Homer's tastes are meant to reflect those of the American everyman, and in this case the Simpsons writers nailed it: Ranch dressing has been the nation's best-selling salad topper since 1992, when it overtook Italian. How did this simple mixture of mayonnaise, buttermilk, and herbs become America's favorite way to liven up lettuce?
Beginning with Homer, a fat, lazy, unmotivated slob with a love of beer and all things fried. This portrayal represents a nation of fast-food obsessed, outdoor phobic people who hate their office jobs and allow their lives to be ruled by prime time television. Homer is referred to in more than one episode as a sort of "everyman," a representation of American men. An unflattering portrayal, true, but let's look at the facts: he is an anonymous worker at a large company (despite all the run-ins he has had with his boss, Mr. Burns, his name remains unknown), he watches ridiculous amounts of television, he is devoted to his favorite domestic beer (Duff), he shows an inconsistent interest in his children, he rarely cleans or cooks, and his home projects always fail miserably (like putting together a Bar-B-Q grill in episode AABF15: "English side ruined, must use French side......LE GRILLE?! What the hell is that?!").
Homer's survival skills for the business world seem frighteningly logical and familiar. In episode 7F11, Homer passes on to Bart his timeless knowledge of how to get by in the business world: "I want to share with you the three little sentences that will get you through life: One- �Cover for me.' Two- �Oh, good idea, boss.' Three- �It was like that when I got here.'" Homer is not a hard worker, nor is he a good worker, but for understandable reasons: like many Americans, Homer simply works at the power plant because it is a job that puts food on the table. When Homer worked at the bowling alley in episode 2F10, he enjoyed his job and therefore, was good at it. It was perfect for him, and because he had fun doing it, he performed well. However, the job did not pay much money, so when Maggie came along, he had to give it up to feed the family. He returned to the power plant, a job he does not necessarily loathe, but rather, a job in which he is just disinterested. To him, it is just a job, a source of income, and nothing more, and because of that he does not make an effort at it. It does not touch on any of his interests, and therefore, he performs poorly. Just like many Americans, Homer did not pick a job that was specially suited to his skills and interests, and therefore, he is ineffective at it.
When he is not at work, Homer's life revolves around the television. In fact, the whole family's lives do, which is especially telling, considering the average American watches approximately three hours and forty-six minutes of television every day (TV-FA). In episode 5F01, where Homer gets a gun, Marge tells him that she heard on television that people with guns are 58% more likely to shoot someone in their family than a burglar, to which a distressed Homer replies, "TV said that?" in a tone of urgency, as though television is the ultimate authority in his life. In another episode, Marge tries to convince Homer to pursue worthwhile things. "We don't think you're slow. But on the other hand, it's not like you go to museums or read books or anything," she says to him. He replies, "Do you think I don't want to? It's those TV networks, Marge. They won't let me. One quality show after another, each one more brilliant than the last. If they only stumbled once - just gave us thirty minutes to ourselves. But they won't, they won't let me live!"
In episode 7F13, Homer finds a way to get free cable, and he proclaims of it, "Cable. It's more wonderful than I dared hope." During the episode, a plant sitting beside the couch grows up fully and then dies away as the family watches cable endlessly. This is an excellent documentation of American families that have the television on almost twenty-four hours a day: eating in front of it, going to bed to it. This portrays a trend that is growing in America…family together time is becoming television time.
Homer's character is also an excellent example of the age of convenience and instant gratification in which we live - with fast food, one-click internet shopping, cell phones, and remote controls for everything, including our vehicles, all of our daily chores have become quick and easy to do, and everything happens instantaneously. In episode 5F04, Homer is at the Kwik-E-Mart looking through the lottery tickets while Apu sleeps behind the desk. He holds them up to the light so he can see which ones are winners, and soon comes across one that wins 500 dollars. "Apu! Wake up!" He yells. "I want to buy a yodel and this lottery ticket. I have this much." Homer lays his money on the counter in front of Apu, who replies, "I am sorry, but you do not have enough for both." Homer groans and debates for a moment, before resignedly saying, "I'll take the yodel."
Though this may seem like just another joke on Homer, I see it as a comment on our instant gratification society. Though Homer could buy many yodels with the 500 dollars, he could not have them right away and therefore the money is unimportant to him. In today's world, we seem to think that if we something takes time to obtain, it is not worth getting. We'd rather use our credit cards and go into debt than save up. We would rather stop at Wendy's or MacDonald's than cook a healthy meal.
Let us move on to Grampa Simpson, who is an excellent example of how the elderly are perceived and treated. He is constantly ignored, forgotten about, and avoided. He is stereotypically forgetful and tells long, nonsensical stories to which no one pays any attention. In Episode 3F19, Bart becomes frustrated with Grampa's senility after Grampa speaks to his class and embarrasses him. "And then, he claimed he was the one who turned cats and dogs against each other. Why is he always making up those crazy stories?" Homer responds thoughtfully, "Maybe it's time we put Grampa in a home," to which Lisa replies, "You already put him in a home." Bart chimes in, "Maybe it's time we put him in one where he can't get out."
The family also consistently ignores Grampa throughout the show. In episode 9F04, Homer gets Bart a Krusty doll for his birthday. When Bart opens the present, Grampa exclaims, "That doll's evil I tells ya. Evil! EEEEVIL!" Marge retorts, "Grampa, you said that about all the toys!" Grampa slouches over and looks sullen. "I just want attention." In episode 2F09, Homer is complaining about how much he wants to join the Stonecutters, an exclusive organization only open to children of Stonecutters. As Homer laments the fact that he cannot join, Grampa repeats persistently that he is a Stonecutter. Finally, Bart has to point out to Homer what Grampa is saying. "Dad, remember those self-hypnosis courses we took to help us ignore Grampa? Maybe we should be listening to him now." Homer pretty much sums up the general attitude to the elderly in The Simpsons in episode 1F09, when he says to Grampa, "Aw, Dad, you've done a lot of great things, but you're a very old man, and old people are useless." In a country that has lost the ideal of respect for its elderly, the character of Grampa Simpson sadly rings true.
Another issue the show likes to examine and expose is the state of our schools. Bart and Lisa's elementary school, Springfield Elementary, is run by the insecure, incompetent Principal Skinner and taught by weary, disillusioned teachers like Edna Krabappel and Miss Hoover. Both Edna and Skinner seem to have little hope for the future of the schoolchildren. In episode 8F16, Miss Hoover and Edna sit underneath a "No Smoking" sign at a Yo-Yo Champions assembly, smoking cigarettes and discussing the assembly. "I question the educational value of this assembly." Miss Hoover says wryly. "Hey, It'll be one their few pleasant memories when they're pumping gas for a living." Edna replies. In another episode, however, Edna speaks on behalf of the kids. "Seymour, you have to think of the children's future," she insists, to which Skinner replies without hesitation, "Oh, Edna! We all know that these children HAVE no future!" They are in the cafeteria, which falls silent as all the children stare at Skinner. "Prove me wrong children! Prove me wrong!" He says nervously.
In episode 8F15, all the children take CANT, a Career Aptitude Normalizing Test. Afterwards, Lisa's classmate Janey declares, "Well, that was a waste of time." Lisa rebukes her, saying, "Janey, school is never a waste of time" Immediately following, Ms. Hoover announces, "Since we have fifteen minute until recess, please put down your pencils and stare at the front of the room." In the same episode, Lisa takes all of the teacher's editions of the schoolbooks and the teachers are lost without them. In order to protect Lisa, Bart admits to doing it and as a result is force to write "I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty" repeatedly on the blackboard.
In episode 3F03, where Lisa decides to become a vegetarian, she causes an uproar at school. It begins when she refuses to dissect a worm for class, claiming "I think it's wrong." Miss Hoover pretends to respect Lisa's views but is secretly pushing a button under her desk entitled "independent thought alarm." Further into the episode, Lisa tries to find a vegetarian meal in the cafeteria. When all Doris the lunch lady can come up with is a hot dog bun, Lisa remarks, "Do you remember when you lost your passion for this work?" Doris then also hits the independent thought alarm button. Upon seeing this, Skinner gets nervous, and, determining that the children are "over-stimulated" orders Willie to remove all the colored chalk from the classroom.
Further into the episode, however, he realizes what the real problem is, and in an effort to placate Lisa, he shows a video on meat eating to her class. Blatant meat industry propaganda, the film is titled "The Meat Council Presents: 'Meat and You: Partners in Freedom'. Number 3F03 in the `Resistance is Useless' series." In the film, Troy McClure affirms to the curious Jimmy, " Don't kid yourself Jimmy. If a cow ever got the chance, he'd eat you and everyone you care about!" Jimmy replies, "Wow, Mr. McClure. I was a grade-A moron to ever question eating meat." Troy agrees, "Yes you were, Jimmy. Yes you were." Of course, Lisa realizes what is going on. "Stop it!" She cries. "Don't you realize you've just been brainwashed by corporate propaganda?" But the children only laugh at her. This is indicative of how our schools teach us what they want us to think rather than teaching us to think for ourselves.
Springfield Elementary is an apt portrayal of American school systems and their tendency to stifle creativity, teach half-truths, and value academics over the arts, making the students focus on a hodgepodge of everything rather than letting them pay more attention to their strengths and interests. American school systems consistently teach children what to think rather than how to think. It is easy to see where the writers' frustration with American school systems comes from. American youth are consistently low-scoring on national achievement tests, and schools are often so lacking for money that they have to eliminate any "extraneous" programs, which often include extracurricular sports, art courses, and music classes.
Eliscu, Jenny. "Homer and Me." RollingStone 28 November 2002. 17 November 2003.
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