Milhouse Van Houten is Bart Simpson's bespectacled best friend on The Simpsons who became one of the internet's longest-running meme debates. His nasal voice, blue hair and unrequited crush on Lisa turned him into fan-blog fodder, but the character is best known for the 4chan paradox 'Milhouse is not a meme,' which became a defining example of a forced meme.
Origin
Milhouse was created by Simpsons creator Matt Groening in 1988 for a Butterfinger candy bar commercial called 'The Butterfinger Group,' in which he argued with Bart over whether Butterfingers counted as a food group[2]. He was then folded into the main cast of the animated series and became Bart's frequent sidekick[1].
His life as an internet meme began on 4chan around 2005, where anonymous posters started spamming the phrase 'Milhouse is not a meme' in threads about him, framing the character as an example of a forced meme[3]. The paradox, insisting he was not a meme while making him one, is what pushed the joke beyond the imageboard.
- Platform: The Simpsons (source) / 4chan (viral debate)
- Creator: Matt Groening (character); anonymous 4chan users (meme debate)
- Date: 2005
Overview
Milhouse Mussolini Van Houten is Bart Simpson's nerdy, blue-haired best friend, defined by thick glasses, a potato-shaped nose, and a hopeless crush on Lisa Simpson[1]. As a meme, Milhouse works on two tracks: he is the punchline of the paradoxical 4chan slogan 'Milhouse is not a meme,' and he is the mascot of the catchphrase 'Everything's coming up Milhouse,' which people still tweet whenever small things go their way[3].
The 'not a meme' bit turned into a running gag where users on 4chan and Reddit argued endlessly over whether the character qualified as a real meme, with the debate itself being the joke[3]. Alongside that, fan blogs cataloguing his gullibility, his lasciviously raised eyebrows and his general bad luck kept him circulating in Simpsons fandom well beyond the show's peak years[1].
How It Spread
Fan documentation of Milhouse expanded across blogging platforms in the early 2010s. On February 1, 2011, the Daily Milhouse Tumblr launched to collect media featuring the character[5], and later that year on October 8 the Milhouse's Eyebrows Tumblr was created specifically for shots highlighting his blue brows[7]. On January 22, 2012, the /r/milhouse subreddit opened as a discussion hub for Simpsons fans[10].
The secondary Milhouse meme comes from Season 10, Episode 19 of The Simpsons, which aired December 20, 1998, in which Milhouse celebrates a flood by exclaiming 'Everything's coming up Milhouse'[3]. Urban Dictionary user Sheepz submitted an entry for the phrase on January 29, 2004, defining it as a way to say things are going well, and a dedicated 'Everything's Coming Up Milhouse' Tumblr followed on February 27, 2011[6].
Mainstream outlets picked up both threads. BuzzFeed published '32 Signs You're the Milhouse' on August 13, 2013[4], and on November 28, 2014, the site ran a roundup of tweets using the 'Everything's coming up Milhouse' catchphrase, quoting posters celebrating tiny wins like a good haircut, a surprise chocolate orange or a doubled data plan[8]. Reference articles on the character have also been maintained on the Simpsons Wiki since a profile was submitted on February 10, 2006[9].
How to Use
The catchphrase 'Everything's coming up Milhouse' is typically posted on Twitter or in chats to celebrate small, absurdly minor pieces of good luck, a free upgrade, a lucky snack find, a screaming baby getting moved on a plane, in the same deadpan way Milhouse used it about a flood[8]. The 'Milhouse is not a meme' line is used ironically, dropped into threads where the character appears as a self-defeating denial that only strengthens his meme status[3].
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Milhouse Daryll Van Houten?
Milhouse Van Houten is Bart Simpson's blue-haired best friend on The Simpsons, and online he is the subject of the 4chan slogan 'Milhouse is not a meme' and the catchphrase 'Everything's coming up Milhouse'[1][3].
Where did Milhouse Daryll Van Houten come from?
The character was designed by Matt Groening in 1988 for a Butterfinger commercial called 'The Butterfinger Group' before joining the main Simpsons cast[2].
What does Milhouse Daryll Van Houten mean?
As a meme, he stands for two things: the paradoxical 4chan claim that he is a forced meme, and 'Everything's coming up Milhouse,' a way of announcing that small things are going your way[3][8].
How do you use Milhouse Daryll Van Houten?
People tweet 'Everything's coming up Milhouse' to celebrate minor wins like a good haircut or a free data upgrade, mirroring the way the character used the line in the show[8].
Is Milhouse Daryll Van Houten still popular?
The character is a classic Simpsons meme with long-running fan communities, including a subreddit opened in January 2012 and Tumblr blogs like Daily Milhouse and Milhouse's Eyebrows[5][7][10].
