Chief Wiggum: Difference between revisions

| first_major = "[[Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons)|Homer's Odyssey]]"

| first_date = January 21, 1990

| voice = [[Hank Azaria]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sam-simon-simpsons-characters-he-780156|title=Sam Simon's Iconic 'Simpsons' Characters|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=9 March 2015|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=November 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181120095756/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/sam-simon-simpsons-characters-he-780156|url-status=live}}</ref>

| gender = [[Male]]

'''Chief Clancy Wiggum''' is a fictional character from the [[animated television series]] ''[[The Simpsons]]'', voiced by [[Hank Azaria]]. He is the [[chief of police]] in the show's setting of [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]], and is the father of [[Ralph Wiggum]] and the husband of [[Sarah Wiggum]].

His surname "Wiggum" is [[Matt Groening]]'s mother's maiden name.<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://seattletimeswww.nwsourceoregonlive.com/html/entertainment/2003818762_realsimpsons0302007/08/the_real_people_behind_homer_s.html|title=The real people behind Homer Simpson and family|access-date=2008-01-19|authorfirst=Joseph |last=Rose|date=2007-08-0301|website=[[The Oregonian]]|archive-date=June 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240609160601/https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2007/08/the_real_people_behind_homer_s.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As "a conscious pun", Wiggum was designed to look like a [[pig]].<ref name=tvguide>{{cite news|title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves|date=2000-10-21|work=[[TV Guide]]|authorfirst=Joe |last=Rhodes|url=http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/flash.html|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=September 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912104153/http://simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/flash.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="sprcon">{{cite book |last1=Reiss |first1=Mike |last2=Klickstein |first2=Mathew |author1-link=Mike Reiss|author2-link=Mathew Klickstein|title=[[Springfield Confidential|Springfield confidentialConfidential: jokesJokes, secretsSecrets, and outrightOutright liesLies from a lifetimeLifetime writingWriting for theThe Simpsons]] |date=2018 |publisher=[[Dey Street Books]] |isbn=978-0062748034 |page=101|location=New York City}}</ref> [[Hank Azaria]] first based his voice for Wiggum on [[David Brinkley]], but it was too slow and he switched it to an [[Edward G. Robinson]] impression.<ref name=tvguide/><ref name="sprcon"/>

Chief Wiggum is of Irish descent.<ref>See "[[In the Name of the Grandfather]]"</ref> Per the episode "[[Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish']]{{-"}}, it is revealed that Wiggum's father Iggy served in [[Grampa Simpson|Abe Simpson]]'s infantry squad. In the episode "[[Mother Simpson]]", a teenaged Wiggum was a trainee security guard at Springfield University when Homer's mother [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona]] sabotaged the University's laboratory, which [[Mr. Burns]] was using for [[Biological warfare|biological weapons]]. [[Antibiotic]]s used to kill the weapons cured Wiggum's [[asthma]], allowing him to join the police force.

Many episodes have dealt with the back story of how Wiggum, despite his incompetence, occupies such a high rank in the policeSpringfield forcePolice Department; However, these jokes tend to contradict one another, as is the usual with side characters on The Simpsons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-simpsons-turns-30-a-big-milestone-for-gen-x-and-america|title='The Simpsons' turns 30 -- a big milestone for Gen X and America|first=Christian|last=Whiton|date=September 30, 2018|website=[[Fox News}}</ref>]]|access-date=September As29, with those of2024|archive-date=September most supporting characters on the show11, they are jokes 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240911014316/https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/the-simpsons-turns-30-a-big-milestone-for one episode -gen-x-and contradict each other.-america|url-status=live}}</ref> Wiggum was temporarily promoted to [[Commissioner of Police]] for Springfield'sthe [[Springfield_(The_Simpsons)#Location|state in which Springfield resides]] during the 2005 episode "[[Pranksta Rap]]".<ref>{{Cite web|first=Tony|last=Sokol|author-link=Tony Sokol|date=March 25, 2019|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/ustv/gothe-simpsons-season-30-episode-18-review-bart-vs-itchy-scratchy/280055|title=The Simpsons Season 30 Episode 18 Review: Bart vs. Itchy & Scratchy|website=[[Den of Geek]]|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723154619/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/the-simpsons-season-30-episode-18-review-bart-vs-itchy-scratchy/|url-status=live}}</ref> He also appeared on a Halloween novel depicting [[Netflix]]'s ''[[Stranger Things]]'' as chiefChief [[Jim Hopper (Stranger Things)|Jim Hopper]].<ref>{{Cite web|first=Cydney|last=Yeates|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/15/simpsons-spoof-stranger-things-treehouse-horror-xxx-10327565/|title=The Simpsons to spoof Stranger Things in Treehouse Of Horror XXX this Halloween|website=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|date=July 15, 2019|access-date=September 29, 2024|archive-date=July 16, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716162508/https://metro.co.uk/2019/07/15/simpsons-spoof-stranger-things-treehouse-horror-xxx-10327565/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite his severe incompetence at his occupation, Wiggum on occasion has helped variousnumerous other characters, such as helping Homer find his wife in "[[Marge on the Lam]]". He rescued [[Maggie Simpson]] when she ran away from home to look for Marge in "[[Homer Alone]]", by helping [[Lisa Simpson]] find Mr. Burns's assailant in "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part Two)|Who Shot Mr. Burns?]]"<ref>{{cite web|first=Jason|last=Nawara|date=March 11, 2018|title=The Original 'Simpsons' 'Who Shot Mr. Burns' Culprit Was Way Different.|website=[[Uproxx]]|url=https://uproxx.com/tv/the-simpsons-who-shot-mr-burns-original-script-maggie/|access-date=29 Dec 2023|archive-date=December 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229172222/https://uproxx.com/tv/the-simpsons-who-shot-mr-burns-original-script-maggie/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Matt|last=Miller|date=May 15, 2017|title='Twin Peaks' Helped Solve the Greatest Mystery on 'The Simpsons'|website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a55061/twin-peaks-the-simpsons/|access-date=29 Dec 2023|archive-date=December 29, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229173939/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a55061/twin-peaks-the-simpsons/|url-status=live}}</ref> as well as helping backing her up in a school protest on one occasion in "[[The President Wore Pearls]]". In the episode "[[Pranksta Rap]]" he manages to find the presumed kidnapped [[Bart Simpson]] in [[Kirk Van Houten]]'s apartment. He also arrived just in time during crucial moments such as the variousmyriad of times [[Sideshow Bob]] hadhas attempted to kill [[Bart Simpson]]. Wiggum is also shown to be a loving father of his son Ralph. Perhaps the best example of this is in the episode "[[Mother Simpson]]", where he leads the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] astray in their search for Mona Simpson,; allowingWiggum allowed her to escape indue to his gratitude towards her for curing his previously mentioned asthma.

AlthoughHe Wiggum canis often antagonizeshown othersto asbe well,ambivalent ittowards isthe residents of Springfield; It's heavily implied that ithe isdoesn't act this notway out of malice. butThis merelyis because he is either doing his job, or becauseis he issimply ignorant of the situation. He also showed a great deal of insight during the episode "[[Chief of Hearts]]", where he and Homer become friends; when Homer asks him why he's willing to show Homer his favorite parts of Springfield, Wiggum tells him "Cops don't have many friends. Civilians are afraid of us, and other cops...they just remind us of things we want to forget."

[[Category:Male characters in animated television series]]