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There is no character in theSimpsonsuniverse more mysterious, or more raisinlike, than Hans Moleman.
Its the first piece of bad luck of the many that would follow.
It turns out that Molemans peculiar appearance nearly got him axed right away.
So naturally, the writers decided to keep bringing him back.
These days, Jean says, Groening loves him as much as anybody.
It was a rough and fitting start.
Hes a slow-moving contradiction.
So what does he do?
So it is possible that hes king of this underground realm, says Jean.
Indeed, pull back the wrinkles and Moleman contains multitudes.
The Simpsonslikes to use Moleman in specific ways.
In fact, the most consistent running Moleman gag is how often and how violently he dies.
When Moleman dies, no one notices or cares.
Even when Moleman doesnt die, hes the comedy equivalent of an ellipsis.
He rarely affects the plot.
(Jean says he rarely gets more than two lines and a crack.)
He is ignored, forgotten, and overlooked.
He is saying Boo-urns even if no one is listening.
He would make you cry if he wasnt so funny.
As a character hes so inconsequential that hes become an indestructible vessel for throwaway jokes and absurd gags.
In that sense, the question Who is Hans Moleman?
Moleman is a tabula rasa, a comedic blank check for any situation.
Hes been blessedly free of any change or growth, any learning or any knowledge, Jean explains.
Hes the same lovable loser stuck in a line.
