Homer's Phobia
- Episode aired Feb 16, 1997
- TV-14
- 23m
IMDb RATING
8.8/10
4.5K
YOUR RATING
After Marge befriends John, a gay store owner, Homer worries that his presence will have a negative effect on Bart's sexuality.After Marge befriends John, a gay store owner, Homer worries that his presence will have a negative effect on Bart's sexuality.After Marge befriends John, a gay store owner, Homer worries that his presence will have a negative effect on Bart's sexuality.
Photos
Dan Castellaneta
- Homer Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Julie Kavner
- Marge Simpson
- (voice)
Nancy Cartwright
- Bart Simpson
- (voice)
- …
Yeardley Smith
- Lisa Simpson
- (voice)
Hank Azaria
- Steel Mill Worker #2
- (voice)
- …
Harry Shearer
- Skinner
- (voice)
- …
John Waters
- John
- (voice)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Bill Oakley, the Fox censor objected to the episode being aired. The normal procedure is for an episode's script to be sent to the censor and then faxed back with a list of lines and words that should be substituted. However, this episode came back with two pages of notes about almost every single line in the show. The censors stated that they did not like the use of the word "gay", or the discussion of homosexuality at all, and closed with a paragraph that stated that "the topic and substance of this episode are unacceptable for broadcast". Usually the censor notes are ignored as the offending lines and problems are dealt with after the episode has been animated. In this case, the entire episode was deemed a problem, so it could not be solved in this way. The staff asked John Waters if he thought the gay community would find the episode offensive. Homer's use of the word "fag" to insult John was his only problem, so the writers changed it to "queer".[9] The censor problems ultimately came to nothing as when the episode came back from animation in South Korea, the then-Fox president had just been fired and replaced, with the censors being replaced as well. The new censors sent back merely one line: "acceptable for broadcast".
- GoofsJohn is shown wearing Homer's old bowling shirt from the episode "Team Homer." At the end of that episode, that shirt was torn to shreds by one of Burns's hounds.
- Quotes
Bart Simpson: Something about a bunch of guys alone together in the woods... seems kinda gay.
- Crazy creditsThe words "Dedicated to the steelworkers of America - keep reaching for that rainbow!" appear in all-capital letters onscreen as John drives off in the final scene.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Simpsons: Behind the Laughter (2000)
- SoundtracksEverybody Dance Now
(uncredited)
Written by Robert Clivillés and Freedom Williams
Performed by C+C Music Factory
Featured review
Good, but dated
Homer's Phobia should be considered a groundbreaking and influential episode of Simpsons tackling homophobia back when it was still considered a bit of a taboo to be gay supportive. And for that, the episode deserves a lot of respect and appreciation. Especially since censors at the time almost stopped the episode from ever happening.
However, that being said? The episode heavily implies that you need to be flamboyant and effeminate and acting like a stereotypical gay man in order to be gay. Don't get me wrong, John is still depicted in a fairly subdued fashion... but, he's also obsessed with fashion and talking and acting like a stereotypical fashion-obsessed gay guy.
In fact, Marge never even got to know John WAS gay before telling Homer he's gay. Marge thought he ACTED gay and made an assumption, and then just so happened to be right about that assumption.
Now, there's nothing wrong with being a feminine gay guy. Heck, I myself am a feminine gay guy. But I think it's important to show people that gay guys can look and act in all sort of ways, not just the stereotypical ways. They don't even try to break the stereotype that supposedly only heterosexual men go deer hunting, which is... odd.
All that being said, this is still one of the most important and influential and groundbreaking episodes of the Simpsons show. It's just that by today's standards, some of it's aspects can come across a bit distasteful by implying you need to act in certain ways in order to be gay.
However, that being said? The episode heavily implies that you need to be flamboyant and effeminate and acting like a stereotypical gay man in order to be gay. Don't get me wrong, John is still depicted in a fairly subdued fashion... but, he's also obsessed with fashion and talking and acting like a stereotypical fashion-obsessed gay guy.
In fact, Marge never even got to know John WAS gay before telling Homer he's gay. Marge thought he ACTED gay and made an assumption, and then just so happened to be right about that assumption.
Now, there's nothing wrong with being a feminine gay guy. Heck, I myself am a feminine gay guy. But I think it's important to show people that gay guys can look and act in all sort of ways, not just the stereotypical ways. They don't even try to break the stereotype that supposedly only heterosexual men go deer hunting, which is... odd.
All that being said, this is still one of the most important and influential and groundbreaking episodes of the Simpsons show. It's just that by today's standards, some of it's aspects can come across a bit distasteful by implying you need to act in certain ways in order to be gay.
helpful•2214
- kurvos
- Jun 11, 2019
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