Homer, in the world today, is an icon of a good husband. Though he has his rough moments with Marge, it is clear that they love each other and have a very strong relationship. They often fight about the little things but this is a perfect example of an average family in today's society. They may seem to fight more than a lot of families but in reality, every family has these little fights. Homer and Marge's fights may seem to be deep rooted but both of them give in sometimes in order to get along. When Homer knows he is wrong, sometimes it takes longer than other times, he gives in to Marge. Homer also tries to treat Marge like a queen. He is sometimes slower than other men but he realizes after awhile when Marge needs love and when she needs space. This is a good example for husbands in today's society (Findlay).
"Marge, you're as beautiful as Princess Leia and as smart as Yoda." -Homer Simpson ("Homer Simpson Quotes")
Homer Simpson as a Father
Homer has lately been depicted as the best, or one of the best, television dads of our time (Findlay). This may seem strange at first considering this comedic character is lazy and often gets into trouble, but on some closer inspection, it is quite apparent. Homer is not the stereotypical, sweater wearing, dog loving, father, but there are still several traits in which Homer can be respected as far as fathers go. He always spends time with his kids and gives them advice to the best of his knowledge (Findlay). These traits, especially in today's society where parents are constantly working and never spending time with their children, are really hard to find. Homer may seem lazy but it is obvious that he cares and will always be there for his children.
"When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something." -Homer Simpson ("Homer Simpson Quotes")
Homer Simpson as a Model Citizen
Taking a first glance at Homer Simpson most people would not see him as a model citizen. He seems to be the person who just sits on his butt in front of the television eating doughnuts and drinking beer. However this is not all of who he is. Homer Simpson can be classified as a model citizen in America today. He has a job, a family and many friends. His wife does not work so therefore he is the income for the family. He support and provides very well for his family. He is a Christian and attends church weekly. He has close ties with his local officials such as the priest, the local grocer, and the town millionaire. These ties come in handy in the Simpson families life. Homer has many friends which he hangs out with all the time. He helps out in the community with things such as picking up trash on the highways, and volunteering at the local retirement home where his father lives. What Homer does in the privacy of his own home does not affect how he helps his community. Homer is a model citizen in today's community (Singh).
"I have to work overtime at work instead of spending time with my wife and kids, which is what I want." -Homer Simpson ("Homer Simpson Quotes")
Homer Simpson as a Philosopher
Homer Simpson is not known for being smart. In fact many people think of him as an idiot. This is not true however. Many colleges and universities are using Homer Simpson as a philosopher in their classes (Connors). Homer Simpson says things that on the surface seem to be not well thought of. But if you take a deeper look these things are in fact very deep thoughts. Many professors use Homer Simpsons name to draw in a class and then shows them how in today's society many of the television shows we all watch have some kind of purpose behind them (Connors). Homer Simpson is a very thoughtful person when you think of some of the things he says.
"I'm not a bad guy! I work hard and I love my kids. So why should I spend half of my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to Hell?" -Homer Simpson ("Homer Simpson Quotes")
Homer Simpson as an Overall American Icon
Maasik and Solomon say in their chapter on American icons that, "...it [the importance of entertainment in our culture after 9/11] indicates just how profoundly an entertainment culture we have become, and while the attacks (September 11th) may have made this more apparent, they could not alter the fact that it was to entertainment and its icons that many Americans turned for consolation in the aftermath of the catastrophe" (724). This is a great example of how television shows can be American icons. Since they are not real life families we can make them do whatever we want. If we want them to marry and have a happy family, we can make them do this. Cartoon families are the same way, and even more to our advantage, they are not real. This makes it possible for us to make cartoon families do supernatural things. We can make cartoons be two places at once, or die and come back to life in the next episode like nothing happened. These things make it possible for Americans to try to live up to something we will never be.
The Simpson family is a cartoon family that was made by Americans. Therefore they have to be some sort of icon that depicts the American culture. Believe it or not Homer Simpson is a very important American icon. Homer represents a good father, a good husband, and in general, a good American. It is made clear that he is not the smartest, handsomest, strongest or best American, just that he works hard and cares. He has a good attitude toward life, and even if he does not have an attitude about what happens to be going at a specific time, he always sucks it up and does what he has to do, even if he does not want to. He is very respectable in many senses and is always reliable in caring for his family, financially and emotionally.
The Simpsons can be seen as a 1950's family with a twist. There is a mother, a father, three kids, and a dog and cat for pets. They live in a nice suburb neighborhood with many other families just like them. Homer, the father, is a working man and supports his family through money. Marge, the mother, is a stay at home mom who cooks, cleans and takes care of the children. The three children are all very different. One is a brat, one is genius and the baby just sits by and watches. This is another way that the Simpson family can be seen as an American icon. They are what everyone wants to be. However the family is not perfect. They children get into trouble a lot, Homer gets fired and re-hired from his job at the power plant a lot and Marge tries but fails sometimes to keep the family running smoothly. Again this is more of an average family today. This is another reason of how the Simpson family can be an American icon.
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