Do we like them?

Do we like Marge Simpson?

A character from The Simpsons (1989–present)

Our score: 8 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She's the family's moral compass and she is endlessly patient. She is also a bit judgy, and she keeps forgiving Homer.

Marge Simpson is the mother of Bart, Lisa and Maggie and the wife of Homer, living in the town of Springfield. The Simpsons is a long-running animated sitcom about this family, and its wider cast includes friends, neighbours and local oddballs. Julie Kavner voices Marge. In the series she is the grounded one: she makes the lunches, settles the arguments and tries to keep the peace while chaos goes on around her.

Her main trait is patience. She gives Homer chance after chance, and she backs Lisa's principles and Bart's better side even when they are in trouble. She has a strong moral sense and doesn't like to see people mistreated. She also has an iron-willed side, which comes out when she takes up a cause, a hobby or a new job. Over the years she has tried plenty of them, with mixed results.

Her flaws keep her from being a perfect saint. She can be disapproving and controlling, and she sometimes enables Homer's bad behaviour by smoothing things over. Her good judgment gets her a high score anyway. She is the character the show most often relies on to do the sensible, decent thing. Her heart is the reason the family is still a family.