D’oh it for the Kids

Still in its early planning stages, D’oh it for the kids: The many ways in which Homer Simpson represents the crisis of modern masculinity is a non-fiction book that will link gender studies (masculinity) to one of the biggest popular culture influences of the last twenty years: The Simpsons.

The disposable male, as represented by Homer’s replacement at work

Chapter X: Homer’s Triple Bypass

Using concepts of the “disposable male” and focusing on the classic episode “Homer’s Triple Bypass,” I intend to show that The Simpsons was far more than a show with a few cheap gags. It was a meticulously created, impeccably detailed and deeply self-aware mirror of society’s darkest corners. Why do we laugh when Homer has a heart attack? What has conditioned us to see violence against men and the prospect of a dying man as suitable fodder for humour? Why does Homer really risk his life by signing up with a bargain basement surgeon he saw advertised on TV? And what exactly does it mean when Homer’s work colleagues replace him with a housebrick?

Other topics

In addition to issues surrounding male mortality, the book will also cover topics of fatherhood, work, alcohol, violence (both domestic and otherwise), sex, and sexuality… and anything else that comes up.