| “ | So while I'm technically still married there really hasn't been any marriage to speak of since Mr. Krabappel moved into his little love nest... Since he's been gone I've been looking for a substitute to teach me a lesson I sorely need. | „ |
| ~ Mrs. Krabappel to substitute teacher Mr. Bergstrom[src] |
Ken Krabappel is the unfaithful ex-husband of Edna Krabappel.
History[]
When Edna tried to seduce Lisa's substitute, Mr. Bergstrom, she told him that she was technically married, but since Ken Krabappel moved out of the old home that he and Edna lived in, it had not been much of a marriage.[1]
He was also shown to have a malicious nature, presumably on account of the divorce, as he covertly ruined Edna's car by pouring sugar into her gas tank which makes Edna complains to a car mechanic of a faulty engine (even though pouring sugar in a gas tank to ruin the engine is considered a myth). The mechanic remarks ""Sugar in the gas tank; your ex-husband strikes again." Later she described herself as "recently divorced" in her personal ad.[2]
Mrs. Krabappel explained to the class as she was passing out the Career Aptitude Normalizing Test (abbreviated CANT), "Some of you may discover a wonderful vocation you never even imagined. Others may find out life isn't fair. In spite of your masters from Bryn Mawr you might end up a glorified baby-sitter to a bunch of dead-eyed fourth graders while your husband runs naked on a beach with your marriage counselor!"[3]
After Edna showed her class the sex education film Fuzzy Bunny's Guide to You Know What, Nelson asks, "How come you don't live with Mr. Krabappel?" Edna answered because he "...chased something small and fluffy down a rabbit hole", a callback to Mr. Krabappel's running away with another woman being the reason she gave for why her marriage ended.[4]
In "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story", Edna states that Ken was "a drunk". While most of the episode was being related second-hand (or third-hand, fourth-hand, etc.), there is no evidence to assume that this information is not true.
When Ned and Edna are eating lunch together after he saved her from falling, Ned asks Ken's whereabouts, to which Edna replies that Ken is probably buried between the hooters of a coat check girl in Shelbyville.[5]
According to the Bio on the back of Edna Krabappel's 1993 SkyBox trading card: "After receiving a master's degree in gothic psychology from Bryn Mawr, Edna began teaching to enable her husband, Bob, to finish graduate school. Fifteen years later, Bob still wasn't finished, but their marriage was. Now she's a glorified babysitter to a bunch of dead-eyed 4th graders, while he's frolicking naked on a beach with their marriage counselor."
Behind the Laughter[]
Scene from 8th episode of Season 1.
The DVD audio commentary for "The War of the Simpsons" revealed among other couples attending Reverend Lovejoy's marriage retreat which were cut included Mrs. Krabappel trying to reunite with her estranged husband named Ken Krabappel who was going to be based on Dean Martin, but somehow he ended up with a Southern accent that made him sound like a hick.[6]
Same fans have speculated Mr. Krabappel was very briefly shown in the first season episode "The Telltale Head" when the First Church of Springfield congregants pray. He would be the man sitting in a pew on Mrs. Krabappel's left where he resembled Krusty's plastic surgeon in Switzerland from the sixth season episode "Homie the Clown".
Appearances[]
Episode – "Lisa's Substitute" (mentioned only)- Episode – "Bart the Lover" (mentioned only)
- Episode – "Separate Vocations" (mentioned only)
- Episode – "Bart's Friend Falls in Love" (mentioned only)
- Episode – "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" (mentioned only)
- Episode – "The Ned-liest Catch" (mentioned only)
Citations[]
- ↑ Lisa's Substitute
- ↑ Bart the Lover
- ↑ Separate Vocations
- ↑ Bart's Friend Falls in Love
- ↑ The Ned-liest Catch
- ↑ Reiss, Mike. The Simpsons season 2 DVD commentary for the episode "The War of the Simpsons" [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.