The Simpsons: All Of Bart's Love Interests, Ranked Worst To Best
9. Nikki McKenna
The Simpsons was always known for its biting satire, but as the series aged it became less and less precise. Later seasons, such as this Season 21 episode, were very hit and miss, and Nikki McKenna falls into the miss category.
Sarah Silverman lends her voice to this character, and she does a good job even though it’s nowhere close to the humour of Vanellope Von Schweetz. Her work on Wreck-It Ralph let her off the reins a bit more, and her improv style jokes landed much more for Disney that they did for The Simpsons.
They tried to write for her, but The Simpsons humour and Silverman’s humour are quite far apart. Nikki’s schtick was that she was a one-woman ‘will they, won’t they’, sending mixed messages constantly professing her love for Bart then demanding that he tells nobody they’re dating. It seems to be a commentary on ‘crazy girls’ but doesn’t land.
The gag could have been great and it definitely works in some places, especially when it highlights how terrible Bart is around girls. However, the straddles the line between laughing with Nikki and laughing at her, coming off a little mean towards the character.