With cultural phenomenon The Simpsons finally erasing all doubt as to what’s the real deal with Mr. Burns‘ assistant Smithers (you know what I’m talking about), the question as to why it took this long – or why they did it at all, for that matter – now burns.
Mr. Smithers (is it), first name Waylon, confirmed his long-suspected, not subtly-hid sexuality on an episode entitled The Burns Cage that aired recently in the US.
The well-received episode was widely praised by critics for its surprising poise and grace in handling the big reveal.
And as it turns out, the motivation behind the plot has an equally touching and heartfelt story.
Simpsons writer Rob LeZebnik – who also serves as a co-executive producer on the series – penned the episode, and did so as a loving nod to his own openly-gay son.
53-year-old LeZebnik’s 21-year-old son Johnny served as the inspiration for the episode, with the elder LeZebnik telling the New York Post what spurred him to pen the script.
“I thought ‘What better way to tell my son I love him than to write a cartoon about it?’”
And if that sentence by itself ain’t enough to get you all misty-eyed, Johnny detailed just how supportive his old man has been in the past.
“The revelation that my father loves me is not much of a revelation, thankfully. He’s unbelievably accepting.”
“He once sent me an email, and the header was just ‘How does Grindr work?’”
BLESS THEIR SWEET LITTLE HEARTS.
So there you have it. You all finally know what the real deal is with Smithers.
As you can see, the real deal with Waylon Smithers is that he’s Mr. Burns’ assistant. He’s in his early forties, unmarried, and currently resides in Springfield.
Source: The Guardian.
