Difference between revisions of "Jasper Beardsley"

Revision as of 13:31, February 24, 2010

Jasper Beardley is a resident of the Springfield Retirement Castle, and is often seen around Springfield. Jasper has been a minor supporting character since Season 1, and has had a few small speaking roles since.

Jasper is a friend of fellow resident Abe Simpson, but not always. When Abe's girlfriend Bea died, Jasper told him what had happened and comforted him. However, in "Bart The General" he stole Abe's newspaper because he wanted to do the crossword puzzle, the scene suggesting that Jasper bullied him regularly. In Wedding for Disaster, it is revealed that his wife, Estelle, is deceased.

Past

Jobs

In the past, Jasper has been a substitute teacher who confiscated everything made of tin (according to Lisa). A deleted scene from the episode "In Marge We Trust", contained on the The Simpsons Eighth Season DVD, reveals that Jasper preceded Reverend Lovejoy as minister at the Simpsons' church in Springfield.

War Service

According to "The Sweetest Apu", Jasper is a veteran of World War II. Jasper also tried to avoid the draft by disguising himself as a woman and staying in Springfield to play in the local women's baseball league, along with his friend Abe, who was also avoiding the war.

Other

Jasper unsuccessfully auditioned for The Be Sharps (Homer's Barbershop Quartet) by singing "Theme From A Summer Place".

Problems

Vision

It is implied that Jasper is slowly going blind. This ailment was once cured by a laser fired by a house's security protection equipment, but he was blinded again almost immediately. He accepted this very quickly: "Oh well. Easy come, easy go." Despite the sight problem, Jasper is both a light sleeper and is still quick with his reflexes. When Abe Simpson tried to steal Jasper's dentures one night, Jasper turned on the light immediately and, with a gun aimed at Abe, foiled the nocturnal theft. Also, in the episode "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show", when everyone comes to watch the show, Jasper looks down to Bart and asks "Hey little girl, is this seat taken?" Bart replies angrily with "I'm not a little girl!! Are you blind?!" In which Jasper replies sadly with "Yes".

Other Major Accidents

Jasper was put in crude "suspended animation" in the Kwik-E-Mart's freezer, and under advice from Dr. Nick Riviera, Apu kept him frozen. When Jasper's frozen form became popular with customers, Apu started exploiting the spectacle, and transformed the Kwik-E-Mart into a special interest store dealing with weird items, or perfectly ordinary ones which had been made out to be abnormal (for example, a cash machine that dispenses pictures of "dead presidents"). He put a Viking helmet on Jasper (or "Frostillicus," as Apu renamed him), but when Jasper was accidentally unfrozen and stepped out into what he thought was a future world, Apu's dreams of wealth were once again crushed. Apu was considering selling him to a Rich Texan. Jasper has unfortunate events like Hans Moleman because he has had many accidents in the series.

Minor Accidents

Jasper was shot in his artificial leg by Waylon Smithers, on the same night of the nearly fatal shooting of Mr. Burns. He also claimed to have "broke" his beard during a Death Race accident with Abe Simpson and Old Jewish Man, and even managed to get his beard stuck in a pencil sharpener while substituting for the striking teachers of Springfield Elementary. Jasper also mentioned that he is diabetic in "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", and was shot in the arm in the same episode. In "Treehouse of Horror II", he was turned into a dog by Bart, as punishment for not thinking happy thoughts. Also in "Treehouse of Horror XIV", Homer turns into death and kills Jasper while in the retirement castle.

Appearances