How The Simpsons FAILED Ned Flanders 

The killing of Maude fundamentally changed the character forever - because he was originally the man who had the life Homer wished for. You could even argue there was a Frank Grimes/Homer envy but between Homer and Ned. Flanders had it all and despite Homer's own laziness and ineptitude, he felt he was the one who deserved it rather than his neighbourino (it wasn't just Ned - Bart had a similar annoyance towards Rod, Todd). However, the show doesn't do deep/heavy life altering stuff to it's main characters often and here's a helpful reminder as to why. Without realising it, the writers completely fucked the Homer/Flanders comedic relationship forever. I'm aware they did it as a way to write Maggie Roswell out of the show - but they either didn't realise or didn't care (something that's often pointed at Scully's reign - see the decision to have Homer 'not be able to read') about the consequences. Homer could no longer look at Ned with envy - as Ned was now a widower. He was looking after two children without a Mom. Homer could be a dick to Flanders before and although it often wasn't justified, it was at least softened because Flanders did indeed have a better life than Homer. But now he doesn't because the love of his life and mother of his children was dead (I'm just ignoring Homer's involvement in this - otherwise it gets too horrific). So the entire dynamic changes and the show must somehow continue another 23 seasons and counting having lost a major foundation between the relationship of two of it's biggest characters. Hence the lazy leaning (to the extreme) on his faith as a substitute for a part of his character Ned no longer has.

I really dislike how Ned's change of profession to be Bart's new 4th grade teacher never went anywhere

My English and Theology teacher at boarding school was the man that the Simpsons creators based Ned Flanders on. His name was Alden Flanders and when I tell you that he acted exactly like early season Flanders, they were carbon copies. Alden Flanders would come into class playing the banjo and said phrases very similar to hi-diddly-ho neighborino. Easily the nicest person I have ever come across in my life.

Honestly I think Ned Flanders was written the best in The Simpsons Movie. Ned was a perfect mix of religious satire while he still had a charm to him. He held tolerance to Homer Simpson and had a very important role in the movie. He acts as the father that Bart wishes Homer can be. When a mob is after Homer, Ned Flanders is the one to keep them safe. Ned Flanders acts as a mentor to Bart. He never tells Bart how to feel. He just states his opinion and gives Bart the space to express his feelings. He guides him. Ned is the reason Bart ends up forgiving Homer. This could've been written badly but instead it feels like Bart came to this conclusion naturally rather than a forced way. I think after The Simpsons Movie Ned's character somehow got worse.

To be fair living next to homer for years would change anyone's personality 😂

You're right about almost everything in video, but not about Ralph Wiggum. He was always the extremely weird kid, including earlier in that episode you referenced. His sudden burst of talent and competence playing George Washington was the exception.

I think a video like this should be done for Lisa. Her flanderization made her a bit unlikable for me to watch. With repetitive storylines about her social insecurity, and her more cynical outlook on people, after losing the more optimistic helpful and informed role she had, as well as the appropriate child-like traits she had in earlier seasons.

IMO, Flanderization can be best characterized by: _A superficially stereotypical character that is actually well-developed and deep on scrutiny, meant to play the viewers as fools for believing the stereotype in the first place; _*_which said character's traits eventually become degraded by the successive generations of more inexperienced and less talented writers who fail to understand the previously mentioned concept,_** going on to assume the viewers are fools in the first place so the character simply becomes what they believe the viewers see them as:* A one-dimensional stereotype. In short, _The Simpsons_ simpsonized themselves. Or how Bethesda misinterpreted the _Fallout's_ excellent retro-futurism vision with "the 50's but with more robots and radiation".

Poor Ned- twice widowed with two young children. That's brutal, even for a cartoon character.

I personally like that Flanders is now becoming a more realistic person since his time with Mrs K and isn’t that much of a Member of the God Squad as much as he used to yes he still has the odd uh uh not in my church but it’s hasn’t been as common

Ned Flanders is definitely a character who suffered with his iconic but one note love of Christianity which is definitely at its worst during the 2000s to mid 2000s it’s definitely toned down now compared to those seasons but it’s not surprising why this changed happened as well as the fact that it’s named after him

I would have love to have seen a flashback episode with Ned working in the pharmaceutical company which he did before creating the Leftorium store.

You could say Ned went through a very Dark Mid-Life Crisis in which he was lost and trying to find meaning in it all while having to contend with Jerkass Homer and wacky Springfield.

Some of my favorite episodes across the series are when Homer and Ned team up to accomplish something. When Flanders Failed is one of my all time favorite episodes. Jerk Ass Homer and Flanderized Flanders made these sorts of team-ups impossible in modern Simpsons. Serious Flanders seems to be a step back in the right direction

For me It was the Mr Sparkle episode, That really made Ned Obsessivly needy for Chruches acceptance. Also while Ralph was flanderized he was still poached by the Chicago tribune, and showed his artistic flair by mastering Tapa tapa tapa

Well I'm glad to know that flanderization really did come from this character. Yeah honestly I haven't watched a new season of The Simpsons in like I don't know 4 years. But this was really interesting to see anyway especially the stuff I didn't know about. There's actually a lot of episodes I've missed from the 2000s and the early 2010s as well actually

Always felt bad for ned.he is such a good person and always willing to help. but he always bad things happen to him. His wife's,his career. But hes always been a happy guy

One of the worst flanderization examples is OTTO, who had some depth but right now he is only a stoner.

I'm pretty sure in Ralph's case it was less Flanderization and more they hadn't settled on what they wanted the character to be.

I have a theory that after Maude died, she partially possessed Ned, trying to help beyond the grave, which passed some of her personality onto him. Basically, trying to still be the mother by corrupting her husband and making him more like her, causing the Flanderization. After causing such havoc on the living, that may have been how she ended up with the devil, but that's a bit harsh. On the other hand, Ned might have adopted his dead wife's persona to handle the sudden loss and increase of responsibility, maybe because he viewed her as the more capable parent. Either can work in fiction, though I think the second is the more psychologically realistic possiblity.

Ned changed a lot since season 11! And that’s a bad thing. He also kicked out his youngest son Todd out as well!

In my opinion I thought killing off maude was a big mistake because I felt that the moment she died felt out of place because it felt "too real" if that makes any sense and always felt that if her actress was unable to reprise her role because she had to move then maybe make maude a background character because they did it before and her actress still voices her and did return later. Because of this Flanders unfortunately did become a completely different character and not in a good way.

It’s sad how they used Flanders and his family to make fun of religion. Why did Fox and Disney do that??

I really like Ned as the annoying neighbour/probably one of Homer‘s best friends, when they have an episode together they do really well and I love the friendship. I do not like Ned as a religious tyrant Who forces his views on to other people. This is a trait I can’t stand in real life so seeing it on Ned is equally as annoying. Todd, “Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?” is one of my least favourite episodes in the entire series because of this. It’s probably the greatest example of What Ned has become. The way he treats his son is pretty disgusting, especially when Todd is only like six years old and grieving The loss of a parent. Annoying but well meaning that was so much better, his storyline with Bart in the Simpsons movie was really my favourite of Ned.

I think it's worth noting that Ned's Flanderization into a fundamentalist/evangelical coincided with the Presidency of George W. Bush, an era where Christian zealotry was prominent in politics and the media. I don't blame the writers for wanting to mock those sorts of people but using an established character clearly rubbed people the wrong way, even if it can be explained away in-universe.

I have an idea for a simpsons Flanders episode that could further challenge flanders character and put him in new directions if done right. So how bout an episode where Rod (I say Rod because I think that’d be more interesting) meets this boy who he becomes close friends with, and then later finds outs that this boy is attracted to other boys. Rod shares this to Ned and Ned in his expectedly for his character forbids Rod from hanging out with that boy, but Rod tells Ned that he really gets along with this boy, and likes being his friend. Rod and Ned can have conflict thru this all, and it can be a way potentially to challenge flandernized Ned. Again, only if done right tho

Flanders is the reason flanderization as a term was created

Ned Flanders went straight 1984.

I also noticed that Sweet Home Humdimdoodily was somewhat of a beginning for his Flanderization. It’s like how in SpongeBob, “Patrick’s a Prick” episodes started with Season 2’s “I’m With Stupid”, even though both are considered golden age eps.

13:14 Ok this part won me over. That is actually a good observation that takes into account how the character developed over time.

Soy una fan de Perú, adoro tus videos. Tu canal y el canal de Max Power son mis canales favoritos se Los Simpson.

0:58 can we talk about ned's color change pants

Ned is a zealot hypocrite. Can't really call it flanderization when it's basically realistic of how people like Ned are and how they are willing to put their insane religious devotion ahead of what Christianity actually teaches. I never liked Ned as the show made a point to show how the grass isn't always greener on the otherside, what's the point of paying for cable when all the channels are blocked? It's true they basically made him a stereotype but like you said it was maybe a natural thing for him to fall into his religious insanity like how he said he would rather drown rod & tod instead of letting them live with a queer relative. It's only when Ned has a someone to focus on who isn't submissive that we see that he's more human. Ned needs to be challenged in order to change and be more human as his way is ridiculous and unobtainable which is why it borders on zealot. Or it could be that he's always been a lunatic like how he was as a child and has an undiagnosed form of manic depression or adhd and religion has always been the wall of denial holding all that in until he snaps.

Ned Flanders change a lot

Great essay! Really goes to show you that the show just became more and more cynical over time and lost a lot of its heart. The Simpsons was always a satire on American culture and society as a whole, but even with all the ugly it exposed, a very big heart beat beneath.

@4:30, the thing is, Rod was misinformed by Bart on what "gay" meant. Of course, he's also been shown to give Bart money in the episode "Bart to The Future", but only he hasn't "outed Rod & Todd", so it's suggested that Flanders is only giving him money under the premise of "hush money". He's also not very tolerant of Judaism, as he freaks out over a fantasy version of Rod & Todd announcing they were converting to Judaism. Same with Buddhism and Wicca: he mistakes Lisa's proclamation that she's a Buddhist by saying "my Satan-sense is tingling" in a soliloquy and he spies Lisa using an informational website on Wicca as a gateway to worshipping the Devil. He also portrayed the Devil in the Treehouse of Horror segment "The Devil & Homer Simpson". "I'd sell my soul for a Formula One racing car." "That can be easily arranged." "Nah. Changed my mind" He also ran a "Heck House" in another Treehouse of Horror segment (which was really a "Hell House" which showed the error of a group of pranksters' ways through the Seven Deadly Sins). He blames his attitude of "being hard on Todd" as being inherited from HIS father, but his father is later shown to be lax on discipline, despite being referred to as a field commander in a flashback by Grampa Simpson. Even parts of his extended family are shown to be unlike him and reluctant, such as his stoic British counterpart, Lord Thistlewick Flanders. "Charmed. A-googily-doogily."

I hated when Flanders was taken in to that drug smuggling business and no mention was made of his past as a pharmacist specialiced in pharmacology.

Ned seemed pretty chill in Lisa's Wedding with his sons being gay

It's a shame. Classic Flanders was one of my favourite characters but once the flanderisation happened he was ruined. Still a big fan though because of the classic Flanders

Ned is one of my favorite Simpsons characters like top 6! And I really don’t appreciate how they suddenly made his whole thing about Maude being dead,I don’t even think Maude’s death was needed! He has just really gone down hill ever since the Maude’s death episode.

I don't watch Family Guy or the Simpsons that much, but I think part of the reason FG gets its infamy (I might be exaggerating) Is were the Simpsons has acknowledged its Flanderisation ( and in this case used it to develop a character) FG seems to just take its Flanderisation in a death spiral, doing their best not to acknowledge it. I may be totally wrong I don't watch these shows much

When you put it like that, it kind of feels like he wasn't flanderised at all. He was grieving the loss of his wife by consciously becoming hyper religious and subconsciously imitating her personality traits. Until Edna came to help him come to terms with his trauma.

0:20-0:23 complaining because his kids are well behaved, and his wife was hotter. Homer had a good reason to be jealous

i miss old ned yeah it was maudes d3@th

they used him to whine about christianity in the early 00s because that was a big trend for the type of people who write for the simpsons

Ned Flanders inspired the Band - Okilly Dokilly - They were an American heavy metal band from Phoenix, Arizona

I think Ned should have married the beautiful Christian singer he met instead of scaring her away with his word behaviour. If they had a happy marriage and Rod and Todd had accepted her as a loving step mother, she would have filled the void left by his late wife. As others have pointed out, the whole premise of The Flanders is they are better than The Simpsons so Homer envies them. This was lost after the death of Maude because Homer felt sorry for him. Had there been a new Flanders family complete with a competent matriarch then the theme of envy could have continued.

I stopped watching the Simpsons 2 years ago because of how much the show lost its identity

I feel something similar happened to quagmires

Ned Flanders is who the term ‘Flanderisation’ is named after

I was like OMG finally I been dying to talk about it

His worst was the time he called Lisa's Buddhist beliefs as satan worship. Somehow that came off meaner then it was supposed to.

Flanders losing Maude is to his character what Armin Tamzarian (guessing) was to Skinner.

Killing Maude was the worst thing the simpsons ever done

I'd argue Ned has always mirrored American Christianity. I remember people who were just like Ned in the early seasons. They're not as common as they use to be. My youth group leader at church in the early 90s was spot on. "Let's roast sugar free marshmallows while singing Christian parodies to popular songs from 20 years ago." The type of Christian who didn't like to talk about homosexuality, because you'd have to talk about sexuality. Overtime as U.S. Christians became less prudish and more hostile. Their backhanded insults became openly aggressive. Ned only mirrored these social changes. Atleast that's my take living in a religiously conservative region of the U.S.

I would like you to try and explore Marge Simpson’s dark side and I know what you are saying about Ned is meant to be a joke but sometimes Simpson jokes feel either frustrating or depressing or both because to me it feels too relatable to the modern world and I would wish to speak about even if I have to be a guest star on the show as a Canadian podcaster who wants to write for an episode about the truth of the Simpson family and everyone around them.

I think Flanders has become a onenote character but I think his relationship with Homer is much deeper than the woman has with Barney Is on any other at mos t tavern

I always thought that Ned’s religious devotion was a direct reaction to his wife’s death, since I’ve seen that happen in real life. It still really pisses me off, but to me there’s a reasonable explanation for it

Killing Maude was dumb. Then the character was written terribly ever since.

Just came across your channel. Can't wait to see more, also your Simpson drawing is very sexy!

thanks lydia good vid as always 👍

I think you're mischaracterizing Ned here. His religion was *always* at the base of who he was. All of the good things he did, he did out of religious piety. He might have become a little less tolerant over the years, but not by much.

As a Christian, I'll say that Ned Flanders as a whole never really offended me. If anything, I like the guy a lot.

Anyone notice that like Stewie Bart became better as a person and sorta likes his Dad like Lois growing on Stewie

Great video Lydia! Interesting and fun! Hope you have been doing well lately. happy Thanksgiving, gobble gobble🦃 😇Ahoy Springfield Ian’s😇

I liked the Jesus Fishes that Ned was selling. When one sprouted legs and tried to crawl out of tank it was amazing and somehow scary. IRL that would REALLY be creepy to see.

I really Love This Channel Lydia

Hens love roosters, geese love ganders, everybody else loves ned flanders.

Ironically, professional wrestling operates on the opposite principle: a character will debut as a stereotype and then, as he/she grows in popularity, develop a more well-rounded personality. Good examples include Hunter Hearst Helmsley ("Triple H"), who originally was "The Connecticut Blueblood," a snobby man in a tuxedo, who dropped the gimmick soon afterward but is still occasionally described as a rich man all these years later; or Razor Ramon (Scott Hall), who started out as a parody of Tony Montana in SCARFACE, but eventually stopped using the Cuban accent.

Are you the voice over from Zoomin TV Games?

I want Ned to meet Mary Cooper and see who's more full of it.

Yikes I had no idea how bad Ned got, (not seeing the later episodes)

It was weird when Maude died, I was shocked and it 'killed' the humour a bit. I mean Homer actually killed Ned's wife, his antics couldn't be funny any more. In cartoon world Homer can fail to jump the canyon on a skateboard, be smashed to bits on the way down and still come out with a quip at the bottom, "just my bones and organs". Next episode it's like it never happened- but Maude was....dead. Horrible and yucky, probably the moment that the Simpsons started to fall.

I really hate one of the most recent episodes where Flanders quite literally disowns Todd while he's mourning his own mother, not exactly an example of a good neighborino

I wish more of his changes made more sense. I still like him but for example him becoming Bart’s teacher when Edna died. It’s never went anywhere when it could have been a great opportunity to build upon the relationship between them.

I love Ned but he’s definitely a bit crazy

4:31 "Beau" is French for "handsome" is typically used to refer to a boyfriend or male admirer.

You know when even a priest lacks patience for an overly religous person, that something is terribly wrong

Ned is my favorite character on the show. I really think he’s starting to de-flanderized. Honestly, The Simpsons in the seasons of teens and twenties was such a mess that literally all the characters went through a flanderization and becoming so one dimensional. I think post season 30 things are finally starting to calm down and I think Ned is starting to lose those hostile, over religious, over judgemental traits he once had.

Rod meant gay as in 'when you were scared of something and now you aren't scared of it anymore' in that context.

I love all your videos

Totally agree with this take

Ned Flanders is the Brian of the Simpsons, one of the most friendly and normal characters in the show went insane and became one of the biggest jerks in the show

Flanderization is actually really common in the real world, that's why it happens so much in shows that have continuous storylines.

Neddy boi angry

I wonder if Ned and Edna's marriage would have continued to this day were it not for the passing of Marcia Wallace.

9:56 Honestly Ned's being open minded. I would've just dumped her if I learned that.

It makes sense but I never knew the term flanderisation was named after Ned Flanders; thought it was an older term than that.

Mid to late 2000's

interesting video

I dont know how they failed Ned whenever i think of an over religious goody too shoes i think of Ned lol

Huh, I NEVER knew Homer was a jerk to Ned because he (Homer) was JEALOUS! Kinda excuses him for all the crap he (Homer)'s given the guy over the years... Kinda...

1:17 Sorry but the guy in the background to the left is he possessed?

When you make a well established character that people like the sole vessel for poking fun at a group of people you don't like you get a hollow husk of something that use to be great. A soulless caricature. Ned Flanders is my favorite character next to moe. I'm glad he's chilling out in these recent seasons. Hopefully the writers don't bring his character down again.

Yeah, Ned Flanders slowly became that unlikeable side character who can't mind his business at times.

Your character and Ned look good next to each other

You know that you've messed up a character when the trope of a character becoming unrecognizable from their original depiction is named after your character

My only downfall to him was in "Todd Todd why thou forsaken thou?" I mean the episode made me question him in his parental faith.

me and my mother started bench watching it and we just got done with the laddie episode the one with the rough haired collie that bart wanted. since we are on season 12 we have afew more golden seasons from what i heard before it goes down hill. the question is when does it really go downhill.

This is a really good video to make, given how one of the most used terms for character changes in long running shows is named after Flanders. That said, I often wonder if part of the reason it is was down to a different cultural perception in who was likely to be a ultra-judgemental, pushing their views on others and generally intolerant person was likely to be, and if the show had started say 10-15 years later, given current cultural perceptions if the term would actually be named after Lisa instead.