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Seymour Skinner

 I'm watching "The Pitt," and occasionally I grow tired of the melodrama. Yes, we are all at war with ourselves, but sometimes the Dr. Robby struggles seem over-the-top. We get it. A little more subtlety would be helpful.


By contrast, "The Simpsons" does a great job of showing Principal Skinner on a particularly bad day. Bart has smuggled his dog into school--but the dog escapes through an air vent. Groundskeeper Willie coats himself in lunchroom grease, and his rescue efforts are successful; however, Willie destroys a piece of school property and falls from the gym rafters. Having witnessed this, Superintendent Chalmers fires Skinner.

Things don't get better. In an amazing scene at the laundromat, Skinner tries to entertain himself by reciting the names of each and every detergent. He can't even secure a playdate with Bart. Miscreants appear and steal his underwear--though he vows to buy a new pair, he soon discovers that he is penniless. Nelson's parting insult is unoriginal but still effective: "See you around, ex-principal!"

Skinner is the work of Harry Shearer, who also voices Burns and Smithers, among other characters. Shearer has an Emmy Award--but, somehow, this seems inadequate. Finally, it's unfair that someone with Shearer's acting talent is *also* immortal for having written "This Is Spinal Tap."
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