- “Won't somebody please think of the children?”
- ―Helen Lovejoy's catchphrase
- “Marge? Marge Simpson. You remember me, don't you? I'm Helen Lovejoy the gossipy wife of the Minister.”
- ―Helen Lovejoy's first line
Helen Lovejoy (née Schwartzbaum)[1] is Reverend Timothy Lovejoy's judgmental and gossipy wife and the mother of Jessica Lovejoy. It is hinted that she is the godmother of Lisa and Bart Simpson. Helen can behave mean and gossipy and is part of a bowling team called The Holly Rollers with members Ned Flanders and Timothy Lovejoy Jr. and ex-member Maude Flanders (deceased) and (most likely) the leader of the Fleet-a-Pita Club called the Investorettes with members Agnes Skinner, Luann Van Houten and ex-members Edna Krabappel (deceased), Maude Flanders (deceased) and Marge Simpson, whom the club kicked out in "The Twisted World Of Marge Simpson". Helen was often partnered with Maude Flanders as they protest against the "evils" in Springfield. Her first line was in "Life on The Fast Lane" and it was "Marge? Marge Simpson. You remember me, don't you? I'm Helen Lovejoy the gossipy wife of the Minister."
Early life
Growing up in a little house on the prairie, where the only pastimes a young woman had were baling hay and fixing the hay baling machine, Helen fought off boredom by keeping herself up to date on the personal affairs of her neighbors. When a dashing young bible salesman from Springfield named Timothy Lovejoy showed up at her door, she found herself entranced by his Protestant good looks and his thrilling stories of the big city. By force of habit, Helen accidentally spread a rumor about herself and Timothy Lovejoy, and they were forced to marry.[2]
In addition, Helen once attended a camp with Marge when she was 10. She was punished by having a fork stuck in her hand because she could not remember which out of 34 forks was an olive fork. It is hinted that she was punished in this manner many times. She used to sell cosmetics, but her husband asked her to quit because she was making more money than he was.
Appearance
Helen Lovejoy has large eyes with long lashes. She usually wears a pink sweater with a light blue shirt underneath that sticks out at her collar and makes a neat knot, a teal-colored long skirt and either plain black shoes or shoes the same color as her skirt. She used to have brown hair, then changed it to red, and then, permanently gray. In some episodes her pink sweater is long-sleeved. In many winter episodes such as "Wedding for Disaster", it is revealed that during the winter, she wears a coat that is pink, long-sleeved and has a thick collar and also wears a necklace with something silver in the shape of a diamond. In "Moe Letter Blues" it is revealed that what she wears to bed is a light pink and purple gown and her brown cross necklace.
Personality
Helen is the wife of Reverend Timothy Lovejoy and the mother of Jessica Lovejoy. She is a fair-weathered, judgmental, moralistic person and the typical town gossip. She thinks she can win by finding out secrets, and people joining her alliance so that she won't reveal their secrets. She introduces herself as "the gossipy wife of the minister"; when she has nothing else to gossip about, she resorts to telling secrets about her own personal life. She is part of a group of local women known as the Springfield Investorettes, containing herself, Luann, Agnes and ex-members Marge, Maude and Edna, in which they sponsor and invest in companies and boxers.
Her moral convictions look to always defend the interests of the minors, which explains her famous catchphrase, delivered in times of civic crisis (moral or otherwise): "Will someone please think of the children?". Often unaware that the kids of Springfield actually like most of the stuff she deems unsuitable.
Helen is also openly conservative and was seen at the Republican Headquarters located at a haunting location.
In "Marge in Chains", despite stating that she will use her gossip for good instead of evil, she continues to spread gossip at the expense of the Simpson Family throughout the series. In the episode "The Frying Game" she is in the court that decides over Homer and Marge's fates after supposedly killing a valuable insect. In "The Fabulous Faker Boy", Helen goes out of her way to give a backhanded compliment to Bart to spite Lisa, It's also implied she is a drinker when she 'rewards' herself for causing the Simpsons trouble by picking up a large case of wine. She is particularly vindictive towards Marge.
Although she is very religious and conservative she is seen cheering when Seymour Skinner suggested that they should trade a giant check given to the school in a liquor store nearby.[3]
Her closest friend was Maude Flanders and many think that is why she became more bitter after Season 11 when Maude passed on.
Marge-Helen conflict
Marge and Helen have a frenemy relationship. Helen is known to share gossip with Marge but spreads gossip about Marge as Helen is Lisa's godmother. This, however, is said during a Halloween special and is therefore considered non-canon, therefore it is unknown if this true. A reason why Marge dislikes Helen could be because Homer has said several times that he thinks that Helen is hot and attractive.
Marriage
Helen and Timothy have a stronger marriage than many other Springfieldians (save for Ned and Maude, and probably Dr. Hibbert). Many couples turned to divorce (Kirk and Luann Van Houten[4]) or consistently argue, bear many kids, and have trouble with money (Cletus and Brandine Spuckler); however, Helen is somewhat patient of Timothy. Once Timothy spends more time on his own and slowly loses his mind, but Helen remains patient, however worried.[5] Helen once mentions her mother is going to visit them and Timothy makes an insult saying that after Helen's father died, her mother visits them too much. However, once when her daughter, Jessica Lovejoy was running down the field to shoot a soccer goal. Helen screamed, "Get it in, sweetie, and save our troubled marriage!"[6]
Friends
- Maude Flanders (deceased)
- Luann Van Houten
- Marge Simpson (sometimes)
- Agnes Skinner
- Edna Krabappel (deceased)
- Lindsey Naegle
- Bernice Hibbert
- Julio
- Cookie Kwan
- Ned Flanders
- Melvin Van Horne
Gallery
Appearances
Note: Helen is mainly a background character. Episodes in which she has a role are bolded.
- Episode – "The Telltale Head"
- Episode – "Life on the Fast Lane"
- Episode – "Bart Gets an "F""
- Episode – "Dead Putting Society"
- Episode – "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
- Episode – "Old Money"
- Episode – "The War of the Simpsons"
- Episode – "Stark Raving Dad"
- Episode – "Treehouse of Horror II"
- Episode – "Marge vs. the Monorail"
- Episode – "Marge in Chains"
- Episode – "Homer Loves Flanders"
- Episode – "Bart Gets an Elephant"
- Episode – "The Boy Who Knew Too Much"
- Episode – "Lady Bouvier's Lover"
- Episode – "Bart's Girlfriend"
- Episode – "The Springfield Connection"
- Episode – "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily"
- Episode – "Lisa the Iconoclast"
- Episode – "Much Apu About Nothing"
- Episode – "The Homer They Fall"
- Episode – "Burns, Baby Burns"
- Episode – "Bart After Dark"
- Episode – "A Milhouse Divided"
- Episode – "Hurricane Neddy"
- Episode – "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"
- Episode – "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson"
- Episode – "My Sister, My Sitter"
- Episode – "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment"
- Episode – "In Marge We Trust"
- Episode – "Lisa The Skeptic"
- Episode – "Natural Born Kissers"
- Episode – "Tennis the Menace"
- Episode – "I'm Goin' to Praiseland"
- Episode – "Large Marge"
- Episode – "The Way We Weren't"
- Episode – "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas"
- Episode – "Homer's Paternity Coot"
- Episode – "The Monkey Suit"
- Episode – "Jazzy and the Pussycats"
- Episode – "Please Homer, Don't Hammer 'Em"
- Episode – "Marge Gamer"
- Episode – "The Boys of Bummer"
- Episode – "24 Minutes"
- – The Simpsons Movie
- Episode – "You Kent Always Say What You Want"
- Episode – "How the Test Was Won"
- Episode – "Wedding for Disaster"
- Episode – "The Great Wife Hope"
- Episode – "Treehouse of Horror XX"
- Episode – "The Greatest Story Ever D'ohed"
- Episode – "Moe Letter Blues"
- Episode – "Loan-a Lisa"
- Episode – "Homer Scissorhands"
- Episode – "Ned 'N Edna's Blend"
- Episode – "24 Minutes"
- Episode – "The Frying Game"
- Episode – "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches"
- Episode – "Lisa the Skeptic"
- Episode – "What Animated Women Want"
- Episode – "Pulpit Friction"
- Episode – "The Fabulous Faker Boy"
- Episode – "Dangers on a Train"
- Episode – "Yolo" (Seen walking into the school)
- Episode – "Married to the Blob" (Seen at Chuck Dukewagon's All American Chow Lounge)
- Episode – "Days of Future Future"
- Episode – "Brick Like Me"
- Episode – "Pay Pal"
- Episode – "The Wreck of the Relationship"
- Episode – "Super Franchise Me"
- Episode – "Opposites A-Frack"
- Episode – "Covercraft"
- Episode – "Simpsorama"
- Episode – "The Man Who Came to Be Dinner"
- Episode – "Covercraft"
- Episode – "The Musk Who Fell to Earth"
- Episode – "Walking Big & Tall"
- Episode – "My Fare Lady"
- Episode – "Sky Police"
- Episode – "Waiting for Duffman"
- Episode – "Peeping Mom"
- Episode – "Let's Go Fly a Coot"
- Episode – "Cue Detective"
- Episode – "Halloween of Horror"
- Episode – "Friend with Benefit"
- Episode – "Paths of Glory"
- Episode – "The Girl Code"
- Episode – "Gal of Constant Sorrow"
- Episode – "Lisa the Veterinarian" (Chlorine Dreams Indoor Water Park)
- Episode – "The Burns Cage" (Seen in the school auditorium)
- Episode – "Fland Canyon"
- Episode – "Simprovised"
- Episode – "Orange is the New Yellow"
- Episode – "The Nightmare After Krustmas"
- Episode – "The Cad and the Hat"
- Episode – "22 For 30"
- Episode – "Dogtown"
- Episode – "The Serfsons"
- Episode – "Whistler's Father"
- THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXVIII" (The Exor-Sis)
- Episode – "Grampy Can Ya Hear Me" (couch gag)
- Episode – "The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used To Be"
- Episode – "Singin' in the Lane"
- Episode – "Haw-Haw Land"
- Episode – "Frink Gets Testy"
- Episode – "3 Scenes Plus a Tag from a Marriage" (flashback)
- Episode – "Flanders' Ladder" (picture)
- Episode – "I'm Just a Girl Who Can't Say D'oh"
- Episode – "Crystal Blue-Haired Persuasion"
- Episode – "Go Big or Go Homer"
- Episode – "Marge the Lumberjill" (seen in crowd at school play and in church)
- Episode – "Thanksgiving of Horror"
- Episode – "Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?"
- Episode – "Frinkcoin"
- Episode – "Better Off Ned (episode)"
- Episode – "Warrin' Priests (Part One)"
- Episode – "Warrin' Priests (Part Two)"
- Episode – "The Hateful Eight-Year-Olds" (seen on cruise)
- Episode – "The Way of the Dog"
- Comic book – Fangs for Nothing!
Citations
- ↑ Wedding for Disaster
- ↑ Simpsons Mania!
- ↑ Marge in Chains
- ↑ A Milhouse Divided
- ↑ In Marge We Trust
- ↑ Marge Gamer
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Maude Flanders | Helen Lovejoy | Elizabeth Hoover | Luann Van Houten | Princess Kashmir | Mary Bailey | Shary Bobbins | Barbara Bush | Mona Simpson | Martha Quimby |