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When that Simpson boy showed up, it took years off my life!
―Clancy Bouvier in The Way We Was
Don't look at me! DON'T LOOK AT ME!!
―Clancy Bouvier in Fear of Flying (flashback).

Clancy Bouvier[2][3], occasionally referred to as Grandpa Bouvier or Mr. Bouvier,[4] was the husband of Jacqueline Bouvier, the father of Selma Bouvier, Patty Bouvier, Marge Simpson, and possibly Uncle Arthur. He was the brother-in-law of the late Gladys, the son-in-law of Ferdinand Gurney and Alvarine Gurney, the father-in-law (possibly only posthumously) of Homer Simpson and the maternal grandfather of Maggie, Lisa and Bart Simpson and Ling Bouvier. He was of French ancestry.[5][6]

Biography

Like Patty and Selma, he was a chain-smoker. When he was first trying to catch his future wife's eye, he sent a box of candy with his photo in it to her. After that, she never forgot him. Marge suggested try the same thing when Homer was upset because Mr. Charles Montgomery Burns did not remember his name.[7] Before his death, Clancy was the only recurring member of the Bouvier family not to outwardly display hatred of his son-in-law, Homer.

Ever since his children were little, Clancy went to Springfield Town Hall to sing the City Anthem and continued to do so as he aged. He lost his right leg at some point when Marge, Patty and Selma were children.[8]

Jobs

Clancy Bouvier (2F08)

Clancy Bouvier as a flight attendant in "Fear of Flying"

He was one of the earliest male flight attendants, although he was ashamed of it. This was discovered when Marge boarded his plane to see her "pilot" father, but when she saw him performing stewardess duties, he begged her not to look at him. This, along with several other plane-related mishaps, may have resulted in Marge's fear of flying.[9] At some point, he also served in the United States Navy where he picked up a swearing problem, which nearly cost him his job as a baby photographer.[10]

Marge also mentioned that he played a pizza in an antacid commercial, which she witnessed on a "take your daughter to work day".[11]

Swear jar

In the season 3 episode "Bart the Lover", Ned Flanders and Marge think Homer swears too much. Marge tells Homer the above story of her father almost losing his job due to his swearing problem. To solve this problem, Jacqueline put a swear jar in the kitchen. then every time he said a bad word he put in a quarter. It worked for Homer, and apparently it worked for Clancy, too.

Opinion of Homer

Clancy first met Homer when he arrived at the Bouvier home claiming to be Marge's prom date. He was kind and complimentary to Homer, saying, "From what she's told me, I'm sure you're a solid citizen." Sadly, for Homer, that was actually Marge's description of Artie.[12]

When Marge returned home after the prom, she overheard her father stating that "when that Simpson boy showed up, it took years off [his] life", to which her mother replied, "Will you stop? She went with the good one." (Referring to Artie).

ClancybouvierIV

A man who is presumably an aged Clancy (right), together with his family at Springfield Town Hall.

Death

At the start of the series, Clancy is strongly implied to have died. He isn't present with the rest of the Bouvier family in "Bart vs. Thanksgiving", and Jacqueline is portrayed as being unmarried in "Lady Bouvier's Lover". It was never outright stated that he is deceased until season 18's "Jazzy and the Pussycats".[13] It was later revealed by his widow Jacqueline that he died of lung cancer.[14]

Exactly when Clancy died is vague. He was not present in the episode "I Married Marge" when Homer and Marge marry and Bart is born, implying he died prior to that. However, a flashback in "Walking Big & Tall" shows a man seated next to the Bouvier family, presumably Clancy, when Bart and Lisa were toddlers. In "Bart's Not Dead", when Bart briefly visits Heaven, he sees Clancy, unaware that he is missing a leg (implying he has no conscious memory of his grandfather).

C L A N C Y

In "Homer's Adventures Through the Windshield Glass", when Homer briefly visits Hell, he meets Clancy, who has apparently been sent here for tax evasion.

Non-canon

Ssi 5 The contents of this article or section are considered to be non-canon and therefore may not have actually happened/existed.

Clancy's first name originally appeared in various Simpsons books and didn't become canon until season 20's "Wedding for Disaster", when it can be seen on Homer and Marge's wedding certificate.

In an issue of the comic Simpsons Illustrated, Lisa says that Clancy died in rollercoaster accident in 1985.

In "Treehouse of Horror III", he was eaten by King Homer at his and Marge's wedding despite this Marge was not upset.

In The Simpsons: Tapped Out, Clancy's ghost comes to warn Homer during the episode tie-in quest line "Ghouls and Gluttons".

Appearances

As Clancy is deceased, and only a minor character, he is rarely seen or referred to. Episodes in bold are incidences when Clancy had a major role or featured heavily in the episode's storyline.

  1. Simp Episode – "The Way We Was" (flashback)
  2. Simp Episode – "The War of the Simpsons" (mentioned)
  3. Simp Episode – "Bart the Lover" (mentioned)
  4. The Simpsons Halloween Special - Title Card THOH – "Treehouse of Horror III" (King Homer)
  5. Simp Episode – "Fear of Flying" (flashback)
  6. Simp Episode – "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)" (mentioned)
  7. Simp Episode – "Jazzy and the Pussycats" (mentioned)
  8. Simp Episode – "Marge Gamer" (mentioned)
  9. Simp Episode – "Wedding For Disaster" (name seen on certificate of marriage)
  10. Simp Episode – "The Color Yellow" (mentioned)
  11. Simp Episode – "Walking Big & Tall" (flashback)
  12. Simp Episode – "Puffless" (seen on slideshow and mentioned)
  13. The Simpsons Halloween Special - Title Card THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXVI" (as a ghost in samurai clothes in "Homerzilla")
  14. Simp Episode – "Bart's Not Dead " (mentioned and appears as a ghost)
  15. Simp Episode – "My Octopus and a Teacher" (mentioned)
  16. Simp Episode – "Poorhouse Rock" (mentioned)
  17. Simp Episode – "Homer's Adventures Through the Windshield Glass" (flashbacks and scenes in Hell)
  18. Book red BookThe Marge Book

Joystick Video gameThe Simpsons: Tapped Out (ghost; picture and dialog only)

Joystick Video gameThe Simpsons: Virtual Springfield (photograph)

  1. Book red BookThe Simpsons Uncensored Family Album
  2. Bongo Comic bookSimpsons Illustrated #4 (mentioned in "The Simpsons: Loused Weekend")

Notes

  • In the series, he first appears with brown hair. However, he later appears with blue hair, to match with the hair color of his wife and daughter. In the latest episodes, he again appears with brown hair, except in "Puffless".

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Citations

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