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{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image = Deep Space Homer episode from The Simpsons screenshot.jpg
| episode_name = {{PAGENAME}}
| alt = A scene of news anchor Kent Brockman announcing his surrender due to the belief that Ants taking over the world. This scene inspired the "Overlord meme" which uses the scene to mimic entities taking over the world.
| image = ]
| caption = ] immediately pledges his allegiance to giant space ants which he mistakenly believes are about to conquer the world. This scene went on to inspire an ].<ref name="in">{{cite web |title=The best Simpsons episode ever |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/on-the-box/4550400/The-best-Simpsons-episode-ever |website=] |date=January 17, 2011 |publisher=]|access-date=August 27, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Overlord">{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/02/is-it-time-to-welcome-our-new-computer-overlords/71388/|title=Overlord Meme|work=]|publisher=]|access-date=August 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829072116/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2011/02/is-it-time-to-welcome-our-new-computer-overlords/71388/|archive-date=August 29, 2018|url-status=live|date=February 17, 2011}}</ref>
| episode_no = 96
| prod_code = 1F13 | season = 5
| airdate = ], ] | episode = 15
| director = Carlos Baeza
| show runner = ]
| writer = ] | writer = ]
| production = 1F13{{sfn|Fink|2019|page=186}}
| director = ]
| airdate = {{Start date|1994|02|24}}
| couch_gag = The family runs to the couch, only to find a fat man sitting on it. They squeeze in to the left of him.
| guest_star = ] as himself<br>] as himself | guests = * ] as himself
* ] as himself
| couch_gag = The family runs to the couch, only to find an obese man sitting on it. They squeeze in to the left of him.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web |url=https://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/1F13.html |title=Deep Space Homer |access-date=January 15, 2018 |publisher=Simpsons Archive |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160709050821/http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/episodes/1F13.html |archive-date=July 9, 2016 }}</ref>
| season = 5
| commentary = {{plainlist|
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]}}
| prev = ]
| next = ]
}} }}
"'''{{PAGENAME}}'''" is the fifteenth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ]. It is also the source of the ].


"'''Deep Space Homer'''" is the fifteenth episode<ref name="gin">{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/17/the-simpsons-the-complete-fifth-season|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season|last1=Butts|first1=Steve|date=December 17, 2004|website=IGN|access-date=September 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084619/http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/12/17/the-simpsons-the-complete-fifth-season|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> of the ] of American animated television series '']'', which was first broadcast on ] in the United States on February 24, 1994. In the episode, ] selects ] to participate in a ] to spark public interest in space exploration and boost low ] of the launches. Once in space, his incompetence destroys the navigation system on board the ].
==Synopsis==
{{spoiler}}
At ], ] and all employees are ordered to participate in the Worker of the Week award festivities. Everyone who participates, except Homer, already has a medal, but ] gives the next Worker of the Week award to an Inanimate Carbon Rod. Homer is infuriated that the rod wins the award, and feels dejected that no one likes him. He turns to the TV for solace and ends up on a channel that is broadcasting a live ] launch. The batteries fall out of his remote control so that he cannot turn off the TV. ] helps him out by unplugging the TV.


The episode was written by ] ] and directed by Carlos Baeza. ] astronaut ] and musician ] guest-starred as themselves. Some of ''The Simpsons''<nowiki/>' staff, including creator ], feared the concept was too unrealistic, resulting in some jokes being pared down and greater focus placed on relationships within the ]. However, the episode was well-received, with many critics and fans praising it as one of the best of the series.
] learns that its ] have declined. Concerned about declining popularity, they decide to send an "]" into space. Their rationale is that the public is tired of seeing "clean-cut, athletic go-getters". They turn on the TV and come across a pair of ] ] programs. Homer telephones NASA to complain about the "boring space shuttle launches". By the end of the conversation, the NASA researchers determine they have found their man. But when they arrive at ], Homer thinks he is in trouble and blames ] for making the prank call. When Homer realizes what NASA's proposal entails, he steps in and takes credit for the call.
]
NASA takes both Homer and Barney to ] to train to become an astronaut. They pit the two in competition against one another as they can only take one to space. With a NASA alcohol ban, the training goes well for Barney (he even does a backflip and sings the opening lines of ]'s "]"), but the future is grim for Homer when he learns that Barney has been chosen to go on board with ] and the fictional astronaut Race Banyon. However, when Barney has a toast with the people at NASA, he drinks what he thinks is ], then goes berserk and fastens himself to a ]. After taking off, Barney's jet pack fails, and he bounces off a roof and onto the road, where he is run over by a truck. The champagne Barney drinks turns out to be non-alcoholic. A scientist declares Homer the default winner of the competition, and he goes up into space with the two other astronauts.


== Plot ==
In spite of Homer being chosen to go into space, he is very nervous about going. He runs from the space shuttle and talks with ] on the phone, and she says that Homer ought to take advantage of going into space. He agrees, and gets into the ] space shuttle, with its name a reference to the car that was widely considered to be unsafe. The launch is also a Nielsen ratings smash. When on the shuttle, Homer smuggles ]s ("Careful! They're ].") on board. He opens the bag, but is unaware that they will clog the instruments. His appetite seems to save the day as he flies after the chips, maw first, but he flies into an ], destroying it, sowing panic across the world as the ants are set free.
At the ], ] believes he will win the Worker of the Week award; it is a union requirement that every employee gets the prize at least once and Homer is the only plant employee who has never won. Instead, ] gives the award to an inanimate carbon rod. Homer thinks no one respects him, and watches television to lighten his mood. Suddenly, the remote breaks and the TV is stuck on a telecast of a ] launch, which Homer finds boring. Meanwhile, NASA decides to send an average Joe to space to improve their ], and pick Homer after he calls NASA to complain about the telecast. When two NASA officials approach Homer the next day, he believes he is in trouble and blames the prank call on ]. After they invite Barney to participate in a space launch, Homer tells the officials the truth; the officials decide to train both Homer and Barney.


At ], Homer and Barney compete in training exercises. While under NASA's alcohol ban, a sober Barney develops superior skills and is chosen to fly with ] and Race Banyon. After toasting with a non-alcoholic drink, Barney reverts to alcoholism and leaves via a jetpack. Homer is selected as Barney's replacement; the launch receives good television ratings.
]'' magazine.|left]]
Although ] comes in to make a performance, the disaster continues on board, with ] reporting that the space shuttle has been taken over by the ]s. The ants destroy the navigation system. Luckily, James Taylor offers to help, by suggesting that they blow the debris out the front door. The astronauts do, but Homer breaks the shuttle's door handle. However, he uses a rod broken from the shuttle to seal the door shut. They return to Earth, landing at a journalist convention.


Homer smuggles a bag of potato chips aboard the shuttle, and opens it upon reaching space. The chips disperse and threaten to clog the instruments. While eating them, Homer breaks an ant farm, and the ants destroy the navigation system. ], hired to sing to the astronauts through mission control, suggests they blow the ants out the hatch, having done a similar technique when Taylor visited ] at his vineyard. Homer fails to put on his harness and is nearly blown into space, grabbing on to the hatch handle. The hatch handle bends, preventing it from fully closing. While defending himself from a furious Race, Homer grabs a carbon rod and inadvertently uses it to seal the hatch. The shuttle returns safely to Earth, landing at a press convention. Although Buzz calls Homer a hero, the press only acknowledges the carbon rod. Despite this, Homer's family still celebrates him as a hero.
Although Buzz Aldrin declares Homer the hero, the press see the rod as being a hero. The rod is then featured on magazine covers and is given its own ]. Back at home, Homer is disappointed that he did not get as much respect as the rod, but the family honors him for his achievement, saying that Homer is only one of a handful of people who get to go into space.


== Production ==
{{endspoiler}}
] ] wrote "Deep Space Homer".]]
"Deep Space Homer" was written by ] ] and directed by Carlos Baeza. He based the episode on NASA's cancellation of the ], which sent civilians to space to increase public interest in the ].<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2004 |title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}}<ref name="com" /> The staff worried that sending Homer into space was too large an idea, and ''Simpsons''{{'}} creator ] said it gave them "nowhere to go".<ref name="Mirkin" />{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}}<ref name="com">{{cite video|url=http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/275720259883|people=Deep Space Homer staff|title=Episode Commentary|publisher=The Simpsons at Simpsons World|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902012152/http://www.simpsonsworld.com/video/275720259883|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Several gags were toned down to make the episode more realistic, including an idea that everyone at NASA was as stupid as Homer.<ref name="com" /><ref name="Groening">{{cite video|people=Groening, Matt|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Mirkin focused more on Homer's attempts to gain his family's respect.<ref name="Mirkin" /><ref name="com" />


Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor guest-star as themselves.{{sfn|Gale|2007|page=2652}}<ref name="buzz">{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/27113-buzz-aldrin-simpsons-action-figure.html|title=Woo Hoo! Buzz Aldrin's Role on 'The Simpsons' Leads to Action Figure|publisher=]|via=Space.com|last1=Pearlman|first1=Robert Z.|date=September 10, 2014|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914011015/http://www.space.com/27113-buzz-aldrin-simpsons-action-figure.html|archive-date=September 14, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> The staff were concerned Aldrin would consider his line "second comes right after first" an insult, and offered the alternative line, "first to take a soil sample", as a backup. Aldrin however preferred the original line, which was retained in the script.<ref name="Mirkin" /><ref name="com" /> Taylor recorded an altered version of his 1970 single "]" and ]'s 1971 "]" for the episode. His recording session appears as an extra on the ] release of the ].<ref name="Mirkin" /><ref name="com" /> ] directed the potato chip sequence instead of Baeza;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/simpsons-showrunners-on-the-classic-era-myth.html|title=3 Simpsons Showrunners Reflect on New Fans and the 'Classic Era' Myth|date=September 23, 2014|website=]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827210034/http://www.vulture.com/2014/09/simpsons-showrunners-on-the-classic-era-myth.html|archive-date=August 27, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=August 27, 2018}}</ref> the chips were partly animated on an ] personal computer to smooth their rotation.<ref name="Silverman">{{cite video|people=Silverman, David|date=2004|title=The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer"|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
==Trivia==
*The two blue collar TV shows the people at NASA watch are '']'' and '']''.
*Homer opening a packet of potato chips in space has a possibly coincidental similarity to an incident on the ] spaceflight when ] smuggled a ] sandwich onboard. He and his crewmate ] each took a few bites, but were reprimanded for it after returning to Earth, as the crumbs could have damaged the electronics. However, onboard modern space shuttles it is safe to bring such things onboard as they mostly drift up to the filter eventually and do not damage the equipment.
*This episode was featured in the film '']'', directed by ], who also wrote this episode.
*According to the DVD commentary, NASA loved the episode, and astronaut ] asked for a copy of it to be sent on a supply ship to the ]. The DVD remains there for astronauts to view.
* The ] is used in different scenes of the episode instead of using the traditional "MeatBall" logo.
* There is a ] parody when Homer is in the centrifuge. His chin looks bigger, and he says "I can't stands no more".
*There is another joke in the shuttle at blast-off. When they are heading up Homer's face morphs into ]'s. On the DVD commentary, Matt Groening states that he does not like this joke.


==Cultural references== == Parodies ==
"Deep Space Homer" has multiple references to '']'' (1968): a scene of Homer floating and eating potato chips in space includes ]'s waltz "]", which was used in the film. Whilst using the docking computer, the rotating Homer mimics the space station from the computer game '']'', which also plays "The Blue Danube" as the game pilots the ship in the spinning station. ] is parodied as a journalist reporting on NASA's experiments about the effects of weightlessness on "tiny screws".<ref name="in" /> During Barney and Homer's training montage, which itself is a reference to '']'', Barney demonstrates his improved abilities by reciting the opening to "]" while landing several consecutive back ]. Homer attempts the same with "]" but crashes into a wall before he can complete it.
]
*The episode's title is a reference to '']''.
*The song Barney sings to prove his sobriety is the ] from '']''.
*Homer and Barney's duel (cut in ]) is a reference to the classic '']'' episode "]", complete with ''Star Trek'''s fight music and the NASA administrator betting "quatloos on the newcomer."
*In the episode of ], Itchy bursts out of Scratchy's stomach in a parody of the ] from the film series of the ].
*The space shuttle is called "] Corvair", after the ill-fated ].
*There are several references in this episode to ]´s film '']'':
**The scene when Homer eats the potato chips echoes the opening space scene, with both the music and spinning chip.
**The ] cartoon, Itchy comes out to pick ]´s "corpse" (recreating the scene from the movie) in a capsule much like the ones in the film.
**At the end of the episode, Homer appears as an embryonic form floating in outer space, echoing the end of ''2001''.
*The fictional astronaut "Race Banyon" (and his appearance) is a clear homage to ] of '']''.


Homer watches an '']'' episode that shows Itchy bursting out of Scratchy, a reference to '']'', then torturing Scratchy in an ] pod, a reference to ''2001''{{'}}s '']'' craft.<ref name="Mirkin" /><ref name="com" /> When ] throws a marker pen, it rotates in slow motion and a ] replaces it with a cylindrical satellite as a parody of a similar transition used in ''2001''; both film and cartoon use ]' ] '']'' as backing music.
==Quotes==
*'''Reporter #1''': ''(reporting on a space launch)'' Unbelievable, and just imagine the logistics of weightlessness. And of course, this could have literally millions of applications here on Earth -- everything from watchmaking to watch repair.<br/>'''Homer''': Boring. ''(tries to switch channels, but the batteries drop out of the remote)'' No! The batteries!<br/>'''Reporter #1''': Now let's look at the crew a little.<br/>'''Reporter #2''': They are a colorful bunch. They've been dubbed “]". ''(calm chuckle)''<br/>'''Reporter #1''': And we laugh legitimately. There's a mathematician, a different kind of mathematician, and a statistician.<br/>'''Homer''': Make it stop!


The scene where the Simpson family are in the car together is a parody of the opening sequence of '']''.{{sfn|Fink|2019|page=186}}<ref name="bbc" />{{sfn|Booker|2006|page=58}} The title is in reference to the TV show '']''.<ref>{{cite web|title=10 Best Star Trek References In The Simpsons|author=Ben Sherlock|date=May 22, 2022|url=https://screenrant.com/simpsons-star-trek-jokes-references/#the-simpsons-get-beamed-up-to-the-enterprise-from-their-couch|website=screenrant.com|access-date=May 8, 2023}}</ref> The episode features a tribute to ] when Homer imitates ] in the last scene of the film.
*'''NASA worker #1:''' People, we're in danger of losing our funding. America isn't interested in space exploration any more.<br/>'''NASA worker #2:''' Maybe we should finally tell them the big secret... that all the ] we sent into space came back super-intelligent.<br/>'''Super-intelligent Chimp:''' No, I don't think we'll be telling them ''that''. ''(he leaves the room on ])''


== Themes ==
*'''Ant #1''': ''(when the ants' on-shuttle environment is endangered)'' Protect the ]!<br/>'''Ant #2:''' Which one's the queen?<br/>'''Ant #3:''' I'm the queen!<br/>'''Ant #1:''' No you're not!<br/>'''Homer:''' Noooo!!<br/>'''Ant #1:''' ''(after the environment is destroyed and the ants fly through the shuttle)'' Freedom! Horrible, horrible freedom!
"Deep Space Homer" deals with Barney's alcoholism as he sobers up to become fit and clear-thinking, then regresses to his usual drunken persona after he has a non-alcoholic drink, an example of "exaggerated incompetence."{{sfn|Musolf|2016|page=209}} The episode also explores the relationships between members of the ], particularly how they evolve after Homer's voyage to space. At the start of the episode, Bart writes "Insert Brain Here" on the back of Homer's head to imply he is not intelligent enough to earn his family's respect. After Homer returns from space, Bart instead writes "Hero" on the back of his head. His trip to space and his heroic act gains him increased respect from his family, something Homer had struggled with for several years.{{sfn|Irwin|Conard|Skoble|2001|page=120}}


NASA's main motivation for sending Homer to space is its low ratings. This is evident when Homer and Bart, who are seen as average Joes, are attempting to quickly change the channel when a space launch is shown. By 1994, NASA could no longer present space exploration as part of the ]—the ] between the ] and the ] had by then dissipated. In the episode, NASA attempts to use ] as a means of increasing ratings by sending an "average schmo" such as Homer or Barney to space.{{sfn|Hersch|2012}} Homer's space journey increased ratings for NASA; according to the professor of English Paul Cantor, this illustrates how easily trends in ratings can be affected by societal change.{{sfn|Cantor|2003|page=89}}
*'''Kent Brockman:''' Ladies and gentlemen, uh, we've just lost the picture, but what we've seen speaks for itself. The Corvair ] has apparently been taken over, 'conquered' if you will, by a master race of giant space ants. It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether they will consume the captive Earthmen or merely enslave them. One thing is for certain: there is no stopping them; the ants will soon be here. And ]. I'd like to remind them as a trusted TV personality, I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves.


== Reception ==
*'''Reporter:''' Don't you think there is an inherent danger in sending underqualified civilians into space?<br/> '''Homer:''' I'll field this one. The only danger is if they send us to that terrible ]. ''(thinking)'' Wait a minute...]...that was our planet! (à la ]) You maniacs! You blew it up! Damn you! Damn you all to hell!
"Deep Space Homer" finished 32nd in ratings for the week of February 21–27, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 11.1, the equivalent of approximately 10.3&nbsp;million viewing households.<ref name="tango">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtango.com/listings?filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bmonth%5D=2&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bday%5D=24&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Byear%5D=1994&commit.x=17&commit.y=17|title=TV listings|website=TV Tango|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084423/http://www.tvtango.com/listings?filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bmonth%5D=2&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Bday%5D=24&filters%5Bdate%5D%5Byear%5D=1994&commit.x=17&commit.y=17|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> It was the highest-rated show on ] that week.<ref>{{cite news |title=CBS skates to easy ratings sweep victory |work=Sun-Sentinel |author=Williams, Scott |page=4E |date=March 3, 1994}}</ref>


{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=300
*'''Announcer:''' ''(after an extremely violent ] episode)'' The preceding program contained scenes of extreme violence and should not have been viewed by young children.
|image1 = Aldrin at STELLAR Program (ARC-1969-AC96-0232-52) (cropped).jpg
|width1 = 600
|height1 = 700
|alt1 = Buzz Aldrin at the 'STELLAR' program commencement activities. He guest starred in this episode. Taken in 1996.
|image2 = James Taylor 2000.jpg
|width2 = 600
|height2 = 700
|alt2= = James Taylor at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York. He guest starred in this episode. Taken in 2000.
|footer = ] (left) and ] received praise for their performances.
}}
In 1994, film magazine '']'' declared "Deep Space Homer" a "contender for the greatest episode ever", listing it as the third-best ''Simpsons'' parody of a film.{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}} In 1998, '']'' listed it in its list of top twelve ''Simpsons'' episodes.<ref>{{cite news |title=A Dozen Doozies |work=] |date=January 3–9, 1998 |url=http://www.simpsonsarchive.com/other/articles/dozendoozies.html|access-date=January 13, 2019}}</ref> In his 2004 book '']'', ] cited the episode as one of his five favorites. He described the sequence with Homer eating potato chips in the Space Shuttle and the speech by newscaster ], who believes alien ants have taken over the shuttle, as "simply among the finest comedic moments in the history of television".{{sfn|Turner|2004|pp=69{{ndash}}70}}


In 2011, '']'' named the episode among their ten favorites for its cameos and jokes.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8791597/The-10-best-Simpsons-TV-episodes.html|title=The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes (In Chronological Order)|last=Walton|first=James|date=September 27, 2011|work=]|access-date=September 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180902084454/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8791597/The-10-best-Simpsons-TV-episodes.html|archive-date=September 2, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2017, '']'' named "Deep Space Homer" its fourth-favorite ''Simpsons'' episode, describing Homer's realization that '']'' is set on Earth as "pure genius".{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.today.com/popculture/doh-top-10-simpsons-episodes-ever-1C9430188|title=D'Oh! The top 10 'Simpsons' episodes ever|last=Enwright|first=Patrick|date=July 31, 2007|access-date=January 16, 2022|publisher=]}}</ref> Aldrin and Taylor received praise for their performances; '']'' and '']'' ranked Taylor's guest appearance among the show's greatest.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances|title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances|author1=Goldman, Eric|author2=Iverson, Dan|publisher=IGN|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622134744/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html|archive-date=June 22, 2007|url-status=live|access-date=January 16, 2022|author3=Zoromski, Brian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=7123&page=2|title=The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time|date=March 29, 2006|work=The Phoenix|publisher=]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116052623/http://thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=7123&page=2|archive-date=November 16, 2006|url-status=dead|access-date=August 3, 2007}}</ref> In 2019, '']'' ranked the episode sixth in its list of 10 best ''Simpsons'' episodes picked by ''Simpsons'' experts.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=Raisa Bruner |title=We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time |magazine=]|date=2019-12-10 |url=https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/|access-date=2019-12-11}}</ref>
*'''James Taylor:''' ]


The episode is a favorite of Silverman,<ref name="Silverman" /> but contains one of Groening's least-favorite jokes: Homer's face morphs into those of ] and ] while exposed to ]s, which Groening felt made no sense in context.<ref name="Groening" />
*'''James Taylor:''' Listen Aldrin; I'm not as laid back as people think. Now here's the deal: I'm going to play, and you're going to float there and like it.


== Legacy ==
*'''James Taylor:''' Ants, huh? We had quite a severe ant problem at the vineyard this year. I had ] come by with his compressor, and we created a total vacuum outside the house, and we blew the ants out the front door. But I'm sure you high-tech NASA people could care less about our resort-town ways.
At the request of astronaut ], a copy of the episode was placed on the ] for astronauts to view.{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.space.com/27113-buzz-aldrin-simpsons-action-figure.html |title=Deep Space Homer Information |access-date=August 17, 2011 |publisher=Space |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140914011015/http://www.space.com/27113-buzz-aldrin-simpsons-action-figure.html |archive-date=September 14, 2014 }}</ref>{{sfn|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}


=== Overlord meme ===
*'''Bart:''' Wow, my father an astronaut. I feel so full of...what's the opposite of shame?<br/>'''Marge:''' Pride?<br/>'''Bart: '''No, not that far from shame.<br/>'''Homer:''' Less shame?<br/>'''Bart:''' Yeaaaaah...
Kent Brockman's line, "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords", became a popular TV catchphrase and an ].{{sfn|Fink|2019|page=186}}{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}} It is frequently used to show mock submission<ref name="Overlord" />{{sfn|Turner|2004|page=300}} or suggest a powerful entity, such as robots, could become capable enough to conquer humanity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/10/06/130374218/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-robot-overlords|title=I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords|website=]|date=October 6, 2010 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903082214/https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2010/10/06/130374218/i-for-one-welcome-our-new-robot-overlords|archive-date=September 3, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=September 3, 2018|last1=Sutherland |first1=J. J. }}</ref> In 2007, '']'' used the phrase when reporting the British government's research into aliens,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/06/british-government-welcomes-our-new.html |title=The British government welcomes our new insect overlords |publisher=New Scientist magazine |access-date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912221913/http://www.newscientist.com/blog/space/2007/06/british-government-welcomes-our-new.html |archive-date=September 12, 2007 }}</ref> and in 2011, ], a long-standing contestant of the game show '']'', used it in reference to the computer ].{{sfn|Goertz|Prescott|Oakley|Weinstein|2018|page=36}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/02/watson-jeopardy-finale-man-vs-machine-showdown.html |title=Watson wins 'Jeopardy!' finale; Ken Jennings welcomes 'our new computer overlords' |work=] |date=February 16, 2011|access-date=February 17, 2011 |first=Melissa |last=Maerz |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217062143/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2011/02/watson-jeopardy-finale-man-vs-machine-showdown.html |archive-date=February 17, 2011 }}</ref>


{{Clear}}
*'''Homer:''' I must have the right....what's that stuff?


== References ==
*'''] (]):''' I did it! I supercharged my riding mower. Ruff, ruff, ruff! (Accidentally hits the reverse pedal, breaks through a fence and runs over his neighbour Wilson). Oh no! I've killed Wilson! (sighs) Looks like it's back to jail for me. Ruff, ruff, ruff...
{{Reflist|30em}}
;Bibliography
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Booker|first=Keith|title=Drawn to Television|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EGtTOAGYSWQC&pg=PA58 |page=58 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127185915/https://books.google.com/books?id=EGtTOAGYSWQC&pg=PA58 |archive-date=January 27, 2018|isbn=978-0-275-99019-0|year=2006|publisher=Bloomsbury }}
* {{cite book |last1=Cantor |first1=Paul A. |title=Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization |date=2003 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-7425-0779-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A6Qr6BFJUjoC&pg=PA88 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Fink |first1=Moritz |title=The Simpsons: A Cultural History |date=2019 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-5381-1617-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UOGTDwAAQBAJ&q=deep+space+homer+1F13&pg=PA186 |access-date=November 20, 2019 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Gale |first1=Thomson |title=Video Sourcebook: A Guide to Programs Currently Available on Video in the Areas Of: Movies/entertainment, General Interest/education, Sports/recreation, Fine Arts, Heal |date=2007|page=2652 |publisher=Gale / Cengage Learning |isbn=978-1-4144-0099-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=doDYm9jBqvwC&q=Deep+space+homer |access-date=August 27, 2018 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Goertz |first1=Allie |last2=Prescott |first2=Julia |last3=Oakley |first3=Bill |last4=Weinstein |first4=Josh |title=100 Things The Simpsons Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die |date=2018 |publisher=Triumph Books |isbn=978-1-64125-109-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xndPDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT122 |access-date=August 27, 2018 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}}|title-link=The Simpsons episode guides#The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family }}
* {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8cxfAQAAQBAJ&pg=PT236 |first=Matthew |last=Hersch |access-date=February 8, 2018|title=Inventing the American Astronaut|isbn=978-1-137-02529-6|date=October 8, 2012|publisher=Springer }}
* {{cite book |last1=Irwin |first1=William |last2=Conard |first2=Mark T. |last3=Skoble |first3=Aeon J. |title=The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer |date=2001 |publisher=Open Court |isbn=978-0-8126-9433-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vfl_Nqy83uQC&q=Deep+space+homer |access-date=July 20, 2019 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last1=Musolf |first1=Gil Richard |title=The Astructural Bias Charge: Myth or Reality? |date=2016 |publisher=Emerald Group Publishing |isbn=978-1-78635-035-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JXbPDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA209 |access-date=July 19, 2019 |language=en}}
* {{cite book |last=Turner |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Turner (author) |title=Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation |others=Foreword by ]. |edition=1st |year=2004 |location=Toronto |publisher=] |oclc=55682258 |isbn=978-0-679-31318-2|title-link=Planet Simpson }}
{{refend}}


== External links ==
*'''Homer:''' Hey, guys, look what I smuggled aboard!<br/>'''Buzz Aldrin:''' Homer, no! (Homer opens the bag of potato chips)<br/>'''Race:''' They'll clog the instruments!<br/>'''Buzz Aldrin:''' Careful, they're ruffled.<br/>
{{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_5#Deep_Space_Homer|"Deep Space Homer"}}
{{portal|The Simpsons}}
* {{snpp capsule|1F13}}
* {{IMDb episode|id=0701087}}


{{The Simpsons episodes|5}}
*'''Buzz Aldrin''': Second comes right after first


]
==External links==
]
{{wikiquote}}
]
* {{snpp capsule|1F13}}
]
]
]


]
]

Latest revision as of 03:09, 16 December 2024

15th episode of the 5th season of The Simpsons
"Deep Space Homer"
The Simpsons episode
A scene of news anchor Kent Brockman announcing his surrender due to the belief that Ants taking over the world. This scene inspired the "Overlord meme" which uses the scene to mimic entities taking over the world.Kent Brockman immediately pledges his allegiance to giant space ants which he mistakenly believes are about to conquer the world. This scene went on to inspire an internet meme.
Episode no.Season 5
Episode 15
Directed byCarlos Baeza
Written byDavid Mirkin
Production code1F13
Original air dateFebruary 24, 1994 (1994-02-24)
Guest appearances
Episode features
Couch gagThe family runs to the couch, only to find an obese man sitting on it. They squeeze in to the left of him.
Commentary
Episode chronology
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"Homer Loves Flanders"
The Simpsons season 5
List of episodes

"Deep Space Homer" is the fifteenth episode of the fifth season of American animated television series The Simpsons, which was first broadcast on Fox in the United States on February 24, 1994. In the episode, NASA selects Homer Simpson to participate in a spaceflight to spark public interest in space exploration and boost low ratings of the launches. Once in space, his incompetence destroys the navigation system on board the Space Shuttle.

The episode was written by showrunner David Mirkin and directed by Carlos Baeza. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and musician James Taylor guest-starred as themselves. Some of The Simpsons' staff, including creator Matt Groening, feared the concept was too unrealistic, resulting in some jokes being pared down and greater focus placed on relationships within the Simpson family. However, the episode was well-received, with many critics and fans praising it as one of the best of the series.

Plot

At the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, Homer believes he will win the Worker of the Week award; it is a union requirement that every employee gets the prize at least once and Homer is the only plant employee who has never won. Instead, Mr. Burns gives the award to an inanimate carbon rod. Homer thinks no one respects him, and watches television to lighten his mood. Suddenly, the remote breaks and the TV is stuck on a telecast of a Space Shuttle launch, which Homer finds boring. Meanwhile, NASA decides to send an average Joe to space to improve their Nielsen ratings, and pick Homer after he calls NASA to complain about the telecast. When two NASA officials approach Homer the next day, he believes he is in trouble and blames the prank call on Barney. After they invite Barney to participate in a space launch, Homer tells the officials the truth; the officials decide to train both Homer and Barney.

At Cape Canaveral, Homer and Barney compete in training exercises. While under NASA's alcohol ban, a sober Barney develops superior skills and is chosen to fly with Buzz Aldrin and Race Banyon. After toasting with a non-alcoholic drink, Barney reverts to alcoholism and leaves via a jetpack. Homer is selected as Barney's replacement; the launch receives good television ratings.

Homer smuggles a bag of potato chips aboard the shuttle, and opens it upon reaching space. The chips disperse and threaten to clog the instruments. While eating them, Homer breaks an ant farm, and the ants destroy the navigation system. James Taylor, hired to sing to the astronauts through mission control, suggests they blow the ants out the hatch, having done a similar technique when Taylor visited Art Garfunkel at his vineyard. Homer fails to put on his harness and is nearly blown into space, grabbing on to the hatch handle. The hatch handle bends, preventing it from fully closing. While defending himself from a furious Race, Homer grabs a carbon rod and inadvertently uses it to seal the hatch. The shuttle returns safely to Earth, landing at a press convention. Although Buzz calls Homer a hero, the press only acknowledges the carbon rod. Despite this, Homer's family still celebrates him as a hero.

Production

The writer of Deep Space Homer; David Mirkin. Taken in 2012.
Showrunner David Mirkin wrote "Deep Space Homer".

"Deep Space Homer" was written by showrunner David Mirkin and directed by Carlos Baeza. He based the episode on NASA's cancellation of the Teacher in Space Project, which sent civilians to space to increase public interest in the Space Shuttle program. The staff worried that sending Homer into space was too large an idea, and Simpsons' creator Matt Groening said it gave them "nowhere to go". Several gags were toned down to make the episode more realistic, including an idea that everyone at NASA was as stupid as Homer. Mirkin focused more on Homer's attempts to gain his family's respect.

Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor guest-star as themselves. The staff were concerned Aldrin would consider his line "second comes right after first" an insult, and offered the alternative line, "first to take a soil sample", as a backup. Aldrin however preferred the original line, which was retained in the script. Taylor recorded an altered version of his 1970 single "Fire and Rain" and Carole King's 1971 "You've Got a Friend" for the episode. His recording session appears as an extra on the DVD release of the fifth season. David Silverman directed the potato chip sequence instead of Baeza; the chips were partly animated on an Amiga personal computer to smooth their rotation.

Parodies

"Deep Space Homer" has multiple references to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): a scene of Homer floating and eating potato chips in space includes Johann Strauss II's waltz "The Blue Danube", which was used in the film. Whilst using the docking computer, the rotating Homer mimics the space station from the computer game Elite, which also plays "The Blue Danube" as the game pilots the ship in the spinning station. Tom Brokaw is parodied as a journalist reporting on NASA's experiments about the effects of weightlessness on "tiny screws". During Barney and Homer's training montage, which itself is a reference to The Right Stuff, Barney demonstrates his improved abilities by reciting the opening to "Major-General's Song" while landing several consecutive back handsprings. Homer attempts the same with "There Once Was a Man From Nantucket" but crashes into a wall before he can complete it.

Homer watches an Itchy and Scratchy Show episode that shows Itchy bursting out of Scratchy, a reference to Alien, then torturing Scratchy in an EVA pod, a reference to 2001's Discovery craft. When Bart Simpson throws a marker pen, it rotates in slow motion and a match cut replaces it with a cylindrical satellite as a parody of a similar transition used in 2001; both film and cartoon use Richard Strauss' tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra as backing music.

The scene where the Simpson family are in the car together is a parody of the opening sequence of The Beverly Hillbillies. The title is in reference to the TV show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The episode features a tribute to Planet of the Apes when Homer imitates Charlton Heston in the last scene of the film.

Themes

"Deep Space Homer" deals with Barney's alcoholism as he sobers up to become fit and clear-thinking, then regresses to his usual drunken persona after he has a non-alcoholic drink, an example of "exaggerated incompetence." The episode also explores the relationships between members of the Simpson family, particularly how they evolve after Homer's voyage to space. At the start of the episode, Bart writes "Insert Brain Here" on the back of Homer's head to imply he is not intelligent enough to earn his family's respect. After Homer returns from space, Bart instead writes "Hero" on the back of his head. His trip to space and his heroic act gains him increased respect from his family, something Homer had struggled with for several years.

NASA's main motivation for sending Homer to space is its low ratings. This is evident when Homer and Bart, who are seen as average Joes, are attempting to quickly change the channel when a space launch is shown. By 1994, NASA could no longer present space exploration as part of the Space Race—the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States had by then dissipated. In the episode, NASA attempts to use social class as a means of increasing ratings by sending an "average schmo" such as Homer or Barney to space. Homer's space journey increased ratings for NASA; according to the professor of English Paul Cantor, this illustrates how easily trends in ratings can be affected by societal change.

Reception

"Deep Space Homer" finished 32nd in ratings for the week of February 21–27, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 11.1, the equivalent of approximately 10.3 million viewing households. It was the highest-rated show on Fox that week.

Buzz Aldrin at the 'STELLAR' program commencement activities. He guest starred in this episode. Taken in 1996.= James Taylor at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York. He guest starred in this episode. Taken in 2000.Buzz Aldrin (left) and James Taylor received praise for their performances.

In 1994, film magazine Empire declared "Deep Space Homer" a "contender for the greatest episode ever", listing it as the third-best Simpsons parody of a film. In 1998, TV Guide listed it in its list of top twelve Simpsons episodes. In his 2004 book Planet Simpson, Chris Turner cited the episode as one of his five favorites. He described the sequence with Homer eating potato chips in the Space Shuttle and the speech by newscaster Kent Brockman, who believes alien ants have taken over the shuttle, as "simply among the finest comedic moments in the history of television".

In 2011, The Daily Telegraph named the episode among their ten favorites for its cameos and jokes. In 2017, Today.com named "Deep Space Homer" its fourth-favorite Simpsons episode, describing Homer's realization that Planet of the Apes is set on Earth as "pure genius". Aldrin and Taylor received praise for their performances; IGN and Phoenix.com ranked Taylor's guest appearance among the show's greatest. In 2019, Time ranked the episode sixth in its list of 10 best Simpsons episodes picked by Simpsons experts.

The episode is a favorite of Silverman, but contains one of Groening's least-favorite jokes: Homer's face morphs into those of Popeye and Richard Nixon while exposed to g-forces, which Groening felt made no sense in context.

Legacy

At the request of astronaut Edward Lu, a copy of the episode was placed on the International Space Station for astronauts to view.

Overlord meme

Kent Brockman's line, "I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords", became a popular TV catchphrase and an Internet meme. It is frequently used to show mock submission or suggest a powerful entity, such as robots, could become capable enough to conquer humanity. In 2007, New Scientist used the phrase when reporting the British government's research into aliens, and in 2011, Ken Jennings, a long-standing contestant of the game show Jeopardy!, used it in reference to the computer Watson.

References

  1. ^ "The best Simpsons episode ever". Stuff.co.nz. Independent Newspapers. January 17, 2011. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  2. ^ "Overlord Meme". The Atlantic. Emerson Collective. February 17, 2011. Archived from the original on August 29, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2018.
  3. ^ Fink 2019, p. 186.
  4. ^ "Deep Space Homer". Simpsons Archive. Archived from the original on July 9, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.
  5. Butts, Steve (December 17, 2004). "The Simpsons: The Complete Fifth Season". IGN. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  6. ^ Mirkin, David (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. ^ Goertz et al. 2018, p. 36.
  8. ^ Deep Space Homer staff. Episode Commentary. The Simpsons at Simpsons World. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  9. ^ Groening, Matt (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  10. Gale 2007, p. 2652.
  11. Pearlman, Robert Z. (September 10, 2014). "Woo Hoo! Buzz Aldrin's Role on 'The Simpsons' Leads to Action Figure". collectSPACE. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2018 – via Space.com.
  12. "3 Simpsons Showrunners Reflect on New Fans and the 'Classic Era' Myth". Vulture.com. September 23, 2014. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  13. ^ Silverman, David (2004). The Simpsons season 5 DVD commentary for the episode "Deep Space Homer" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  14. Booker 2006, p. 58.
  15. Ben Sherlock (May 22, 2022). "10 Best Star Trek References In The Simpsons". screenrant.com. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  16. Musolf 2016, p. 209.
  17. Irwin, Conard & Skoble 2001, p. 120.
  18. Hersch 2012.
  19. Cantor 2003, p. 89.
  20. "TV listings". TV Tango. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  21. Williams, Scott (March 3, 1994). "CBS skates to easy ratings sweep victory". Sun-Sentinel. p. 4E.
  22. "A Dozen Doozies". TV Guide. January 3–9, 1998. Retrieved January 13, 2019.
  23. Turner 2004, pp. 69–70.
  24. Walton, James (September 27, 2011). "The 10 Best Simpsons TV Episodes (In Chronological Order)". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
  25. Enwright, Patrick (July 31, 2007). "D'Oh! The top 10 'Simpsons' episodes ever". Today.com. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  26. Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian. "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN. Archived from the original on June 22, 2007. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  27. "The Simpsons 20 best guest voices of all time". The Phoenix. Phoenix Media/Communications Group. March 29, 2006. Archived from the original on November 16, 2006. Retrieved August 3, 2007.
  28. Raisa Bruner (December 10, 2019). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  29. "Deep Space Homer Information". Space. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  30. Richmond & Coffman 1997.
  31. Turner 2004, p. 300.
  32. Sutherland, J. J. (October 6, 2010). "I, For One, Welcome Our New Robot Overlords". NPR. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  33. "The British government welcomes our new insect overlords". New Scientist magazine. Archived from the original on September 12, 2007. Retrieved October 19, 2007.
  34. Maerz, Melissa (February 16, 2011). "Watson wins 'Jeopardy!' finale; Ken Jennings welcomes 'our new computer overlords'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 17, 2011. Retrieved February 17, 2011.
Bibliography

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