Matt Selman, current showrunner ofThe Simpsons, inadvertently highlights a tragic similarity between Homer and Lisa in his pick for Homer’s best episode.The Simpsonsseason 36 finalewas a great reminder that the show can get serious at times. And, while not everyone loved it,Marge’s temporary death inThe Simpsonswas written with a lot of heart.
But every character has gotten to live (and occasionally die) through their own tragedies. Marge is hardly unique in that regard. And, sinceThe Simpsonsoften repeats certain themes in accordance with which character demands the emotional spotlight, Homer and Lisa’s shared theme may deserve a thorough revisit inThe Simpsonsseason 37.
The Simpsons Showrunner’s Favorite Homer Episode Is About Homer Feeling Unappreciated
It Begins With A Surprisingly Grounded Inciting Incident
Before he became the bumbling oaf fans know today, Homer Simpson was more often than not a slightly goofy man who nonetheless cared deeply about providing for his family. Today,many mislabel the “Flanderization” trope of overexaggerating characters as “Homerization”because that’s who they associate with the concept. ButThe Simpsonsshowrunner Matt Selmanappreciates Homer’s older, more grounded side:
“[Homer’s] a very flexible character. But there’s a lot of great Homer episodes where the reason he cares about something is like, ‘Marge, it was always my dream to [blank],’ right? And that just says enough and is silly enough to work.
But I think the best Homer episodes are when he has something that he emotionally cares about that you at home can actually relate to emotionally caring about. Even if we do our job right, even if it’s something silly, it’s something that you may connect to. Obviously, caring about his family or his friends, that’s more universal, but there’s more you can make him emotional about.
There’s an episode that I love that is not as famous, but I think it’s terrific, called ‘Go Big or Go Homer,’ where Homer cares about the fact that he’s not respected. He’s just not respected at work, and he realizes everyone thinks he’s a joke.
But then there’s one guy, this one crazy guy, this insane lunatic who does respect him. And even though he’s the kind of self-destructive and a really dumb, dumb, dumb person, all it takes is one person for Homer to throw everything he has into trying to be a mentor to the one person in the world that actually looks up to him.”
Selman actually undersells just how relatable the episode in question can get. For instance, while the degree to which he expresses his anger might be predictably exaggerated,Homer’s reason for not feeling respected in “Go Big or Go Homer” is that everyone overlooks his contributions to Lenny’s office birthday party. He basically plans everything and receives zero appreciation for it.
Mike Wegman, whose character feels like he must have been written specifically for Michael Rapaport, does more than just appreciate Homer. Throughout season 31, episode 2,Mike continuously labels Homer as a hero for saving the plant despite having endangered it in the first place. As Selman says himself, Mike is pretty much the polar opposite of Frank Grimes.
This alone doesn’t say anything particularly deep about Homer. It’s somewhat universally relatable to want our contributions acknowledged, anda person doesn’t even need to be as incompetent as Homer to want credit for fixing their own catastrophic mistakes. But what reflects Homer’s tragic similarity with his daughter is how Mike Wegman hits on a larger theme throughout Homer’s episodes.
Many Of Homer Simpson’s Most Memorable Episodes Have Contained Similar Themes
His Twin Obsessions Are World Domination And Employee Healthcare
Selman mentions two sides of Homer, both of which are represented in season 8’s “You Only Move Twice.” Homer says he takes the job with Hank Scorpio because it’s his dream to own the Dallas Cowboys, but it seems from how the episode plays out thatHomer’s real dream is simply to have a boss who appreciates his work.
Homer shows uncharacteristic dedication to working for Scorpio, even blindly tackling an MI6 agent simply because he was asked by a boss he respects. ConsideringHomer once previously went into a blind rage over Mr. Burns constantly forgetting his name, his change in attitude when working for Scorpio shows how far even a little respect can go in Homer’s eyes.
This isn’t the only one ofThe Simpsons’ best Homer episodesto revolve around Homer wishing he got more regard. It happens again in season 10, whenHomer changes his name to “Max Power” because he’s frustrated with his own name being associated with bumbling idiocy. And, once again, he goes to great lengths to prove he deserves his newfound respect.
Over the years, Homer’s proven that he’ll take on the mob to help a fan, tackle Bond lookalikes, and climb life-endangering mountains, all to show that he deserves to be treated with esteem.Lisa initially seems to differ from Homer in quietly accepting the lack of admiration she receives, but their themes are sadly much more similar than they appear.
Homer And Lisa Simpson Both Embody The “Lost Child” Archetype Of Dysfunctional Families
Although They Come At It From Two Intriguingly Different Angles
When outlining the generally accepted roles that children and adults play in dysfunctional families,Psychology Todaynotes that most individuals will adopt multiple different roles at various points in life. However,the “Lost Child” role most consistently aligns with the similarities between Homer and Lisa.Psychology Todaydefines the role’s characteristics as such:
“The one just trying to survive unnoticed, because getting noticed means getting in trouble or being in the limelight. In adulthood, this person will maintain that feeling of being lost and unseen, often having low self-esteem or self-worth. They will struggle to make decisions and constantly have feelings of invisibility or not being ‘seen.’”
In Homer’s case, the Lost Child role mostly describes his work life, although it definitely seems to spring from his home life. One ofThe Simpsons’ saddest momentsis Mona Simpson abandoning young Homer, andbeing raised without a mother is one detail that’s been kept about Homer’s backstory every time the series revises its canon.
The most recent example is season 36, episode 4, “Shoddy Heat,” which specifically mentions Abe’s shortcomings as a father in the wake of Mona’s disappearance.
Lisa comes about her low self-esteem and perceived lack of visibility in a much more common fashion.The Lost Child role can often come about as a result of living with a sibling who embodies the Scapegoat role, which Bart embodies so well that he could practically be the poster boy for resident black sheep everywhere.
Obviously, these roles are extremely complex in real life. Despite most definitions sharing certain vocabulary,the roles vary enough in their formation and execution that they shouldn’t be minimized as simple parallels ofSimpsonscharacters. But even the base similarities between the Lost Child andThe Simpsons’ father-daughter duo are worthy of deeper exploration.
How The Simpsons Can Better Explore Homer And Lisa’s Tragic Similarities
Even One Episode Acknowledging It Directly Would Be A Big Swing
Many ofThe Simpsons’ best Homer and Lisa episodesinvolve the pair realizing how much they surprisingly have in common, and these episodes typically seem to go over well with fans who appreciate the show’s more heartfelt storylines.Recognizing that they both felt alone throughout most of their childhoods could really bring Homer and Lisa togetherin a meaningful way.
The episode wouldn’t have to directly mirror the Lost Child archetype. If anything,Lisa would be the first to nitpick any differences between their characters and the role as traditionally definedif Homer were to make the connection himself. But the most and least intelligent members of the same family sharing such an emotional bond is worth a closer look.
Whether through a flashback episode comparing their childhoods or a typical father-daughter bonding episode,The Simpsonscould tug on a lot of heartstrings by looking at this particular similarity between Homer and Lisa more deeply. The series’ “golden age” might be long over, but its potential for great new character-driven stories is nowhere close to tapped out just yet.
The Simpsons
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The Simpsons is an animated series set in the fictional town of Springfield, following the daily lives of the Simpson family—Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Premiering in 1989, the show is renowned for its satirical commentary on politics, media, and American culture, featuring numerous celebrity guest appearances.
