# Talk:Professor Frink

Yesterday I added my favorite line ever spoken by a Simpson character that defines everything wrong with geeks designing for the masses with this paragraph:

In one of Treehouse of Horror (series), Lisa finds she created life from a tooth that fell out. This life grows rapidly and you see their evolution from cavemen to Lutherans to a futuristic race. Professor Frink's double in this parallel universe creates a de-bigulator which shrinks Lisa (their god) down to their size. When Lisa asks them to unshrink her he replies with: "Unshrink you?!? Why, that would require some sort of a re-bigulator, which is a concept so ridiculous it makes me want to laugh out loud and chortle, and... um... but not at you, oh holiest of gods, with the wrathfulness and the vengeance and the blood rain and the hey-hey-hey-it-hurts-me!"
Ironically, by the same logic a non-admin took it upon himself to remove this contribution with a simple "You do realize that wasn't canon, right?" (also read ["Pff... why would we want MORE information about this character??!?!?"]). If anyone can help me understand why this paragraph has no business what so ever in a user run internet based information site please let me know.  Billy Nair 18:00, 1 August 2007 (UTC)

Read WP:FICT and WP:NOT#INFO and you will find out. -- Scorpion0422 20:43, 21 September 2007 (UTC)

when a meteor is approaching Springfield in a Paul Bunyan portray
What exactly does this mean? -DynSkeet (talk) 16:39, August 24, 2005 (UTC)
This is vandalism. It has been corrected.- Numbuh 3.14 (Dr. Green) 7:16, May 1, 2006 (UTC)
Actually, it wasn't vandalism, the metor was approaching in the episode when they ride a train to Delaware, whilst a hobo tells them stories. The metor was actually not dooming Springfield, it was headed toward an unnamed city, during the Paul Bunyon parody, which is what he probably wanted to say. Therequiembellishere 19:06, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

..the device is preprogrammed with all of the telephone numbers of the residents of Springfield.
This is incorrect. I have rewritten this segment accordingly. --^pirate 19:42, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Okey dokey. Kilo-Lima|(talk) 14:52, 30 May 2006 (UTC)

I think that Professor Frink is not named after John Frink. In this link you can clearly see that the name "John Frink" appears in a 1996 episode, yet the article on John Frink the writer says he joined The Simpsons in 2000. - JSmith60 04:28, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

Yes, that sounds like it should be re-verified. Burnside65 (talk) 22:47, 27 March 2008 (UTC)
John Frink was a friend of the writers long before he started working on the show. According to SNPP: "John Frink is a staff writer and producer for The Simpsons. The name is not a coincidence; the professor character was in fact named after him before he joined the staff; he was a friend of former writers Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky." Although I agree that it does need a proper source (I think it has been mentioned in the commentaries). -- Scorpion0422 14:45, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Is there any official confirmation of what one of Frink's favoured gibberish words actually is? I personally thought it was 'glaben', whereas several websites say 'glaven', and the article on here says 'glavin'. Anyone? Alexrushfear 17:18, 18 July 2006 (UTC)
Glavin is correct.

According to subtitles in the UK, it's glaven. 86.170.145.158 (talk) 17:20, 7 July 2009 (UTC)

I. Q.? I haven't heard of that before, and Treehouse of Horror XIV gives his middle name as "Nerdlebaum." --Jnelson09 13:42, 2 September 2006 (UTC)

Religion in The Simpsons states that he's an atheist, and not Jewish. Is this correct?--Orthologist 17:45, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

I don't know much about this character but I do know enough about Jewish people to know that you can be both Jewish and an atheist.  The word Jewish can refer to both the race and the religion collectively and separately.  While in Japan I talked to a couple guys from Israel that tried to explain the differences.  They also said something about a political party's persuasion but I don't remember much about that aspect of the term.  Billy Nair 20:16, 30 July 2007 (UTC)

In the section designated 'personal life' one or more of the writers seems to have the mistaken immpession that all simpsons episodes corespond exactly to each other. 
Personally I think that the detailed rationailizations for discontinuity should be removed beacause as we all know, many of the things in simpsons episodes do not line up exactly, nor do the writers of the Simpsons attempt to make it so.  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 125.239.112.223 (talk) 09:11, 3 September 2007 (UTC) 

Image:Jonathon Frink Sr.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is  other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page.  Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.
BetacommandBot 01:11, 7 November 2007 (UTC)

Image:Frink.gif is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.
Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.
If there is  other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page.  Note that any fair use images lacking such an explanation can be deleted one week after being tagged, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.
BetacommandBot (talk) 06:26, 19 December 2007 (UTC)

Anyone have this book? It might be useful. From what I can tell from previews, it definitely mentions Frink, but I'm not sure if it goes into any in-depth discussions. Zagalejo^^^ 04:17, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

Yeah, I actually found it on Google Books earlier: [1]. It will definitely be useful. Theleftorium (talk) 08:20, 2 August 2010 (UTC)

This review is transcluded from Talk:Professor Frink/GA1. The edit link for this section can be used to add comments to the review.
Reviewer: J Milburn (talk) 21:27, 30 July 2011 (UTC)

"Frink is generally very polite and friendly, but has a trademark mannerism of using gibberish when excited,[3][11][12] such as "HOYVIN-GLAVIN!" and "FLAVIN" and impulsively shouting other words that have no relevance to the situation at hand,[13][14] and occasionally refers to the importance of remembering to "carry the one" in various mathematical calculations.[15][16]" Long sentence and difficult to follow.
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 22:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
"created the element "Frinkonium"." Surely, you discover elements, rather than creating them?
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 22:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
"Some of Frink's inventions, such as the automatic phone dialer (which Homer uses to call his neighbors with a recorded message and scam them for money),[26] work better than others, such as his small remote-controlled plane that carries babies as passengers (it crashed),[27] or a burglar-proof house that sprouts legs and runs away from potential danger (the legs of which often collapsed causing the house to crash to the ground and catch fire).[28]" I worry that declaring some to work better than others, though fairly obvious, would constitute original research
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 22:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
"The nonsensical utterances that Frink makes are written in the scripts as "Frink noise".[14]" Is it worth mentioning the "annoyed grunt" and such along with that? Does the source?
I'm not sure since I can't access the article now. Newsbank doesn't let you search Australian newspapers anymore, only American ones. It's quite annoying... Theleftorium (talk) 22:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
I think it would be worth mentioning his role in the movie earlier in the article
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 22:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
"The professor has also had an impact on real life science: a computer programming language and a space reactor analysis tool have been named in honor of him." I'd like to see more here- some details about both could probably afford to be brought in.
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:32, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
You've removed all mention of the tool, whatever it is. J Milburn (talk) 23:39, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
Yeah, I actually have no idea who added that to the article but I really doubt there is a connection between the Simpsons character and that tool. The name of the tool, FRINK, is an abbreviation of "Fission Reactor Integrated Nuclear Kinetics". Theleftorium (talk) 23:45, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
The way episode names are cited in the refs is inconsistent
Not sure if I've fixed this or not. Please check. Theleftorium (talk) 23:05, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
Article (like newspaper articles) titles should be in sentence case
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:39, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
You've changed them from sentence case. I don't really mind, as I'm not aware of anything in the MoS, but it does look a little odd in places. That said, consistency is nice. J Milburn (talk) 23:45, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
However, I doubt all the words need to start with an uppercase letter- I'd follow the rules of the band/song/album naming conventions for guidance here. A quick bang around the MoS has not revealed anything helpful here... J Milburn (talk) 23:50, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
My mistake, I've changed it to sentence case now! Theleftorium (talk) 23:54, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
The italics in ref 37 need fixing
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:05, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
The way ref 38 is cited is different from other cites of the same type
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:05, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
A reference for his full name and his relatives' names would be good
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:05, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
A little cleanup on the rationale would be nice, but the lead image is justified.
Y Done. Theleftorium (talk) 23:05, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
The sources are appropriate, the page is stable and the tone is sound. A solid article, I'd be happy to promote if a few things are dealt with. J Milburn (talk) 21:57, 30 July 2011 (UTC)
Having another quick look through...

Perhaps it would be best mentioning in the lead that he is mostly commonly known as "Professor Frink"- not necessarily clear from the article right now.
Done! Theleftorium (talk) 11:37, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
Weird thing to ask, but it sticks out like a sore thumb- why on EARTH are you referencing the Science article?
Because it mentions Frink! ;) See here. Theleftorium (talk) 11:37, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
"The character's popularity has led to him giving name to a computer programming language." Could this perhaps be rephrased so that the name of the language is shown in the prose?
Done! Theleftorium (talk) 11:37, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
In addition, a couple of thoughts for future articles, or if you're interested in FAC. Troy McClure is shorter, but is now featured- may be worth a shot!

The reception section is a little quote heavy- not a massive deal, but worth thinking about for future articles/if you want to take this further.
I'm not sure about the section title "character". I get that the distinction is sort of that "Role" is concerned with details of the character themselves, while "character" is more real world stuff, but is there are a better way to do it? "Development", maybe?
Another thing to think about, but not a massive deal at this stage- you declare the Halloween episodes non-canon, yet cite them fairly heavily. Obviously, his role in them and, especially, the episode with his father are important, but, if non-canon, probably shouldn't be used so freely for canon information on the character. Something to think about.
The lists of references break up the sentences in places, making it difficult to read. It may be worth considering combining references into a single footnote.
Ok, I think that's everything. J Milburn (talk) 11:20, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm not taking this to FA right now though, do I have to fix them for you to pass it as a GA? Theleftorium (talk) 11:37, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
Nope, they're just things to think on- perhaps things to be aware of in future articles, too. Feel free to drop me a line if this article's going any further. I'm happy to promote now- good work. J Milburn (talk) 11:40, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
I see! Great, thanks for an excellent review! :D Theleftorium (talk) 11:41, 31 July 2011 (UTC)
One last thought (and get the camera ready, you won't often see me suggesting the addition of non-free content)- as his voice and the sounds he makes are important, it may be worth considering a sample as a useful addition to the article. J Milburn (talk) 11:45, 31 July 2011 (UTC)

Could someone update this page to reflect his appearance on the cover of season 16 dvd box set?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.134.227.5 (talk) 06:54, 5 December 2013 (UTC) 

I don't think it's relevant for his character page. It has nothing to do with the character. CTF83! 00:39, 6 December 2013 (UTC)

Hello fellow Wikipedians,
I have just modified one external link on Professor Frink. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:

Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20131012021428/http://simpsons.ugo.com/?cur=frink to http://simpsons.ugo.com/?cur=frink
When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.
This message was posted before February 2018. After February 2018, "External links modified" talk page sections are no longer generated or monitored by InternetArchiveBot. No special action is required regarding these talk page notices, other than regular verification using the archive tool instructions below. Editors have permission to delete these "External links modified" talk page sections if they want to de-clutter talk pages, but see the RfC before doing mass systematic removals. This message is updated dynamically through the template {{source check}} (last update: 5 June 2024).

If you have discovered URLs which were erroneously considered dead by the bot, you can report them with this tool.
If you found an error with any archives or the URLs themselves, you can fix them with this tool.
Cheers.—InternetArchiveBot (Report bug) 06:32, 6 December 2017 (UTC)

In deference to the episode (s33, e04) where Frink directs the Simpsons to his Wiki page, I'd very much like it if we- the Simpsons community might be able to reflect some of the Simpsons universe in our own. By which, I mean - It would be great if we could make at least part of the wiki page for Frink resemble the one from that episode.
The page from the episode in question has 3 main headers, which take up a whole line each. Each one reads: "Smartest Man Ever, Five Months Without A Wedgie, Can Pretty Much Swim." Beneath each header is unreadable text and on the far right is a picture that runs the full length of the page (but only about 1/5th of the width) of Professor Frink in his lab coat, blue bow tie on and both hands at his sides. I would be very proud of us if we were able to make this happen. 2001:8003:6416:3B00:B021:DF5C:497E:8641 (talk) 19:00, 8 April 2023 (UTC)