ "There's No Disgrace Like Home"
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian. Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances. IGN. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Appel, Richard. (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Silverman, David. (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Oakley, Bill. (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  16. ↑ Groening, Matt. (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  17. ↑ "Simpsons Writers Dish on Movie and New Season"TV Guide. 
  18. ↑ Weinstein, Josh. (2005). The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode "Mother Simpson" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
  19. ↑ Bruno, Mike. Simpsons Movie 2: Our Dream cast. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2007-10-06.


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