Random Interesting Homer Simpson Fan Theories (13 items)

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  (#1) Mr. Burns Knows Homer's Name

  In Who Shot Mr. Burns? - the two-part, season-spanning Dallas sendup - almost everyone is a suspect in the titular central question. While this is true, there is no one with a more crazed, vocal grievance than Homer, who loses it because Mr. Burns cannot remember his name. This trope plays out time and time again over the course of series, to the extent that it seems almost impossible that the geriatric power plant owner could have such a poor memory. So, what if it's intentional?

  As speculated by Redditor /u/MCmnbvgyuio, that just might be the case. As the user points out, in "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish" (S2E4), after Homer ruins Mr. Burns election campaign, Burns remarks, "Simpson, I shall make it the focus of my remaining years that your dreams will go unfulfilled." Normally, ol' Montgomery lashes out with violent outbursts or threats of "thrashings," but here he delivers a much more sinister decree. Could it be that from this point forward Mr. Burns decided to gaslight Homer into thinking he couldn't remember his name? By making his lowly nuclear technician seem so insignificant that even something as simple as his name is forgettable, Mr. Burns could be playing a long-game of psychological warfare.
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  (#5) Bart Became A Stone Cutter Before Homer

  In "Homer the Great" (S6E12), Homer is introduced to the fraternal order of the Stonecutters. After being initiated because his father, Abe Simpson, is a legacy member, Homer is quickly shunned and dismissed when he accidentally destroys their Hallowed Sacred Parchment. However, a birthmark on his behind signifies that he is actually the Chosen One, leading to a brief reign as their leader. But was Homer the first living under the Simpson roof to be a Stonecutter? Redditor /u/TyPiper93 says no, it was actually Bart.

  Several clues throughout the episodes support this theory, even if they are somewhat far-reaching. For example, Bart has a sarcastic, yet cagey response to Homer's assertion that Lenny and Karl are getting special treatment at work. What does he know that he's not telling? The really interesting elements of the theory, though, come by looking farther back.

  Beyond being the son of a Stonecutter, the only other way to become one is a to save the life of a Stonecutter. Well, in Season 2's "Blood Feud," Bart does just that by donating blood to Mr. Burns. The Redditor also points out that despite getting slapped on the wrist a decent amount at school for his endless bad behavior, Bart never faces an series consequences, like expulsion. Could this be because Principal Skinner is also a Stonecutter?
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  (#9) Homer Knows He's a Cartoon

  Does he now, Redditor /u/raysofdavies4? Well if Homer knows he's a cartoon, then how did he find out? Did he ask Matt Groening? Did he tune into the Sunday night block of animated shows on Fox and see himself on screen?

  Well, as the Redditor will tell us, Homer got the news from God himself. In "Homer the Heretic" (S4E3), our lazy antihero makes the sacrilegious choice to stop attending church. While he ultimately learns a valuable lesson about different faiths coming together for a common good, the real takeaway from "Heretic" is that in the closing moments, Homer asks God what the meaning of life is. God's answer, at least according to this theory, is that (paraphrasing, of course), "There is no meaning; you're just a cartoon." With this knowledge, Homer is armed in future seasons with a sense of near-invincibility. He can try anything. Throw himself at danger. Switch careers. Waste money. Get wasted at Moe's. None of it really matters, for he is nothing more than a cartoon.

  A pretty grim theory, but we're not here to argue with the divine plans of the d'oh-mega.
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  (#6) Homer's Drinking Bird Didn't Just Fall Over

  You thought "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" had mystery and intrigue, huh? Well get in the hot seat (remotely, from home) for this one from Redditor /u/motherstep! In "King-Size Homer" (S7E7), Homer puts on an exorbitant amount of weight in order to "gain" disability status, allowing him to work from home. Once donning a moomoo and fat man's cap, Homer simply has to repeatedly push a single button from his in-home safety regulating station. Still too lazy to perform this simple task, he recruits a drinking bird toy to do the work for him. While leaving his new employee unsupervised so he can attend a movie, something goes awry and the drinking bird falls over, leaving the entire town of Springfield in danger of a nuclear meltdown. Ultimately Homer is able to save the day by plugging the containment chamber with his corpulent form, but the question remains, how did the bird tip over?

  The Redditor theorist here dismisses most of the prime suspects-- Bart is too supportive; Lisa would fear becoming an environmental terrorist; Santa's Little Helper is too destructive for such a small act-- leaving one motivated bird-tipper: Marge! Throughout the episode, Marge argues that Homer is taking a big risk and even says that she feels less attracted to him. Not fully understanding the ramifications of messing with the reactor's safety and simply wanting to make a point to her husband, Marge took the drinking bird off the clock.
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  (#2) Mr. Burns Wants Homer To Do A Bad Job

  From the opening credit sequence to the numerous, almost uncountable instances seen throughout our decades in Springfield, the power plant is a wreck. Nuclear waste pools on the ground. Walls and ceilings collapse. Hard hats and protective gear seem optional, at best. And all of this falls squarely on the slouched, snoozing shoulders of Homer. But why is this? If you ask Redditor /u/All_of_it_is_one, it's by design, held in place by Charles Montgomery Burns. This theory suggests that Mr. Burns actually wants a totally incompetent nuclear safety inspector. Having the lowest standards imaginable at the plant both saves money and protects Burns from scrutiny. A more knowledgeable employee in Homer's position (or a more knowledgeable Homer; see "Homer Chooses To Be Stupid") would surely report the potentially disastrous issues at the plant to Burns, or perhaps even to a higher authority. But not Homer. To Burns, he is the model employee. 
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  (#7) Homer is a Billionaire Sports Team Owner

  This one isn't so much a theory as it is a simple truth, but to what extent it actually impacts the Simpsons livlihood is the question. As pointed out by Redditor /u/awkwardhipsters, in "You Only Move Twice" (S8E2), Homer is given the the 1996 Denver Broncos by Hank Scorpio (voiced by Albert Brooks), Homer's new boss who turns out to be a supervillain. This explains how the Simpson clan is able to continually do so many strange, expensive, distant, time-removed-from-"work" (the power plant) activities and adventures. Simply put: NFL teams generate millions and millions of dollars in annual income, and Homer has a cash cow (or horses, perhaps) in the Mile High City. Heck, two years after he acquired the team from Scorpio they won two Super Bowls, making them one of the most popular and profitable teams at the time! So there you have it. As long as you own a professional sports franchise, you'll never work a day in your life.

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