The Only Simpsons Episode That Upset Series Creator Matt Groening's Father, Homer

Homer Simpson has always been a big focus on "The Simpsons," mostly because he's just so lovably dopey. But he's also done some questionable things. According to Marge Simpson, the "worst, most despicable" was when he claimed to have gotten rid of his gun, only for Bart to find it. Homer's defense? "But, Marge, I swear to you, I never thought you'd find out!" If you were to ask the man after which Homer is named, however, he'd say that the Simpsons patriarch crossed a line much earlier than that when he sent Marge to get a spare tire after the family's car broke down.

Matt Groening famously named the Simpsons after his family, with the exception of Bart, whose name is an anagram of "Brat." But there was more to it than simply naming the cartoon family after his own for convenience. Groening made Homer Simpson as a playful way to annoy his father, designing the character as a slobbish boob when the real-life version was anything but. Homer Groening was a World War II veteran who had a successful career as a director, producer, and cartoonist. As such, you might have thought the man himself would be upset to have his name used for a character who frequently strangles his son and whose mind is at one point depicted as nothing more than a lame mule sleeping amid a cloud of flies.

But it turns out, Homer Groening wasn't actually all that bothered about having inspired one of the all time great TV dolts. In fact, according to Matt Groening, Homer and the rest of the family quite enjoyed being associated with the show itself. The only thing the real-life Homer ever objected to was when Homer sent Marge on a 12-mile trek through the desert solo.

Homer strangling Bart is one of several "Simpsons" jokes that haven't aged well, but that never seemed to be a problem for Homer Groening, who apparently only ever got upset when his namesake slacked off at his wife's expense.

"Homer's Barbershop Quartet" was the fifth season premiere, airing back in 1993. It saw Homer recount via flashbacks how he Principal Skinner, Barney, and Apu, formed a quartet named The Be Sharps. The present-day storyline, however, begins at the Springfield Swap Meet, where Homer and the family peruse the stalls before leaving. On the drive home, the family's car blows a tire and rather than hauling the wheel 12 miles to the closest gas station himself, Homer forces his wife to make the trek. This, it seems, was a step too far for Homer Groening.

In September 1994, Matt Groening spoke to Cards Illustrated (via the Simpsons Archive) and revealed that even though his family aren't "anything like the Simpsons" they remain "gratified" to have provided the inspiration for the animated family, and would even sign autographs on occasion. "Out of all the hundred-some odd episodes we've done so far, my family has never been bothered by anything on 'The Simpsons,'" he explained. "Except one time my Dad called me up and said, 'When the family's car broke down in the desert, Homer shouldn't have made Marge carry that flat tire back to the gas station.' He was really bothered by that, and I said, 'Dad, this is a show where Homer skateboards off cliffs and strangles Bart and stuff, and that's what bothers you?'"

Granted, sending Marge Simpson trudging through the desert isn't one of the funniest moments in "The Simpsons." But it's a relatively tame joke that doesn't necessarily seem all that mean-spirited. Matt Groening never did elaborate on what it was about the joke that really upset his father, but clearly he was taken aback by Homer's lack of care for his wife.

During a 2026 interview with the New York Times Matt Groening once again mentioned his father's dislike for the scene in "Homer's Barbershop Quartet." According to the creator, his dad was "really serious" when he complained about his namesake's treatment of Marge, which motivated Groening to try to make it up to him. Having forever linked his father with the dim-witted head of the Simpson family, Groening chose to name his own son Homer. "I wanted to make it up to my father that I had named this idiot after him," he said. "My father was nothing like Homer. He was really smart and athletic, and he was a war hero. He was a B-17 pilot in World War II. He made surfing movies in the '60s and cartoons and was a huge inspiration to me."

Of course, "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" was all the way back in season 5. Though "The Simpsons" was never supposed to run for more than 13 episodes, it is now in its 37th season. That means Homer's had a lot of opportunities to do other bad things, such as the aforementioned gun debacle from season 9 episode "The Cartridge Family." Homer Groening passed away in 1996, however, and wasn't around to witness that particular installment so we'll never know what he thought of Homer Simpsons' brief infatuation with firearms.