- “They say any publicity is good publicity.”
- ―Sideshow Mel[src]
- “I am Melvin Van Horne, and this is my associate, Herschel Krustofsky.”
- ―Sideshow Mel[src]
- “Everyone's always kissing your ass. Well, I'm not afraid to tell you you're a (*bleep*)!”
- ―Sideshow Mel to Krusty the Clown[src]
Melvin Van Horne (also known as Sideshow Mel) is Krusty's current sidekick on The Krusty the Clown Show, after Sideshow Bob. When he is not in character, Mel speaks in a grandiose English/Shakespearean/British accent and owns a lot of poodles. He is a recurring character in The Simpsons and a minor antagonist in The Simpsons Movie.
Biography

Mel as a die.
Mel joined the cast of the Krusty the Clown Show to replace Sideshow Bob, who was sentenced to prison for attempting to frame Krusty for armed robbery.

Mel with his son.
Sideshow Mel uses a slide whistle to communicate on camera. When not in character, Mel speaks in a grandiose English/Shakespearean accent and owns many poodles. His main accomplishment so far has been successfully removing Mr. Smithers from suspicion of having shot Mr. Burns.[2] Off-screen, Mel is generally very eloquent, educated, poetic and intelligent, with a beautiful singing voice - it is implied that as with Sideshow Bob before him, his true talents are wasted on Krusty's show. He attended Cornell University. When Lisa Simpson won the "Entertainer of the Year Award," it was revealed that Melvin also won the award previously for his portrayal of Biff in Death of a Salesman, but his desire to keep his stardom eventually led him to become the sidekick he is today.[3] He was once forced to conduct an orchestra of kazoo-playing monkeys. When he pleaded with Krusty to not force him to do it, Krusty simply shouted at him to "shut up and conduct".
Although ultimately loyal to Krusty, he also is known to not be a doormat to some of Krusty's antics. In one instance, when Krusty's 29th anniversary was occurring, one of the clips that was to be shown was Mel, while drunk on "wowie-sauce", made clear that he viewed Krusty as a word that can't be repeated, unlike the others who kissed Krusty's butt. In addition, when the series was about to get canceled, Mel ended up quitting citing the abuse he frequently had to undergo, although he ultimately ends up returning to Krusty's side by the time of the Comeback Special.
He was apparently a fan of the Cosmic Wars franchise since childhood, and like several other people hated Episodes I, II, and III, as when he saw in the opening blurb for Episode VII: A New Take that the aforementioned episodes had been erased from continuity via a space-time rift, he not only celebrated with the others at the news, but also proceeded to declare his childhood "unruined."[4]
Mel tends to dramatically point out anything notable (though obvious) to various sized crowds around him, which he does more often in later episodes. He also seems to have some kind of friendship with Moe.
Sideshow Mel is blowing the slidewhistle.
Religion and Education
Little is known about Mel, aside from him being a Cornell University graduate. It is also shown that Mel could be a recovering alcoholic as he had attended several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Although he is occasionally seen at the Presbylutheran church, Mel was retroactively an atheist until the episode "Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass," where he converted to religion after watching Ned's home movies depicting Bible stories. He also seemed to have disgust for atheism in spite of his formerly being that, as in "Sky Police", when imagining the worst that could happen if Homer ends up inadvertently blowing their operation to save the church, he imagines alongside the rest of the plotters the destruction of the church and it being replaced with an Atheist Strip Club and reacts with horror and disgust at the idea.
Hair
Aside from the bone, Mel has a light blue curly hair in a sort of the beehive-like style similar to Marge's, only shorter and rounded at the top. His hair also appears to be "fashioned/poised/set" in an upward position because it seems to sit atop his head, showing that he has no sideburns or even a hair "tail". Mel perpetually wears a bone in his hair, which may or may not be permanently affixed. He once warned Lisa not to use a bone to try and get gum out of her hair, as he did and it became permanently stuck there.[5] However, he has been seen removing the bone to use it as a weapon during a duel, and to whack at the dome under which Springfield was trapped by the EPA.[6] Bart also took the bone out of his hair to prank Martin Prince, after which Mel was shown to have long flowing hair. Homer also took the bone out of his hair and used it as a murdering weapon. He indicated that he could feel meteorological conditions in the bone, such as incoming storms.[7] Before he got his bone, Mel was famous in both London and Hollywood and was able to comb his hair.
The comic "All Fired Up" reveals that the main purpose of the bone is to hold Mel's hair up in the beehive-like style; if the bone is removed, his hair will drop into a style so beautiful that he gets attacked by a swarm of ladies on sight (something he particularly doesn't like).
Mel wacking the dome with his bone.
Disabilities
It was revealed in "Bart Gets Famous" that Sideshow Mel was lactose-intolerant when Bart gave him a grilled cheese sandwich.
Family
He may be married to or living with a woman named Barbara, who may or may not be Krusty's sister[8] with whom he wished to purchase a house from Marge Simpson.[9] Mel once complained that Barbara no longer pleasured him with the French Arts.[10] It is revealed that he has at least one child when he says "Krusty, please, my wife is giving birth as we speak." He has also been seen with a son, Warren, a daughter, Becca, and several unnamed children. Mel also has a deceased father, whose funeral he attended shortly before performing at an ice rink with Krusty. He once said his father was a monster.
Mel may be divorced from Barbara or another wife or girlfriend. The papers say he is having a contentious custody battle with the mother of at least one of his children ("Homerazzi").
Krusty reveals to Mel that he has been secretly having an affair with Mel's wife, and that he wants to dump her after 11 years since the thrill is gone.[11]
Other Jobs
After Krusty's show was cancelled following the rise of Gabbo, Mel worked at a fast food restaurant where he initially refused Krusty's pleas to return to his show.
He was the jury foreman for the Mona Simpson trial. The jury was sequestered at a Quality Inn which "more than lived up to its name."[12]
In a comic, it is revealed he was a racer and got 15 trophies, and maybe he earned even more.
Behind the Laughter
He has his own comic story of how he became a sideshow, where his parents and house are present.
Trivia
- He is the first character to get bleeped on the show due to swearing.
- He is lactose intolerant, as shown in "Bart Gets Famous" when he throws up after accidentally not realizing cheese was on his sandwich.
Appearances
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 | Minor | 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 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Bart's Dog Gets an F": | "Old Money": | "Brush with Greatness": | "Lisa's Substitute": | "The War of the Simpsons": |
Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"Three Men and a Comic Book": | "Blood Feud": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Three | ||||
"Stark Raving Dad": | "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington": | "When Flanders Failed": | "Bart the Murderer": | "Homer Defined": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"Like Father, Like Clown": | "Treehouse of Horror II": | "Lisa's Pony": | "Saturdays of Thunder": | "Flaming Moe's": |
Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk": | "I Married Marge": | "Radio Bart": | "Lisa the Greek": | "Homer Alone": |
Absent | Absent | Minor | Minor | Absent |
"Bart the Lover": | "Homer at the Bat": | "Separate Vocations": | "Dog of Death": | "Colonel Homer": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Minor |
"Black Widower": | "The Otto Show": | "Bart's Friend Falls in Love": | "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?": | |
Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Four | ||||
"Kamp Krusty": | "A Streetcar Named Marge": | "Homer the Heretic": | "Lisa the Beauty Queen": | "Treehouse of Horror III": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie": | "Marge Gets a Job": | "New Kid on the Block": | "Mr. Plow": | "Lisa's First Word": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Homer's Triple Bypass": | "Marge vs. the Monorail": | "Selma's Choice": | "Brother from the Same Planet": | "I Love Lisa": |
Minor | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Minor |
"Duffless": | "Last Exit to Springfield": | "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show": | "The Front": | "Whacking Day": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"Marge in Chains": | "Krusty Gets Kancelled": | |||
Minor | Minor |
The Simpsons: Season Five | ||||
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet": | "Cape Feare": | "Homer Goes to College": | "Rosebud": | "Treehouse of Horror IV": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Marge on the Lam": | "Bart's Inner Child": | "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood": | "The Last Temptation of Homer": | "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Homer the Vigilante": | "Bart Gets Famous": | "Homer and Apu": | "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy": | "Deep Space Homer": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Homer Loves Flanders": | "Bart Gets an Elephant": | "Burns' Heir": | "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song": | "The Boy Who Knew Too Much": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Lady Bouvier's Lover": | "Secrets of a Successful Marriage": | |||
Minor | Minor |
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": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Cameo | 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 | Minor | Absent | Absent | Minor |
The Simpsons: Season Seven | ||||
"Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)": | "Radioactive Man": | "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily": | "Bart Sells His Soul": | "Lisa the Vegetarian": |
Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Treehouse of Horror VI": | "King-Size Homer": | "Mother Simpson": | "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming": | "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor | Absent |
"Marge Be Not Proud": | "Team Homer": | "Two Bad Neighbors": | "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield": | "Bart the Fink": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor |
"Lisa The Iconoclast": | "Homer The Smithers": | "The Day The Violence Died": | "A Fish Called Selma": | "Bart on the Road": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"22 Short Films About Springfield": | "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"": | "Much Apu About Nothing": | "Homerpalooza": | "Summer of 4 Ft. 2": |
Minor | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Eight | ||||
"Treehouse of Horror VII": | "You Only Move Twice": | "The Homer They Fall": | "Burns, Baby Burns": | "Bart After Dark": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Minor |
"A Milhouse Divided": | "Lisa's Date with Density": | "Hurricane Neddy": | "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)": | "The Springfield Files": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson": | "Mountain of Madness": | "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious": | "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show": | "Homer's Phobia": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor | Absent |
"Brother from Another Series": | "My Sister, My Sitter": | "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment": | "Grade School Confidential": | "The Canine Mutiny": |
Cameo | Minor | Cameo | Minor | Absent |
"The Old Man and the Lisa": | "In Marge We Trust": | "Homer's Enemy": | "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase": | "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Nine | ||||
"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson": | "The Principal and the Pauper": | "Lisa's Sax": | "Treehouse of Horror VIII": | "The Cartridge Family": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Minor | Minor |
"Bart Star": | "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons": | "Lisa the Skeptic": | "Realty Bites": | "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace": |
Cameo | Cameo | Minor | Minor | Minor |
"All Singing, All Dancing": | "Bart Carny": | "The Joy of Sect": | "Das Bus": | "The Last Temptation of Krust": |
Absent | Absent | Minor | Absent | Minor |
"Dumbbell Indemnity": | "Lisa the Simpson": | "This Little Wiggy": | "Simpson Tide": | "The Trouble with Trillions": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"Girly Edition": | "Trash of the Titans": | "King of the Hill": | "Lost Our Lisa": | "Natural Born Kissers": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Minor |
The Simpsons: Season Ten | ||||
"Lard of the Dance": | "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace": | "Bart the Mother": | "Treehouse of Horror IX": | "When You Dish Upon a Star": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor |
"D'oh-in' in the Wind": | "Lisa Gets an "A"": | "Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"": | "Mayored to the Mob": | "Viva Ned Flanders": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor |
"Wild Barts Can't Be Broken": | "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday": | "Homer to the Max": | "I'm with Cupid": | "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"": |
Minor | Minor | Absent | Minor | Cameo |
"Make Room for Lisa": | "Maximum Homerdrive": | "Simpsons Bible Stories": | "Mom and Pop Art": | "The Old Man and the "C" Student": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love": | "They Saved Lisa's Brain": | "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo": | ||
Absent | Cameo | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Eleven | ||||
"Beyond Blunderdome": | "Brother's Little Helper": | "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?": | "Treehouse of Horror X": | "E-I-E-I-D'oh": |
Cameo | Minor | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
"Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder": | "Eight Misbehavin'": | "Take My Wife, Sleaze": | "Grift of the Magi": | "Little Big Mom": |
Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Faith Off": | "The Mansion Family": | "Saddlesore Galactica": | "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily": | "Missionary: Impossible": |
Minor | Cameo | Absent | Cameo | Absent |
"Pygmoelian": | "Bart to the Future": | "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses": | "Kill the Alligator and Run": | "Last Tap Dance in Springfield": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge": | "Behind the Laughter": | |||
Voice only | Absent |
Gallery
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Citations
The Simpsons Characters
| ||
---|---|---|
The Simpsons and relatives | ||
Homer Simpson • Marge Simpson • Bart Simpson • Lisa Simpson • Maggie Simpson Santa's Little Helper • Snowball II • Abraham Simpson • Patty Bouvier • Selma Bouvier • Mona Simpson • Jacqueline Bouvier • Ling Bouvier • Herb Powell | ||
Around Springfield | ||
Jasper Beardly • Comic Book Guy • Barney Gumble • Maude Flanders • Ned Flanders • Professor Frink • Gil Gunderson • Julius Hibbert • Lionel Hutz • Helen Lovejoy • Reverend Timothy Lovejoy • Captain Horatio McCallister • Akira • Hans Moleman • Marvin Monroe • Bleeding Gums Murphy • Apu Nahasapeemapetilon • Mayor Joe Quimby • Dr. Nick Riviera • Agnes Skinner • Cletus Spuckler • Disco Stu • Squeaky-Voiced Teen • Moe Szyslak • Sam and Larry • Kirk Van Houten • Luann Van Houten • Clancy Wiggum • Eddie • Lou • Crazy Cat Lady • Lindsey Naegle • Cookie Kwan • Wiseguy • Brandine Spuckler • The Yes Guy • Sanjay Nahasapeemapetilon • Blue-haired Lawyer • Judge Roy Snyder • Rich Texan • Luigi Risotto • Old Jewish Man • Mrs. Glick | ||
Media Personalities | ||
Itchy & Scratchy • Kent Brockman • Krusty the Clown • Troy McClure • Sideshow Mel • Rainier Wolfcastle | Arnie Pye • Radioactive Man • Duffman • Bumblebee Man • Bill and Marty • Drederick Tatum • Mr. Teeny • Scott Christian • Booberella • Gabbo • Lurleen Lumpkin • Celebrities | ||
Springfield Elementary School faculty and students | ||
Superintendant Chalmers • Seymour Skinner • Edna Krabappel • Elizabeth Hoover • Groundskeeper Willie • Otto Mann • Lunchlady Doris • Dewey Largo • Dr. J. Loren Pyror • Milhouse Van Houten • Ralph Wiggum • Nelson Muntz • Martin Prince • Rod Flanders • Todd Flanders • Sherri and Terri • Wendell Borton • Database • Jimbo Jones • Kearney Zzyzwicz • Dolph Starbeam • Üter Zörker • Janey Powell • Lewis • Richard • Bashir bin Laden | ||
Springfield Nuclear Power Plant | ||
Charles Montgomery Burns • Waylon Smithers • Carl Carlson • Lenny Leonard • Charlie • Blinky | ||
Villains | ||
Snake Jailbird • Kang & Kodos • Herman • Sideshow Bob • Fat Tony • Frankie the Squealer • Johnny Tightlips • Legs and Louie | ||
Families | ||
The Simpsons • The Bouviers • The Flanders • The Van Houtens • The Wiggums | ||
Miscellaneous | ||
Fictional characters • One-Time Characters • LGBT characters • Parodied celebrities • Animals |