A 'Simpsons' Writer Discussed Smithers' Groundbreaking Gay Love Story
The Simpsons writer Johnny LaZebnik has opened up about the show's recent gay love storyline for Waylon Smithers on the show.
Season 33 episode 'Portrait of a Lackey on Fire' saw the character, who has spent much of the series' timeline in the closet, fall in love with Michael de Graaf (Victor Garber) – having come out on the show a few years ago.
Speaking to The AV Club, LaZebnik – who wrote the episode with his father Rob, a long-time Simpsons writer – opened up about the groundbreaking Smithers arc, having helped write the initial coming out story a few years ago.
"When we, my dad and I, talked about writing this episode, something that was important to me was to see his relationship grow and flourish and to get those intimate moments of two gay people on screen talking about being gay or dating," he explained.
"To have a gay romance be the A-story of a Simpsons episode, I don't think has ever happened. And that's what was so exciting to me."
The writer went on to reflect on the show's mixed track record when it comes to representation, notably how Smithers' hidden sexuality was often joked about in its earlier years.
Admitting that he "loves" some of those jokes, Johnny praised how the series was now developing characters that were previously sidelined.
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He continued: "I think in many ways, [Smithers] was really an impressive gay character to have early on, because he's not sort of the stereotypical, flamboyant gay that you see in so many of these late '90s cartoons.
"He's probably the most competent character on the show. He's fully his own person and has a life that's not just being gay, which is so impressive and so much more than a lot of shows depicted in that era.
"To just keep being able to add to that legacy, and to that story, is awesome. And I think we did a really good job in this episode of keeping true to his character while simultaneously fleshing out his existence as a real person."
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