Editing Grampa Simpson

{{Short description|Recurring character in The Simpsons}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Grampa Simpson
| series = [[The Simpsons]]
| image = Abe Simpson.png
| first_minor = [[The Simpsons shorts#ep19|Grandpa and the Kids]]
| first_major = [[The Tracey Ullman Show]]
| first_date = January 10, 1988
| creator = [[Matt Groening]]
| designer = Matt Groening
| voice = [[Dan Castellaneta]]
| full_name = Abraham Jay Simpson II
| occupation = {{Flatlist|
* Retired farmer
* Retired salesperson
* [[World War II]] veteran
}}
| affiliation = [[United States|U.S. Army]]
| family = {{plainlist|
* Orville Simpson (father)
* Yuma Hickman (mother)
* [[Simpson family#Cyrus Simpson|Cyrus Simpson]] (brother)
* [[Simpson family#Chet Simpson|Chet Simpson]] (brother)
* Bill Simpson (brother)}}
| spouses = {{plainlist|
* [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona Olsen]] (divorced; deceased)
* [[Simpson family#Rita LaFleur|Rita LaFleur]] (divorced)
* [[Simpson family#Amber Simpson|Amber]] (divorced)
* [[Patty and Selma|Selma Bouvier]] (divorced)}}
| children = {{plainlist|
* [[Herb Powell]] (with Gaby)
* [[Homer Simpson]] (with Mona)
* [[The Regina Monologues|Abbey]] (with Edwina)
}}
| relatives = {{plainlist|
* [[Bart Simpson]] (grandson)
* [[Lisa Simpson]] (granddaughter)
* [[Maggie Simpson]] (granddaughter)
* [[Marge Simpson]] (daughter-in-law)
* <small>(See also [[Simpson family]])</small>}}
| significant_others = {{plainlist|
* [[Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?|Gaby]] (deceased)
* [[Old Money (The Simpsons)|Bea Simmons]] (deceased)
* [[Simpson family#Jacqueline Bouvier|Jacqueline Bouvier]]
* [[The Regina Monologues|Edwina]]
}}
| home = [[Springfield Retirement Castle]], [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], United States
}}
'''Abraham Jay''' "'''Abe'''" '''Simpson II''',<ref>{{cite episode |title=Wedding for Disaster |episode-link=Wedding for Disaster |series=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=2009-04-29 |season=20 |number=15}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Lady Bouvier's Lover |episode-link=Lady Bouvier's Lover |series=The Simpsons |network=Fox |airdate=1994-05-12 |season=5 |number=21}}</ref> better known as '''Grampa Simpson''', is a recurring character in the animated television series ''[[The Simpsons]]''. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "[[The Simpsons shorts#ep19|Grandpa and the Kids]]", a one-minute Simpsons short on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'', before the debut of the television show in 1989.

Grampa Simpson is voiced by [[Dan Castellaneta]], who also voices his son, [[Homer Simpson]]. He is the paternal grandfather of [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] and [[Maggie Simpson]]. In the 1,000th issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Grampa was selected as the "Grandpa for The Perfect TV Family".<ref name="List 2008">"TV: Breaking Down the List," ''Entertainment Weekly'', #999/1000 June 27 & July 4, 2008, 56.</ref> Grampa is a [[World War II]] veteran and retired farmer who was later sent to the [[Springfield Retirement Castle]] by Homer. He is known for his long, rambling, often incoherent and irrelevant stories and senility.

==Biography==
Grampa Simpson is the father to [[Homer Simpson]], father-in-law to [[Marge Simpson]] and the paternal grandfather to siblings [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], [[Lisa Simpson|Lisa]] and [[Maggie Simpson|Maggie]]. Grampa has also fathered two illegitimate children; a daughter named Abbey by a British woman named Edwina while in the [[United Kingdom]] during [[World War II]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=The Regina Monologues |episode-link=The Regina Monologues |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[John Swartzwelder|Swartzwelder, John]]; [[Mark Kirkland|Kirkland, Mark]] |network=Fox |airdate=November 23, 2003 |season=15 |number=04}}</ref> and [[Herb Powell|Herbert Powell]] by a carnival prostitute.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? |episode-link=Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Jeff Martin (writer)|Martin, Jeff]]; [[Wes Archer|Archer, Wes]] |network=Fox |airdate=	February 21, 1991 |season=2 |number=15}}</ref> Grampa has an older brother named Cyrus, who lives in [[Tahiti]] and has [[polygamy|multiple native wives]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Simpsons Christmas Stories |episode-link=Simpsons Christmas Stories |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Payne, Don; Moore, Steven Dean |network=Fox |airdate=2005-12-18 |season=17 |number=365}}</ref> He also has a younger brother named Chet, who owns an unsuccessful shrimp company. Other siblings of his include Hubert, Tyrone, Fester, Bill, and Hortense.<ref name="oakley">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |year=2006 |title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode 'Lisa the Simpson' |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Grampa was briefly married to [[Amber Simpson (The Simpsons)|Amber]], the same woman Homer married on a drinking binge in [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Brawl in the Family (The Simpsons) |episode-link=Brawl in the Family (The Simpsons) |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, Joel H.; Nastuk, Matthew |network=Fox |airdate=2002-01-06 |season=13 |number=276}}</ref> Grampa has also been briefly married to Marge's sister, [[Patty and Selma|Selma Bouvier]],<ref>{{cite episode |title=Rome-old and Juli-eh |episode-link=Rome-old and Juli-eh |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Nancy Kruse|Kruse, Nancy]]; [[Daniel Chun|Chun, Daniel]] |network=Fox |airdate=March 11, 2007 |season=18 |number=15}}</ref> and was once romantically linked to Marge's mother, [[Simpson family#Jacqueline Bouvier|Jacqueline Bouvier]] (his son's mother-in-law). Grampa Simpson is also married to Rita LaFleur.

Almost all of Grampa's biographical information is supplied by himself and seems to be made up, although this could be likely due to his old age. Many of his stories seem to be wildly inaccurate, often physically or historically impossible, and occasionally inconsistent even with each other, suggesting that Grampa is quite [[dementia|senile]]. It is unknown where Grampa was born. He claims that he came to America as a boy from the "old country", but he cannot remember which country it was,<ref>{{cite episode |title=Much Apu About Nothing |episode-link=Much Apu About Nothing |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[David X. Cohen|Cohen, David]]; [[Susie Dietter|Dietter, Susie]] |network=Fox |airdate=May 5, 1996 |season=7 |number=23}}</ref> although most likely it was the United Kingdom or [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]]. Grampa was raised in New York City with his parents, Orville J. Simpson and Yuma Hickman.<ref>{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |title=The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album |year=1991 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers |isbn=978-0-06-096582-2|title-link=The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album}}</ref> He gives his age as 83 in the Season 17 episode "[[Million Dollar Abie]]," while in "[[Grampy Can Ya Hear Me]]" (season 29), the family celebrates his 87th birthday, although he is canonically 83. In the Season 25 episode "[[The Winter of His Content]]," Homer states that Grampa's father is still alive. Due to the show's [[floating timeline]], his age remains the same over the years, and newer episodes still depict him as a [[World War II]] veteran.

Grampa is a veteran of World War II, where he served as [[Master Sergeant]] of the [[Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"|Flying Hellfish]] unit which included himself (the Unit Commander), Radio Operator Sheldon Skinner ([[Seymour Skinner]]'s father), Private Fifth Class Arnie Gumble ([[Barney Gumble]]'s father), Asa Phelps, Iggy Wiggum ([[Clancy Wiggum]]'s father), Milton "Oxford" Haas, Etch Westgrin, Griff McDonald, Private [[Charles Montgomery Burns]] and Grey Fox.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Flying Hellfish |url=https://simpsonswiki.com/wiki/Flying_Hellfish |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=Wikisimpsons |language=en}}</ref> At the very end of the war in Europe, Grampa's unit "liberated" a stash of priceless art from surrendering German forces. The Flying Hellfish formed a [[tontine]] and buried the art in a trunk at sea. Decades later, Burns, the second surviving member of the unit, tried to murder Grampa in order to get the art, prompting Grampa to violate the tontine. When Grampa and Bart retrieved the art from Mr. Burns, [[United States Department of State|the State Department]] arrived to return the art to its rightful owner.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish' |episode-link=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Jonathan Collier|Collier, Jonathan]]; [[Jeffrey Lynch|Lynch, Jeffrey]] |network=Fox |airdate=April 28, 1996 |season=7 |number=22}}</ref> Grampa was a hated wrestler named "Glamorous Godfrey" in the 1950s, revealed in the episode "[[Gorgeous Grampa]]", starring him and [[Mr. Burns]].

Homer's mother, [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona Simpson]], was married to Grampa for several years. According to "[[Let's Go Fly a Coot]]", they met in the 1950s and hooked up on the day Grampa allegedly broke the [[sound barrier]]. She became entranced with the hippie lifestyle after seeing [[Joe Namath]]'s hair on television. She became a fugitive from justice after she abetted in the sabotage of a [[biological weapons]] research lab owned by Mr. Burns to deliberately poison everyone in [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]]. To explain this to his then-six-year-old son, Grampa said that Mona died while Homer was at the movies.<ref name=MotherSimpson>{{cite episode |title=Mother Simpson |episode-link=Mother Simpson |series=The Simpsons |credits=[[Rich Appel|Appel, Rich]]; [[David Silverman (animator)|Silverman, David]] |network=Fox |airdate=1995-11-19 |season=07 |number=08}}</ref> Grampa has a poor, but sometimes loving relationship with his son, who placed him in a nursing home as soon as he could, despite Grampa selling his house in order to provide Homer with a mortgage.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lisa's First Word |episode-link=Lisa's First Word |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Martin, Jeff; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=1992-12-03 |season=04 |number=10}}</ref> It is recurringly suggested that, while caring, Grampa was a strict disciplinarian who could be very controlling, neglectful, and even emotionally abusive towards Homer when he was growing up and he still had not forgiven him for that.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Bart Star |episode-link=Bart Star |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, David X.; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=1997-11-09 |season=09 |number=06}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy |episode-link=Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Oakley, Bill & Weinstein, Josh.; Archer, Wes |network=Fox |airdate=1994-12-04 |season=06 |number=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode |title=Barting Over |episode-link=Barting Over |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Kreisberg, Andrew.; Nastuk, Matthew |network=Fox |airdate=2003-02-16 |season=14 |number=11}}</ref> After Mona left Homer at a young age and ran off with a [[jester]], Grampa brought up Homer by himself. In the season four episode, "[[The Front (The Simpsons)|The Front]]", Grampa tells Roger Myers Jr., head of Itchy and Scratchy studios, that he worked as a cranberry silo night watchman for forty years.

The Simpson family will often do their best to avoid unnecessary contact with Grampa. A running gag in the show usually has Grampa in a cameo appearance where he wonders where everyone is or wishes to be noticed by the family. One example of this was when the family thought they left something on the plane in the episode "[[Fear of Flying (The Simpsons)|Fear of Flying]]", which is revealed to be Grampa. Despite this, Homer has shown feelings of love for his father from time to time.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Old Money |episode-link=Old Money (The Simpsons) |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=[[Jay Kogen|Kogen, Jay]]; [[Wallace Wolodarsky|Wolodarsky, Wallace]]; Silverman, David |network=Fox |airdate=1991-03-28 |season=02 |number=17}}</ref>

==Character==
===Creation===
[[Matt Groening]], creator of ''The Simpsons'', wanted to have a character that was "really cranky" and old, and who complained a lot and invented stories to tell to children, so he created Grampa.<ref name=tvguide/> After naming the main characters after his own family members (except for [[Bart Simpson|Bart]], an anagram of "brat", which he substituted for his own name),<ref name="americasfirstfamily">{{cite video |people=BBC |year=2000 |title=The Simpsons: America's First Family (6 minute edit for the season 1 DVD) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/ |format=DVD |location=UK |publisher=20th Century Fox |access-date=June 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211081722/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/ |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Groening refused to name Grampa after his grandfather, Abraham Groening. He left it to the writers to choose a name and they ironically chose "Abraham", although not knowing that it was also the name of Groening's grandfather.<ref name="oldmoney">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |year=2002 |title=The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode 'Old Money' |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Grampa first appeared in the [[The Simpsons shorts|Simpsons short]] "Grandpa and the Kids", which premiered on ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' on January 10, 1988. In the short, Grampa tells his grandchildren stories of "the good old days". When they stop paying attention to him, he feigns his own death to recapture their attention.<ref>{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=[[HarperPerennial]] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/14 14–15] |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} |title-link=The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family}}</ref>

''The Simpsons'' writer [[Al Jean]] commented that Grampa is often the focus of pointed jokes about old people. He said the reason for that is because the staff is trying to illustrate how society mistreats the elderly, "and some of it is because people over 55 never watch our show".<ref name=tvguide>{{cite news |title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves |date=October 21, 2000 |work=[[TV Guide]] |author=Rhodes, Joe}}</ref> [[Bill Oakley]] and [[Josh Weinstein]], former writers on the show, said that they liked to write episodes about Grampa because they are "obsessed" with old people.<ref name="Oakley">{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |year=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Weinstein commented that they "both love [old people] and seem to really hate them at the same time".<ref name="Weinstein">{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |year=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He also said that he "enjoys" writing for characters such as Grampa and Mr. Burns because of their "out-datedness", and because he gets to use dictionaries for looking up "old time slang".<ref>{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 7 DVD commentary for the episode 'Team Homer' |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

===Voice===
[[File:Dan Castellaneta 2.jpg|thumb|[[Dan Castellaneta]] voices Grampa and several other recurring characters]]

Grampa's voice is performed by [[Dan Castellaneta]], who also voices numerous other characters, including [[Homer Simpson]], [[Krusty the Clown]], [[Barney Gumble]], [[Groundskeeper Willie]], [[Mayor Quimby]] and [[Hans Moleman]]. Castellaneta was part of the regular cast of ''[[The Tracey Ullman Show]]'' and had previously done some voice-over work in Chicago alongside his wife [[Deb Lacusta]].<ref name="The Age">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064146568.html |title=D'oh, you're the voice |access-date=September 21, 2008 |date=February 27, 2003 |author=Lee, Luaine |work=[[The Age]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102224412/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/02/27/1046064146568.html |archive-date=November 2, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Castellaneta likes to stay in character during recording sessions,<ref name="Tribune">{{cite news|url=http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jun/23/voice-homer-simpson-leads-his-own-simple-life/ |title=Voice of Homer Simpson leads his own, simple life |author=Morrow, Terry |access-date=September 5, 2008 |date=June 23, 2007 |work=[[The Albuquerque Tribune]]|publisher=Scripps Howard News Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012024317/http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/jun/23/voice-homer-simpson-leads-his-own-simple-life/ |archive-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> and tries to visualize a scene in his mind so that he can give the proper voice to it.<ref>Castellaneta, Dan. (2005). Commentary for "[[Homer the Great]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> The episode "[[Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy]]" ([[The Simpsons season 6|season six]], 1994) featured many interactions between Grampa and Homer, so Castellaneta therefore had to talk to himself when he recorded the voices for that episode.<ref name=Mirkin>{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Castellaneta said it is hard for him to do Grampa's voice because it is "wheezy and airy".<ref>{{cite video |people=Oakley, Bill |year=2005 |title=The Simpsons season 6 DVD commentary for the episode "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Commendations===
Nancy Basile of [[About.com]] named Grampa the fifth best character of ''The Simpsons'', calling him a "perfect stereotypical old person".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://animatedtv.about.com/od/lists/tp/sicharacters.htm |title=Top 10 'The Simpsons' Characters |last=Basile |first=Nancy |publisher=About.com |access-date=December 27, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707074806/http://animatedtv.about.com/od/lists/tp/sicharacters.htm |archive-date=July 7, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> In the 1000th issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'', Grampa was selected as the "Grandpa for The Perfect TV Family".<ref name="List 2008"/> Joe Rhodes of ''[[TV Guide]]'' considered Grampa's most memorable line to be "If I'm not back at the home by nine, they declare me legally dead and collect my insurance."<ref name=tvguide/> Dan Castellaneta has won two [[Primetime Emmy Award]]s in the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] category for voicing various characters, including Grampa. The first was awarded in 1992 for the episode "[[Lisa's Pony]]",<ref name="Emmys">{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |title=Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search |publisher=Emmys.org |access-date=January 18, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403022947/http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php |archive-date=April 3, 2009}}</ref> and the second in 2004 for "[[Today I Am A Clown]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2004/scene/awards/emmy-speaks-for-homer-1117908929/ |title=Emmy speaks for Homer |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |author=Schneider, Michael |access-date=December 27, 2008 |date=August 10, 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012175223/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117908929.html?categoryid=1603&cs=1 |archive-date=October 12, 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2010, Castellaneta was nominated for the award for voicing Grampa and Homer in the episode "[[Thursdays with Abie]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/sites/emmys.com/files/62ndemmys_noms.pdf |title=2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations |access-date=July 8, 2010 |publisher=[[Academy of Television Arts & Sciences]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310014216/http://www.emmys.com/sites/emmys.com/files/62ndemmys_noms.pdf |archive-date=March 10, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

''The Simpsons'' writer [[David Mirkin]] said that one of his favorite jokes on the show is the one where Grampa cycles down the street in high speed and shouts that he feels young again, and is then knocked flying from his bicycle after a doll's head flies into the spokes and falls into an open grave.<ref name="Mirkin"/> In a review of the Grampa-centric episode "[[Lady Bouvier's Lover]]", Patrick Bromley of DVD Verdict said that he is "never terribly interested" in episodes that revolve around Grampa, because he believes Grampa is "great as a background character, but less so when he takes center stage."<ref>{{cite web|access-date=January 24, 2009 |url=https://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason5.php |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season |publisher=DVD Verdict |date=February 23, 2005 |author=Bromley, Patrick |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116115733/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsonsseason5.php |archive-date=January 16, 2009}}</ref> DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson said in a review of the same episode that Grampa is "always fun" and "it’s nice to see him in an ebullient mood, at least for a while."<ref>{{cite web |access-date=January 24, 2009 |url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfive.shtml |title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (1993) |publisher=DVD Movie Guide |date=December 21, 2004 |author=Jacobson, Colin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090420194900/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasonfive.shtml |archive-date=April 20, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===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>

==Merchandising==
[[Playmates Toys]] created two Grampa Simpson action figures for the [[World of Springfield]] series. The first, released in May 2000, depicts Grampa in his usual appearance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_1.html |title=Series 1 |access-date=November 3, 2008 |publisher=The Simpsons Action Figure Information Station |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708230619/http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_1.html |archive-date=July 8, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The second, "Sunday Grampa", was released in June 2002, and depicts Grampa in his Sunday church clothes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_9.html |title=Series 9 |access-date=November 4, 2008 |publisher=The Simpsons Action Figure Information Station |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120729011309/http://figures.nohomers.net/WoS_Figures_Series_9.html |archive-date=July 29, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside the television series, Grampa regularly appears in issues of [[Best Of The Simpsons|''Simpsons Comics'']], which were first published on November 29, 1993.<ref name="gazette">{{cite web|title=Groening launches Futurama comics |work=[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]] |date=November 19, 2000 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20001119/ai_n9979492 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915091731/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20001119/ai_n9979492 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2008 |author=Radford, Bill |access-date=September 7, 2008}}</ref><ref name="msnbc">{{cite web |url=http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/simpsons_sundays/simpsons_on_sundays.asp |title=Sundays with the Simpsons |access-date=September 7, 2008 |author=Shutt, Craig |publisher=MSNBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708094751/http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/simpsons_sundays/simpsons_on_sundays.asp |archive-date=July 8, 2007}}</ref> The final issue was published on October 17, 2018.

Grampa also plays a role in [[The Simpsons Ride]], launched in 2008 at [[Universal Studios Florida]] and [[Universal Studios Hollywood|Hollywood]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/simpsons-ride-featur-1657/ |title=Simpsons ride features 29 characters, original voices |access-date=September 7, 2008 |date=April 9, 2008 |work=Los Angeles Times |author=MacDonald, Brady |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914144851/http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/simpsons-ride-featur-1657/ |archive-date=September 14, 2008}}</ref>

In 2015, Grampa appeared as a non-playable character in the [[toys-to-life]] video game ''[[Lego Dimensions]]''. In game, he only appears in the Simpsons levels and all his voice lines are archive audio from Dan Castellaneta.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110520054942/http://www.thesimpsons.com/bios/bios_family_grandpa.htm Grampa Simpson's profile] at TheSimpsons.com
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171128090536/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0003005/ Grampa Simpson] on [[IMDb]]

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