HOMER AND FRANK GRIMES

 

Within the universe created by Matt Groening, there are two characters that represent two sides of the same coin, which is our society and the perspective we have regarding work and effort. The rivalry between them in the episode "Homer´s enemy" brings up the debate about what merit is in our society and whether it is (or should be) truly rewarded.

On one hand, we have Homer Simpson, representing the average American. He's lazy, uneducated, and purposeless. However, he's fortunate in life, with a stable job and a loving family. Despite being contrary to what society promotes, the people around him enjoy being with him and support him.

On the other hand, we have the character of Frank Grimes, who represents frustrated meritocracy. He has overcome a life of poverty, educated himself, and become the kind of person society encourages us to be... and yet he is never rewarded for it. Grimes embodies the reality of the vast majority of people who, despite playing by the rules of the game, discover that there is no real game in which those rules apply.

But why then do we tend to like someone like Homer more, even in real life? Because Homer is what we wish we were, and Frank Grimes is a mirror of what we "should" be. Grimes' principles are directly linked to productivity: the more you strive to contribute to society, the more dignity you have. However, these ideals, which seem so obvious today, were introduced in post-industrial society, where prominent figures and entrepreneurs began trying to instill in us that exploitation is actually effort and commitment (“work brings dignity”). Both Grimes and millions of people in real life discover daily that effort has no social reward, only for a 1% that is used as propaganda so that the other 99% continue striving to achieve a made-up fantasy. These people (understandably, given that they are the victims) often live bitterly with their own lives, and they take it out on those around them. And then, a Homer appears.

Homer is the anti-hero of this story. From a young age, society made it clear to him that he couldn't aspire to anything professionally or intellectually. Homer, who never made any effort in these areas, became a lazy and clumsy man, who inspires empathy because we see the human side of ourselves in him. By not playing the game of capitalism, Homer unwittingly defies its rules, turning that sympathy and laziness into unconscious resistance. He is admirable not for his stupidity, but for his ability to live outside the anxiety that the search for purpose and productivity produces.

In real life, we see people like Homer as closer to us, and it generates empathy and, ultimately, friendship. People like Grimes don't generate rejection in and of themselves, but their frustration drives away those who used to want to spend time with them. The rejection of Frank Grimes is a manifestation of the weariness many of us suffer from a social model that only values ​​people for their productivity, ignoring other greater values ​​that, ironically, many losers embody.

This inphography could be useful to get a complementary idea of the topic. 

Pelayo Albuerne