Many characters from The Simpsons have become iconic figures of the series. However, very few die permanently. One of the saddest deaths is also one of the best gags and a tribute to one of cinema’s most well-known voices.
Which character is it about? In the 6th episode of the first season (1990), Lisa meets Bleeding Gums Murphy. He is an important supporting character because he has a lasting influence on Lisa. Lisa met him and he awakened in her a love for jazz and the saxophone, one of her trademarks.
He was her role model. However, in the 22nd episode of season 6 (1995), one of the saddest episodes of the series occurred. When Bart is in the hospital, Lisa runs into Bleeding Gums Murphy there. They play together on the saxophone, and the scene emphasizes how close they are. But afterwards, Murphy dies (off-screen) in the hospital.
This plunges her into an existential crisis as she contemplates that no one will remember Murphy’s music. He was not a famous musician. However, at the end of the episode, there is an emotional moment used for a pretty good gag that also honors the voice actor.
An unseen icon
What kind of gag is that? At the end of the episode, Lisa manages to play a song by Murphy on the radio. Afterwards, she sees the deceased in a cloud. He thanks her, but suddenly three other characters appear:
- Mufasa from The Lion King, who says:
You must avenge my death, Kimba. Uh, I mean Simba.
- Darth Vader from Star Wars, who says:
Luke, I am your father
- The actor James Earl Jones, who says:
This is CNN
(translated: This is CNN)
Here, two gags are hidden: On one hand, Mufasa says Kimba
. This references the anime series Kimba, the White Lion, which first aired in 1965. The similarity between the two franchises has led to controversies in the past over whether Disney has taken elements (source: The Hollywood Reporter).
The other gag is hidden in the voice. All characters, including Murphy, are voiced by James Earl Jones, which is why it is no coincidence that they all appear in the cloud. Thus, the episode honors not only the character Murphy but also Jones as an icon of cinema.
What all has James Earl Jones done? The actor, who passed away on September 9, 2024, had worked as an actor and voice actor since 1962. He not only lent his voice to the characters Mufasa (also in the 2019 remake) and Darth Vader (up to 2022 in Obi-Wan Kenobi), but he also had some on-camera roles.
For example, he played Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian or King Jaffe Joffer in Coming to America (also in the sequel from 2021). His line in the episode refers to the fact that he voiced the intro for the CNN channel in 1994 (source: YouTube).
Why is the gag so good? It’s not a joke that leaves you rolling on the floor laughing, but it has multiple layers. It doesn’t undermine the emotional level of the episode, even honors the voice behind Murphy. This gag works even after more than 30 years, even after the death of James Earl Jones.
The episode as a whole shows the great strength of the early seasons of The Simpsons: they can be silly, often ridiculous, but they usually treat their characters with respect, creating a unique charm.
Among US cartoons, there is also a certain rivalry that sometimes spills over. For nasty jabs against Family Guy, The Simpsons rewarded a competitor: The creators of South Park made fun of Family Guy in a special episode, receiving flowers from the Simpsons writers as a result
