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"The Homer They Fall" is the third episode in the eighth season of The Simpsons.

Synopsis

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After Bart obtains a gimmicky belt, he is attacked by Springfield Elementary School bullies and the belt is stolen. In response, Homer meets with the bullies' parents at the bar but is himself attacked. Despite the force used against Homer, he does not fall, and the bartender Moe is sufficiently impressed to arrange a boxing career for Homer. Though an unlikely athlete, the obese Homer does well, mostly facing underfed hobo opponents who cannot force Homer to fall. They eventually collapse due to exhaustion. Moe, however, puts the strategy in jeopardy by arranging a match between Homer and the physically powerful Drederick Tatum (a Mike Tyson parody). Despite a promise to Marge to stop the fight if Homer's life is endangered, Moe is prepared to have Homer endure three rounds. However, just seconds into the fight, it is clear that Homer is going to get killed. Homer's predicted death is only avoided when Moe finally decides to put their friendship first, and Moe airlifts the badly-beaten boxer from the ring using Fan Man's paramotor.

Trivia

• Paul Winfield played the real Don King in HBO's 1995 biopic Tyson.
• It's revealed that Moe was a professional boxer named "Kid Gorgeous", "Kid Presentable", "Kid Gruesome", and finally, "Kid Moe."
• When Moe flies through the air while carrying Homer, the shot looks similar to a famous scene between Buzz and Woody from the Disney and Pixar movie, Toy Story.
• The announcer is played by legendary boxing ring announcer Michael Buffer.

Cultural references

• The montage of Homer's victories mid-episode spoofs Raging Bull.
• At one point in the episode, the screen freezes and turns to a black and white view of one of Homer's boxing opponents falling out of the ring. This scene is a parody of the 1924 painting Dempsey and Firpo by George Bellows.

Quotes

• Homer: "Son, there's only one thing punks like that understand: squealing. You've got to squeal to every teacher and every grown-up you can find. Coming to me was a good start."
  
• Drederick: "I think he's a good man, I like him, I got nothing against him, but I'm definitely gonna make orphans of his children."
  Reporter: "They do have a mother, champ."
  Drederick:"Yes but I would assume that she would die of grief."
  
• Dr. Hibbert: Well, sir, you more than meet every one of this state's requirements to box, wrestle or be shot out of a cannon.
  Marge: That's what we get for living in a state founded by circus freaks.
  Hibbert: You have an absolutely unique genetic condition known only as 'Homer Simpson's Syndrome.'
  Homer: Oh, why me?
  Hibbert: Oh, it's quite beneficial. Your brain is surrounded by a layer of fluid 1/8th of an inch thicker than normal, it's almost as if you're wearing a football helmet inside your own head. Why, I could whack you all day long with this surgical two-by-four without ever knocking you down...but I have other appointments.
• Moe: "If you want to beat up my friend in my bar, there's a two drink minimum".
• Announcer: Ladies and gentlemen, due to popular demand, we will forgo our national anthem. And now, LLLLLLLET'S GET READY TO RUMMMMMMMMMBLLLLLLE!!
• Homer: You know Lucius Sweet?! He's one of the biggest names in boxing! He's exactly as rich and as famous as Don King, and he looks just like him, too!
  Moe: Yeah, he was my manager. Back when I was Gorgeous, everybody wanted a piece of me. But somehow, I just never made it to the big time.
  Homer: Why not?
  Moe: 'Cause I got knocked out forty times in a row. That, plus politics. You know, it's all politics.
  Homer: Lousy Democrats.
• Marge: Before you even consider this, I insist you consult a doctor.
  Homer: No problemo.
  Marge: A competent doctor!
  Homer: D'oh!
• Moe: Okay, you're fighting a guy named Boxcar Bob.
  Homer: Brawled his way up from the boxcars, did he?
  Moe: Uh, no, not yet, he still lives at the trainyard. But he's a hungry young fighter. In fact, he's actually fighting for a sandwich. (Moe blows dust off of his boxing gloves and gives them to Homer) Homer, I want you to have my lucky mits. I hope you do better with them than I did.
  Homer: Gee, thanks, Moe. What's this?
  Moe: Ah, that's the barbed wire. We, uh, we called that the stinger. They, they don't let you use that no more.
• Barney: Man, you'd never get me into a ring. Boxing causes brain damage.
• Moe: They use to call me Kid Gorgeous, then Kid Presentable, then kid Greusome, then Kid Moe... and then just plain Moe...

External links

"The Homer They Fall episode capsule". The Simpsons Archive.

• Simpsons episodes