Most people that have seen The Simpsons will agree that Homer is nothing more than a beer drinking, lazy, idiot. There are some however, that see Homer as something more. They see him as a symbol of what America has become. Statistics have shown that people in America have become more lazy, more overweight and in some cases, even less intelligent. These are all characteristics which Homer seems to embellish. People don't blame Homer for these faults in society, but they look up to him as the king, as the essence of what we as Americans have become. .
Homer qualifies as a media icon because of the fact that he is internationally known as the stupid fat guy in that cartoon on TV. All over the country you can hear Homer Simpson's token phrase "D"OH!" every time someone makes a simple mistake. Homer can be associated with being overweight, laziness and just plain stupidity. Anyone who has ever seen just one episode of The Simpsons will always have the image of Homer Simpson implanted in their brain. Don't get me wrong, I love The Simpsons, but Homer is just an absolute moron. Homer causes trouble at his workplace, and in his own home. Most of the time, he doesn't even know that he's doing it.
Homer however, does embody some contradictions, things he says, things he does, even what he's thinking can all be controversial at times. Homer has poked fun at Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and people of Arab descent. Replying to the statement, "I guess you could say I"m Iraqi," with, "Get off my property," certainly calls for some controversy. Homer's extremely bad drinking habits also call for some major controversy. Nearly all of Homer's free time is spent at Moe's Tavern, a local bar where he gets drunk almost every night. Homer has been caught drinking and driving on multiple occasions, arrested numerous times, and been sentenced to life in prison, which he escaped only because it was a prank.