Page "Waylon Smithers" Paragraph 10

Smithers ' relationship with Mr. Burns has long been a running gag on The Simpsons.

Smithers is an obedient and sycophantic assistant to Mr. Burns.

There have often been strong hints about Smithers ' true feelings for his boss, with one of the earliest references being in the season one episode " The Telltale Head ".

Smithers ' sexual orientation has often come into question, with some fans claiming he is a " Burns-sexual " and only attracted to his boss, while others maintain that he is, without a doubt, gay.

During the Bill Oakley / Josh Weinstein era, they still tried to keep his sexuality mysterious and there was debate among the writers about his orientation.

Al Jean, who thinks of Smithers as being a " Burns-sexual ", felt that had Mr. Burns been a woman, then Smithers would not be gay.

David Silverman, a former supervising director has said, " seems to be focused on one particular human, as opposed to anything beyond that.

than being gay, he's sort of ' Burns-sexual.

'" In a 2006 study conducted by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, it was determined that nine of the 679 lead and supporting characters on scripted broadcast television were gay or lesbian, but Smithers was not included.

A list published in 2008 by the same organization included Smithers ;< ref >