Homer Simpson

Homer Jay Simpson (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) is one of the main characters in the animated television series The Simpsons. He is a stumbling, bumbling, well-meaning moron.

Overview

Homer works in the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, although "working" in this case refers to dozing and eating doughnuts, and recently, he has stopped going to work unless a gag requires he be there. He spends a great deal of his time at Moe's Tavern with his lifelong friends Barney, Carl, Lenny, and bartender Moe.

Homer Simpson popularized the annoyed grunt "D'oh!" (made memorable, of course, through Dan Castellaneta's distinctive voice work), which began as an abbreviated form of Jim Finlayson 's "Dooooh" from the films of Laurel and Hardy. This modern interjection has found enough popular acceptance to be included in the Oxford English Dictionary.

Family

In the show, Homer is

• the son of Abraham and Mona Simpson
• married to Marge née Bouvier
• the father of Bart, Lisa, Maggie,
• the half-brother of Herb Powell, and Abbie

Age

It has been suggested in the series that Homer is between 36 and 39 years old. In one episode, a quiz indicates he will die at 42 and he wails that he has "only three years to live" (it should be noted that Homer's mental arithmetic may not be reliable). Various episodes have given his date of birth as May 12, 1956; May 10, 1955; and even 17-23-1956 [sic]. One episode had Homer and Marge attending a 1974 high school class reunion, which would be appropriate for a person born in 1955 or 1956.

Address

Homer and his family probably live at 742 Evergreen Terrace, Springfield. Several alternative house numbers on Evergreen Terrace are given in various episodes, including 59, 94, 723, 743, 763, and 1094, in addition to 430 Spalding Way.

In the 299th episode Homer's email was given to be chunkylover53@aol.com. The e-mail in question belongs to Simpsons co-creator David X Cohen and can be emailed to receive Homer style replies!

Personality

Homer's essential personality traits presented themselves early on. He was raised solely by his father after the approximate age of 11. Homer slid through his classes and apparently graduated despite not passing Remedial Science until some twenty-plus years later. His senior yearbook reveals a lack of interest in sports and activities, and his quote was "I can't believe I ate the whole thing." In high school, Homer fell in love with Marge Bouvier, whom he would later marry (though both would later learn they had first met while children at summer camp). Following the completion of Remedial Science, Homer entered Springfield University and graduated due solely to illicitly changed grades. His education was further buttressed by Clown College, Bodyguard School, Successmanship 101, and mandatory Family Skills courses.

His minute attention span complements his intense (albeit short-lived) passion for hobbies, enterprises or causes. Although by nature an exceedingly lazy man, he is capable of exerting tremendous effort toward something, if only for a week or less. Good examples are when he converted his garage into a bar, just to spite his local bartender Moe Szyslak; spent a whole episode studying and emulating Thomas Edison; and attempted to uncover a plot to trade Springfield's baseball team interstate by going on a hunger strike. These massively spirited endeavours can be triggered by almost nothing, as evidenced by his short-lived grease collection business.

Health Issues

Regarding his health, Homer is incredibly lucky to be alive. He once gained an extra 70 pounds on top of his already obese condition to get on disability. He has broken almost every bone in his body and received countless cuts and bruises, both major and minor. He has blown out his knee; had his thumb cut off; undergone coronary artery bypass surgery (performed by Dr. Nick Riviera); had laser eye surgery; stabbed himself in the eye with a switchblade; been in a coma because of an April Fool prank; had his jaw wired shut; donated a kidney; been rendered infertile from radiation exposure; suffered repeated back trauma; been run-over by a bicycle; been institutionalized; nearly destroyed his stomach with beer and cannonballs; been forced by his cruel boss Mr. Burns to consume radioactive waste with a spoon; suffered four simultaneous heart attacks; had his abdominal area torn open by a rabid badger; been pummeled while inside of a robot; crushed by boulders and wrecking balls; been bitten by venomous snakes; electrocuted himself (by both tasers and power lines); set himself on fire numerous times; suffered multiple gunshot wounds; nearly suffocated after the garage door fell on him; and fallen off cliffs, down stairs, and off the roof of the house frequently. Furthermore, his brain is cushioned by a unique and eponymous genetic condition: "Homer Simpson's syndrome." This allowed him to take several punches without falling over. Moe even trained Homer for boxing (with hobos), although Homer's boxing career ended when he was nearly killed by Drederick Tatum (who is much stronger than a hobo).

Homer also suffers from several congenital conditions, most obviously male pattern baldness, but also a male "Simpson" stupidity gene, finger stubbiness (abnormally short and thick fingers) and the "Simpson butt" (a rather large rear end), which are genetic and which he has passed on to his children.

Mental Accuity

As widely evidenced, Homer's mind is vacuous, but sprinkled with occasional dense packets of knowledge. He has shown small bursts of astonishing foresight, memory, creativity, and fluency with language (including Japanese, German, Chinese, Spanish, and penguin). These bursts are almost always temporary and constantly changing. The nature of this intellect is multi-fold. Much of his mental ability is suppressed by the presence of a wax crayon in the frontal lobe of his brain, the result of a bizarre childhood mishap. Also credited is the Simpson Gene, which almost guarantees that male Simpsons become underachievers. His stupidity may be exacerbated further by excessive alcohol consumption and repetitive cranial trauma.

Homer is inclined to fall into mental fantasy, often drifting off into his own world or perceiving reality in a more personally appealing manner. Notable are the odd conversations he has with his own brain, typically in an adversarial tone. For example, once he began a conversation with his own mind by declaring "Okay brain, you don't like me and I don't like you...". His liver once spoke to him too, cheering "Yay!" when Homer had been banned from Moe's bar and thus (briefly) depriving him of the ability to drink beer.

Homer is also prone to becoming very emotional, especially when it comes to his neighbors, the Flanders family or troubles related to his son, Bart. He has rage issues and has been physically and violently abusive, often towards his son, whom he has strangled and even struck on numerous occasions.

Diet

On the food front, Homer is particularly fond of doughnuts and pork chops, but also pie, bacon and potato chips. He once spent weeks eating a gigantic hoagie long after it went bad, making him deathly ill. In his gluttony, he has also consumed items that are not necessarily food from time to time, such as flowers, Play-Doh, dirt, and some novelty plastic lobsters from a salad bar. His diet is not a good example to younger viewers and this point is frequently made throughout the series. Homer typically responds to food with copious drool and exuberant postures, or saying "mmm... ______" of whatever food he's about to eat or thinking about.

Enemies

Homer has garnered more than a few lasting enemies. Most notable is the deceased Frank "Grimey" Grimes, for whose death Homer was indirectly but intensely responsible. This naturally resulted in the rancor of the aforementioned's son, Frank Grimes, Jr. Other adversaries of note include his sisters-in-law Patty and Selma Bouvier, employer C. Montgomery Burns, mobster "Fat Tony", Springfield University Dean Bobby Peterson, president George H. W. Bush, the Emperor of Japan, New York City, the State of Florida, and an inanimate carbon rod. Along with the rest of his family, he is banned from nearly every state in the United States except North Dakota & Arizona, but Homer doesn't want to go to Arizona because he says "it smells funny".

Name

Homer has gone by many names and aliases. While in the Witness Relocation Program, the family assumed the surname "Thompson" (which he had a hard time understanding at first). Homer legally changed his name to "Max Power" for a time to escape public ridicule. He has also been known by many nicknames, including "Homey," "Homina," "Home-boy," "Colonel Homer," "Dancin' Homer," "Mr. Plow," "Mr. Sparkle," "Hungry, Hungry Homer," the "Brick Hit House," the "Southern Dandy," and "Bottomless Pete, Nature's Cruelest Mistake," among others, often of a deprecative nature. He once ran a gossip website under the alias "Mr. X." and briefly became a pie-touting super hero called "The Pie Man".

Homer's middle name, "Jay," is a tribute by Simpsons creator Matt Groening to the work of cartoon producer Jay Ward, creator of Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel. Abe and Bart share this middle initial, though not the name. Groening has stated that he named the core of the Simpsons family after members of his own family (Homer was his father's name). He also acknowledges that Homer Simpson happens to be a character in Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust.

Past Jobs

Assuming compensation (such as money, Powersauce Bars, etc.), but excluding Halloween episodes and passing bets (grave digger, panda, etc.), Homer's past occupations include:

Springfield Nuclear Power Plant

• Technical Supervisor, Sector 7G
• Supervising Technician, Sector 7G
• Safety Inspector, Sector 7G (current position)
• Executive (with bathroom privileges and an assistant, Karl)
• Executive Assistant/aka Smithers
• Executive Vice-President
• Owner
• Freelance Consultant

Paid Employment and Entrepreneurial Activities

• Actor (SAG name, "Homer Jay Simpson")
• Angel skeleton exhibitor
• Astronaut (NASA)
• Athletic Celebration Dance Choreographer (Warren Sapp, Michelle Kwan, Yao Ming, Tom Brady, LeBron James)
• Attack-dog trainer (Pitiless Pup Attack Dog School)
• Authorized Krusty impersonator
• Baby proofer (Wee Care)
• Bartender (Homer's Hunting Club)
• Bartender (Moe's Tavern)
• Blackjack dealer (Monty's Casino)
• Bowling alley assistant/Pin monkey (Bowl-o-rama)
• Boxer (Association of Springfield Semipro Boxers, referred to in the episode as ASSBOX)
• Candle maker (Ye Olde Candlemaker, Olde Springfield Towne)
• Car designer (Powell Motors)
• Carnival worker/Carny
• Cartoon voice (Poochie)
• Chauffeur/Limo driver (Classy Joe's)
• Chief of Police
• Conceptual artist (Louvre: American Style)
• Convenience store night-clerk (Kwik-E-Mart)
• Door-to-door knife salesman (Slash-Co.)
• Door-to-door spring salesman
• Drug Spokesman (Viagrogain)
• Entertainment manager - Animal (Suds McDuff)
• Entertainment manager - Country/Western artist (Lurleen Lumpkin)
• Farmer
• Food critic (Springfield Shopper)
• Fortune Cookie fortune-writer
• Freelance ambulance driver
• Grease collections/sales
• Guard (Springfield Juvenile Correctional Facility)
• Guard in a juvenile detention center
• Instructor, "How to keep a successful marriage" (Adult Education Annex)
• Junior Vice-President (CompuGlobalHyperMegaNet, his own short-lived company)
• Mall Santa Claus
• Mayor (New Springfield)
• Mayoral bodyguard
• Mini-golf assistant (Sir Putts-A-Lot)
• Minister ordained by the ePiscopal Church (First just gay marriage but then pretty much anything 'real')
• Missionary
• Monorail conductor
• Mountain climber (Murderhorn)
• Movie Producer (Mr. Smith Goes To Washington remake)
• Musician ("Everybody Hates Ned Flanders")
• Musician (Be Sharps)
• Oil-rig worker
• Owner (ZiffCorp)
• Owner, private security firm (SpringShield)
• People greeter (Sprawl-Mart) (replacing Abraham Simpson)
• Performance artist/Freak (Hullapalooza)
• Personal assistant (Basinger/Baldwin)
• Petty Officer Third Class, Naval Reserve (Later, Acting Captain)
• Plant Supervisor/Executive (Globex Corp., Cypress Creek)
• Prank Monkey
• Sanitation Commissioner
• Service Trainee (Gulp 'n' Blow Drive-thru)
• Snowplow operator (Mr. Plow)
• Sports mascot ('Dancing Homer')
• Sugar salesman (Farmer Homer's Sweet Sweet Sugar)
• Super Bowl Halftime Show Co-Director (with Ned Flanders)
• Talk Show Host (Homer Simpson Show)
• Tomacco "inventor", salesman (E-I-E-I-[Annoyed Grunt])
• Traveling salesman (Simpson & Son, Revitalizing Tonic)
• Truck Driver/Trucker
• Union Boss (Intl. Union of Pastry Chefs, Jazz Dancers, and Nuclear Technicians)
• Used Car salesman

Criminal endeavours

• Telemarketing scam (happy dude)
• Telemarketing scam (sad dude)
• Con artist/Grifter
• Bootlegger/Beer-Baron
• Sugar smuggler (Motherloving Sugar Corp.)
• Superhero (the Pie Man)

Awards & Honors

• First Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence, 1992 (after sterilization)
• Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Toxic Waste Handler of the Month, 1990
• Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Employee of the Month, 1991 (after saving Springfield from a nuclear meltdown)
• Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Medal for Bravery, 1995 (after physically plugging a radioactive gas leak)
• Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Belching Contest Winner, 1995 (award later yielded to Jay Sherman)
• Springfield Nuclear Power Plant Children's Model-Building Contest, 1997
• Grammy Award for Outstanding Soul, Spoken Word, or Barbershop Album of the Year, 1985 (Be Sharps)
• Greaser's Café Dance Contest, 1999
• Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, (Dr. Haing S. Ngor or Don Ameche)
• Springfield Bowling Championship, 1996 (PinPals)
• P.J. O'Harrigan's "Sir Drinks-A-Lot," 1999
• Pulitzer Prize for Journalism, 2000
• Springfield Olympic Mascot Contest,1999 (Springy)
• High school reunion awards: "most weight gained," "most hair lost," "most improved odor," "oldest car," "lowest paying job," and for "travelling the least distance to get to the reunion," among others, 1993 (awards later withdrawn)
• Ate the world's largest hoagie at a county fair in 1991 (this experience is mentioned in the Season 3 episode Colonel Homer but never actually shown)

Boyhood/Life Long Dream

• Monorail conductor / run out on a baseball field during a game
• manage a beautiful country singer / eat the world's biggest hoagie
• blackjack dealer / appear on "The Gong Show"
• to own the Dallas Cowboys
• to live in the woods, keeping a journal of thoughts
• bowls a perfect game
• End world hunger
• See Stevie Nicks naked (has done so on three occasions)

Family, Friends, and Enemies

Bonding or Little talks with...

• [8F07] Bart - building the soapbox racer; when Bart wins the race
• [8F16] Bart - After Bart congratulates him ending of the love letter.

Forgetting Children

• [8F15] didn't know Bart's birthday

Strangling Bart

• [7F02] after Bart spilt his bottle of Dimoxinil
• [8F05] when Bart says he won't even use the bathroom after him.
• [8F06] too busy strangling (young) Bart to notice Lisa saying "dada"
• [8F11] when he realizes Bart fooled him with a fake radio announcement
• [9F08] strangles baby Bart for calling him "Domer" and for flushing his wallet down the toilet
• [9F17] when Bart admits to shaking up the beer can
• [1F20] after Bart says that Homer double-dared him.
• [CABF01] while Lisa sees the house with binoculars

Correcting Bart or Lisa

• [7G05] "Bart, you're saying butt-kisser like it's a bad thing."
• [7G11] [Bart: "Dad, you're giving in to mob mentality."] "No I'm not, I'm hopping on the bandwagon!"
• [9F19] "two wrongs make a right, Lisa"
• [1F15] "Lisa, a guy who's got lots of ivory is less likely to hurt Stampy than a guy whose ivory supplies are low."

Kissing

• [7G02] Bart at the Genius School
• [7F11] Moe's bar denizens
• [8F14] Chief Wiggum
• [8F23] Herb
• [1F14] Ned Flanders
• [1F16] Hans Moleman (Ralph Mellish)

Suggestive snuggling with Marge

• [7G01] At the very end of the episode
• [8F19] at end, in bed with Marge
• [8F22] after he learns some new vocabulary
• [9F01] while Marge is praying for him.
• [9F07] Wearing Mr. Plow jacket at end
• [9F11] Watching Hercules ("The Cyclops just tore off my clothes!")
• [1F07] In hotel

Homer Vs. Flanders

• [7G09 "Don't try to keep up with the Flandereses" {ct}
• [9F22] When Chief Wiggum says once a man is in your house you can do what you want to him, so Homer calls Flanders and gets ready to punch him {as}
• [1F10] He says, "that life is one defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead" {as}
• [1F14] plans to hit Ned over the head with a lead pipe and take his football tickets.
• [5F16] takes part in the race because Flanders takes part too {ct}

See also

• Other Simpsons characters
• Recurring Simpsons characters
• One-time Simpsons characters

External links

• The Simpsons Archive
• Is Homer Simpson a Communist?
• Give Homer Simpson a Knighthood!

Homer Simpson is also a name of a character in the 1938 novel The Day of the Locust.