Flanderization

File:Winston Rowntree - Sitcom Flanderization.png

Flanderization is the process through which a fictional character's essential traits are oversimplified to the point where they constitute their entire personality, or at least exaggerated while other traits remain, over the course of a serial work.

The term Flanderization was coined by TV Tropes, in reference to Ned Flanders of The Simpsons, who was caricatured over the show's run from a friendly and good-hearted neighbor (among other characteristics, while maintaining his Christian faith) into a dogmatic, evangelical "Bible-thumper".

Flanderization is often associated with and cited as a consequence of "jumping the shark", a term used to demonstrate a creative work's gradual decline in quality which leads to a sudden decline in popularity.{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/emmacooke24/tv-shows-jumped-the-shark|title="Jumping The Shark" Is When A TV Show Suddenly Gets Baaaad – Here Are 13 That Did Just That|first=Emma|last=Cooke|date=June 27, 2023|website=BuzzFeed}}

Definition and etymology

Flanderization is the process through which a single element of a character's personality, often an originally mild element, is inflated in importance over the course of a work until it becomes the character's primary defining trait.{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/Flanderization-ned-flanders-synonymous-with-bad-writing/|last=Zachary|first=Brandon|title=Flanderization: How Ned Flanders Became Synonymous With Bad Writing|work=Comic Book Resources|date=30 March 2020|access-date=28 February 2021|archive-date=31 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200331140424/https://www.cbr.com/Flanderization-ned-flanders-synonymous-with-bad-writing/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |last=Glinni |first=Gabriele |date=2020-12-30 |title=La 'flanderizzazione': quando un personaggio viene banalizzato. |url=https://pilloledifolklore.org/2020/12/30/il-fenomeno-della-flanderizzazione/ |access-date=2024-11-28 |website=Pillole di Folklore e Scrittura |language=it}} The term was coined by TV Tropes,{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-storylines-aged-poorly/|title=The Simpsons: 10 Storylines That Have Aged Poorly|first=Angelo|last=Delos Trinos|date=August 24, 2019|work=Screen Rant|access-date=October 28, 2021|archive-date=October 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211028043613/https://screenrant.com/simpsons-storylines-aged-poorly/|url-status=live}} a wiki that collects and documents descriptions and examples of plot conventions and devices in fiction and pop culture, in reference to the character of Ned Flanders.{{cite book|last1=Christensen|first1=Aron|last2=Lindquist|first2=Erica|title=Loaded Dice 2|date=19 November 2020|publisher=Loose Leaf Stories|location=Folsom|chapter=Flanderizing Characters|isbn=9781643190624}}

Flanders himself is a complex example of Flanderization, having undergone the process in the middle seasons of the show before once again returning to a similar portrayal to his original one.{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a831352/tv-character-transformations/|title=7 classic TV characters who totally changed from their first appearance|work=Digital Spy|last=Eames|first=Tom|date=18 June 2018|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=8 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200808133133/https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/a831352/tv-character-transformations/|url-status=live}} Originating as "perhaps the only genuinely well-meaning, good-natured person in Springfield", Flanders was originally intended to be an ideal ("annoyingly perfect"Emily Lackey, "[https://www.bustle.com/articles/131215-11-annoying-90s-sitcom-neighbors-ranked-by-how-much-you-wanted-to-kick-them-out 11 Annoying ‘90s Sitcom Neighbors, Ranked] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519104016/https://www.bustle.com/articles/131215-11-annoying-90s-sitcom-neighbors-ranked-by-how-much-you-wanted-to-kick-them-out |date=2021-05-19 }}", Bustle, Dec. 21, 2015; accessed 2021.03.19.) neighbor who served as a contrast and foil for Homer Simpson. As a devoutly religious and church-going man, his faith was intended to serve as a contrast to Homer's lack of religious sophistication. However, over the course of the show's run, Flanders was simplified into a religious fundamentalist whose Christianity was his primary defining characteristic.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-ned-flanders-ruined/|title=How The Simpsons Ruined Ned Flanders|work=ScreenRant|last=Tyler|first=Adrienne|date=31 December 2019|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=1 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200101132143/https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-ned-flanders-ruined/|url-status=live}}

While Flanderization is primarily discussed in the context of fictional characters, it has also been applied to real people and historical events.{{cite thesis|last=Iglesias Rivas|first=Sara|title=Allen Ginsberg's "Howl": a literary and cultural analysis|type=BA|date=2014|publisher=University of Santiago de Compostela|page=10}}

Examples

Flanderization is a widespread phenomenon in serialized fiction. In its originating show of The Simpsons, it has been discussed both in the context of Ned Flanders and as relating to other characters; Lisa Simpson has been discussed as a classic example of the phenomenon, having, debatably, been even more Flanderized than Flanders himself.{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-old-maggie-lisa-bart-simpson/|title=Definitive Proof That the Simpson Children Have Aged|last=Tait|first=Amelia|work=Vice|date=5 June 2020|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=18 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210118083137/https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7jqax/how-old-maggie-lisa-bart-simpson|url-status=live}} The specific case of Ned Flanders has been discussed as a symptom of the general decline of The Simpsons, once one of the most popular sitcoms in television history and once known for how dynamic its characters were.{{cite web|url=https://honisoit.com/2017/03/why-the-simpsons-couldnt-survive-the-new-millennium/|title=Why The Simpsons couldn't survive the new millennium|work=Homi Soit|last=Henegan|first=Jacob|date=29 March 2017|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=18 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218102157/https://honisoit.com/2017/03/why-the-simpsons-couldnt-survive-the-new-millennium/|url-status=live}} Other works have also been criticized as going through Flanderization, usually (but not exclusively) in television series. Several characters in the American version of The Office, such as Kevin Malone, have been referred to by the term.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-office-characters-that-became-parodies-vs-had-great-development/|title=The Office: 5 Characters That Became Parodies Of Themselves (& 5 That Had Great Character Development)|work=Screen Rant|last=Barker|first=Stephen|date=8 October 2020|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=21 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210321063345/https://screenrant.com/the-office-characters-that-became-parodies-vs-had-great-development/|url-status=live}} Dinesh from Silicon Valley is a lesser example of Flanderization, specifically in the show's final two seasons with the departure of T.J. Miller as Erlich Bachman.{{cite web|url=https://theweek.com/articles/766017/silicon-valley-better-without-tj-miller|title=Silicon Valley is better without T.J. Miller|work=The Week|last=Loofbourow|first=Lili|date=9 April 2018|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=12 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312041928/https://theweek.com/articles/766017/silicon-valley-better-without-tj-miller|url-status=live}}

{{Quote box|quote="It's ironic that the act of reducing a character to a single trait is called 'Flanderization', when Lisa Simpson is the most Flanderized character in TV history."|author=Amelia Tait|source=Vice News|width=40%}}

Outside of The Simpsons, Family Guy has been highlighted as one of the most prominent examples in animation, particularly with the characters of Peter and Brian Griffin.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/how-family-guy-changed/|title=Family Guy: 10 Major Ways The Show Has Changed Throughout The Seasons|work=Screen Rant|last=Sharp|first=Nathan|date=28 August 2020|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305001631/https://screenrant.com/how-family-guy-changed/|url-status=live}} Other animated series criticized for Flanderization include SpongeBob SquarePants,{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/lets-trace-the-rise-fall-and-much-later-rebirth-of-sp-1822156489|title=Let's trace the rise, fall, and much later rebirth of Spongebob Squarepants|work=The AV Club|last=Neilan|first=Dan|date=17 January 2018|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=23 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523095341/https://www.avclub.com/lets-trace-the-rise-fall-and-much-later-rebirth-of-sp-1822156489|url-status=live}} The Fairly OddParents, Dexter's Laboratory, Thomas & Friends, and The Loud House. Flanderization can sometimes occur in reboots or revivals of older, positively-received works,{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} including Teen Titans Go!, ThunderCats Roar, and Ren and Stimpy: Adult Party Cartoon.

Though the primary reference for Flanderization is in television, other fictional media can also have characters exhibit Flanderization. Many film characters have been described as being Flanderized in a sequel or franchise compared to their original portrayal.{{cite web|url=https://whatculture.com/film/10-movie-characters-who-became-total-caricatures-in-sequels|title=10 Movie Characters Who Became Total Caricatures In Sequels|work=WhatCulture|last=Tibbetts|first=John|date=18 July 2019|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=19 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719024957/https://whatculture.com/film/10-movie-characters-who-became-total-caricatures-in-sequels|url-status=live}} Flanderization in cinema is particularly prevalent in horror films, especially slasher films.{{cite web|url=http://globalcomment.com/leprechaun-returns-is-a-true-return-to-form/|title=Leprechaun Returns is a true return to form|work=Global Comment|last=Young|first=E|date=19 March 2019|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=20 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320130244/http://globalcomment.com/leprechaun-returns-is-a-true-return-to-form/|url-status=live}} Flanderization has also been described as a pitfall for tabletop role-playing games, where complex characters are often played for long periods of time by amateur writers. The practice of building roleplay characters around single quirks has been mentioned as a frequent cause of Flanderization. As well as player characters, non-player characters in role-playing games are frequently Flanderized, due to the need for a single game master to play multiple characters.{{cite book|last1=Christensen|first1=Aron|last2=Lindquist|first2=Erica|title=Loaded Dice 2|date=19 November 2020|publisher=Loose Leaf Stories|location=Folsom|chapter=De-Flanderizing an NPC|isbn=9781643190624}}

Flanderization has also been discussed in the context of real-world phenomena, such as subcultures that are Flanderized by the mainstream culture into simpler and more accessible forms; one example of this is the beatnik stereotype of the Beat Generation. Another example of real-world Flanderization is the tendency for musicians, especially those associated with social media such as TikTok and SoundCloud, to simplify their musical personas after finding some commercial success. Musicians accused of Flanderization include Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, and Flo Milli.{{cite web|url=https://www.laut.de/Flo-Milli/Alben/Ho,-Why-Is-You-Here-114829|title=Die Hoffnungsträgerin der Hoe-Anthems in der Findungsphase|work=laut.de|last=Gölz|first=Yannik|access-date=1 March 2021|lang=German|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927005937/https://www.laut.de/Flo-Milli/Alben/Ho,-Why-Is-You-Here-114829|url-status=live}}

Interpretation

Flanderization has been described as symptomatic of a decline in writing quality and the mass success of a product under the capitalist structure. It has been used as an argument against making sequels for a work{{cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/psycho-pass-anime-more-sequels-need-dont/|title=Psycho-Pass: 5 Reasons Why We Need More Sequels (& 5 Why We Don't)|work=Comic Book Resources|last=Supovitz|first=Ethan|date=9 April 2020|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=19 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210519104017/https://www.cbr.com/psycho-pass-anime-more-sequels-need-dont/|url-status=live}} and described as "a lesson for other shows" whose characters have not gone through the process. Some works have consciously attempted to avoid Flanderization, such as Rick and Morty.{{cite web|url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/paleyfest-dan-harmon-talks-rick-and-morty-future|title=Dan Harmon says new Rick and Morty seasons actually 'more on schedule' thanks to pandemic|work=Syfy Wire|last=Weiss|first=Josh|date=23 October 2020|access-date=1 March 2021|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224162141/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/paleyfest-dan-harmon-talks-rick-and-morty-future|url-status=live}}

The specific case of Ned Flanders attracts special attention. Debate exists over whether Flanders is a consistently Flanderized character or whether he later returned to a more complex, dynamic portrayal. The appropriateness of the term "Flanderization" has also been disputed, as many characters in The Simpsons have undergone the caricaturing process, and Flanders himself may not be the most extreme case. Flanders's shifting portrayal has also been controversial as representative of a shift in media portrayals of religious people. As both the primary representative of Christianity on The Simpsons and as one of the most significant Christian fictional characters in the world,{{cite news |last=Pinsky |first=Mark I. |date=5 February 2001 |title=Blessed Ned of Springfield |newspaper=Christianity Today |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/february5/1.28.html |access-date=1 March 2021 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118014326/http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/february5/1.28.html |archive-date=18 November 2007}} the simplification of Ned Flanders as a character has been the subject of criticism, study, and reinterpretation.{{cite thesis|last=Stefánsson|first=Stefán Birgir|type=BA|publisher=University of Iceland|date=2013|title=The Id, the Ego and the Superego of The Simpsons}}