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Clancy Wiggum

Revision as of 01:45, 20 November 2017 by LucienTP2 (Message Wall | contribs) (→‎Appearances)
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“If anything goes wrong, just dial 911. Unless it's an emergency.”
―Wiggum[2]
“It was only two days till he retired.”
―Wiggum
“Cuff 'em, Lou.”
―Wiggum's catchphrase
“Let's roll boys!.”
―Wiggum's Catchphrase
“Take 'em away, boys.”
―Wiggum[3]
“Book 'em, Lou.”
―Wiggum's catchphrase[4]

Commissioner Clarence "Clancy" Wiggum, formerly Chief Clarence "Clancy" Wiggum, is the head of police of the Springfield Police Department. He is an extreme stereotype of a lazy police officer (copper). Commissioner Wiggum is morbidly obese, straightforwardly indecent, ignorant, incompetent, and really lazy, with a fondness for doughnuts and "Chintzy Pop" (a fictional popcorn that is based on Jiffy Pop). While he pretentiously feigns authority, he has little regard for individual rights or even public safety. He is disturbingly uninformed and flaunts his power, albeit with good intentions most of the time. He is part Irish.[5] His pants are size 56. He is a major character in The Simpsons and the tritagonist of The Simpsons Movie.

He, along with the rest of Springfield's government and Springfield police force, is also corrupt, having asked for or taken bribes several times. An example of this is he can ignore any crime if he is bribed, like being notably solicited Troy McClure and Homer Simpson for bribes in exchange for "looking the other way" to their criminal activities. When Bart bribed him with stolen wedding presents, he told him to read his badge and, at the bottom of the badge, was the caption "Cash Bribes only".[6] He has a strained friendship with Mayor Quimby, as the two men vie to have control over the city, which once lead to a serious argument in regards of who takes over during an emergency on the Monorail crisis. Wiggum claims to have compromising photographs of the mayor. Mayor Quimby argued back saying, "you don't scare me; that could be anyone's ass"! This strained relationship may help to explain why Commissioner Wiggum has retained his job, despite his inability to do any of his duties.

He is often assisted by his more intelligent (but still quite lazy and often rather cocky) "top cops" Eddie and Lou. He is completely ignorant of Springfield's laws, makes up his own laws on the fly and often quotes sayings from the police handbook which cannot actually be found in the book ("like the book says, if you can't beat them, join them"). According to The Bart Book, Clancy is also in the SPD Bomb Squad, which is in fact just him in a hockey maso.

Biography

Clancy Wiggum was possibly born in Ireland.[7] However, he also seemed to spend at least some part of his early childhood in Maryland, as he mentioned he used to sell ribbons there with his father, Iggy Wiggum. Iggy was a WWII veteran who died in a parade float accident in 1979, along with Arnie Gumble, Sheldon Skinner, Etch Westgrin, and Griff McDonald, all members of Abe Simpson's Flying Hellfish.[8] He did, however, grow up in Springfield and was among the same class and age group as Homer Simpson, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Barney Gumble, and possibly Marge Simpson.

At an early age, Wiggum played cops and robbers with Homer and other kids his age, showing a clear ambition to become a police officer.

Wiggum (1960's)

As student security monitor at Springfield University, at the age of 16.

At the age of 16, he was a hall monitor at high school, and possibly had a part-time security guard job at Springfield State University. Wiggum was present at the University's germ research labs (of which Prof. C. Montgomery Burns was chairman at the time) when Mona Simpson and the hippie activist group she was part of sabotaged the germ experiments. Wiggum, who had suffered from asthma prior to that, was cured by antibiotics that the group released to kill the germs, and helped Mona Simpson escape the police when she was on the run twenty-five years later to return the favor. Near the beginning of the school year in 1978, Commissioner Wiggum, then a drug officer, was investigating Lenny, Carl, and Homer for taking marijuana, and had his sniffer dog, Sergeant Scraps, sniff Homer to see if he had weed: Sergeant Scraps succeeded in sniffing drugs on Homer, and, to even Wiggum's shock, attacked Homer by biting him in the crotch (as he placed his joint in that area) and started throwing him around like a throw-rug.

Scraps 1

Wiggum in the late 1970s.

In 1985, Commissioner Wiggum was involved in the barbershop quartet called the "Be Sharps". Wiggum was a member with Homer Simpson, Seymour Skinner, and Apu. However, a talent scout, who showed interest in the Be Sharps, didn't like Wiggum as a performer. Consequently, he was thrown out of the group. When auditions were held to find a replacement for Wiggum, he attempted to be reselected for the quartet. He wore a disguise under the name Dr. Doolittle, but was found out.[9]

Early attempts to get into the Police Force when he was a teenager were unsuccessful on account of his asthma, so when it had been cured he could then pursue his ambition to become a professional police officer. Having entered the Police Academy by age 24, Wiggum managed to work around his many shortcomings and finally become a full fledged officer. By the age of 34, he had managed to work his way up to the position of Police Chief of Springfield. He eventually was promoted to Commissioner after Bart's hoax kidnapping case. It is implied that Wiggum managed to overcome his shortcomings with coaxing methods such as great skills with back massages and charm to get the position of Chief. But he actually received the job when the frustrated former Chief resolved to give it to the next person he met, which was Wiggum. Another explanation is when mayor Quimby said that he made Wiggum the police chief so that the law would not be enforced to the letter, and he could get away with all his corrupt activities. This may also explain why Commissioner Wiggum has somewhat of a feud with Mayor Quimby, such as getting into a serious argument about Mayor Quimby in regards to Marge's arrest,[10] blackmailing Mayor Quimby with incriminating photos,[11] and even trying to arrest Mayor Quimby for corruption charges.[12] Regardless, Wiggum had accomplished his childhood ambition.

Wiggum weighs about 350 pounds and is 5'9" tall.

The Wiggum Family

Wiggum and his family today.

Other than his job as Police Commissioner, he is also the coach for the Mighty Pigs Hockey team. He is also implied to have a gambling problem, with a tendency to bet on the other team even when his team won.[13] He also is a participant in the Annual Chili Cook-Off, where it is implied that he holds a grudge against Homer Simpson due to the latter's infamously merciless scathing reviews of various chili. One year, he briefly got his revenge on Homer by including in his chili Guatemalan Insanity Peppers, which he added to his chili specifically in anticipation of Homer tasting his. However, Homer eventually got his revenge by tasting multiple tastes of chili while having coated his mouth with wax (which Wiggum's son had inadvertently planted the idea into him when Ralph attempted to stop Homer when he almost drank from a candle container), leaving Wiggum stunned and horrified while Homer tauntingly told him to "not quit his day job." However, Wiggum ultimately got the last laugh as the Insanity Peppers ended up causing Homer to undergo a psychotic break.

Wiggum is also worryingly dismissive of basic firearm safety and uses his gun for various tasks that continuously put his life in danger. Examples include selling pieces of it to feed his family after being fired from his position as chief of police, using it as a nutcracker, and eating donuts off its barrel. When it goes off and nearly shoots him through the head (instead going through the peak of his cap), he merely remarks on what a close call it was and resumes eating.

Personality

Wiggum capitalises the negative aspects of the police force and service, especially within Springfield and perhaps the judicial system in general; one could say representative to the stereotype of the American cop, displaying traits such as laziness, abuse of power, authority and position of control, accepting given and occasionally requesting bribes from suspects like Troy McClure and Homer, reckless arresting of individuals without of and or disregard for evidence, ignorance of the law and just general incompetence. His badge actually states on the fine print, "cash bribes only". In addition to the stereotype Wiggum embodies, he constantly eats donuts, more so than the like of Homer Simpson (the actual trademark of the character, becoming so fat that Wiggum states it requires a village to make his pants, can barely walk up a flight of stairs without running out of breath, let alone chase a suspect (although surprisingly he has been able to chase and keep up with the more fitter Snake at times) and his walk has actually become a waddle because of his pint-sized legs having difficulty withstanding his large stomach. 

Multiple times, Wiggum displays an ignorance for the law, usually making up his own nonsensical reasons for arresting people or disguising trivial slights on his person as breaking legality rather than actual crime. After being awoken by a high-speed chase by Snake and Homer, Wiggum pursues on the basis to arrest the two of them being that they woke a police officer (although because he stated this into a police scanner there is the off-chance that this is an official law in Springfield). Secondly when Grandpa Simpson ploughed a plane through Springfield, containing illegal narcotics and endangering countless lives, he proceeds to arrest Abe on the basis that he startled him. Upon discovering Abe's popularity amongst the townspeople, Wiggum refuses, alluding his reasoning behind this the law which states; "if you can't beat them, join them". When Lou points out that most of the laws that Wiggum states are nonexistent Wiggum directs him to the law book where they supposedly are and then slaps the book into Lou's face. On the other hand, Wiggum has occasionally displayed a staunch and ethical direction and clear view of the law, at ties butting heads with the less morally inclined Mayor Quimby who is willing to break legal laws to retain his position as mayor of Springfield. Ultimately, if Wiggum believes that something will make his job that much easier he has no concern with ignoring legal and police guidelines nor is he above using his position to enforce corruption. He openly endorses the prospect of vigilantism, due to claiming that although the law was powerless to help people was paradoxically powerful enough to arrest them, however, Wiggum also exerted a great deal of police time into finding the active vigilante, Pie Man even though it made his job easier but later dropped the case altogether even after Homer revealed himself to be the vigilante. In some cases, he also deliberately avoids trying to solve crimes, such as falsely claiming that it's 912 rather than 911 when an emergency was done, and also dismissing both Homer and an obvious pyromaniac requesting mental help by sarcastically typing on an imaginary typewriter, as well as sarcastically dismissing calls when Stampy stampeded through various places as well as a liquor store robbery that resulted in an officer being shot. In one case, he also refused to pursue a sniper at Downtown Springfield with Lou and Eddie (although in that particular case, that wasn't actually his fault, as his wife Sarah Wiggum had a dust ruffle she ordered for their bedroom sent directly to the police station, thus forcing him to stay behind at the Police Station so he could sign off on the delivery when it came in as otherwise it would be sent back to the package place and presumably make attempting to get the item much more problematic, with Wiggum clearly being unhappy at the arrangement.).

IMG 6084

Wiggum's badge

His characteristics are notably pig-like, an obvious joke by the animators, amongst these traits his snout and snort-like laugh. When he was 16 Wiggum was the security for Mr. Burns germ warfare lab and he had asthma but the released antibiotics cured him but he still retained his acne.

Outside of his police job, Wiggum used to be the coach of the Peewee hockey team but it's unknown if he kept this job after a violent riot destroyed the stadium. In addition, during that time, it was implied he had a gambling problem, as he ended up not taking his team to a victory celebration feast due to his having bet on the other team. He was also a former B Sharps member before being replaced by Barney Gumble.

IMG 6083

Wiggum eating a donut with his police gun

There have been instances where Wiggum proves to be a good cop at times despite his ignorance and laziness. For example he successfully located the missing Maggie Simpson and helped Homer chase Marge and Ruth Connors when they became convicts. He showed an uncharacteristic level of dedication to his police work when trying to find the shooter who gunned down Mr. Burns and when trying to find the kidnapped Bart Simpson, successfully did so (although at the time Bart was only faking being kidnapped). A large part of Wiggum's incompetence can be factored to the low police funding within Springfield as the only active police response consists of Wiggum, Lou and Eddie and they are given barely enough power to suppress a riot.

Family

Aside from his late father, Clancy is the husband of Sarah Wiggum (who he met when he was arresting her for possession of drugs that he planted on her to "make her notice him") and the father of Ralph Wiggum, a second grader at Springfield Elementary. He has a cousin named Mark who went to Pennsylvania State University; Wiggum describes him as a "fat kid" who "played a lot of Tetris." His other deceased relatives include a brother-in-law named Fred Kanneke (who was killed by Dr. Egoyan, who Wiggum arrested as soon as the voters overturned the assisted suicide law) and an uncle who (according to Wiggum) died of "crotch dot." Wiggum also has an unnamed brother who, after attending military school, presumably went crazy and now "owns and operates a famous cave." Finally, he claims to have a sister, who is completely hairless like a Sphynx cat.

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.

Treehouse of Horror

In "The Devil and Homer Simpson", Chief Wiggum has a brief appearance in the ending where he and the other members of the Springfield Police Department are waiting outside the Simpsons' house, obviously in anticipation of tearing chunks of Homer's donut-ified head for their morning coffee (a consequence of his narrowly escaping the Devil's snares).

Wiggum also briefly appears in Treehouse of Horror VI as part of the PTA meeting on "Smarch", where he bore witness to Groundskeeper Willie's grisly demise. When Willie ominously threatened them for leaving him to die, Wiggum jokingly asked if he was going to use "skeleton power" against their children in reference to Willie's charred corpse appearing skeletal.

In Unnormal Activity, he was called in to investigate the Simpson House after the family discovered unusual activity inside it, in particular a blazing flame. He identified it as hellfire, and deduced that someone sold their soul to the Devil and that the devil was expecting his due. However, upon the ring of a cuckoo clock, he ended up turned into a skeleton (presumably by the Devil) and collapsed into dust, although not before warning the family that the Devil feeds on "more than just fear."

Future

It is shown in Professor Frink's future machine that Wiggum will, along with Lou and Eddie, become a Robo-Cop like machine-officer with a rotisserie in his stomach.

Video-games

Your mom

Wiggum laughing at pig's nose although it is similar to his

The Simpsons: Hit and Run

Wiggum appears several times in The Simpsons: Hit and Run video game. The first time was during Level 2, where he attempts to arrest Bart for buying illegal fireworks (he used his son Ralph Wiggum as bait to arrest people buying illegal fireworks as part of a sting operation), intending to place him under five life sentences of community service, but he fails to catch his quarry, although he later seems to forget this as he tells Bart that Herman's Military Antiques was robbed of a radio recently, and suggests, although not completely sure, that the skid marks from tires would probably lead to the culprit. He later appears in Level 3 when he is trying to bust Snake Jailbird under the Three Strikes Law, but hasn't gotten any evidence yet due to his being a "very, very bad cop." in his own words. Lisa manages to help him collect evidence to put Snake away in exchange for information in regards to her brother's whereabouts. However, he makes a bigger role in The Simpsons: Hit and Run - Level 4, where he first asks Marge to collect some donuts which are falling out of a Lard Lad Donuts truck due to suffering a severe case of sugar withdrawal in exchange for giving her information about cropcircles, and secondly when he races Marge to 742 Evergreen Terrace after she destroyed several trucks of Buzz Cola (he was deeply upset at Marge for doing so due to Buzz Cola being the only thing that allowed him to "gain the courage to take his shirt off in the station locker room").

The Simpsons Game

Wiggum appears at the end of Bartman Begins to take Principal Skinner away for having the three teenagers rob the museum. He also appears as one of the contestants in the Duff Ultimate Eating Challenge in Around the World in 80 Bites. He appears as one of the enemies in Mob Rules, where he tries controlling the mob, mainly by blockading key parts of the town but, in the Xbox and PS3 versions, helping try and protect the statue in the town square. He can also be heard speaking through his megaphone throughout the level.

He can also be found in the police station during free roam.

Other

Chief Wiggum has his own spin-off show in "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase", "Wiggum P.I." He is fired from the Springfield force for corruption and moves to New Orleans to start working as a private investigator, with Skinner as his partner. Wiggum and Ralph live in a boat house, and Ralph is kidnapped by a villain called Big Daddy. He later finds his son, and Big Daddy escapes.

Chief Wiggum Appears in The Spin Off Game Lego Dimensions. Clancy is seen during the Chaos when Lord Business's Micro Managers attack Springfield over in front of the Town hall Wiggum is seen about to eat some Donuts from Lard Lads Donuts but a Micro Manager floats above and destroys his Police Cruiser. Chief Wiggum appears in The Simpsons Level pack the Mysterious Voyage of Homer with his role mirrored off the Episode. Wiggum can also be seen on the PS4 version walking around Lard Lad's Donuts.

Behind the Laughter

Voice

Wiggum is voiced by Hank Azaria on a gruff tone similar to Moe's, however a bit higher and faster. Azaria first based his voice for Wiggum on David Brinkley (first season) but soon switched it to an Edward G. Robinson impression.

Name

His surname "Wiggum" is Matt Groening's mother's maiden name. As "a conscious pun" Wiggum was designed to look like a pig. In the episode "Marge Gamer", his Earthland Realms alter-ego looked much like his real-life self, only with a pig nose, tail, etc. Many Springfieldianites, like Sideshow Bob, have made fun of his pig-like appearance with taunts such as "Chief Piggum".

Chief Wiggum drinking a Squishee

Chief Wiggum at the Kwik-E-Mart getting interviewed

Relationship with Ralph Wiggum

Ralph was not revealed to be the son of Clancy Wiggum until the episode "I Love Lisa", where Ralph asks for advice from his dad about his crush on Lisa. The writers decided that making Ralph Chief Wiggum's son made sense due to similar body types and levels of intelligence.

Trivia

  • According to Hank Alzaria, his voice as Wiggum (and to some extent, his father) was based on "a bad impression" of actor Edward G. Robinson. This was even given a brief nod in the episode Bart Gets an Elephant, where Chief Wiggum, upon getting a 911 call about a liquor store robbery that had an officer being shot in the line of duty, proceeds to sarcastically dismiss the caller by saying "Yeah, sure. And I'm Edward G. Robinson!"
  • In the Italian version of the show, he speaks with a Neapolitan accent, and his last name was changed to "Winchester" for unknown reasons.
  • Wiggum is very sensitive to poison oak and immediately collapses from an allergic reaction after contacting it.
  • A flashback in "Mother Simpson" it is shown that Wiggum and Homer Simpson are about 6 or 7 years apart. However, in Springfield Up they are show to both be the same age. This might be due to the terrible continity of the series.
  • Wiggum's catchphrase, "Cuff 'em, Lou," could be a reference to the original Hawaii 5-0, where McGarrett says, "Book 'em, Danno."
  • The Wiggum surname came from Marjorie Groening's (Matt Groening's mother) maiden name.
  • His BMI is 53.27, well over the classification for morbidly obese.
  • On two separate occasions, Wiggum has referenced Goldilocks and the Three Bears:
    • When Homer returned for a rematch regarding the Guatemalan Insanity Pepper, Wiggum, while mocking Homer, stated "Oh no, my porridge is too hot!"
    • He also used the code handle "Papa Bear" when chasing down an escaped Cattle Rustler (Snake Jailbird) when communicating through the police scanner.
  • Despite being originally from Ireland, his surname is Norwegian in origin.

Appearances

Incomplete This article or section is incomplete.

Please improve the article, or discuss the issue on the talk page.

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons Road Rage

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons Skateboarding

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons: Hit and Run

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons Game

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons: Tapped Out

Joystick Video game – LEGO Dimensions

Joystick Video game – The Simpsons Ride

Gallery

245px-Chief Wiggum
The full image gallery for Clancy Wiggum may be viewed at Clancy Wiggum/Gallery.

Citations

  1. ↑ The Bob Next Door
  2. ↑ My Sister, My Sitter
  3. ↑ Cape Feare
  4. ↑ Much Apu About Nothing
  5. ↑ In the Name of the Grandfather
  6. ↑ The Wandering Juvie
  7. ↑ In the Name of the Grandfather
  8. ↑ Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"
  9. ↑ Homer's Barbershop Quartet
  10. ↑ Homer Alone
  11. ↑ Marge vs. the Monorail
  12. ↑ They Saved Lisa's Brain
  13. ↑ Lisa on Ice

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