Homer simpson
Homer Jay Simpson (Homer J. Simpson in Latin America and Homer J. Simpson in Spain) is a fictional character who is the protagonist of the series television cartoon The Simpsons. He is the father of the protagonist family and one of the most important central characters of the series. He was created by cartoonist Matt Groening and made his television debut on April 19, 1987, in the short Good Night on The Tracey Ullman Show. His middle name is a play on words; for many seasons it was not known what was behind the J until in the chapter "D'oh-in' In the Wind »he discovers that his middle name is Jay (English name of the letter j ); In this way, when Homer pronounces his own name in English, he does not distinguish whether he gives the initial letter of the middle name or the entire middle name.
The original voice of the Homer Simpson character in English is by Dan Castellaneta. In Spain it was dubbed until the eleventh season by Carlos Revilla, who was replaced by Carlos Ysbert due to Revilla's death. In Latin America it was dubbed by Humberto Vélez until the fifteenth season, replaced by Víctor Manuel Espinoza (better known as Otto Balbuena) until the thirty-second season, then leaving the acting role back in the hands of Humberto Vélez after more than 16 years of absence. Castellaneta has won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice Acting and a Special Mention at the Annie Awards for voicing Homer Simpson.
Homer has become one of the most influential fictional characters and has been described by the British newspaper The Sunday Times as "the greatest comic creation of modern times".
Role in The Simpsons
Homer Simpson performs the typical functions of the head of the family in sitcoms: he is the one who works and brings the money to the home. He represents the stereotype of the average American who is limited to going to the tavern with his friends, drinking beer, watching television and attending a baseball game. He is rude, incompetent, clumsy, lazy, and careless, though he is shown to have a big heart in many episodes.
His most common personality traits are stupidity, laziness, selfishness, and explosive anger. His low level of intelligence is described by director David Silverman as "creatively brilliant in its stupidity". His physical build matches that of a sloppy man, stemming from his foodie culture, being someone who "devotes himself to his stomach", He is overweight and borders on alcoholism, in addition to suffering from narcolepsy. He does not have great ambitions for the future and tends to relegate his family obligations to his personal interests or his growing stupidity. Homer is also the character who usually triggers the vast majority of the plots and events of the series' chapters with his increasingly malleable and diverse intentions or purposes.
Biography
Because the design of the characters in The Simpsons does not change and, therefore, they do not age, the series being developed as such in the current year, the dates of birth given above throughout the series do not guarantee any continuity, in addition to not being consistent every time they are mentioned. Therefore, it is very difficult to set a date of birth and a specific age for Homer, like the many contradictions that usually present each episode. There even seems to be no official consensus among the producers and creators of the series themselves. Although hints have been given about his date: the first is in a Halloween special, where it is revealed that Homer's zodiac sign is Taurus. And on his driver's license he implies that he was born on May 12, 1956, so in the series (initially broadcast in the late 80s and early 90s) Homer's age would be between 34 and 40 years old..
Homer grew up on the farm of his parents, Abraham and Mona Simpson. In the mid-1960s, while Homer is between nine and twelve years old, Mona goes into hiding to escape justice for having crippled Montgomery Burns' business. Around this time, Homer attends a summer camp where he meets his first love and kisses her, discovering later that it was Marge Bouvier herself, his future wife.
Homer attended Springfield High School and in 1974, his senior year, falls in love (for the second time) with Marge Bouvier. This crush at first sight leads Homer to try by all means to get her to notice him. After a strategy that goes wrong when she confessed her purpose to Marge, she goes to the prom with Artie Ziff, but after going overboard with her, Marge realizes that she should have gone with Homer, thus beginning the story of love of her
Marge becomes pregnant by Bart one night after watching The Empire Strikes Back and the two are married in a small wedding chapel on the other side of the state. To support his wife and the child on the way, he gets a job at the Montgomery Burns nuclear plant as a supervising technician (or technical supervisor) and, later, as a safety inspector when he becomes the benchmark for safety. of Springfield in the chapter "Homer's Odyssey". How Homer came to work at the nuclear power plant became a recurring joke during the first seasons and the explanations given in this regard changed from episode to episode.
After two years, Marge becomes pregnant with Lisa. The couple realized that the apartment they lived in was too small for a family of four, so they decided to buy their first house, receiving the money for the down payment from Homer's father, Abraham Simpson, who sold his own house. home, with which Homer would reward him by letting him live with them, although after two weeks he would take him to the Springfield Pensioner's Castle. Having finished paying off his debts, Homer begins working at Barney Gumble's uncle's bowling alley, already which is your ideal job. Shortly after starting her new job, Marge becomes pregnant by Maggie and, unable to support her family, she returns to the nuclear plant.
Many years later and at the behest of Mr. Burns, Homer enters Springfield University, managing to graduate by altering his grades on a computer with the help of his college friends. His education is further enhanced at Krusty's Clown School, Bodyguard School, Navy Reserve, Lanley Institute of Monorail Driving, and Family Skills courses required after the removal of his children from state custody. Apart from all this, Homer has He has carried out a multitude of professions throughout his life, apart from his permanent employment as a Security Inspector, with which he has come to risk his life and earn many enemies.
Everyday life
Homer works from 9 am to 5 pm at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant in sector 7-G as a safety inspector. In the most recent seasons he has been portrayed more frequently trying to succeed in other jobs, so lately his attendance at his position at the nuclear power plant has become a recurring gag. The rest of the day he spends either with his friends or with his family. He spends much of his free time at Moe's Tavern with his old friends Barney Gumble, Carl Carlson, Lenny Leonard and bartender Moe Szyslak. He loves to eat and spends most of his time sitting on the couch, watching some TV show and eating donuts, snacks, pork products and Duff brand beers. At home, he does not usually help with the housework or pay excessive attention to his children, although on rare occasions, Homer does the heaviest jobs in the house, generally DIY and maintenance, but he usually leaves them half done or with very poor results. In any case, the leading couple suggests that they have a full and active sexual life, especially at night and on the occasions that they leave their children in the care of a relative or babysitter to go on a trip. Most weekends he usually does some activity with the whole family, something they decide throughout the week.
Homer's health is rather precarious. On one occasion he gained weight up to 136 kg just to avoid going to work. He has broken nearly every bone in his body, been shot at by bullets and cannonballs, suffered from heart attacks, and received countless cuts and injuries. Homer is sterile due to prolonged exposure to radioactive materials at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. Furthermore, he only has one kidney, as the other was transplanted to his father, Abraham Simpson.
Homer also suffers from various congenital problems, the most obvious being male alopecia, but also the Simpsons' male stupidity gene (which is contradicted by another episode explaining that his intelligence is reduced by being left embedded a colored pencil in the brain), an unpleasant body odor that is, with time, alluded to less often, abnormally short and thick fingers and the "Simpson's butt" that is genetic. Homer also seems to have slight vision problems, requiring reading glasses on some occasions.
Character
Homer is the first and only legitimate child of Abraham Simpson and Mona J. Simpson. He is married to Marjorie Bouvier and is the father of Bartholomew (Bart), Lisa, and Margaret (Maggie). He is the half-brother of Herb Powell, whose mother worked at a fair and who had an affair with Abraham while she was passing through Springfield. He is also the half-brother of Abbie, the English daughter of Edwina, a woman Abraham fell in love with in Britain during World War II. He is the nephew of Cyrus Simpson, brother of Abraham Simpson, according to a Christmas special, of Tyrone Simpson according to the episode "Catch 'em If You Can", as well as of Chet Simpson according to the episode "Lisa the Simpson". and Bill Simpson, according to the episode "Million Dollar Abie".
Homer has a short span of concentration, as well as being very impulsive, which he complements with his ephemeral passion for various hobbies and businesses; later he has “changes of mind when things go wrong.” Homer is prone to emotional outbursts, very envious of his neighbors (Ned Flanders' family), and easily angers Bart, frequently strangling him. He does not show any remorse for it and does not try to hide his actions from people outside the family, even disregarding the welfare of his son.These facts can be attributed to Homer not realizing his responsibilities.
Although he is by nature an extremely lazy man, he is capable of putting in enormous effort to achieve something, especially to outdo his neighbor or some famous figure, even if only for short periods of time. Homer has an intelligence quotient (IQ) of 55, well below the average 100 points, due to his inheritance of the Simpson gene, his alcohol problem, exposure to radioactive waste, and his repetitive head injuries. In the chapter "HOMR" the reason for his lack of intellect and his exaggerated stupidity was cleared up: he has a crayon lodged in the frontal lobe of his brain that he himself had put up his nose as a child. Despite his thoughtless antics that often upset his family, Homer has also revealed himself to be a surprisingly caring father and husband, though he himself doesn't realize the more loving side to him. When it comes to religion, Homer doesn't seem to have a consistent attitude. He is a Protestant (from the Western branch of Reformed American Presbyterianism), but has professed other monotheistic religions, from variants of Christianity itself to one invented by himself, going through different organized cults and sects.
Homer's stupidity and numerous inconsistencies in acting have been justified in different ways throughout the series. His notable clumsiness in understanding things has been increasing, as a way for the writers of the series to look for funny attitudes within the same line of characterization. Even in the first seasons, Homer pronounced some sentences with a certain lucidity and intellectual content, but these interventions have practically been replaced by others much more incoherent and surreal. In any case, Homer is usually portrayed debating between the most irrational side of him, the one that always wins, and the most even-tempered, represented by his cranial area and that escapes his understanding. The representation of his brain has been achieved in the series through a voice superimposed on the will of the character or with a reasoning outside the characterization of Homer as a person or with various dream representations.
Homer is 1.82 m tall and weighs about 108 kg (according to his driver's license), although according to other sources he is 1.76 m (the American average), he always has a short unshaven beard and is bald, with two hairs on top of the head and a light mane on the nape drawn as a zigzag line that goes from ear to ear. The explanation of his advanced baldness has also been used as a recurring joke, which varies depending on the episode in which it is mentioned. He usually wears blue pants and a white short-sleeved shirt and when he goes to work he usually wears a striped tie in two shades of pink.
Creation
James L. Brooks had talked to Groening about creating a series of animated short films, which Groening was going to base on his comic book Life in Hell. Realizing that turning Life in Hell into an animation would mean the termination of the publication rights to his life's work, he chose another approach and created his particular model of a dysfunctional family, whose characters they were homonymous with respect to members of their own family. Homer Simpson goes by the same name as his father, Homer Groening, but little else, like demeanor or appearance, resembles him.Groening devised the character of Homer and the rest of the Simpson family in the office lobby of Brooks.
Homer made his debut with the rest of the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in the The Tracey Ullman Show short Good Night. In the tenth season, Homer's middle name was a mystery and he was only known as Homer J. Simpson. In the episode "D'oh-in' In the Wind" of that season, it was discovered that his middle name is Jay (jota, in Spanish). It was a "tribute" to the characters Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show , an animation that Matt Groening loved as a child.
The entire family was designed so that they would be recognizable by their silhouette. Homer's character design features are generally not used on other characters, for example, in later seasons, no characters other than Homer, Lenny and Krusty have a similar beard line. The hair on the nape of Homer's neck and his ear formed two letters, an M and a G, which are Matt Groening's initials, but Groening decided to change them so as not to distract the public. Groening still draws Homer's ear as 'a G' when he draws pictures of Homer for his admirers. In some early episodes, Homer's hair was rounded instead of spiky because Wes Archer thought it should look disheveled. Homer's hair is now constantly spiky. During the first three seasons, Homer's design for some close-ups included small lines that were intended to be eyebrows but were greatly disliked by Matt Groening and were ultimately scrapped.
Development
Homer's character's behavior has changed several times throughout the series. In the early seasons, this character was concerned that his family would find him bad and he was presented as sweet and sincere. Later it evolved so that he did not care how he was perceived by others and became more rude and deceitful. Some of the later incarnations of the character have been dubbed "Jerkass Homer" by fans. The Simpsons Movie, various scenes were changed or toned down to make Homer more sympathetic.
Homer's character has also become more goofy over the years. The writers explain it as something that was not done intentionally, but simply that it happened due to the need to link previous jokes or explore new humorous horizons within the same line of characterization.
Voice and dubbing
Homer is voiced by Dan Castellaneta in the original version, who also provides the voice for other characters, including Homer's father. Castellaneta had been part of the regular cast of The Tracey Ullman Show and had done some voice acting work in Chicago with his wife Deb Lacusta. Several voices were needed for the shorts, so the producers decided to ask Castellaneta and his co-star Julie Kavner to provide the voices for Homer and Marge instead of hiring other actors.
Homer's voice seems different in the shorts and early episodes. His voice started out as a light imitation of Walter Matthau, but Castellaneta could not "get enough punch with that voice" and could not resist imitating Matthau in the 9-10 hour long recording sessions and had to look for something else. easy. Castellaneta "sharpened his voice" and created a more robust and comedic voice during the second and third seasons of the half-hour show, allowing Homer to cover a wide range of emotions.
To perform Homer's voice, Castellaneta lowers his chin to his chest and, as he puts it, "lets go of his IQ". In this state, he has improvised several of Homer's inane comments such as when in the episode "Homer Goes to College" says "I am so smart! I am so smart! s-m-r-t! I am so smart!" which was a real mistake made by Castellaneta.
Until 1998, Castellaneta was paid $30,000 per episode, and after a contract renegotiation, he was paid $125,000 per episode until 2004. In 2004, the voice actors demanded that they be paid $360,000 per episode The issue was resolved a month later, and Castellaneta now earns $250,000 per episode.
In Spain it was voiced until the eleventh season by Carlos Revilla, who was replaced by Carlos Ysbert after his death. In Latin America it was voiced by Humberto Vélez until the fifteenth season and was replaced by Otto Balbuena.
Reception
Awards and recognitions
In 2002, Homer was ranked second among TV Guide's 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters of All Time, behind Bugs Bunny, and fifth among TV Guide's 100 Greatest Cartoon Characters. important for the American channel Bravo, being one of the four cartoon characters on the list and voted by British viewers as the greatest television character of all time. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly ranked Homer ninth on its list of the 50 Greatest TV Icons. Homer was also the winner in a British poll that determined who was the "greatest American" to viewers and another on the fictional character who at public would like to see as President of the United States.
Dan Castellaneta has won several awards for Homer's voice performance, including three Primetime Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Voice Acting" in 1992 for "Lisa's Pony"; in 1993 for "Mr. Plow" and in 2004 for "Today I am A Clown", although in this case it was for playing several characters and not just Homer. In 1993, Castellaneta received a special mention at the Annie Awards: "Most Outstanding Performance in the Animation Field", for voicing Homer Simpson. In 2004, Castellaneta and Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge) won a Young Artist Award for being "TV's Most Popular Mom and Dad". In 2005, Homer and Marge were nominated for a Teen Choice Award by Choice TV Parental Units. Several episodes featuring Homer in a prominent role have won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program, including "Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment" in 1991, "Lisa's Wedding" in 1995, "Homer's Phobia" in 1997, "Trash of the Titans" in 1998, "HOMR" in 2001, "Three Gays of the Condo" in 2003 and "Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind" in 2008.
Analysis
Homer Simpson is an "everyman" and embodies several stereotypes of the American working class: he is rude, incompetent, clumsy, overweight and bordering on alcoholism. Matt Groening describes him as "completely driven by his impulses" and Dan Castellaneta as "a dog trapped in a man's body. He's incredibly loyal, not quite clean, but he's charming." In the book Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, author Chris Turner describes Homer as "the most American of the Simpsons" and believes that while the other members of the Simpson family could be changed to other nationalities, Homer is "pure American". 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, even if accidentally or unwillingly." The book The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer includes a chapter that analyzes Homer's character from the Aristotelian perspective of moral virtue. for seeing in Homer nothing more than buffoonery and immorality. [...] He's not politically correct, he's happier judging others and he certainly doesn't seem obsessed with his health. These qualities might not make Homer admirable as a person, but they do make him admirable in some ways and, more importantly, make us yearn for a Homer Simpson in this world." In 2008, Entertainment Weekly justified designation of The Simpsons as a television classic, stating "we all hail patriarch Homer Simpson, because his joy is as palpable as his awesome stupidity".
In the eighth season episode "Homer's Enemy" the writers decided to explore "what it would be like to really work with Homer Simpson". It explores the comedic possibilities of a down-to-earth character, named Frank Grimes, with a strong ethic workplace located next to Homer in his work environment. In the episode, Homer is described as a normal man. However, in some scenes his negative characteristics and stupidity are highlighted. At the end of the episode, Grimes, who is hard-working, persevering, and a "true American hero", is relegated to the role of antagonist and the viewer is intended to was happy that Homer was victorious.
Author Paul Arthur Cantor stated in Gilligan Unbound that he believes Homer's devotion to his family has added to the character's popularity. He wrote: "Homer is pure fatherhood distilled. [...] That's why, despite all his stupidity, bigotry and self-centeredness, we can't hate Homer. He continually fails to be a good father, but he never stops trying, and in some basic and important sense it makes him a good father." The Sunday Times noted "Homer is good because, above all else,, is capable of showing great love. At the moment of truth, he always does the right thing for his children and has never been unfaithful despite having had several opportunities »
The Simpsons has been recommended for use in teaching today's sociology to college students.
Cultural influence
Homer Simpson is one of the most popular and influential characters on television in many ways. USA Today listed the character as one of the "25 Most Influential People of the Past 25 Years" in 2007, adding that Homer "embodied the irony and irreverence at the heart of American humor". Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, believes that "three centuries from now, English language teachers will perceive Homer Simpson as one of the greatest creations in history." human storytelling." Animation historian Jerry Beck described Homer as one of the best cartoon characters, stating that "you know someone like him or identify with him. This really is the key to a classic character". Homer has been described by the British newspaper The Sunday Times as the greatest comic creation of modern times, writing: "every age needs its greatness, consoling failure, his kind, unpretentious mediocrity. And we have ours in Homer Simpson."
Homer has been called a bad influence on young people. For example, in 2005 a study conducted in the United Kingdom revealed that 59% of parents believed that Homer promoted an unhealthy lifestyle. A five-year study of more than 2,000 middle-aged people in France found a possible relationship between weight and brain function, the so-called «Homer Simpson syndrome». Results from a word memory test showed that people with a body mass index (BMI) of 20 (considered a healthy level) remembered an average of 9 out of 16 words. While people with a BMI of 30 (within the obese range) remembered an average of 7 out of 16 words.
Although Homer is the epitome of American culture, his influence has spread to all parts of the world. In 2003, Matt Groening revealed that his father, after whom Homer is named, was Canadian and said that he had made Homer Simpson Canadian as well. He was later made an honorary citizen of Winnipeg, Canada because Homer Groening was believed to be from the capital of Manitoba, although some claim that he was actually born in Saskatchewan.
In 2005, The Simpsons was adapted for Arabic television. Homer was renamed Omar Shamshoon and several character traits were changed: he drank juice instead of beer, did not eat pork, did not visit Moe's Tavern, and ate kahk instead of doughnuts. series did not do very well and only 34 of the 52 adapted episodes aired.
In 2007, an image of Homer was painted next to the figure of the Giant at Cerne Abbas in Dorset, England as part of the promotion for The Simpsons movie. This caused the outrage of the local neopagan inhabitants who practiced a "magic rain" to try to get it to be swept away by the current. In 2008, a false Spanish two-euro coin was found in the municipality of Avilés, with the face of Homer Simpson replacing King Juan Carlos I.
In episode 299, "The Dad Who Knew Too Little", Homer's email address was given chunkylover53@aol.com which was translated as amanterechoncho@aol.com in Spain and amantedelacomida53@aol.com in Latin America. Producer and writer Matt Groening registered the original address prior to the episode's airing and responded to fan messages at that address for a month. Due to the large number of messages received, the address was disabled.
The character of Homer, voiced by Dan Castellaneta, has appeared on various television shows, including American Idol, where he opened a show for the sixth season; Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, in which he performed a special opening monologue on July 24, 2007 as a ploy to publicize the premiere of The Simpsons Movie on July 27 of July; or the appearance in the fundraising television special Stand Up to Cancer in 2008 undergoing a colonoscopy.
In 2010, a team of scientists from Emory University used the name Homer Simpson to name the RGS14 gene. After studying the effects of this gene in mice, the team was able to verify that it may be an obstacle to development of intelligence.
D'oh!-Ouh!
Homer Simpson popularized the interjection «D'oh!», which appears in the script as annoyed grunt (annoyed grunt), which was translated into Spanish as a kind of «¡¡ Ouh!", a shortened form of "Ouch!". Homer uses this expression as a substitute for a sporadic swear word in an adverse situation. When Dan Castellaneta, Homer's voice, was first asked about this exclamation, he claimed he had rehearsed it as "d'ooooooh," inspired by Jimmy Finlayson, the Scottish actor who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films.. Finlayson coined the term as a swear word instead of the expression Damnation!. Matt Groening felt it was better suited to the timing of the animation if it was spoken more quickly. therefore, Castellaneta shortened it to a quick "D-Oh!" (interrupting the word damn with a containing interjection). The expression was first used in the Tracey Ullman short The Krusty the Clown Show, aired in 1989, and its first use in the series was in "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire".
This expression has become so famous in the Anglo-Saxon world that it was included without the apostrophe in the 2001 version of the Oxford English Dictionary and was included for the first time in The New Oxford Dictionary of English in 1998. It is defined as an interjection "used to comment on an action perceived to be silly or stupid". In 2006, "D'oh!" it was placed by TV Land at the sixth position of the 100 Greatest TV Catchphrases. "D'oh!" it has also been included in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. The lesson is: never try it", in the episode "Burns' Heir" as well as "children are the best, Apu, you can teach them to hate everything you hate. And they pretty much raise themselves with the internet and all that", from the episode "Eight Misbehavin'". Both phrases were included in the dictionary in August 2007.
The expression D'oh is a trademark of 20th Century Fox. Some episodes are notable for variations on the expression such as in "Bart of Darkness", when Homer says "D& #39;oheth" or in the Simpsons movie, when Homer yells "d'oooome!".
Homer has another famous expression that he utters when something whets his appetite and it has a guttural/nasalized sound, often sticking out his tongue and transliterated as "mmm...", leeringly repeating the name of what is being said to him. he has whetted his appetite.
Products
Homer Simpson's inclusion in many publications, toys, and other merchandise is proof of his enduring popularity. He has had a central role in the Simpsons Comics. A book has been published on Homer's personality and attributes. Other promotional products have also been created such as dolls, posters, statuettes, mugs, alarm clocks and clothing such as slippers, T-shirts, baseball caps, and shorts. In 2004, Homer was a star in a commercial for MasterCard Priceless that ran during Super Bowl XXXVIII.
In September 2008, the company Bimbo began distributing the famous Homer donut in Spain. The first place where it could be bought was in all Carrefour hypermarkets.