The Flanders/Willie Effect

[Yachirobi]

As a Simpsons fan and a muscle/muscle-growth fan I've always wanted to explore the mysterious muscles that Groundskeeper Willie and Ned Flanders have. If you're not familiar with it or don't know, both characters have the same pear shape that most of the other characters have but only when they're wearing their trademark outfits. Whenever Ned takes his shirt off or when Willie rips open his shirt (I know it's a cartoon but *grunt*) they both reveal healthy, muscular bodies. Willie seems to be on the lean side while Ned is a little bit bigger and more broad shouldered. This effect even continues when they wear outfits that aren't their own, such as when Flanders puts on his very tight ski-suit or when Willie wears his Futurama t-shirt (I think he has a F'Rama shirt but I'm not sure.)

I would love to see a story in which the characters--Not necessarily Willie or Flanders--look average or even unattractive in their everyday clothes only to reveal muscle studliness once the clothes come off. An original variant on this could be interesting too like, for instance, the characters turning into muscle gods but only when fully clothed or only when wearing a particular piece of clothing.

Side note: Isn't it odd how two characters in the same show have this trait but no one ever notices, even among the staff of the show?

[CelticMuscle]

Groundskeeper Willie
http://i74.photobucket.com/albums/i2...eaf/Willie.jpg

[Phlex]

Maybe it's the other way around - their clothes are a disguise that make them look frumpy, even to reducing muscle mass. They buy these clothes the same place that Clark Kent buys his suits.

[Yachirobi]

Clark's suits have never hidden anything. It's that the DC Universe is full of idiots who can't see through a pair of glasses.

I can buy frumpy clothes but, wow, those clothes are amazing in their frumping abilities.

[omelissokomos]

Originally Posted by Yachirobi

It's that the DC Universe is full of idiots who can't see through a pair of glasses.

Oh the hoops they went through to explain this away before.

I remember a Pre-Crisis story that revealed Superman had an innate ability to hypnotize people into thinking that Clark Kent was a tall, nebbish individual.

The catalyst? His glasses that were made from the leftover Kryptonian spaceship glass which magnified this effect to the point where people who watched him report the news on TV were also affected.

In today's Post-Crisis (or Post-Infinite Crisis for that matter) world, I have no idea how they'd deal with this.

And yeah, Ned Flanders sans shirt is a hot muscled daddy.

[Notbigenuff]

Originally Posted by omelissokomos

...In today's Post-Crisis (or Post-Infinite Crisis for that matter) world, I have no idea how they'd deal with this...

I believe the current line of thinking is that no one recognizes Clark is Superman because no one thinks of him as having another identity and unlike the pre-crisis days Clark and Superman don't travel in the same circles and of course, the person who suspected the most is now married to him.

By the way, long time Simpson watchers (and who isn't?) will recall that Flanders fabulous build goes all the way back to the episode where Marge tries out - and is cast in - that smash musical hit "Streetcar!" or is there an earlier episode that shows off Flanders build?

[Yachirobi]

Originally Posted by Notbigenuff

I believe the current line of thinking is that no one recognizes Clark is Superman because no one thinks of him as having another identity and unlike the pre-crisis days Clark and Superman don't travel in the same circles and of course, the person who suspected the most is now married to him.

I just 'accept' that Clark is such a good actor that everyone believes he's a nebbish who couldn't be Superman.*

Originally Posted by Notbigenuff

By the way, long time Simpson watchers (and who isn't?) will recall that Flanders fabulous build goes all the way back to the episode where Marge tries out - and is cast in - that smash musical hit "Streetcar!" or is there an earlier episode that shows off Flanders build?

That's the first one alright. I think Willie's first muscle reveal was when Bart got stuck in the air vent and Lunchlady Doris had the pleasure of greasing Willie up to get Bart out.

*Someone ought to do an MG story where it's revealed that Clark hulks out to become Superman and makes a mess involving torn clothes and spooge in the process but I digress...

[Mad Dog]

I think there's also been attempts to explain Clark's ability to be Clark by slumping and generally acting like a bumbling oaf.

[Ender]

I think I remember reading some that very early in the Superman Mythology they explained that Superman had some mind control powers (sort of like the Shadow) and that is the reason nobody can tell Clack Kent is Superman with glasses... to the people around him he appears as Casper Milktoast... but as readers/viewer that are in on the secret we see Superman with glesses...

I've always liked the idea of Stealth Muscle that is only obvious when you what to show it... like some of the wrestlers and Gymnast from high school. To see them in street clothes they looked like an average kid when you saw them strip down in the locker room for PE class they had the tight muscular fat-free body that I would give nearly any thing to have... Not big and massive but well sculptured proportioned and beautiful...

Ender

[RadRx]

In one of the recent books, when Superman got home he kind of 'shrugged off' his size. It describes him relaxing and losing a couple of inches in order to dress for bed.

[martinp13]

Anyone have a picture of Ned shirtless? I've seen Willie shirtless many times, but never Ned.

[omelissokomos]

Originally Posted by martinp13

Anyone have a picture of Ned shirtless?

From a Streetcar named Marge.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...rge-b020jb.jpg

Here's him filling out a suit. No idea which episode it's from.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...landers-08.jpg

And just for fun.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...onnect_ned.gif

Originally Posted by RadRx

It describes him relaxing and losing a couple of inches in order to dress for bed.

Why does this sound like he's losing an erection?

My, what a concept. Superman can only be 'super' when he's hard.

Originally Posted by Ender

I've always liked the idea of Stealth Muscle that is only obvious when you what to show it...

This guy calls it the "Ned Flanders effect".

[Yachirobi]

Originally Posted by omelissokomos

This guy calls it the "Ned Flanders effect".

GAAH!!! That guy scares me! I call him Dr. Voodoo. He looks like a nerdy zombie coming to eat my brain, especially in this picture. And his name is Skip.


Zombie nerds aside, thanks to everyone who's been replying.

[nnnrg]

Originally Posted by Yachirobi

Clark's suits have never hidden anything. It's that the DC Universe is full of idiots who can't see through a pair of glasses.

I can buy frumpy clothes but, wow, those clothes are amazing in their frumping abilities.

Actually, take a look at the recent All Star Superman series, by Grant Morrison, pencilled by Frank Quitely and digitally inked by Jamie Grant. All Star is a 'mature audiences' imprint that seems to be outside the standard continuity in the same way that the Ultimates line is outside Marvel's standard continuity.

As Kent, through a combination of slumping, badly tailored suits, and pulling his chin back to make his neck look pudgy, he looks like a six-four farmboy gone to seed. In one issue recently, Lex Luthor had granted Clark Kent an interview in prison to reveal some diabolical plan, and was doing his personal workout (good but normal muscle, not showing in his orange prison uniform, but looking like a gymnast in his ordinary garb)... and was giving Kent a hard time about how out of shape he was.

As Superman, he isn't ripped in his 'action suit', but he's visibly large and muscular.