The Sound of Bleeding Gums
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"The Sound of Bleeding Gums"
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Episode Information
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"The Sound of Bleeding Gums" is the seventeenth episode of season 33 of The Simpsons and the seven-hundred and twenty-third episode overall. It originally aired on April 10, 2022. The episode was written by Loni Steele Sosthand and directed by Chris Clements.
Synopsis
- "Lisa meets the son of the late musician Bleeding Gums Murphy - and attempts to improve his life."
Production
The title of the episode was changed after the table read, it was called "Bleeding Gums Murphy in the Sound of Music".[1]
For the first time the show stars deaf and hearing-impaired voiceover actors. The Monk character is played by actor John Autry II, who is hearing impaired. The episode features a total of six deaf voice actors, also including comedian Kathy Buckley and three kids from the No Limits organization: Kaylee Arellano, Ian Mayorga and Hazel Lopez.[2][3]
The episode is inspired by the family of episode writer Loni Steele Sosthand. She has a brother, Eli Steele, who was born deaf. When they were talking about Bleeding Gums Murphy character in writer's initial brainstorms, the staff thought, wouldn’t it be cool if Lisa discovers this whole other side of his life. That led to him having a son, and then we based that character at least somewhat on Eli.[3]
Sosthand and her brother, Eli Steele, had previously developed a pilot based on their lives, featuring John Autry II. So when it came time to find someone to play Monk, Sosthand pitched Autry to exec producers James L. Brooks and Al Jean, who "very much got on board and saw what a gem he was“. The character has little personal moments from Loni and Eli's childhood but is also very much influenced by John.[3]
Autry lauded “The Simpsons” for hiring a deaf actor to play the role. “It’s so incredible,” he said of the gig. “It’s life-changing equality and participation. This can impact change for all of us. It’s about hard of hearing and hearing characters coming together. It’s a part of history.”[3]
Sosthand also sought her brother’s approval while writing the script, which includes a scene where Bleeding Gums discovers his son his deaf — patterned after how Sosthand’s parents discovered Eli was hearing impaired. Eli also voices a part in the episode.[3]
