Patty and Selma Bouvier | |
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The Simpsons characters | |
Patty (left) and Selma (right)
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Information | |
Voiced by | Julie Kavner |
Gender | Female |
Occupation | Civil servants, DMV |
Relatives |
Parents: Jackie, Clancy Sisters: Marge and each other Nephew: Bart Nieces: Lisa, Maggie Daughter (Selma): Ling Brother-in-law: Homer Cousins: Dot Aunts: Gladys Gurney Uncles: Lou (See also Bouvier family) |
First appearance | |
The Simpsons | "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" |
Patty and Selma Bouvier (/ˈbuːvi.eɪ/) are fictional characters in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons. They are identical twins (but with different hairstyles) and are both voiced by Julie Kavner. They are Marge Simpson's older twin sisters, who both work at the Springfield Department of Motor Vehicles, and possess a strong dislike for their brother-in-law, Homer Simpson. Selma is the elder by two minutes, and longs for male companionship while her sister, Patty, is a lesbian. Kavner voices them as characters who "suck the life out of everything". Patty and Selma first appeared on the first ever aired Simpsons episode "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire", which aired on December 17, 1989.
Although the two have a similar look, there are several easy ways to distinguish them. Notable differences include:
In the episode "The Blue and the Gray", it is revealed that Selma is actually a blonde, while Patty is a redhead. Their blue-grey tinged hair is due to cigarette smoke and ash.
Rarely seen apart, Patty and Selma are known for their distinctive gravelly voices, their cynical outlook on life, their bitter and unpleasant personalities, and their love of cigarettes. They share an apartment at the Spinster City apartment complex and both work at the DMV. The two are avid, sometimes maniacal fans of the TV series, MacGyver. The two seem to be aroused by the character and smoke a cigarette after every viewing of the show. When Jay Sherman, on advice from Homer, told Patty and Selma that MacGyver is gay, they stripped him to his boxers and hung him from the gutters. On the eve of Selma's marriage to Sideshow Bob, he insulted MacGyver and the wedding was almost cancelled as a result. Selma and Patty once met the actor who portrayed MacGyver, Richard Dean Anderson, and kidnapped him. Patty and Selma have taken many vacations together to various places including Czechoslovakia and the Dead Sea, which Selma sunk to the bottom of when she attempted to float on her back. Patty and Selma have also brought home "souvenirs" from their vacations, including a pillowcase full of seashells from their trip to Sulfur Bay that they forced the family to help them clean and organize. They drove away Richard Dean Anderson by showing him slides of their trip to the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston, Alberta.