It was recently announced that there will be two beloved Treehouse of Horror episodes in 2022, with The Simpsons patriarch, Homer, represents the prototypical white American male at his least flattering, maintaining a comfortable lifestyle for himself and his family despite an apparent lack of meaningful skill or intellect.
Despite his surface-level identity as a common man, the character's background has been bolstered by unrealistic-yet-fascinating biographical details that are largely responsible for the relevance that he has maintained for over three decades. The most ardent Simpsons fans are likely the only of the general public to know the following background information about the character who is perhaps the most iconic and beloved in the history of American popular culture.
His Salary Is $25,000 Per Year
A Time article from 2020 analyzing the dated lifestyle of the Simpson family deduced that Homer's annual salary is $25,000. Given Marge's status as a homemaker, the family's ability to own a house and travel with decent regularity is not realistic in the present day, despite having been plausible at the time of the series' debut in 1989.
Much of The Simpsons' appeal derives from its thematic consistency, and the show's writers have likely refrained from modernizing the family's living circumstances as a result.
He Designed A Car For A Major Auto Manufacturer
The Simpsons has often drifted into surreal, dreamlike territory, exemplified by an early episode called "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" in which Homer meets his recently-discovered half-brother and designs a car for the newfound relative's successful auto company (likely one of the stupidest ways Homer tried to make money).
The vehicle is comically horrible, including features such as horns that play "La Cucaracha" and a soundproof dome to place over child engers. This is one of many instances in which the series has satirized common trends in American culture and the more absurd excesses of capitalism.
He Has Held At Least 191 Jobs
Homer's primary occupation throughout The Simpsons' run has been that of safety inspector for Springfield's nuclear power plant, but the character has dabbled in nearly 200 other fields since the series' debut in 1989.
According to Vox, Homer's gigs have ranged from low-wage work such as food service to prestigious arenas such as business ownership and professional athletics (within the world of the show, he is a former curler for Team USA.) The Simpsons is notable for briefly sending characters into unexpected directions before returning them to domesticity.
His Voice Changed
Dan Castellaneta, the voice of Homer Simpson since the character's inception, stated in a 2010 interview with Entertainment Weekly that he originally employed a different voice for Homer before altering it to one that was more sustainable over the course of longer recording sessions.
Castellaneta told the outlet, "Originally, on the one-minute interstitials on The Tracey Ullman Show [which debuted in 1987], he had a very big overbite, so I immediately thought of Walter Matthau ... I couldn't get the variety out of that voice, so then it started to drop down in the throat where I had more power."
He Modeled For Balenciaga
In a memorable 2021 episode of The Simpsons, the series' creative team partnered with the French fashion house Balenciaga to produce an episode in which the unglamorous American family travels to Paris to model high-end clothing on a prestigious runway.
While Homer initially requests an outfit for Marge, he ultimately wears one himself, marking an uncharacteristic moment for the uncultured factory worker (his decision to the company for Marge's benefit distinguishes this episode as one of the best centered on Homer and Marge). According to The New York Times, the episode took nearly a year to produce, a time frame that is significantly longer than the program's standard.
He Has Met Multiple Rock Stars
Celebrities have been incorporated into The Simpsons since early in the series’ run, and Homer — an individual who would likely never make with such prominent figures in actuality — has interacted with them on multiple occasions.
A 2009 Rolling Stone article that lists each notable musical act to appear on the show cites Homer as having met industry titans ranging from George Harrison to The Who. Homer’s life straddles the ordinary and the extraordinary in a fashion that can only be accomplished in the most imaginative of fictional settings.
His Dream Job Was Working At A Bowling Alley
Homer, who lives simply and wants little from life, held ambitions so modest that his ultimate dream was to work at a bowling alley (he ultimately sacrificed this job in order to earn a high enough income to his enlarged family when Maggie was born).
Despite Homer’s myriad flaws and the frustrations that he directs toward his children, he repeatedly demonstrates his care for his family by placing their wants ahead of his own and giving the best fatherly advice seen on The Simpsons, rendering him a three-dimensional representation of real fathers rather than a stock character.
His Medical Bills Total $143 Million
Homer has frequently engaged in foolish behavior throughout The Simpsons’ run, with his antics often resulting in critical and costly injuries. The A.V. Club reports that the medical bills Homer has sustained would amount to $143,000,000, a total that would be difficult to afford for an employee of his standing.
Homer’s reckless and childish behavior has provided audiences with countless hours of entertainment, despite the havoc that it would have wreaked on the Simpsons had they lived in the real world and faced the associated consequences.
His Middle Name Is Jay
Casual Simpsons viewers and those only familiar with the show via licensing are likely unaware that Homer’s full name is Homer Jay Simpson. His family were given full names, as well. Marge’s is Marjorie Jacqueline Bouvier Simpson, Lisa’s is Lisa Marie Simpson, Bart’s is Bartholomew Jojo Simpson, and Maggie’s is Margaret Evelyn Simpson.
The writers’ insistence on including details as specific as this shows their dedication to realizing the series' world to the fullest extent possible and ensuring that it remained a landmark of American entertainment well into the successive century.
His Mother Took Him To Woodstock
Due to the characters’ failure to age significantly despite the age of time, Homer has been depicted as a child in various decades (this sense of timelessness has contributed to his reputation as one of the best cartoon characters of the 1990s).
In a flashback that depicted him as a young boy in the 1960s, Homer’s mother, Mona — a member of the era’s counterculture movement — took her son to the noteworthy Woodstock music festival. While Homer appears to be more apolitical than radical in adulthood, this boyhood experience presents him as a more nuanced character than viewers may have given him credit for.