For more than 30 years, the cast of The Simpsons has continually grown bigger, with characters closer to everyone's favorite Springfield family becoming more developed and beloved over time. Two such examples are Marge's older, identical twin sisters, Patty and Selma Bouvier.
Famous for their chain-smoking and their mutual loathing of Homer, Patty and Selma are more than just comedic relief or a foil for their brother-in-law. With life-changing milestones such as Selma wanting a child and Patty coming out as a lesbian, these two sisters have both made audiences laugh and warmed their hearts with some brilliant quotes and moments.
Patty Sees Homer Naked
"There Goes The Last Lingering Thread Of My Heterosexuality."
One of the best "Treehouse of Horror" episodes according to IMDb is "Treehouse of Horror III". It includes a segment about a living Krusty doll that is cursed and is trying to kill Homer. In one incident, Homer is showering when the Krusty doll appears in another attempt to kill him. Homer leaps out of the shower and runs screaming through the house completely naked.
In the process, he passes Patty and Selma, who happen to be visiting. After a brief shocked and horrified pause, Patty declares "There goes the last lingering thread of my heterosexuality." This funny line not only emphasizes how disgusting Patty finds her brother-in-law but it's also one of the first indications that she is a lesbian.
Patty And Selma Cut Coupons
"Oh, My God." "What?" "Five Cents Off Wax Paper!"
It's no secret that Patty and Selma do not like Homer, and vice versa. Their loathing of him seems to be deep enough that they don't care if he dies. One such awful yet funny example is in "Homer's Triple Bypass."
In the fourth season episode, Marge is cutting coupons with Patty and Selma when she receives a call from the hospital that Homer has a heart attack. Instead of showing any concern for Homer, the two sisters barely react to the news, until Selma says "Oh, myGod." This initially appears to be a sign of care until Selma says. "Five cents off wax paper!"
Selma About Patty
"She's Always Been The Lucky One. Two Minutes Younger, Skin Like A China Doll. Bosoms Till Tuesday."
Selma has always been unlucky in love. The first episode to play on this trait is "Principal Charming" from season 2. Homer attempts to set up Principal Skinner with Selma but when he comes over for dinner, Skinner falls in love with Patty instead.
In sadness, Selma laments how Patty has been the lucky one in terms of looks. Aside from some differences, the twins are very similar in looks. What's more, it's frequently implied in the show that not many of Springfield's residents find them physically attractive. So while it's funny that Selma thinks Patty looks conventionally beautiful, it's also oddly endearing.
Selma About Toddlers
"The Older They Get, The Cuter They Ain't. Hey, The Baby Just Spit Up."
One of the best Bart and Lisa episodes, "Lisa's First Word", shows the birth of Lisa and how Bart struggles to cope with no longer being an only child. Before the arrival of Lisa, Patty and Selma would happily pay Bart a dollar to sing a nursery rhyme medley.
But the moment Lisa is born, Patty and Selma show zero interest in toddler Bart as they coo over baby Lisa. What makes this line funny is how openly mean they are to toddler Bart and don't even hide their annoyance that he's there. The icing on the cake is when Selma affectionately and lovingly says afterward, "The baby just spit up," before continuing to coddle baby Lisa.
The Twins Get Promoted
"Yeah, Homer. Let Your Wife Have A Glimpse At Success For Once."
Patty and Selma have been working alongside each other at the DMV since the show started. Whilst neither of them show a great deal of passion for the job nor go above and beyond, they still somehow managed to secure a promotion in the episode "Homer vs. Patty and Selma."
Marge brings them over to celebrate their success, much to Homer's annoyance. This doesn't help when Selma gloats "let your wife have a glimpse at success for once." This burning yet hilarious insult is only the start of a number of tribulations and insults that the twins put Homer through after he becomes in their debt.
Selma Showing Photographs
"Enclosed Is A Photo Of Us On A Tandem Bike. I Forget Which One I Am."
Selma has had numerous husbands throughout the show. Her first notable marriage was to the popular recurring villain Sideshow Bob, one of the most overpowered characters in The Simpsons.
Whilst exchanging letters in a prison pen pal program, Selma sends Bob a photo of herself and Patty on a tandem bike but writes "I forget which one I am." Although they are identical twins, there are a few notable differences that make it easy to tell Patty and Selma apart for the audience. Yet, the fact that the twins themselves cannot tell each other apart is a rather funny little gag.
A Surprising Revelation
"This Is Just Smoke And Ash."
One hidden detail about Marge is that her hair isn't naturally blue but gray. Unlike their sister, Patty and Selma embraced their natural gray hair until a surprisingly funny revelation about that is made in season 22.
"The Blue and the Gray" sees Marge decide to stop dying her hair and remain naturally gray. During the episode, Patty and Selma reveal that their gray hair is in fact "just smoke and ash." They shake their hair to reveal that they are blonde and redheaded. There is so much smoke and ash in their hair from years of smoking that it causes an airplane to crash.
Patty And Selma Convince Homer To Jump
"We Want To See If The Splash Reaches The Moon."
Season 19's episode "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" is an unusual story, in which Homer wakes up with no recollection of past events. He goes on a journey to retrace his steps and to learn why he has forgotten the events of the last few days in the first place.
In a darker moment of the episode, Homer considers jumping off a bridge after he believes Marge to be cheating on him. Patty and Selma, of course, cruelly encourage him to do so commenting: "We want to see if the splash reaches the moon." Before they make this fat joke, Homer does comment "Aren't trolls supposed to be under the bridge?"
Patty Stays True To Herself
"Hell, No! I Like Girls!"
Patty officially comes out as gay in the sixteenth season episode "There's Something About Marrying", and is engaged to a female golf player called Veronica. However, on the day of their wedding, Marge discovers that "Veronica" is a cisgender heterosexual man named Leslie.
Leslie asks Patty if she wants to marry him regardless but Patty snaps at him "Hell, no! I like girls!" This causes the congregation to applaud her. It's a great moment for Patty as she stayed true to herself and eventually got the support from Marge that she needed throughout the episode.
Working At The DMV
"Some Days, We Don't Let The Line Move At All." "We Call Those Weekdays."
Neither Patty nor Selma is exactly employee0-of-the-month material at the DMV. A brilliant example of their lack of dedication is in one of their most iconic quotes, from "Bart on the Road."
At Lisa's suggestion, Bart is made to go with Patty and Selma for "Go to Work With Your Parents Day". With a large queue in the building, Patty and Selma gleefully explain to a bored Bart, "Some days, we don't let the line move at all. We call those weekdays." This moment is perhaps both sisters at their best.