The Simpsons television series has likely supplanted The Three Stooges as a form of entertainment that most clearly identifies the cerebral chasm between men and women. Most men think the show is hilarious and most women think the show and its audience are immature and the humour inane.
Much of the comedic content of the show is deeply rooted in social satire. It delightfully exaggerates North American society's flaws and foibles. The show often plows over political correctness and exploits stereotypes. It's characters represent an irreverent cross-section of western society featuring multiple generations, ethnicity and class levels.
Homer Jay Simpson is one of the central characters of the show. The patriarch of the Simpson family, Homer is boorish, ignorant, lazy, impulsive, clumsy and strangely lovable. He is perhaps the worst communicator in all of fiction, largely because most of the time he's not really paying attention to what is going on around him. There are qualities to Homer to which many people secretly identify. Homer is a big dreamer. He hates his job and resents the subordination it requires. He is overconfident and under-skilled. He is constantly searching for the short-cut to success, but will often settle for the simplest of pleasures to appease his immediate desires.
Homer is prone to spectacular acts of selfishness. It is almost always his downfall. It would be easy to propose that we are in some way all a little like Homer Simpson. In reality, almost none of us could expect the kind of tolerance that his long suffering wife seems to have in abundance. Marge Simpson may well be the only adult character in the show who could tolerate Homer's unending stream of lame-brain schemes, descents into abject gluttony and general lack of concern for the needs of others. Yet, she consistently forgives and even defends her husband.
No one would blame Marge Simpson for walking away from a husband who so frequently finds ways to offend and embarrass her. Could it be that Marge sees something in Homer that we often don't see in one another? For all of his flaws, and they are abundant and glaring, there is a sincerity to Homer. He rarely disguises his intent, in fact he is often boastful of his ideas, even when they are completely beyond reason. His emotions are not tucked away in some deep crevice of his mind, they are almost always on display for the world. He is shameless, but not always in a bad way. In essence Marge recognizes that Homer's actions are not driven by contempt and maliciousness, just a basic and common human drive to find something, anything better than what we already have.
The core of what motivates Homer's actions is not a little like us, it is exactly like us. We are all engaged in a pursuit to improve our lives, our circumstances and ourselves. It is only in the actions we take that we distinguish ourselves from the hapless Homer. What has always made the character amusing and even endearing is his capacity to say and do things that had already crossed our minds, but we never considered acting upon. Our actions are governed to a degree by self-control and also at times by trepidation. It has often been said that there is no reward that comes without some risk. Homer's fearlessness in his often ill-considered and misinformed antics strikes a chord with us.
Despite his flaws, Homer Simpson cares deeply for the people around him. His comic failings steal the spotlight from his compassion and sense of duty. Marge sees it, even his kids see it, which is perhaps the character's saving grace.
Seeing the person beyond their actions, reputation or failures is not always easy to do, but isn't that what we hope for ourselves? We are much more than a single act, a poor choice or a momentary lapse in judgment. We have hopes, dreams and compassion. If we acknowledge these things in ourselves, how willing are we to see it in others?
Something to ponder over your next doughnut ...mmm, doughnut.
Go Habs, Go
No comments:
Post a Comment