The series recently attracted controversy over the death of the character Larry Dalrymple.
The Big Picture
-
The Simpsons
set the template for adult animation but has received negative feedback over new episodes. - Homer’s drinking problem is a core aspect of his character, even leading to inventive moments.
- Despite cultural changes,
The Simpsons
continues to embrace Homer’s alcoholism as a key part of his flaws.
It’s hard to overstate how significantly The Simpsons changed popular culture when the series was at its peak in the 1990s. With its anarchic sense of humor, instantly recognizable characters, and parody of small-town life, The Simpsons proved to be a gateway within the development of the adult animation genre; shows like Family Guy, American Dad!, South Park, and King of the Hill are the result of the template that The Simpsons set. However, The Simpsons doesn’t quite have the same cultural cache today, as new episodes only rarely seem to generate significant responses. Generally, the passionate feedback that new installments get is negative; the show recently attracted controversy over the death of the character Larry Dalrymple.
It wasn’t the first time that The Simpsons killed off a character, but the nature of Larry’s death was somewhat distressing for fans of the series. A regular patron of Moe’s Tavern, Larry was often seen drinking with Homer, Lenny, Carl, and Barny. Oddly, Larry’s friends barely seem to remember him in the aftermath of his passing; the disregard for the character’s legacy for the sake of jokes about Homer’s alcoholism struck many The Simpsons fans as an unusual moment. Although Larry’s death is certainly an inflection point for the series, Homer’s drinking issues have been played for laughs since the beginning of The Simpsons.
The Simpsons
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
- Release Date
- December 17, 1989
- Cast
- Dan Castellaneta , Julie Kavner , Nancy Cartwright , Yeardley Smith , Hank Azaria , Harry Shearer
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Seasons
- 36
- Studio
- Fox
Homer’s Drinking Is Established at the Beginning of ‘The Simpsons’
While animated shows geared at general audiences like The Jetsons and The Flintstones had existed before The Simpsons, the series was distinct in how it parodied popular sitcoms of the era. The Simpsons blew up the concept of a “nuclear family” by featuring highly exaggerated versions of every member of the household; Bart was a volatile troublemaker whose schemes reached an absurd degree, Lisa was a committed student who poured extensive effort into her studies, and Marge was a bored housewife whose activities routinely became entirely superficial. Homer was originally depicted as a world-weary father whose only solace is drinking. After days of working a job he detests at Mr. Burns’ nuclear factory, Homer’s only source of happiness is going to Moe’s Tavern to enjoy a few drinks with his friends.
The Simpsons grew more grounded in its later seasons, developing a more earnest understanding of the family’s interpersonal relationships. Some of the more exaggerated aspects of the characters were more grounded for the sake of more emotional moments; even when he acted selfishly, Homer proved himself capable of being a good father. However, The Simpsons needed to show that Homer was a flawed character in order to avoid becoming too saccharine. Despite his inventiveness and surprising dedication to his family, Homer often gets in trouble as a result of his addiction to drinking.
While jokes about alcoholism aren’t to be taken lightly, The Simpsons often uses Homer’s passion for liquor to show his creativity. The classic episode “Flaming Moe’s” featured Moe creating the perfect recipe for a drink, only to have Homer steal it and try to launch a knockoff brand. It’s cited as one of the best The Simpsons episodes because it shows that Homer’s knowledge of alcohol is surprisingly nuanced; he’s spent so much of his life drinking that he’s come to have a refined sense of taste.
Jokes About Alcoholism Are Integral to ‘The Simpsons’
Although viewers might understandably be uncomfortable with jokes about the realities of alcohol addiction, The Simpsons has engaged with Homer’s drinking in several classic episodes. In the Season 4 installment “Duffless,” a drunk driving incident inspired Homer to briefly swear himself off from drinking; in classic The Simpsons fashion, the progress he makes to improve himself is immediately negated by the episode’s conclusion when he decides that drinking is the one thing he can’t quit. Nonetheless, the episode acknowledges that Homer was aware of his issues; in the touching final moments, Homer decides to forgo a night at Moe’s Tavern in favor of spending it with his family. This was a critical moment, as it suggested that Homer’s drinking issues could be temporarily subsided if his family was in peril; it aided in ensuring that the viewer still had reason to invest in him.
Ironically, The Simpsons has used debates about alcohol to inspire some of Homer’s most inventive moments. In the Season 8 episode “Homer vs. The Eighteenth Amendment,” Springfield’s proposed alcohol ban turns Homer into a surprising community leader who leads the city’s citizens to rally against their government. Even if Homer is defending his right to drink for purely selfish reasons, he manages to be rather articulate when discussing why the city should not be able to step over his freedoms. His final declaration of love for alcohol suggests that Homer’s passions, as destructive as they can be, are what drives him to be such an engaging character.
‘The Simpsons’ Isn’t Going To Change Homer
In recent years, The Simpsons has sanded off some of its edges in order to address changing cultural norms; offensive stereotypes have been removed, and the show has featured some rather progressive moments of LGBT representation. However, modern episodes of The Simpsons continue to incorporate Homer’s alcoholism. The Season 34 episode “From Beer To Eternity” involved Homer attempting to turn the spokesperson of his favorite liquor supplier into Lisa’s mentor; it showed that Homer was continuously able to sink to new lows when drinking was involved.
Given all that The Simpsons has established in its flashback episodes, there’s more than enough reason to still root for Homer. He has continuously shown that despite Abe’s failings as a parent and arguments with Marge, Homer is often able to surprise people with his compassion and sensitivity. The drinking issue, for better or worse, is integral to making him such a flawed protagonist.
The Simpsons is streaming on Disney+ in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com