Editing Grampa Simpson (section)

===Analysis===
[[File:Davidmirkin.jpg|thumb|Writer [[David Mirkin]] thinks that what makes Grampa funny is that the "boring" and "tedious" things he says are "actually funny" in the context of the boredom and the tedium.|alt=A seated David Mirkin wearing a cap smiles as he looks into the distance. His hands are crossed.]]

Mirkin thinks it is hard to make a "boring" and "tedious" character, such as Grampa, funny. He believes that what ultimately makes Grampa funny is that the things he says are "actually funny" in the context of the boredom and the tedium.<ref>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |year=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Anne-Marie Barry and Chris Yuill, the authors of the book ''Understanding the Sociology of Health'', commented that in episodes in which Grampa appears, the comedy content is often generated by Grampa falling asleep at "inopportune" moments or "embarking" on long rambling stories about his youth. "Instances such as these match popular stereotypes that all old people are 'demented' and in poor health," they wrote.<ref>{{cite book |last=Barry |first=Anne-Marie |author2=Yuill, Chris |title=Understanding the Sociology of Health |publisher=SAGE |year=2008 |page=212 |chapter=Ageing in society: a general overview |isbn=978-1-4129-3623-1}}</ref>

Alan S. Brown and Chris Logan wrote in ''[[The Psychology of The Simpsons]]'' that Grampa has the least amount of "power" in the Simpson family, and that he is treated as little more than a child and is often ignored. The family frequently laughs at his "failing" memory and his "ineffectual" attempts to get what he wants. They added that Grampa is left behind, forgotten, and rarely invited to spend time with the family. The authors commented that he is "not without influence, but he certainly does not play the traditional grandfather role in the family hierarchy."<ref name="brown"/>

Brown and Logan also wrote that Grampa had a considerable influence in the formation of Homer's character, and that flashbacks in ''The Simpsons'' show what an "angry", "critical" father he was to Homer. "He yelled, used corporal punishment, and constantly belittled Homer's attempts to have fun, date, and excel at various activities," they added. The authors said that Homer tries "in vain" to repair his relationship with Grampa and continuously seeks for his approval, but Grampa continues to be "as critical as ever". However, in some episodes, he does show a loving side to [[Homer Simpson|Homer]]. Such as the episode "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]", he and Homer watch the farm burn, or the episode "[[To Cur with Love]]", where he does everything to protect Homer's dog from [[Mr Burns]] in a flashback.<ref name="brown">{{cite book |last=Brown |first=Alan S. |author2=Chris Logan |title=The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh! |publisher=BenBella Books, Inc. |year=2006 |pages=3–4 (Chapter: The Family Simpson – Family Hierarchy) |isbn=978-1-932100-70-9|title-link=The Psychology of The Simpsons}}</ref> In his book ''Understanding the Psychology of Diversity'', author Bruce Evan Blaine wrote that Grampa is typically portrayed as a "doddering", "senile", and "dependent" person who is a "trivial" and "often disposable figure" in his son's life.<ref>{{cite book |last=Blaine |first=Bruce |title=Understanding The Psychology of Diversity |url=https://archive.org/details/understandingpsy0000blai_c8p4 |url-access=registration |publisher=SAGE |year=2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/understandingpsy0000blai_c8p4/page/160 160] |chapter=Presentations and Portrayals of Older People |isbn=978-1-4129-2109-1}}</ref>