Homer's Phobia
- Episode aired Feb 16, 1997
- TV-14
- 23m
IMDb RATING
8.8/10
4.4K
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
I like my beer cold, my TV loud, and...
Homer displays a homophobic attitude towards a new friend of the family.
This is a classic episode.
The writers make fantastic use of Homer and Bart as they negotiate the subjects of sexuality and bigotry in a hilarious way thanks to a certain guest character.
Some viewers think John is written too stereotypically effeminate as a gay man, but it is a fact of life that many gay men (not all) display effeminate characteristics. In fact, you would swear the writers had based John on a gay friend of mine such is the closeness in personality traits!
Key to enjoying this episode is appreciating that many Western societies during its era of release were deeply homophobic. Calling someone "gay" was a common place insult amongst heterosexual males for the slightest indiscretion (like not finishing your beer) and rarely challenged as wrong in any way.
For me it's a 9.5/10, but I round upwards.
This is a classic episode.
The writers make fantastic use of Homer and Bart as they negotiate the subjects of sexuality and bigotry in a hilarious way thanks to a certain guest character.
Some viewers think John is written too stereotypically effeminate as a gay man, but it is a fact of life that many gay men (not all) display effeminate characteristics. In fact, you would swear the writers had based John on a gay friend of mine such is the closeness in personality traits!
Key to enjoying this episode is appreciating that many Western societies during its era of release were deeply homophobic. Calling someone "gay" was a common place insult amongst heterosexual males for the slightest indiscretion (like not finishing your beer) and rarely challenged as wrong in any way.
For me it's a 9.5/10, but I round upwards.
helpful•41
- snoozejonc
- Feb 12, 2023
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