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116-598: Homer Jay Simpson is the protagonist of the American animated sitcom The Simpsons . He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared, along with the rest of the Simpsons, in The Tracey Ullman Show short " Good Night " on April 19, 1987. Homer was created by the cartoonist Matt Groening while he was waiting in the lobby of producer James L. Brooks 's office. Groening had been called to pitch

232-454: A MasterCard Priceless commercial that aired during Super Bowl XXXVIII . In 2001, Kelloggs launched a brand of cereal called "Homer's Cinnamon Donut Cereal", which was available for a limited time. 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

348-476: A Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for his performance on " Four Regrettings and a Funeral " for voicing Mr. Burns. In 2006, Wizard rated Mr. Burns the 45th-greatest villain of all time. They also described Smithers and Mr. Burns as being "TV's most functional dysfunctional couple". In a 2003 article, EW also named " Last Exit to Springfield " the greatest episode of The Simpsons . Other episodes which feature Mr. Burns placed on

464-608: A Teen Choice Award for "Choice TV Parental Units". Various episodes in which Homer is strongly featured have won Emmy Awards 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. In 2000, Homer and

580-576: A meter maid named Gloria. He later enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a member of Springfield's Flying Hellfish squad under Master Sergeant Abraham Simpson and saw action in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge . During the war, Mr. Burns, Abraham Simpson (father of Homer Simpson and grandparent to Lisa, Bart, and Maggie Simpson) and some of the soldiers found an expensive portrait in

696-452: A borderline alcoholic. Matt Groening describes him as "completely ruled by his impulses". 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." 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

812-497: A condition they call " Three Stooges syndrome;" although a doctor warns him that his physical health is extremely fragile and that "even a slight breeze" could upset the balance between his diseases, Mr. Burns misinterprets his condition to believe that he is invincible. In the intro of The Simpsons Movie , Mr. Burns is seen in his bathroom trying to brush his teeth. After Smithers applies the toothpaste onto his brush, he falls over. In " Rosebud " and " Who Shot Mr. Burns? ", he needed

928-418: A declining intelligence over the years; they explain this was not done intentionally, but it was necessary to top previous jokes. 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

1044-488: A fifth Emmy nomination for voicing Homer and Grampa in the episode " Thursdays with Abie ". In 1993, Castellaneta was given a special Annie Award , "Outstanding Individual Achievement in the Field of Animation", for his work as Homer on The Simpsons . In 2004, Castellaneta and Julie Kavner (the voice of Marge) won a Young Artist Award for "Most Popular Mom & Dad in a TV Series". In 2005, Homer and Marge were nominated for

1160-455: A game in " Dancin' Homer ", but was only able to throw it a small distance, which drew mocking laughter from the crowd. When Mr. Burns joined Homer's bowling team in " Team Homer ", he was barely able to roll the ball down the lane. In season five's " Burns' Heir ", Smithers puts a sponge on Mr. Burns's head before leaving the bathroom, causing him to nearly drown in the tub from its weight. In " Lady Bouvier's Lover ", however, he shows himself as

1276-422: A good father, but he never gives up trying, and in some basic and important sense that makes him a good father." 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." Homer Simpson is one of the most popular and influential television characters by

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1392-406: A great deal of effort to wrench items from Maggie. He has difficulty performing such simple actions as giving a thumbs-up , and crushing an insect by stepping on it, or using a door-knocker. In one instance, when he is told to jump out of his burning mansion onto a life net , he drops at the speed of a feather, floats onto some power lines , and is electrified. He pitched the opening baseball at

1508-453: 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." Although Groening has stated in several interviews that Homer was named after his father, he also claimed in several 1990 interviews that a character called Homer Simpson in the 1939 Nathanael West novel The Day of the Locust as well as in

1624-562: A lively, excellent dancer. Mr. Burns also had a teddy bear named "Bobo" that he loved as a child, revealed in the episode "Rosebud". The stuffed animal was lost and eventually, the stuffed bear became a toy for Maggie. In " American History X-cellent ", Mr. Burns gets sent to jail because he is in possession of stolen paintings. In the same episode, it is implied that he was once in the SS . Another episode has him exclaim that though he and Oskar Schindler had much in common: " We both made shells for

1740-551: A manor in Germany. They locked it in a case and stated the last surviving member would get the painting (he and Abraham tied when the owner's descendant came back for the painting). Later on, he was shipped to the Pacific Theater and was a co-pilot along with Abe Simpson and his brother, Cyrus. Mr. Burns and Abe were shot down by a kamikaze and stuck on an island. Curiously, in the episode “ American History X-cellent ”, he

1856-534: A modern example of the commedia dell'arte character Pantalone . Matt Groening got Mr. Burns's middle name from a Montgomery Ward department store in Portland , Oregon 's Northwest Industrial district and his surname from Burnside Street, a main thoroughfare in Portland. Mr. Burns's first name being Charles is a reference to Charles Foster Kane. The names Plantagenet and Schickelgruber appear to refer to

1972-505: A poor relationship with his father Abraham "Grampa" Simpson , whom he placed in a nursing home as soon as he could 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. Homer is "a (happy) slave to his various appetites". He has an apparently vacuous mind, but occasionally exhibits a surprising depth of knowledge about various subjects, such as

2088-601: A praying mantis . The idea of Mr. Burns reading employee names off cards in " There's No Disgrace Like Home " came from an article about Ronald Reagan that writer Al Jean had read. In some episodes, parallels have been drawn between Mr. Burns and moguls such as Howard Hughes and, more frequently, fictional character Charles Foster Kane from Citizen Kane . Writer George Meyer lifted Mr. Burns's "Excellent!" hand gesture from his former Saturday Night Live colleague Jim Downey . While perhaps not intentional, Mr. Burns's physical characteristics and mannerisms are cited as

2204-436: A radical who went into hiding in 1969 following a run-in with the law; " The Way We Was " ( season two , 1991) shows Homer falling in love with Marge Bouvier as a senior at Springfield High School in 1974; and " I Married Marge " ( season three , 1991) implies that Marge became pregnant with Bart in 1980. However, the episode " That '90s Show " ( season 19 , 2008) contradicted much of this backstory, portraying Homer and Marge as

2320-481: A resemblance to the cartoon character Adamsson , created by Swedish cartoonist Oscar Jacobsson in 1920. Homer's physical features are generally not used in other characters; for example, in the later seasons, no characters other than Homer, Grampa Simpson , Lenny Leonard , and Krusty the Clown have a similar beard line. When Groening originally designed Homer, he put his initials into the character's hairline and ear:

2436-544: A series of shorts based on his comic strip Life in Hell but instead created a new set of characters. He named the character after his father, Homer Groening. After appearing for three seasons on The Tracey Ullman Show , the Simpsons received their own series on Fox , which debuted on December 17, 1989. Homer is the patriarch of the Simpson family . He and his wife Marge have three children: Bart , Lisa and Maggie . As

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2552-615: A slice of cheesecake and a newsreel , with enough change left over to ride the trolley from Battery Park to the Polo Grounds .” Mr. Burns frequently answers the telephone with the archaic salutation "Ahoy-hoy", which was proposed by Alexander Graham Bell , but has long since been superseded by "Hello". In " The Old Man and the Lisa ", Mr. Burns's investment portfolio is revealed to consist of long-defunct and obsolete companies such as "Confederated Slave Holdings", and he learns about

2668-426: A television series to receive this recognition while the show is still in production. The stamps, designed by Matt Groening, were made available for purchase on May 7, 2009. Homer has appeared, voiced by Castellaneta, in several other television shows, including the sixth season of American Idol where he opened the show; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno where he performed a special animated opening monologue for

2784-434: 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. These exchanges were often introduced because they filled time and were easy for the animators to work on. They were phased out after the producers "used every possible permutation". Producer Mike Reiss said Homer

2900-532: 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

3016-434: A twentysomething childless couple in the early 1990s. The episode " Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars " ( season 32 , 2021) further contradicts this backstory, putting Homer's adolescence in the 1990s. Showrunner Matt Selman has explained that no version was the "official continuity." and that "they all kind of happened in their imaginary world, you know, and people can choose to love whichever version they love." Due to

3132-489: 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". 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

3248-506: Is George Burns . At an early age, Mr. Burns left his family to live with a twisted and heartless billionaire who owned an "atom mill" in Shelbyville (implied to be his grandfather). He lived a life of privilege and would amuse himself by injuring immigrant laborers. Mr. Burns later attended Yale University , where he studied science and business, joined Skull and Bones , competed in the "etherweight" wrestling class, and graduated in

3364-593: 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, if accidentally or begrudgingly." The book The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer includes a chapter analyzing Homer's character from the perspective of Aristotelian virtue ethics . Raja Halwani writes that Homer's "love of life"

3480-508: Is 6' (1.83 m), and his weight is between 239 and 260 lbs (108–120 kg). Naming the characters after members of his own family, Groening named Homer after his father , who himself had been named after the ancient Greek poet . Very little else of Homer's character was based on him, and to prove that the meaning behind Homer's name was not significant, Groening later named his own son Homer. According to Groening, "Homer originated with my goal to both amuse my real father, and just annoy him

3596-653: Is 81, although, in several later episodes, he is shown to be 104. When Smithers informs him that Mr. Burns's credit card PIN is his age, he types four digits in his answer. It is also mentioned that half of his age is 78, making him 156 years old. When Lisa Simpson is researching her ancestors from the American Civil War , she comes across a Colonel Burns in the journal, presumably one of Mr. Burns's earlier ancestors. However, when Lisa mentions him, Mr. Burns replies by saying that he has not heard his father's name in years. The episode reveals that Mr. Burns's father

Homer Simpson - Misplaced Pages Continue

3712-630: Is a stereotype of corporate America in his unquenchable desire to increase his own wealth and power, inability to remember his employees' names (including Homer's, despite frequent interactions—which has become a recurrent joke) and lack of concern for their safety and well-being. Reflecting on his advanced age, Mr. Burns is given to expressing dated humor, making references to Jazz Age popular culture, and aspiring to apply obsolete technology to everyday life. Conan O'Brien has called Mr. Burns his favorite character to write for, due to his arbitrarily old age and extreme wealth. Mr. Burns's trademark expression

3828-471: Is also the voice of Smithers and is able to perform dialogue between the two characters in one take. Shearer said he found Mr. Burns the most difficult character to voice because it is rough on his vocal cords and he often needs to drink tea and honey to soothe his voice. He said Mr. Burns was his favorite character: "I like Mr. Burns because he is pure evil. A lot of evil people make the mistake of diluting it. Never adulterate your evil." In 2014, Shearer won

3944-463: 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

4060-425: Is an extraordinarily clever businessman, as he has lost his fortune several times, only to regain it a very brief time later. In the episode " The Old Man and the Lisa ", Mr. Burns loses his fortune and regains it by opening a recycling plant, which allows him to regain his nuclear power plant. Additionally, in the episode " The Seemingly Never-Ending Story ", Mr. Burns loses both his fortune and nuclear power plant to

4176-465: Is arrested for art theft, and while he is getting his belongings checked at the prison, a prison guard finds a card that he mistakes as a Social Security card. Burns then yells out “That’s just an SS card you dummkopf!” According to The Simpsons Wiki, after Germany had invaded Poland , he joined the SS but he later defected, and then he started service for the US Army . At the end of World War II, he

4292-598: 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, 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." Another of

4408-459: Is funnier. [...] Homer is launching himself headfirst into every single impulsive thought that occurs to him." 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. In early seasons, Homer appeared concerned that his family was going to make him look bad; however, in later episodes he

4524-602: 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. 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,

4640-409: Is often ignored and completely forgotten by his boss Mr. Burns , and he constantly falls asleep and neglects his duties. Matt Groening has stated that he decided to have Homer work at the power plant because of the potential for Homer to wreak severe havoc. Each of his other jobs has lasted only one episode. In the first half of the series, the writers developed an explanation about how he got fired from

4756-521: Is overweight and bald, except for a fringe of hair around the back and sides of his head and two curling hairs on top, and his face always sports a growth of beard stubble that instantly regrows whenever he shaves. The entire Simpson family was designed so that they would be recognizable in silhouette. The family was crudely drawn because Groening had submitted basic sketches to the animators, assuming they would clean them up; instead, they just traced over his drawings. By coincidence or not, Homer's look bears

Homer Simpson - Misplaced Pages Continue

4872-447: Is overweight, and "is devoted to his stomach". 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". 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 . He is very envious of his neighbors, Ned Flanders and his family, and

4988-523: 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 . 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

5104-461: Is provided by a member of The Dapper Dans . 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. Until 1998, Castellaneta was paid $ 30,000 per episode. During a pay dispute in 1998, Fox threatened to replace

5220-402: Is said to "let his I.Q. go". While in this state, he has ad-libbed several of Homer's least intelligent comments, 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. Castellaneta likes to stay in character during recording sessions, and he tries to visualize a scene so that he can give

5336-465: Is the second best cartoon character of all time. Dan Castellaneta has won several awards for voicing Homer, including four Primetime Emmy Awards for " Outstanding Voice-Over Performance " in 1992 for " Lisa's Pony ", 1993 for " Mr. Plow ", in 2004 for " Today I Am a Clown ", and in 2009 for " Father Knows Worst ". However, in the case of "Today I Am a Clown", it was for voicing "various characters" and not solely for Homer. In 2010 , Castellaneta received

5452-541: Is the word "Excellent...", muttered slowly in a low, sinister voice while steepling his fingertips. He occasionally orders Smithers to "release the hounds", so as to let his vicious guard dogs attack any intruders, enemies, or even invited guests. Mr. Burns is Springfield 's richest and most-powerful citizen (and also the richest person in Springfield's state; his current net worth has been given as $ 1.3 billion by Forbes , though it fluctuates wildly depending on

5568-541: The Oxford English Dictionary since 2001. Homer is one of the most influential characters in the history of television and is widely considered an American cultural icon . The British newspaper The Sunday Times described him as "the greatest comic creation of [modern] time". He was named the greatest character of the last 20 years in 2010 by Entertainment Weekly and the second-greatest cartoon character by TV Guide (behind Bugs Bunny ), and

5684-455: The House of Plantagenet and Alois Schickelgruber , the father of Adolf Hitler . In the script for " There's No Disgrace Like Home ", Al Jean and Mike Reiss referred to him as "Mr. Meanie". In the second season, the writers started to enjoy writing about Smithers and Mr. Burns's relationship, and they often pitched episodes with them as the focus, but many never came to fruition. Mr. Burns

5800-566: The Nazis , but mine worked, damn it! " Mr. Burns's character, appearance, and mannerisms are based on several different people. The show's creator Matt Groening principally based Mr. Burns on his high school teacher Mr. Bailey. Drawing further inspiration from oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller and his grandson David Rockefeller , Groening made Mr. Burns the "embodiment of corporate greed". Animator David Silverman modeled Mr. Burns's appearance on Fox founder Barry Diller , and modeled his body on

5916-611: The Rich Texan after losing a scavenger hunt, but eventually gains both backs after a series of events that includes him briefly working at Moe's Tavern . Mr. Burns is physically weak and emaciated and is often shown to have little more strength than an infant. In " The Mansion Family ", doctors at the Mayo Clinic discover that Mr. Burns has contracted every known human disease, as well as several that were discovered during his checkup, but that they have canceled each other out in

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6032-644: The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression for the first time after checking a very old stock-ticker . Mr. Burns's state of mind is the subject of frequent jokes on the show. At times, he appears to be completely removed from reality and modern conventions. He continually fails to recognize Homer Simpson or remember his name, even though many of the recent major events in Mr. Burns's life have involved Homer in some way. Mr. Burns is, for

6148-416: 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

6264-432: The season seven (1995) episode " Treehouse of Horror VI ", Homer was computer-animated into a three-dimensional character for the first time for the "Homer" segment of the episode. The computer animation directors at Pacific Data Images worked hard not to "reinvent the character". In the final minute of the segment, the 3D Homer ends up in a real world, live-action Los Angeles. The scene was directed by David Mirkin and

6380-715: The "Top 100 Characters of the Past Twenty Years". Homer was also the runaway winner in British polls that determined who viewers thought was the "greatest American" and which fictional character people would like to see become the President of the United States . His relationship with Marge was included in TV Guide 's list of "The Best TV Couples of All Time". In 2022, Paste writers claimed that Homer

6496-472: The Homer Simpsons of this world." 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". In the season eight episode " Homer's Enemy " the writers decided to examine "what it would be like to actually work alongside Homer Simpson". The episode explores

6612-557: The July 24, 2007, edition; and the 2008 fundraising television special Stand Up to Cancer where he was shown having a colonoscopy . 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″. Homer has also been cited in

6728-519: The Smithers ", it is revealed that Mr. Burns's mother is still alive aged 122 years, although Mr. Burns dislikes speaking to her because she had an affair with President William Howard Taft and she refers to him as an "improvident lackwit". Furthermore, because she is so old, the only things she can do (according to Smithers) are pick up the phone, dial, and yell. Mr. Burns resides in a vast, ornate mansion on an immense estate called Burns Manor , on

6844-579: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.150 via cp1114 cp1114, Varnish XID 926733290 Upstream caches: cp1114 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 08:48:01 GMT Mr. Burns Although originally conceived as a one-dimensional, recurring dastardly villain who might occasionally enter the Simpsons' lives and wreak some sort of havoc, Mr. Burns's popularity has led to his repeated inclusion in episodes. He

6960-431: 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". Dan Castellaneta rendered it as a drawn out "d'ooooooh". This was inspired by Jimmy Finlayson ,

7076-416: The class of 1914. At his 25-year college reunion , he became romantically involved with the daughter of an old flame. She would later bear his child, Larry Burns , who was placed for adoption and would later enter Mr. Burns's life briefly. Mr. Burns has been engaged at least three times: to a woman named Gertrude who died of loneliness and rabies , to Marge Simpson 's mother Jacqueline Bouvier , and to

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7192-538: The composition of the Supreme Court of the United States , Inca mythology , bankruptcy law, and cell biology . 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

7308-740: The corner of Mammon and Croesus Streets. It is protected by a high wall, an electrified fence , and a pack of vicious attack dogs known as "The Hounds ". Mr. Burns routinely subjects Springfield and its residents to his abuse and there is a general dislike of him throughout the town. Mr. Burns has blackmailed and bribed various officials in Springfield, including Mayor Quimby and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission . He employed his wealth to make an ultimately unsuccessful run for governor to prevent his plant from being closed for safety violations, only to be denied his chance to be Governor by Marge Simpson . He once blocked out

7424-467: The episode). He uses his power and wealth to do whatever he wants, usually without regard for consequences and without interference from the authorities. These qualities led Wizard magazine to rate him the 45th-greatest villain of all time. TV Guide named him #2 in their 2013 list of the 60 nastiest villains of all time. In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked him #8 of their "40 Greatest TV Villains of All Time". Mr. Burns spends his time in his office at

7540-572: The eponymous 1975 movie, was the inspiration. In 2012 he 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." Homer's middle initial "J", which stands for "Jay", is a "tribute" to animated characters such as Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show , who got their middle initial from Jay Ward . Homer made his debut with

7656-470: The family to become incredibly stupid), his alcohol problem, exposure to radioactive waste, repetitive cranial trauma , and a crayon lodged in the frontal lobe of his brain. 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. Homer often debates with his own mind, expressed in voiceover. His mind has

7772-502: The family's provider, he works at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant as a safety inspector. Homer embodies many American working class stereotypes: he is obese, balding, immature, outspoken, aggressive, lazy, ignorant, unprofessional, and fond of beer, junk food, and television. However, he is fundamentally a good man and is staunchly protective of his family, especially when they need him the most. Despite

7888-412: The floating timeline, Homer's age has changed occasionally as the series developed; he was 34 in the early episodes, 36 in season four , 38 and 39 in season eight , and 40 in the eighteenth season , although even in those seasons his age is inconsistent. In the fourth season episode " Duffless ", Homer's drivers license shows his birthdate of being May 12, 1956, which would have made him 36 years old at

8004-654: The greatest creations in human storytelling." 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." 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." Despite Homer's partial embodiment of American culture, his influence has spread to other parts of

8120-417: The hairline resembled an 'M', and the right ear resembled a 'G'. Groening decided that this would be too distracting and redesigned the ear to look normal. However, he still draws the ear as a 'G' when he draws pictures of Homer for fans. The basic shape of Homer's head is described by director Mark Kirkland as a tube-shaped coffee can with a salad bowl on top. During the shorts, the animators experimented with

8236-472: 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". 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". Homer also shows immense apathy towards work,

8352-429: The last 20 years". He was placed second on TV Guide 's 2002 Top 50 Greatest Cartoon Characters, behind Bugs Bunny ; fifth on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters, one of only four cartoon characters on that list; and first in a Channel 4 poll of the greatest television characters of all time. In 2007, Entertainment Weekly placed Homer ninth on their list of the "50 Greatest TV icons" and first on their 2010 list of

8468-530: The late 19th and early 20th centuries in the present tense, assuming they are still alive. In " Homer at the Bat ", Mr. Burns instructs Smithers to recruit dead-ball-era players, such as Honus Wagner and Cap Anson for the plant's softball team, and has to be told that all of them died long ago. He also once rewarded Homer for being the first to arrive at work with a ticket to the 1939 World's Fair . However, despite his obvious senility and social ineptitude, Mr. Burns

8584-450: The list, including " Rosebud ", at number two, and the two-part episode " Who Shot Mr. Burns? ", at number 25. Vanity Fair placed "Rosebud" first on their list of the top 25 Simpsons episodes. Forbes estimates Mr. Burns's net worth at $ 1.3 billion, placing 12th on the 2008 Forbes Fictional 15 list. Mr. Burns has been on the list since 1989 and has previously placed fifth in 2005, second in 2006 and sixth in 2007 when he

8700-480: The money to enter Lisa in a beauty pageant so she could feel better about herself; in " Rosebud ", ( season five , 1993) he gave up his chance at wealth to allow Maggie to keep a cherished teddy bear; in " Radio Bart ", ( season three , 1992) he spearheads an attempt to dig Bart out after he had fallen down a well; in " A Milhouse Divided ", ( season eight , 1996) he arranges a surprise second wedding with Marge to make up for their unsatisfactory first ceremony; and despite

8816-405: The most part, unaware of the townspeople's general dislike of him. He also displays mannerisms that are considered outdated, such as practicing phrenology , writing with a quill pen , and using an antique view camera to take photographs. He is also angered when Springfield Elementary children mock his dated car, saying it was "the first car to outrun a man!" Mr. Burns refers to many celebrities of

8932-549: The mustachioed Scottish actor who appeared in 33 Laurel and Hardy films. 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!" The first intentional use of D'oh! occurred in the Ullman short "The Krusty the Clown Show" (1989), and its first usage in

9048-560: 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." 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." Homer's influence on comedy and culture has been significant. In 2010, Entertainment Weekly named Homer "the greatest character of

9164-422: The nine- to ten-hour-long recording sessions, and had to find something easier. During the second and third seasons of the half-hour show, Castellaneta "dropped the voice down" and developed it as more versatile and humorous, allowing Homer a fuller range of emotions. Castellaneta's normal speaking voice does not bear any resemblance to Homer's. To perform Homer's voice, Castellaneta lowers his chin to his chest and

9280-506: The nuclear plant, monitoring his workers via closed-circuit cameras installed throughout the plant. In " Double, Double, Boy in Trouble ", Mr. Burns revealed that he was the youngest of a wealthy family, with eleven children, and all his siblings died of suspicious causes (mostly related to eating poisoned baked potatoes ), leading to him receiving the entire family fortune, although another episode reveals that his surviving younger brother

9396-497: 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. Homer shows no compunction about expressing his rage, and does not attempt to hide his actions from people outside the family. 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

9512-511: The pack also adds an additional level based on the episode " The Mysterious Voyage of Homer ". Alongside the television series, Homer regularly appeared in issues of Simpsons Comics , which were published from November 29, 1993, until October 17, 2018. Homer also plays a role in The Simpsons Ride , launched in 2008 at Universal Studios Florida and Hollywood . Protagonist Too Many Requests If you report this error to

9628-499: The plant and was then rehired in every episode. In later episodes, he often began a new job on impulse, without any mention of his regular employment. The Simpsons uses a floating timeline in which the characters never physically age, and, as such, the show is generally assumed to be always set in the current year. Nevertheless, in several episodes, events in Homer's life have been linked to specific time periods. " Mother Simpson " ( season seven , 1995) depicts Homer's mother, Mona, as

9744-420: 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. By the end of the episode, Grimes, a hard working and persevering "real American hero", has become

9860-410: The producers decided to ask Castellaneta and fellow cast member Julie Kavner to voice Homer and Marge rather than hire more actors. 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", or sustain his Matthau impression for

9976-399: The proper voice to it. Despite Homer's fame, Castellaneta claims he is rarely recognized in public, "except, maybe, by a die-hard fan". " 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

10092-502: The realization that things have turned out badly or not as planned, or that one has just said or done something foolish". In 2006, "D'oh!" was placed in sixth position on TV Land 's list of the 100 greatest television catchphrases. "D'oh!" is also included in The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations . The book includes several other quotations from Homer, including "Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson

10208-600: The rest of the Simpson family on April 19, 1987, in The Tracey Ullman Show short " Good Night ". In 1989, the shorts were adapted into The Simpsons , a half-hour series airing on the Fox Broadcasting Company . Homer and the Simpson family remained the main characters on this new show. As currently depicted in the series, Homer's everyday clothing consists of a white shirt with short sleeves and open collar, blue pants, and gray shoes. He

10324-577: The rest of the Simpson family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 7021 Hollywood Boulevard. In 2017, Homer Simpson was celebrated by the National Baseball Hall of Fame, to honor the 25th anniversary of the episode " Homer at the Bat ". 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

10440-508: The run-up to the New York City's 2009 mayoral election , several posters appeared throughout the city, showing Mr. Burns and accompanied by the words "No Third Terms, Vote for Burns"—a reference to Mayor Michael Bloomberg 's run for a third term that year—in the style of Shepard Fairey 's Obama poster . The city's Board of Elections announced that December that Mr. Burns had received 27 write-in votes out of 299 write-in votes cast. As

10556-460: 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". Homer's main and most famous catchphrase,

10672-560: The second and third seasons of the half-hour show, Homer's voice evolved to become more robust, to allow the expression of a fuller range of emotions. He has appeared in other media relating to The Simpsons —including video games, The Simpsons Movie , The Simpsons Ride , commercials, and comic books—and inspired an entire line of merchandise. His signature catchphrase, the annoyed grunt " D'oh! ", has been included in The New Oxford Dictionary of English since 1998 and

10788-465: 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. 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. In the early seasons of the show, Bart was the main focus. But, around

10904-407: The series was in the series premiere, " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ". "D'oh!" was first added to The New Oxford Dictionary of English in 1998. It is defined as an interjection "used to comment on an action perceived as foolish or stupid". In 2001, "D'oh!" was added to the Oxford English Dictionary , without the apostrophe ("Doh!"). The definition of the word is "expressing frustration at

11020-485: The six main voice actors with new actors, going as far as preparing for casting of new voices. 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. The issue was resolved a month later, and Castellaneta earned $ 250,000 per episode. After salary re-negotiations in 2008, the voice actors receive approximately $ 400,000 per episode. Three years later, with Fox threatening to cancel

11136-556: The son of Mona and Abraham "Grampa" Simpson . Homer held over 188 different jobs in the first 400 episodes of The Simpsons . In most episodes, he works as the nuclear safety inspector at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant (in Sector 7-G), a position which he has held since " Homer's Odyssey ", the third episode of the series, despite the fact that he is totally unsuitable for it. At the nuclear plant, Homer

11252-411: The suburban blue-collar routine of his life, he has had several remarkable experiences, including going to space, climbing the tallest mountain in Springfield by himself, fighting former President George H. W. Bush , and winning a Grammy Award as a member of a barbershop quartet. In the shorts and earlier episodes, Castellaneta voiced Homer with a loose impression of Walter Matthau ; however, during

11368-519: The sun to force Springfield residents to increase their use of electricity produced by his nuclear plant and was subsequently shot by Maggie when he tried to steal candy from her. In " Rosebud " from Season 5, episode 4, his birthday is given as September 15. Mr. Burns's extreme old age is a frequent source of humor on the show. He is occasionally referred to as "Springfield's oldest resident"; in Season 2's " Simpson and Delilah ", he told Homer that he

11484-500: The sunset ... now end with Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge's neck ." Fans have dubbed this incarnation of the character "Jerkass Homer". 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." When editing The Simpsons Movie , several scenes were changed to make Homer more sympathetic. The writers have depicted Homer with

11600-500: The third right. We might find an ice cream truck! Mmm... ice cream." 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 . Homer appears as a playable character in the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions , released via a "Level Pack" packaged with Homer's Car and "Taunt-o-Vision" accessories in September 2015;

11716-412: The time of the episode. During Bill Oakley and Josh Weinstein 's period as showrunners, they found that as they aged, Homer seemed to become older too, so they increased his age to 38. According to The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family and Simpsons World: The Ultimate Episode Guide: Seasons 1–20 , books written by The Simpsons ' creator, Matt Groening , Homer is 36. Homer's height

11832-428: The villain; the viewer is intended to be pleased that Homer has emerged victorious. 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

11948-564: The way Homer would move his mouth when talking. At one point, his mouth would stretch out back "beyond his beardline"; but this was dropped when it got "out of control." In some early episodes, Homer's hair was rounded rather than sharply pointed because animation director Wes Archer felt it should look disheveled. Homer's hair evolved to be consistently pointed. 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. In

12064-410: 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. 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 . In 2007, an image of Homer

12180-480: Was a slaveowning Southern plantation owner who inspired the character Simon Legree from Harriet Beecher Stowe 's novel Uncle Tom's Cabin , and that Homer and Grampa are descended from Colonel Burns's runaway slave Virgil who fled to British Canada with Mabel Simpson on the Underground Railroad . In other episodes, Mr. Burns's birthplace is apparently Pangea , his national anthem implies he

12296-629: Was both from Austria-Hungary and unaware of its collapse in World War I , and he mentions the possibility of an update on the Siege of Khartoum , implying that he was aware of current events as early as 1884. In other episodes, he has instructed a postal clerk to send a telegram to the Prussian consulate in Siam via autogyro , and believes a nickel will buy "a steak and kidney pie , a cup of coffee ,

12412-458: Was estimated to be worth $ 16.8 billion. Mr. Burns's evil has made him a popular example of terrible television bosses. In 2006, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas released a report saying that Mr. Burns was one of the eight worst bosses on television. The News & Observer named Mr. Burns the third worst boss, calling him "heartless, greedy and exceptionally ugly, Mr. Burns makes Ebenezer Scrooge seem downright lovely." In

12528-505: 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,

12644-470: Was less anxious about how he was perceived by others. 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". 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

12760-405: Was originally voiced by Christopher Collins in the episodes " Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire ", " Homer's Odyssey ", " There's No Disgrace Like Home " and " The Telltale Head ". He was soon replaced by Harry Shearer because Sam Simon found Collins "difficult to work with". Shearer has voiced the character since. Shearer modeled the voice on Lionel Barrymore and Ronald Reagan . Shearer

12876-616: 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. 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

12992-501: Was personally hired by President Harry S. Truman to transport a specially printed trillion-dollar bill to Europe as the United States ' contribution to the reconstruction of Europe . As the United States' richest citizen, Mr. Burns was thought to be the most trustworthy. Mr. Burns absconded with the bill and kept it in his possession for many years until it was lost to Fidel Castro in " The Trouble with Trillions ". In " Homer

13108-666: Was released in 2004 and is commercially available. It has been described as "an entertaining little book for occasional reading" and was listed as one of "the most interesting books of 2004" by The Chattanoogan . 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. 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

13224-414: Was the first time a Simpsons character had been in the real world in the series. Because " Lisa's Wedding " ( season six , 1995) is set fifteen years in the future, Homer's design was altered to make him older in the episode. He is heavier; one of the hairs on top of his head was removed; and an extra line was placed under the eye. A similar design has been used in subsequent flashforwards . Homer's voice

13340-564: Was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart". 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

13456-399: Was voted the greatest television character of all time by Channel 4 viewers. Castellaneta has won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance and a special-achievement Annie Award . In 2000, Homer and his family were awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . Homer Jay Simpson is the bumbling husband of Marge, and father to Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson. He is

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