Otto+Mann

** ”Otto, man!” **  This text is a character analysis of Otto Mann, the crack-smoking bus driver. Otto is a stereotype based on all the worlds’ potheads. Otto was first seen in the episode Homers Odyssey. He’s in the show in almost every episode, as he drives the kids to school. There once also was a great empire named The Ottoman Empire, and it probably served as an inspiration for the writers.

He’s a reckless character, for example, the school board discovers that he don’t have a bus license after many years. Otto then shows them his undies, where his name is written. (Only to discover that it’s someone else’s pants…) The board forces him to get a license, so Otto signs up for Patty’s driving school. Even though he fails every test miserably, Patty gives him his license because neither likes Homer… He also once crashed the bus, stranding the kids on a little island.

He’s an adventurous character. Substances he might be smoking/inhaling is the following: - Cannabis  - LSD - Heroin - Marijuana - Crack - Smack - And other stuff…

He’s also been under the influence of these substances while driving… One example of him being under influence of drugs is in the episode “The Mook, the Chef, the Wife and her Homer”, where the family meets Metallica. Otto says: “It’s Metallica! Am I on drugs?!”, a lizard appears and says, “Yes you are, but that really is Metallica.”

Even though he got a minor role, I believe it’s an important one. For example, in one episode he saves Homer from suicide. Homer’s 5 minutes of fame were over, so he wanted to take his own life by jumping down the roof of a skyscraper. Otto bungee jumps down the same building, and Homer clings on to his bungee… His main role I believe though is to make funny episodes by exaggerating a pothead.

Otto looks like your “average” friendly neighborhood pothead… Medium size, dark hair, headphones, (“Zeppelin!”) looks lazy, constantly saying, “Dude...!” having eyes “filled with pot”… A nicely exaggerated pothead!

Much of what we know about Otto, we know because of his actions. His actions lead us to believe (Know…) that he’s a pothead, music-junkie, and a reckless person that never thinks about his actions.

The fact that he’s a music-junkie, listening to “Old music” (as he calls it) makes him a lot more believable character in m opinion. If it was just Otto, without his love of Zeppelin, AC/DC and other music band, you’d end up with a character who mostly just smoked pot. If that was he case, our friend Otto, would be dead… Many people also got the impression that most potheads like this kind of music, or at the very least listens to a lot of music.

His strengths? Erm, being able to take a lot of pot before dying? Weaknesses include, addicted to: Alcohol, crack, LSD, marijuana, smack… Bad bus drive, irresponsible, as far as I know, he’s homeless as well.

I believe his motivation is to go to another planet with the Lizards! Well, not really. I believe his motivation is to basically have a lot of fun. I can’t see how being constantly high can be fun, but it probably is to Otto. He sees a lot of weird things, like lizards… His goal is to be the head guitarist of a rock band; after all, he spent his youth years playing his electric guitar. I believe he’s afraid of his father, and that his hatred of him turned it to the complete opposite of what the father is, (He’s a Marine Admiral) a pothead.

- Bjørn