Difference between revisions of "Julius Hibbert"

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For the Doctor Hibbert dwarf character, please see Doctor Hibbert (Four Great Women and a Manicure).

Julius Murphy Hibbert, M.D., better known as Dr. Hibbert, is Springfield's most prominent and competent doctor, though he sometimes makes no effort to hide or makes light of his high prices. Hibbert is very good-natured, and is known for finding a reason to laugh at nearly every situation.

Biography

Dr. Hibbert is the Simpsons, kind-hearted family doctor, a genius, a graduate of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Mensa member. Hibbert is noticeably less dysfunctional than just about everyone else, though he does have a bizarre tendency to chuckle at inappropriate moments. He also gives questionable solutions to certain medical problems. For example, when Maggie saved Homer from drowning, he replied to Marge's question about how a baby can save the life of a full-grown man, saying "It's very simple. When an adult's life is in danger, a child can summon superhuman strength!"^[1] When Homer challenged Red Barclay to eat the "Sir Loins-a-Lot" steak in a contest, Marge feared that Homer might choke on a part of the steak, while Dr. Hibbert claimed that since being 12% owner of The Slaughterhouse (the restaurant they were eating at), his dietary advice suggests "the occasional eating contest". However, when Red dies from "beef poisoning", he attributes the cause to another restaurant.^[2]

In addition to working at Springfield General Hospital, Hibbert runs the Dr. Julius Hibbert, M.D. Family Practice where he showed Lisa a video about DNA.^[3] Homer also once took the kids to Hibbert's family practice to get them caught up on their inoculations.^[4]

There are hints that Dr. Hibbert is not above dubious medical practices either. After Marge talks him out of buying an unsuitable house, he tells her if she ever need a prescription, "no questions asked..." On another occasion, he buys one of Bart's T-Shirts with the legend "DO NOT RESUSCITATE" remarking that it could get him out of some sticky situations. When he realised that Marge was initially unenthusiastic about having a third child, he implied that a healthy baby could bring in as much as $60,000 on the black market. Hibbert covered for himself against Marge's horrified reaction by saying that if she had replied any other way, she would be sent to prison, claiming that it was "just a test".^[5]

Despite his seemingly honest and good-hearted personality, there is evidence that he is, at heart, a committed mercenary. Hibbert announces to Homer that his heart operation will cost $30,000. When Homer has a heart attack in front of him in response to this news, he says, unmoved, "I'm afraid it's now $40,000" (hinting that instead of a triple bypass, it became a quadruple bypass).^[6] After Homer's baby-proofing business eliminates child injuries in Springfield, Hibbert is seen holding a cooing infant and complaining that there are not any scratches on him, and he has got boat payments.^[7] Hibbert is once shown as running an "H.M.O" ("Hibbert's Money-Making Organization").^[8] He has also been interviewed on television sporting a baseball cap and chain blatantly advertising the wares of pharmaceutical companies. The "interview" ends with him joining in a choreographed raunchy dance routine with several attractive female dancers promoting Pfizer products.^[9] He is a committed Republican and attends Springfield's Republican meetings alongside Mr. Burns and Rainier Wolfcastle.^[10] Hibbert also freely wears fur coats, believing that while fur itself may not be murder, "paying for it sure is!"^[11]

While Hibbert is usually competent and responsible, it was once suggested that he did not have a legal license in medicine, since when Lisa was going to say who has been practising medicine without a license (who is actually Homer), Hibbert tugs his collar nervously.^[12] In addition, he once tricked Homer into signing a malpractice waiver, after his medication caused Bart to lose his hearing, by making him "test out his signature" on the waiver.^[13]

There is some evidence of serious incompetence on the part of Doctor Hibbert. It is once revealed that the reason the crayon in Homer's brain was never discovered was because he covered up the crayon with his thumb thereby suggesting he was not even looking at Homer's x-rays before picking them up.^[14] Also, Doctor Hibbert once checks Sideshow Bob's pulse before pronouncing him dead, then he throws Bob's hand away because he is touching a dead person.^[15]

His hairstyle has varied over the years (afro, dreadlocks, Mr. T-style Mohawk, etc.), appropriate for the time period. At least one of Hibbert's cars is a green Mercedes-Benz G500,^[16] he also had a silver Volvo 850 sedan,^[17] and he once mentioned his Porsche keys.^[18] He was seen muttering angrily over a "rusty tailgate" on a generic-looking station wagon.^[19]

He and his family live next to the Wiggum family.^[20]

Dr. Hibbert supposedly attended Johns Hopkins University, and evidence indicates he was probably born in Alabama. To pay for medical college, he performed as a male stripper under the pseudonym "Malcolm Sex", claiming he would "satisfy the ladies by any means necessary". He has since been seen running an adult education class in "How to Strip for Your Wife", which Homer briefly attended.^[21]

Family

Dr. Hibbert is married; he and his wife Bernice have three children, two boys and a girl. When his entire family is seen together, they appear to be similar to the The Cosby Show. His marriage seems to have some problems according to some moments together, such as being filmed by the "Kiss cam" at the stadium and Hibbert saying they don't like public relations.

It is implied that he and Bleeding Gums Murphy are long-lost brothers; Hibbert says he has a long-lost brother who is a jazz musician, and Murphy says he has a brother who is a doctor that chuckles at inappropriate times, but somehow the two don't put these clues together.^[22] Hibbert also bears a striking resemblance to the director of the Shelbyville orphanage, who mentions a personal quest to find his long-lost twin to an indifferent Homer.^[23]

He owns a poodle called Rosa Barks who was impregnated by Santa's Little Helper. Unhappy with a litter of Greyhound/poodle puppies, Dr. Hibbert leaves the puppies in the care of the Simpsons. Lisa and Bart distribute the puppies around Springfield. The known recipients of the puppies were Krusty, Snake and Groundskeeper Willie.^[24]

Non Canon Appearances

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

Treehouse of Horror

In "Treehouse of Horror XIII", segment "The Island of Dr. Hibbert", he inhabits a skull-shape island, where he transforms all of his visitants into animals.

Behind the Laughter

Although he wasn't originally based on Bill Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable from The Cosby Show, when the Fox network moved The Simpsons to Thursdays opposite NBC's top-rated Cosby Show, the staff made Hibbert more of a parody of Huxtable. Hibbert even owns a collection of rather horrid sweaters, just like Dr. Huxtable. Hibbert is always given a new hairdo in flashback appearances, such as an afro, dreads or a Mr. T-like mohawk.

Comparing Dr. Hibbert and Dr. Nick

A tongue-in-cheek analysis in the Canadian Medical Association Journal compares the services of Dr. Hibbert and Dr. Nick Riviera, a quack physician often used by the Simpsons as a cheaper alternative source of medical advice. While Dr. Hibbert is praised for his sense of humor and quality of care, it ultimately concludes that Dr. Nick is a better role model for physicians; Dr. Hibbert is a paternalistic and wasteful physician, unlike Dr. Nick, who strives to cut costs and does his best to avoid the coroner.

Trivia

• Dr. Hibbert has an IQ of 155.
• Dr. Hibbert has Facebook and appears to be friends with Mark Zuckerberg.

Appearances

External links

Template:Imdb character

References

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