# The Homer They Fall

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Homer_They_Fall
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/The_Homer_They_Fall.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Homer_They_Fall
> Source revision: 1346273675
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

3rd episode of the 8th season of The Simpsons

"The Homer They Fall" The Simpsons episode Episode no. Season 8 Episode 3 Directed by Mark Kirkland Written by Jonathan Collier Production code 4F03 Original air date November 10, 1996 (1996-11-10) Guest appearances Paul Winfield as Lucius Sweet Michael Buffer as himself Episode features Chalkboard gag "I am not my long-lost twin"[1] Couch gag The living room is in a desert and the family is dressed as cowboys and cowgirls. When the family sits down, the couch neighs and gallops away.[2] Commentary Matt Groening Josh Weinstein Dan Castellaneta Yeardley Smith David X. Cohen George Meyer Mark Kirkland Episode chronology ← Previous "You Only Move Twice" Next → "Burns, Baby Burns" The Simpsons season 8 List of episodes

"**The Homer They Fall**" is the third episode of the [eighth season](/source/The_Simpsons_season_8) of the American animated television series *[The Simpsons](/source/The_Simpsons)*. It originally aired on the [Fox network](/source/Fox_Broadcasting_Company) in the United States on November 10, 1996.[1] After [Homer](/source/Homer_Simpson) realizes he has a bizarre medical condition that renders him unable to be knocked out, [Moe](/source/Moe_Szyslak) convinces him to start a career as a [boxer](/source/Boxing) and allow the bartender to manage him, eventually landing him a shot at the heavyweight championship of the world, going up against [Drederick Tatum](/source/Drederick_Tatum) (a parody of [Mike Tyson](/source/Mike_Tyson)). The episode was written by [Jonathan Collier](/source/Jonathan_Collier) and directed by [Mark Kirkland](/source/Mark_Kirkland).[1] It guest stars [Michael Buffer](/source/Michael_Buffer) as himself and [Paul Winfield](/source/Paul_Winfield) as [Lucius Sweet](/source/Lucius_Sweet).[1]

## Plot

During the Simpsons' visit to a high-tech gadget store, [Bart](/source/Bart_Simpson) buys a gimmicky utility belt from [Comic Book Guy](/source/Comic_Book_Guy), who had tried and failed to return it. When he shows it off at school the next day, [Dolph](/source/Dolph_Starbeam), [Jimbo](/source/Jimbo_Jones) and [Kearney](/source/Kearney_(The_Simpsons)) beat him up and steal it. To get the belt back, [Homer](/source/Homer_Simpson) confronts their fathers at [Moe's Tavern](/source/Moe's_Tavern); they beat him up but find that they cannot knock him down, even after breaking a pool cue over his head.

After seeing Homer's ability to absorb physical punishment, [Moe](/source/Moe_Szyslak) suggests that he take up [boxing](/source/Boxing) and allow Moe (himself a former boxer) to manage and train him. [Marge](/source/Marge_Simpson) insists that Homer have a full medical checkup first. [Dr. Hibbert](/source/Dr._Hibbert) finds that the layer of fluid around Homer's brain is thicker than normal, allowing him to withstand powerful blows to the head. Discovering that Homer is too weak and out of shape to inflict any damage by punching, Moe suggests that he [let opponents attack him until they tire out](/source/Rope-a-dope), then push them down for an easy victory.

Homer prevails in his first fights against several homeless men, eventually rising to the top of the Springfield semi-[professional boxing](/source/Professional_boxing) circuit and attracting the attention of Lucius Sweet, Moe's former boxing manager. Lucius tells Moe that current heavyweight champion [Drederick Tatum](/source/Drederick_Tatum) is about to be released from prison and wants a comeback fight, preferably against Homer. Moe knows that Tatum is far too strong and fit for Homer to tire out, but the lure of fame and fortune makes him agree to the fight. Promising Lucius that the fight will last at least three rounds, Moe quickly wins Homer over by feigning confidence in his fighting skills.

Homer ignores Marge's pleas to withdraw from the fight, which is wildly hyped by the media. On the night of the event, Moe falsely promises Marge that he will [throw in the towel](/source/Submission_(combat_sports)) if Homer appears to be in any danger. Tatum's first punch is strong enough to leave Homer badly dazed, and Marge urges him to start fighting back. Homer's punch completely misses Tatum, who hammers his head and prepares to deliver a punch that will either knock him out or kill him. Just before he can land the blow, Moe swoops in using a [paramotor](/source/Paramotor) borrowed from the [Fan Man](/source/Fan_Man) and airlifts Homer out of the ring while the audience boos loudly.

Outside the arena, Marge thanks Moe for saving Homer while Tatum expresses his respect for Moe valuing his friend's life above all else. Lucius berates Moe for failing to deliver even one round of boxing but pays him $100,000 anyway. Moe flies off with the paramotor to help people around the world, ignoring the Fan Man's shouted demands to return the equipment.[3][4]

## Production

Character Lucius Sweet is a parody of boxing promoter [Don King](/source/Don_King_(boxing_promoter)).

The episode was written by [Jonathan Collier](/source/Jonathan_Collier), who is a huge boxing fan.[5] Knowing that the people on the internet would "give them grief", the writers went to a lot of effort to explain how Homer would be able to challenge for the heavyweight title.[6] A lot of the scenes involving Homer fighting hobos were pitched by [John Swartzwelder](/source/John_Swartzwelder).[7] Lucius Sweet is a parody of boxing promoter [Don King](/source/Don_King_(boxing_promoter)), and is voiced by [Paul Winfield](/source/Paul_Winfield), who had previously played King in [HBO](/source/HBO)'s 1995 biopic *[Tyson](/source/Tyson_(1995_film))*. In the script, Sweet was described as "A Don King type who looks and sounds exactly like Don King".[8] The similarity is even pointed out by Homer with the line, "He is exactly as rich and as famous as Don King – and he looks just like him, too!" King was asked to guest star but turned the part down.[5] Drederick Tatum is a parody of [Mike Tyson](/source/Mike_Tyson). The name came from [George Meyer](/source/George_Meyer), who went to high school with a boy named Drederick Timmins, which Meyer thought was a cool name.[6] Tatum having done time in prison is a reference to the fact that, at the time of the episode's production, Tyson had just recently been released from prison after serving three years for [rape](/source/Rape).[5] Homer is at one point referred to as "The Southern Dandy" as a reference to the old-time boxers and wrestlers who had similar nicknames.[5]

In preparation for this episode, [Mark Kirkland](/source/Mark_Kirkland) watched several boxing films and is satisfied with how it turned out.[9] Whenever designing rooms, Kirkland tries to show a bare lightbulb because he feels that it makes things more depressing.[9] In the scene in Moe's office, there is a brief shot of a poster advertising "Szyslak Vs. Oakley" and "Kirkland Vs. Silverman", referring to then-executive producer [Bill Oakley](/source/Bill_Oakley)[5] and *The Simpsons* directors [Mark Kirkland](/source/Mark_Kirkland) and [David Silverman](/source/David_Silverman_(animator)).[9] The scene where Tatum is walking to the ring surrounded by shady characters is based on a real life photo of Tyson.[9]

The fathers of [Jimbo](/source/Jimbo_Jones), [Dolph](/source/List_of_recurring_The_Simpsons_characters#Dolph_Starbeam) and [Kearney](/source/Kearney_(The_Simpsons)) make their first and only appearances in the history of the show.[5]

## Cultural references

The title is a reference to the [Humphrey Bogart](/source/Humphrey_Bogart) film [*The Harder They Fall*](/source/The_Harder_They_Fall_(1956_film)). The episode opens with a parody of *[Bonanza](/source/Bonanza)*.[5] The montage of Homer fighting various hobos was based on a similar montage in *[Raging Bull](/source/Raging_Bull)*.[9] The music is inspired by "[The Flower Duet](/source/D%C3%B4me_%C3%A9pais_le_jasmin)" from the opera *[Lakmé](/source/Lakm%C3%A9)* by [Léo Delibes](/source/L%C3%A9o_Delibes). During the montage, there is a brief parody of the [George Bellows](/source/George_Bellows) painting "[Dempsey and Firpo](/source/Dempsey_and_Firpo)".[9] The "Fan Man" is based on [James Miller](/source/James_Miller_(parachutist)), a man famous for parachuting into arenas during big events.[6] Homer's walk-out music is "[Why Can't We Be Friends?](/source/Why_Can't_We_Be_Friends%3F_(song))" by [War](/source/War_(U.S._band)) and Tatum's is "[Time 4 Sum Axion](/source/Time_4_Sum_Aksion)" by [Redman](/source/Redman_(rapper)),[8] which was also used by Tyson for his [first fight after his release from prison](/source/Mike_Tyson_vs._Peter_McNeeley) in 1995. The song heard over the end credits is a rendition of [Barbra Streisand](/source/Barbra_Streisand)'s "[People](/source/People_(1964_song))", sung by [Sally Stevens](/source/Sally_Stevens).[2]

## Reception

In its original broadcast, "The Homer They Fall" finished 29th in ratings for the week of November 4–10, 1996, with a [Nielsen rating](/source/Nielsen_ratings) of 10.0, equivalent to approximately 9.7 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following *[The X-Files](/source/The_X-Files)*.[10]

In response to the [season fourteen](/source/The_Simpsons_season_14) episode "[Barting Over](/source/Barting_Over)", which is about [skateboarding](/source/Skateboarding), Raju Mudhar of the *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)* listed what he thought were "excellent" episodes of *The Simpsons* and scenes also related to sports. He included "The Homer They Fall", writing that Drederick Tatum is "a thinly veiled Mike Tyson parody who's made cameos over the years".[11]

Similarly, in 2004 [ESPN](/source/ESPN).com released a list of the Top 100 Simpsons sport moments, ranking the entire episode at #2, saying, "Greatest sports introduction ever: In the Tatum fight, Homer is introduced as the Brick Hithouse (and is also known as the Southern Dandy), and his walk-to-the-ring music is 'Why Can't We Be Friends?'" Drederick Tatum was placed at the eighteenth spot on the list.[12] Conversely, the authors of the book *I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide*, [Gary Russell](/source/Gary_Russell) and [Gareth Roberts](/source/Gareth_Roberts_(writer)),[13] called it "the dullest, one-joke episode of the entire series".[2] Kyle Fowler writes "when Moe eventually flies into the ring via giant fan, it’s not only a touching moment because of how concerned we are for Homer, but it’s also a final stand for morality and dignity. The fact that ring announcer Michael Buffer says, 'whatever dignity remained in boxing is literally flying out the window' only serves to drive that point home. 'The Homer They Fall' is the kind of episode we most often associate with the earliest seasons of *The Simpsons*, because it boasts a streamlined narrative, is filled with subtle one-liners, and uses those tools to substantiate a cultural critique while adding in a huge dose of heart. Turns out that cactus was right; sometimes you have to fight back, even if it’s not with your fists."[14]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-book_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-book_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-book_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-book_1-3) [Groening, Matt](/source/Matt_Groening) (1997). [Richmond, Ray](/source/Ray_Richmond); Coffman, Antonia (eds.). *[The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family](/source/The_Simpsons_episode_guides#The_Simpsons:_A_Complete_Guide_to_Our_Favorite_Family)* (1st ed.). New York: [HarperPerennial](/source/HarperPerennial). p. [213](https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/213). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-06-095252-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-06-095252-5). [LCCN](/source/LCCN_(identifier)) [98141857](https://lccn.loc.gov/98141857). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [37796735](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/37796735). [OL](/source/OL_(identifier)) [433519M](https://openlibrary.org/books/OL433519M)..

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-bbc_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-bbc_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-bbc_2-2) [Martyn, Warren](/source/Gary_Russell); [Wood, Adrian](/source/Gareth_Roberts_(writer)) (2000). ["The Homer They Fall"](https://web.archive.org/web/20031004164338/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season8/page3.shtml). BBC. Archived from [the original](https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season8/page3.shtml) on October 4, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-OFFbook_3-0)** Richmond, Ray; Antonia Coffman (1997). *[The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to our Favorite Family](/source/The_Simpsons%3A_A_Complete_Guide_to_our_Favorite_Family)*. Harper Collins Publishers. p. [173](https://archive.org/details/simpsonscomplete00groe/page/173). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-06-095252-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-06-095252-0).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-SNPP_4-0)** [Episode Capsule](http://www.snpp.com/episodes/4F03.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20070309221922/http://www.snpp.com/episodes/4F03.html) 2007-03-09 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine) at The Simpsons Archive.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Weinstein_5-6) Weinstein, Josh (2006). *The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall"* (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Meyer_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Meyer_6-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Meyer_6-2) Meyer, George (2006). *The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall"* (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Groening_7-0)** Groening, Matt (2006). *The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall"* (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Cohen_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Cohen_8-1) Cohen, David X. (2006). *The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall"* (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Kirkland_9-5) Kirkland, Mark (2006). *The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "The Homer They Fall"* (DVD). 20th Century Fox.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** "NBC back on top in ratings race". *Sun-Sentinel*. Associated Press. November 14, 1996. p. 4E.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Raju Mudhar, "Simpsons' sports spoofs simply 'excellent'; Stars like Tyson often lampooned Show celebrating 300th episode", *[Toronto Star](/source/Toronto_Star)*, February 16, 2003, p. E.03.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ESPN_12-0)** Collins, Greg (January 23, 2004). ["The Simpsons Got Game"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070824185754/http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=simpsons%2Fpart4). *ESPN.com*. Archived from [the original](http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page3/story?page=simpsons/part4) on August 24, 2007. Retrieved March 29, 2007.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Preddle, Jon (June 1997). ["Gary Russell: From Peladon to Placebos"](http://doctorwho.org.nz/archive/tsv51/garyrussell.html). *Time Space Visualiser*. No. 51. The New Zealand Doctor Who Fan Club. Retrieved August 20, 2020. I've just done my first non-fiction book, Oh No It's A Completely Unofficial Simpsons Guide for Virgin, co-authored with Gareth Roberts which has, to be frank, been more of a nightmare than it needed to be [the book was published as I Can't Believe It's An Unofficial Simpsons Guide, with Gary and Gareth writing under the pseudonyms Warren Martyn & Adrian Wood].

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Fowler, Kyle (October 19, 2014). ["The Simpsons (Classic): "The Homer They Fall""](https://www.avclub.com/the-simpsons-classic-the-homer-they-fall-1798181775). *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*.

## External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to ***["The Homer They Fall"](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Simpsons/Season_8#The_Homer_They_Fall)***.

- [The Simpsons portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:The_Simpsons)

- ["The Homer They Fall episode capsule"](http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/4F03.html). *[The Simpsons Archive](/source/The_Simpsons_Archive)*.

- ["The Homer They Fall"](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0701243/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

v t e The Simpsons episodes Seasons 1–20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Season 21–present 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Season 8 "Treehouse of Horror VII" "You Only Move Twice" "The Homer They Fall" "Burns, Baby Burns" "Bart After Dark" "A Milhouse Divided" "Lisa's Date with Density" "Hurricane Neddy" "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)" "The Springfield Files" "The Twisted World of Marge Simpson" "Mountain of Madness" "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious" "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" "Homer's Phobia" "Brother from Another Series" "My Sister, My Sitter" "Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment" "Grade School Confidential" "The Canine Mutiny" "The Old Man and the Lisa" "In Marge We Trust" "Homer's Enemy" "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase" "The Secret War of Lisa Simpson" See also Treehouse of Horror list The Simpsons episode guides "The Simpsons Guy" Category

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The Homer They Fall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Homer_They_Fall) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Homer_They_Fall?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.