The Best Wholesome Fatherhood Moments from Homer Simpson
The world of The Simpsons is sadly lacking in positive male role models — plus-sized ones, on the other hand, aren’t quite as hard to come by.
In recent weeks, Homer Simpson has received significant attention for his, uh, “controversial” parenting techniques. After a recent episode of The Simpsons seemed to suggest that he had decided to stop strangling Bart with a “Why you little —” every time his oldest son gets into trouble, the show’s producers had to walk back the “clickbaiting” headlines and clarify that corporal punishment would continue in the Simpsons household. As such, the patriarch of the longest-running animated sitcom in history is still a far cry from an ideal father, but it’s not like he’s the world’s worst dad, either. Plus, it’s not like Abe was any great example.
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Despite his many shortcomings as a child-rearer, Homer has had a handful of genuinely touching moments that remind us why his family continues to stick by his side after so many disastrous diversions they’ve suffered as a result of his incompetence as a caretaker. The Simpsons subreddit recently discussed which of Homer’s moments as a dad were the most heartwarming. Here are their top picks, starting with…
He Dug Bart Out of the Well
Homer shares the credit for this one with Willie and the rest of the men of Springfield (and Sting), but it’s still worth noting that, when the rest of the world was against Bart for his phony-story-turned-nightmarish-reality about a boy trapped in the world in “Radio Bart,” he still had his old man on his side.
His Side-Job at the Kwik-E-Mart to Afford Lisa’s Pony
Honestly, this one is more an example of Lisa being an awful entitled daughter than Homer being a good dad, but Homer really went the extra mile to make sure Lisa could have some quality time with Princess before she finally released him from his overemployed hell. There goes the best damned Kwik-E-Mart employee in history.
His Note to Lisa Before Putting the Crayon Back In
The best part of Homer’s sudden jump in intelligence in “HOMR” was his newfound ability to relate to his most gifted child on a higher level, and before he went back down to ignoramus status, he made sure to let her know, writing, “Lisa, I’m taking the coward’s way out. But before I do, I just want you to know being smart made me appreciate how amazing you really are.”
“Don’t Forget: You’re Here Forever”
In the most iconic tear-jerking moment in Simpsons history, Homer’s prostration before Mr. Burns and decades of subjugation to the Springfield power plant in “And Maggie Makes Three” were made a little more bearable by the knowledge that he’ll come home to the little one every night.
He Sold His Blimp Ticket to Get Lisa Into the Beauty Pageant
It’s too bad that Marge and Homer couldn’t manage to convince their poor daughter that she was beautiful without Lisa having to enter a competition to have her looks formally evaluated in “Lisa the Beauty Queen,” but Homer’s decision to give up his dream for his daughter’s self-esteem still went better than Barney’s blimp ride.
His Pre-Wedding Speech to Lisa
I’d have to disagree with Future Lisa’s assessment of her father’s heartfelt speech in “Lisa’s Wedding” — this was actually one of the most clearheaded and touching thoughts Homer ever shared. I can’t wait for Lisa to finally hear it in the distant future year of 2010.