David Cooper
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0279 - Narrator
🕑 Added 2023-11-13 09:00:01 +0000 UTCHere's where we run into some Treehouse of Horror shenanigans for the first time, and probably not the last. This is Homer, but it's...not Homer. It won't surprise anyone to learn that we covered Homer a while back - way back at the start of the project - but are characters like this narrator distinct enough to qualify as a separate entry? The Homers of the first two segments were also "non-canon" as it were, should they have also gotten entries? What makes a Homer worthy of inclusion with a coveted numbered illustration and inclusion in the episode group shots?
In a way, we're lucky that this Homer is so different and distinct from our usual Homer (who I am going to designate "Homer-Prime" because it sounds cool), as it sets a precedent for situations like these in the future. No one could argue that Homer-Prime is the main character of Edgar Allen Poe's poem "The Raven", as it was published 142 years before Homer-Prime appeared on TV. And while he is voiced by Dan, his internal monologue is voiced by James Earl Jones, something we cannot state is true for Homer-Prime. Also, while not explicitly stated in the text, it is implied that the protagonist of The Raven is a scholar, something we would never accuse Homer-Prime of.
So, this is pretty clear cut. This guy is different enough to be a separate numbered entry. Whether things like zombie versions of pre-existing characters get this honour is a problem for several years from now.
This post is part of my "Every Simpsons Character Ever" series. For a list of my rules in this project, click here.
