“The Simpson” is the most popular series in the world, and has left multiple content for posterity. In 1994, an episode of this memorable animated series presented a scene that, three decades later, continues to resonate in the digital world as one of the most emblematic memes Internet. It is the image of Homer Simpson melting into a bush, a gesture that transcended as synonymous with a discreet escape from uncomfortable or compromising situations. This sequence, taken from the episode “Homer Loves Flanders”, became a piece key to meme culture.But its origin dates back to the childhood experiences of David Mirkin, the showrunner of the series at that time.
Mirkin recalled in statements to Vulture how the idea arose from his fascination with the concept of alternative dimensions and space jumps, themes that he explored while running through the suburbs of Philadelphia and immersing himself in movies, comics and science fiction series. What were initially childhood pranks became years later an iconic moment of television thanks to his creative vision and his position in “The Simpson”.
The unknown origin of one of the most emblematic scenes of “The Simpsons” and which became a meme
The episode in question addresses the relationship between Homer Simpson and Ned Flanders, showing her in a dark, surreal light. Mirkin devised Homer's movement in the bushes to add a layer of tension and strangeness, urging the animators to refine the sequence until they achieved the desired eerie effect that he believes helped transform the segment into a popular Internet resource.
“I'm very proud of it because I had to ask the animators to do that movement – both going out and going in – about five times to make it slow and detailed enough that it looked right to me, because I wanted it to be kind of magical, creepy thing,” Mirkin recalled of the memorable scene from “The Simpsons.”
Although the chapter is 30 years old, the meme is going to turn 15 since its first appearance in GIF format in 2010. The Homer and the bushes meme evolved and has been adapted to multiple contexts, multiplying especially on platforms such as Tumblr and X (ex Twitter), where users have used it to represent the desire to avoid embarrassing situations. Curiously, this interpretation deviates from Mirkin's original intention, who pointed more toward a dark, menacing energy in Homer's performance than a simple expression of shame.
The incorporation of the meme in a more recent episode of 'The Simpson', where Homer uses his own viral image in a text message, demonstrates a unique phenomenon of self-parody and recognizes the transcendental impact of the series on meme culture. The emergence and durability of this meme highlights the unpredictable alchemy underlying the creation and propagation of cultural symbols in the digital age.