- “When that Simpson boy showed up, it took years off my life!”
- ―Clancy Bouvier in The Way We Was
Clarence "Clancy" Bouvier[1][2], occasionally referred to as Grandpa Bouvier or Mr. Bouvier ,[3] was the husband of Jacqueline Bouvier, the father of Patty, Selma, and Marge Bouvier, the brother-in-law of the late Gladys Gurney, the son-in-law of Ferdinand Gurney and Alvarine Gurney, the father-in-law of Homer Simpson and the maternal grandfather of Ling Bouvier, Maggie, Lisa, and Bart. He was of French origin.[4][5]
Contents
Biography
Like Patty and Selma, he was a chain-smoker. When he was first trying to catch his future wife's eye, he sent a box of candy with his photo in it to her. After that, she never forgot him. Marge suggested try the same thing when Homer was upset because Mr. Burns did not remember his name.[6] Before his death, Clancy was the only recurring member of the Bouvier family to have no hatred of his son-in-law, Homer and it has been hinted that he even supported the idea of him marrying his daughter, Marge.
Jobs
Clancy Bouvier as a flight attendant in "Fear of Flying"
He was one of the earliest male flight attendants, although he was ashamed of it. This was discovered when Marge boarded his plane to see her "pilot" father, but when she saw him performing stewardess duties, he begged her not to look at him. This, along with several other plane-related mishaps, may have resulted in Marge's fear of flying.[7] At some point, he also served in the United States Navy where he picked up a swearing problem, which nearly cost him his job as a baby photographer[8].
Swear jar
In the season 3 episode "Bart the Lover", Ned Flanders and Marge think Homer swears too much. Marge tells Homer the above story of her father almost losing his job due to his swearing problem. To solve this problem, Jacqueline put a swear jar in the kitchen. then every time he said a bad word he put in a quarter. It worked for Homer, and apparently it worked for Clancy, too.
Approval of Homer
Clancy first met Homer when he showed up at the Bouvier home claiming to be Marge's prom date. He was kind and complimentary to Homer, saying, "From what she's told me, I'm sure you're a solid citizen." Sadly for Homer, it was obvious he was describing Artie.[9]
It is revealed later that his behavior towards Homer was still prevalent, even after Artie's arrival: When Marge returned home after the prom, she overheard her father stating that "when that Simpson boy showed up, it took years off [his] life", to which her mother replied, "Will you stop? She went with the good one." (referring to Artie).
Aged Clancy (right), together with his family at the Springfield Town Hall
Later life
Ever since his children were little, Clancy went to Springfield Town Hall to sing the City Anthem, and continued to do so as he aged. He was still alive when his grandchildren, Bart and Lisa were toddlers.[10]
We understand that Clancy is deceased, since Homer mentioned that he had bought Marge a "white-noise machine" to help her deal with her father's death.[11] It was later revealed by Jacqueline that he died of lung cancer.[12]
It can be suggested that Clancy died at some point before Maggie was born. Clancy lost his leg sometime between "Fear of Flying" and "The Way We Was".[13]
Deaths
In an issue of the comic Simpsons Illustrated, Lisa reveals that Clancy died in an accident in 1985. What is known is that his death occurred some time after Lisa and Bart reached a toddler/preschooler age, since he still appeared alongside little Bart and Lisa in "Walking Big & Tall". Clancy is also known to be dead because he never appears with Jacqueline, who is portrayed as a single woman.
However, in Season 27, Episode 3 "Puffless", it is revealed that his smoking lead to Lung cancer and he lost his fight with it. It can be assumed by Jacqueline's dialogue that the accident mentioned in Simpsons Illustrated was a fabrication. In that same episode, Patty and Selma try to quit for the father but relevantly went back to their old smoking ways.
In Treehouse of Horror III, he was eaten by King Homer at his and Marge's wedding despite this Marge was not upset.
In The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Clancy's ghost comes to warn Homer during the episode tie-in quest line "Ghouls and Gluttons".
Appearances
As Clancy is deceased, and only a minor character, he is rarely seen or referred to. Episodes in bold are incidences when Clancy had a major role or featured heavily in the episode's storyline.
Episode – "The Way We Was" (flashback)
Episode – "The War of the Simpsons" (mentioned)
Episode – "Bart the Lover" (mentioned)
THOH – "Treehouse of Horror III"
Episode – "Fear of Flying" (flashback)
Episode – "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)" (mentioned)
Episode – "Jazzy and the Pussycats" (mentioned)
Episode – "Marge Gamer" (mentioned)
Episode – "Wedding For Disaster" (name seen on certificate of marriage)
Episode – "The Color Yellow" (mentioned)
Episode – "Walking Big & Tall" (flashback)
Episode – "Puffless" (seen on slideshow and mentioned)
THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (as a ghost in samurai clothes in "Homerzilla")
Episode – "Bart's Not Dead " (angel and mentioned)
Book – The Marge Book
Video game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out
Video game – The Simpsons: Virtual Springfield (photograph)
Book – The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album
Comic book – Simpsons Illustrated #4 (mentioned in "The Simpsons: Loused Weekend")
The Simpsons: Season Two | ||||
"Bart Gets an "F"": | "Simpson and Delilah": | "Treehouse of Horror": | "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish": | "Dancin' Homer": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Dead Putting Society": | "Bart vs. Thanksgiving": | "Bart the Daredevil": | "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge": | "Bart Gets Hit by a Car": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish": | "The Way We Was": | "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment": | "Principal Charming": | "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Bart's Dog Gets an F": | "Old Money": | "Brush with Greatness": | "Lisa's Substitute": | "The War of the Simpsons": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Three Men and a Comic Book": | "Blood Feud": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Six | ||||
"Bart of Darkness": | "Lisa's Rival": | "Another Simpsons Clip Show": | "Itchy & Scratchy Land": | "Sideshow Bob Roberts": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Treehouse of Horror V": | "Bart's Girlfriend": | "Lisa on Ice": | "Homer Badman": | "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Fear of Flying": | "Homer the Great": | "And Maggie Makes Three": | "Bart's Comet": | "Homie the Clown": |
Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Bart vs. Australia": | "Homer vs. Patty and Selma": | "A Star is Burns": | "Lisa's Wedding": | "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"The PTA Disbands": | "'Round Springfield": | "The Springfield Connection": | "Lemon of Troy": | "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
Notes
- In the series, he first appears with brown hair. However, he later appears with blue hair, to match with the hair color of his wife and daughter. In the latest episodes, he again appears with brown hair, except in "Puffless".
Gallery
Add a photo to this gallery
Citations
- ↑ "Wedding for Disaster"
- ↑ "The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album"
- ↑ "Puffless"
- ↑ "The Color Yellow"
- ↑ The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album
- ↑ "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)"
- ↑ Fear of Flying
- ↑ Bart the Lover
- ↑ The Way We Was
- ↑ Walking Big & Tall
- ↑ Jazzy and the Pussycats
- ↑ Puffless
- ↑ Bart's Not Dead
- Male characters
- Characters
- Adults
- Bouvier family
- Smokers
- Deceased Characters
- Characters voiced by Harry Shearer
- Fathers
- Married
- American Characters
- French characters
- Recurring characters
- Grandparents
- Citizens of Springfield
- Blue-haired characters
- Siblings
- Husbands
- Ghosts
- Minor Characters
- Fat characters
- Characters from Heaven
- Season 2 first appearances
- Spouses
- The Simpsons Uncensored Family Album
- Seniors
- Marge Simpson's friends
- Homer Simpson's friends
- Homer's enemies
- Chain Smokers
- Characters with Disablities