Editing Homer Simpson (section)

=== Character development ===
Executive producer [[Al Jean]] observes that in ''The Simpsons'' writers' room, "everyone loves writing for Homer", with many of his antics inspired by the writers' own experiences.<ref>{{cite news|first=Todd|last=Leopold|url=http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/13/simpsons.300/index.html|title=The Simpsons Rakes in the D'oh!|publisher=[[CNN]]|date=February 13, 2003|access-date=September 10, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210182915/http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/13/simpsons.300/index.html|archive-date=December 10, 2008|url-status=live}}</ref> In the show's early seasons, Bart was the main character, but by the [[The Simpsons season 4|fourth season]], Homer took on a more prominent role. Groening explained this shift: "With Homer, there's just a wider range of jokes you can do. And there are far more drastic consequences to Homer's stupidity. There's only so far you can go with a juvenile delinquent. We wanted Bart to do anything up to the point of him being tried in court an adult. But Homer is an adult, and his boneheaded-ness is funnier. [...] Homer is launching himself headfirst into every single impulsive thought that occurs to him".<ref name="EW 2010">{{cite web|first=Dan|last=Snierson|url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/09/simpsons-matt-groening-dan-castellaneta-greatest-character-homer-simpson/|title=''The Simpsons'': Matt Groening and Dan Castellaneta on EW's Greatest Character, Homer Simpson|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=June 9, 2010|access-date=September 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819172650/http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/06/09/simpsons-matt-groening-dan-castellaneta-greatest-character-homer-simpson/|archive-date=August 19, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Mike Scully by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|upright|right|alt=Mike Scully speaking into a microphone|Some argued that under [[Mike Scully]]'s (''pictured'') tenure as [[executive producer]], Homer exhibited a more aggressive "jerkass" attitude.]]
Homer's character has evolved significantly over the course of ''The Simpsons''. Initially, he was portrayed as "very angry" and domineering toward Bart, but these traits were softened as his personality was developed further.<ref>{{cite AV media|people=Groening, Matt (writer)|chapter=Commentary for "[[Marge on the Lam]]|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD)|date=2004|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In the early seasons, Homer often worried that his family might embarrass him, but in later episodes, he became less concerned with others' opinions.<ref name="disgrace">{{cite AV media |people=[[Mike Reiss|Reiss, Mike]] (writer) |chapter= Commentary for "[[There's No Disgrace Like Home]] |title=The Simpsons: The Complete First Season (DVD)|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> During the show's first years, Homer was depicted as dim-witted yet well-meaning. As noted by Jon Bonné of [[Today (American TV program)|''Today'']], somewhere around the seventh season, his behavior shifted toward being a "boorish, self-aggrandizing oaf".<ref>{{cite web |first=Jon |last=Bonné |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/simpsons-has-lost-its-cool-wbna3341530 |title=''The Simpsons'' has lost its cool |date=October 2, 2000 |access-date=September 5, 2008 |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]}}</ref> Chris Suellentrop of ''[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]'' observed, "Under [[Mike Scully]]'s tenure [as [[executive producer]]], ''The Simpsons'' became, well, a cartoon.{{nbsp}}[...] Episodes that once would have ended with [[Duffless|Homer and Marge bicycling into the sunset]] now end with [[It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Marge|Homer blowing a tranquilizer dart into Marge's neck]]".<ref>{{cite web|first=Chris|last=Suellentrop|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2078501/|title=''The Simpsons'': Who turned America's Best TV Show into a Cartoon?|magazine=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|access-date=September 27, 2008|date=February 12, 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120617122059/http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/assessment/2003/02/the_simpsons.html|archive-date=June 17, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Fans have labeled this version of the character as "Jerkass Homer".<ref name="x999">{{cite web | last=Tyler | first=Adrienne | title=''The Simpsons'' Jerkass Homer Explained | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=February 12, 2020 | url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-jerkass-homer-explained/ | access-date=January 27, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Alicia|last=Ritchey|url=http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2006/03/28/Arts/Matt-Groening.Did.You.Brain.Your.Damage-1751361.shtml |title=Matt Groening, did you brain your damage? |date=March 28, 2006 |access-date=March 13, 2008 |newspaper=[[The Lantern]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080419110117/http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2006/03/28/Arts/Matt-Groening.Did.You.Brain.Your.Damage-1751361.shtml |archive-date=April 19, 2008 }}</ref> At recording sessions, Castellaneta has occasionally rejected lines from the script that he felt made Homer too cruel. He believes Homer is "boorish and unthinking, but he'd never be mean on purpose".<ref name="m233">{{cite web | title=There's nobody like him... except you, me, everyone | newspaper=[[The Times]] | last=McIntosh | first=Lindsay | url-access=subscription | date=July 8, 2007 | url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/theres-nobody-like-him-except-you-me-everyone-6b05sctmwbh | access-date=January 27, 2025}}</ref> When ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' (2007) was being edited, several scenes were adjusted to make Homer more sympathetic.<ref name=com>{{cite AV media|people=Brooks, James L. (director); Groening, Matt; Jean, Al; Scully, Mike; Silverman, David (writers); Castellaneta, Dan; Smith, Yeardley (actors)|date=2007| title=Commentary for ''[[The Simpsons Movie]]'' (DVD)|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

Over the years, the writers have portrayed Homer with increasingly declining intelligence.<ref name="x745">{{cite web | last=Gunning | first=Cathal | title=The Simpsons Season 35's Ending Finally Solved A 30-Year Old Homer Mystery | website=[[Screen Rant]] | date=May 22, 2024 | url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-season-35-episode-18-homer-intelligence-deteriorating-explained/ | access-date=April 13, 2025}}</ref><ref name="138th">{{cite AV media|people=Oakley, Bill; Weinstein, Josh; Vitti, Jon; Meyer, George (Writers)|date=2006| chapter=Commentary for "[[The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular]]"|title=''The Simpsons: The Complete Seventh Season'' (DVD)|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> They explain this was not done intentionally but became necessary to surpass earlier jokes. For instance, in "[[When You Dish Upon a Star]]" ([[The Simpsons season 10|season 10]], 1998), Homer admits he cannot read. Although this contradicts earlier scenes where Homer is shown reading, the writers decided to keep the gag because they found it funny. The team often debates how far to take Homer's stupidity, with one suggested guideline being that "he can never forget his own name".<ref name="Dish">{{cite AV media|people=Scully, Mike; Hauge, Ron; Selman, Matt; Appel, Rich; Michels, Pete (Writers)|chapter=Commentary for "[[When You Dish Upon a Star]]"|title=''The Simpsons: The Complete Tenth Season'' (DVD)|date=2007|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>