The Homer They Fall

Last updated

"The Homer They Fall"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 8
Episode 3
Directed by Mark Kirkland
Written by Jonathan Collier
Production code4F03
Original air dateNovember 10, 1996 (1996-11-10)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Chalkboard gag "I am not my long-lost twin" [1]
Couch gag The living room is in a desert and the family is dressed as cowboys and cowgirls. When the family sits down, the couch neighs and gallops away. [2]
Commentary Matt Groening
Josh Weinstein
Dan Castellaneta
Yeardley Smith
David X. Cohen
George Meyer
Mark Kirkland
Episode chronology
← Previous
"You Only Move Twice"		Next →
"Burns, Baby Burns"
The Simpsons season 8
List of episodes

"The Homer They Fall" is the third episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons . It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 10, 1996. [1] After Homer realizes he has a bizarre medical condition that renders him unable to be knocked out, Moe convinces him to start a career as a boxer and allow the bartender to manage him. The episode was written by Jonathan Collier and directed by Mark Kirkland. [1] It guest stars Michael Buffer as himself and Paul Winfield as Lucius Sweet. [1]

Contents

Plot

During the Simpsons' visit to a high-tech gadget store, Bart buys a gimmicky utility belt from Comic Book Guy, who was unsuccessful with his return of the belt to the store. When he shows it off at school the next day, Dolph, Jimbo and Kearney beat him up and steal it. To get the belt back, Homer confronts their fathers at Moe's Tavern; they beat him up but find that they cannot knock him down, even after breaking a pool cue over his head.

After seeing Homer's ability to absorb physical punishment, Moe suggests that he take up boxing and allow Moe (himself a former boxer) to manage and train him. Marge insists that Homer have a full medical checkup first. Dr. Hibbert discovers that the layer of fluid around Homer's brain is thicker than normal, allowing him to withstand powerful blows to the head. Discovering that Homer is too weak and out of shape to inflict any damage by punching, Moe suggests that he rope-a-dope, then push them down to the boxing ring for an easy win.

Homer prevails in his first fights against several homeless men, eventually rising to the top of the Springfield semi-professional boxing circuit and attracting the attention of Lucius Sweet, Moe's former boxing manager. Lucius tells Moe that current heavyweight champion Drederick Tatum is about to be released from prison and wants a comeback fight, preferably against Homer. Moe knows that Tatum is far too strong and fit for Homer to tire out, but the lure of fame and fortune makes him agree to the fight. He promises Lucius that Homer will last at least three rounds. Moe quickly wins Homer over by feigning confidence in his fighting skills.

Homer ignores Marge's pleas to withdraw from the fight, which is wildly hyped by the media. On the night of the event, Moe falsely promises Marge that he will throw in the towel if Homer appears to be in any danger. Tatum's first punch is strong enough to leave Homer badly dazed, and Marge urges him to start fighting back. Homer's punch completely misses Tatum, who hammers his head and prepares to deliver a punch that will either knock him out or kill him. Just before he can land the blow, Moe swoops in using a paramotor borrowed from the Fan Man and airlifts Homer out of the ring while the audience boos loudly.

Outside the arena, Marge thanks Moe for saving Homer while Tatum expresses his respect for Moe valuing his friend's life above all else. Lucius berates Moe for failing to deliver even one round of boxing but pays him $100,000 anyway. Moe flies off with the paramotor to help people around the world, ignoring the Fan Man's shouted demands to return the equipment. [3] [4]

Production

Character Lucius Sweet is a parody of boxing promoter Don King. Don king.jpg
Character Lucius Sweet is a parody of boxing promoter Don King.

The episode was written by Jonathan Collier, who is a huge boxing fan. [5] Knowing that the people on the internet would "give them grief", the writers went to a lot of effort to explain how Homer would be able to challenge for the heavyweight title. [6] A lot of the scenes involving Homer fighting hobos were pitched by John Swartzwelder. [7] Lucius Sweet is a parody of boxing promoter Don King, and is voiced by Paul Winfield, who had previously played King in HBO's 1995 biopic Tyson . In the script, Sweet was described as "A Don King type who looks and sounds exactly like Don King". [8] The similarity is even pointed out by Homer with the line, "He is exactly as rich and as famous as Don King – and he looks just like him, too!" King was asked to guest star but turned the part down. [5] Drederick Tatum is a parody of Mike Tyson. The name came from George Meyer, who went to high school with a boy named Drederick Timmins, which Meyer thought was a cool name. [6] Tatum having done time in prison is a reference to the fact that, at the time of the episode's production, Tyson had just recently been released from prison after serving three years for rape. [5] Homer is at one point referred to as "The Southern Dandy" as a reference to the old-time boxers and wrestlers who had similar nicknames. [5]

In preparation for this episode, Mark Kirkland watched several boxing films and is satisfied with how it turned out. [9] Whenever designing rooms, Kirkland tries to show a bare lightbulb because he feels that it makes things more depressing. [9] In the scene in Moe's office, there is a brief shot of a poster advertising "Szydlik Vs. Oakley" and "Kirkland Vs. Silverman", referring to then-executive producer Bill Oakley [5] and The Simpsons directors Mark Kirkland and David Silverman. [9] The scene where Tatum is walking to the ring surrounded by shady characters is based on a real life photo of Tyson. [9]

The fathers of Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney make their first and only appearances in the history of the show. [5]

Cultural references

The episode opens with a parody of Bonanza . [5] The montage of Homer fighting various hobos was based on a similar montage in Raging Bull . [9] The music is inspired by "The Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakme" by Léo Delibes. During the montage, there is a brief parody of the George Bellows painting "Dempsey and Firpo". [9] The "Fan Man" is based on James Miller, a man famous for parachuting into arenas during big events. [6] Homer's walk-out music is "Why Can't We Be Friends?" by War and Tatum's is "Time 4 Sum Axion" by Redman, [8] which was also used by Tyson for his first fight after his release from prison in 1995. The song heard over the end credits is a rendition of Barbra Streisand's "People", sung by Sally Stevens. [2]

Reception

In its original broadcast, "The Homer They Fall" finished 29th in ratings for the week of November 4–10, 1996, with a Nielsen rating of 10.0, equivalent to approximately 9.7 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following The X-Files . [10]

In response to the season fourteen episode "Barting Over", which is about skateboarding, Raju Mudhar of the Toronto Star listed what he thought were "excellent" episodes of The Simpsons and scenes also related to sports. He included "The Homer They Fall", writing that Drederick Tatum is "a thinly veiled Mike Tyson parody who's made cameos over the years". [11]

Similarly, in 2004 ESPN.com released a list of the Top 100 Simpsons sport moments, ranking the entire episode at #2, saying, "Greatest sports introduction ever: In the Tatum fight, Homer is introduced as the Brick Hithouse (and is also known as the Southern Dandy), and his walk-to-the-ring music is 'Why Can't We Be Friends?'" Drederick Tatum was placed at the eighteenth spot on the list. [12] Conversely, the authors of the book I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "the dullest, one-joke episode of the entire series". [2]

Related Research Articles

"Lisa's Rival" is the second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 11, 1994. Winona Ryder guest stars as Allison Taylor, a new student at Springfield Elementary School. Lisa Simpson begins to feel threatened by Allison because she is smarter, younger, and a better saxophone player. The episode's subplot sees Homer steal a large pile of sugar from a crashed truck and sell it door-to-door. This episode was originally going to air as part of Season 5 but aired as a season six episode due to 1994 Northridge earthquake.

<i>The Itchy & Scratchy Show</i> Fictional animated cartoon on The Simpsons

The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a blue mouse named Itchy, and a black cat named Scratchy, who repeatedly maim or kill each other. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second shorts that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.

"Catch 'em if You Can" is the eighteenth episode of the fifteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 25, 2004.

"Itchy & Scratchy & Marge" is the ninth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on December 20, 1990. In the episode, which is a satire of censorship issues, Maggie bullies Homer by attacking him with a mallet and Marge blames The Itchy & Scratchy Show for Maggie's actions. It was written by John Swartzwelder and was the first episode to be directed by Jim Reardon. Alex Rocco makes his first of three guest appearances as Roger Meyers, Jr.

"Bart Gets Hit by a Car" is the tenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 10, 1991. In the episode, Bart is hit by Mr. Burns' car. Prompted by ambulance-chasing lawyer Lionel Hutz and quack doctor Nick Riviera, the Simpsons sue Burns, seeking extensive damages for Bart's injuries. Hutz and Dr. Nick exaggerate Bart's injuries to earn the jury's sympathy at the trial. Marge wants Homer to accept Burns' proposed settlement instead of asking Bart to lie on the witness stand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer's Barbershop Quartet</span> 1st episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on September 30, 1993. It features the Be Sharps, a barbershop quartet founded by Homer Simpson. The band's story roughly parallels that of the Beatles. George Harrison and David Crosby guest star as themselves, and the Dapper Dans partly provide the singing voices of the Be Sharps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase</span> 24th episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the eighth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 11, 1997. The episode centers on fictional pilot episodes of non-existent television series derived from The Simpsons, and is a parody of the tendency of networks to spin off characters from a hit series. As such it includes references to many different TV series. The first fictional spin-off is Chief Wiggum P.I., a cop-dramedy featuring Chief Wiggum and Seymour Skinner. The second is The Love-matic Grampa, a sitcom featuring Moe Szyslak who receives dating advice from Abraham Simpson, whose ghost is possessing a love testing machine. The final segment is The Simpson Family Smile-Time Variety Hour, a variety show featuring the Simpson family except for Lisa, who has been replaced.

"So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show" is the eighteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April Fools' Day, 1993. In the episode, Homer plays a series of practical jokes on Bart, and to get even, Bart shakes up a can of Homer's beer with a paint shaker. Homer opens the can, resulting in a huge explosion that lands him in the hospital, where he goes into a coma. At Homer's bedside, the Simpson family reminisce, mainly about moments relevant to Homer's life.

"Jaws Wired Shut" is the ninth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 27, 2002. In the episode, Homer's jaw is broken when he collides with a statue of Drederick Tatum. Homer's jaw is wired shut, leaving him unable to speak. At first Marge enjoys Homer's inability to talk, since it makes him a better listener and a more compassionate person. Eventually Marge misses Homer's wild antics. Craving excitement, she enters a demolition derby.

"Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 20, 2002. In the episode, Homer gathers Springfield's citizens to build the world's biggest human pyramid. When it collapses and fails to set the world record, Springfield earns the top spot as the world's fattest town. Marge sues Garth Motherloving's sugar company for making the town's citizens obese. When Springfield bans sugar, Homer conspires with Garth to smuggle it to town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment</span> 13th episode of the 2nd season of The Simpsons

"Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. The 26th episode of the series overall, it originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 7, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets an illegal cable hookup. Despite the family's enjoyment of the new channels, Lisa suspects they are stealing cable. Her suspicions are confirmed by Reverend Lovejoy and she protests by no longer watching television. Homer invites his friends to watch a cable-TV boxing match, but Lisa's protest persuades him to cut the cable when the fight ends.

"Marge on the Lam" is the sixth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 4, 1993. After Marge invites her neighbor Ruth Powers to attend the ballet, they become friends. Homer grows jealous of their friendship and pursues them, resulting in a police chase led by Chief Wiggum that ends in near-disaster.

"Fear of Flying" is the eleventh episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 1994. In the episode, the Simpson family prepares to go on a vacation by plane, but the circumstances force Marge to confess her lifelong fear of flying.

"The War of the Simpsons" is the twentieth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 2, 1991. In the episode, Homer gets drunk at a dinner party and embarrasses Marge, so she enrolls them in marriage counseling at a lakeside retreat with Reverend Lovejoy.

"Burns' Heir" is the eighteenth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 1994. In the episode, Mr. Burns has a near-death experience that prompts him to find an heir to inherit his wealth after he dies. He chooses Bart as his heir because he admires the "creature of pure malevolence". Marge convinces Bart to spend time with his benefactor, who allows his heir the money and freedom to do whatever he pleases. Soon Bart leaves his family to live with Burns instead.

"Duffless" is the sixteenth episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 18, 1993. Homer gets arrested for drunk driving, and Marge asks him to stop drinking beer for a month. Meanwhile, after Bart ruins Lisa's science fair project, she attempts to get revenge by proving that he is dumber than a hamster.

"The Great Wife Hope" is the third episode of the twenty-first season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. Originally broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on October 11, 2009, it sees the men of Springfield taking immense interest in a new combat sport called mixed martial arts (MMA). Marge is appalled by the violent sport and demands that the creator put a stop to it, but he agrees only if she will fight him in a match and win.

"Homer Badman" is the ninth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 27, 1994. In the episode, Homer is falsely accused of sexual harassment and must clear his name. Dennis Franz guest stars as himself portraying Homer in a TV movie.

"What Animated Women Want" is the seventeenth episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the 525th episode overall. The episode was directed by Steven Dean Moore and written by J. Stewart Burns. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on April 14, 2013. The name is a take on that of the film What Women Want.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. p.  213. ISBN   978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN   98141857. OCLC   37796735. OL   433519M..
  2. 1 2 3 Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian (2000). "The Homer They Fall". BBC. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
  3. ↑ Richmond, Ray; Antonia Coffman (1997). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family . Harper Collins Publishers. p.  173. ISBN   0-06-095252-0.
  4. ↑ Episode Capsule Archived 2007-03-09 at the Wayback Machine at The Simpsons Archive.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Weinstein, Josh (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. 1 2 3 Meyer, George (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ↑ Groening, Matt (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. 1 2 Cohen, David X. (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kirkland, Mark (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  10. ↑ "NBC back on top in ratings race". Sun-Sentinel. Associated Press. November 14, 1996. p. 4E.
  11. ↑ Raju Mudhar, "Simpsons' sports spoofs simply 'excellent'; Stars like Tyson often lampooned Show celebrating 300th episode", Toronto Star , February 16, 2003, p. E.03.
  12. ↑ Collins, Greg (January 23, 2004). "The Simpsons Got Game". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.