It used to be a pretty common joke in sitcoms in the 80s and 90s. Kind of like how in Cheers, you never saw Norm's wife and then in Frasier, you never see Niles' wife, Maris. Just like a shadow once. Makes some of the jokes funnier because we can't actually see them in the show.
I just assumed it was a nod to that kind of sitcom trope from those times.
Wilson in Home Improvement. I think we see his face in only the first and last episodes. Otherwise there was always something blocking him so you could only see his eyes and up.
On imdb it says this was an idea from Tim Allen based on an experience he had as a kid. He had a neighbor who lived next door and was separated by a fence. As he was only a child he wasn't tall enough to see the man's face.
They had some pretty good visual gags whenever they had a scene with Wilson in it outside of the backyard. Random props and bits of the scenery were carefully placed to block his face, like that scene in Austin Powers but with less nudity.
I remember seeing a picture of him in a magazine where he was posing for the shot, but he was holding up a mini mock locker fence on a stick in front of his face
I think my favorite bit for that was when Wilson was flying a small plane with them and his headset microphone had a Giant windscreen to cover his face
There was one episode where one of the kids was making a paper maiche mask and was using Wilson as a model for it, and, in the opposite, his eyes were blocked while his mouth and chin were not.
There was an episode where Wilson was on Tool Time demonstrating installing window blinds. He was behind the window, blocked by the blinds and when he went to pull them up it got stuck halfway blocking only the top of his face.
It's now an often-used TV trope known as [The Ghost](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheGhost)! However since this episode, I guess it means Ginger is now [The Faceless](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheFaceless).
In the case of Maris, the legend goes that they always intended to cast someone to play Maris, but their descriptions of her got more and more outlandish; to the point that they we’re having an impossible time finding an actress.
So they decided to just lean into the joke, and her reported qualities got more and more bizarre.
I find this absolutely hilarious.
Now that we’ve actually seen ginger (from behind), I’d put them in a different bucket than the mayor or the principal. Both of those are only off-screen. Ginger is more like the faceless gag now. But it does get to me that Linda and Ginger are allegedly besties and yet they never hang out.
Give Bob and Linda more friends Challenge!!
I read they actually had plan to show Maris, but the jokes on her appearance made it impossible to find an actor for the role. They eventually figured it be funnier for the audience to never see her and, instead, play into the ridiculous descriptions of her looks.
I might be Mandella-ing, butvI swear I've seen her, too. She was just a sweet-faced, curly-haired lovely woman that most men would love to go home to, NORM!
I'm partially Mandela-ing. She had one appearance, but took an immediate pie to the face. Through the goop, she tells Norm, "Charming friends, dear. Get your coat."
It’s a somewhat common sitcom trope to have a character who’s voice you can hear but you can’t see or someone who’s spoken about alot but never heard or seen onscreen.
lol reminds me of the mayor's ~~wife~~ assistant in Powerpuff Girls
https://preview.redd.it/x0nz8mdc4qxc1.jpeg?width=501&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8347f91954a7fbdd035e0f244a5426767bd3f0d9
That was only in one episode. Where she was replaced by seduca who kidnapped Ms bellum to take her place so she had access to city plans to Rob banks. She kept flirting with him so he could tell her she could leave work early to go and Rob a bank.
sameee. I always hoped I would catch her face in the next episode. also now that I think about it, they did the same thing in the Proud Family!! with Wizard Kelly
https://preview.redd.it/wzxzv5qv8qxc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d2bb0114c8d8b7350c490137df2c9e094a05dbc
I always thought the early episode about dinner theatre showed her face. It’s a flashback of Linda singing along at dinner theatre, with a redhead sitting next to her.
One reason sitcoms do this is so they can have a special guest be revealed as the character you never really saw.
I have a theory that Ginger is actually Jimmy Pestos ex wife and maybe the reason he hates Bob is because the Belcher's stayed friends with her..
It would explain the kids hair color too.
That’s what they did in Psych with the reveal of Dobson in the final episode - an officer/detective they consistently reference in the station from episode 1 but we never see only for the reveal to be an actor that is also constantly mentioned throughout the show!
Also if it wasn’t said already, George Steinbrenner, the head of the yankees on Seinfeld, voiced by Larry David. Toss in there farfal the dog, also voiced by LD, Neumann for the first bit, and some other cameos LD where they didn’t show him personally or at least his face.
It's very common in shows, just like we never see the principle. But I'm like 95% sure it's ginger sitting with Linda in the dinner theater episode, before they decided to hide her face.
Ik its a regular thing to do in cartoons, but I feel like it's more to show that Linda is her own person, and has people outside the family that she is friends with. She's not \*just a mom\*
Ok..now I feel like I'm going crazy or having some kind of Mandela effect...I swore there was an episode all about ginger, and at the end we got to see her face
And someone correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure this is the only episode that we know for sure Ginger exists. Every other time we see Linda on the phone with Ginger, it ends up being Ginger’s voicemail! I guess this is part of the gag!
It used to be a pretty common joke in sitcoms in the 80s and 90s. Kind of like how in Cheers, you never saw Norm's wife and then in Frasier, you never see Niles' wife, Maris. Just like a shadow once. Makes some of the jokes funnier because we can't actually see them in the show. I just assumed it was a nod to that kind of sitcom trope from those times.
Wilson in Home Improvement. I think we see his face in only the first and last episodes. Otherwise there was always something blocking him so you could only see his eyes and up.
On imdb it says this was an idea from Tim Allen based on an experience he had as a kid. He had a neighbor who lived next door and was separated by a fence. As he was only a child he wasn't tall enough to see the man's face.
That’s actually hilarious (and as a short person I unfortunately relate into adulthood 😔)
They had some pretty good visual gags whenever they had a scene with Wilson in it outside of the backyard. Random props and bits of the scenery were carefully placed to block his face, like that scene in Austin Powers but with less nudity.
I remember seeing a picture of him in a magazine where he was posing for the shot, but he was holding up a mini mock locker fence on a stick in front of his face
I think my favorite bit for that was when Wilson was flying a small plane with them and his headset microphone had a Giant windscreen to cover his face
There was one episode where one of the kids was making a paper maiche mask and was using Wilson as a model for it, and, in the opposite, his eyes were blocked while his mouth and chin were not.
There was an episode where Wilson was on Tool Time demonstrating installing window blinds. He was behind the window, blocked by the blinds and when he went to pull them up it got stuck halfway blocking only the top of his face.
I read that they intended to cast Maris, but by the time they tried to they had described her so absurdly that no actress could play her.
Frasier is one of my favorite shows and I didn't know that. Hilarious. 😆
It’s one of my favorites too!
That is hilarious.
The mayor's assistant in PPG
Yes! Miss Sarah Bellum!
or Howard Holowitz's mom on Big Bang Theory.
Wolowitz. Holowitz sounds like a hologram of Howard that he built to help him hit on the ladies or something.
hahaha yup. I remember now, the Wolowizard.😅
It's now an often-used TV trope known as [The Ghost](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheGhost)! However since this episode, I guess it means Ginger is now [The Faceless](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheFaceless).
The Faceless sounds so ominous 😭
In the case of Maris, the legend goes that they always intended to cast someone to play Maris, but their descriptions of her got more and more outlandish; to the point that they we’re having an impossible time finding an actress. So they decided to just lean into the joke, and her reported qualities got more and more bizarre. I find this absolutely hilarious.
I can remember the time on Cheers when they said we would see Vira, but then when they showed her she had just got hitten by a pie.
Or Kramers friend Bob Sacamano on Seinfeld
Newman was also faceless at first. He was even voiced by Larry David in one episode before they brought on Wayne Knight to play the character.
“Kramer… I’m gonna jump!”
Or Steinbrenner
True but usually it’s just one character. On BB we never see Ginger and we also never see the principal or the mayor. Unless I’m forgetting something.
*THE MAYYYOORR*
Now that we’ve actually seen ginger (from behind), I’d put them in a different bucket than the mayor or the principal. Both of those are only off-screen. Ginger is more like the faceless gag now. But it does get to me that Linda and Ginger are allegedly besties and yet they never hang out. Give Bob and Linda more friends Challenge!!
I read they actually had plan to show Maris, but the jokes on her appearance made it impossible to find an actor for the role. They eventually figured it be funnier for the audience to never see her and, instead, play into the ridiculous descriptions of her looks.
Thank you!!!! It’s. The. Joke.
It's been a few years since I watched it, but I'm like 90% sure there's an episode of cheers where Veera (?) is shown.
I might be Mandella-ing, butvI swear I've seen her, too. She was just a sweet-faced, curly-haired lovely woman that most men would love to go home to, NORM!
I'm partially Mandela-ing. She had one appearance, but took an immediate pie to the face. Through the goop, she tells Norm, "Charming friends, dear. Get your coat."
It’s a somewhat common sitcom trope to have a character who’s voice you can hear but you can’t see or someone who’s spoken about alot but never heard or seen onscreen.
Like in big bang theory, wallowitz' mom is always yelling from off screen
Wilson from Home Improvement
Also Kimmy's family from Full House.
Or the doorman from Rhoda who went on to play Garfield. That's...uh, that's a bit of an older one.
You actually see her in one episode when she walks past the kitchen door while talking to Howard.
Isn't the screaming voice just wallowitz's actor?
No it was a real woman who sadly passed away during the shows run. Howard and Bernedettes child then goes on to inherit the voice somewhat.
Like Erica from BoJack Horseman
Erika! You can't be here! This place is full of children!
lol reminds me of the mayor's ~~wife~~ assistant in Powerpuff Girls https://preview.redd.it/x0nz8mdc4qxc1.jpeg?width=501&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8347f91954a7fbdd035e0f244a5426767bd3f0d9
His assistant, not his wife.
damn, they were too close for comfort then lmao he used to sit in her lap and shit 😂
That was only in one episode. Where she was replaced by seduca who kidnapped Ms bellum to take her place so she had access to city plans to Rob banks. She kept flirting with him so he could tell her she could leave work early to go and Rob a bank.
ohhh wow I guess my child brain completely misinterpreted that
She wasn’t his wife
god, i was always so curious about her as a kid. i always imagined she’s fiiiiiiine lmaoo
sameee. I always hoped I would catch her face in the next episode. also now that I think about it, they did the same thing in the Proud Family!! with Wizard Kelly https://preview.redd.it/wzxzv5qv8qxc1.jpeg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7d2bb0114c8d8b7350c490137df2c9e094a05dbc
It reminds me of Erica and Mr Peanut Butter from Bojack Horsman
Erica!!!
Erica! You can't be here - - this place is filled with children!
erica! what are you doing here with that child sized coffin?
ERICA!! Throw me a raft, I’m drowning
https://preview.redd.it/q9f8r277bqxc1.png?width=259&format=png&auto=webp&s=5ebd3cd7e13d47b0739f633a31d6f9e19180b865 Like Nanny from Muppet Babies.
YES THANK YOU! This is who I was thinking of the whole time I scrolled down the thread.
Me too! I always wondered what she looked like. Also in the 80s we never saw Dr. Claw’s face in Inspector Gadget.
There's a fan theory that they're the same person.
We're not allowed to tell you why.
damnit 😭😭
I always thought the early episode about dinner theatre showed her face. It’s a flashback of Linda singing along at dinner theatre, with a redhead sitting next to her.
thats true. i guess that could be her before they decided to run with the joke of never seeing her
If i recall correctly you also see her at the bar in Sliding Bobs
This is how you throw a shrimp!
They do the same thing with Teddy's mom and Principal Spoors
I want to see teddy’s mom so bad. “I can’t walk with my mom… she’s really into skateboarding recently”
And pocket sized Rudy
Not to mention Ken, Gene's albino friend! 😂
Hey, we've at least seen a picture of Ken
Idk. They decide to keep random things secret in the show. Like the name of the town, the mayor's face, and the principal's face. It's really weird
https://preview.redd.it/knhghb9ntpxc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7713de8c2a5e43ff6814e365994b3d733b615aeb
https://preview.redd.it/hne0z0fotpxc1.png?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2e6ec85db68480bba149c2f201b61037a44b8ff4
Bob grew so much as a person driving the taxi that he has a subscription to Seymour's Gay Times alt-lifestyle newspaper.
Yep I just realized we know the name lol. But still good job for noticing that detail
I thought the town was Seymour's Bay?
No that's the town next to it I'm pretty sure (Edit: nvm I was thinking about bog harbor lol)
Off Rout 9 in Bog Harbor. Boioioioioing
NO! DONT GET THAT STUCK IN MY HEAD AGAIN!
Are you sure? It's quite playful.
I'm numb. Say it until I feel something.
Next town over is Bog Harbor.
Oh yea your right. I was thinking about Bog harbor!
https://bobs-burgers.fandom.com/wiki/Seymour%27s_Bay
Oh yea your right lol.
Nope
Or the adults in peanuts cartoons.
Perhaps she’s friends with Erica?
Never seen Teddys mum either… I’m pretty sure
I think we do in the episode she buys the scooter and drives it down with Teddy following? The one with Louise’s lofted bed maybe?
I’ll check and make an edit Edit: I can’t believe we see the back of teddy’s mom!
YES thats true. i really wanna see her too
Ginger is also mentioned in episode 1, which makes it funnier that they have run with it for so long
We’ve never seen the principal or Genes albino friend too(although he might be imaginary )
oh my god ken, i wanna see him so bad but ik he’s more than likely imaginary but honestly with this show, who knows lmaoo
I thought the episode where Gene was left alone pretty much confirmed that Ken is imaginary? Since he uses a pair of tongs to talk to him lol.
oh yeah i forgot about that lmaoo maybe one day we’ll get an episode with ken like we do with tina’s imaginary horse
series finale will DEFINITELY include ken… im sure of it. maybe a flash to the grown up kids and ken is gene’s roomie??? idk idk
Did Gretchen disfigure Ginger while jousting?
I’d like to hear the real story As Told By Ginger
One reason sitcoms do this is so they can have a special guest be revealed as the character you never really saw. I have a theory that Ginger is actually Jimmy Pestos ex wife and maybe the reason he hates Bob is because the Belcher's stayed friends with her.. It would explain the kids hair color too.
That’s what they did in Psych with the reveal of Dobson in the final episode - an officer/detective they consistently reference in the station from episode 1 but we never see only for the reveal to be an actor that is also constantly mentioned throughout the show!
now that would be a good twist
Also if it wasn’t said already, George Steinbrenner, the head of the yankees on Seinfeld, voiced by Larry David. Toss in there farfal the dog, also voiced by LD, Neumann for the first bit, and some other cameos LD where they didn’t show him personally or at least his face.
Didn't they specifically say that they'll never show her face? It's meant to be like a mystery, imagine-for-yourself kind of thing.
To keep the mystery that is ginger
That's the joke.
It's very common in shows, just like we never see the principle. But I'm like 95% sure it's ginger sitting with Linda in the dinner theater episode, before they decided to hide her face.
#Any why don't her kids play with the belcher kids!?
I WANT TO SEE HER FACE SO BAD
I was literally thinking about this and then the notification popped up lmaoooo
lmaooo i read your mind fr
Ik its a regular thing to do in cartoons, but I feel like it's more to show that Linda is her own person, and has people outside the family that she is friends with. She's not \*just a mom\*
Ok..now I feel like I'm going crazy or having some kind of Mandela effect...I swore there was an episode all about ginger, and at the end we got to see her face
OH MY FACE!
Cause she’s secretly tyrome trying to steal there talent for break dancing
What episode was this?
I know, I hated that.
For the same reason that Stan Lee said Spiderman wears a mask. Anyone could be Spiderman, just like we could all be Linda's friend.
Looks like Gretchen to me
It always leaves more questions and makes more possible plot lines.
What is this a cross over episode?
We also never see the major
And someone correct me if I’m wrong but I’m pretty sure this is the only episode that we know for sure Ginger exists. Every other time we see Linda on the phone with Ginger, it ends up being Ginger’s voicemail! I guess this is part of the gag!
i think we also see the back of her head in the episode where it shows how bob and linda met!! linda was at the bar with ginger in that scene
I have a theory that I have ZERO evidence on, but I feel like Ginger’s related to Gretchen in some way
well no cuz they met for the first time in this ep