The nicest man in The Simpsons' Springfield, Ned Flanders, is an example of one of Hollywood's most persistent frustrating character trends. Being a problem for years, this issue has plagued more than just Ned and other residents of Springfield, and is still visible through characters like Chris Hemsworth's Thor Odinson in 2022's Thor: Love and Thunder. Hollywood studios have let several characters, from TV favorites like Family Guy's Brian Griffin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Thor go through the same change without learning from The Simpsons' mistake.

Ned Flanders enters The Simpsons as a charming, kind neighbor to Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson, living with his perfect family at 744 Evergreen Terrace. In the early seasons, Ned's willingness to help others, status as a good husband, and overly perky nature are his main characteristics, though he is also shown to have a strong faith in Christianity. This makes him the ideal foil for Homer Simpson, who is constantly annoyed by Flanders' nice guy persona, as Homer Simpson is lazy and selfish. However, throughout The Simpsons' 34-season run, Flanders has evolved into a caricature of himself. Almost all of his dialogue and jokes now revolve around his Christianity, to the point where is a religious zealot, even telling his son, Todd Flanders, he wishes he didn't have "the devil's curly hair" in The Simpsons Movie.

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Ned Flanders' character transition from a well-rounded character into a religious stereotype has been described as "flanderization" by TV Tropes, using Ned as an example of characterization gone wrong. The term refers to a character losing what makes them three-dimensional and realistic and instead playing up one aspect of their personality until they become a complete caricature. Along with Ned, Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow is another example of a "flanderized" character like Ned Flanders, as the filmmakers focus entirely on his quirky silliness in the most recent two Pirates of the Caribbean movies. So prevalent is the problem that it now impacts many of Hollywood's most established characters – creating what might be one of the dumbest trends in the industry.

The Flanderization Trend Is Still Active In Hollywood

Ned Flanders scream

Flanderization is still a common problem, and it usually occurs when a studio seemingly does not know what to do with a character. Thor of Thor: Love and Thunder is a prime example of a modern movie studio (Marvel Studios) flanderizing their own character. Thor is first introduced as a loyal, slightly humorous god of thunder in Thor but is slowly flanderized throughout his subsequent appearances to the point where, in Love and Thunder his silly comedy is his only important character trait, much like both Ned Flanders and Jack Sparrow.

However, characters can be flanderized in many other ways: it does not have to revolve around what parts of their personality make them funny. Seth MacFarlane's Brian Griffin begins Family Guy as a stoic, if sarcastic, friend of Peter Griffin. However, his smarminess and arrogance are made his sole characteristics in later seasons, proving that negative traits can also be flanderized to make a character into a total caricature of themselves. The Simpsons' Ned Flanders may be the namesake of flanderization, but the problem is ongoing throughout Hollywood, from the Marvel Cinematic Universe to the waters of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.