Why Marge Simpson Sounds Different

The Simpsons have been entertaining TV viewers for decades, providing entertainment for those watching at home and employment for the actors who voice the cast.

The humorous animated show first aired as a short in the Tracey Ullman Show in the late 1980s and took flight as its own show in January 1990.

Over the years, viewers have grown accustomed to the show's characters and their easily recognizable voices.

However, a recent clip has former watchers of The Simpsons confused—Marge Simpson sounds different from how she once did.

On December 6, The Simpson's official X, formerly Twitter, account shared a short 1-minute 30-second clip from a new episode where Marge and Homer go back and forth on why they should or shouldn't go to a "destination wedding" they were invited to.

Marge is the first to speak in the clip, and although it has qualities of the voice that viewers are used to, it does have a raspier tone.

And, no, it's not a different voice actor. Actress Julie Kavner has voiced Marge since 1989, as well as several other characters in the long-running show, including Marge's onscreen sisters Patty and Selma. According to IMDb, she has appeared in 754 episodes of The Simpsons. Newsweek has contacted Julie Kavner's talent agent via email for comment.

A shocked viewer who used to watch the show commented on the video: "I haven't watched The Simpsons in quite some time so can somebody please explain... WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO MARGE'S VOICE?!"

"What. Did. You. Do. To. Marge," a second added.

At the time this article was published, the clip had been viewed by social media users over 10 million times with hundreds of comments, such as: "Oh no, is that what Marge's voice sounds like now."

A comedy fan joked: "If you lived with Homer, you'd be on 20 Marlboro a day as well."

Concerns and questions kept flooding in: "She's in her 70s now, and her voice is f***** from being Marge for 30 years. They said they won't recast until she's ready to give up the role."

Insight was shared by a spectator: "The actress did over a hundred takes of Marge filming a video for Homer in the movie. Apparently, that's what did irreversibly for her vocal cords. Sounds really painful."

Another comparison was made: "Marge has sounded like that for a while, but in the last couple of episodes, Mr Burns & Skinner (who have the same voice actor) didn't sound like themselves at all."

Voiceover artist and coach Marisa Dargahi has not seen the clip and cannot comment on the role of Marge Simpson but has told Newsweek that "animation and video game sessions can be long and demanding on the voice."

She has shared some advice for young voiceover artists or those starting out in the industry and said to Newsweek: "When you choose a character's voice early on in a project, make sure it's a voice you can sustain in a healthy way. Also, make sure to warm up your voice properly before a demanding session."