Homer Jay Simpson is the protagonist of the American animated television series The Simpsons who is part of the Simpson family. Homer made his television debut in the short "Good Night" on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Homer while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Initially called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell, Groening instead developed a new set of characters. After two years on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpson family received their own series, which premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989.
At the age of thirty-six, Homer is the patriarch of the family; he is married to Marge, with whom he has three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. As the family's primary provider, Homer works as a safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He embodies numerous American working-class stereotypes: he is overweight, balding, immature, outspoken, aggressive, lazy, ignorant, unprofessional, and deeply fond of beer, junk food, and television. Despite these flaws, Homer is fundamentally a good-hearted man and fiercely protective of his family, especially during critical moments. While his life largely revolves around a suburban blue-collar routine, he has experienced several extraordinary adventures, including traveling to space, solo-climbing Springfield's tallest mountain, fighting former President George H. W. Bush, and winning a Grammy Award as part of a barbershop quartet.
Homer is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential television characters of all time and is widely recognized as an American cultural icon. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly ranked Homer ninth on their list of the 50 Greatest TV Icons, and in 2010, placed him first on their list of the Top 100 Characters of the Past Twenty Years. The Sunday Times referred to him as "the greatest comic creation of [modern] time", while TV Guide, in 2010, called him second-greatest cartoon character. Castellaneta has received four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, along with a special-achievement Annie Award. In 2000, Homer and the family were honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Role in The Simpsons
Homer Jay Simpson[1] is the bumbling husband of Marge and the father of Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson.[2][3] He is the son of Mona and Abraham "Grampa" Simpson.[4][5] Over the first 400 episodes of The Simpsons, Homer held over 188 different jobs.[6] Despite this, his primary role is as a nuclear safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in Sector 7-G.[7] This position, which he is unqualified for,[8][9] often sees him neglecting his duties or falling asleep on the job.[10][11] His boss, Mr. Burns, frequently ignores or forgets his existence.[12] Creator Matt Groening chose the nuclear plant as Homer’s workplace to provide opportunities for comedic chaos.[13] Although Homer's numerous other jobs each last only one episode, earlier seasons often explained how he was fired from the plant and rehired. In later episodes, these transitions became more impulsive, with his side ventures occurring without reference to his regular employment.[14]
The Simpsons employs a floating timeline, where characters either do not age or age minimally. As such, the show is always presumed to take place in the present year.[15][16] Despite the show's flexible timeline, several episodes link events in Homer's life to specific time periods.[17] In "Mother Simpson" (season seven, 1995), Homer's mother, Mona, is portrayed as a radical who went into hiding in 1969 after a run-in with the law.[18] "The Way We Was" (The Simpsons season 2|season two]], 1991) depicts Homer falling in love with Marge as a senior at Springfield High School in 1974.[19] Similarly, "I Married Marge" (season three, 1991) implies that Marge became pregnant with Bart in 1980.[20] However, "That '90s Show" (season 19, 2008) contradicts these events, depicting Homer and Marge as a twentysomething, childless couple in the early 1990s.[21] This inconsistency deepens in "Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars" (season 32, 2021), which reimagines Homer's adolescence as occurring in the 1990s.[22] Showrunner Matt Selman has addressed these contradictions, stating that no version is "official continuity" and that "they all kind of happened in their imaginary world", allowing viewers to choose the version they prefer.[23]
Homer's age has fluctuated throughout The Simpsons due to its floating timeline. In the early episodes, he was thirty-four, increasing to thirty-six in season four, thirty-eight and thirty-nine in season eight, and forty by season eighteen, though these ages are inconsistent even within those seasons.[24] In the episode "Duffless" (season four, 1993), Homer's driver’s license lists his birthdate as May 12, 1956, making him 36 at the time.[25] During Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein's tenure as showrunners, they aged Homer to thirty-eight, reflecting their own aging and perception of the character.[24] According to the episode guidesThe Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1997) and Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 (2010), both authored by Groening, Homer's official age is 36.[26][27] Homer stands 6 feet (1.83m) tall and weighs between 239 and 260lbs (108–120kg).[26][27]
Character
Creation
Matt Groening (pictured in 2009) conceived Homer in 1987.
Matt Groening first conceived Homer and the rest of the Simpson family in 1987 while waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks's office.[28][29] Groening was invited to pitch a series of animated shorts for The Tracey Ullman Show and initially planned to adapt his comic strip, Life in Hell. Upon realizing that adapting the strip would require him to relinquish publication rights, he quickly decided to create something new.[30] Groening hastily sketched a concept for a dysfunctional family,[31][32] naming the characters after members of his own family.[33][34] Groening named Homer after his father, who himself had been named after the ancient Greek poet.[35][36][37] Very little of Homer's character was inspired by Groening's father, and to emphasize that the significance of the name was minimal, Groening later named his own son Homer.[38][39] Groening explained, "Homer originated with my goal to both amuse my real father, and just annoy him a little bit. My father was an athletic, creative, intelligent filmmaker and writer, and the only thing he had in common with Homer was a love of donuts".[40][41]
While Groening has often mentioned that Homer was named after his father, he has also stated in some interviews that the character Homer Simpson from Nathanael West's 1939 novel The Day of the Locust and its 1975 film adaptation was an inspiration.[42][43] In a 2012 interview with the Smithsonian Magazine, Groening clarified, "I took that name from a minor character in the novel The Day of the Locust[...] Since Homer was my father's name, and I thought Simpson was a funny name in that it had the word "simp" in it, which is short for "simpleton"—I just went with it".[44] Homer's middle initial "J", which stands for "Jay",[45][46] is a nod to animated characters like Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, whose middle initial was a tribute to series creator Jay Ward.[47][48] Homer first appeared alongside the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Showshort "Good Night".[49][50] On December 17, 1989, these shorts were developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour series on the Fox Broadcasting Company,[51][52] where Homer and the Simpson family became the central characters.[53]
Design
Homer's design has been revised several times over the course of the series. Left to right: Homer as he appeared in "Good Night" (1987), "Bathtime" (1989), and "Bart the Genius" (1990).
Homer's typical attire includes a short-sleeved white shirt with an open collar, blue pants, and gray shoes. He is overweight and bald, with a fringe of hair around the sides and back of his head and two curly strands on top.
The Simpson family was designed to be easily recognizable in silhouette.[54][55] The characters were initially crudely drawn because Groening submitted rough sketches to the animators, expecting them to refine the designs; instead, the animators simply traced over his original drawings.[56] Homer's appearance has been noted for its resemblance—intentional or not—to the cartoon character Adamsson, created by Swedish cartoonist Oscar Jacobsson in 1920.[57] When Groening originally designed Homer, he incorporated his initials into the character's features: the hairline resembled an "M", and the right ear resembled a "G". While this design was eventually modified to make the ear appear more natural, Groening continues to draw it as a "G" in sketches for fans.[58] Director Mark Kirkland has described Homer's head shape as resembling a tube-shaped coffee can topped with a salad bowl.[59]
During The Simpsons shorts, animators experimented with Homer's mouth movements, at one point allowing his mouth to stretch beyond his beard line. However, this approach was abandoned when it became overly exaggerated.[60] In early episodes, Homer's hair was more rounded to suggest a disheveled look, but it evolved into the consistently pointed style seen today. During the first three seasons, close-up shots of Homer occasionally included small lines meant to represent eyebrows. Groening disliked this detail, and the lines were eventually removed.[61] During the first three seasons, Homer's design for some close-up shots included small lines which were meant to be eyebrows. Groening strongly disliked them and they were eventually dropped.[61]
In the season seven (1995) episode "Treehouse of Horror VI", Bart, alongside Homer, was rendered as a three-dimensional character for the first time in the "Homer3" segment of the episode. The computer animation was provided by Pacific Data Images. In the final minute of the segment, the three-dimensional Homer transitions into a live-action setting, finding himself in real-world Los Angeles. Directed by David Mirkin, this marked the first instance of a Simpsons character appearing in the real world within the series.[62] In "Lisa's Wedding" (season six, 1995), which is set fifteen years in the future, Homer's design was modified to reflect his older age. Changes included increased weight, the removal of one hair from the top of his head, and the addition of an extra line under his eye. This older design has since been used in subsequent flashforward episodes.[63]
Voice
"I was trying to find something I was more comfortable with that had more power to it, so I had to drop the voice down.... People will say to me, 'Boy, I'm glad they replaced the guy that was there that first season.' That was me!"
Homer's voice is performed by Dan Castellaneta, who voices numerous other characters, including Grampa Simpson, Krusty the Clown, Barney Gumble, Groundskeeper Willie, Mayor Quimby and Hans Moleman.[65] Castellaneta had been part of the regular cast of The Tracey Ullman Show and had previously done some voice-over work in Chicago alongside his wife Deb Lacusta. Voices were needed for the Simpsons shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors.[64][66] In the shorts and first season of the half-hour show, Homer's voice is different from the majority of the series. The voice began as a loose impression of Walter Matthau, but Castellaneta could not "get enough power behind that voice",[66] or sustain his Matthau impression for the nine- to ten-hour-long recording sessions, and had to find something easier.[6] During the second and third seasons of the half-hour show, Castellaneta "dropped the voice down"[64] and developed it as more versatile and humorous, allowing Homer a fuller range of emotions.[67]
Castellaneta's normal speaking voice does not bear any resemblance to Homer's.[68] To perform Homer's voice, Castellaneta lowers his chin to his chest[66] and is said to "let his I.Q. go".[69] While in this state, he has ad-libbed several of Homer's least intelligent comments,[69] such as the line "S-M-R-T; I mean, S-M-A-R-T!" from "Homer Goes to College" (season five, 1993) which was a genuine mistake made by Castellaneta during recording.[70] Castellaneta likes to stay in character during recording sessions,[71] and he tries to visualize a scene so that he can give the proper voice to it.[72] Despite Homer's fame, Castellaneta claims he is rarely recognized in public, "except, maybe, by a die-hard fan".[71]
"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" (season five, 1993) is the only episode where Homer's voice was provided by someone other than Castellaneta. The episode features Homer forming a barbershop quartet called The Be Sharps; and, at some points, his singing voice is provided by a member of The Dapper Dans.[73] The Dapper Dans had recorded the singing parts for all four members of The Be Sharps. Their singing was intermixed with the normal voice actors' voices, often with a regular voice actor singing the melody and the Dapper Dans providing backup.[74]
Until 1998, Castellaneta was paid $30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace the six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing for casting of new voices.[75] However, the dispute was soon resolved and he received $125,000 per episode until 2004 when the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 an episode.[75] The issue was resolved a month later,[76] and Castellaneta earned $250,000 per episode.[77] After salary re-negotiations in 2008, the voice actors receive approximately $400,000 per episode.[78] Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel the series unless production costs were cut, Castellaneta and the other cast members accepted a 30 percent pay cut, down to just over $300,000 per episode.[79]
Character development
Executive producer Al Jean notes that in The Simpsons' writing room, "everyone loves writing for Homer", and many of his adventures are based on experiences of the writers.[80] In the early seasons of the show, Bart was the main focus. But, around the fourth season, Homer increasingly became the focus. According to Matt Groening, this was because "With Homer, there's just a wider range of jokes you can do. And there are far more drastic consequences to Homer's stupidity. There's only so far you can go with a juvenile delinquent. We wanted Bart to do anything up to the point of him being tried in court as a dad. But Homer is a dad, and his boneheaded-ness is funnier. [...] Homer is launching himself headfirst into every single impulsive thought that occurs to him."[81]
Homer's behavior has changed a number of times through the run of the series. He was originally "very angry" and oppressive toward Bart, but these characteristics were toned down somewhat as his persona was further explored.[82] In early seasons, Homer appeared concerned that his family was going to make him look bad; however, in later episodes he was less anxious about how he was perceived by others.[83] In the first several years, Homer was often portrayed as dumb yet well-meaning, but during Mike Scully's tenure as executive producer (seasons nine, 1997 to twelve, 2001), he became more of "a boorish, self-aggrandizing oaf".[84] Chris Suellentrop of Slate wrote, "under Scully's tenure, The Simpsons became, well, a cartoon.... Episodes that once would have ended with Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset... now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge's neck."[85] Fans have dubbed this incarnation of the character "Jerkass Homer".[86][87][88] At voice recording sessions, Castellaneta has rejected material written in the script that portrayed Homer as being too mean. He believes that Homer is "boorish and unthinking, but he'd never be mean on purpose."[89] When editing The Simpsons Movie, several scenes were changed to make Homer more sympathetic.[90]
The writers have depicted Homer with a declining intelligence over the years; they explain this was not done intentionally, but it was necessary to top previous jokes.[91] For example, in "When You Dish Upon a Star", (season 10, 1998) the writers included a scene where Homer admits that he cannot read. The writers debated including this plot twist because it would contradict previous scenes in which Homer does read, but eventually they decided to keep the joke because they found it humorous. The writers often debate how far to go in portraying Homer's stupidity; one suggested rule is that "he can never forget his own name".[92]
Personality
The comic efficacy of Homer's personality lies in his frequent bouts of bumbling stupidity, laziness and his explosive anger. He has a low intelligence level and is described by director David Silverman as "creatively brilliant in his stupidity".[93] Homer also shows immense apathy towards work, is overweight, and "is devoted to his stomach".[93] His short attention span is evidenced by his impulsive decisions to engage in various hobbies and enterprises, only to "change ... his mind when things go badly".[93] Homer often spends his evenings drinking Duff Beer at Moe's Tavern, and was shown in the episode "Duffless" (season four, 1993) as a full-blown alcoholic.[94] He is very envious of his neighbors, Ned Flanders and his family, and is easily enraged by Bart. Homer will often strangle Bart on impulse upon Bart angering him (and can also be seen saying one of his catchphrases, "Why you little—!") in a cartoonish manner. The first instance of Homer strangling Bart was in the short "Family Portrait". According to Groening, the rule was that Homer could only strangle Bart impulsively, never with premeditation,[95] because doing so "seems sadistic. If we keep it that he's ruled by his impulses, then he can easily switch impulses. So, even though he impulsively wants to strangle Bart, he also gives up fairly easily."[81] Another of the original ideas entertained by Groening was that Homer would "always get his comeuppance or Bart had to strangle him back", but this was dropped.[96] Homer shows no compunction about expressing his rage, and does not attempt to hide his actions from people outside the family.[93] In "McMansion & Wife", Homer stated that he no longer strangles Bart, as "times have changed." However, the series' executive producers later clarified that Homer Simpson still strangles Bart, writing "Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart".[97]
The first sketch of Homer strangling Bart, drawn in 1988
Homer has complex relationships with his family. As previously noted, he and Bart are the most at odds; but the two commonly share adventures and are sometimes allies, with some episodes (particularly in later seasons) showing that the pair have a strange respect for each other's cunning. Homer and Lisa have opposite personalities and he usually overlooks Lisa's talents, but when made aware of his neglect, does everything he can to help her. The show also occasionally implies Homer forgets he has a third child, Maggie; while the episode "And Maggie Makes Three" suggests she is the chief reason Homer took and remains at his regular job (season six, 1995). While Homer's thoughtless antics often upset his family, he on many occasions has also revealed himself to be a caring and loving father and husband: in "Lisa the Beauty Queen", (season four, 1992) he sold his cherished ride on the Duff blimp and used the money to enter Lisa in a beauty pageant so she could feel better about herself;[98] in "Rosebud", (season five, 1993) he gave up his chance at wealth to allow Maggie to keep a cherished teddy bear;[99] in "Radio Bart", (season three, 1992) he spearheads an attempt to dig Bart out after he had fallen down a well;[100] in "A Milhouse Divided", (season eight, 1996) he arranges a surprise second wedding with Marge to make up for their unsatisfactory first ceremony;[101] and despite a poor relationship with his father Abraham "Grampa" Simpson, whom he placed in a nursing home as soon as he could[102] while the Simpson family often do their best to avoid unnecessary contact with Grampa, Homer has shown feelings of love for his father from time to time.[103]
Homer is "a (happy) slave to his various appetites".[104] He has an apparently vacuous mind, but occasionally exhibits a surprising depth of knowledge about various subjects, such as the composition of the Supreme Court of the United States,[105]Inca mythology,[106]bankruptcy law,[107] and cell biology.[108] Homer's brief periods of intelligence are overshadowed, however, by much longer and consistent periods of ignorance, forgetfulness, and stupidity. Homer has a low IQ of 55, which would actually make him unable to speak or perform basic tasks, and has variously been attributed to the hereditary "Simpson Gene" (which eventually causes every male member of the family to become incredibly stupid),[109] his alcohol problem, exposure to radioactive waste, repetitive cranial trauma,[110] and a crayon lodged in the frontal lobe of his brain.[111] In the 2001 episode "HOMR", Homer has the crayon removed, boosting his IQ to 105; although he bonds with Lisa, his newfound capacity for understanding and reason makes him unhappy, and he has the crayon reinserted.[111] Homer often debates with his own mind, expressed in voiceover. His mind has a tendency to offer dubious advice, which occasionally helps him make the right decision, but often fails spectacularly. His mind has even become completely frustrated and, through sound effects, walked out on Homer.[112] These exchanges were often introduced because they filled time and were easy for the animators to work on.[25] They were phased out after the producers "used every possible permutation".[25]
Producer Mike Reiss said Homer was his favorite Simpsons character to write: "Homer's just a comedy writer's dream. He has everything wrong with him, every comedy trope. He's fat and bald and stupid and lazy and angry and an alcoholic. I'm pretty sure he embodies all seven deadly sins." John Swartzwelder, who wrote 60 episodes, said he wrote Homer as if he were "a big talking dog ... One moment he's the saddest man in the world, because he's just lost his job, or dropped his sandwich, or accidentally killed his family. Then, the next moment, he's the happiest man in the world, because he's just found a penny — maybe under one of his dead family members ... If you write him as a dog you'll never go wrong."[113] Reiss felt this was insightful, saying: "Homer is just pure emotion, no long-term memory, everything is instant gratification. And, you know, has good dog qualities, too. I think, loyalty, friendliness, and just kind of continuous optimism."[114]
In 2000, Homer, along with the rest of the Simpson family, were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Homer's influence on comedy and culture has been significant. In 2010, Entertainment Weekly named Homer "the greatest character of the last 20 years".[115] He was placed second on TV Guide's 2002 Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters, behind Bugs Bunny;[116] fifth on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters, one of only four cartoon characters on that list;[117] and first in a Channel 4 poll of the greatest television characters of all time.[118] In 2007, Entertainment Weekly placed Homer ninth on their list of the "50 Greatest TV icons" and first on their 2010 list of the "Top 100 Characters of the Past Twenty Years".[119][81][120] Homer was also the runaway winner in British polls that determined who viewers thought was the "greatest American"[121] and which fictional character people would like to see become the President of the United States.[122] His relationship with Marge was included in TV Guide's list of "The Best TV Couples of All Time".[123] In 2022, Paste writers claimed that Homer is the second best cartoon character of all time.[124]
Homer is an "everyman" and embodies several American stereotypes of working class blue-collar men: he is crude, overweight, incompetent, dim-witted, childish, clumsy and a borderline alcoholic.[17] Matt Groening describes him as "completely ruled by his impulses".[135] Dan Castellaneta calls him "a dog trapped in a man's body", adding, "He's incredibly loyal– not entirely clean– but you gotta love him."[66] In his book Planet Simpson, author Chris Turner describes Homer as "the most American of the Simpsons" and believes that while the other Simpson family members could be changed to other nationalities, Homer is "pure American".[136] In the book God in the Details: American Religion in Popular Culture, the authors comment that "Homer's progress (or lack thereof) reveals a character who can do the right thing, if accidentally or begrudgingly."[137] The book The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer includes a chapter analyzing Homer's character from the perspective of Aristotelianvirtue ethics. Raja Halwani writes that Homer's "love of life" is an admirable character trait, "for many people are tempted to see in Homer nothing but buffoonery and immorality.... He is not politically correct, he is more than happy to judge others, and he certainly does not seem to be obsessed with his health. These qualities might not make Homer an admirable person, but they do make him admirable in some ways, and, more importantly, makes us crave him and the Homer Simpsons of this world."[138] In 2008, Entertainment Weekly justified designating The Simpsons as a television classic by stating, "we all hail Simpson patriarch Homer because his joy is as palpable as his stupidity is stunning".[139]
In the season eight episode "Homer's Enemy" the writers decided to examine "what it would be like to actually work alongside Homer Simpson".[140] The episode explores the possibilities of a realistic character with a strong work ethic named Frank Grimes placed alongside Homer in a work environment. In the episode, Homer is portrayed as an everyman and the embodiment of the American spirit; however, in some scenes his negative characteristics and silliness are prominently highlighted.[141][142] By the end of the episode, Grimes, a hard working and persevering "real American hero", has become the villain; the viewer is intended to be pleased that Homer has emerged victorious.[141]
In Gilligan Unbound, author Paul Arthur Cantor states that he believes Homer's devotion to his family has added to the popularity of the character. He writes, "Homer is the distillation of pure fatherhood.... This is why, for all his stupidity, bigotry and self-centered quality, we cannot hate Homer. He continually fails at being a good father, but he never gives up trying, and in some basic and important sense that makes him a good father."[143]The Sunday Times remarked "Homer is good because, above all, he is capable of great love. When the chips are down, he always does the right thing by his children—he is never unfaithful in spite of several opportunities."[89]
Cultural influence
Homer Simpson is one of the most popular and influential television characters by a variety of standards. USA Today cited the character as being one of the "top 25 most influential people of the past 25 years" in 2007, adding that Homer "epitomized the irony and irreverence at the core of American humor".[144]Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University's Center for the Study of Popular Television, believes that "three centuries from now, English professors are going to be regarding Homer Simpson as one of the greatest creations in human storytelling."[145] Animation historian Jerry Beck described Homer as one of the best animated characters, saying, "you know someone like it, or you identify with (it). That's really the key to a classic character."[116] Homer has been described by The Sunday Times as "the greatest comic creation of [modern] time". The article remarked, "every age needs its great, consoling failure, its lovable, pretension-free mediocrity. And we have ours in Homer Simpson."[89]
Despite Homer's partial embodiment of American culture, his influence has spread to other parts of the world. In 2003, Matt Groening revealed that his father, after whom Homer was named, was Canadian, and said that this made Homer himself a Canadian.[146] The character was later made an honorary citizen of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, because Homer Groening was believed to be from there, although sources say the senior Groening was actually born in the province of Saskatchewan.[147] In 2007, an image of Homer was painted next to the Cerne Abbas Giant in Dorset, England as part of a promotion for The Simpsons Movie. This caused outrage among local neopagans who performed "rain magic" to try to get it washed away.[148]
On April 9, 2009, the United States Postal Service unveiled a series of five 44-cent stamps featuring Homer and the four other members of the Simpson family. They are the first characters from a television series to receive this recognition while the show is still in production.[149] The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009.[150][151]
On February 28, 1999, Homer Simpson was made an honorary member of the Junior Common Room of Worcester College, Oxford. Homer was granted the membership by the college's undergraduate body in the belief that ″he would benefit greatly from an Oxford education″.[155]
Homer has also been cited in the scientific literature, in relation to low intelligence or cognitive abilities. A 2010 study from Emory University showed that the RGS14 gene appeared to be impairing the development of cognitive abilities in mice (or, rather, that mice with a disabled RGS14 gene improved their cognitive abilities), prompting the authors to dub it the "Homer Simpson gene".[156]
Homer's main and most famous catchphrase, the annoyed grunt "D'oh!", is typically uttered when he injures himself, realizes that he has done something stupid, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him. During the voice recording session for a Tracey Ullman Show short, Homer was required to utter what was written in the script as an "annoyed grunt".[157] Dan Castellaneta rendered it as a drawn out "d'ooooooh". This was inspired by Jimmy Finlayson, the mustachioed Scottish actor who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films.[157] Finlayson had used the term as a minced oath to stand in for the word "Damn!" Matt Groening felt that it would better suit the timing of animation if it were spoken faster. Castellaneta then shortened it to a quickly uttered "D'oh!"[158] The first intentional use of D'oh! occurred in the Ullman short "The Krusty the Clown Show"[158] (1989), and its first usage in the series was in the series premiere, "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".[159]
"D'oh!" was first added to The New Oxford Dictionary of English in 1998.[157] It is defined as an interjection "used to comment on an action perceived as foolish or stupid".[160] In 2001, "D'oh!" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary, without the apostrophe ("Doh!").[161] The definition of the word is "expressing frustration at the realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish".[162] In 2006, "D'oh!" was placed in sixth position on TV Land's list of the 100 greatest television catchphrases.[163][164] "D'oh!" is also included in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.[165] The book includes several other quotations from Homer, including "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is never try", from "Burns' Heir" (season five, 1994) as well as "Kids are the best, Apu. You can teach them to hate the things you hate. And they practically raise themselves, what with the Internet and all", from "Eight Misbehavin'" (season 11, 1999). Both quotes entered the dictionary in August 2007.[166]
Merchandising
Homer's inclusion in many Simpsons publications, toys, and other merchandise is evidence of his enduring popularity. The Homer Book, about Homer's personality and attributes, was released in 2004 and is commercially available.[167][168] It has been described as "an entertaining little book for occasional reading"[169] and was listed as one of "the most interesting books of 2004" by The Chattanoogan.[170] Other merchandise includes dolls, posters, figurines, bobblehead dolls, mugs, alarm clocks, jigsaw puzzles, Chia Pets, and clothing such as slippers, T-shirts, baseball caps, and boxer shorts.[171] Homer has appeared in commercials for Coke, 1-800-COLLECT, Burger King, Butterfinger, C.C. Lemon, Church's Chicken, Domino's Pizza, Intel, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Ramada Inn, Subway and T.G.I. Friday's. In 2004, Homer starred in a MasterCardPriceless commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXXVIII.[172] In 2001, Kelloggs launched a brand of cereal called "Homer's Cinnamon Donut Cereal", which was available for a limited time.[168][173] In June 2009, Dutch automotive navigation systems manufacturer TomTom announced that Homer would be added to its downloadable GPS voice lineup. Homer's voice, recorded by Dan Castellaneta, features several in-character comments such as "Take the third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm... ice cream."[174]
Other media
Homer has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons. He has appeared in every one of The Simpsons video games, including the most recent, The Simpsons Game.[175] Homer appears as a playable character in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions voiced by again by Dan Castellaneta via archival audio recordings, and released via a "Level Pack" packaged with Homer's Car and "Taunt-o-Vision" accessories in September 2015; the pack also adds an additional level based on the episode "The Mysterious Voyage of Homer".[176] Alongside the television series, Homer regularly appeared in issues of Simpsons Comics, which were published from November 29, 1993, until October 17, 2018.[177][178] Homer also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride, launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood.[179]
Related Research Articles
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Set in the fictional town of Springfield, it caricatures society, Western culture, television and the human condition, and is still in current release.
Marjorie Jacqueline "Marge" Simpson (née Bouvier) is a character in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. Voiced by Julie Kavner, she first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Marge was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. Groening had been called to pitch a series of shorts based on Life in Hell but instead decided to create a new set of characters. He based the character on his mother Margaret Groening. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, the Simpson family received their own series on Fox, which debuted December 17, 1989.
Daniel Louis Castellaneta is an American actor and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series The Simpsons. Castellaneta is also known for voicing Grandpa in Nickelodeon's Hey Arnold!, and has had voice roles in several other programs, including Futurama, Sibs, Darkwing Duck, The Adventures of Dynamo Duck, The Batman, Back to the Future: The Animated Series, Aladdin, Earthworm Jim, and Taz-Mania.
Margaret Lenny "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the youngest member of the Simpson family. She first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Maggie was created and designed by cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks' office. She received her first name from Groening's youngest sister. After appearing on The Tracey Ullman Show for three years, the Simpson family was given their own series on the Fox Broadcasting Company which debuted December 17, 1989.
Abraham Jay "Abe" Simpson II, better known as Grampa Simpson, is a recurring character in the animated television series The Simpsons. He made his first appearance in the episode entitled "Grandpa and the Kids", a one-minute Simpsons short on The Tracey Ullman Show, before the debut of the television show in 1989.
Bartholomew Jojo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional character from the American animated television series The Simpsons who is part of the Simpson family. Bart made his television debut in the short "Good Night" on The Tracey Ullman Show on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening created and designed Bart while waiting in the lobby of James L. Brooks's office. Initially called to pitch a series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell, Groening instead developed a new set of characters. Unlike the other Simpson family members, who were named after Groening's relatives, Bart's name is an anagram of brat. After two years on The Tracey Ullman Show, the Simpson family received their own series, which premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989. Bart has appeared in every episode of The Simpsons except "Four Great Women and a Manicure".
Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky, better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown, is a recurring character on the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta. He is the long-time clown host of Bart and Lisa Simpson's favorite TV show, a variety show consisting of various kid-friendly sketches and often highly violent cartoons, most notably The Itchy & Scratchy Show. Despite his cheery onscreen persona, Krusty is actually a cynical, burnt-out, addiction-riddled smoker who is made miserable by show business but continues on anyway. He has become one of the most frequently occurring characters outside the main Simpson family and has been the focus of many episodes, some of which also feature Sideshow Bob.
Barnard "Barney" Gumble is a recurring character in the American animated TV series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
The Itchy & Scratchy Show is a fictional animated series featured on The Simpsons. The cartoon depicts a sadistic mouse named Itchy who repeatedly maims or murders a black cat named Scratchy. It is typically presented as 15- to 60-second sketches that are a part of The Krusty the Clown Show. Itchy & Scratchy is filled with graphic violence, unsuitable for children, that almost invariably prompts laughter from The Simpsons characters, especially Bart and Lisa.
The Simpsonsshorts are a series of animated short films that aired as a recurring segment on Fox variety television series The Tracey Ullman Show for three seasons, before the characters spun off into The Simpsons, their own half-hour prime-time show. They feature Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, and a few secondary characters. The series was created by Matt Groening, who designed the Simpson family and wrote many of the shorts. The shorts first aired on April 19, 1987, starting with "Good Night". The final short to air was "TV Simpsons", originally airing on May 14, 1989. The Simpsons later debuted on December 17, 1989, as an independent series with the Christmas special "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
The Simpson family are the main fictional characters featured in the animated television series The Simpsons. The Simpsons are a nuclear family consisting of married couple Homer and Marge and their three children, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. They live at 742 Evergreen Terrace in the fictional town of Springfield, United States, and they were created by cartoonist Matt Groening, who conceived the characters after his own family members, substituting "Bart" for his own name. The family debuted on Fox on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" and were later spun off into their own series, which debuted on Fox in the U.S. on December 17, 1989, and started airing in Winter 1990.
"Lady Bouvier's Lover" is the twenty-first and penultimate 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 May 12, 1994. In the episode, Abe Simpson falls in love with Marge's mother, Jacqueline Bouvier, and they start dating. However, on a night out in town, she is charmed by Mr. Burns. Abe is brokenhearted when he learns that Jacqueline is going to marry Mr. Burns.
"A Star Is Burns" is the eighteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It first aired on Fox in the United States on March 5, 1995. In the episode, Springfield decides to hold a film festival, and famed critic Jay Sherman is invited to be a judge.
"Lost Our Lisa" is the twenty-fourth and penultimate episode of the ninth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on May 10, 1998. The episode contains the last appearance of the character Lionel Hutz. When Lisa learns that Marge cannot give her a ride to the museum and forbids her to take the bus, she tricks Homer into giving her permission. After Lisa gets lost, Homer goes looking for her and the two end up visiting the museum together.
"Principal Charming" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on February 14, 1991. In the episode, Marge asks Homer to find a husband for her sister Selma. Homer invites Principal Skinner to dinner after Bart gets caught vandalizing the school's lawn. Skinner's dinner with the Simpsons fails to go as planned when he instead falls for Selma's twin sister Patty.
The fourteenth season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons aired on Fox from November 3, 2002 to May 18, 2003. The show runner for the fourteenth production season was Al Jean, who executive produced 21 of 22 episodes. The other episode, "How I Spent My Strummer Vacation", was run by Mike Scully. The season was the first to use digital ink-and-paint for most of its episodes, though four episodes were hold-overs from season 13's production run and used traditional ink-and-paint. A fifth season 13 holdover episode, which was the first episode of season 14, used digital ink-and paint like the rest of the season. The fourteenth season has met with mostly positive reviews and won two Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Animated Program, four Annie Awards and a Writers Guild of America Award. This season contains the show's 300th episode, "Barting Over".
The third season of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons aired on Fox from September 19, 1991 to August 27, 1992. The showrunners for the third production season were Al Jean and Mike Reiss who executive produced 22 episodes for the season, while two other episodes were produced by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening, and Sam Simon, with it being produced by Gracie Films and 20th Century Fox Television. An additional episode, "Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?", aired on August 27, 1992, after the official end of the third season and is included on the Season 3 DVD set. Season three won six Primetime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Voice-Over Performance" and also received a nomination for "Outstanding Animated Program" for the episode "Radio Bart". The complete season was released on DVD in Region 1 on August 26, 2003, Region 2 on October 6, 2003, and in Region 4 on October 22, 2003.
The Simpsons is an American animated comedy franchise whose eponymous family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. The Simpsons were created by cartoonist Matt Groening for a series of animated shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show on Fox on April 19, 1987. After a three-season run, the sketch was developed into The Simpsons, a half-hour prime time show that was an early hit for Fox, becoming the first Fox series to land in the Top 30 ratings in a season (1989–1990). The popularity of The Simpsons has made it a billion-dollar merchandising and media franchise. Alongside the television series, the characters of the show have been featured in a variety of media, including books, comic books, a magazine, musical releases, and video games.
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↑ Mirkin, David (director) (2005). "Commentary for "Lisa's Wedding". The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season (DVD). Los Angeles, California: 20th Century Fox.
↑ Castellaneta, Dan (actor) (2004). "Commentary for "Bart's Inner Child"". The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD). Los Angeles, California: 20th Century Fox.
↑ Castellaneta, Dan (actor) (2005). "Commentary for "Homer the Great". The Simpsons: The Complete Sixth Season (DVD). Los Angeles, California: 20th Century Fox.
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Friedrich, Daniel; Colmenares, Erica (2017). Resonances of El Chavo del Ocho in Latin American Childhood, Schooling, and Societies. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN978-1-4742-9888-9.
Reiss, Mike; Klickstein, Mathew (2018). Springfield confidential: jokes, secrets, and outright lies from a lifetime writing for the Simpsons. Dey Street Books. ISBN978-0062748034.
Waltonen, Karma; Du Vernay, Denise (2014). The Simpsons in the Classroom: Embiggening the Learning Experience with the Wisdom of Springfield. McFarland & Company. ISBN978-0-7864-5692-5.
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