Bart likes Otto, so people who watch the show tend to like Otto by association. That's how these things work. He's a cool bus driver. What's not to like about a cool bus driver? But when you actually think about Otto (you know: properly and for longer than eight seconds), he's kind of one-note - and a bit annoying. Oh, he likes to rock? Hilarious. The third or fourth time that's established, though, it gets a little thin. Not that Otto should have ever been a character that the show developed in detail, because then you run into bigger problems: you're putting too much pressure on an inherently one-dimensional character. Which is what happened when the show tried to flesh him out; it just didn't work, and only helped to render him as one of the most overrated secondary characters on the show. He's the kind of character you feel like you should love, but actually can't. Sorry Otto, my man.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
