Bart Simpson: Difference between revisions

{{About|the cartoon character|the filmmaker|Bart Simpson (filmmaker)|the sailor nicknamed "Bart Simpson"|Andrew Simpson (sailor)}}

* [[Lisa Simpson]] (younger sister)

* [[Maggie Simpson]] (younger sister)

* [[Grampa Simpson|Abe Simpson]] (paternal grandfather)

* [[Mona Simpson (The Simpsons)|Mona Simpson]] (paternal grandmother; deceased)

* [[Clancy Bouvier]] (maternal grandfather; deceased)

* [[Simpson family#Jacqueline Bouvier|Jacqueline Bouvier]] (maternal grandmother)

* [[Patty and Selma|Patty Bouvier]] (maternal aunt)

* [[Patty and Selma|Selma Bouvier]] (maternal aunt)

* [[Herbert Powell (The Simpsons)|Herbert Powell]] (paternal half-uncle)

* [[Simpson family#Abbey|Abbey]] (paternal half-aunt)

During the first two seasons of ''The Simpsons'', Bart was the show's [[protagonist]], andensuing "Bartmania" ensued, spawningwhich Bartspawned SimpsonBart-themed merchandise touting his rebellious attitudepersona and pride atin underachieving. However, whichthese traits also drew causedcriticism manyfrom parents and educators towho castviewed him as a badnegative roleinfluence model foron children.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Murray |date=2021-11-23 |title=Why Homer Replaced Bart As The Simpsons' Main Character (& When) |url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-homer-bart-main-character-change-what-season/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}}</ref> AroundBy the [[The Simpsons (season 3)|third season]], theHomer role ofbecame the protagonistshow's was taken over by his fatherfigure, and the series startedshifted toits focus more onto the family as a whole, though Bart still remains a prominent [[breakout character]]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' named Bart one of the [[Time 100: The Most Important People of the Century|100 most important people of the 20th century]], and he was named "entertainer of the year" in 1990 by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. Cartwright has won several awards for voicing Bart, including a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] in 1992 and an [[Annie Award]] in 1995. In 2000, Bart, along with the rest of his family, was awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]].

[[Matt Groening]] first conceived of Bart and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987, while waiting in the lobby of producer [[James L. Brooks]]' office. Groening had been called in to pitch a series of animated shorts for ''The Tracey Ullman Show'', and had intended to present an adaptation of his ''Life in Hell'' comic strip. When he realized that animating ''Life in Hell'' would require him to rescind publication rights, Groening decided to go in another direction.<ref name="americasfirstfamily">{{cite video|people=BBC|year=2000|title='The Simpsons': America's First Family (6-minute edit for the season 1 DVD)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0250735/|format=DVD|location=UK|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> He hurriedly sketched out his version of a [[dysfunctional family]], naming the characters after members of his own family. For the rebellious son, he substituted "Bart", an anagram of the word ''brat'', for his own name,<ref name="americasfirstfamily"/> as he decided it would have been too obvious for him to have named the character 'Matt'.<ref name=sundvd>{{cite video|people=Groening, Matt: Jean, Al|year=2007|title=The Simpsons Movie: A Look Behind the Scenes|medium=DVD|publisher=distributed by [[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]}}</ref> Bart's middle initial ''J'' is a "tribute" to animated characters such as [[Bullwinkle J. Moose]] and [[Rocky the Flying Squirrel|Rocket J. Squirrel]] from ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show]]'', who received their middle initial from [[Jay Ward]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/interviews/groening/page9.shtml|title=J is for Jay|access-date=September 21, 2008|publisher=BBC}}</ref><ref>Groening, Matt. (2007). Commentary for "[[D'oh-in' in the Wind]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> According to the book ''[[Bart Simpson's Guide to Life]]'', Bart's full middle name is "JoJo".<ref>{{cite book|last=Groening|first=Matt|year=2001|title=Bart Simpson's Guide to Life|publisher=Harper Perennial|isbn=978-5-558-68551-0}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=April 2024}}

The basic rectangular shape of Bart's head is described by director [[Mark Kirkland]] as a coffee can. Homer's head is also rectangular (with a dome on top), while spheres are used for Marge, Lisa, and Maggie.<ref>Archer, Wes; Groening, Matt; Kirkland, Mark. (2005). "A Bit From the Animators", Illustrated Commentary for "[[Summer of 4 Ft. 2]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Different animators have different methods of drawing Bart. Former director [[Jeffrey Lynch]] starts off with a box, then adds the eyes, then the mouth, then the hair spikes, ear, and then the rest of the body. Matt Groening normally starts with the eyes, then the nose, and the rest of the outline of Bart's head. Many of the animators have trouble drawing Bart's spikes evenly; one trick they use is to draw one on the right, one on the left, one in the middle, then continue to add one in the middle of the blank space until there are nine. Originally, whenever Bart was to be drawn from an angle looking down so the top of his head was seen, Groening wanted there to be spikes along the outline of his head, and in the middle as well. Instead, [[Wes Archer]] and [[David Silverman (animator)|David Silverman]] drew him so that there was an outline of the spikes, then just a smooth patch in the middle because "it worked graphically".<ref>Groening, Matt; Lynch, Jeffrey; Reardon, Jim; Silverman, David. (2005). Illustrated Commentary for "[[Who Shot Mr. Burns?|Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> In "[[The Blue and the Gray (The Simpsons)|The Blue and the Gray]]", Bart (along with Lisa and Maggie) finally questions why his hair has no visible border to separate head from hair.{{cn|date=November 2024}}

In the [[The Simpsons (season 7)|season seven]] (1995) episode "[[Treehouse of Horror VI]]", Bart (along with Homer) was computer-animated into a [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] character for the first time for the "Homer³" segment of the episode. The computer animation was provided by [[Pacific Data Images]].<ref name="3D" /> While designing the 3D model of the character, the animators did not know how they would show Bart's hair. They realized that there were vinyl Bart dolls in production and purchased one to use as a model.<ref name="3D">Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Johnson, Tim; Silverman, David; Mirkin, David; Cohen, David X. "Homer in the Third Dimension" (2005), in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

Cartwright's normal speaking voice is said to have "no obvious traces of Bart".<ref name="My Boy">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/aug/02/broadcasting.edinburgh04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071205160018/http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2004/aug/02/broadcasting.edinburgh04|archive-date=December 5, 2007|title=That's my boy|last=Brockes|first=Emma|access-date=October 22, 2008|date=August 2, 2004|work=[[The Guardian]]|location=London}}</ref> The voice came naturally to Cartwright; prior to ''The Tracey Ullman Show'', she had used elements of it in shows such as ''[[My Little Pony (TV series)|My Little Pony]]'', ''[[Snorks]]'', and ''[[Pound Puppies]]''.<ref name="My Boy" /> Cartwright describes Bart's voice as easy to perform, saying, "Some characters take a little bit more effort, upper respiratory control, whatever it is technically. But Bart is easy to do. I can just slip into that without difficulty."<ref name="My Boy" /> She usually does five or six readings of every line in order to give the producers more to work with.<ref name="BBC News" /> In [[flashforward]] episodes, Cartwright still provides the voice of Bart. For "[[Lisa's Wedding]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 6)|season six]], 1995), Bart's voice was electronically lowered.<ref>Mirkin, David. (2005). Commentary for "[[Lisa's Wedding]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

In the [[The Simpsons opening sequence|opening sequence]] of many ''Simpsons'' episodes, the camera zooms in on Springfield Elementary School, where Bart can be seen [[writing lines]] on the chalkboard. The sentences, which changes from episode to episode, has become known as the "chalkboard gag".{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=71}} Chalkboard messages may involve political humor such as "The First Amendment does not cover burping",<ref>{{cite episode|title=Lemon of Troy|episode-link=Lemon of Troy|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[Brent Forrester|Forrester, Brent]]; Reardon, Jim|network=Fox|airdate=May 14, 1995|season=06|number=24}}</ref> [[popular culture|pop culture]] references such as "[[The Sixth Sense|I can't see dead people]]",<ref>{{cite episode|title=Take My Wife, Sleaze|episode-link=Take My Wife, Sleaze|series=The Simpsons|credits=Swartzwelder, John; [[Neil Affleck|Affleck, Neil]]|network=Fox|date=November 28, 1999|season=11|number=08}}</ref> and [[meta-reference]]s such as "I am not a 32-year-old woman" and "Nobody reads these anymore".{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=71}} The animators are able to produce the chalkboard gags quickly and in some cases have changed them to fit current events. For example, the chalkboard gag for "[[Homer the Heretic]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 4)|season four]], 1992) read, "I will not defame New Orleans"." The gag had been written as an apology to the city for a controversial song in the previous week's episode, "[[A Streetcar Named Marge]]", which called the city a "home of pirates, drunks and whores".<ref name="Martin">Martin, Jeff (2004). "The Cajun Controversy", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Bart chalks up apology for New Orleans song|date=October 8, 1992|page=A1|work=[[The Times-Picayune]]|last=Lorando|first=Mark}}</ref> Many episodes do not feature a chalkboard gag because a shorter opening title sequence, where the chalkboard gags are cut, is used to make more room for story and plot development.

One of Bart's early hallmarks were his prank calls to [[Moe's Tavern]] owner [[Moe Szyslak]] in which Bart calls Moe and asks for a [[gag name]]. Moe tries to find that person in the bar, but rapidly realizes it is a prank call and (despite not knowing who actually made the call) angrily threatens Bart. These calls were based on a series of prank calls known as the [[Tube Bar prank calls|Tube Bar recordings]]. Moe was based partly on Tube Bar owner [[Louis "Red" Deutsch]], whose often profane responses inspired Moe's violent side.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hudsonreporter.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15354520&BRD=1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523586&rfi=6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080925085614/http://www.hudsonreporter.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15354520&BRD=1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523586&rfi=6|archive-date=September 25, 2008|title=Joke on 'Simpsons' started in JC|access-date=October 30, 2008|date=August 10, 2005|work=[[Jersey City Reporter]]|last=Kaulessar|first=Ricardo}}</ref> The prank calls debuted in "[[Homer's Odyssey (The Simpsons)|Homer's Odyssey]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 1)|season one]], 1990), the third episode to air, but were included in "[[Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons)|Some Enchanted Evening]]", the first episode of the series that was produced.<ref name="Some">[[James L. Brooks|Brooks, James L.]]; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al. (2001). Commentary for "[[Some Enchanted Evening (The Simpsons)|Some Enchanted Evening]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> As the series progressed, it became more difficult for the writers to come up with a fake name and to write Moe's angry response, so the pranks were dropped as a regular joke during the fourth season<ref name="Some"/><ref>Reiss, Mike. (2001). Commentary for "[[Moaning Lisa (The Simpsons)|Moaning Lisa]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> but they have occasionally resurfaced on the show.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/916/916381p1.html|title=The Simpsons: "Lost Verizon" Review|access-date=November 3, 2008|date=October 6, 2005|last=Canning|first=Robert|website=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081009060657/http://tv.ign.com/articles/916/916381p1.html|archive-date=October 9, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>

The catchphrase "Eat My Shorts" was an ad-lib by Cartwright in one of the original table readings, harking back to an incident when she was in high school. Cartwright was in the marching band at [[Fairmont High School (Ohio)|Fairmont High School]], and one day while performing, the band chanted "Eat my shorts" rather than the usual "Fairmont West! Fairmont West!"<ref name=Smith>{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml|title='Simpsons' Trivia, From Swearing Lisa To 'Burns-Sexual' Smithers|access-date=July 29, 2007|date=July 26, 2007|last=Carroll|first=Larry|publisher=MTV|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071220140402/http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1565538/20070725/story.jhtml|archive-date=December 20, 2007}}</ref><ref name="sprcon">{{cite book|last1=Reiss|first1=Mike|last2=Klickstein|first2=Mathew|title=Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons|date=2018|publisher=Dey Street Books|isbn=978-0062748034|page=108|location=New York City}}</ref> It could also be an homage to ''[[The Breakfast Club]]'', as John Bender says the phrase to Principal Vernon. John Bender would become the inspiration for another [[Matt Groening]] creation, [[Bender (Futurama)|Bender]] from ''[[Futurama]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=May 30, 2014|title=The Surprising Origins of TV Character Names|url=https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/57016/surprising-origins-tv-character-names|access-date=July 21, 2020|website=www.mentalfloss.com|language=en}}</ref> Bart's other catchphrases, "''¡Ay, caramba!''" came from a Portuguese flamenco dancer<ref name="sprcon"/> and "Don't have a cow!" had been around since the 1950s which derived from the British phrase "Don't have kittens";<ref name="sprcon"/> both were featured on T-shirts manufactured during the production of the early seasons of ''The Simpsons''.{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=25}}<ref name="Time"/> "Cowabunga" is also commonly associated with Bart, although it was mostly used on the show after it had been used as a slogan on the T-shirts.<ref name="BGFCom"/> Reiss also stated the writers took the phrase from Chief Thunderthud on ''[[The Howdy Doody Show]]''. The use of catchphrase-based humor was mocked in the episode "[[Bart Gets Famous]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 5)|season five]], 1994) in which Bart lands a popular role on [[Krusty the Clown]]'s show for saying the line "I didn't do it."{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=61}} The writers chose the phrase "I didn't do it" because they wanted a "lousy" phrase "to point out how really crummy things can become really popular".<ref>Mirkin, David. (2004). Commentary for "[[Bart Gets Famous]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

Bart commonlyoften appears nude in the show, althoughusually inby every case only his buttocks are visible[[mooning]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Abroad/0,,2-1225-1243_2106665,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090106100100/http://www.news24.com/News24/Entertainment/Abroad/0%2C%2C2-1225-1243_2106665%2C00.html|archive-date=January 6, 2009|title=Bart Simpson goes nude|website=[[News24 (website)|News24]]|location=South Africa|date=April 30, 2007|access-date=October 30, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Time"></ref> In ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' (2007), Bart appears in a sequence where he is skateboarding while fully nude; several different items cover his genitalia, but for a brief moment his penis can be seen. The scene was one of the first worked on for the film, but the producers were nervous about the segment because they thought it would earn the movie an [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system|R rating]].<ref name="com">Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; [[Mike Scully|Scully, Mike]]; Silverman, David; [[Dan Castellaneta|Castellaneta, Dan]]; Smith, Yeardley. (2007). Commentary for ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Despite this, the film was [[PG-Rating|rated PG-13]] by the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] for "Irreverent Humor Throughout".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmratings.com/filmRatings_cara/reports/s10626447.htm|title="Simpsons Movie, The" rating listing|website=FilmRatings.com|access-date=September 19, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012012444/http://www.filmratings.com/filmRatings_cara/reports/s10626447.htm|archive-date=October 12, 2013}}</ref> The scene was later included by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' in their list of "30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20229685_5,00.html|title=Bodies of Work: 30 Unforgettable Nude Scenes|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|last=Raphael|first=Lisa|year=2008|access-date=October 30, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081027181236/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0%2C%2C20229685_5%2C00.html|archive-date=October 27, 2008|url-status=livedead}}</ref>

Bart's character traits of rebelliousness and disrespect for authority have been compared to that of America's founding fathers, and he has been described as an updated version of [[Tom Sawyer]] and [[Huckleberry Finn]], rolled into one.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Cantor|first=P.|title=The Simpsons: Atomistic Politics and the Nuclear Family|journal=Political Theory|volume=27|issue=6|pages=734–749|date=December 1999|doi=10.1177/0090591799027006002|jstor=192244|s2cid=143998133|issn=0090-5917}}</ref> In his book ''[[Planet Simpson]]'', [[Chris Turner (author)|Chris Turner]] describes Bart as a [[Nihilism|nihilist]], a philosophical position that argues that existence is without objective meaning, purpose, or [[intrinsic value (ethics)|intrinsic value]].{{sfn|Turner|2004|p=124}}

Bart's rebellious attitude has made him a disruptive student at [[Springfield Elementary School]], where he is an underachiever and proud of it.<ref name="Gets an F">{{cite episode|title=Bart Gets an "F"|episode-link=Bart Gets an "F"|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[David M. Stern|Stern, David M.]]; Silverman, David|network=Fox|airdate=October 11, 1990|season=02|number=01}}</ref> He is constantly at odds with his teacher [[Edna Krabappel|Ms. Krabappel]], [[Principal Skinner]], and occasionally [[Groundskeeper Willie]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=Girly Edition|episode-link=Girly Edition|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[Larry Doyle (writer)|Doyle, Larry]]; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=April 19, 1998|season=09|number=21}}</ref> Bart does poorly in school and is well aware of it, having once declared, "I am dumb, okay? Dumb as a post! Think I'm happy about it?"<ref name="Gets an F"/> On one occasion, Lisa successfully proves that Bart is dumber than a [[hamster]], although Bart ultimately outsmarts her.<ref name="Duffless">{{cite episode|title=Duffless|episode-link=Duffless|series=The Simpsons|credits=Stern, David M.; Reardon, Jim|network=Fox|airdate=February 18, 1993|season=04|number=16}}</ref> Bart's thoughts are often illogical; he once thought if he died and reincarnated as a butterfly, he would be able to burn the school down without being suspected, thinking that he would be able to hold a gas can as a butterfly.<ref>{{cite episode|title='Round Springfield|episode-link='Round Springfield|series=The Simpsons|credits=Stern, Joshua; Ventimilia, Jeffrey|network=Fox|airdate=April 30, 1995|season=6|number=22}}</ref> He has also thought if he wrote his name in wet cement, people who see it after it dries will wonder how he managed to write his name in solid cement.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Lemon of Troy|episode-link=Lemon of Troy|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[Brent Forrester|Forrester, Brent]]|network=Fox|airdate=May 14, 1995|season=6|number=24}}</ref> In "[[Separate Vocations]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 3)|season three]], 1992), Bart becomes hall monitor and his grades go up, suggesting that he struggles mainly because he does not pay attention, not because he is stupid.<ref name="Vocations">{{cite episode|title=Separate Vocations|episode-link=Separate Vocations|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[George Meyer|Meyer, George]]; Lynch, Jeffrey|network=Fox|airdate=February 27, 1992|season=03|number=18}}</ref> This idea is reinforced in "[[Brother's Little Helper]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 11)|season eleven]], 1999), in which it is revealed that Bart has [[Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder|attention deficit disorder]].<ref>{{cite episode|title=Brother's Little Helper|episode-link=Brother's Little Helper|series=The Simpsons|credits=Meyer, George; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=October 3, 1999|season=11|number=02}}</ref> His lack of smarts can also be attributed to the hereditary "Simpson Gene", which affects the intelligence of most male members of the Simpson family.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Lisa the Simpson|episode-link=Lisa the Simpson|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Ned Goldreyer|Goldreyer, Ned]]; Dietter, Susie|network=Fox|airdate=March 8, 1998|season=09|number=17}}</ref> Although he gets into endless trouble and can be sadistic, shallow and selfish, Bart also exhibits many qualities of high integrity. He has, on a few occasions, helped Principal Skinner and Mrs. Krabappel:<ref name="Confidential">{{cite episode|title=Grade School Confidential|episode-link=Grade School Confidential|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Bill Oakley|Pulido, Rachel]]; [[Susie Dietter|Dietter, Susie]]|network=Fox|airdate=April 6, 1997|season=08|number=19}}</ref> In "[[Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 5)|season five]], 1994), Bart accidentally got Skinner fired and befriended him outside the school environment. Bart missed having Skinner as an adversary and got him rehired, knowing that this would mean that the two could no longer be friends.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song|episode-link=Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Bill Oakley|Oakley, Bill]]; [[Josh Weinstein|Weinstein, Josh]]; [[Bob Anderson (director)|Anderson, Bob]]|network=Fox|airdate=April 28, 1994|season=05|number=19}}</ref>

Due to Bart's mischievousness and Homer's often uncaring and incompetent behavior, the two have a turbulent, jaded, violent, and at times borderline sadistic relationship. Bart regularly addresses Homer by his first name instead of "Dad", while Homer in turn often refers to him as "the boy".<ref name="First Word">{{cite episode|title=Lisa's First Word|episode-link=Lisa's First Word|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=Martin, Jeff; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=December 3, 1992|season=04|number=10}}</ref> Homer has a short temper and when enraged by Bart will strangle him on impulse in a cartoonishly violent manner.<ref>Groening, Matt. (2002). Commentary for "[[Simpson and Delilah]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> One of the original ideas for the show was that Homer would be "very angry" and oppressive toward Bart, but these characteristics were toned down somewhat as their characters were explored.<ref>Groening, Matt. (2004). Commentary for "[[Marge on the Lam]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Marge is a much more caring, understanding and nurturing parent than Homer, but she also refers to Bart as "a handful" and is often embarrassed by his antics.<ref name="Defined"/> In "[[Marge Be Not Proud]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 7)|season seven]], 1995), she felt she was mothering Bart too much and began acting more distant towards him after he was caught shoplifting. At the beginning of the episode, Bart protested at her over-mothering but as her attitude changed, he felt bad and made it up to her.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Marge Be Not Proud|episode-link=Marge Be Not Proud|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=Scully, Mike; [[Steven Dean Moore|Moore, Steven Dean]]|network=Fox|airdate=December 17, 1995|season=07|number=11}}</ref> Despite his attitude, Bart is sometimes willing to experience humiliation if it means pleasing his mom.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Marge's Son Poisoning|episode-link=Marge's Son Poisoning|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Daniel Chun|Chun, Daniel]]; Anderson, Mike B.|network=Fox|airdate=November 13, 2005|season=17|number=05}}</ref> Marge has expressed an understanding for her "special little guy" and has defended him on many occasions. She once said "I know Bart can be a handful, but I also know what he's like inside. He's got a spark. It's not a bad thing&nbsp;... Of course, it makes him ''do'' bad things."<ref name="Defined"/>

Bart shares a [[sibling rivalry]] with his younger sister, Lisa, but has a buddy-like relationship with his youngest sister Maggie, due to her infant state. While Bart has often hurt Lisa, and even fought her physically, the two are often very close.<ref name="Duffless" /><ref name="First Word"/> Bart cares for Lisa deeply and has always apologized for going too far.<ref name="Thanksgiving"/> He also believes Lisa to be his superior when it comes to solving problems and frequently goes to her for advice.<ref name="Vocations"/> Bart is also highly protective of Lisa: When a bully destroys her box of cupcakes in "[[Bart the General]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 1)|season one]], 1990), Bart immediately stands up for her.<ref name="General"/>

Bart is portrayed as a popular cool boy<ref name="Summer"/> and has many friends at school. Out of all of them his best friend is [[Milhouse Van Houten]], although Bart has at times shown embarrassment about their friendship.<ref name="Summer">{{cite episode|title=Summer of 4 Ft. 2|episode-link=Summer of 4 Ft. 2|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Dan Greaney|Greaney, Dan]]; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=May 19, 1996|season=07|number=25}}</ref> Bart is a bad influence on Milhouse, and the two have been involved in a lot of mischief together. Because of this behavior, [[Luann Van Houten|Milhouse's mother]] forbids Milhouse from playing with Bart in "[[Homer Defined]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 3)|season three]], 1991). While at first he pretended that he did not care, Bart eventually realizes that he needs Milhouse, and Marge manages to convince Mrs. Van Houten to reconsider.<ref name="Defined">{{cite episode|title=Homer Defined|episode-link=Homer Defined|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=[[Howard Gewirtz|Gewirtz, Howard]]; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=October 17, 1991|season=03|number=05}}</ref> Milhouse is a frequent target for local bullies Nelson Muntz and his friends [[Jimbo Jones|Jimbo]], [[Dolph (The Simpsons)|Dolph]], and [[Kearney Zzyzwicz|Kearney]]. At times, Bart also finds himself at the hands of their abuse. Despite being the more socially powerful of the two, Bart's social popularity has temporarily subsided in various episodes either due to extreme embarrassment caused by his family or other people (or even himself) or an unfortunate coincidence. Milhouse describes their social standing as "Three and a half. We get beat up, but we get an explanation."<ref name="Confidential"/> While Bart and the bullies have been adversaries at times, with Bart once declaring war on Nelson,<ref name="General">{{cite episode|title=Bart the General|episode-link=Bart the General|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=Swartzwelder, John; Silverman, David|network=Fox|airdate=February 4, 1990|season=01|number=05}}</ref> the school bullies actually like Bart for his ways and hang out with him at times, especially Nelson who eventually becomes close friends with him.<ref>{{cite episode|title=The Haw-Hawed Couple|episode-link=The Haw-Hawed Couple|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|credits=Selman, Matt; Clements, Chris|network=Fox|airdate=February 4, 1990|season=18|number=08}}</ref>

Bart is one of the biggest fans of children's television host [[Krusty the Clown]]. He once declared, "I've based my whole life on Krusty's teachings", and sleeps in a room filled with Krusty merchandise. He has helped the clown on many occasions, for example, foiling [[Sideshow Bob]]'s attempt to frame Krusty for armed robbery in "[[Krusty Gets Busted]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 1)|season one]], 1990), reuniting Krusty with his estranged father in "[[Like Father, Like Clown]]".<ref name="LFLC">{{cite episode|title=Like Father, Like Clown|episode-link=Like Father, Like Clown|series=The Simpsons|credits=[[Jay Kogen|Kogen, Jay]]; [[Wallace Wolodarsky|Wolodarsky, Wallace]]; [[Brad Bird|Bird, Brad]]; Lynch, Jeffrey|network=Fox|airdate=October 4, 1991|season=3|number=6}}</ref> and helping Krusty return to the air with a comeback special and reignite his career in "[[Krusty Gets Kancelled]]".<ref name="KGK">{{cite episode|title=Krusty Gets Kancelled|episode-link=Krusty Gets Kancelled|series=The Simpsons|credits=Swartzwelder, John; Silverman, David|network=Fox|airdate=May 13, 1993|season=04|number=22}}</ref> For his part, Krusty has remained largely ignorant of Bart's help and treats Bart with disinterest.<ref name="LFLC"/> One summer, Bart enthusiastically attended Kamp Krusty, which turned out to be a disaster, with Krusty nowhere to be seen. Bart keeps his hopes up by believing that Krusty would show up, but is soon pushed over the edge, and finally decides that he is sick of Krusty's shoddy merchandise and takes over the camp. Krusty immediately visits the camp in hopes of ending the conflict and manages to appease Bart.<ref name="KK">{{cite episode|title=Kamp Krusty|episode-link=Kamp Krusty|series=The Simpsons|credits=Stern, David M.; Kirkland, Mark|network=Fox|airdate=September 24, 1992|season=04|number=01}}</ref>{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=128–129}} One of the original ideas for the series was that Bart worshiped a television clown but had no respect for his father, although this was never directly explored.<ref name="NPR">{{cite interview|last=Groening|first=Matt|subject-link=Matt Groening|interviewer=[[Terry Gross]]|title=Fresh Air|publisher=[[NPR]]|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1476480|location=Philadelphia|date=October 23, 2003|access-date=October 29, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20047268,00.html2007/07/20/talking-about-simpsons/|title=Talking about ''The Simpsons''|access-date=October 29, 2008|date=July 20, 2007|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080930053655/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20047268%2C00.html|archive-date=September 30, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Because of this original plan, Krusty's design is basically Homer in clown make-up.<ref name=Smith/> When Bart foiled Sideshow Bob's plans in "Krusty Gets Busted", it sparked a long-standing feud between the two. The writers decided to have Bob repeatedly return to get revenge on Bart. They took the idea of the [[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Coyote chasing the Road Runner]] and depicted Bob as an intelligent person obsessed with catching a bratty boy.<ref name="JeanBW">Jean, Al. (2003). Commentary for "[[Black Widower]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Eighth Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Bob has appeared in fourteen episodes, generally plotting various evil schemes which often have to do with getting revenge on Bart (and sometimes the entire Simpson family by proxy), but is always foiled in the end.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/11/25/the-simpsons-funeral-for-a-friend/|title=The Simpsons: Funeral for a Fiend|website=[[TV Squad]]|last=Keller|first=Richard|access-date=October 29, 2008|date=November 25, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081020043209/http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/11/25/the-simpsons-funeral-for-a-friend/|archive-date=October 20, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1990, Bart quickly became one of the most popular characters on television in what was termed "Bartmania".{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=120–121}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Cartoon leads a revolt against apple-pie family&nbsp;– Simpsons|date=July 8, 1990|last=Cassidy|first=John|work=[[The Sunday Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22062437-5009160,00.html|title=Simpsons set for big screen|access-date=October 27, 2008|date=July 15, 2007|work=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]]|archive-date=March 1, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301032414/http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22062437-5009160,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/04/29/business/cashing-in-on-a-hot-new-brand-name.html|title=Cashing in on a Hot New Brand Name|last=Kleinfield|first=N.R.|access-date=October 27, 2008|date=April 29, 1990|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> He became the most prevalent ''Simpsons'' character on memorabilia, such as T-shirts. In the early 1990s, millions of T-shirts featuring Bart were sold;<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/business/the-t-shirt-industry-sweats-it-out.html?smid=url-share|title=The T-Shirt Industry Sweats It Out|access-date=September 18, 2008|date=October 7, 1990|last=Barmash|first=Isador|work=The New York Times}}</ref> as many as one million were sold on some days.<ref name="Shirts">{{cite journal|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20114134,00.html|title=Bart Simpson–Defiant, Saw-Topped and Cheeky—the Brat Terrible Gave Underachievers a Good Name|access-date=September 18, 2008|date=December 31, 1990|journal=[[People (magazine)|People]]|volume=34|issue=26}}</ref> Believing Bart to be a bad role model, several American public schools banned T-shirts featuring Bart next to captions such as "I'm Bart Simpson. Who the hell are you?" and "Underachiever ('And proud of it, man!')".<ref name="mikescully"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/12/30/business/the-t-shirt-industry-sweats-it-out.html|title=Overacheiver&nbsp;– and Learning to Deal With It, Man|access-date=September 18, 2008|date=December 30, 1990|last=Rohter|first=Larry|work=The New York Times}}</ref><ref>Burey, Chris. (1990). [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] report about the Bart Simpson T-shirt controversy included as an Easter Egg in ''The Simpsons: The Complete First Season'' (2001) [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> ''The Simpsons'' merchandise sold well and generated [[United States dollar|$]]2&nbsp;billion in revenue during the first 14 months of sales.<ref name="mikescully"/> The success of Bart Simpson merchandise inspired an entire line of [[black market]] [[counterfeit]] items, especially T-shirts. Some featured Bart announcing various slogans, others depicted redesigns of the character, including "Teenage Mutant Ninja Bart, Air Simpson Bart, [and] RastaBart".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,317834,00.html1990/07/27/bootleg-simpsons-shirts/|title=But is it Bart?|access-date=October 28, 2008|date=July 27, 1990|last=Svetkey|first=Benjamin|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003050127/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C317834%2C00.html|archive-date=October 3, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Matt Groening generally did not object to bootleg merchandise, but took exception to a series of "[[Nazism|Nazi]] Bart" shirts which depicted Bart in Nazi uniform or as a [[white power skinhead]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.02/futurama_pr.html|title=One-Eyed Aliens! Suicide Booths! Mom's Old-Fashioned Robot Oil!|access-date=October 30, 2008|year=1999|last=Kelly|first=Kevin|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004174227/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/7.02/futurama_pr.html|archive-date=October 4, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> 20th Century Fox sued the creator of the shirts, who eventually agreed to stop making them.<ref>{{cite news|title=Metzger stops ' Nazi Bart' T-shirt sales|date=June 4, 1991|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|agency=Associated Press}}</ref>

Bart became so associated with Fox that, when bidding in 1993 to [[NFL on Fox|show pro football]], the network had to assure the [[NFL]] and reporters that the character would not announce games.<ref name="curtis20181213">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2018/12/13/18137938/nfl-fox-deal-rupert-murdoch-1993-john-madden-terry-bradshaw-howie-long-jimmy-johnson-cbs-nbc|title=The Great NFL Heist: How Fox Paid for and Changed Football Forever|last=Curtis|first=Bryan|date=December 13, 2018|website=The Ringer|access-date=December 13, 2018}}</ref> Due to the show's success, over the summer of 1990 Fox decided to switch ''The Simpsons''{{'}} timeslot so that it would move from 8:00&nbsp;p.m. [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]] on Sunday night to the same time on Thursday, where it would compete with ''[[The Cosby Show]]'' on [[NBC]], the [[Nielsen ratings#Annual Top-Rated Shows|number one show]] at the time.<ref name="BGFCom"/><ref name="Steals">{{cite news|title='Simpsons' steals away Cosby viewers|date=May 9, 1991|page=4|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|last=Cerone|first=Daniel}}</ref> Through the summer, several news outlets published stories about the supposed "Bill vs. Bart" rivalry.<ref name="BGFCom">Brooks, James L.; Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Reiss, Mike; Silverman, David. (2002). Commentary for "[[Bart Gets an 'F']]{{-"}}, in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref><ref name="Shirts"/> The August 31, 1990 issue of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' featured a picture of [[Bill Cosby]] wearing a Bart Simpson T-shirt.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318085,00.html1990/08/31/bill-cosby-vs-bart-simpson/|title=Cosby's Brood vs. The Radical Dood|access-date=September 3, 2008|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=August 31, 1990|first=Tim|last=Appelo|archive-date=November 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103193025/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318085,00.html|url-status=deadlive}}</ref> "[[Bart Gets an 'F']]{{-"}} ([[The Simpsons (season 2)|season two]], 1990) was the first episode to air against ''The Cosby Show'', and it received a lower [[Nielsen ratings|Nielsen rating]], tying for eighth behind ''The Cosby Show'', which had an 18.5 rating. The rating is based on the number of household televisions that were tuned into the show, but [[Nielsen Media Research]] estimated that 33.6&nbsp;million viewers watched the episode, making it the number one show in terms of actual viewers that week. At the time, it was the most watched episode in the history of the Fox Network,<ref>{{cite news|title=Don't have a cow, man! More viewers watch "The Simpsons" than "Cosby"!|date=October 18, 1990|page=C5|work=[[Deseret News]]|last=Pierce|first=Scott D.}}</ref> and it is still the highest rated episode in the history of ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://television.aol.com/feature/the-simpsons/3|title='The Simpsons' Best Episodes: No. 15&nbsp;– 11|access-date=September 3, 2008|publisher=[[AOL]]|last=Potts|first=Kimberly|year=2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081015172241/http://television.aol.com/feature/the-simpsons/3|archive-date=October 15, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Because of his popularity, Bart was often the most promoted member of the Simpson family in advertisements for the show, even for episodes in which he was not involved in the main plot.<ref>Groening, Matt; Jean, Reiss; Moore, Rich; Reiss, Mike; Vitti, Jon. (2002). Commentary for "[[Lisa's Substitute]]", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref>

Bart was described as "television's king of 1990",<ref>{{cite news|title=Television in 1990&nbsp;– Among bright spots: 'Civil War,' CBS, 'Simpsons'|date=December 30, 1990|last=McDaniel|first=Mike|work=The Sunday Times}}</ref> "television's brightest new star"<ref>{{cite news|title=Bart Simpson was ray of hope in a year of generally drab television|date=December 30, 1990|last=Boone|first=Mike|work=[[The Gazette (Montreal)|The Gazette]]}}</ref> and an "undiminished smash".<ref name="Shirts"/> ''Entertainment Weekly'' named Bart the "entertainer of the year" for 1990, writing that "Bart has proved to be a rebel who's also a good kid, a terror who's easily terrorized, and a flake who astonishes us, and himself, with serious displays of fortitude."<ref>{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318928,00.html1990/12/28/bart-simpson-1990-entertainer-year/|title=1. Bart Simpson|access-date=September 15, 2008|date=December 28, 1990|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|last=Harris|first=Mark|archive-date=November 3, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141103192921/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,318928,00.html|url-status=deadlive}}</ref> In the United States [[United States House of Representatives elections, 1990|congressional]], [[United States Senate elections, 1990|senatorial]] and [[United States gubernatorial elections, 1990|gubernatorial]] elections of 1990, Bart was one of the most popular [[write-in candidatescandidate]]s, and in many areas was second only to [[Mickey Mouse]] amongst fictional characters.<ref>{{cite news|title=Write-ins Galore: Cast of Ballot Characters Widens|date=December 30, 1990|last=Potter|first=Bruce|work=[[Richmond Times-Dispatch]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Mickey, Bart fit write-in at ballot box|date=November 9, 1990|last=Stromberg|first=Amy|work=[[Sun-Sentinel|South Florida Sun-Sentinel]]|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-11-09/news/9002240447_1_write-in-votes-bart-simpson-election-day|access-date=June 30, 2017|archive-date=September 14, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914172710/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1990-11-09/news/9002240447_1_write-in-votes-bart-simpson-election-day|url-status=dead}}</ref> In the 1990 [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]], Bart made his debut as one of the giant helium-filled balloons for which the parade is known. The Bart Simpson balloon has appeared at every parade since.<ref>{{cite news|title=Bart Simpson, 'Falloon' floats debut at Macy's N.Y. Thanksgiving Parade|date=November 23, 1990|last=Stromberg|first=Amy|work=[[The Press of Atlantic City]]}}</ref> This was referenced in ''The Simpsons'' in the episode "[[Bart vs. Thanksgiving]]", which aired the same day as the parade, where Homer tells Bart, "If you start building a balloon for every flash-in-the-pan cartoon character, you turn the parade into a farce!" Meanwhile, behind and unbeknownst to him, the television briefly shows a Bart Simpson balloon.<ref name="Thanksgiving">{{cite episode|title=Bart vs. Thanksgiving|episode-link=Bart vs. Thanksgiving|series=The Simpsons|credits=Meyer, George; Silverman, David|network=Fox|airdate=November 22, 1990|season=02|number=07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season2/page7.shtml|title=Bart vs. Thanksgiving|access-date=October 30, 2008|last1=Martyn|first1=Warren|last2=Wood|first2=Adrian|year=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref>

The album ''[[The Simpsons Sing the Blues]]'' was released in September 1990 and was a success, peaking at No. 3 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref name="Billboard">{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=22526&model.vnuAlbumId=378393|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301051415/http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=22526&model.vnuAlbumId=378393|archive-date=March 1, 2009|title=Artist Chart History&nbsp;– The Simpsons|publisher=Billboard charts|access-date=October 28, 2008}}</ref> and becoming certified 2× platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]].<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Simpsons&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|title=RIAA Searchable database&nbsp;– Gold and Platinum|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=November 5, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151103134319/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&action=&title=&artist=Simpsons&format=&debutLP=&category=&sex=&releaseDate=&requestNo=&type=&level=&label=&company=&certificationDate=&awardDescription=&catalogNo=&aSex=&rec_id=&charField=&gold=&platinum=&multiPlat=&level2=&certDate=&album=&id=&after=&before=&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|archive-date=November 3, 2015}}</ref> The first single from the album was the [[Hip hop music|pop rap]] song "[[Do the Bartman]]", performed by Nancy Cartwright and released on November 20, 1990. The song was written by [[Bryan Loren]], a friend of [[Michael Jackson]].<ref name="fact">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/07/22/the-simpsons-do-the-bartman-michael-jackson-bryan-loren/|website=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|title=Michael Jackson Didn't Write 'Do The Bartman' After All|access-date=July 22, 2015|date=July 22, 2015}}</ref> Jackson was a fan of ''The Simpsons'', especially Bart,<ref>[[#Cartwright|Cartwright]], pp. 115–117</ref> and had called the producers one night offering to write Bart a number one single and do a guest spot on the show.<ref name="Brooks">Brooks, James L. (2003). Commentary for "Stark Raving Dad", in ''The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season'' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.</ref> Jackson eventually guest starred in the episode "[[Stark Raving Dad]]" ([[The Simpsons (season 3)|season three]], 1991) under the pseudonym John Jay Smith.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season3/page1.shtml|title=Stark Raving Dad|access-date=October 28, 2008|last1=Martyn|first1=Warren|last2=Wood|first2=Adrian|year=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref> While the song was never officially released as a single in the United States, it was successful in the United Kingdom. In 1991 it was the number one song in the UK for three weeks from February 16 to March 9 and was the seventh best-selling song of the year.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_songs.php?show=5|title=All the Number 1 Singles–1990s|access-date=December 1, 2008|publisher=Official Charts Company|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081217004651/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/all_the_no1_songs.php?show=5|archive-date=December 17, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> It sold half a million copies and was certified gold by the [[British Phonographic Industry]] on February 1, 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=18135|title=Certified awards|access-date=October 28, 2008|publisher=[[British Phonographic Industry]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080525230952/http://www.bpi.co.uk/platinum/platinumright.asp?rq=search_plat&r_id=18135|archive-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref>

At the [[44th Primetime Emmy Awards]] in 1992, Cartwright won a [[Primetime Emmy Award]] for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance|Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]] for voicing Bart in the [[The Simpsons (season 3)|season three]] episode "[[Separate Vocations]]". She shared the award with five other voice actors from ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Briefing–'Simpsons' score big in Prime-Time Emmys|date=August 3, 1992|page=L20|work=[[Daily News of Los Angeles]]}}</ref> Various episodes in which Bart is strongly featured have been nominated for Emmy Awards for [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)|Outstanding Animated Program]], including "[[Radio Bart]]" in 1992, "[[Future-Drama]]" in 2005, "[[The Haw-Hawed Couple]]" in 2006 and "[[Homer's Phobia]]", which won the award in 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php|title=Primetime Emmy Awards Advanced Search|publisher=Emmys.org|access-date=September 13, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914045417/http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php|archive-date=September 14, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1995, Cartwright won an [[Annie Award]] for "Voice Acting in the Field of Animation" for her portrayal of Bart in an episode.<ref name="A23">{{cite news|url=http://annieawards.org/23rdwinners.html|title=Legacy: 23rd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1995)|access-date=October 16, 2007|publisher=Annie Awards|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013221349/http://annieawards.org/23rdwinners.html|archive-date=October 13, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2000, Bart and the rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=September 4, 2008|url=http://www.tibp.com/cgi-bin/foxweb.dll/wlx/dir/wlxdirectory?cc=WOFAME++++&lcName=The+Simpsons|title=Hollywood Icons|publisher=Hollywood Chamber of Commerce}}</ref>

Bart has appeared in other media relating to ''The Simpsons''. He has appeared in every one of [[List of The Simpsons video games|''The Simpsons'' video games]], including ''[[The Simpsons: Bart vs. the World|Bart vs. the World]]'', ''[[Bart Simpson's Escape from Camp Deadly]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bart vs. the Space Mutants|Bart vs. the Space Mutants]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bart's House of Weirdness|Bart's House of Weirdness]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bart vs. The Juggernauts|Bart vs. The Juggernauts]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bartman Meets Radioactive Man|Bartman Meets Radioactive Man]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bart's Nightmare|Bart's Nightmare]]'', ''[[The Simpsons: Bart & the Beanstalk|Bart & the Beanstalk]]'' and ''[[The Simpsons Game]]'', released in 2007.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Walk|first=Gary Eng|title=Work of Bart|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=November 5, 2007|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20158366,00.html2007/11/09/bart-and-homer-guns-n-roses/|access-date=October 29, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017135647/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0%2C%2C20158366%2C00.html|archive-date=October 17, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> Alongside the television series, Bart regularly appears in issues of [[List of The Simpsons comics|''Simpsons Comics'']], which were first published on November 29, 1993, and are still issued monthly, and also has his own series called ''Bart Simpson Comics'' which have been released since 2000.<ref name="gazette">{{cite news|title=Groening launches Futurama comics|work=[[The Gazette (Colorado Springs)|The Gazette]]|date=November 19, 2000|last=Radford|first=Bill}}</ref><ref name="msnbc">{{cite web|url=http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/simpsons_sundays/simpsons_on_sundays.asp|title=Sundays with the Simpsons|access-date=October 29, 2008|last=Shutt|first=Craig|publisher=[[MSNBC]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708094751/http://cagle.msnbc.com/hogan/features/simpsons_sundays/simpsons_on_sundays.asp|archive-date=July 8, 2007}}</ref> Bart also plays a role in [[The Simpsons Ride]], launched in 2008 at [[Universal Studios Florida]] and [[Universal Studios Hollywood|Hollywood]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/simpsons-ride-featur-1657/|title=Simpsons ride features 29 characters, original voices|access-date=October 29, 2008|date=April 9, 2008|work=Los Angeles Times|last=MacDonald|first=Brady|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914144851/http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/simpsons-ride-featur-1657/|archive-date=September 14, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Bart appears as a playable character in the [[toys-to-life]] video game ''[[Lego Dimensions]]'', released via a "Fun Pack" packaged with a Gravity Sprinter accessory in November 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyrobertson/2015/11/03/lego-dimensions-wave-2/|title='Lego Dimensions' Wave 2 Adds Doctor Who World And Hire-able Minifigures|first=Andy|last=Robertson|website=[[Forbes]]}}</ref>

[[Category:CrossoverCounterculture charactersof inthe television1990s]]