Edna Krabappel
Encyclopedia
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character
from the animated TV series
The Simpsons
, voiced by Marcia Wallace
. She is a 4th grade
teacher
at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.
from Bryn Mawr College
, but is thoroughly jaded, a caricature of the American public school system. In "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
", it's revealed that she was once a very optimistic woman who genuinely wanted to help people in need. It would seem that after years of frustration thanks to the school, and Bart Simpson
in particular, this wore away.
There is some inconsistency about Edna's origins. She is said to have come to Springfield to begin teaching in "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story". However, because of retconning, in "Springfield Up
" she can be seen as a student running through the background at Springfield High School while eventual cop Chief Wiggum is being filmed, as part of the documentary featured in that episode, carrying out his duties as a hall monitor.
Krabappel smokes heavily, especially during school hours. In the episode "Bart Gets a 'Z'
", she is fired from teaching after getting drunk (Bart spiked her coffee) and decides to open a muffin store. She is later rehired when the substitute teacher got drunk.
", she implies indirectly that her husband ran off with their marriage counselor. In early episodes, she is shown as very sexually aggressive and promiscuous: in "Flaming Moe's
", she is shown with her arms around two sailors in the parody of the famous Cheers
theme, and tries to pick up both Joey Kramer
(Aerosmith
's drummer) and Homer Simpson
, even after learning he is married and Bart's father. In "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
", while the children are watching the Sex Ed
movie, she says to the children in disgust, "She's faking it". Also, when asked by Nelson Muntz
about why she doesn't live with "Mr. Krabappel" in the same episode, she tells him that he "chased something small and fluffy down the rabbit hole". In "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
" she has a "hot encounter" with a Japanese
sushi
chef on the backseat of her car. The episode "Bart the Lover
" was the first episode to give Krabappel a central role, and also to expand her character and personality. Krabappel appears to be desired by many men (and in one case even women, when Patty Bouvier once had a sexual fantasy with Edna), as seen in Sideshow Bob
's outrage (in "Brother from Another Series
") wherein his romantic date with her is ruined by a spying Bart: "You only get one chance with Edna Krabappel!"
Another theme is her relationship with the school principal, Seymour Skinner
. In the episode "Grade School Confidential
", she develops a secret romance with Skinner, a relationship that almost leads to marriage. Since then, Krabappel's attitudes to Skinner have vacillated between passion and disdain in various episodes. In The Simpsons Movie
, she can be seen at the Green Day
concert on top of Seymour's shoulders wearing a T-Shirt saying "Not my boyfriend" with an arrow pointing down at Skinner.
In Season 17 ("The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
"), a flashback
showed that Krabappel was in a serious relationship with Moe Szyslak
when she first moved to Springfield, before meeting Skinner or even becoming a teacher. She was about to elope with him, but then changed her mind when she met Bart Simpson
, a student she believed needed help. Consequently, Moe breaks up with her. At the end of the episode, Moe and Edna are a couple once again, much to Skinner's jealousy when he catches them making out on school property. In "Regarding Margie
", she and Principal Skinner are seen making love on a golf course. Then he climbs off and she says, "Birthday is over, Seymour," and lights up a cigarette.
Edna is in a relationship with Ned Flanders. During the twenty second episode of the twenty second season, "The Ned-Liest Catch
", Ned and Edna began dating. The fate of the couple was left to a fan vote, to be revealed during the twenty third season opener. When 'The Falcon and the D'Ohman debuted, it revealed that the fans voted in favour of the relationship. At the close of the episode, a disclaimer appeared on screen which stated - "What our fans have joined together, let no writer rip asunder".
Krabappel's name was chosen by early Simpsons writers Wallace Wolodarsky
and Jay Kogen
as a play on the fruit "crabapple
" and as a reference to the teacher Miss Crabtree from the 1930s The Little Rascals
TV series. Also, there was an initial joke of no one mispronouncing the character's last name as "Crabapple" until Milhouse
uses it in a later episode, stunning the other children. In one episode Homer is horrified to learn that no one has corrected him for calling her "Krandal." Like many characters, Mrs. Krabappel has a memorable catchphrase, used often in the series: her derisive laugh ("HA!").
in 1992 for voicing
Krabappel in the third season
-episode "Bart the Lover
". IGN
called "Special Edna
" the best episode of the fourteenth season of the show. Tilda Swinton
modeled her hairdo in the film Burn After Reading
on Krabappel's.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the animated TV series
Animated cartoon
An animated cartoon is a short, hand-drawn film for the cinema, television or computer screen, featuring some kind of story or plot...
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, voiced by Marcia Wallace
Marcia Wallace
Marcia Karen Wallace is an American character actress, comedienne and game show panelist, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies...
. She is a 4th grade
Fourth grade
Fourth grade is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The fourth grade is the fourth school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 9 or 10 years old, depending on their birthday. It is a part of elementary school. In some parts of the United States, fourth grade...
teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.
Profile
Edna Krabappel holds a Master'sMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
from Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr College is a women's liberal arts college located in Bryn Mawr, a community in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, ten miles west of Philadelphia. The name "Bryn Mawr" means "big hill" in Welsh....
, but is thoroughly jaded, a caricature of the American public school system. In "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" is the 13th episode of The Simpsons 17th season. It originally aired in the United States on March 12, 2006.-Plot:...
", it's revealed that she was once a very optimistic woman who genuinely wanted to help people in need. It would seem that after years of frustration thanks to the school, and Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
in particular, this wore away.
There is some inconsistency about Edna's origins. She is said to have come to Springfield to begin teaching in "The Seemingly Never-Ending Story". However, because of retconning, in "Springfield Up
Springfield Up
"Springfield Up" is the thirteenth episode of the eighteenth season of The Simpsons. It originally aired in the United States on February 18, 2007. In the episode, filmmaker Declan Desmond returns to Springfield to film the continuation of his documentary series Growing Up Springfield, which...
" she can be seen as a student running through the background at Springfield High School while eventual cop Chief Wiggum is being filmed, as part of the documentary featured in that episode, carrying out his duties as a hall monitor.
Krabappel smokes heavily, especially during school hours. In the episode "Bart Gets a 'Z'
Bart Gets a 'Z'
"Bart Gets a 'Z" is the second episode of The Simpsons twenty-first season. It originally aired on the Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States on October 4, 2009....
", she is fired from teaching after getting drunk (Bart spiked her coffee) and decides to open a muffin store. She is later rehired when the substitute teacher got drunk.
Love life
A recurring theme is Ms. Krabappel's desire for a romantic partner. She is divorced; in "Separate VocationsSeparate Vocations
"Separate Vocations" is the eighteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 27, 1992. In the episode, the Springfield Elementary School makes the students take career aptitude tests...
", she implies indirectly that her husband ran off with their marriage counselor. In early episodes, she is shown as very sexually aggressive and promiscuous: in "Flaming Moe's
Flaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak of a secret alcoholic cocktail that includes cough medicine and fire that he calls "Flaming Homer"...
", she is shown with her arms around two sailors in the parody of the famous Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
theme, and tries to pick up both Joey Kramer
Joey Kramer
Joseph Michael "Joey" Kramer is the drummer for the American hard rock band Aerosmith....
(Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
's drummer) and Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, even after learning he is married and Bart's father. In "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Bart's Friend Falls in Love
"Bart's Friend Falls in Love" is the twenty-third episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 1992. In the episode, Bart's best friend Milhouse falls in love with the new girl in school, Samantha Stankey. Milhouse and Samantha spend...
", while the children are watching the Sex Ed
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
movie, she says to the children in disgust, "She's faking it". Also, when asked by Nelson Muntz
Nelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
about why she doesn't live with "Mr. Krabappel" in the same episode, she tells him that he "chased something small and fluffy down the rabbit hole". In "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish
"One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 24, 1991. In the episode, Homer consumes a poisonous fugu fish at a sushi restaurant, and is told that he has only twenty-two hours...
" she has a "hot encounter" with a Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
sushi
Sushi
is a Japanese food consisting of cooked vinegared rice combined with other ingredients . Neta and forms of sushi presentation vary, but the ingredient which all sushi have in common is shari...
chef on the backseat of her car. The episode "Bart the Lover
Bart the Lover
"Bart the Lover" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 1992. In the episode Mrs. Edna Krabappel, Bart's teacher, feels increasingly isolated and, looking for a companion, places a personal ad in the newspaper...
" was the first episode to give Krabappel a central role, and also to expand her character and personality. Krabappel appears to be desired by many men (and in one case even women, when Patty Bouvier once had a sexual fantasy with Edna), as seen in Sideshow Bob
Sideshow Bob
Robert Underdunk Terwilliger, better known as Sideshow Bob, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Kelsey Grammer and first appeared briefly in the episode "The Telltale Head". Bob is a self-proclaimed genius who is a graduate of Yale, a member of...
's outrage (in "Brother from Another Series
Brother from Another Series
"Brother from Another Series" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired February 23, 1997. Sideshow Bob is released from prison into the care of his brother Cecil and claims to be a changed man. However, Bart does not believe him and tries to find out what Bob is...
") wherein his romantic date with her is ruined by a spying Bart: "You only get one chance with Edna Krabappel!"
Another theme is her relationship with the school principal, Seymour Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
. In the episode "Grade School Confidential
Grade School Confidential
"Grade School Confidential" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired on April 6, 1997. It was written by Rachel Pulido and directed by Susie Dietter...
", she develops a secret romance with Skinner, a relationship that almost leads to marriage. Since then, Krabappel's attitudes to Skinner have vacillated between passion and disdain in various episodes. In The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 American animated comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons. The film was directed by David Silverman, and stars the regular television cast of Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Tress...
, she can be seen at the Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
concert on top of Seymour's shoulders wearing a T-Shirt saying "Not my boyfriend" with an arrow pointing down at Skinner.
In Season 17 ("The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
The Seemingly Never-Ending Story
"The Seemingly Never-Ending Story" is the 13th episode of The Simpsons 17th season. It originally aired in the United States on March 12, 2006.-Plot:...
"), a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
showed that Krabappel was in a serious relationship with Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
when she first moved to Springfield, before meeting Skinner or even becoming a teacher. She was about to elope with him, but then changed her mind when she met Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
, a student she believed needed help. Consequently, Moe breaks up with her. At the end of the episode, Moe and Edna are a couple once again, much to Skinner's jealousy when he catches them making out on school property. In "Regarding Margie
Regarding Margie
“Regarding Margie” is the 20th episode of The Simpsons’ seventeenth season.-Plot:Looking for a way to get easy money, Bart, Milhouse, and Nelson go around town spray-painting people’s addresses on their curbs and making them pay them ten dollars for the unsolicited service...
", she and Principal Skinner are seen making love on a golf course. Then he climbs off and she says, "Birthday is over, Seymour," and lights up a cigarette.
Edna is in a relationship with Ned Flanders. During the twenty second episode of the twenty second season, "The Ned-Liest Catch
The Ned-Liest Catch
"The Ned-Liest Catch" is the twenty-second episode and season finale of the twenty-second season of The Simpsons. It aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 22, 2011. This is the second season finale to end on a cliffhanger, with the first being "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" from the sixth...
", Ned and Edna began dating. The fate of the couple was left to a fan vote, to be revealed during the twenty third season opener. When 'The Falcon and the D'Ohman debuted, it revealed that the fans voted in favour of the relationship. At the close of the episode, a disclaimer appeared on screen which stated - "What our fans have joined together, let no writer rip asunder".
Character
Wallace Wolodarsky
Wallace Wolodarsky is an American television writer and director. He wrote for The Simpsons during the first four seasons; all of his episodes were co-written with former writing partner Jay Kogen...
and Jay Kogen
Jay Kogen
-Early life:Jay Steven Kogen was born on May 3rd, 1963 in Brooklyn, New York. He is the son of Mad writer Arnie Kogen, and Sue Kogen . His paternal grandparents, Samuel Kogen and Pauline Gorin, were Jewish immigrants from the Russian Empire , while his maternal grandparents, Harold Hirsch and Ida...
as a play on the fruit "crabapple
Malus
Malus , the apples, are a genus of about 30–35 species of small deciduous trees or shrubs in the family Rosaceae. Other studies go as far as 55 species including the domesticated Orchard Apple, or Table apple as it was formerly called...
" and as a reference to the teacher Miss Crabtree from the 1930s The Little Rascals
Our Gang
Our Gang, also known as The Little Rascals or Hal Roach's Rascals, was a series of American comedy short films about a group of poor neighborhood children and the adventures they had together. Created by comedy producer Hal Roach, the series is noted for showing children behaving in a relatively...
TV series. Also, there was an initial joke of no one mispronouncing the character's last name as "Crabapple" until Milhouse
Milhouse Van Houten
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character featured in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Pamela Hayden. He is Bart Simpson's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School....
uses it in a later episode, stunning the other children. In one episode Homer is horrified to learn that no one has corrected him for calling her "Krandal." Like many characters, Mrs. Krabappel has a memorable catchphrase, used often in the series: her derisive laugh ("HA!").
Cultural impact and reception
Marcia Wallace won an Emmy AwardPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance is a creative arts Emmy Award given out by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It is awarded to a performer for an outstanding "continuing or single voice-over performance in a series or a special." Prior to 1992, voice-actors...
in 1992 for voicing
Voice acting
Voice acting is the art of providing voices for animated characters and radio and audio dramas and comedy, as well as doing voice-overs in radio and television commercials, audio dramas, dubbed foreign language films, video games, puppet shows, and amusement rides.Performers are called...
Krabappel in the third season
The Simpsons (season 3)
The Simpsons third season originally aired on the Fox network between September 19, 1991 and May 7, 1992. The show runners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt...
-episode "Bart the Lover
Bart the Lover
"Bart the Lover" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons third season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 13, 1992. In the episode Mrs. Edna Krabappel, Bart's teacher, feels increasingly isolated and, looking for a companion, places a personal ad in the newspaper...
". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called "Special Edna
Special Edna
"Special Edna" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons fourteenth season. The episode aired on January 5, 2003. The episode's title is a play on Special Ed. The plot would continue in the episode "My Big Fat Geek Wedding".-Plot:Mrs. Krabappel assigns a paper on World War I, due in three weeks...
" the best episode of the fourteenth season of the show. Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
modeled her hairdo in the film Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading
Burn After Reading is a 2008 black comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. The film stars George Clooney, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt. It was released in the United States on September 12, 2008, and it was released on October 17, 2008...
on Krabappel's.
External links
- Edna Krabappel's profile at TheSimpsons.com