Milhouse Van Houten
Encyclopedia
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is a fictional character
featured in the animated television series The Simpsons
, voiced by Pamela Hayden
. He is Bart Simpson
's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's
fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School.
Milhouse is not popular, but his intelligence is of a more studious nature than Bart's. He is also very gullible, thus he is constantly led into trouble by Bart, who is not shy about taking advantage of his naïve
and trusting nature. Milhouse is one of the few residents in Springfield with visible eyebrow
s. He has a little Lhasa Apso
dog, as revealed in the episode "Lisa's Date with Density
".
, Jimbo Jones, Dolph and Kearney, to the point of where Bart questions Milhouse by saying "Milhouse! I thought you had a three o'clock wedgie
with Nelson," to which Milhouse casually responds "I had to reschedule." They often inflict extreme acts of physical violence upon Milhouse. They do this because they believe he is a nerd
or a geek
of some sort. He wears eyeglasses and cannot see without them, and when his glasses are off, his eyes appear to be small dots. In "Sideshow Bob Roberts
", the schoolyard bullies wrapped Milhouse in bumper sticker
s and placed him in a shopping cart
. After Jimbo claimed that "the mummy
's ready for his mystical journey!", the bullies pushed the cart with Milhouse down a very steep hill. He is harmed frequently, and on some occasions he is injured by dangerous hazards, including being run over by a train, falling down a waterfall, being electrically shocked, having his head polished to bone, etc. In the episode "Homer Loves Flanders
", Mr Burns has Milhouse crippled in order to inspire the local football team. He frequently visited a female psychiatrist called Dr. Waxler until she got fed up by his frequent callings and blocked his number so he could not bother her again. In fact, in "Bye Bye Nerdie
", it is implied that Milhouse endured bullying so severe on his first day at Springfield Elementary, that he has to take pills to repress the memories.
On one occasion, Bart got Milhouse placed on the FBI's Most Wanted
list, even though they are friends, and he once tried to lure Milhouse into a cactus. This kind of torture is portrayed in many episodes, where Bart tries either to get Milhouse in trouble or to hurt him for no reason, making Milhouse's and Bart's relationship even more questionable.
Though, Milhouse is not always Bart's toy; in "Bart Sells His Soul
", Milhouse plays with Bart's anxiety while his pal is fretting to recover his soul... On one occasion, Bart introduces Milhouse to his girlfriend and attempts to explain why they are friends. He cannot come up with a real answer and admits that it is due to geographical reasons. However, Bart admits in "Little Orphan Millie
" that he really loves Milhouse. Homer also seems to like joining in on his son's torment of Milhouse (constantly referring to him as "that little wiener Milhouse"). Sometimes Homer even seems to despise Milhouse and Bart's friendship. In the episode "Burns, Baby Burns
" Larry, Mr. Burns
' son, brings Homer to eat at his house. Mr. Burns then asks Homer if his son "brings home nitwits and make you talk to them" to which Homer answers "Oh, all the time! Have you ever heard of this kid Milhouse? He's a little wiener..." before being interrupted by Burns. In an attempt to purposefully enrage Homer, at one point Bart stated that he once felt "a little attracted to Milhouse", sending Homer into a mindless rage. Hilarity ensues. It would appear that Bart and Milhouse are the same height but in the episode "Radioactive Man
" it is revealed that he is an inch taller than Bart.
The writers frequently make Milhouse the butt of a variety of jokes, ranging from being beat up by Nelson for delivering a love note from Lisa (that Nelson thought was from Milhouse himself), to having the door slammed in his face while playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey
, to having his possible budding homosexuality
given away by his school counselor, to making him a wanted fugitive (see above), to inadvertently inheriting Bart's dismal permanent record at school through a side deal arranged between Bart and Edna Krabappel and Principal Skinner
, which will disqualify Milhouse from "all but the hottest and noisiest jobs". In the episode “The Cartridge Family
”, Milhouse implies that he is an excellent cook.
Milhouse is fluent in Italian
due to visiting his English language
-hating grandmother Sofia in Tuscany
for two weeks every year. Because of his grandmother's beatings, Milhouse learned Italian and started to wet his bed.
Milhouse is allergic to honey
, wheat
, dairy
, non-dairy and even his own tears
. In the episode, "Little Orphan Millie
", it is revealed that Milhouse is part Dutch
and Danish, in the episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
" that he is part Italian
. In another episode, it is revealed that Milhouse is part Greek when he mentions receiving a gift from his Greek
grandmother for Greek Orthodox
Easter. In the episode "Brawl in the Family
", Milhouse told Bart he deserved a social worker because he had a stigmata
which he suffered in his palms.
, and he is usually clumsy around females. Although he and Lisa do not have a full relationship together, they are very close friends, as shown in "Lisa's Date with Density
" when she admits she liked Nelson. In the end of that episode, after she has stopped liking Nelson, Milhouse asks Lisa who will be her next crush; Lisa answers that it could be anybody and Milhouse rejoices.
Milhouse's feelings for Lisa have been used in episodes set outside of the show's main storyline. For example, the episode "Lisa's Wedding
" shows what the future might hold for Springfield in fifteen years' time. Milhouse is Homer's boss at the nuclear plant, and after learning of Lisa's impending marriage, Milhouse recalls an earlier date with Lisa where she says she may never marry, then angrily prepares Homer's annual review. Later in the episode, Lisa wonders if it is acceptable to wear a white wedding dress, suggesting that she had already lost her virginity to Milhouse; Marge, however, says "Milhouse doesn't count."
Though Lisa has always been pretty annoyed by the mere idea of going out with Milhouse, as seen in episodes like "Lisa's Date With Density
" and "Future-Drama
", when Milhouse starts tutoring Lisa in Italian and takes her to Little Italy, Lisa starts to develop a secret crush on him, until she caught Milhouse with another girl called Angelica in the episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
".
Milhouse's first girlfriend
was Samantha Stanky, a new student who had moved to Springfield
from Phoenix, Arizona
in the episode "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
". After her father caught her and Milhouse kiss
ing, he sent her to a French Canadian Catholic girls' school
. While Milhouse's official first kiss was with Samantha Stanky in the aforementioned episode, it was contradicted in the episode "The Way We Weren't
", where Milhouse accidentally kisses Homer Simpson
during a game of spin the bottle
that Homer interrupted. In the episode "Homer Scissorhands
", Milhouse dated a 5th grader named Taffy. The relationship ended when Milhouse and Taffy caught Lisa spying on them in the bushes. Taffy told Lisa that Milhouse still loves her. Lisa then kissed Milhouse shortly after the kiss Milhouse got some advice from Lisa that he should not give up searching for other girls and life has unexpected things. Lisa told him that he was cute in the moonlight
and the saying made Milhouse fell of a cliff and shortly, a bald eagle
caught him, which left him saying "everything is coming up Milhouse".
for a Butterfinger
commercial, and it was decided to use the character in the series. Milhouse was named after US President Richard Nixon
, whose middle name was Milhous. The name was the most "unfortunate name Matt Groening
could think of for a kid". Years earlier, in a 1986 Life in Hell
comic entitled "What to Name the Baby", Groening listed Milhous as a name "no longer recommended". Milhouse is a favorite among the staff as Al Jean
noted "most of the writers are more like Milhouse than Bart". His last name was given to him by Howard Gewirtz
, a freelance writer who wrote the episode "Homer Defined
". He got the name from one of his wife's friends.
Character (arts)
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
featured in the animated television series The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
, voiced by Pamela Hayden
Pamela Hayden
Pamela Hayden is an American actress, best known for providing various voices for the animated television show The Simpsons.-Biography:...
. He is Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
's best friend in Mrs. Krabappel's
Edna Krabappel
Edna Krabappel is a fictional character from the animated TV series The Simpsons, voiced by Marcia Wallace. She is a 4th grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School. Krabappel is the only character Wallace voices on a regular basis.- Profile :...
fourth grade class at Springfield Elementary School.
Milhouse is not popular, but his intelligence is of a more studious nature than Bart's. He is also very gullible, thus he is constantly led into trouble by Bart, who is not shy about taking advantage of his naïve
Naïve
Naivety , is the state of being naive—having or showing a lack of experience, understanding or sophistication. One who is naive may be called a naif.- Etymology :...
and trusting nature. Milhouse is one of the few residents in Springfield with visible eyebrow
Eyebrow
The eyebrow is an area of thick, delicate hairs above the eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. Their main function is to prevent sweat, water, and other debris from falling down into the eye socket, but they are also important to human communication and...
s. He has a little Lhasa Apso
Lhasa Apso
The Lhasa Apso is a non-sporting dog breed originating in Tibet. It was bred as an interior sentinel in the Buddhist monasteries, who alerted the monks to any intruders who entered...
dog, as revealed in the episode "Lisa's Date with Density
Lisa's Date with Density
"Lisa's Date with Density" is the seventh episode of the animated television series The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired December 15, 1996. It was written by Mike Scully, and directed by Susie Dietter...
".
Profile
Milhouse is constantly being bullied in some form or another by NelsonNelson Muntz
Nelson Mandela Muntz is a fictional character and bully from the animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Nancy Cartwright. Nelson was introduced in Season 1's "Bart the General" as a bully but later turned into a friend of Bart Simpson, who is best identified by his signature laugh .-Role...
, Jimbo Jones, Dolph and Kearney, to the point of where Bart questions Milhouse by saying "Milhouse! I thought you had a three o'clock wedgie
Wedgie
A wedgie occurs when a person's underwear or other garments are wedged between the buttocks. While a wedgie can be created naturally, the term is usually associated with a prank or as a form of bullying...
with Nelson," to which Milhouse casually responds "I had to reschedule." They often inflict extreme acts of physical violence upon Milhouse. They do this because they believe he is a nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
or a geek
Geek
The word geek is a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to...
of some sort. He wears eyeglasses and cannot see without them, and when his glasses are off, his eyes appear to be small dots. In "Sideshow Bob Roberts
Sideshow Bob Roberts
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons sixth season, and it originally aired on October 9, 1994. Kelsey Grammer returns as villain Sideshow Bob, who, in this episode, wins the Springfield mayoral election through electoral fraud. The episode was written by Bill Oakley and Josh...
", the schoolyard bullies wrapped Milhouse in bumper sticker
Bumper sticker
A bumper sticker is an adhesive label or sticker with a message, intended to be attached to the bumper of an automobile and to be read by the occupants of other vehicles - although they are often stuck onto other objects...
s and placed him in a shopping cart
Shopping cart
A shopping cart is a cart supplied by a shop, especially supermarkets, for use by customers inside the shop for transport of merchandise to the check-out counter during shopping...
. After Jimbo claimed that "the mummy
Mummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
's ready for his mystical journey!", the bullies pushed the cart with Milhouse down a very steep hill. He is harmed frequently, and on some occasions he is injured by dangerous hazards, including being run over by a train, falling down a waterfall, being electrically shocked, having his head polished to bone, etc. In the episode "Homer Loves Flanders
Homer Loves Flanders
"Homer Loves Flanders" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons fifth season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 17, 1994. In the episode, Ned Flanders helps Homer Simpson get tickets to a football game...
", Mr Burns has Milhouse crippled in order to inspire the local football team. He frequently visited a female psychiatrist called Dr. Waxler until she got fed up by his frequent callings and blocked his number so he could not bother her again. In fact, in "Bye Bye Nerdie
Bye Bye Nerdie
"Bye Bye Nerdie" is the sixteenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 11, 2001. In the episode, when she becomes the target of a female bully, Lisa discovers a scientific reason as to why...
", it is implied that Milhouse endured bullying so severe on his first day at Springfield Elementary, that he has to take pills to repress the memories.
On one occasion, Bart got Milhouse placed on the FBI's Most Wanted
FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
The FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list arose from a conversation held in late 1949 between J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, and William Kinsey Hutchinson, International News Service Editor-in-Chief, who were discussing ways to promote capture of the...
list, even though they are friends, and he once tried to lure Milhouse into a cactus. This kind of torture is portrayed in many episodes, where Bart tries either to get Milhouse in trouble or to hurt him for no reason, making Milhouse's and Bart's relationship even more questionable.
Though, Milhouse is not always Bart's toy; in "Bart Sells His Soul
Bart Sells His Soul
"Bart Sells His Soul" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It first aired in the United States on the Fox network, on October 8, 1995. In the episode, Bart pranks churchgoers by replacing the music to a hymn with a psychedelic rock song, so Reverend Lovejoy forces him and Milhouse...
", Milhouse plays with Bart's anxiety while his pal is fretting to recover his soul... On one occasion, Bart introduces Milhouse to his girlfriend and attempts to explain why they are friends. He cannot come up with a real answer and admits that it is due to geographical reasons. However, Bart admits in "Little Orphan Millie
Little Orphan Millie
"Little Orphan Millie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and was first broadcast on November 11, 2007. For the first time in years, Kirk and Luann reunite. It was written by Mick Kelly, production assistant to Al Jean, and directed by Lance Kramer...
" that he really loves Milhouse. Homer also seems to like joining in on his son's torment of Milhouse (constantly referring to him as "that little wiener Milhouse"). Sometimes Homer even seems to despise Milhouse and Bart's friendship. In the episode "Burns, Baby Burns
Burns, Baby Burns
"Burns, Baby Burns" is the fourth episode of The Simpsons eighth season, first aired by the Fox network on November 17, 1996. Mr. Burns' long lost son Larry returns and although they at first get along well, Mr. Burns begins to see that his son has turned out to be an oaf. It was directed by Jim...
" Larry, Mr. Burns
Montgomery Burns
Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...
' son, brings Homer to eat at his house. Mr. Burns then asks Homer if his son "brings home nitwits and make you talk to them" to which Homer answers "Oh, all the time! Have you ever heard of this kid Milhouse? He's a little wiener..." before being interrupted by Burns. In an attempt to purposefully enrage Homer, at one point Bart stated that he once felt "a little attracted to Milhouse", sending Homer into a mindless rage. Hilarity ensues. It would appear that Bart and Milhouse are the same height but in the episode "Radioactive Man
Radioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)
"Radioactive Man" is the second episode of The Simpsons seventh season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 24, 1995. The episode sees the film version of the comic book series Radioactive Man set up production in Springfield. Much to Bart's disappointment, the...
" it is revealed that he is an inch taller than Bart.
The writers frequently make Milhouse the butt of a variety of jokes, ranging from being beat up by Nelson for delivering a love note from Lisa (that Nelson thought was from Milhouse himself), to having the door slammed in his face while playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Pin the Tail on the Donkey
Pin the Tail on the Donkey is a game played by groups of children. It is common at birthday parties and other gatherings. A picture of a donkey with a missing tail is tacked to a wall within easy reach of children....
, to having his possible budding homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
given away by his school counselor, to making him a wanted fugitive (see above), to inadvertently inheriting Bart's dismal permanent record at school through a side deal arranged between Bart and Edna Krabappel and Principal Skinner
Seymour Skinner
Principal W. Seymour Skinner is a fictional character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. He is voiced by Harry Shearer. Born in Capitol City, he is the principal of Springfield Elementary School...
, which will disqualify Milhouse from "all but the hottest and noisiest jobs". In the episode “The Cartridge Family
The Cartridge Family
"The Cartridge Family" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons ninth season, which originally aired on November 2, 1997. It was written by John Swartzwelder and directed by Pete Michels. In the episode, Homer purchases a gun to protect his family, of which Marge disapproves...
”, Milhouse implies that he is an excellent cook.
Milhouse is fluent in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
due to visiting his English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-hating grandmother Sofia in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
for two weeks every year. Because of his grandmother's beatings, Milhouse learned Italian and started to wet his bed.
Milhouse is allergic to honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
, wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
, dairy
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
, non-dairy and even his own tears
Tears
Tears are secretions that clean and lubricate the eyes. Lacrimation or lachrymation is the production or shedding of tears....
. In the episode, "Little Orphan Millie
Little Orphan Millie
"Little Orphan Millie" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons nineteenth season and was first broadcast on November 11, 2007. For the first time in years, Kirk and Luann reunite. It was written by Mick Kelly, production assistant to Al Jean, and directed by Lance Kramer...
", it is revealed that Milhouse is part Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
and Danish, in the episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
The Last of the Red Hat Mamas is the seventh episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons. The episode originally aired on November 27, 2005. This episode was the second highest rated of the season with 11.5 million viewers.-Plot:...
" that he is part Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
. In another episode, it is revealed that Milhouse is part Greek when he mentions receiving a gift from his Greek
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
grandmother for Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
Easter. In the episode "Brawl in the Family
Brawl in the Family
"Brawl in the Family" is the seventh episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 6, 2002. In the episode, the Simpsons family arrested for domestic disturbance, prompting social worker Gabriel to move in and make the family functional...
", Milhouse told Bart he deserved a social worker because he had a stigmata
Stigmata
Stigmata are bodily marks, sores, or sensations of pain in locations corresponding to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus, such as the hands and feet...
which he suffered in his palms.
Romance
Milhouse harbors a hopeless crush on Bart's younger sister, LisaLisa Simpson
Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...
, and he is usually clumsy around females. Although he and Lisa do not have a full relationship together, they are very close friends, as shown in "Lisa's Date with Density
Lisa's Date with Density
"Lisa's Date with Density" is the seventh episode of the animated television series The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired December 15, 1996. It was written by Mike Scully, and directed by Susie Dietter...
" when she admits she liked Nelson. In the end of that episode, after she has stopped liking Nelson, Milhouse asks Lisa who will be her next crush; Lisa answers that it could be anybody and Milhouse rejoices.
Milhouse's feelings for Lisa have been used in episodes set outside of the show's main storyline. For example, the episode "Lisa's Wedding
Lisa's Wedding
"Lisa's Wedding" is the 19th episode of The Simpsons sixth season, which originally aired March 19, 1995. The plot focuses around Lisa visiting a carnival fortune teller and learning about her future love. It was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Jim Reardon. Mandy Patinkin guest stars as...
" shows what the future might hold for Springfield in fifteen years' time. Milhouse is Homer's boss at the nuclear plant, and after learning of Lisa's impending marriage, Milhouse recalls an earlier date with Lisa where she says she may never marry, then angrily prepares Homer's annual review. Later in the episode, Lisa wonders if it is acceptable to wear a white wedding dress, suggesting that she had already lost her virginity to Milhouse; Marge, however, says "Milhouse doesn't count."
Though Lisa has always been pretty annoyed by the mere idea of going out with Milhouse, as seen in episodes like "Lisa's Date With Density
Lisa's Date with Density
"Lisa's Date with Density" is the seventh episode of the animated television series The Simpsons eighth season, which originally aired December 15, 1996. It was written by Mike Scully, and directed by Susie Dietter...
" and "Future-Drama
Future-Drama
"Future-Drama" is the fifteenth episode of The Simpsons sixteenth season, the 350th episode overall, and originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 17, 2005. In the episode, Bart and Lisa stumble into Professor Frink's basement, and he gives them a look into their future as...
", when Milhouse starts tutoring Lisa in Italian and takes her to Little Italy, Lisa starts to develop a secret crush on him, until she caught Milhouse with another girl called Angelica in the episode "The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
The Last of the Red Hat Mamas
The Last of the Red Hat Mamas is the seventh episode of the seventeenth season of The Simpsons. The episode originally aired on November 27, 2005. This episode was the second highest rated of the season with 11.5 million viewers.-Plot:...
".
Milhouse's first girlfriend
Girlfriend
Girlfriend is a term that can refer to either a female partner in a non-marital romantic relationship or a female non-romantic friend that is closer than other friends....
was Samantha Stanky, a new student who had moved to Springfield
Springfield (The Simpsons)
Springfield is the fictional town in which the American animated sitcom The Simpsons is set. A mid-sized town in an undetermined state of the United States, Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. The geography of the town and its...
from Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
in the episode "Bart's Friend Falls in Love
Bart's Friend Falls in Love
"Bart's Friend Falls in Love" is the twenty-third episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 7, 1992. In the episode, Bart's best friend Milhouse falls in love with the new girl in school, Samantha Stankey. Milhouse and Samantha spend...
". After her father caught her and Milhouse kiss
Kiss
A kiss is the act of pressing one's lips against the lips or other body parts of another person or of an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, affection, respect, greeting, friendship, and good...
ing, he sent her to a French Canadian Catholic girls' school
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
. While Milhouse's official first kiss was with Samantha Stanky in the aforementioned episode, it was contradicted in the episode "The Way We Weren't
The Way We Weren't
"The Way We Weren't" is the twentieth episode of The Simpsons fifteenth season. The episode aired on May 9, 2004.-Plot:When Homer and Bart fight over the use of a beer bottle Milhouse wants to use, it lands them in the Simpson family court, which is held in the living room with Lisa presiding as...
", where Milhouse accidentally kisses Homer Simpson
Homer Simpson
Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
during a game of spin the bottle
Spin the bottle
Spin the Bottle is a party game in which several players sit/stand/kneel in a circle. One player spins a bottle and must kiss the person to whom the bottle points, who then spins the bottle in turn...
that Homer interrupted. In the episode "Homer Scissorhands
Homer Scissorhands
"Homer Scissorhands" is the twentieth episode of the 22nd season of The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 8, 2011. Kristen Schaal guest stars in the episode as Taffy. This major episode sees Milhouse dating Taffy after Lisa rejected his romantic confession...
", Milhouse dated a 5th grader named Taffy. The relationship ended when Milhouse and Taffy caught Lisa spying on them in the bushes. Taffy told Lisa that Milhouse still loves her. Lisa then kissed Milhouse shortly after the kiss Milhouse got some advice from Lisa that he should not give up searching for other girls and life has unexpected things. Lisa told him that he was cute in the moonlight
Moonlight
Moonlight is the light that reaches Earth from the Moon. This light does not originate from the Moon, but from sunlight. The Moon does not, however, reflect sunlight like a mirror, but it reflects light from those portions of its surface which the Sun's light strikes. See diffuse reflection.In...
and the saying made Milhouse fell of a cliff and shortly, a bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
caught him, which left him saying "everything is coming up Milhouse".
Creation
Milhouse was designed by Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
for a Butterfinger
Butterfinger
Butterfinger is a candy bar made by Nestlé.The bar consists of a flaky, orange-colored center—somewhat similar texture to crisp caramel, with a taste similar to peanut butter—that is coated in compound chocolate.- History :...
commercial, and it was decided to use the character in the series. Milhouse was named after US President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
, whose middle name was Milhous. The name was the most "unfortunate name Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
could think of for a kid". Years earlier, in a 1986 Life in Hell
Life in Hell
Life in Hell is a weekly comic strip by Matt Groening. The strip features anthropomorphic rabbits and a pair of gay lovers. Groening uses these characters to explore a wide range of topics about love, sex, work, and death...
comic entitled "What to Name the Baby", Groening listed Milhous as a name "no longer recommended". Milhouse is a favorite among the staff as Al Jean
Al Jean
Al Jean is an award-winning American screenwriter and producer, best known for his work on The Simpsons. He was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and graduated from Harvard University in 1981. Jean began his writing career in the 1980s with fellow Harvard alum Mike Reiss...
noted "most of the writers are more like Milhouse than Bart". His last name was given to him by Howard Gewirtz
Howard Gewirtz
Howard Gewirtz is an American television writer, whose credits include Taxi, The Larry Sanders Show, Just Shoot Me, Wings, Oliver Beene, Everybody Hates Chris and The Simpsons.-External links:...
, a freelance writer who wrote the episode "Homer Defined
Homer Defined
"Homer Defined" is the fifth episode of The Simpsons third season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on October 17, 1991. In the episode, Homer accidentally saves the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant from meltdown by choosing a button to a counting rhyme...
". He got the name from one of his wife's friends.