# Scottish Simpsons fans - Is Willie offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345 "2005-02-10T04:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/1 "2005-02-10T04:18:10Z")
Groundskeeper Willie has been my favorite ancillatory character since the begining of the show. Being that he’s such an over-the-top stereotype **and** he’s almost always protrayed as being disagreeable, unseemly, poor, ignorant and generally unpleasant is he an _offensive_ character? Or is he so over the top that this doesn’t matter? And how does Dan Castellaneta’s accent sound? Is it, also, ridiculously exaggerated and fake sounding? Or could it pass as real (if Willie wasn’t always saying such insane things)? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/2 "2005-02-10T07:03:56Z")
I’m not Scottish, but I would theorize that he wouldn’t be. First of all, there’s the over the top thing you mentioned. Secondly, Wilie doesn’t seem to hit on any stereotypes I know of about Scots. If a character fails to hit common stereotypes, it seems less likely that the character will be seen as offensive, I believe. But I could be wrong, of course, totally wrong. I’m interested in what folks have to say, especially Europeans (who are assumably more up to date on this kind of thing than the emigres)… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/3 "2005-02-10T07:59:24Z")
I would hope nobody would be offended by Willy… he’s clearly not intended to be a depiction of Scots any more than Krusty is supposed to be a depiction of Jews. ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/4 "2005-02-10T08:12:28Z")
All the Scots that I have known told me that they thought that he was a great character. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/5 "2005-02-10T10:26:20Z")
The only Scottish person I know would quote Willy quite regularly. Usually the “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” line whenever I’d knock on his door. Mike Meyers’ depiction of Scottish families as being angry alcoholics that only start fistfights when there are no weapons readily available, otoh, was spot-on, in his opinion. Granted, I don’t know how typical a sampling _he_ is; how common is it in Scotland to have been, in the course of growing up: shot twice, stabbed four times, and have at least two dozen bones broken, all by members of your immediate family? ---
**Author:** ![owlstretchingtime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/958977/32.png) [@owlstretchingtime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlstretchingtime)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/6 "2005-02-10T10:35:04Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > Mike Meyers’ depiction of Scottish families as being angry alcoholics that only start fistfights when there are no weapons readily available, otoh, was spot-on, in his opinion. Granted, I don’t know how typical a sampling _he_ is; how common is it in Scotland to have been, in the course of growing up: shot twice, stabbed four times, and have at least two dozen bones broken, all by members of your immediate family? Half scot here. No it’s not offensive. All my scottish family think he’s funny. You can buy bonnetts with ginger wigs in gift shops in Scotland (not inspired by Willie (who BTW would be “Wullie” or more likely “Billy” in Scotland). The accent is bloody awful though. You have to remeber that Mike Myers comes from a very genteel Scottish family - and as such had an easy life. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/7 "2005-02-10T11:21:52Z")
> [@Sublight](#): > > The only Scottish person I know would quote Willy quite regularly. Usually the “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” line whenever I’d knock on his door. > > Mike Meyers’ depiction of Scottish families as being angry alcoholics that only start fistfights when there are no weapons readily available, otoh, was spot-on, in his opinion. Granted, I don’t know how typical a sampling _he_ is; how common is it in Scotland to have been, in the course of growing up: shot twice, stabbed four times, and have at least two dozen bones broken, all by members of your immediate family? :eek: Not common at all. Unlucky bloke, your friend! ☹ As for the Simpsons thing, I really have not seen the SImpsons for a very long time, and can only recall seeing Groundskeeper once or twice. IIRC, I didn’t think much of the “accent”, but I can’t really remember anything about the character depicted. ---
**Author:** ![Arwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Arwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arwin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/8 "2005-02-10T11:40:48Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > :eek: Not common at all. Unlucky bloke, your friend! ☹ > > As for the Simpsons thing, I really have not seen the SImpsons for a very long time, and can only recall seeing Groundskeeper once or twice. IIRC, I didn’t think much of the “accent”, but I can’t really remember anything about the character depicted. Yeah, I’m not Scottish but now that you mention it he almost sounds more like Pirate than like a Scot. But that may be intentional, considering his temperament and character. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/9 "2005-02-10T13:36:50Z")
I’m dancin’ like I never danced beforrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre! ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/10 "2005-02-10T13:41:28Z")
> [@Hail Ants](#): > > …he’s almost always protrayed as being disagreeable, unseemly, poor, ignorant and generally unpleasant Yes, you said “Scottish” already 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/11 "2005-02-10T14:47:40Z")
What about the episode when they went to capture the Loch Ness Monster, and Willie reunited with his family? “So you’re back, son.” “Aye.” _pause_ “I suppose you’ll be leaving soon.” “Aye.” _(they shrug and walk away)_ A typical warm Scottish reunion? ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/12 "2005-02-10T16:59:18Z")
My family on my father’s side is from the Orkneys. Those islands are nasty, cold, craggy rocks in the sea north of Scotland. Just like my nasty, cold, and craggy Scottish relatives. Willie seems about right. We immigrated to the US so we could smile at strangers and say ‘Howdy!’ ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/13 "2005-02-10T17:08:33Z")
Not offensive. It’s a cartoon. Do Americans find Homer offensive? And the accent is rotten, which is in part what makes him funny. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/14 "2005-02-10T17:14:22Z")
> [@Futile Gesture](#): > > Not offensive. It’s a cartoon. Do Americans find Homer offensive? I almost said the same thing, but Willie is the only Scot on the series and Homer is one of many Americans. Of course, almost all of them are warped or jerks or something, this being a TV show… ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/15 "2005-02-10T17:17:50Z")
There was an episode where Homer formed a bowling team with Moe, Apu, Otto, and later Mr. Burns. One of their opponents was “The Stereotypes” which had Willie, Luigi (Italian restaurant owner), Captain McAllister, and Cletus on it. Apu, remarked, “They begged me to join them. Begged me!” ---
**Author:** ![mazinger\_z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@mazinger\_z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazinger_z)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/16 "2005-02-10T17:29:04Z")
> [@Arwin](#): > > Yeah, I’m not Scottish but now that you mention it he almost sounds more like Pirate than like a Scot. But that may be intentional, considering his temperament and character. Speaking of pirates, when I went to school at Oxford, I found the Scots to be near incomprehensible. They understood me just fine and we got along great (the ones I hung out with, albeit a very small sample size), I didn’t think of them as ones who couldn’t hold their liquor. The Irish people I hung out with, on the other hand, got drunk as loons. And, when talking to them, I understood them way better than the Scots, but that accent, OMG, it was so no Irish Spring or Lucky Charms. Pirates they be! The English I’ve hung out with tell me that the accent is a result of coming from a poorer economic background, but I’m not sure how much truth there is to that, rather than just perceived regional nationalism. Anyway, back to the OP, one day we were watching the Simpsons, and it was the ep where Willie is chasing after Santa’s Little Helper. After he says, “Then grease me up woman, I’m a going in” and rips off his shirt, everyone was cracking up. My friend was like, “Do I really sound like that?” He didn’t, much different, and much more incomprehensible at times. Think Bigby from _Trainspotting_. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/17 "2005-02-10T18:14:25Z")
Great BBC website, with various British regional dialects (or language) sampled: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/](http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/18 "2005-02-10T21:12:11Z")
Probably [my favorite Willieism](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/9567/ADOONT.WAV). And for the record, there is no foxier accent a woman can have than a Scottish one (though perhaps the exact opposite is true for men 😉 ). ---
**Author:** ![AlbertHosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AlbertHosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlbertHosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/19 "2005-02-10T21:35:21Z")
No, not offensive. Funny, actually. Though my six-year-old daughter does act shocked every time someone says his name! ---
**Author:** ![Angua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8baadc/32.png) [@Angua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angua)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345/20 "2005-02-10T21:44:13Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Yes, you said “Scottish” already 😃 Hey!! Some of them are nice, wonderful, intelligent, charming, and lovely, so nyah. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scottish-simpsons-fans-is-willie-offensive/289345.md?page=2)