Why Did ‘The Simpsons’ Wait So Long for Smithers to Come Out as Gay?

Norman Weiss September 28, 2015, 9:14 pm

Why did The Simpsons wait so long for Smithers to come out as gay?

That the writers kept Waylon Smithers’ secret from Mr. Burns all these years is “both curious and impressive,” says John Hendrickson. “Why is Smithers still in the closet nearly two decades after the star of the show more or less abandons his bigotry?” he asks. “And why has the Smithers-is-secretly-gay joke lasted all these years?”

Trevor Noah wouldn’t mind Donald Trump dropping out of the presidential race — unlike other late-night hosts

“As much as Donald Trump is great for jokes and for what’s happening, it also puts up, like, a little cloud, and we don’t get to hear and see what the other candidates are all about,” says the new Daily Show host. “So he’s good, but he’s bad. So I’ll enjoy the good, and then hopefully we’ll see him disappear and then it will get really interesting. Or he’ll be the next president.” PLUS: Watch a time-lapse of the new Daily Show set’s construction, Noah isn’t Jon Stewart in more ways than the obvious ones, and why Noah faces an uphill battle.

Mini-stroke keeps Kim Zolciak sidelined from Dancing with the Stars

Doctors advised the Real Housewives of Atlanta star to not travel for this week’s shows. PLUS: Zolciak slams Wendy Williams for implying she faked her mini-stroke.

The Grinder promos enjoy giving a nod to the Grindr app

One billboard states of Rob Lowe’s character: “There’s no one he can’t get off.”

Fox unveils a longer X-Files trailer

An extended trailer was unveiled during Gotham and Minority Report.

Blindspot has a “concrete” 3-season plan

But creator Martin Gero says the show’s central mystery can be solved by watching the pilot.

TV premiere week: The good, bad and the ugly

Viewers appeared to not care about network TV’s new offerings, but the old hits still emerged with big ratings.

37 female comedians talk about whether they want to host a late-night talk show

Says Parks and Rec alum Retta: “I’ve actually taken meetings about hosting a late-night talk show. I don’t know that what we know as a late-night talk show is what I want.”

The Good Wife might address Alicia’s possible drinking problem

“She’s lonely,” says Julianna Margulies. “And I think wine is numbing her out a little bit. And I think that’s something we might address in Season 7.”

Castle’s Toks Olagundoye doesn’t know if she’s shaking up the show

The new addition to the ABC drama says: “I think what my addition to it is it’s giving them other ways to go about solving the crimes that are more unorthodox.”

All That alums to reunite at Comic-Con

Cast members of the ‘90s Nickelodeon sketch comedy show that launched the career of Kenan and Kel will appear together in advance of the launch of new programming block The Splat.