Homer Simpson a True Hometown Hero

THE Simpsons hardly need any introduction.

There isn't a television show that has had the same impact on popular culture nor is there a character that matches the appeal of the show's main protagonist, Homer Simpson.

Which is why, after 20 years, the The Simpsons Movie is one of the most anticipated films of the past two decades and a long-awaited reprieve for the hardcore fans who have, literally, been counting down the days to July 26.

Internet forums have been buzzing about the film's plot for years but the show's creator, Matt Groening, who once said that there would never be a Simpsons movie, insists the plot is by the by.

"I can't imagine people look in the TV section of the newspaper and think, 'I'll watch this week's Simpsons because I like the plot'," he said in an interview recently.

"You just tune in and see what happens."

Towns named Springfield throughout the US recently spent thousands of dollars competing for the right to host the movie's American premiere.

Springfield, Vermont, took the honour.

The town has a nuclear power plant, bowling alley, tavern and prison - just like the fictional Springfield.

The vice-president of the town's chamber of commerce credited the win to the final scene in their video submission that showed a fat bald guy chasing a giant pink donut down the street while being chased by 300 locals in full Simpsons character.

In California, 7-Eleven has rebranded 14 of their stores as Kwik E Marts complete with Indian clerks behind the counter who chirp "thank you, come again" to customers as they leave - just like the fictional Simpson's clerk Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

The stores have reportedly doubled their revenue since the rebrand last week.

Admittedly, there is a general consensus that the standard of The Simpsons has been in decline over the past few years, with critics accusing the show's writers of getting lazy and relying more and more on far-fetched, ridiculous story lines.

But for contribution to modern culture and its entertainment industry legacy, The Simpsons is unrivalled.

The biggest celebrities in the world have fallen over themselves to snare cameos.

Before his star fell in a blaze of child molestation controversy, Michael Jackson once voiced the role of an overweight, white mental patient while the Rolling Stones, Tom Petty and Elvis Costello dropped by to help Homer tap into his inner rock god at a Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy camp in season 14.

Award-winning comedian Ricky Gervais who, despite having written two top-rating comedy series and winning two Golden Globes, described his chance to write and appear in an episode as evidence he had truly "made it".

But when the series finally comes to an end (which could be some way off considering Groening once described the show's 400th episode as a "halfway point"), it will forever be remembered for introducing Homer Simpson into our collective conscience.

Is there a person, real or fictional, that we know more about than Homer Simpson?

A mix of even the most casual Simpsons watchers can tell you that Homer works at a nuclear power plant, drinks Duff beer, likes doughnuts, hates his sisters-in-law, also hates his evangelical neighbour Ned Flanders, has a drinking problem, is an over-eater and says "D'oh" when upset (and "mmm" when tempted).

Dig a bit deeper and you will be told he once travelled into space, had a triple-bypass, has a best friend named Barney, once ran a bootleg beer business after alcohol was outlawed in Springfield and wields a "whacking day" club with the accuracy and skill of a Japanese samurai.

Psychologists, academics and religious experts have all weighed in at one time or another to explain Homer's epic appeal and why his mix of self-indulgence and human failure resonates so much with people.

But the episode that sums up the attraction of Homer best (and the one which Groening credits as his favourite), is his encounter with the hard-working, power-plant employee Frank Grimes in season eight.

Grimes takes an instant dislike to Homer and is appalled by his lackadaisical attitude and oafish behaviour - so much so he is pushed to the brink of insanity and ultimately electrocutes himself.

But rather than sympathise with Grimes (who of us hasn't been infuriated by an incompetent co-worker?), we find ourselves barracking for slack, lazy Homer.

Sure, he is a bad father, a drunk, an overeater, an inattentive husband and a useless employee. He represents all of our worst human qualities and yet manages to maintain a relatively happy life with friends and family.

He gives even the worst of us hope - at the unfortunate expense of "Grimey", the nickname Homer gave Grimes (which he hated) which also appears on his tombstone.

"I love that episode because Homer is just being himself and it drives Grimes crazy," Groening told Entertainment Weekly.

A US academic once wrote that by "being himself", Homer lowers the bar to such a level that he sets the rest of humanity free.

Free to be what, exactly, who knows. But his status in history is sealed - father, husband, slob, alcoholic, saviour of humanity and now, movie star.

An Oscar statuette surely can't be too far away.