Matt Groening is, by his own admission, “a bed-wetting liberal.” No gun shop customer would act like that. If they did, they’d be asked to leave. Also notice the Confederate flag and the MP-40 (associated with Nazi Germany) on the wall. What’s Groening implying here? Of course, the Confederate flag shouldn’t be seen as a symbol of racism, but that’s what most people think when they see it thanks to disgraceful troglodytes abusing its meaning. And if that’s an MP-40, then it’s most likely a semi-auto sporter version, not an original. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a Nazi-era MP-40. But like the AK-47, the MP-40 has certain politics attached to it in the public imagination. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ takes place in 1936, two years before the MP-38 hit the scene, yet Nazis in that film are depicted brandishing either MP-38s or MP-40s.
The “loudener” is a funny concept, though. The absurdness of it makes it funny seeing as how such a thing would be worse than purposeless. Also, a “speedcocker” would serve no purpose on a double-action revolver. Assuming that revolver is of the usual range of calibers (.357 or .44 as opposed to .460 or anything of the .50 persuasion), no attachment would make it able to shoot down police helicopters. I know it’s meant to be satire, but satire has to be done right to be funny. Otherwise, it only insults our intelligence. At least Groening didn’t make the gun store clerk look like a hilljack skinhead.
Admin (Mike)
I agree, Groening is definitely pulling all the stops when it comes to portraying stereotypes in that clip.
Dragon76
I totaly agree with you, but to me the gun looks more like An M3 Grease Gun.
Millard
I loved this episode, and I’ve used guns my whole life — hunting, shooting. They said after they didn’t think anyone wanted a cartoon telling them not to own a gun, but that we could all agree Homer Simpson should not own a gun. Notice Marge keeps it in the end, and the diverse group of NRA members (who take away Homer’s membership card) are the ones who rescue him from a criminal. Also, how can you not love Moe’s line, “I guess the best place he robs better have a ramp.”
When you look at all the other TV shows that deal with guns, this looks even better. All the other ones are the same plot over and over and over: Dumb father over reacts to a story of crime, dumb father gets a gun, dumb father wakes up in the middle of the night and almost shoots one of the kids. Only, he doesn’t actually take the gun. He takes a tennis racket (Family Ties) or a golf club (Too Close for Comfort). Now, the fact that he does not brain the child with that “weapon,” made me wonder why he would have pulled the trigger on the gun.
Also, I bet Ted Knight would have felt a lot different if he’d confronted a pair of rapists with a tennis racket in his hand. He had a pair of daughters in the apartment upstairs. It’s fine if he didn’t care enough to protect them, but don’t tell the rest of us we have to disarm ourselves.
Admin (Mike)
Great comment Millard. I agree it was an awesome episode.
People are very opinionated when it comes to guns. I find its just like politics, some people want you to think how they think, and it gets really annoying after a while.
Comments
6 responses to “Homer Simpson Buys A Gun”
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Matt Groening is, by his own admission, “a bed-wetting liberal.” No gun shop customer would act like that. If they did, they’d be asked to leave. Also notice the Confederate flag and the MP-40 (associated with Nazi Germany) on the wall. What’s Groening implying here? Of course, the Confederate flag shouldn’t be seen as a symbol of racism, but that’s what most people think when they see it thanks to disgraceful troglodytes abusing its meaning. And if that’s an MP-40, then it’s most likely a semi-auto sporter version, not an original. Therefore, it wouldn’t be a Nazi-era MP-40. But like the AK-47, the MP-40 has certain politics attached to it in the public imagination. ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ takes place in 1936, two years before the MP-38 hit the scene, yet Nazis in that film are depicted brandishing either MP-38s or MP-40s.
The “loudener” is a funny concept, though. The absurdness of it makes it funny seeing as how such a thing would be worse than purposeless. Also, a “speedcocker” would serve no purpose on a double-action revolver. Assuming that revolver is of the usual range of calibers (.357 or .44 as opposed to .460 or anything of the .50 persuasion), no attachment would make it able to shoot down police helicopters. I know it’s meant to be satire, but satire has to be done right to be funny. Otherwise, it only insults our intelligence. At least Groening didn’t make the gun store clerk look like a hilljack skinhead.
I agree, Groening is definitely pulling all the stops when it comes to portraying stereotypes in that clip.
I totaly agree with you, but to me the gun looks more like An M3 Grease Gun.
I loved this episode, and I’ve used guns my whole life — hunting, shooting. They said after they didn’t think anyone wanted a cartoon telling them not to own a gun, but that we could all agree Homer Simpson should not own a gun. Notice Marge keeps it in the end, and the diverse group of NRA members (who take away Homer’s membership card) are the ones who rescue him from a criminal. Also, how can you not love Moe’s line, “I guess the best place he robs better have a ramp.”
When you look at all the other TV shows that deal with guns, this looks even better. All the other ones are the same plot over and over and over: Dumb father over reacts to a story of crime, dumb father gets a gun, dumb father wakes up in the middle of the night and almost shoots one of the kids. Only, he doesn’t actually take the gun. He takes a tennis racket (Family Ties) or a golf club (Too Close for Comfort). Now, the fact that he does not brain the child with that “weapon,” made me wonder why he would have pulled the trigger on the gun.
Also, I bet Ted Knight would have felt a lot different if he’d confronted a pair of rapists with a tennis racket in his hand. He had a pair of daughters in the apartment upstairs. It’s fine if he didn’t care enough to protect them, but don’t tell the rest of us we have to disarm ourselves.
Great comment Millard. I agree it was an awesome episode.
People are very opinionated when it comes to guns. I find its just like politics, some people want you to think how they think, and it gets really annoying after a while.