David Cooper

0285 - Blinky

Added 2023-12-04 09:00:01 +0000 UTC

This is a strange and fun one! I'm including him here because of the little "blub" noise he makes in his bowl, this is the closest thing he'll ever have to a "line" so it qualifies him for inclusion.

Blinky is a symbol almost synonymous with the show, or with Springfield as a town at least, but has very little actual presence beyond this episode. He is a symbol, an icon that most people would recognise as a signifier for something to do with The Simpsons. Despite this, he is mostly relegated to background appearances after this episode, in which he plays a pivotal role (and meets his tragic demise due to the heartless Marge cooking him.)

Blinky (or at least a relative of his) can be seen earlier than this, in "Homers Odyssey":

but we must assume that any three-eyed fish seen after "Two Cars In Every Garage and Three Eyes On Every Fish" must NOT be Blinky, unless his implied nuclear mutation also allows him to return from the dead.

The town of Springfield embraces Blinky as a part of their culture, as evidenced by the fact that he is their curling team's mascot.

It's strange that a character so important to the legacy and iconography of The Simpsons has so little actual presence. Maybe this is just a by-product of being a part of The Simpsons juggernaut - even the smaller parts have a larger cultural relevance.

This post is part of my "Every Simpsons Character Ever" series. For a list of my rules in this project, click here.