Mark Hoppus Talk About Simpsons

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Homer Simpson
Behold the paterfamilias of the classic American family

In our house, we have this big walk-in closet that's made to hold forty pairs of shoes. And my shoes are all over the floor, because that area is completely filled with talking Simpsons action figures. I'm not really a toy collector; I just get them because I love The Simpsons. If you miss buying them at the exact time they come out, they get expensive. I've had to buy mint-condition action figures that cost a hundred dollars each -- and then I take them out of the package and devalue them to nothing.
Where I live, The Simpsons comes on twice a day, and I have my TiVo set to record it both times. It's a cult show that cuts through every different genre of society. No matter what area of the country you live in, what kind of music you listen to, everybody loves The Simpsons, because they're the all-American family: They're yellow and they have four fingers.

In any situation, there's a line you can use from The Simpsons. The one I say most often is probably "Me fail English? That's unpossible!" With Homer, the most- quoted line is unquestionably "D'oh!" My wife, Skye, enjoys The Simpsons, but it's not a way of life and a message for her. Me, I feel like I've let myself down by not dedicating my life more fully to the show. I can name the newscaster on The Simpsons, but I can't name my own congressman. And that's what makes America great.

MARK HOPPUS
(From RS 922, May 15, 2003)