Jerkass Homer is Dead
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- Опубліковано 1 лип 2024
- We're gonna try to define what the heck Jerkass Homer is, and chronicle the rise and fall of this concept in The Simpsons.
RIP Jerkass Homer (1998-2007)
Music Credits:
0:00 "The Ultimate Sacrifice" (Wild Arms) by by Diodes
• OC ReMix #2479: Wild A...
1:07 “So Long and Thanks for All the...” (Sonic & Knuckles) by Red Tailed Fox
• Project Chaos: 2-11 So...
5:43 "Mercenary Boxing" (Street Fighter II) by Malcos
• Blood on the Asphalt: ...
9:55 "Chasing Waterfalls" (Donkey Kong Country 3) by Blue Magic
• OC ReMix #3199: Donkey...
12:43 “Dialima tu Kafé” (Earthbound) by Diggi Dis & Zeratul
• OC ReMix #1716: EarthB...
17:11 "Kazoom" by Quincas Moreira
• Video
#TheSimpsons - Розваги
Due to the timing of the season Retrospectives and stuff, I feel like I've covered a lot of Jerkass Homer content on this channel. So I figured it was good timing to talk about the concept in context of the whole series. Especially after Season 33, which featured such a cuddly Homer in general.
Also please excuse the music video at the end of this one. I couldn't resist one last celebration of Homer's bad behavior. 😉
Woohoo
The montage was a nice little bonus. Aww bless he did strangle his son a lot.
The music video was hilarious!
I loved the montage! Your song choices are fantastic
Seeing the picture of Bart strangling Homer in the montage at the end reminded me of a phenomenon that I haven't really seen anyone talk about before, but I feel like Bart has become the new jerk after Homer in the later seasons. There are so many instances in which Bart seems outright psychopathic in his actions and the show even made an episode about that in season 27. He went from pulling innocent pranks to straight up letting Homer be hanged etc. I guess the show just needs one jerk in the family at all times!
I think one key element of the "jerkass homer" era is his shift towards "competence". It's not that Homer wasn't getting punished for his bad behaviour or that his bad behaviour got worse. At the same time, Homer lost a bunch of his other character traits that I think defined him as a character. He stopped being lazy and simple minded at the same time he started throwing himself into crazy get rich schemes and becoming capable in whatever skill they need him to have for the episode. It's not that he became a jerkass, but the rest of his characterization was abandoned.
A funny thing is that whilst Homer's capabilities on all manner of things wildly fluctuates based on the episode and joke, one time Homer is unable to outpace some kids for a few feet in a game of capture the flag, another he's running across town from Flanders bailing his bond, Homer has always been portrayed as a talented musician. I find it interesting that's one of the things that's been consistent with his character.
Sort of similar to the degradation of Peter Griffin
@BK Beatty
While continuity was never a strong aspect of the Simpsons, in the early seasons the characters were fairly consistent. In the mid-seasons, the characterizations, as well as their approach to social commentary, radically changed. I generally feel that this shifts starts with 'Homer's Enemy", which has to completely discard any of Homer's positive traits in order to make the story work. It also neutered the anti-capitalism present in the show by reframing Mr Burns as senile instead of criminally greedy.
He WASN'T getting punished for it, though.
@@WobblesandBean Homer wasn't getting punished for his behaviour, but who is responsible for evaluating Homer's job performance and decided if he gets punished? While we never get to see Homer's direct supervisor, the work culture is created by Mr. Burns who previously was consistently shown as actively disregarding safety issues in order to save costs. Let's not forget that Homer was hired by Mr. Burns as a bribe to end Homer's safety movement. Compare this with how Grimes and the episode treats Burns. They never question any of Burns is actions, even though Burns is the root cause of most of the issues. Grimes doesn't blame Burns for deciding to hire a Dog to be the VP instead of him. Burns' actions are framed as a blameless part of the system, instead of malicious choices that actively make people's lives worse, including keeping Homer in his position as safety inspect despite his clear incompetence. Grimes focuses on blaming Homer for everything, instead of focusing on the systems that gave Homer everything while keeping him down all of his life.
Jerkass Homer was a fascinating study in elements of a personality vs an entire personality. The former worked for certain jokes ("NEEEEEEEEERD!"), the latter was just an easy way to fill an episode.
We need to discuss Jerkass Maggie next:
Shot Mr. Burns
Shot Fat Tony's crew
Being born forced Homer to go back to working for Mr. Burns
maggie just doin a little trolling
And she's a mean drunk
But she's the voice of a generation.
Jerkass Lisa would be good to talk about too. I liked her a lot more in earlier seasons when she just had some morally open-minded counter opinions against her father's assertions, but she still liked being a kid and doing similar kid stuff her age like Bart. She also still had ironically naive child-like reactions to stuff.
In the 2010s I just stopped liking her. She lost all her sense of fun and innocence, to just be a bit of a snarky, arrogant, know-it-all, who pretty much just thinks her family are boorish idiots that she fears genetic influence from. Or her superficial "nobody likes me" episodes while in her unsympathetic 2010 jerkass years.
If she didn't shoot Fat Tony Homer might've been killed, so I'll go to bat for that one.
It's interesting how Homer compares to Peter Family Guy.
Peter really is the Wario to Homer's Mario.
Early season Family Guy's Peter is oddly endearing. He's lazy and stupid, but he's trying his best. Early Peter wasn't terribly violent (iirc atleast while sober), just oafish and insensitive, but when he, rarely, realized he said something hurtful he would quickly double back and try to correct it.
But when Jerkass Peter happened, he hit *hard* and the writers never really grew out of of that phase.
One reason I stopped watching Family Guy regularly was that EVERY character became an a-hole or a pervert or both. And when they do that, why should I care about any of them?
Modern Peter is more like Kamen Rider Odin
honestly if anything even jerkass peter isnt nearly as much of an issue as he once was. peter is a chaos demon and probably always will be, but at this point he's more chaotic neutral with only occasional scumbag moments, usually for a joke. if anything the way bigger issue on family guy nowadays is jerkass brian
@@stewiegriffin4828blowing up the hospital was season 7. That's not classic family guy.
And really? Of ALL the things homer has done, farting on his daughter is up there with blowing up a childrens hospital? That's the best you could do? Come on
@@scockery Same here. Not a single member of the family is likeable or sane anymore...
Also, it got too notorious when the writers inserted their fetishes or insecurities on the show.
I will say this…
Jerkass Homer is the lesser of two evils compared to Braindead sociopathic Peter Griffin from Modern Family Guy.
even family guy has toned down that kind of peter, he's a lot more supportive of his kids now
Peter was always brain dead.
That's the thing it holds onto that makes it kinda the only good adult animation in its category- there's never been an episode SO bad that at the end of the day, you felt he was irredeemable
@Ciara For clarity: You are talking about Homer, right?
I find Peter hasn't become as much of a jerk-ass in modern family guy as much as Lois has. In terms of modern day episodes of both shows, I've found Family Guy consistently makes me laugh much more than the Springfieldian counterparts.
The episode where he got canceled was so surreal to me considering locking a dog in a hot car was something Homer actually did as a joke when the family went to Arizona
Just goes to change how the world changes at Homer's expanse.
Theres probably countless things Homer did 25-30 years ago that he would get cancelled for now lol
I'm surprised they picked that when the Beatles got away with the exact same thing.
@@VinVonVoom marge was a huge beatles fan
@@VinVonVoom i mean, we can't say that ALL the beatles got away with it
Honestly, the biggest reason Jerkass Homer became so engraved in the narrative is timing. It burned out relatively quickly, but by then viewership had cratered and most people weren't watching to notice it going away.
The audience members who left never came back. Kids these days don’t give a shit about the Simpsons anymore. The last time I saw anybody wearing a Garfield T-shirt is closer to the time I am writing this message than the last time I saw everybody wearing a Simpsons T-shirt.
@@Attmay It's run it course. Nobody wants to see millenial homer
Most people weren't watching? The Simpsons still had very good ratings in the 2000s.
That's what happened to me.
I grew up with them since season 1, then left after season 11 or 12 and never came back.
I saw the movie on TV and hated it.
I know nothing about The Simpsons since then and I genuinely don't care.
Homer's fantasy of killing Grandpa is extremely off putting - but it worth mentioning that a lot of people don't get it's a parody of a big scene in The Sopranos. It doesnt excuse it, but I think its more "The writer's make a reference without thinking about it" than "Oh god, what is wrong with their image of Homer??"
I think that sorta falls in the 'social commentary bucket': This particular portrayal isn't meant to be the actual character, but rather serve as the stand-in for a point. In Lisa on Ice, we're not seeing Homer but a sports parent.
However, it's probably execution in the fantasy: It's not like the parody is communicated well and if you miss that connection, it's bad
I came here to say this. It's a reference
Reminds me of what Jims said in the Herman video, "If Skinner did the full on Psycho parody, contemplating killing a woman in the shower, it'd be funny, but you'd kinda look at him weird afterwards."
@@royalblanket Exactly!
Thank you
I’d rather have Teddy Bear Homer than Jerkass Homer.
Me too! Teddy-Bear Homer actually sounds on-par with the Classic Era Homer most Simpsons fans know and love.
I think in the end the main difference is whether it's entertaining or serves the plot. When Homer is a jerk for at least sort of a reason, we are much more willing to look past it. During the worst examples, though, the writers seemed to think that the very idea of Homer being an asshole alone was comedy in itself.
As for why the image has still persisted into the modern era, I think it's because a lot of us don't watch the Simpsons much these days, and we still think of season 14 to be late-era Simpsons, despite it airing ages ago. Realizing that it was almost 20 years ago makes us feel old.
Something similar happened to Phoebe from Friends now that you mention it. During season 4 she became rude and grumpy due to pregnancy mood swings, and because she was the naive, kind and spiritualistic one of the group it was pretty funny to see her act like that. The writers then saw that and assumed the comedy came just from her being cruel, and for the rest of the series that was her characterization. Only recently have fans actually observed this thanks to the show being binged on Netflix, making the change significantly more obvious.
Shows nowadays from what I hear generally avoid doing things like this.
I still watch the show on a regular basis. Homer has been on his best behavior for like 20 years.
@@jamesscott6979 I'm glad you pointed this out. I realized not too long ago that Phoebe is my least favorite character on Friends for the reasons you stated. At some point, she became the biggest asshole on the show, which was the complete opposite of how she was portrayed in the first couple seasons. It's not even like she could be an asshole at times and they just amplified it. The writers just gave her that trait because they thought it was funny, and the more pushy and obnoxious she was, the funnier it was.
Stuff like holding a grudge against Ross for something he did in her dream, posing as Ben's parents so she could get Sting tickets, harassing Joey for a fun road trip while he's sleep-deprived, almost ruining Chandler and Monica's engagement, the little snarky comments she would make almost every episode, her over-inflated ego. All of that stuff came after season four, which was the turning point like you said.
Anything past season 9 is meh IMO.
The Simpsons died when Groening left, by 1999 it was a completely different show, we got together in the family to have dinner and watch the new relased episodes and we stopped around 2005 at most and by then the show was absolute cringe unwatchable garbage.
Weirdly enough, Homer's transformation reminds me of Mickey Mouse and Kermit the Frog. Both started out as fairly rascally but good hearted characters, and got toned down when they essentially became less of a character and more of a mascot for the brand. With The Simpsons being under the Disney banner now, it makes sense theyre highlighting the childish but good hearted side of Homer rather than the jerkass side
This video was about Homer's jerkass side dying, way before the Disney era though.
@@j04370859 I'm talking more about the shift into "too nice Homer", which has mainly been the last two seasons, while the previous post-Jerkass Homer time has been his original characterization, insensitive and selfish but still coming through when it mattered.
If the Simpsons aren't the official mascots of Fox, they should be.
Unrelated, but it's unsettling that it got to the point of firing Kermit's past performer because he tried to mantain the original'd spirit, to now have this Kermit that it's frankly like a bowl of oatmeal
@@p.e.miranda2038 Agreed. Also doesn't help that Vogel does not sound like Henson's Kermit, while Whitmire did
Something I was astonished to realise when I was watching season 33 recently is that Homer is now often painted as the more attentive parental figure, which is weird 🤔Marge tends to be completely oblivious (but well meaning) in the new seasons to Lisa and Bart's problems. But Homer tends to notice the issues the kids are having, yet simply not know how to help them. Honestly I like the new season Homer best. I never thought jerk ass Homer added anything to the show anyway.
you are here
I think a potential theory as to why they made that shift without it feeling THAT out of place is because Marge has, to some extent, always been painted as the more "out of touch" parent when it comes to trends or what is hip, while homer was always more likely to somehow get caught up in a new trend, even if he didn't understand it at first (like homerpalooza). Homer also is the more immature one, which can be painted as being somewhat more in touch with his inner child still. Using those as the bases, the simpsons recent seasons kind of used to build stories in the way you are describing (at least in a literal way with the "homer becomes 10 again" episode). But the lego episode might be the best example, where homer gets so wrapped up in lisa's interest that he gets stuck in it, but ultimately uses it as a way to bond with lisa. it also could be explained by the fact that the longest running writers (like al jean) are older men, so stories from their own perspective will tend to be more believable with homer as the stand in, not marge. that isn't to say they can't write good marge stories, just that it just makes it more probable that they would logically write a homer story. even still, they have hired more woman writers I believe, so it's more likely that they wanted to both do some thing new for the parents while following recent trends of creating parents that are trying to be more emotionally supportive (which honestly I think is a pretty nice trend). I do agree with Jims that Homer could use some more edge, but sometimes the best edge is to subvert expectations. If people are going to expect a jerkass, best way to subvert that is to be nice
I read this entire comment with your voice in my head.
part of this I’ve heard is because marge’s voice is murder on the throat so homer innately gets more dialogue
@@taekinuru2 Hadn't thought of that before. That's a very good point. Easier on the voice actor that way. After all these years, that Marge voice must be exhasting for her.
I've said it many times, but I absolutely love your channel for being one of the few places that is willing to properly analyze The Simpson past their prime, instead of immediately dismissing any in-depth discussion of anything that came after the early seasons. This is what makes your content so great to me, thank you.
Disney adults should be so accommodating when there’s a legitimate case that the so-called “Dark Age” in the immediate aftermath of Walt’s death wasn’t so dark in light of Disney throwing out traditional animation just to copy Pixar, which these days is more like Pixwas.
It might be the contrarian nature in me, but I don't like how people talk about "oh the Simpsons was good until season _____ then never a good episode was produced again".
I think there's some good episodes in seasons well beyond 8 or 10 or whenever the hard cutoff is meant to be. I've watched some episodes in the last season, and a few of them are really quite good
SO glad you made this, might be your best video ever
Thanks for the push encouraging me to go for the idea, Johnny 😀
To be fair The Simpson did the whole generational trauma story long before Encanto and Turning Red considering the way Abe Simpson has raised Homer.
It was even acknowledged in The Simpsons Movie in one of the funniest subversion to an emotional epiphany between him and Bart.
sort of? The thing is they address it without addressing it and it's a product of the generation of writers who've been running the Simpsons for most of this time. The understanding of addressing generational trauma in The Simpsons usually goes "Abe was a bad parent, Homer forgives him" (in the simplest breakdown). That's not really how addressing generational trauma... works. It's not about forgiving someone who abused you or moving on like everything's fine because they apologized. In order to it properly, the ELDER needs to admit responsibility, apologize, open up, and promise to do better. That's what older series didn't recognize and it's the difference that's present in Turning Red and Encanto.
@@kamalalsb7292 I’m pretty sure in the show Homer didn’t really forgive Abe for the crappy childhood. In fact Homer have treated Abe like dirt because of such neglect.
Also you missed the joke in this scene actually subverts that trope as Homer did start to address such occurance only to be interupt by Marge reminding the two they have more important things to worry about (like the bomb they are trying to get rid of)
It’s the same toxic boomer shit extrapolated onto another generation. The show only makes sense at all with Homer and Marge being of that generation and Bart and Lisa being 80s kids. The way the post-WWII pre-Vietnam era played out is integral to their characters.
If you also had baby boomers as parents, you would understand.
Halloween of Horror is a perfect example of "nice-ass Homer" from the later seasons. That episode is so perfectly well-written, and is easily one of the best Homer-Lisa episodes of the series. Homer feels like a real father, and genuinely cared about Lisa throughout. It's been refreshing to see more of this Homer--the 'big teddy bear' that still has his silly/dumb moments, but still cares about his family.
I actually really like teddy bear homer! To me it feels like he's become a character that's trying to make up for his previous actions and trying to be a better dad than his own. The way he does his best to comfort lisa when she's scared in Halloween of Horrors is really sweet, and Pixelated and Afraid is one of my favourite homer and marge focused episodes as it shows how far homer would go to keep his wife safe and happy. Don't get me wrong, I think jerkass homer had some really great moments, but seeing him develop into a likeable person is just as good.
Aww, Teddy Bear Homer. I guess I need to watch that season again. I don't remember "Halloween of Horrors" even though I vaguely remember watching season 27. I haven't seen "Pixelated and Afraid" either but guess I should check out more of season 33 before I watch RealJims' review of it. The thing I find off putting about the season 30's territory is you can tell Julie Kavner's voice has aged when she does Marge these days. I know the cast has gotten older and this isn't a put down, just one of those it takes you out of the moment things. I just can't get into the most recent episodes where Marge's voice doesn't have it's usual inflection, like she has laryngitis or something. . Am I the only one noticing this? I'm not one of those people with the unrealistic expectation that the voice acting should sound the same as it did 20-15, etc years ago when you have a veteran cast, but it's still hard to get used to.
I will always prefer a father who actually likes his kids and wants to be there for them and truly loves his wife like she is the one person in the universe sometimes, over the asshole, potentially or literally abusive father with "edge" to them archetype. I had the former, and he wasn't that funny.
that's such a cute way of putting it i can't help but agree :)
I quote Homer from When Flander's Failed shockingly often "you were swindled my friend" is an incredibly useful phrase
The world is so stressful right now. Supportive Homer is what we need right now.
Daddy homer 🥺
Amen
@@diannadolly Domer
@@planetofthegapes D'ohmer!
Pixelated and Afraid is one of my favourite episodes in the whole series.
I honestly don’t know if they’ll manage to make another episode as good as it but I’m not gonna give up hope.
Sorry but I think you are ridiculous. That episode is one of the least funny episodes of a comedy series in TV history in my opinion. It is like a romantic comedy.
@@screamingbanana4391 I don’t think it’s funny, I think it’s heartwarming.
I know this is a comedy but I think judging the episodes purely by how much they make you laugh whilst ignoring the emotional moments is pretty dumb, especially since this series is famous for having a lot of heartwarming moments.
@@screamingbanana4391 Simpson is an animated sitcom. It can be a pure comedy it can do commentary it can do romantic comedy. Its not one specific thing. You cant select one aspect of the show and declare anything that doesn't conform to that bad
I love seeing you drawing attention to how nice Homer was in season 33 - he really was such a huge teddy bear this season, and it's frustrating seeing people who clearly haven't watched the show in years tweet stuff like 'modern Simpsons does Homer dirty' when the latest season had probably his most charitable depiction in the history of the entire show.
I'm personally in the camp that really enjoys his softer behaviour and finds it refreshing; it's nice to think that maybe all the lessons he's learnt over the years have finally sunk in. Plus, it's led to some of my favourite episodes of the modern era like Pixelated and Afraid, which is honestly probably one of my favourite Homer/Marge stories in the history of the entire show - it showed such a wonderful, supportive dynamic between them. Also I'm just gonna use this as a chance to say that anyone who hasn't watched season 33 needs to go watch season 33 - it's the strongest overall season of the show in years imo, I loved it.
Count me in as one of the fans of the past couple of seasons. It's clear the writers are going for a more character driven plotline in every episode, and we have had some real bangers of late. They freaking gave Martin depth through one glorious "the reason you suck" speech. They made an entire episode of just Chalmers and Skinner exploring their relationship. I do not expect anything less for Homer and the Simpsons family proper. I think the problem with the "Jerk-Ass" era was the late 90's, early-00's edgy humor and the fact the writers were getting so far up into self-satire of self-satire, they clearly focused more on gags than story a lot of the time. Not to mention the rise of Family Guy, even though Peter wasn't horrible until a bit after the resurrection. And that's the thing about Homer. He's equal parts subversion of the TV Dad trope (Boomer/early X-er writers growing up with 50's sitcoms), but also part everyman. And he lost a lot of the latter when he became cartoonishly over the top. Funny, yes, but instead of being relatable, he turned into a clown to laugh at. The entire family is starting to get back some level of relatability and even empathy. I love the idea of Marge and Homer's marriage being that comfortable that they both slob out together. There's a REASON these two got together, there's a reason Homer puts up with Marge's family's abuse. There's actual love there. It should never be about them not being compatible with each other, it should be about that they shouldn't be compatible, but they're perfect for each other regardless.
Pixelated and Afraid is sooooooo good. I'd love to see an entire video on it.
@@camcain9955 It was a great antidote to the lame sitcom standby of the uptight wife whining about how her low class husband never takes her anywhere, or said low class husband weaseling his way out of having to go to some overly sophisticated or formal event his wife is forcing him into. There's something absolutely heart warming about them being that comfortable with each other that it grosses out their kids.
I'm going to be honest here, I never watched season 33 but reading the comments it seems like it would be a pretty good season. I know I was a victim in the past to just characterise the HD era as terrible but with hindsight, there were some great seasons in there (as well as some terrible ones) and I get the view that its frustrating to see fans say everything after season 8/9/10/12/18 etc is terrible. These fans are mainly youngsters who base their opinion solely on a few videos. Yes, there was definitely a decline but its not just a downward spiral as there were some seasons after say season 8 that were good. In my opinion, those seasons were seasons 14, 18 and 20-22.
@@ItsHailee7 I'd say any decline just naturally comes from a show being on that long. You either risk a massive inconsistency, or overly bland perfect consistency. Even if they have the same exact people making a series, people change slowly over time, and either they take different routes, become perfectionists, or get incredibly lazy and turn in stuff they don't really feel. And if you get in new blood, at best and worst, you'll either get something incredibly different or something that's almost the same or not quite. My personal problem with turn of the Millennium Simpsons (the era I'd say was the hardest hit) was that they were in this weird comfort spot where the writers went through satire, self-satire, and self-satire of self-satire, that they got on this meta level where they focused more on quick gags than plot. Plus, the late 90's animated sitcom boom in which like 2 shows even survived, they weren't the big fish in the small pond anymore. You can't consistently be the shiny, new thing when shiny new things surround you. Still, what makes the newer seasons work was finding that way back to stories and characters and plot coming first. Plus, these non-canonical stories like "A Serious Flanders" they get to explore things they couldn't before, at least without pissing off the audience. It's not classic season 4-7 Simpsons, but I don't expect that and haven't for some time. Just find an angle where your show works and it can still be of some quality.
Unlike, say, Family Guy which was a Gen -X series that pandered to the 00's era adult swim market with comedic sociopathy and shock humor, and then found itself without a purpose or voice when those [as] watchers grew out of the series.
it cannot be said enough how much your content has improved my life. every single video is incredibly written, funny and infinitely re watchable. thank you for all of this
Aww yeah, new Jims. Jerkass Homer is, by now, a weirdly nostalgic facet of the Simpsons, it reminds me of that Turn of the Millennium period, when things actually were looking up, rather than looking up Milhouse.
2000's 😔
After missing most of seasons 18-30, I was genuinely surprised at how much I enjoyed seasons 31-33.
I'm sure its for a whole slew of reasons, but I'm really digging the more mellow vibe Homer (and the show) has had recently.
I totally agree. I started watching Season 33 after being recommended the "Fargo" parody episodes and I really dug the season. Wonderful character stories rather than zany nonsense.
My biggest current problem now is actually a character who I didn't like at first, grew to appreciate over time, and now dislike for a different reason. Marge. I'm sorry her voice actress is just so *old* now. I hope for nothing but the best for Julie but it sounds like she is hurting herself recording her lines and that makes me feel bad which kinda interferes with watching a comedy.
Really? I enjoy 18-26 and think the show is the worst it has ever been In 30-33. Over use of dream sequences, cutting the couch gags, and hit and miss episodes.
Yeah, way better then 2000s Simpsons.
Agreed! From 2013ish to 2020 I stopped tuning in every sunday for the new episodes but nowo I feel myself wanting to come back every Sunday night
Jerkass Homer wasn't as much a character as he was a vessel for jokes. That's the difference between classic era Homer and jerkass Homer. That's why he is so despised, jerkass Homer lost all the charm that Homer had. He was just a jerk, that was his defining characteristic. It's not that classic era Homer wasn't also a jerk, but that was just part of his character and not the whole thing.
It's interesting to hear about Homer maybe being too nice. There is definitely a trend to explore characters as people, not just parents, and in doing so the writing tends to often make sympathetic characters. And it's easier to empathize with someone if they are likable than a jerk. But I do think abandoning homers more aggressive side would leave him being kind of boring and a bit hallow. The Simpsons was made in response to the TV dad's who were too nice. Homer can still be written to be likable but also flawed. Classic Homer screwed up with Marge all the time. But it was never in doubt that he loved her very much. He just wasn't good at expressing that very often. I think that balance is needed. But it is still sweet to hear he's quite kind now.
I think the crucial nuance with Homer is that he's very much a child in a grown man's body. Remember, this is a guy who lost his mother as a child, and was left with a father who very explicitly failed to be a parent to begin with. It's not surprising Homer would be left with a lot of issues.
Old Homer was a response to overly nice sitcom dads of the time, modern Homer is probably a response to modern sociopathic sitcom fathers, lol.
That first sentence describes way too many characters in modern Family Guy, American Dad, & South Park.
Homer still had other moments where he wasn't just a jerk
I am shocked that when you said he was a "huge asshole" you didn't show a picture of Hugh Jass.
dang
I'm glad he isn't there anymore. The first seasons' Homer were great (writers put their souls into the project) and it delivered.
it is so surreal to learn that there was online critical discourse for "seasons 5-9". Because these discussion platforms were less in number, but also because of the narrative that single digit seasons are "the good ones".
To be a fan that was following the show's discourse online even back then.....damn.
Honestly, I'm not that surprised. Whenever you see reactions and comments, to movies or shows, that are critically acclaimed today, but during the time they were airing and considered great, the comments don't seem as positive as you think. People just praise it more, when it's in the past and changed lol
the golden age of anything is often when the most discontentment occurs, because people care so much. later simpsons is much lesser, but no one gives enough of a shit to actually have a discourse about it (besides very general statements about the show as a whole as opposed to individual opinions on the episodes).the small remaining core of people who still care about the show are the ones who will take what they get.
I really like that Homer’s gotten nicer! It’s nice to see him progress as a character and become a better husband and father, though like Jims said, I do hope he doesn’t lose ALL of his rough edges. If he was only nice and supportive, it’d be boring after a while! Flawed characters are interesting!
Great video! If you ever decide to do a video on simpsons creepypastas, I would love to colab with you. Not sure what I would do, but I just think it would be cool to colab with you on something haha.
Homer Simpson is a creature of impulse. He never considers the long-term consequences of his actions and just does acts according to the first idea that pops into his head. That often results in him hurting the people around him, but he does it in ways that we can somewhat relate to. Most of use in the audience won't actually *do* the things that Homer does, because we're aware of the long-term consequences of our actions, but we've at least considered those things, which makes Homer a relatable character that we can laugh about.
After a certain point, on the other hand, Homer just became senselessly cruel, performing actions that most of us wouldn't even consider. That's the key difference between the Jerkass Homer years and the more relatable character that preceded him.
As for the post-Jerkass era, I can't say anything about that because I'd long since stopped watching the show by that point, and I suspect that many other long-time Simpsons fans did, too. That's why the Jerkass branding stuck for so long; it's the last impression we have of this character, so it's the one that lingers.
I really enjoy the Simpsons like many others do, and I can watch every episode 1-32 easily. They get worse, they don’t get unbearable. I think ifs worth giving them a chance
I can bare it all but I like 2-16 the best.
“Out of my way jerk ass!” still gets me every time. 🤣
i already had a feeling that season 33 was worth checking out from a serious flanders, so it's good to hear that confirmed! there's definitely merit to making homer more cuddly, and there's definitely a fair share of scenarios and gags where that has precedence, so it's not the biggest leap in the world. i also think there's equal merit in playing around with his jerkass side in a serious flanders - which, to boot, isn't canon. either way, i would definitely rather have a light-hearted homer than the interpretation we had going in some season 1 episodes (like, the choking gag is the one weird artifact from his "straight up abusive in a grounded sense" era, and they've already done more than enough "deconstructions" of it, so i'm not shocked the current writers don't use it too often)
Homers depiction in "Homer the father" and "the squirt and the whale" are hilarious and wholesome. Those are 2 fantastic later season episodes
I have to admit it was a long time since I saw Homer the Father but I adore The Squirt and The Whale. I love how Homer comforted Lisa and how he was willing to do anything to free the whale just to see his daughter happy. There were so many great moments from that episode and yes, it always felt like an episode from the Golden Age in my opinion, season 7 maybe.
@@ItsHailee7 that whole season is great too. Coming to Homerica is another great one, then the ended that season with... Lisa goes gaga 🤢🤮🤢🤮
@@michaelkeller5927 Lisa Goes Gaga is a season 23 episode unlike Coming to Homerica which is a season 20 episode.
@@ItsHailee7 ah I had my seasons mixed up. Maybe squirt and the whale was 23 as well?
@@michaelkeller5927 Season 21.
I genuinely think "When Flanders Failed" remains my favorite episode to this day. Also it's always nice to see someone challenge the narrative that Simpsons hasn't done a single good episode since the 90s.
One of my favorite all-time moments from that episode, conveniently of him being jerkass too lol. Right after the wishbone scene when Homer starts laughing maniacally, which Ned and Maude notice and get visibly uncomfortable, following with Homer choking, turning red THEN purple too, such a great moment
That's such a good episode, man. So feel-good, *all* the characters were nice, even Mr. Burns lol
That scene where the Flanderses are camping out in their car after losing their home, and Ned is putting on a brave face for his kids but confesses his true feelings of hopelessness to a guilt-stricken Homer is one of the most emotional scenes the show has ever done
There is also something that is not talked a lot in this debate.
That is: Homer hates his father and takes advantage of the fact that he is old to treat him poorly like he is a burden. This isn't a theme of an specific episode of a especific gag. This is the core of their current relationship since the beggining. The Nursing Home were Abe always lived is always portrayed as a cruel place were Homer keeps him without need.
I say this because poor treatment of Abe is often framed as Jerkass Homer, but the constant dynamic of Homer letting him waiting to die in a nursing home he hates and barely bothering to ever visit is something he does from the beggining. When Homer keeps Abe from seeing Bea in her last day on earth, Homed didn't atone, it wasn't a Home Redemption, and it was Season 2.
So I don't really find weird that even a nicer homer would fantasise killing Abe. Their father-son dynamic will always be toxic. Even in the earlier years.
I'd agree that's a factor but that then gets onto the thornier issue of how much of that Abe brought upon himself by his repeated mistreatment if not outright abuse of Homer when he was growing up. Certainly seems to be a big factor in why Homer has such anger in him.
Interestingly most of the cases for the defence against are in the 20-29 period of the show where they make a point of showing how rough Abe had it and what good things he managed to in spite of that.
@@stryke-jn3kv The Simpsons has it's own stories of generational trauma long before Encanto and Turning Red, but since it's played for comedy or not fully explored, people don't tend to cite it as often. Homer and Marge are both products of generational trauma.
@@stryke-jn3kv I agree, it is like what this video showed for Homer. I think Abe really did benefit from the "Parents as people" aproach, to show that he may have been a bad father, and may not know how to show Homer that he was loved, but he hadn't the best hand in the game and still did his best raising Homer after being abandoned.
@@TuesdaysArt its rarely explored and, perhaps most importantly, its never ever resolved. While one could argue that generational trauma sometimes never gets resolved in real life, if you are going to do a story about it, there should be some kind of partial resolution at least, and that never really happens consistently
@@DimT670 Moaning Lisa has Marge tell Lisa that she doesn't have to pretend to be happy (something Marge's mother taught her as a child), though something about Marge saying that she'd do all the smiling for the both of them feels unsettling because Marge isn't addressing her own trauma.
But yeah-The Simpsons has potential to cover generational trauma and it has already planted the seeds, but since it's an episodic comedy, we don't get to see Homer and Marge unpack their childhood trauma and reflect on how its impacting the children.
Since you’ve done 25 Simpsons Histories, and with the most recent season giving him one of his most noteworthy spotlights, I think it’s finally time for a Simpsons Histories on Ned Flanders, especially since the term “Flanderization” was named after him. It will be over half an hour long, and I will watch it at least a dozen times.
It’s odd, I always knew that prime jerkass Homer didn’t last forever but but I didn’t think that it’s demise would be set to a specific moment. Just that at some point after the show switched to digital ink, Homer lost most of his antagonistic traits as he kept becoming dumber while Marge became the more negative presence in most of the episodes (they really became obsessed with marriage crisis storylines around this time and I don’t think they ever stopped). Anyways, might be interesting to see your perspective.
I don't know man, there's like 3 or 4 "marriage crisis" episodes in the first season. So why does the early seasons get a pass on that sort of thing?
@@ianfinrir8724 The first season isn’t really a good example. They really toned it down during the golden age. Not denying that there weren’t any but they were few and far between. In the past 15 years or so, however, it feels like almost every episode follows the same formula and almost always has a marriage crisis at some point.
@@ianfinrir8724 how the fuck are you gonna judge a FIRST SEASON against seasons twenty years down the line??? They should have EXPERIENCE by that point
I honestly kinda love "nice ass homer." It may be a bit less fun in some ways but I like the idea of a character actually improving over time and having more of those moments of good Homer since I always really liked those, and we're still not missing more jerky Homer completely either certainly lol
Most of us stopped following the show properly in the Jerkass Homer period, that's why we think it's still going.
Great video. Couple things:
- I got through 17 minutes of this thinking “did he forget Good Homer is dead and Evil Homer dances on his grave?” But you got there. Lol
- as you mention, Homer being jerky in the earlier years is often forgiven because he is The Everyman which drives the plot further. Homer in “Lisa On Ice” or “Homer Goes To College” is not Homer: he is the Common Overbearing Youth Sports Dad, and Common Wide-Eyed College Freshman. We know those people - we may have been those people…and they can be jerks.
- IMO Jerkass Homer only resides in this space: where Homer actively doing ignorant things just to do them is the point. Whether main plot or B-plot. Examples off the top of my head:
Max Power
Glove Slap
Buying Snake’s classic car at a police auction, putting non-premium gas in it, and standing on the hood of it having fight to the death while it is still in motion - only for it to crash into a house that is being shown for sale
TLDR - one persons’ “jerk” is another’s confident person. But Pointlessly Overconfident Homer marks him as a Jerkass.
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I hate it when people write off a lot of modern Simpsons due to jerkass Homer and the slump period in the 2000s, when they haven’t watched any/much of the HD seasons, so this video is much appreciated. Amazing as always, Jims!
there is tons of good episodes in the modern seasons
I haven't watched Simpsons in years, so yeah, I thought he was still jerkass Homer also, until this video, because of Season 10 onwards, plus the many hate videos on Homer's character still lol
Every so often I try to watch a modern episode and they just aren't very good. Too many references, too little real life story telling. I just can't get into the newer episodes
@@Contemplativeman101 i see it very different
I haven't watched any simpsons post 2007-2008 just after the movie, I wrote it off as declining and then forgot about it, now i'm back and starting from S1
I've never really stopped enjoying the show, but I absolutely loved this latest season. I know some people want him to have more edge to him, but I really can't complain given how good most of the episodes were. Great video as always!
blasphemous (not referred to opinions)
Is strange that, here in Latin America, we never discuss this era. Au contraire, this is considered as still part of the Classic Simpsons era (and for some people it's even the best one and they remember it with special nostalgia from their childhoods due to its wacky humor (as during that time, some networks finally gave up trying to sell the Simpsons as an "adult" cartoon (as adults didn't gave a damn about the show) and moved it to Saturday morning or after school slots. (How? to give you the contrast, we have uncensored anime here) Also, people tend to love characters with that personality: comical dumbasses who fall under karma soon or learn their lesson before disaster strikes
@Scratchy Lo de au contraire fue de siútico nomas xD, pero lo del paréntesis no me dí cuenta hasta que ya era tarde :P
2:16 Homer with fingernails makes me more uncomfortable than it should
One hour ago, I thought: "It's Friday, weekend is coming, now would be a good time for a new TheRealJims video".
And here it is!! You are amazing!!!!
I swear, that bit on the "typical Simpson retrospective" comes off like a dig at Super Eyepatch Wolf
I can see why it would come off that way but it was meant more of a dig at Dead Homers Society (the Zombie Simpsons writeup), if anything
Honestly the legacy of Jerkass Homer is probably because so many of us haven't watched Simpsons since season 16 or so
Really loved this commentary! This actually made me want to check out the newer seasons, so thank you for that.
10:52 In a later episode, Homer literally refers to the Boob Lady as his therapist, so this checks out.
I can't believe you made me emotional for Jerkass Homer with that final montage. Bravo!
This video is excellently made and does showcase why i think certain criticism of the show is only through a certain time but people can overuse it to dunk on the show past the golden age
people are like that in every fandom tho
just look at the last jedi, one of the best star wars movies
but people love to dunk on it for some reason
@@ViktorKruger99 that movie was okay but I had to watch Luke skywalker drink hot green milk from a shriveled testicle monster and that’s kinda unforgivable
@@ViktorKruger99 last Jedi sucked ass, in what way is it a good movie?
@@bigmoneyswager what do you mean thats the best part
@@john2432 just wait a few years
I never thought people will ever like the middle seasons of the simpsons but here we are
someday you will feel the same nostalgia for the last jedi and you will like it then
I do remember watching the recent ish lacrosse episode where the main conflict is about Homer not wanting to hurt Kirk van Houtens feelings And definitely feeling like homer had gone too soft.
You have an incredible way of presenting the arguments of different perspectives in your videos!
I assumed Homer became nice in the last season, because of stuff out of the show. The world is a mess and really stressful, so turning on the TV and seeing a nice Homer instead of a mean one is better.
That S19 fantasy of Homer killing Grandpa looks Ike a shot for shot parody/tribute to a pivotal scene from the final season of The Sopranos.
Wow this is a very deep video with a very deep dive into Homer’s real personality in so much detail, never seen anything like this! Awesome job
I don't know if Jim didn't know or just didn't mention that the fantasy murder of Grandpa is a Sopranos spoof of Tony killing Chrissie, LS Mark in his every episode review also expressed outrage at this scene without knowing (seemingly) that it's spoof. It does change the context if you know, but I guess would seem super bleak if not
Maybe because 1- that death is not iconic enough to give it a parody like the shower kill in psycho, or even the "face off" kill in breaking bad
2 - It came out in the last episode of the sopranos and at that time everybody was more dissapointed with the ending more that that scene alone, its kinda like the cleganebowl scene from game of thrones it was a moment every die hard fan was waiting but since the entire season was a mess almost everybody overlook it and saw it as a bland fanservise moment
3- even taking aside the parody aspect its still a mess up thing homer will do to his father, since they don't even a similar hate-love relationship as Tony and Chris, if it were Itchy and Scratchy then the parody makes scense, but not Homer and Abe. Its kinda like when they did the S&M spoof from pulp fiction in 22 short films, and they use herman as the perpetrator, making the writters to not using him anymore since they explore him "enough"
this vid was phenomenal and i love your takes. nice job!!!!!
"Jerk Ass Homer has somehow transformed into Nice Ass Homer."
Oh he was always Nice Ass Homer if you know what I mean.
I think that what they should do is show an episode where homer goes absolutely ballistic and "jerkass" against somebody who insulted his family. To show how he didnt fundamentally change, but evolve and learned how and when to unleash his rage.
That's actually sounds pretty good
Great video RealJims! Your Simpsons insight is always informatively entertaining.
I actually found Jerkass Homer to be hilarious plenty of times in the first few seasons he was on
I must admit the whole time through this, I was waiting for a certain other guy, one who's apparently a family man of some kind, with a show that's titled about this guy to come up, especially as it often seems to me that Family Guy arguably took over the popular niche the Simpsons had when I was growing up, to the point I remember having lots of others my age who'd enjoyed the Simpsons like me constantly telling me to watch Family Guy because 'it's your kind of humour' which always saddened me that that was what they thought of my jokes etc. Either way, I did feel that show and Jerkass Homer are linked in a sense, I always felt Family Guy's popularity either made Jerkass Homer stick more (I don't know which came first) or possibly inspired Jerkass Homer to become more of a thing during the period you mentioned. I've seen South Park also mentioned but I always felt that seemed to have it's own niche personally, granted I guess 'edgy comedy' like South Park is possibly part of what contributed to the rise of Jerkass Homer.
Speaking of the Family Man all this time, I'm curious Jims, when do you think you might pull the trigger on the big one and go over the Simpsons Guy? You can probably guess from what I've said I don't have a very high opinion of Family Guy, but I admit I do like listening to things sometimes about it so I would definitely be interested in seeing what you have to say about it.
Family Man certainly stole the Jerk-Ass shtick and dialled it up to 11. Basically bludgeons his daughter almost to death once a season.
Jerkass Homer and his likability to an audience can be evaluated by whether he is being genuinely stupid/thoughtless or rude/selfish. The former is easily forgiven and the latter not so much.
I love this channel soooo much. Keep up the good work
A great video, but I just wanted to shout out how lovely your ending montage was! Great editing and choice of song!
Great video. As you say, Jerkass Homer was nothing but a phase, and nowadays it's just something people who haven't seen the show in years like to bring up to shit on it.
TBH I always thought that in the 2007-2015 area Simpson's were trying to compete jerkiness with family guy.
Now I know Simpson's has been doing the "jerkass" thing a while before family guy but i feel like as family guy grew & became more edgy specifically with peter, They wanted to either match that or be more extreme with it.
Very well done especially on the opening and ending.
Really happy to see you cover season 33 in some way! I'm really eager to see your opinions on that season in particular and the changes it brought not only for homer but for the whole cast.
“Egghead likes his books-wook! Just tucking him in!”
As a relatively young father myself, I love the jerkass homer trope as a comedic example/stereotype of being a dad irl. Obviously not to draw inspiration in actual behavior, but to embrace your own flaws/mistakes, add some levity to what is a very serious responsibility, and always look like an ideal dad in comparison 😄
Loved the little musical montage at the end. Reminded me of the early days of this channel somehow
God, at 12:58 when you said "Nice Ass Homer" mixed with that still image, I reckon that's the hardest I've ever laughed during any of your videos, and easily the most I've reminded and replayed a moment. Bravo!
I think also helps to look at the tv landscape in general when thinking about the Simpson’s. In the early era he was based of live action sitcom dads with the bad aspects dialed up. In the 2000s-early 2010s he was a jerk because family guy was so successful and they were letting that influence the show. Now in the later 2010s-present bobs burgers is a super successful show with a nice dad so they realize they don’t need him to be a huge jerk
Honestly, when I did my huge Simpsons binge stretching from last year to this year, I was shocked to find that Jerk-Ass Marge was more of a thing in the later seasons than Homer.
Major props to you for actually bothering to research the topic instead of resorting to lazy cliches! This was an interesting, nuanced video.
ngl, this channel makes me wanna get back into modern simpsons, I use to looooove simpsons but genuinely haven't watched it in years, I shold check out the movie again
Thanks for this. I was a mega fan until around season 10 or 11. And now when I attempt to watch the series all the way thru, those seasons usually kill the momentum. Hell, I never even knew that homer grew out of the worst of it.
Just here to say THANK YOU and Simpsons is experiencing a Rennaissance, in my opinion. It's making me laugh more than some early seasons and that is A SHOCK. Caring father Homer is so absolutely endearing that it is just a comfort all on its own! Thanks for making this!
I heard Dialima tu Kafé for the first time when I was in middle school and am so impressed to see it in a UA-cam video from like, right now. Great music choice!
I have never thought of homer in the seasons 10-20 that way! Thanks for the new perspective!
Season 33 was supremely wholesome and actually funny as hell in a lot of moments. Glad to see someone actually talking about it.
Seeing the newest episodes of Simpsons I genuinely like how Homer shows how much he cares about his family even to the point where he says the family will have a funeral for one of Lisa’s paper projects when the house gets flooded
I'm totally here for Teddy Bear Homer. I love how close he and Marge have been this past season.
I would say it began under Mirkin, paused under Oakley and Weinstein, and rebegan under Scully.
That's an incredible tribute at the end mate x thanks for all you do!
I love the direction the Simpsons have taken Homer in, especially since season 31. Like I get the point of making him a complete ass at times, but I think that the story building and relationships the writers are able to craft around an actually caring Homer (even if he is very naive and neglectful sometimes lol) are so much more compelling and fit his original characterization more. I, for one, love a “Nice Guy Homer” story :)
Ig he’s not rlly a “nice guy” but he’s able to have some self introspection and at least tries to grow 👍
Feels like a blank slate to me
your best video so far!! :))
This video was a really nice watch for someone who hasn’t watch more modern simpson episodes. I am glad to see how things have changed without me noticing!
IMHO A big reason why Jerkass homer died and likely won't be resurrected within the following seasons of the show also has a lot to do with the other series especially the animated ones on FOX that have come out and become hits in the following years. Since quite honestly you do have to remember that for awhile The Simpsons as the first major adult animated program in ages (and certainly the first in America that fully warranted a PG) it tested a lot of waters with characters in animation you wouldn't see before. Including getting to see animated fathers get away with kind of such awful and jerkish behavior even if at the end of the day they were suppose to still be sympathetic in some form. However quite honestly that's been broken several times since then. Hell within Matt Groening's animated series, jerkass Homer had nothing really from Bender on Futurama who was seen as not only funnier but could get away with more due to technically not really regularly seen being a father (it usually being a gag for an episode or two with only bits of it taken seriously) and having a freshness to it that Homer had warn out. And then of course you have Peter Griffin of Family Guy who... yeah i terms of jerkass dads is like a billion times worse. Whose idioticy and boorishness and arrogance even within the "canon" of the show just made him horrible (especially when the show came back) that yeah it felt pointless trying to have Homer come off so awful on the Simpsons when other series could do that sort of comedy with a lot more edge.
And now of course you have Bob Belcher in Bob's Burger the total opposite. I guess you could argue before there was Hank Hill in King of the Hill who the more stable rationale head of the family but that was still a show where it was expected to have some member of the family (more the father of Hank Cotton in that case) have jackasses to cause problems but... that is not as much the case with Bob's Burgers at all as that offers a nicer more generally tighter knit kind of family that I think the Simpsons realizes as a more generally positive thing thus yeah another reason to make Homer like a teddy bear. It especially shows how much more interesting he is as that since yeah "Pixilated and Afraid" is such a great episode and it makes episodes that still try and give Homer and Marge pointless relationship drama like "Pretty Whittle Liar" all the more obnoxious.
Still appreciate this going over that period of Homer's character and pointing out how it's no longer really been a part of the show for ages and how honestly the series is better itself for it as for why it was more acceptable originally compared to say the Scully Era. Admittedly there are still some really funny jerkass Homer episodes ("Trash of The Titans") but yeah that Homer got really old and annoying and I'm glad isn't really used anymore.
I don't generally go out of my way to watch modern Simpsons, but I do check it out from time to time if I have reason to think a given episode might be worth watching. I have to admit, from the scattered collection of HD-era episodes I've seen, I've definitely gotten the impression that Jerkass Homer (and really, the trend of characters being more unlikeable and/or flanderized in general) was much more relegated to the early middle seasons than you'd expect from how much that gets cited as one of the big problems of modern Simpsons. So a video analyzing and discussing that exact trend is much appreciated!
that outro comp is legendary
The episode Pixelated and afraid was my favorite episode of season 33. That was a nice mix of current Homer and funny
Worth mentioning that all the examples of modern father figures being supportive are from kids movies - sweet ass Homer is deliberately written for a younger audience. I'm glad jerkass Homer is gone but it's clear the swing in the other direction wasn't just some writers making a stand for who they thought Homer should be - it's a business decision.
It’s weird, the Simpsons works best for me when it’s balanced. Season 33 was good, no doubt about it, but parts of it did feel really toothless. The finale is one of my favorite post classic episodes however, it kicks so much ass
I was so excited at the level of political commentary. THAT felt like it had some edge
Great look at Jerkass Homer Jim. Keep up the great work!
great video, as always