Homer Simpson Goes to College: An Episode Analysis
"Homer Goes to College," which originally aired on October 14, 1993, is a memorable episode from The Simpsons' fifth season. Written by Conan O'Brien and directed by Jim Reardon, the episode follows Homer as he is forced to attend Springfield University to improve his job performance after a safety inspection at the nuclear power plant reveals his shocking incompetence. This episode, with production code 1F02, is a send-up of college stereotypes and "Animal House"-style movies, all filtered through Homer's unique and often misguided perspective.
The Nuclear Plant Inspection and Homer's Incompetence
The episode begins with a surprise visit from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. During the inspection, Homer's complete incompetence is quickly exposed, leading Mr. Burns to force him to pass Remedial Physics 101 at Springfield University in order to keep his job. In an attempt to hide Homer, along with other "less gifted" employees, Smithers assigns them the task of guarding a bee in the basement. Homer, in his typical fashion, manages to botch this simple task, breaking the jar and releasing the bee. This sequence highlights Homer's incompetence and sets the stage for his need to attend college. Burns' initial attempts to bribe the inspectors with game show-style prizes and later using a trapdoor to get rid of inspectors, both fail spectacularly.
Homer's Misguided Expectations of College Life
Upon setting foot on campus, Homer's perception of college life is heavily influenced by the movie "School of Hard Knockers," leading him to believe that college is all about wacky fratboy hijinks, bullying nerds, and tormenting a crusty, bitter old dean. However, he soon discovers that Springfield University is nothing like the movies. Dean Peterson is a young, hip, and laid-back individual who defies the stereotypical image of a stern college administrator. Homer's attempts to emulate the antics he saw in "School of Hard Knockers" often backfire, leading to humorous and chaotic situations.
The Nerds and Homer's "Zany Scheme"
Dean Peterson assigns Homer to supplemental tutoring, and Homer meets the nerd trio of Benjamin, Doug, and Gary. In an effort to get the nerds to loosen up and live a little, Homer plans to take the nerds on a road trip with several cases of beer. His plan fizzles when Marge makes him take Bart and Lisa along and they end up going to a petting zoo. Homer's next idea is to pull a prank, and Bart helps them to plan the kidnapping of Sir Oinks-A-Lot, the pig mascot of Springfield A&M. They bring the pig back to Springfield University, and Homer gets the pig drunk (and sick) by splitting a case of malt liquor with him. President Richard Nixon. Feeling guilty for his role in getting the nerds expelled. This leads to a series of misadventures. Homer's "zany scheme" to get the nerds back into college involves him driving his car at Dean Peterson. The nerds are supposed to push him out of the way at the last second. This plan fails when the nerds debate whether they need to calculate for wind resistance, and Peterson gets run over.
Academic Struggles and Redemption
Despite the nerds' help, Homer fails his Nuclear Physics exam and almost loses his job. The nerds then hack into the college's computer and change Homer's grade to an A. Marge, however, protests that Homer's cheating is setting a horrible example for the kids (mostly Bart) and makes him start taking the class over again without cheating. During his retake, Homer, and to lesser extent Doug, Benjamin, and Gary, pursues several stereotypical college activities (as seen in a montage of photos). They include waterskiing in a toga, getting into a food fight, and apparently being hazed into a fraternity.
Read also: Applying for the Homer Scholarship
Animation and Visual Humor
"Homer Goes to College" is notable for its exaggerated animation and visual humor. There are many "off-model" moments that enhance the character's emotions and actions. The episode features exaggerated animation, particularly with Homer running down the corridor and his exaggerated posterior welt. This pictorial blog post by the Dead Homers Society breaks down many of the moments quite well. Doubles as an Animation Bump. This was one of two episodes in Season 5 animated by Rough Draft Studios in Korea, back when their Simpsons animation was more angular and bouncy. The simulated motion blur of Sir Oinks-A-Lot’s face is absolutely hilarious, and really makes him seem vicious for those brief few frames. Some fantastic poses from Bart and Lisa that really sell the range of emotions they go through in this scene: from awe, to shock, to panicked urgency. A hilarious shot, from a perspective of The Simpsons I believe we’ve never seen before or since (or perhaps just not that often). This may be my favorite bit of animation in the entire history of The Simpsons; in fact, I look forward to this scene every time I watch Homer Goes to College.
Cultural References
The episode is filled with references to college movies like Animal House, Monty Python, Star Trek, and other pop culture touchstones. Burns telling Homer to “find the jade monkey” is a reference to The Maltese Falcon. The game show he’s referencing is Let’s Make A Deal. Burns’ escape pod is a reference to Star Wars, and his attempt to beat a guy with a baseball bat is a reference to The Untouchables. There are multiple references to Animal House, including the use of “Louie, Louie” by the Kingsmen. The nerds reference Monty Python And The Holy Grail, Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek (with the classic nerd argument, Kirk vs Picard), the 80’s arcade game Berzerk.
Iconic Moments and Classic Lines
"Homer Goes to College" is packed with memorable moments and quotable lines. Some of the most iconic include:
- Homer yelling "NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERD!" out of a window.
- "I am so smart! I am so smart! S-M-R-T! I mean S-M-A-R-T!"
- The "School of Hard Knockers" movie parody.
- The professor's line: "That sounded like a pig fainting!"
- Smithers’s “I’m afraid he couldn’t bee here,”
- The classic Homer line, “The bee bit my bottom! Now my bottom’s big!”
Characterizations
In this episode, Homer's character is portrayed as delusional and heavily influenced by television. His actions, though often misguided, are rarely malicious. The nerds, Gary, Benjamin and Doug, are also great characters, and some wish they could have found some way to bring them back more. Burns is portrayed as a Bad Boss to Smithers, but strangely Benevolent Boss to Homer.
Read also: A Deep Dive into "Columbo Goes to College"
Read also: Off-Script Graduation Speech
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