The Simpsons: Waylon Smhers Comg Out as Gay Falls Flat | Time

Contents:

• ‘THE SIMPSONS’ LANDMARK GAY EPISO KEEPS THE FAY
• GAYT EPISO EVER: HOW JOHN WATERS HELPED ‘THE SIMPSONS’ GET LGBT REPRENTATN RIGHT
• THE SIMPSONS: WHEN SMHERS' GAY CLU FIRST STARTED
• THE SIMPSONS SEASON 30 REP: IS GRAMPA SIMPSON GAY?

‘THE SIMPSONS’ LANDMARK GAY EPISO KEEPS THE FAY

And while ’s a historil moment for Smhers, ’s also a full-circle one for longtime seri wrer Rob LaZebnik, whose son, Johnny, spired Smhers’ big, gay g-out episo 2016. Of urse, Smhers — who fds himself thst to a globe-trottg, whirlwd romance wh Garber’s fashnista — was already fluenced by them both when he bted down his closet door 2016’s touchg Season 27 episo “Tom Colls, ” which was penned by Rob as an homage to his gay son.

“So often, gay romanc are a subplot or allud to or shown some kd of montage or as a punchle. And what I thk I was really exced about, wh this episo, we get to see — whout spoilg too much — the begng, middle and who knows how ends of a gay relatnship, of really gettg to the nty-grty of how gay people date, how they meet, what ’s like, ” he said.

“I haven’t played a lot of gay characters, but every time I do , brgs back certa feelgs I had as a young actor where I uldn’t be gay.

GAYT EPISO EVER: HOW JOHN WATERS HELPED ‘THE SIMPSONS’ GET LGBT REPRENTATN RIGHT

The SimpsonsCast & crewUser reviewsTriviaEpiso aired Feb 16, 1997TV-1423mAfter Marge beiends John, a gay store owner, Homer worri that his prence will have a negative effect on Bart's Marge beiends John, a gay store owner, Homer worri that his prence will have a negative effect on Bart's Marge beiends John, a gay store owner, Homer worri that his prence will have a negative effect on Bart's productn, box office & pany PhotosReview Bart Gets a LsonYou knew eventually the Simpsons would get around to alg wh gay people.

A young guy who ns a shop wh pop cursi beiends the Simpsons and Homer thks he's great until Marge tells him the guy is gay. And there’s one episo particular — “Homer’s Phobia, ” perhaps better known as the gay Simpsons episo wh John Waters — that probably meant a lot to the gay kids watchg.

THE SIMPSONS: WHEN SMHERS' GAY CLU FIRST STARTED

16, 1997 — midway through the show’s eighth season and about two months before Ellen would e out “The Puppy Episo” — the Simpsons fay would meet John, a iendly gay rint of Sprgfield voiced by director John Waters. The newt stallment of my podst, Gayt Episo Ever, has me and my -host, screenwrer Glen Lak, talkg abut “Homer’s Phobia” wh Dr. There’s a lot to unpack this episo, om Homer’s homophobic (and arguably out-of-character) rants about John’s sexualy to the way Waters plays his character as a regular person — neher mcg nor macho and very fortable beg out.

In some ways you uld view “Homer’s Phobia” as the episo makg amends for all the Smhers jok, sayg, “By the way, there are normal folks Sprgfield who jt happen to be openly gay. But this gay Simpsons lifer thks the staff should look back at s own past — and at “Homer’s Phobia” particular — for an example of how to offset an aspect of the show that’s been renred problematic by the evolvg attus of the people who watch .

THE SIMPSONS SEASON 30 REP: IS GRAMPA SIMPSON GAY?

You n subscribe to Gayt Episo Ever on iTun, on Google Play and on Soundcloud. What did you thk about this gay Simpsons episo?

A number of people have been intified as (or implied to be) lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr (monly abbreviated LGBT). 2 Gay. 1 Openly gay characters.