David Cooper

BONUS! Cameraman and Carol Kane

Added 2024-05-07 08:00:01 +0000 UTC

I think I have mislabelled this guy, as we can actually see Kent's cameraman in an earlier shot. He has a surprisingly large entourage for his puff piece.

I count at lease 6 people in Kent's posse (7 if the driver and sound guy are different), which seems excessive to me. The gentlemen highlighted stuck out to me as worthy of documentation.

As for Carol Kane, well, she is not in this episode. Or is she?

As revealed by Al Jean in a tweet, Carol Kane was an uncredited cameo in this episode, voicing Maggie in this fantasy sequence. I thought this would be the only opportunity to acknowledge an American comedy legend, but it seems she actually has a more significant guest appearance in season 34's "Step Brother from the Same Planet". A gap of 32 years between appearances on the show has to be a record!

Lastly, while it doesn't fit into our primary goal of relentless character cataloguing, I'm taking a moment to appreciate the visuals of this fantasy sequence. Any time the show makes the effort to look weird or different is a delight, especially in these early episodes.

Look at the unusual lighting, staging and layering of these silhouettes, it's gorgeous! The Simpsons is mostly renowned for its snappy writing, but this meticulous watch through is really giving me new appreciation for the visual aspect. This shot alone should be framed.

This post is part of my "Every Simpsons Character Ever" series. For a list of my rules in this project, click here.