The Simpsons Brought Back Matt Groening’s Least Favorite Character
While Database might be The Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening’s least favorite character on the show, that has not stopped the lovable nerd from appearing in one episode of The Simpson season 33. The Simpsons has a massive cast, so it is inevitable that some characters are less loved by the creators than others. With celebrity guest stars like The Weeknd appearing on The Simpsons every other week, the massive roster of one-off characters, recurring guest stars, and supporting Springfielders continues to grow with every new episode.
However, despite how many new characters have appeared on The Simpsons season 33, the series still found room to bring back one of their most hated. Unusually, this is a figure who Simpsons viewers have never been particularly vocal about their hatred of online. Instead, The Simpsons co-creator Matt Groening is the one who can’t abide him.
According to a DVD commentary for “Lemon of Troy” (season 6, episode 24), the nerdy Database is Groening’s least favorite character due to his distinctive nasal voice and his plot superfluousness (as evidenced in that episode, the role of dork and nerd are arguably fulfilled by Simpsons' Martin Prince and Milhouse, respectively). Despite this, the character returned in The Simpsons’ “Pretty Whittle Liar” (season 33, episode 16), wherein he had a brief cameo in Lisa’s secret genius club. Interestingly, Database has been part of some of the most critically acclaimed episodes of The Simpsons, from the aforementioned “Lemon of Troy” to “Bart’s Comet” (season 6, episode 14), despite Groening’s distaste for him.
This is understandable, since Database has also historically been a font of quotable lines in The Simpsons. In a particularly famous appearance during “The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show,” (season 8 episode 14) Database’s obscure inquiry about an Itchy and Scratchy CD-ROM game leaves Homer annoyed and confused. However, in recent seasons, this role has been largely supplanted by Martin Prince, Comic Book Guy, and Milhouse depending on the episode. There is an argument to be made that Database does fulfill a different niche on the show, however, justifying his The Simpsons season 33 return as his character is subtly different from all three of them.
Although Martin Prince, Comic Book Guy, and Milhouse are all inarguably nerds, Milhouse’s defining characteristic is his cowardice and lack of integrity, Comic Book Guy is defined by his illusions of superiority, and Martin Prince’s sycophancy is his most notable attribute. In contrast, Database is a pedant, using most of his onscreen appearances to make calculations and correct other characters. While it is more than a little ironic to devote this level of analysis to a minor fictional character’s specific brand of nerdiness, this does prove that Database has a unique place in the world of The Simpsons season 33 despite Groening’s dislike of him. Whether this function will be enough to justify another appearance on The Simpsons from the character that Matt Groening hates the most, though, remains to be seen.