Ned Flanders

{{Infobox character

| name = Ned Flanders

| series = The Simpsons

| image = Ned Flanders.png

| first = "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" (1989)

| creator = Matt Groening

| designer = Matt Groening

| voice = Harry Shearer

| gender = Male

| occupation = Pharmaceutical company clerk (former, until he opened the Leftorium), owner of the Leftorium (former, until it closed), fourth grade teacher at Springfield Elementary School (former, he was fired)

| full_name = Nedward Flanders Jr.

| relatives =

| nationality = American

| lbl21 = Born

| data21 = 7 June 1959^S36E12

| children = Rod Flanders
Todd Flanders

| spouses = {{plainlist|

{{marriage|Maude Flanders|||end=died}}
{{marriage|Ginger Flanders|||end=separated}}
{{marriage|Edna Krabappel|||end=died}}

}}

| family = Mona Flanders (mother)
Nedward Flanders, Sr. (father)
Nediana Flanders (sister)

| religion = Evangelical Christian

| caption = Flanders waving

}}

Nedward "Ned" Flanders Jr.,{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=606}} commonly referred to by his surname, is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, voiced by Harry Shearer{{Sfn|Groening|2010|p=1105}} and first appearing in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire." He is the good-natured, cheery next-door neighbor to the Simpson family and is generally loathed by Homer Simpson, though there are numerous instances where the two are portrayed as good friends. A scrupulous and devout Evangelical Christian, he is among the friendliest and most compassionate of Springfield's residents and is generally considered a pillar of the Springfield community.

He was one of the first characters outside the immediate Simpson family to appear on the show, and has since been central to several episodes, the first being season two's "Dead Putting Society". As the series progressed, Flanders's religious fanaticism increased immensely, prompting the coining of the term "Flanderization". His last name comes from Flanders Street in Portland, Oregon, the hometown of Simpsons creator Matt Groening.

Characterization

=Creation=

File:Harryshearer.jpg's voice for Flanders so sweet that they decided to make the character a Christian.]]

File:Flanders St Portland.jpg named the character after Flanders Street in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.]]

Ned Flanders, who was designed by Rich Moore, first appeared in the season one episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". The episode was the series premiere, but not the first episode produced.Silverman, David (2001). Commentary for "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire", in The Simpsons: The Complete First Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. The first episode in which Flanders and his family were prominent is season two's "Dead Putting Society", which also contained the first appearance of Maude and Rod Flanders.Jean, Al (2002). Commentary for "Dead Putting Society", in The Simpsons: The Complete Second Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. The character was named after Flanders Street in Portland, Oregon, the hometown of Simpsons creator Matt Groening.{{cite news|title=Painting the town in Portland |date=January 6, 2007 |last=Blake |first=Joseph |newspaper=The Vancouver Sun |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=f90268d8-6a5b-438d-9509-f03ecff27cc1 |access-date=January 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070214080316/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/travel/story.html?id=f90268d8-6a5b-438d-9509-f03ecff27cc1 |archive-date=February 14, 2007 }} Groening described the inspiration for Flanders as "just a guy who was truly nice, that Homer had no justifiable reason to loathe, but then did". It was not until after the first few episodes that it was decided Flanders would be a faithful Christian.{{cite news |last=Rhodes |first=Joe |date=October 21, 2000 |title=Flash! 24 Simpsons Stars Reveal Themselves |work=TV Guide}} Mike Scully noted that Flanders is "everything Homer would love to be, although he'll never admit it". Flanders had been meant to be just a neighbor that Homer was jealous of, but Harry Shearer used "such a sweet voice" and Flanders was broadened to become a Christian and a sweet guy that someone would prefer to live next to over Homer. Flanders is known for his nonsensical jabbering,{{Cite web |date=2021-04-27 |title=The Simpsons: Why Ned Flanders Speaks The Way He Does |url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-ned-flanders-talk-speech-pattern-okily-dokily/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=ScreenRant |language=en-US}} such as "Hi-diddly-ho, neighborino" as a greeting. His first use of the word "diddly" was in "The Call of the Simpsons".Jean, Al (2001). Commentary for "The Call of the Simpsons", in The Simpsons: The Complete First Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.

=Development=

Ned Flanders' religion was not mentioned in his first few appearances and in the first few seasons he was only mildly religious and his primary role was to be so "cloyingly perfect as to annoy and shame the Simpsons", whereas Homer Simpson has always hated Ned Flanders and always tries to undermine him.{{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |others=Foreword by Douglas Coupland |year=2004 |title=Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation |title-link=Planet Simpson |edition=1st |publisher=Random House Canada |location=Toronto |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2 |pages=270–271}} There has been a consistent effort among the show's writers to make him not just a "goody good and an unsympathetic person". In the later seasons, Flanders has become more of a caricature of the Christian right, and his role as a "perfect neighbor" has been lessened.{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=270–271}} For example, in some recent episodes Flanders has appeared to show rather prejudiced attitudes towards women, non-whites, homosexuals and people of religions other than Christianity.{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-ned-flanders-worst-things/|title=The Simpsons: 10 Worst Things Ned Flanders Ever Did|date=November 2, 2019|website=ScreenRant}} Though he only ever showed homophobic signs in non-canon episodes, notably "Frinkenstein" where he says "I'm running to find a cure for homosexuality".{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Nick|title=The Simpsons: 10 Worst Things Ned Flanders Ever Did |publisher=ScreenRant|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-ned-flanders-worst-things/ |date=November 1, 2019 }}

Ned's store the Leftorium first appeared in "When Flanders Failed".Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "When Flanders Failed", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. It was suggested by George Meyer,Reiss, Mike (2003). Commentary for "When Flanders Failed", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. who had had a friend who had owned a left-handed specialty store which failed.Vitti, Jon (2003). Commentary for "When Flanders Failed", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.

There have been at least two occasions where Ned was not voiced by Harry Shearer. In "Bart of Darkness", Flanders's high pitched scream was performed by Tress MacNeilleGroening, Matt (2005). Commentary for "Bart of Darkness", in The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season DVD. 20th Century Fox. and in "Homer to the Max", Flanders comments about cartoons being easily able to change voice actors and on that occasion he was voiced by Karl Wiedergott.{{cite news |last1=Martyn |first1=Warren |last2=Wood |first2=Adrian |year=2000 |title=Homer to the Max |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season10/page12.shtml |access-date=October 31, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230082106/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season10/page12.shtml |archive-date=December 30, 2007}}

=''The Adventures of Ned Flanders''=

The Adventures of Ned Flanders was a "series" of shorts starring Flanders, but only one episode, "Love that God", was produced. It appears at the end of the fourth season episode "The Front"{{cite episode |title=The Front|episode-link=The Front (The Simpsons)|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Lapidus, Adam I.; Moore, Rich|network=Fox |airdate=1993-04-15 |season=04 |number=19}} because the episode was too short and the producers had already tried "every trick in the book" to lengthen it.Reiss, Mike (2004). Commentary for "The Front", in The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. Although the episode was scripted by Adam I. Lapidus, "Love That God" was written by Mike Reiss, Al Jean and Sam Simon.Jean, Al (2004). Commentary for "The Front", in The Simpsons: The Complete Fourth Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. In the 34-second-long segment, which comes complete with its own theme song, Ned walks into Rod and Todd's room as they are praying and tells them it is time for church. He is upset when Todd replies that they are not going, until Todd reminds him it is Saturday, and Ned laughs at his mistake.

Most fans were confused by the short, but Bill Oakley and several other writers loved it so much that they wanted to do more. Later, Oakley and Josh Weinstein decided to produce an entire episode that was nothing but loosely associated shorts, which became the season seven episode "22 Short Films About Springfield".Oakley, Bill (2005). Commentary for "22 Short Films About Springfield", in The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. The Flanders/Lovejoy segment of that episode was written by David X. Cohen. "22 Short Films about Springfield" in turn inspired the Futurama episode "Three Hundred Big Boys".Cohen, David S. (2005). Commentary for "22 Short Films About Springfield", in The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.

Role in ''The Simpsons''

Ned is very honest and sincere in carrying out the Christian doctrines of charity, kindness, and compassion. He is frequently shown doing volunteer work, and is rigorously honest and upright, even going so far as to spend an entire day tracking down a Leftorium customer in order to give him the extra change that he had forgotten to hand over.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11519923/The-Ned-Flanders-effect-why-God-just-isnt-sexy.html|title=The Ned Flanders effect: why God just isn't sexy|website=Telegraph.co.uk|date=April 8, 2015 |access-date=April 4, 2022}}

In "Homer's Triple Bypass", he donates a kidney and a lung out of the goodness of his heart to whoever needs them first. He also is a good neighbor to the Simpsons, regularly offering his assistance.{{cite episode |title=Bart the Lover|episode-link=Bart the Lover|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Vitti, Jon; Baeza, Carlos|network=Fox |airdate=1992-02-13 |season=03 |number=16}} Ned's dogged friendship inspires the loyalty of others; when his Leftorium shop appeared on the verge of bankruptcy shortly after it opened, Homer arranged a bailout with the help of many people in Springfield. Despite a meek outward appearance, Ned hides an exceptionally well-toned physique.

=The Simpsons' good neighbor=

In the early years of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson generally loathed Ned, because Ned's family, job, health and self-discipline are of higher quality than he could ever hope to attain himself.{{cite episode |title=Dead Putting Society|episode-link=Dead Putting Society|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Martin, Jeff; Moore, Rich|network=Fox |airdate=2003-03-02 |season=02 |number=06}} Homer is often shown "borrowing" (stealing) items from Flanders, such as a weather vane, a camcorder, a diploma, a toothbrush and an air conditioning unit. Even the Simpsons' couch came from "the curb outside Flanders' house".

Homer has since come to have a love-hate relationship with Ned, sometimes being his best friend, partly due to Ned's selfless tolerance of him, and other times treating Ned with complete disregard.{{cite episode |title=Homer Loves Flanders|episode-link=Homer Loves Flanders|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Richardson, David; Archer, Wes|network=Fox |airdate=1994-03-17 |season=05 |number=16}} Homer seems to genuinely care for Ned, despite still expressing and often acting on feelings of loathing. Nowadays Homer seems to regard Ned as more of a nuisance. An early running joke was that Marge considers Flanders to be a perfect neighbor, and usually sides with him instead of her husband, which always enrages Homer. In "Left Behind," Homer succinctly states, "[Flanders] makes me feel so damn guilty!"

=Religiosity=

File:FlandersDevil.png", portrayed as such due to being "the one you least suspect"]]

Ned Flanders is a genuinely well-meaning good-natured person and is one of the few in Springfield to whom that description applies. Firmly religious, he can be timid and something of a pushover. He is a Republican{{cite episode |title=Home Away from Homer|episode-link=Home Away from Homer |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, Joel H.|network=Fox |airdate=2005-05-15 |season=16 |number=12}} and a devout Evangelical Christian who strictly follows the Bible literally and is easily shocked when challenged on any point of dogma. This causes frequent calls to Reverend Lovejoy, even over minuscule things, to the point that Lovejoy has stopped caring{{cite episode |title=In Marge We Trust|episode-link=In Marge We Trust |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cary, Donick; Moore, Steven Dean|network=Fox |airdate=1997-04-27 |season=08 |number=22}} and has even suggested that Flanders try a different religion.{{cite episode |title=Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily|episode-link=Home Sweet Homediddly-Dum-Doodily|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Vitti, Jon; Dietter, Susie|network=Fox |airdate=1995-10-01 |season=07 |number=03}} This was a running joke in the early seasons, but has been used less in the later episodes.Jean, Al (2003). Commentary for "Bart the Lover", in The Simpsons: The Complete Third Season [DVD]. 20th Century Fox. In the eighth season, the episode "In Marge We Trust" would examine the relationship between Lovejoy and Flanders, and shows the history of their relationship and how Lovejoy became increasingly uninterested in Flanders' problems. Flanders is shown to have a room in his house filled with memorabilia of The Beatles. He claims that this is because they were "bigger than Jesus".{{cite episode|title=Bart of War|episode-link=The Bart of War|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Wilmore, Marc; Polcino, Michael|network=Fox |airdate=2003-05-18 |season=14 |number=21}}

=Family and job=

Ned is a widower, having been married to the equally religious Maude. They had two children together; the sheltered and naïve Rod and Todd Flanders. In the eleventh season episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily", Maude died an untimely death in a freak accident involving a T-shirt cannon, leaving Flanders alone and grieving.{{cite episode |title=Alone Again, Natura-Diddily|episode-link=Alone Again, Natura-Diddily|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Maxtone-Graham, Ian; Reardon, Jim|network=Fox |airdate=2000-02-13 |season=11 |number=14}} While still married to Maude, Ned married Ginger, while on a drunken bender in Las Vegas. Ginger came to live with Ned and his sons for a brief period following Maude's death in a later episode, but she quickly grew tired of the Flanders' sickly-sweet personalities and fled. Despite his outward nerdishness, Flanders has also been connected romantically with a beautiful Christian-rock singer, Rachel Jordan, movie star Sara Sloane and eventually marrying local teacher Edna Krabappel until she died as well.{{cite episode |title=A Star Is Born-Again|episode-link=A Star Is Born Again|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Kelley, Brian; Marcantel, Michael|network=Fox |airdate=2003-03-02 |season=14 |number=13}}

File:Flanders with Parents.png parents]]

Ned got his diploma from Oral Roberts University in an unspecified field and worked as a salesman in the pharmaceuticals industry for the bulk of his adult life. Having saved much of his earnings, Flanders decided to quit his job and invested his family's life savings into a store in the Springfield mall called the Leftorium specializing in products for left-handed people.{{cite episode |title=When Flanders Failed|episode-link=When Flanders Failed|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Vitti, Jon; Reardon, Jim|network=Fox |airdate=1991-10-03 |season=03 |number=03}} In the fifth season episode, "Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song", Superintendent Chalmers fires Ned Flanders, who has become principal after Skinner being sacked, only because he freely expresses his religious views in the school. However in the Season 29 episode "Left Behind", owing to declining sales, the Leftorium had been downsized from an outlet to a kiosk, eventually going out of business alongside the Sears outlet at Springfield Mall. Left unemployed, Flanders returned to Springfield Elementary School, finding a new job as Bart Simpson's new teacher and substituting the void left by his deceased second wife Edna Krabappel, as well as honoring her life dream.{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/flanders-loses-his-faith-and-an-inconsequential-simpson-1825814494|title=Flanders loses his faith and an inconsequential Simpsons tests ours|first=Dennis|last=Perkins|website=The A.V. Club |date=May 7, 2018 |access-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508053810/https://tv.avclub.com/flanders-loses-his-faith-and-an-inconsequential-simpson-1825814494|archive-date=May 8, 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-simpsons/273252/the-simpsons-season-29-episode-19-review-left-behind|title=The Simpsons Season 29 Episode 19 Review: Left Behind|date=May 7, 2018|access-date=May 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180513082943/http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/the-simpsons/273252/the-simpsons-season-29-episode-19-review-left-behind|archive-date=May 13, 2018|url-status=live}} Flanders remained Bart's teacher until the Season 33 episode "My Octopus and a Teacher", at which point the role was assumed by Rayshelle Peyton.{{Cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/tv/kerry-washington-joins-the-simpsons-bart-teacher-first-look/ | title=Kerry Washington joins 'The Simpsons' cast as Bart's new teacher — get a first look | magazine=Entertainment Weekly }}

In the episode "Hurricane Neddy" a flashback to 30 years earlier shows Ned as a young child, despite the fact that in the episode "Viva Ned Flanders" he says to the church congregation that he was actually 60 years old, attributing his youthful appearance to his conformity to the "three Cs"—"clean living, chewing thoroughly, and a daily dose of vitamin church".{{cite episode |title=Viva Ned Flanders|episode-link=Viva Ned Flanders|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Stern, David M.; Affleck, Neil|network=Fox |airdate=1999-01-10 |season=10 |number=10}} Ned grew up in New York City and was the son of "freaky beatniks" who did not discipline Ned (as they did not think it was right) and let him run wild. Eventually they took him to Dr. Foster, a psychiatrist, who put the young Ned through the University of Minnesota Spankalogical Protocol, which involved eight months of continuous spanking. The treatment worked so well that it rendered Flanders unable to express any anger at all and resulted in his trademark nonsensical jabbering at moments when he was particularly close to losing his temper, causing Ned to unknowingly repress his anger.{{cite episode |title=Hurricane Neddy|episode-link=Hurricane Neddy |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Young, Steve; Anderson, Bob|network=Fox |airdate=1996-12-29 |season=08 |number=08}}

Reception

Although in more recent seasons Flanders has become a caricature of the Christian right, he is still a favorite of many Christian viewers. Rowan Williams, a former archbishop of Canterbury, is a confessed Simpsons fan,{{cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/148/story_14807_1.html|title=Archbishop of Canterbury May Star on 'Simpsons'|access-date=November 3, 2007|date=June 21, 2004|publisher=Beliefnet|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070807220613/http://www.beliefnet.com/story/148/story_14807_1.html |archive-date = August 7, 2007|url-status=dead}} and is reportedly a Flanders fan.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Save+me,+Jesus!+Getting+along+with+your+born-again+neighbor-a0145157892|title=Save me, Jesus! Getting along with your born-again neighbor|access-date=November 3, 2007|date=May 1, 2006|first=Peter|last=Feuerherd|magazine=U.S. Catholic |publisher=Claretians|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010001832/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Save+me,+Jesus!+Getting+along+with+your+born-again+neighbor-a0145157892|archive-date=October 10, 2012|url-status=live}} Ned's "unbearable piousness" has been described as The Simpsons{{'}} sharpest critique of organized religion: "The show's implicit argument seems to be that humorless obsessives like Ned have hijacked religious institutions, removing them from the center of society to a place where only those who know their brides of Beth Chedruharazzeb from their wells of Zohassadar can seek solace."{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=270–271}} Steve Goddard of the website Ship of Fools said, "Ned is an innocent abroad in a world of cynicism and compromise. We love him because we know what it's like to be classed as a nerd – and to come out smiling at the end of it." The February 5, 2001 edition of Billy Graham's Christianity Today, titled Saint Flanders, featured Flanders, along with Homer and Marge, on the cover and described him as "the most visible evangelical to many Americans."{{cite web |date=2001-02-05 |title=Saint Flanders |publisher=Christianity Today |volume=45 |number=2 |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/february5/ |access-date=2019-12-30}}

= Cultural impact =

Flanders has been described as "The United States' most well-known evangelical". According to Christianity Today in 2001, "on American college and high school campuses, the name most associated with the word Christian—other than Jesus—is not the Pope or Mother Teresa or even Billy Graham. Instead, it's a goofy-looking guy named Ned Flanders on the animated sitcom known as The Simpsons. The mustache, thick glasses, green sweater, and irrepressibly cheerful demeanor of Ned Flanders, Homer Simpson's next-door neighbor, have made him an indelible figure, the evangelical known most intimately to nonevangelicals."{{cite news |last=Pinsky |first=Mark I. |date=February 5, 2001 |title=Blessed Ned of Springfield |newspaper=Christianity Today |url=http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/february5/1.28.html |access-date=November 3, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118014326/http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2001/february5/1.28.html |archive-date=November 18, 2007}} In 2001 and 2002, the Greenbelt Festival, a British Christian music and arts fest, held a special "Ned Flanders Night". The 2001 event featured a look-alike contest, as well as the tribute band "Ned Zeppelin". It was held in a 500-seat venue that was filled to capacity, and an extra 1500 people were turned away at the door.{{cite web |last=Tomkins |first=Steve |year=2001 |title=Ned Flanders Night fandiddlerific! |website=Ship of Fools|url=http://shipoffools.com/Cargo/Features01/NedNight/NedReport.html |access-date=November 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208133310/http://shipoffools.com/Cargo/Features01/NedNight/NedReport.html |archive-date=February 8, 2008}} A second event was held in 2002, with Ned Zeppelin reappearing.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2175870.stm|title=How Ned Flanders became a role model|access-date=November 3, 2007|date=August 6, 2002|first=Giles|last=Wilson|publisher=BBC News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231212255/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2175870.stm|archive-date=December 31, 2007|url-status=live}}

In 2017, after president Donald Trump insulted television host Mika Brzezinski on Twitter, Orrin Hatch responded and said, "Every once in a while you get a dipsy-doodle," as Ned Flanders' term.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2017/07/15/the-day-orrin-hatch-channeled-ned-flanders/BSLs2TgK0N9VSX3LQ9B84I/story.html|title=The day Orrin Hatch channeled Ned Flanders |work=The Boston Globe|access-date=April 4, 2022}} In 2019, Trevor Noah on The Daily Show compared Mike Pence to Flanders when discussing the Ukraine scandal.{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/daily-show-trevor-noah-trump-like-homer-simpson-pence-like-ned-flanders-1202752105/|title='The Daily Show With Trevor Noah' Says Donald Trump Is Like Homer Simpson, Mike Pence Like Ned Flanders|first=Bruce|last=Haring|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 4, 2019|access-date=April 4, 2022}} Aaron Stonehouse, Western Australia's first Liberal Democrat MP, made a comparison between the McGowan government and Ned Flanders' wife, Maude Flanders, a devout Christian who died after being knocked off a grandstand in a T-shirt cannon accident on The Simpsons.{{Cite web|url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/like-ned-flanders-wife-mcgowan-scorned-for-beer-stance-at-stadium-20170608-gwnnrg.html|title='Like Ned Flanders' wife': McGowan scorned for beer stance at stadium|date=June 8, 2017|website=Watoday.com.au|access-date=April 4, 2022}} In 2022, Relevant claimed that Flanders was "unapologetically not cool" as a Christian, but overall "decent".{{Cite web|url=https://relevantmagazine.com/culture/tv/a-new-years-resolution-proposal-be-more-like-ned-flanders/|title=A New Year's Resolution Proposal: Be More Like Ned Flanders|first=Tyler|last=Huckabee|website=Relevantmagazine.com|date=January 3, 2022|access-date=April 4, 2022}}

Professional ice hockey goaltender Peter Budaj was known for having Ned Flanders painted on his mask during his hockey career.{{cite news|url=http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_5596025|title=Budaj coming up big|last=Dater|first=Adrian|date=April 5, 2007|newspaper=The Denver Post|access-date=November 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111045821/http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_5596025|archive-date=January 11, 2009|url-status=live}} Another tribute band, Okilly Dokilly, plays heavy metal music.{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/87663|title=Ned Flanders-themed band Okilly Dokilly reveal they are writing 'an ode to the Leftorium'|website=NME|date=2015-08-18|access-date=January 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151227230100/http://www.nme.com/news/various-artists/87663|archive-date=December 27, 2015|url-status=live}} In 2018, MadeinTYO released a rap song about Flanders.{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/at-long-last-ned-flanders-has-received-his-own-rap-son-1827180162|title=At long last, Ned Flanders has received his own rap song|website=The A.V. Club|date=June 28, 2018 |access-date=April 4, 2022}} The Ned Flanders Crossing, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge over Interstate 405 in Portland, Oregon, was named for the character in 2021. It connects two sections of Northwest Flanders Street, for whom the character is named.{{cite news |last=Ramakrishnan |first=Jayati |date=September 9, 2021 |title=Neighborinos say 'hi-diddly-ho' to new Ned Flanders Crossing in NW Portland |url=https://www.oregonlive.com/commuting/2021/09/neighborinos-say-hi-diddly-ho-to-new-ned-flanders-crossing-in-nw-portland.html |work=The Oregonian |access-date=September 9, 2021}}

=Flanderization=

Flanders' significant evolution of his Christian fanaticism has led to the term dubbed "Flanderization", which refers to the increasingly exaggerated characterization of any character throughout a TV or a film series.{{Cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/feature/a831352/tv-character-transformations/ |title=7 classic TV characters who TOTALLY changed from their first appearance |date=May 17, 2018 |website=Digital Spy |access-date=May 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517083750/http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/ustv/feature/a831352/tv-character-transformations/ |archive-date=May 17, 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.studentnewspaper.org/the-decline-of-the-simpsons/|title=The decline of The Simpsons|date=October 18, 2017|access-date=May 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517152651/http://www.studentnewspaper.org/the-decline-of-the-simpsons/|archive-date=May 17, 2018|url-status=live}} The specific case of 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.{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-show-ned-flanders-ruined/|title=How The Simpsons Ruined Ned Flanders|date=December 31, 2019|website=ScreenRant.com|access-date=April 4, 2022}} The appropriateness of the term "flanderization" has also been disputed, as many characters in The Simpsons have undergone the caricaturizing process, and Flanders himself may not be the most extreme case.{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-old-maggie-lisa-bart-simpson/|title=How Old Are The Simpsons Children, Really?|website=Vice.com|date=May 6, 2020 |access-date=April 4, 2022}} Flanders' 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 real 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 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}}

= Merchandise =

Flanders has been included in The Simpsons merchandise. In 2008, the Flanders' Book of Faith, part of the Simpsons Library of Wisdom, was released by HarperCollins. The book takes a look at Flanders' life and his ever enduring faith.{{cite news |last=Pinsky |first=Mark I. |date=May 18, 2008 |title=Ned gets star status in Groening's new book, 'Flanders' Faith' |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/goodliving/orl-bk08may18,0,6387171.story |access-date=May 18, 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214001649/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/sunday/goodliving/orl-bk08may18,0,6387171.story |archive-date=February 14, 2009}} In 2021, Flanders got a sneaker line from Adidas.{{Cite web|last1=Warner|first1=Sam|url=https://www.nme.com/news/tv/ned-flanders-from-the-simpsons-gets-new-sneaker-from-adidas-3020091|title=Ned Flanders from 'The Simpsons' gets new sneaker from Adidas|date=August 16, 2021|website=NME}}

References

= Bibliography =

{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |title=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |title-link=Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 |date=2010-10-28 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=9780061711282 |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |edition=1st |editor2-last=Gimple |editor2-first=Scott M. |editor2-link=Scott M. Gimple |editor-last3=McCann |editor-first3=Jessie L. |editor-last4=Seghers |editor-first4=Christine |editor-last5=Bates |editor-first5=James W.}}