Movies - TV
There's A Simple Trick To Writing A Good Homer Simpson Script
By DEVIN MEENAN
John Swartzwelder is a former "The Simpsons" writer who wrote for the show from the first season to its fifteenth and also helped with "The Simpsons Movie" in 2007. After he left the show, he became a novelist and didn’t give his first interview until 2021, where he revealed the secret to writing Homer Simpson's character.
According to Swartzwelder, Homer should be portrayed as a "big talking dog" because of his erratic moods and short attention span. He said, "One moment he's the saddest man in the world, because he's just lost his job, or dropped his sandwich, or accidentally killed his family. Then, the next moment, he's the happiest man in the world, because he's just found a penny."
Swartzwelder went on to say how Homer isn’t a dog and is "smarter than that," but his words ring true when watching episodes like "Fear of Flying" and "Dumbbell Indemnity." Homer even acknowledges his inability to pay attention in "The Joy of Sect" where he admits, "You see, when I get bored I make up my own movie. I have a very short attention span."