Ruth Powers is the Simpsons' current[1] next-door neighbor and the single mother of Laura Powers.
Biography[]
Ruth is divorced, and she has a daughter named Laura Powers. The circumstances behind Ruth's marriage are not explained, but she has mentioned her ex-husband behaves similar to a hardworking and career dedicated but less affable version of Homer Simpson and he was continually stiffing Ruth on child support. Due to his faults that were said to have led to their messy divorce, Ruth claims he stole her youth and outlook on life, which includes her becoming a near misandrist that she stole his car for revenge. [2]
Ruth and Marge Simpson became fast friends after Ruth moved in next door. One evening, they went to a ballet after Homer, who was originally supposed to go with Marge, literally got stuck at work (with his arms in two vending machines). Later they had a girls' night out where they went line dancing at a country bar called Shotkickers, went raving at an underground club named The Hate Box, did some target shooting (using a farmer's antique cans as targets), and went up to the Springfield sign overlooking the city. They ended up going on the run from the law, however, after Chief Wiggum tried to pull them over because of a broken taillight, and Ruth chose to flee because they were driving the car which she had stolen from her ex-husband.[2]
Ruth is an active member of the NRA, having attended Homer's "gun-warming" party at the Simpsons house in "The Cartridge Family."
Ruth had shown signs of being an alcoholic, since she is seen at an alcoholics anonymous meeting in The Simpsons Movie, as well as watching a video on the results of drunk driving with a horrified expression on her face in "Duffless". She was also at Moe's Tavern in New Kid on the Block when Moe started calling out for "Ivana Tinkle", with her clutching her mouth in an obvious attempt at restraining her laughter upon his first calling out the name, implying she immediately realized Moe was being duped.
Ruth was later imprisoned for a short time during this for another offense, which is unspecified. While she was in prison, Ruth built up her muscles and became a bodybuilder, which earned the title "Miss Mexican Mafia" and took steroids to expand her muscles. Noticing her old neighbor while on a jog at Springfield's muscle beach and pier, Marge reunited with Ruth where they shared their interests in bodybuilding and where Ruth introduced her to taking steroids.[3] Later in The Simpsons Movie, Ruth was shown joining the angry mob that attempted to kill Homer, and possibly the other Simpsons, for getting the town sealed in a dome. Ruth's house was sold to Sideshow Bob (disguised as Walt Warren).[4] The Powers later moved in again, as in a neighborhood meeting at the Simpson house, Ruth told Marge she hasn't "stopped by to say hello in 25 years, and I live next door".[1]
Physical appearance[]
- Ruth Powers has brown hair and typically wears a red bandana, gold hoop earrings, lavender top, brown sandals and blue pants.
- Ruth's facial symmetry is extremely similar to that of Allison Taylor. Though, presumably coincidental, it has been a subject of many fan-made works most of which depict her as being Allison's long-lost mother.
- When bodybuilding at an open-air gym on the beach, she wears a blue bikini.
Trivia[]
- On June 17, 2015, as part of the level 54 update, Ruth was added to The Simpsons: Tapped Out. You first have to build Shotkickers to unlock her.
- In the game, she’s a worker of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant.
Appearances[]
Note: Many of her appearances are brief background roles. Episodes where she has an actual role are in bold.
- Episode – "New Kid on the Block" (Debut episode)
- Episode – "Marge vs. the Monorail"
- Episode – "Duffless"
- Episode – "Marge on the Lam"
- Episode – "Homer the Vigilante"
- Episode – "The PTA Disbands"
- Episode – "Bart the Fink"
- Episode – "Much Apu About Nothing"
- Episode – "Homerpalooza"
- Episode – "Hurricane Neddy"
- Episode – "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)"
- Episode – "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson"
- Episode – "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show"
- Episode – "Brother from Another Series"
- Episode – "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" (Next to the bar in Moe's as it rises up from the floor with Barney)
- Episode – "The Old Man and the Lisa"
- Episode – "In Marge We Trust"
- Episode – "The Cartridge Family"
- Episode – "Bart Star"
- Episode – "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons"
- Episode – "Lisa the Skeptic"
- Episode – "The Joy of Sect"
- Episode – "Lisa the Simpson"
- Episode – "Trash of the Titans"
- Episode – "King of the Hill"
- Episode – "When You Dish Upon a Star"
- Episode – "Homer to the Max"
- Episode – "Wild Barts Can't Be Broken"
- THOH – "Treehouse of Horror IX"
- Episode – "Mayored to the Mob"
- Episode – "Simpsons Bible Stories"
- Episode – "Monty Can't Buy Me Love"
- Episode – "They Saved Lisa's Brain"
- Episode – "Brother's Little Helper"
- Episode – "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?"
- Episode – "Faith Off"
- Episode – "Lisa the Tree Hugger"
- Episode – "Homer vs. Dignity"
- Episode – "Children of a Lesser Clod"
- Episode – "I'm Goin' to Praiseland"
- Episode – "Sweets and Sour Marge"
- Episode – "Gump Roast"
- Episode – "Large Marge"
- Episode – "The Strong Arms of the Ma"
- Episode – "The President Wore Pearls"
- Episode – "Marge vs. Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens and Gays"
- Episode – "Diatribe of a Mad Housewife"
- Episode – "My Big Fat Geek Wedding"
- Episode – "Fat Man and Little Boy"
- Episode – "Pranksta Rap" (Was part of the group of single women cheering for Kirk Van Houten)
- Episode – "There's Something About Marrying"
- Episode – "Home Away From Homer"
- Episode – "Jazzy and the Pussycats"
- Episode – "Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)"
- Episode – "The Boys of Bummer"
- Episode – "24 Minutes"
- Episode – "I Don't Wanna Know Why the Caged Bird Sings"
- Episode – "Husbands and Knives"
- Episode – "Funeral for a Fiend"
- Episode – "That '90s Show"
- – The Simpsons Movie
- Episode – "Double, Double, Boy in Trouble"
- Episode – "Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words"
- Episode – "The Burns and the Bees"
- Episode – "Take My Life, Please"
- Episode – "Boy Meets Curl" (Curling with the Van Houtens)
- Episode – "The Bob Next Door" (In crowd welcoming Walt, who has moved into her old house next door to the Simpsons)
- Episode – "Judge Me Tender" (Sits behind Agnes Skinner and next to Lenny and Carl at the dog show judging)
- Episode – "The Fool Monty" (In line at the hospital for the cat vaccine. Later in crowd staring up at Burns' helicopter)
- Episode – "Love is a Many Strangled Thing"
- Episode – "Homer Scissorhands"
- Episode – "The Man in the Blue Flannel Pants" (Appear from the one of the cogwheel)
- Episode – "Politically Inept, with Homer Simpson" (Airport)
- Episode – "The D'oh-cial Network"
- Episode – "Moe Goes from Rags to Riches" (In Moe's dancing to "All Night Long")
- Episode – "At Long Last Leave" (Sitting in last row at town meeting)
- Episode – "Treehouse of Horror XXIII" Mayan citizen during opening
- Episode – "Penny-Wiseguys"
- Episode – "A Test Before Trying" (Seen holding up the "Expensive Electricity Burn$ Me Up" sign)
- Episode – "Dark Knight Court"
- Episode – "Pulpit Friction" (Seen at the church)
- Episode – "Dangers on a Train" (Swapper Jack's)
- Episode – "Four Regrettings and a Funeral" (Seen at church and at town square)
- Episode – "Yolo" (Seen at the PTA meeting)
- Episode – "Labor Pains" (Seen at the football game)
- Episode – "Steal This Episode" (Seen in the Simpson's backyard)
- Episode – "Married to the Blob" (Seen at Chuck Dukewagon's All American Chow Lounge)
- Episode – "The Man Who Grew Too Much" (Appeared at the school meeting)
- Episode – "Brick Like Me"
- Episode – "The Yellow Badge of Cowardge" (Edwin Moses at Field Day, the LIVENICE rally, fireworks)
- Episode – "The Wreck of the Relationship" (Appeared in a photo)
- Episode – "Opposites A-Frack"
- Episode – "Simpsorama" (Town Square)
- Episode – "Walking Big & Tall" (School auditorium/Sitting next to Chief Wiggum at the anthem concert)
- Episode – "Waiting for Duffman" (Springcycle)
- Episode – "Peeping Mom" (The Springfield Sign 50th Jubilee)
- Episode – "Cue Detective" (Audience of the chew network)
- Episode – "Halloween of Horror" (With the townspeople at town square)
- Episode – "Paths of Glory"
- Episode – "Love Is in the N2-O2-Ar-CO2-Ne-He-CH4"
- Episode – "Gal of Constant Sorrow"
- Episode – "Simprovised" (Moe's Tavern)
- Episode – "Orange is the New Yellow"
- Episode – "Monty Burns' Fleeing Circus"
- Episode – "There Will Be Buds"
- Episode – "Dogtown"
- Episode – "The Serfsons"
- THOH – "Treehouse of Horror XXVII"
- Episode – "The Old Blue Mayor She Ain't What She Used To Be"
- Episode – "Haw-Haw Land"
- Episode – "I'm Dancing As Fat As I Can"
- Episode – "Gorillas on the Mast" (seen inside Moe's)
- Episode – "Marge the Lumberjill"
- Episode – "Todd, Todd, Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?" (seen in church)
- Episode – "Better Off Ned (episode)" Better Off Ned
- Episode – "The Way of the Dog"
- Episode – "Podcast News" (seen in angry crowd)
- Episode – "The Wayz We Were"
- Episode – "Pin Gal"
The Simpsons: Season Four | ||||
"Kamp Krusty": | "A Streetcar Named Marge": | "Homer the Heretic": | "Lisa the Beauty Queen": | "Treehouse of Horror III": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie": | "Marge Gets a Job": | "New Kid on the Block": | "Mr. Plow": | "Lisa's First Word": |
Absent | Absent | Major | Absent | Absent |
"Homer's Triple Bypass": | "Marge vs. the Monorail": | "Selma's Choice": | "Brother from the Same Planet": | "I Love Lisa": |
Absent | Minor | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Duffless": | "Last Exit to Springfield": | "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show": | "The Front": | "Whacking Day": |
Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Marge in Chains": | "Krusty Gets Kancelled": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Five | ||||
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet": | "Cape Feare": | "Homer Goes to College": | "Rosebud": | "Treehouse of Horror IV": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Marge on the Lam": | "Bart's Inner Child": | "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood": | "The Last Temptation of Homer": | "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)": |
Major | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Homer the Vigilante": | "Bart Gets Famous": | "Homer and Apu": | "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy": | "Deep Space Homer": |
Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Homer Loves Flanders": | "Bart Gets an Elephant": | "Burns' Heir": | "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song": | "The Boy Who Knew Too Much": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Lady Bouvier's Lover": | "Secrets of a Successful Marriage": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Six | ||||
"Bart of Darkness": | "Lisa's Rival": | "Another Simpsons Clip Show": | "Itchy & Scratchy Land": | "Sideshow Bob Roberts": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Treehouse of Horror V": | "Bart's Girlfriend": | "Lisa on Ice": | "Homer Badman": | "Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Fear of Flying": | "Homer the Great": | "And Maggie Makes Three": | "Bart's Comet": | "Homie the Clown": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"Bart vs. Australia": | "Homer vs. Patty and Selma": | "A Star is Burns": | "Lisa's Wedding": | "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"The PTA Disbands": | "'Round Springfield": | "The Springfield Connection": | "Lemon of Troy": | "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)": |
Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
The Simpsons: Season Seven | ||||
"Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)": | "Radioactive Man": | "Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily": | "Bart Sells His Soul": | "Lisa the Vegetarian": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Treehouse of Horror VI": | "King-Size Homer": | "Mother Simpson": | "Sideshow Bob's Last Gleaming": | "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Marge Be Not Proud": | "Team Homer": | "Two Bad Neighbors": | "Scenes from the Class Struggle in Springfield": | "Bart the Fink": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"Lisa The Iconoclast": | "Homer The Smithers": | "The Day The Violence Died": | "A Fish Called Selma": | "Bart on the Road": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"22 Short Films About Springfield": | "Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish"": | "Much Apu About Nothing": | "Homerpalooza": | "Summer of 4 Ft. 2": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Eight | ||||
"Treehouse of Horror VII": | "You Only Move Twice": | "The Homer They Fall": | "Burns, Baby Burns": | "Bart After Dark": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"A Milhouse Divided": | "Lisa's Date with Density": | "Hurricane Neddy": | "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)": | "The Springfield Files": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
"The Twisted World of Marge Simpson": | "Mountain of Madness": | "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious": | "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show": | "Homer's Phobia": |
Cameo | Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
"Brother from Another Series": | "My Sister, My Sitter": | "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment": | "Grade School Confidential": | "The Canine Mutiny": |
Cameo | Cameo | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
"The Old Man and the Lisa": | "In Marge We Trust": | "Homer's Enemy": | "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase": | "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson": |
Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Nine | ||||
"The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson": | "The Principal and the Pauper": | "Lisa's Sax": | "Treehouse of Horror VIII": | "The Cartridge Family": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"Bart Star": | "The Two Mrs. Nahasapeemapetilons": | "Lisa the Skeptic": | "Realty Bites": | "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace": |
Cameo | Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"All Singing, All Dancing": | "Bart Carny": | "The Joy of Sect": | "Das Bus": | "The Last Temptation of Krust": |
Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"Dumbbell Indemnity": | "Lisa the Simpson": | "This Little Wiggy": | "Simpson Tide": | "The Trouble with Trillions": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"Girly Edition": | "Trash of the Titans": | "King of the Hill": | "Lost Our Lisa": | "Natural Born Kissers": |
Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Ten | ||||
"Lard of the Dance": | "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace": | "Bart the Mother": | "Treehouse of Horror IX": | "When You Dish Upon a Star": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"D'oh-in' in the Wind": | "Lisa Gets an "A"": | "Homer Simpson in: "Kidney Trouble"": | "Mayored to the Mob": | "Viva Ned Flanders": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"Wild Barts Can't Be Broken": | "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday": | "Homer to the Max": | "I'm with Cupid": | "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"": |
Cameo | Absent | Cameo | Absent | Absent |
"Make Room for Lisa": | "Maximum Homerdrive": | "Simpsons Bible Stories": | "Mom and Pop Art": | "The Old Man and the "C" Student": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Monty Can't Buy Me Love": | "They Saved Lisa's Brain": | "Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo": | ||
Cameo | Cameo | Cameo |
The Simpsons: Season Eleven | ||||
"Beyond Blunderdome": | "Brother's Little Helper": | "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?": | "Treehouse of Horror X": | "E-I-E-I-D'oh": |
Absent | Cameo | Cameo | Cameo | Absent |
"Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder": | "Eight Misbehavin'": | "Take My Wife, Sleaze": | "Grift of the Magi": | "Little Big Mom": |
Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Faith Off": | "The Mansion Family": | "Saddlesore Galactica": | "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily": | "Missionary: Impossible": |
Cameo | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Absent |
"Pygmoelian": | "Bart to the Future": | "Days of Wine and D'oh'ses": | "Kill the Alligator and Run": | "Last Tap Dance in Springfield": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo |
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge": | "Behind the Laughter": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Twelve | ||||
"Treehouse of Horror XI": | "A Tale of Two Springfields": | "Insane Clown Poppy": | "Lisa the Tree Hugger": | "Homer vs. Dignity": |
Cameo | Cameo | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"The Computer Wore Menace Shoes": | "The Great Money Caper": | "Skinner's Sense of Snow": | "HOMЯ": | "Pokey Mom": |
Absent | Cameo | Absent | Cameo | Absent |
"Worst Episode Ever": | "Tennis the Menace": | "Day of the Jackanapes": | "New Kids on the Blecch": | "Hungry, Hungry Homer": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Bye Bye Nerdie": | "Simpson Safari": | "Trilogy of Error": | "I'm Goin' to Praiseland": | "Children of a Lesser Clod": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Cameo | Cameo |
"Simpsons Tall Tales": | ||||
Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Fourteen | ||||
"Treehouse of Horror XIII": | "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation": | "Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade": | "Large Marge": | "Helter Shelter": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"The Great Louse Detective": | "Special Edna": | "The Dad Who Knew Too Little": | "The Strong Arms of the Ma": | "Pray Anything": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor | Absent |
"Barting Over": | "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can": | "A Star is Born-Again": | "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington": | "C.E. D'oh": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"'Scuse Me While I Miss the Sky": | "Three Gays of the Condo": | "Dude, Where's My Ranch?": | "Old Yeller-Belly": | "Brake My Wife, Please": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"The Bart of War": | "Moe Baby Blues": | |||
Absent | Absent |
The Simpsons: Season Thirty-Three | ||||
"The Star of the Backstage": | "Bart's In Jail!": | "Treehouse of Horror XXXII": | "The Wayz We Were": | "Lisa's Belly": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Minor | Absent |
"A Serious Flanders: Part One": | "A Serious Flanders: Part Two": | "Portrait of a Lackey on Fire": | "Mothers and Other Strangers": | "A Made Maggie": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"The Longest Marge": | "Pixelated and Afraid": | "Boyz N the Highlands": | "You Won't Believe What This Episode is About - Act Three Will Shock You!": | "Bart the Cool Kid": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Pretty Whittle Liar": | "The Sound of Bleeding Gums": | "My Octopus and a Teacher": | "Girls Just Shauna Have Fun": | "Marge the Meanie": |
Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
"Meat Is Murder": | "Poorhouse Rock": | |||
Absent | Absent |