Remember Graggle Simpson? The unclothed, alien-like sixth member of the Simpson family? Of course, you do; this fan-favorite was what made the series so successful, and is a major reason behind The Simpsons‘ longevity, now in Season 35. Only kidding. Despite the internet’s best efforts, Graggle Simpson isn’t real, but the reaction he’s had from the online community certainly is. Graggle is, in reality, a meme created as a commentary on The Simpsons and the streaming services that host the show, and we’re breaking down everything you need to know about Graggle to understand the joke.

As a means of satirizing “the Mandela effect” (a phenomenon in which people collectively misremember misinformation), Graggle Simpson was created as a hoax meme. Fans have altered images from classic episodes of The Simpsons for the last few years, superimposing this metafictional character into its frames. Graggle (also referred to as Gumbly) is sometimes joked to have recently been removed from the series through retroactive continuity, as a dig at Hulu/Disney+ and the recent deletion of problematic episodes from streaming. In other cases, he is said to have been added to the series in its more recent seasons as a means of supporting the argument that the series is “jumping the shark,” part of a campaign to “please just cancel the show already”.

Graggle Simpson’s Origins Began on a Japanese Internet Board

Graggle’s likeness began as the mascot of the Japanese 2channel textboard, “livejupiter.” The character, Nan-j min, had been in use since December 2010, and according to Know Your Meme, its relation to The Simpsons began on October 3rd, 2015, when an anonymous user posted an image of Nan-j min edited into a promotional image of the Simpson family. The character was then known as “Yakiu no Oniichan,” or “Baseball Bro” in English, perhaps as a reference to Roy, a Simpsons character introduced in the episode, “The Itchy and Scratchy and Poochie Show,” as a means of satirizing the forced inclusion of Poochie into the cartoon within the cartoon.

The meme soon spread to Twitter where, on January 29th, 2021, @SimianJimmy wrote, “Watched a new episode of The Simpsons for the first time in 5 years and I guess they added this hideous new character called Gumbly to the family? […] please just cancel the show already”! That same day, an anonymous 4chan user wrote that Graggle was created by The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, as a self-insert character. The user claimed, “He wanted him to be good friends with Bart and replace Milhouse. The writers and the studio were concerned about how this would alter the show. And the design was too creepy […] Matt Groening is very embarrassed about this character. If you ever see him, do not bring up ‘Weird Matt’ or ‘Yellow Matt’.” Whether anyone has mentioned Graggle to Groening as a result is yet to be seen.

Fans Debate Whether Graggle Is a Newcomer to ‘The Simpsons’

The joke spread like wildfire in 2022, with the Simpsons Fandom Wiki even dedicating a page to the fictitious character. According to Fanon, Graggle Gregory Simpson was seen throughout Seasons 1 to 29; he is a frequent patron of Moe’s, lives in Bart’s treehouse, and works with Homer at the power plant. “Though Graggle was considered a breakout character in the series, he was often the center of controversy. His character was quietly written off the show in Season 30 due to Disney putting some of the edgier Simpsons characters on hold.” Supposedly, this resulted in Graggle disappearing from “the consciousness of millions until a post on 4chan reminded everyone about Graggle’s existence.”

Other meme creators prefer the notion that Disney created Graggle specifically for the recent episodes, which is, in essence, the exact opposite of Fanon’s suggestion. One such creator even posted an image of Graggle superimposed onto an older episode of The Simpsons, claiming, “the fact that they’re digitally adding #Gumbly to older episodes is just egregious.” Regardless of the supposed chronology of events, this meme has given way to some of the internet’s most creative image doctoring, including a modification of the game, The Simpsons Hit & Run, which sees Graggle as a playable character in the game’s first level.

The Graggle Meme Should Be a Lesson to Internet Bandwagons

Some people might find it hard to believe that anyone really falls for the Graggle Simpson meme, but that’s exactly what makes this meme such a poignant satire. The sheer absurdity of Graggle makes fun of all the various Simpsons-related internet trends, and those who believe in such statements; most famously, the suggestion that The Simpsons is able to accurately predict the future. In fact, although The Simpsons has made jokes in the past that have eventually come to bear a resemblance to future real-world events, this is often due to those events being widely anticipated at the time (such as Disney’s monopolistic acquisition of the major studios), jokes that became coincidences, or, perhaps most frustratingly, the internet lying about the chronology of events.

In short, Graggle is a character designed to fool casual fans of The Simpsons who might be likely to jump on such bandwagons without properly researching what they see online. Unlike the suggestion that The Simpsons can predict the future, however, the vast majority of those who have come across Graggle understand the joke’s target and continue the meme in a tongue-in-cheek manner. The harmless nature of the Graggle meme also encourages the creation of more creative media, much like the countless “Steamed Hams” videos that were made in response to The Simpsons‘ Season 7 episode, “22 Short Films About Springfield.”

The Simpsons has been the basis of countless internet memes for years, with quotes, stills, and clips from The Simpsons‘ 762 episodes (and counting) continuing to make for the perfect online responses and reactions. Need to express that you’re uncomfortable and wish to disappear? Here’s a gif of Homer slowly disappearing into the hedge behind him. Some online commenter missing the point of the joke they’re responding to? Reply with a screen grab of Rainier Wolfcastle dryly delivering, “That’s the joke.” The list is practically endless. But, if you’re ever confronted by the fictitious catchphrases, “It’s Gragglin’ time” or “Graggle’s gettin’ grumpy,” just know: Graggle Simpson isn’t real—he can’t hurt you.

The Simpsons is available to watch on Disney+ in the U.S.

Watch on Disney+