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Difference between revisions of "Ralph Wiggum"

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Ralph Wiggum is a fictional character in the long running animated series The Simpsons, voiced by Nancy Cartwright.[1]. He is best known as the show's resident oddball, and has been immortalized for his random non sequiturs and erratic behavior. His lines range from completely nonsensical, to bizarre interpretations of a current event to sometimes rather clear and obvious statements that go over people's heads. For this, Ralph is somewhat of an outcast among his peers, although he seems to be on good relations with a good number of the major child characters on the show such as Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse.
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{{Icons|FA}}
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{{for2|the song by {{W|The Bloodhound Gang}}|Ralph Wiggum (song)}}
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{{redirect|Ralph|[[Ralph (disambiguation)]]}}
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{{Quote|Me fail English? That's unpossible!|Ralph|Lisa on Ice}}
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{{Character
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|name = Ralph Wiggum
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|image = [[File:Ralph Wiggum.png|230px]]
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|caption = Artwork of Ralph by [[Matt Groening]]
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|gender = {{Male}}
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|hair = Black
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|age = 8
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|status = Alive
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|job = Student at [[Springfield Elementary School]]
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|relatives = '''Father:''' [[Clancy Wiggum]]<br>'''Mother:''' [[Sarah Wiggum]]<br>'''Grandfather:''' [[Iggy Wiggum]]<br>'''Grandmother:''' Unnamed (deceased)<ref>"[[The Blue and the Gray]]"</ref><ref>"[[Four Regrettings and a Funeral]]"</ref><br>'''Uncle:''' [[Fred Kanneke]]<ref>"[[Million-Dollar Abie]]"</ref><br>'''Aunt:''' Lucy Wiggum<br>
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|appearance = "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]"
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|voiced by = [[Nancy Cartwright]]
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}}
  
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The son of Chief Clancy Wiggum and mother Sarah Wiggum,[2] Ralph is a good-hearted and generally well meaning boy who unfortunately suffers either severe learning and social disabilities, or some other form of childhood psychiatric disorder. Ralph fits the stereotype of the school weirdo to a fault. The nature of his mentality however is kept rather ambiguous, much like many of the signature traits of much of the show's cast. Like almost every other character on the show, he may not be quite as simple as he first seems, as evidenced by his hinted immense potential as a performer.
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'''Ralph Wiggum''' is a student who attends [[Springfield Elementary School]]. He is best known as the [[Springfield|town's]] resident oddball, and has been immortalized for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior. His lines range from purely nonsensical, or bizarre interpretations of a current event, to surprisingly profound statements that go over people's heads. For this, Ralph is somewhat of an outcast among his peers, although he seems to be on good terms with a fair number of the other kids at school such as [[Bart]], [[Lisa]], and [[Milhouse]].
  
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Whatever his case may be however, this has not stopped him from being undoubtedly one of the Simpsons's most popular and beloved characters. With his bizarre, albeit rather interesting personality and his hilarious commentary, he is one of the most recognizable of Springfield's citizens. Show creator Matt Groening has stated that Ralph is one of his personal favorite characters on the Simpsons.[3]
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The son of [[Springfield Police Department|Police]] [[Clancy Wiggum|Chief Clancy]] and [[Sarah Wiggum]], Ralph is rarely picked on or bullied due to his unscrupulous father's position. He purportedly has immense potential as a musical performer (school roles attained for him, however, by his police chief father's extorting Springfield teachers, including [[Miss Hoover]], which may explain her dislike for Ralph). He also manipulated the Republican and Democratic parties in Springfield to join forces in their support of him for public office in "[[E Pluribus Wiggum]]", a parody of voting and elections.
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Contents
 
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[hide]
 
  
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    * 1 Profile
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== Biography ==
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    * 2 Relations
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[[File:Ralph Every Simpsons Ever.png|thumb|left|250px]]
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    * 3 Ralph's mentality and hidden talent
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[[File:Ralphfolder.PNG|thumbnail|left|Ralph's character folder in the Hall of Records on The Simpsons website.]]
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    * 4 The typical Ralph moment
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=== Personality ===
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    * 5 Miscellaneous
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Ralph suffers from learning disabilities of some sort, as evidenced by his apparently slow grasp of things in the world around him, his difficulty in studying, and his sporadic speech impediments. His unique manner of speech is often the source of the character's trademark random quotes, where Ralph may make a comment such as "What's a battle?", "It tastes like... burning!", or "[[Ned Flanders|Mr. Flanders]], you're blindeded!", as well as his tendency to call his [[Elizabeth Hoover|teacher]] "School Mommy", and, on one occasion, calling [[Superintendent Chalmers]] "Super Nintendo Chalmers"; neither was happy with the moniker.<ref>"[[Lisa Gets an "A"]]"</ref> He may not be as unintelligent as he normally appears and has strong performing talents. An incredible tap dancer and played the role of [[George Washington]] in the school play, he not only recited his lines perfectly but also managed to play the role so well that he brought the audience to tears.<ref name="I Love Lisa">"[[I Love Lisa]]"</ref> When he was a baby, his father dropped him on his head. After that, Ralph had trouble bringing a baby bottle to his mouth.<ref>"[[Moms I'd Like to Forget]]" (flashback)</ref>
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    * 6 Future
 
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    * 7 Ralph's unconventional eating habits
 
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    * 8 Quotes
 
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    * 9 External links
 
  
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[edit]
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Ralph is often seen eating paste, crayons, worms, knobs, lamps, and the Easter bunny. He has a rather immense imagination and is seemingly oblivious to the world around him. As such, he is generally a cheerful boy. However, in one episode Ralph displays a dark side (pyromania).<ref name="This Little Wiggy"/> After seeing Ralph cry over not receiving a Valentine's card, Lisa gave him one out of pity. He then developed a crush on her, which eventually becomes so annoying that she breaks up with him but the pair eventually become friends again.<ref name="I Love Lisa"/> On one occasion, Bart is forced by his mother [[Marge]] to play with Ralph. At first bored, Bart ends up having fun after they steal Ralph's father's master key to the city, the convoluted consequences of which almost result in the electrocution of [[Mayor Quimby]].<ref name="This Little Wiggy">"[[This Little Wiggy]]"</ref> Ralph's relationship with his parents seems to be loving and affectionate. Clancy, in particular, rather adores his son as the two do much together, such as various road trips or Ralph's first trip to a major league baseball game.<ref>''[[If You Can't Wiggum, Join 'Em!]]''</ref>
  
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Profile
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Ralph has a multitude of imaginary friends such as [[Wiggle Puppy]] and a pyromaniacal [[leprechaun]]. His teacher, [[Miss Hoover]], will often correct him in a dull, condescending manner ("The children are ''right'' to laugh at you, Ralph", she tells him at one point) but he always misses the point.
  
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Ralph is quite an enigma of a child. Upon first glance, one would mistake him for a child with dementia or perhaps even look at him as a mentally challenged child. Throughout the course of the show however, there have been many hints dropped over the true nature of his character. What is definite however, is that he seems to suffer from severe learning disabilities of some sort, as evidenced by his apparently slow grasp of things in the world around him, his difficulty in studying, and his potential speech impediments. His unique manner of speech is often the source of the character's trademark random quotes, where Ralph may make a commentary such as It tastes like...burning!, or Mr.Flanders, you're blindeded!, [sic] as well as his tendency to call his teacher "School Mommy" and on one occasion calling Superintendent Chalmers "Supernintendo Chalmers." Ralph is however, also able to speak in a normal manner much of the time, which only adds to the question of his condition. For more information on the mystery surrounding his mentality, see below. [4]
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Ralph was also part of a rather infamous hoax where [[Homer]], [[Principal Skinner]], [[Apu]], [[Lenny]], [[Carl]], Chief Wiggum and others had become so fed-up with the whole issue of voting early for the election that they decided to cast all of their votes to someone who was not only unbelievably small, but also so young and unbelievably unintelligent it would be impossible for him to be considered a candidate (they unsurprisingly chose Ralph). Ironically, Lisa discovers that Ralph is not only aware of what being nominated means, but is also taking the idea of being elected seriously. Using his childish behavior, he intentionally manipulated the Republican and Democratic parties to join forces in their support of him.<ref>"[[E Pluribus Wiggum]]"</ref>
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[[File:This Little Wiggy.png|thumb|Ralph's friend the Leprechaun]]
  
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Ralph is often seen in very awkward situations such as eating glue paste and other such erratic forms of behavior that have since become a staple of the character. Ralph has quite an immense imagination, and is seemingly always somewhat oblivious to the world around him. As such, he is generally a very cheerful boy. However, Ralph also has a hint of tragedy and dark satire to him, like almost every other character on the show. Throughout the show's history, Ralph is eternally the odd one out among his peers at school. This was the basis of the episode I Love Lisa, one of two episodes in which Ralph played a significant role. Ralph may be fully aware of his difficulty fitting in with children his age. In this episode, he is heartbroken on Valentines Day over the fact that, despite his best efforts, he himself receives absolutely no valentines from any of his classmates. In a bout of platonic pity, Lisa Simpson rewrites a valentine card for Ralph to cheer him up. Ralph, however, sees this as something a little more. His genuinely endearing attempt to woo Lisa fills the majority of the episode, an escapade which unfortunately ends with heartbreak when Lisa reveals her true intention with the valentine.
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=== Typical behavior ===
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During class, Ralph's teacher [[Miss Hoover]] will stop lecturing the class for a moment to question Ralph's actions such as eating something he shouldn't, or saying something bizarre or oblivious. Another common 'Ralph' moment is that Ralph will be at a major event, and will say something to either perplex everyone present or point out something so glaringly obvious it's funny. Ralph has quite a knack for getting himself into sticky situations as well. Examples of Ralph moments include him gorging himself with chocolate,<ref>"[[Bart the Murderer]]"</ref> being profiled by a scary dentist,<ref>"[[Last Exit to Springfield]]"</ref> pretending to be a firetruck,<ref>"[[Fraudcast News]]"</ref> pretending he is an imaginary [[Wiggle Puppy|puppy]],<ref name="This Little Wiggy"/> and proclaiming that he will attend "Bovine University".<ref>"[[Lisa the Vegetarian]]"</ref> He has been shown wetting himself in public.<ref>"[[Little Girl in the Big Ten]]"</ref>
  
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Afterwards, a distraught and heartbroken Ralph laments over his heartbreak as well as social difficulty to his, unfortunately, rather clueless father. Ralph, however, is cast to play George Washington, the lead role in a major school play, alongside Lisa, and it is here that another of Ralph's hinted traits is revealed as Ralph literally stops the audience in their tracks with his incredible performance as the first president, which Ralph uses as an emotional outlet. Afterwards, a genuinely remorseful Lisa apologizes to Ralph and they agree to be friends. This would not be the last hint viewers would see of Ralph's hidden potential. As of now, Ralph has been the focus of one other episode, This Little Wiggy. In the episode, Bart is forced to spend a day with Ralph because Marge feels sorry for him when he is picked on in the beginning. While Bart is at first less than thrilled with this, he genuinely has a good time with Ralph during their time together, eventually learning a thing or two about him in the process. Despite Ralph's awkward behavior and occasionally irritating moments, he is consistently depicted as being generally a very nice kid who usually just wants to help. In the comic story The Squish of Death, Bart sums up his general opinion of Ralph quite nicely when Ralph states I like to color outside the lines! to which Bart responds We know, Ralph, and that's all right with us.
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Similarly, in the future, he can be seen talking to a classmate by the punchbowl, saying "I can use the potty now.".<ref>"[[Future-Drama]]"</ref> Also, Skinner looked at the building sadly and remembers touching moments with kids saying things like "I know how to read" and "Thank you, Principal Skinner". Ralph's distinctive voice saying "Principal Skinner, I got carsick in your office", is heard.<ref>"[[Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]"</ref> This seems to have subsided a little recently, although appearances by Ralph himself have been lighter. He demonstrated signs at being borderline psychotic, seeing a leprechaun who tells him to burn things. When he later helps save the Mayor of Springfield with Bart and Lisa, the leprechaun appears and tells him, "You've done grand laddie. Now you know what you have to do? Burn the house down! Burn them all!", with Ralph smiling vacantly and nodding in agreement.<ref name="This Little Wiggy">"[[This Little Wiggy]]"</ref>
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[edit]
 
  
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Relations
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When Ralph saw [[Bart]] skateboarding naked, he said, "I like men now!"<ref>''[[The Simpsons Movie]]''</ref>
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[[File:Ralph004.gif|thumb|left|Ralph eating paste.]]
  
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Ralph seems to generally get along with many people, as well as occasionally irritate and baffle them as well. Ralph's father is the police chief of Springfield, Clancy Wiggum and his mother is Sarah Wiggum. Ralph's relationship with his parents seems to be very loving, Clancy in particular rather adores his son as the two do much together, such as various road trips or Ralph's first trip to a major league baseball game as depicted in the comic If you can't Wiggum, join 'em!. Ralph can apparently be quite a handful as well however, and there are times where Clancy can be negligent to his son as well. When it comes to school, Ralph is predictably not so popular, although he seemingly enjoyed notoriety after his role of Washington at least. Bart is probably the closest thing Ralph has to a friend, as he is often included in groups with the prankster for various hijinks. Although he can get irritated with him, Bart at times also defends Ralph from verbal bullying. It is hinted that in the future, Ralph and Bart's friendship may become much stronger. Ralph also does a fair bit with Lisa, although she too can get irritated from time to time their friendship after I Love Lisa has nonetheless endured. Ralph is often seen with a wide variety of children as well, but among the schoolgrounds Ralph is unfortunately known as "the most harmless kid in school" and as such isn't immune to bullying like much of the young cast of the show. Ralph is treated as somewhat of a nuisance by the school board, Marge Simpson however seems to have taken particular notice of Ralph and his potential strengths as well as generally positive character. Ralph has a multitude of imaginary friends as well, Wiggle Puppy and a pyromaniacal leprechaun being particularly well known among viewers. Ralph's teacher, Ms Hoover, is surprisingly patient (or more likely, indifferent) with his imagination. Though she will often correct him in a dull, condescending manner, she is yet to outright scold him.
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== Relationships ==
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[edit]
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=== Bart ===
 +
[[File:This Little Wiggy - Bart and Ralph.png|thumb|right|Ralph and Bart.]]
 +
Ralph has shown to have an occasional friendship with [[Bart]]. Bart stood up to bullies who were bullying him and befriended Ralph as a result of this and befriended him after finding out about all the cool police stuff he had in his house.<ref name="This Little Wiggy"/> Ralph has also been invited to a party for Bart by [[Marge]], and Bart insulted him, causing him to run off crying.
  
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Ralph's mentality and hidden talent
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=== Lisa ===
 +
Ralph and [[Lisa]] used to date and Lisa seems to be on good terms with Ralph still, often defending him and helping him. Lisa identified Ralph as representing "The Chose One" among [[The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School]].<ref>''[[The Lisa Book]]''</ref>
  
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The nature of Ralph's mentality and developmental problem is very ambiguous. Although it is easy to pass off Ralph as a mentally challenged child, there are many things which show that this may not be the case. Ralph is quite capable of acting in a normal manner, and often times his bizarre behavior is attributed to his wild imagination. Ralph's behavior and difficulty in school is highly reminiscent of a few childhood psychiatric disorders such as mild Autism, and Sluggish cognitive tempo, both of which are not impediments of intelligence but rather of social and environmental development.
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=== Other children ===
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Ralph has been shown with different children all the time. He is often seen with the rest of the second grade class: rolling down hills and climbing trees.
  
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Ralph often makes allegories of things to explain to himself how the world works around him, such as describing shutting down the Nuclear Power Plant to avert a meltdown by comparing it to catching a pixie and wrapping it in tin foil. This is a quality often associated with children who have a mild case of autism, and also by children who have a very high degree of creative and artistic intellect. As such, Ralph could be many things from a mentally disturbed child, to possibly even an artistic genius which brings up the subject of his prowess in performing arts. Ralph is consistently shown to have a high degree of latent creative and performing talent. Despite his subpar level of intelligence, when representing Canada at the Model UN club, he actually knows the words to the Canadian anthem as seen in Das Bus.
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== Non-canon ==
 +
{{Noncanon}}
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In the episode ''"[[Lisa's Wedding]]"'', he becomes one of [[Krusty]]'s [[sideshow]]s.<ref>"[[Lisa's Wedding]]"</ref>
  
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Aside from his role of Washington, Ralph apparently impressed Marge a great deal with his portrayal as Sir Lancelot and his acting exploits are referred to a few more times. His talents don't stop there either, he has impressive talent in singing (comic story Faking the Band), dancing (Last Tap Dance in Springfield), critique (Fraudcast News), he draws very often and in the comic a substitute teacher insists that he is an artistic genius due to his tendency to speak in Haiku. Although he has botched up on stage occasionally as well, generally it seems strongly implied that he has genuine talent. Ralph also seems to be aware that he isn't "normal".
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=== The Simpsons Game ===
 +
Ralph appears along with [[Rod]] and [[Todd Flanders]] as Hobbit-like children who help Homer and Marge defeat the two-headed dragon in order to get the keycard.<ref>"[[NeverQuest]]"</ref> He also appears as a holder of one of the three Sparklemon that Homer and Lisa must defeat.<ref>"[[Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game]]"</ref> At the end of the game, he is seen watching the closing moments of the Simpsons family talking with [[God]], then he sees the player and says "Daddy... someone's looking at me...".
  
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Children who are highly gifted in creative and artistic intellect are often mistaken by school officials to be mentally disrupted. Ralph is often used as satire to poke fun at modern school's tendency to misjudge young children in this manner, as well as their inability to give children special attention they need due to budget constraints. Regardless of everything however, in the end The Simpsons can be just as random as Ralph himself. Much like the case with every character on the show, it is ultimately up to the viewer to decide what Ralph's true nature is.
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=== The Simpsons: Tapped Out ===
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[edit]
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==== Ralph ====
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{{TranscludeSection|The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Kids|Ralph}}
  
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The typical Ralph moment
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==== Costumes ====
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<gallery>
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File:Tapped Out Little Helper Ralph.png|[[Little Helper Ralph]]
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File:Ballet Ralph.png|[[Ballet Ralph]]
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File:Christmas Tree Ralph.png|[[Christmas Tree Ralph]]
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File:Broccoli Ralph.png|[[Broccoli Ralph]]
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</gallery>
  
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Ralph's signature use as a character in the show is to deliver either an odd bit of behavior, or dialogue which either perplexes others or merely gives the audience a quick laugh. A good example is during class, Ralph's teacher Miss Hoover will stop lecturing the class for a moment to question Ralph's actions such as eating something he shouldn't, or saying something bizarre or oblivious. Another common use is that Ralph will be at a major event in the episode's story, and will say commentary which can either perplex everyone present or point out something so glaringly obvious it's funny. Ralph has quite a knack for getting himself into sticky situations as well, which is another type of scene he is often used for. There is criticism that as the show has gone on, Ralph has become less a merely clueless and eccentric child to more of a dim-witted one liner character with little subtlety. Although his endearing qualities are more inconsistent than before, this hasn't stopped him from being one of the show's most recognizable and remembered characters.
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== Behind the Laughter ==
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=== Creation ===
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In Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was the episode "[[Moaning Lisa]]", he was considerably different in both appearance and behavior from his later appearance, although he also briefly appeared in the first episode "[[Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire]]".
 +
Ralph's signature use as a character in the show is to deliver either an odd bit of behavior, or dialogue which either perplexes others or merely gives the audience a quick laugh. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer", Ralph eventually took on a life of his own. The staff figured that he'd also fit perfectly as the son of [[Chief Wiggum]], a fact made canon in "[[I Love Lisa]]", (although he is referred to by his last name of Wiggum in "[[Kamp Krusty]]" before). Ralph was named after comedian Jackie Gleason's character on ''The Honeymooners'' Ralph Kramden. [[Matt Groening]] considers any lines for Ralph "really hard to write."
  
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In the official Simpsons comic by Bongo Comics, Ralph is often featured prominently in short stories and one takes.
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[[Nancy Cartwright]], the voice of Ralph, raises her eyebrows whenever she performs Ralph's voice.
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[edit]
 
  
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Miscellaneous
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=== Popular culture ===
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Ralph as he originally appeared in "Moaning Lisa".
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Ralph's popularity as a character has even spread so far that the rock band The Bloodhound Gang made a song called "{{ap|Ralph Wiggum|song}}," dedicated to the character and comprised solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. The song can be found on their album ''{{W|Hefty Fine}}''. Another band, Trillium Circle, has a member named Ralph Wiggum. Ralph also became a prominent pop-culture figure in the {{W|United States presidential election, 2008|2008 U.S. Presidential election}} after "[[E Pluribus Wiggum]]" aired in January 2008. Show creator [[Matt Groening]] has stated that Ralph is one of his personal favorite characters on ''The Simpsons'', and whenever someone asks who writes specific characters (a common misconception about the writing process), writers will most likely take credit for writing for Ralph.[http://www.avclub.com/content/node/47771/3]
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Enlarge
 
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Ralph as he originally appeared in "Moaning Lisa".
 
  
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Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was the episode Moaning Lisa, although he has appeared as an unnamed character before hand in even the very first episode Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. However, he was considerably different in both appearance and behavior from his later appearances. So much in fact that many consider the episode Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment his "true" first appearance because he is first depicted as he appears for the rest of the series here, although he appears in Lisa's Pony sporting his new look but humorously speaking with his old voice which is highly reminiscent of Nelson Muntz's tone. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer", Ralph eventually took on a life of his own. The show's writing staff figured that he'd also fit perfectly as the son of Chief Wiggum, a fact made canon in I Love Lisa (although he is referred to by his last name of Wiggum in Kamp Krusty before). With a combination of his hilarious commentary and his endearingly innocent character, Ralph eventually became one of the show's most popular characters. He is a favorite character to feature on merchandise such as stickers and clothing, and when Nancy Cartwright appeared on the Conan O'Brien show her characterization of Ralph sparked a massive reaction far greater than her other characters including Bart. Ralph's popularity as a character has even spread so far that the rock band Bloodhound Gang made a song called Ralph Wiggum, dedicated to the character and comprised solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. The song can be found on their album Hefty Fine. Another band, Trillium Circle has a member named Ralph Wiggum, presumably a pseudonym.
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=== Merchandising ===
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[edit]
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Ralph has his own book in the series [[The Simpsons Library of Wisdom]]. He also had presidential posters and merchandise for the 2008 election, a'la "E Pluribus Wiggum".
  
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Future
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== Appearances ==
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|E4n=Intrusion of the Pod-Y Switchers; Geriatric Park
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|E8n=A-Gobble-Ypto; The Last Thanksgiving
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{{Season32A
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*{{spec|Homer Shake}}
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*{{spec|Join The Simpsons at the Daytona 500}}
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*{{spec|Springfield of Dreams: The Legend of Homer Simpson|(picture)}}
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*{{TSG}}
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*{{ad|Bart Surfing at the Beach}}
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*{{ad|CC's Dare Number 14}}
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*{{ad|The Bully}}
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*{{ad|Bart's Locker}}
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*{{bon|A Chair of One's Own}}
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*{{bon|Cyrano de Bart}}
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*{{bon|Hill of Beans}}
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*{{bon|Bartology 101}}
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*{{bon|Comics Fan No More!}}
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*{{bon|Bart Cops Out}}
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*{{bon|If You Can't Wiggum, Join 'Em!}}
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*{{bon|The Book That Ate Springfield!}}
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*{{bon|Spree for All}}
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*{{bon|Handy Pop Culture Quotes for All Occasions!}}
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*{{bon|The Disappearing Duchess!}}
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*{{bon|Hog Tied}}
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*{{bon|The Uter Bomber}}
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*{{bon|Faking the Band}}
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*{{bon|The Man of the House}}
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*{{bon|Ralph's Room 1}}
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*{{bon|Ralph Wiggum's Day Off}}
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*{{bon|Where's Ralph?}}
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*{{bon|Ralph's Room 2}}
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*{{bon|Ralph the Role Model}}
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*{{bk|The Ralph Wiggum Book}}
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*{{bk|The Lisa Book}}
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*{{bk|Flanders' Book of Faith}}
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*{{bk|Simpsons World The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1-20}}
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*{{bk|Chief Wiggum's Book of Crime and Punishment}}
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*{{game|Virtual Bart}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Wrestling}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Road Rage}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons Skateboarding}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons: Hit & Run}}
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*{{game|The Simpsons: Tapped Out}}
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*{{RWeb|Wiggumforprez08.com}}
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*{{merch|Simpsons Mania! (Inkworks)|pipe=yes|3=Simpsons Mania!}}
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*{{merch|Springfield's Festive Friends}}
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{{TC}}
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}}
  
−
Ralph's future is one of the murkiest and most vague of all the children on the show. The Simpsons frequently features non-canon episodes, however, and the 'future' episodes could be among them. Due to the timeless nature of the show as well, dates are relative:
+
== References ==
−
Future Ralph possibility, as seen in the episode Bart to the Future.
+
{{Images|Ralph}}
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Enlarge
+
{{Reflist|2}}
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Future Ralph possibility, as seen in the episode Bart to the Future.
 
  
−
    * Lisa's Wedding: By far Ralph's most mysterious sighting. "Sideshow Ralph Wiggum" is a name mentioned on a very fast scrolling list of celebrities being hunted in a witchhunt like manner. The reference is very easy to miss, and may require a DVD player going frame by frame to catch. Ralph can also barely be seen behind an aged Krusty the Clown during the wedding.
+
{{Krusty's Li'l Starmaker}}
−
    * Bart to the Future: Ralph's most prominent role in a future episode. Ralph is very good friends with Bart, and shares an apartment with him. Surprisingly, Ralph seems to be the voice of maturity in Bart's immediate life, and he is pretty well composed with a full head of thick brown hair and a more focused attitude. Despite this however, he isn't above the random behavior of his child self from time to time it seems. His friendship with Bart is turbulent due to Bart's flakey ways, but he apparently sticks with him in the end.
+
{{LGBT}}
−
    * Future-Drama: Ralph has a brief cameo during his high school prom, in which he claims he can use the toilet. Although he is only briefly featured, he appears to be an older version of his younger self here complete with non-sequitur. Ralph becomes inadvertently intoxicated when Nelson Muntz spikes the punch, leading to humorous hallucinations.
+
{{Springfield Elementary|2nd grade=yes}}
−
    * The Rise and Fall of Bartholemew J. Simpson: This story in the comic series featured a future reminiscent of the one in Lisa's Wedding, but still different in many ways. Ralph has a cameo alongside his aging father where Ralph is surfing a futuristic version of the Internet.
+
{{Springfield High School}}
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{{Springfield Isotots Baseball Team members}}
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{{Party Posse}}
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{{Tapped Out characters|kids=yes}}
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{{Simpsons World factfiles|4=yes|19=yes}}
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{{Simpsons characters|elementary=yes}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiggum, Ralph}}
  
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[edit]
+
[[Category:Children]]
−
 
+
[[Category:Wiggum family]]
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Ralph's unconventional eating habits
+
[[Category:Celebrities]]
−
 
+
[[Category:Characters voiced by Nancy Cartwright]]
−
    * Paste in Separate Vocations, Marge vs. the Monorail, and Team Homer
+
[[Category:Recurring characters]]
−
    * His red crayon in I Love Lisa
+
[[Category:Characters introduced in season 1]]
−
    * Grass in Sideshow Bob Roberts
 
−
    * The caps from his cap gun in Bart's Girlfriend
 
−
    * His worm in Lisa the Vegetarian
 
−
    * His control knob in The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show
 
−
    * "The Purple berries" in Das Bus
 
−
    * A thumbtack in Wild Barts Can't Be Broken
 
−
    * "Plastic candy" (the set and props for his dance recital) in Last Tap Dance in Springfield
 
−
    * LEGO building blocks in Today I am A Clown
 
−
    * Dollar bills in See Homer Run
 
−
 
 
−
[edit]
 
−
 
 
−
Quotes
 
−
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
 
−
Ralph Wiggum
 
−
 
 
−
Some examples of Ralph's famous dialogue include:
 
−
 
 
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    * Ralph:(with stranded group looking for food) "I eated the purple berries! Ohhhh...ohh." (groans and collapses)
 
−
      Bart: "How do they taste Ralph? Good?"
 
−
      Ralph: "They taste like... burning!"
 
−
    * "My cat's breath smells like cat food."
 
−
    * "You need to be ironed." (Upon seeing a group of senior citizens.)
 
−
    * "Me fail English? That's unpossible."
 
−
    * "In my house, we call them uh-oh's!" (Brothers Little Helper, referring to fires)
 
−
    * "Hi, Lisa. Hi, Super Nintendo Chalmers." (Instead of 'Superintendent' Chalmers.)
 
−
    * "When I grow up, I want to be a principal or a caterpillar! I love you principal Skinner!"
 
−
    * "I'm happy and angry"
 
−
    * "I bent my wookie"
 
−
    * "I love glue" (instead of "I Love you")
 
−
    * "I'm cuckoo for contraband!"
 
−
    * "Duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck, duck ..." (35 times at least)
 
−
    * "Lisa is a sell-out, Lisa is a sell-out. Lisa, what's a sell-out?
 
−
    * "I can make Opi-O's!"(Ralph is in the opium den smoking.)
 
−
    * "Principal Skinner, I got car sick in your office."
 
−
    * "Why do people always run from me?" (immediately before wetting his pants)
 
−
    * "I got hit by boy Lisa AND girl Lisa!"
 
−
    * "Bart Simpson is my bestest boyfriend."
 
−
    * "I found a moon rock in my nose!"
 
−
 
 
−
[edit]
 
−
 
 
−
External links
 
−
 
 
−
    * The Simpsons Quotes
 
−
    * The Ralph Wiggum File at SNPP.com
 
−
    * That's Unpossible! A very comprehensive fansite featuring Ralph's appearances by episode, character profile, and a massive image archive among its features.
 
−
    * The Simpsons official site A profile on the official Simpson website.
 

Latest revision as of 12:28, April 14, 2024


For the song by The Bloodhound Gang, see Ralph Wiggum (song).
"Ralph" redirects here. For other uses of "Ralph", see Ralph (disambiguation).
"Me fail English? That's unpossible!"
―Ralph[src]
Ralph Wiggum
Ralph Wiggum.png
Artwork of Ralph by Matt Groening
Character Information
Gender:
Male ♂
Status:
Alive
Age: 8
Hair: Black
Occupation: Student at Springfield Elementary School
Relatives: Father: Clancy Wiggum
Mother: Sarah Wiggum
Grandfather: Iggy Wiggum
Grandmother: Unnamed (deceased)[1][2]
Uncle: Fred Kanneke[3]
Aunt: Lucy Wiggum
First appearance: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"
Voiced by: Nancy Cartwright
v • d • e • h


Ralph Wiggum is a student who attends Springfield Elementary School. He is best known as the town's resident oddball, and has been immortalized for his non sequiturs and erratic behavior. His lines range from purely nonsensical, or bizarre interpretations of a current event, to surprisingly profound statements that go over people's heads. For this, Ralph is somewhat of an outcast among his peers, although he seems to be on good terms with a fair number of the other kids at school such as Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse.

The son of Police Chief Clancy and Sarah Wiggum, Ralph is rarely picked on or bullied due to his unscrupulous father's position. He purportedly has immense potential as a musical performer (school roles attained for him, however, by his police chief father's extorting Springfield teachers, including Miss Hoover, which may explain her dislike for Ralph). He also manipulated the Republican and Democratic parties in Springfield to join forces in their support of him for public office in "E Pluribus Wiggum", a parody of voting and elections.

Biography[edit]

Ralph Every Simpsons Ever.png
Ralph's character folder in the Hall of Records on The Simpsons website.

Personality[edit]

Ralph suffers from learning disabilities of some sort, as evidenced by his apparently slow grasp of things in the world around him, his difficulty in studying, and his sporadic speech impediments. His unique manner of speech is often the source of the character's trademark random quotes, where Ralph may make a comment such as "What's a battle?", "It tastes like... burning!", or "Mr. Flanders, you're blindeded!", as well as his tendency to call his teacher "School Mommy", and, on one occasion, calling Superintendent Chalmers "Super Nintendo Chalmers"; neither was happy with the moniker.[4] He may not be as unintelligent as he normally appears and has strong performing talents. An incredible tap dancer and played the role of George Washington in the school play, he not only recited his lines perfectly but also managed to play the role so well that he brought the audience to tears.[5] When he was a baby, his father dropped him on his head. After that, Ralph had trouble bringing a baby bottle to his mouth.[6]

Ralph is often seen eating paste, crayons, worms, knobs, lamps, and the Easter bunny. He has a rather immense imagination and is seemingly oblivious to the world around him. As such, he is generally a cheerful boy. However, in one episode Ralph displays a dark side (pyromania).[7] After seeing Ralph cry over not receiving a Valentine's card, Lisa gave him one out of pity. He then developed a crush on her, which eventually becomes so annoying that she breaks up with him but the pair eventually become friends again.[5] On one occasion, Bart is forced by his mother Marge to play with Ralph. At first bored, Bart ends up having fun after they steal Ralph's father's master key to the city, the convoluted consequences of which almost result in the electrocution of Mayor Quimby.[7] Ralph's relationship with his parents seems to be loving and affectionate. Clancy, in particular, rather adores his son as the two do much together, such as various road trips or Ralph's first trip to a major league baseball game.[8]

Ralph has a multitude of imaginary friends such as Wiggle Puppy and a pyromaniacal leprechaun. His teacher, Miss Hoover, will often correct him in a dull, condescending manner ("The children are right to laugh at you, Ralph", she tells him at one point) but he always misses the point.

Ralph was also part of a rather infamous hoax where Homer, Principal Skinner, Apu, Lenny, Carl, Chief Wiggum and others had become so fed-up with the whole issue of voting early for the election that they decided to cast all of their votes to someone who was not only unbelievably small, but also so young and unbelievably unintelligent it would be impossible for him to be considered a candidate (they unsurprisingly chose Ralph). Ironically, Lisa discovers that Ralph is not only aware of what being nominated means, but is also taking the idea of being elected seriously. Using his childish behavior, he intentionally manipulated the Republican and Democratic parties to join forces in their support of him.[9]

Ralph's friend the Leprechaun

Typical behavior[edit]

During class, Ralph's teacher Miss Hoover will stop lecturing the class for a moment to question Ralph's actions such as eating something he shouldn't, or saying something bizarre or oblivious. Another common 'Ralph' moment is that Ralph will be at a major event, and will say something to either perplex everyone present or point out something so glaringly obvious it's funny. Ralph has quite a knack for getting himself into sticky situations as well. Examples of Ralph moments include him gorging himself with chocolate,[10] being profiled by a scary dentist,[11] pretending to be a firetruck,[12] pretending he is an imaginary puppy,[7] and proclaiming that he will attend "Bovine University".[13] He has been shown wetting himself in public.[14]

Similarly, in the future, he can be seen talking to a classmate by the punchbowl, saying "I can use the potty now.".[15] Also, Skinner looked at the building sadly and remembers touching moments with kids saying things like "I know how to read" and "Thank you, Principal Skinner". Ralph's distinctive voice saying "Principal Skinner, I got carsick in your office", is heard.[16] This seems to have subsided a little recently, although appearances by Ralph himself have been lighter. He demonstrated signs at being borderline psychotic, seeing a leprechaun who tells him to burn things. When he later helps save the Mayor of Springfield with Bart and Lisa, the leprechaun appears and tells him, "You've done grand laddie. Now you know what you have to do? Burn the house down! Burn them all!", with Ralph smiling vacantly and nodding in agreement.[7]

When Ralph saw Bart skateboarding naked, he said, "I like men now!"[17]

Ralph eating paste.

Relationships[edit]

Bart[edit]

Ralph and Bart.

Ralph has shown to have an occasional friendship with Bart. Bart stood up to bullies who were bullying him and befriended Ralph as a result of this and befriended him after finding out about all the cool police stuff he had in his house.[7] Ralph has also been invited to a party for Bart by Marge, and Bart insulted him, causing him to run off crying.

Lisa[edit]

Ralph and Lisa used to date and Lisa seems to be on good terms with Ralph still, often defending him and helping him. Lisa identified Ralph as representing "The Chose One" among The 20 Types of People You Meet in Elementary School.[18]

Other children[edit]

Ralph has been shown with different children all the time. He is often seen with the rest of the second grade class: rolling down hills and climbing trees.

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.

In the episode "Lisa's Wedding", he becomes one of Krusty's sideshows.[19]

The Simpsons Game[edit]

Ralph appears along with Rod and Todd Flanders as Hobbit-like children who help Homer and Marge defeat the two-headed dragon in order to get the keycard.[20] He also appears as a holder of one of the three Sparklemon that Homer and Lisa must defeat.[21] At the end of the game, he is seen watching the closing moments of the Simpsons family talking with God, then he sees the player and says "Daddy... someone's looking at me...".

The Simpsons: Tapped Out[edit]

Ralph[edit]

This section is transcluded from The Simpsons: Tapped Out characters/Kids. To edit it, please edit the transcluded page.
Ralph
Image Cost Unlock method Unlocks with Unlock message
Tapped Out Unlock Ralph.png Cash.png45,500 Level 26
This Little Wiggy Pt. 1 		Wiggum House My breath smells like cat food too.
Technical Information ID Groups Internal Name
55 Regular Characters, Regular Male, Dimwit, Youngster, Kook, Rommelwood Students, Wiggum Family, Normal Springfielders Ralph

Costumes[edit]

Behind the Laughter[edit]

Creation[edit]

In Ralph's first credited appearance in the show was the episode "Moaning Lisa", he was considerably different in both appearance and behavior from his later appearance, although he also briefly appeared in the first episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Ralph's signature use as a character in the show is to deliver either an odd bit of behavior, or dialogue which either perplexes others or merely gives the audience a quick laugh. Originally intended to be a "Mini-Homer", Ralph eventually took on a life of his own. The staff figured that he'd also fit perfectly as the son of Chief Wiggum, a fact made canon in "I Love Lisa", (although he is referred to by his last name of Wiggum in "Kamp Krusty" before). Ralph was named after comedian Jackie Gleason's character on The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden. Matt Groening considers any lines for Ralph "really hard to write."

Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Ralph, raises her eyebrows whenever she performs Ralph's voice.

Popular culture[edit]

Ralph's popularity as a character has even spread so far that the rock band The Bloodhound Gang made a song called "Ralph Wiggum," dedicated to the character and comprised solely of some of his most famous quotes for lyrics. The song can be found on their album Hefty Fine. Another band, Trillium Circle, has a member named Ralph Wiggum. Ralph also became a prominent pop-culture figure in the 2008 U.S. Presidential election after "E Pluribus Wiggum" aired in January 2008. Show creator Matt Groening has stated that Ralph is one of his personal favorite characters on The Simpsons, and whenever someone asks who writes specific characters (a common misconception about the writing process), writers will most likely take credit for writing for Ralph.[1]

Merchandising[edit]

Ralph has his own book in the series The Simpsons Library of Wisdom. He also had presidential posters and merchandise for the 2008 election, a'la "E Pluribus Wiggum".

Appearances[edit]

Incomplete.png This article or section is incomplete.


Please improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page.

References[edit]

The Saga of Carl - title screen.png Wikisimpsons has a collection of images related to Ralph Wiggum.
  1. ↑ "The Blue and the Gray"
  2. ↑ "Four Regrettings and a Funeral"
  3. ↑ "Million-Dollar Abie"
  4. ↑ "Lisa Gets an "A""
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "I Love Lisa"
  6. ↑ "Moms I'd Like to Forget" (flashback)
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 "This Little Wiggy"
  8. ↑ If You Can't Wiggum, Join 'Em!
  9. ↑ "E Pluribus Wiggum"
  10. ↑ "Bart the Murderer"
  11. ↑ "Last Exit to Springfield"
  12. ↑ "Fraudcast News"
  13. ↑ "Lisa the Vegetarian"
  14. ↑ "Little Girl in the Big Ten"
  15. ↑ "Future-Drama"
  16. ↑ "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song"
  17. ↑ The Simpsons Movie
  18. ↑ The Lisa Book
  19. ↑ "Lisa's Wedding"
  20. ↑ "NeverQuest"
  21. ↑ "Big Super Happy Fun Fun Game"


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