tv meme, day 14: favorite male character

What a question to ponder. My favorite male character in all of the history of television. I guess I'm going to have to go with the long-standing genius of comedy and parenting alike, Homer J. Simpson. While The Simpsons may be past its heyday and even further from its stride, Homer will always represent to me the funniest, most lovable, and all-around good guy (when it comes down to it) you're likely to find in a television series.

Sure, Homer has his faults (now that's the understatement of the century). He's loud and obnoxious, he drinks too much, he's not the brightest bulb, he loses his temper with Bart, he makes big mistakes when it comes to proper techniques when raising his children, and he's terrible at his job. But all of these things add to a genuinely flawed, genuine character. Homer is a man of few words (and many tastes in food), but his stupidity is highly endearing - why else do you think The Simpsons was such a success? Though Marge seems to be way out of his league, we've learned through years and years of watching them as a couple that Homer and Marge work brilliantly. Marge's voice of reason and capacity for patience coexist perfectly with Homer's well-meaning attitude and hesitant thoughtfulness. And even though he may've failed as a parent in some departments, when it comes down to it, the children really do adore him as an authority figure.

From his one-liners - "d'oh" and "mmm" plus any item of food, come to mind - to his lack of composure or scruples in delicate situations, my true love for Homer stems from his inadvertent hilarity. Only Homer would get wrapped up in a sexual harassment scandal because of a gummi candy. Only Homer could accidentally wind up taking cannonballs to the stomach in a traveling Lollapalooza freak show. Only Homer could find himself on a remote oil drill fast food restaurant thanks to his keen sense of smell for all things greasy and delicious. And only Homer could manage to keep his hodgepodge family together through his good heart and tireless love for his wife and kids. Homer may have his detractors (I imagine I'll hear from them in the comments), but I can't help but love the big lug, hair-brained schemes and constant mistakes and all!