Believe Care Invest: The Simpsons

How insatiable am I for these things? I’ve started looking at some pilots where the hero is not clear and doing BCI for multiple heroes. We’ll start looking at a few of those today…

In the “Simpsons” pilot, Homer and Marge Simpson attend a Christmas pageant where their daughter Lisa does a torch dance and their son Bart gets in trouble for singing “Jingle Bells Batman Smells”. At home the kids present their Christmas lists and Homer hangs lights outside. They’ve saved up money for Christmas, but Bart gets a tattoo and they have to spend all the money removing it. Homer is told at work he won’t get a bonus this year, so he takes work as a mall Santa to afford Christmas. He gets paid only $13 and takes it to the track.

Why Homer might be hard to identify with: He has no patience for his kids’ Christmas pageant. He’s interviewing to be a mall Santa and they ask if he likes children: “What do you mean? All the time? Even when they’re nuts?” Takes his kids’ Christmas money to the dog track.

Believe

• He has secret honor: He won’t admit he’s not getting a Christmas bonus and tries to take care of the problem by earning the money in secret.
• He has universal envy of his neighbor.

Care

• His kids don’t respect him.
• His neighbor’s Christmas display is better than his.
• He gets shot at when stealing a Christmas tree.

Invest

• Works extra hard, dedicated to family

Strength / Flaw: (Not really flip-sides) Hard-working and loves family / Buffoonish screw-up

Why Bart might be hard to identify with: Not much reason. He’s pretty awesome.

Believe

• He gets a distinctive marking: a tattoo (then loses it)
• He has a distinctive way of talking: “I’m Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?”

Care

• His sisters keep touching his tattoo removal spot.
• His cat died.
• He has poor parents, has to watch neighbor kids with more presents.

Invest

• He’s rebellious.
• He’s resourceful. He talks his way into the tattoo parlor to get a tattoo.
• He’s brave: He accepts a dare to be the one who takes off Santa’s beard.

Strength / Flaw: Rebellious / Lawless

Why Lisa might be hard to identify with: She’s a goody two shoes

Believe

• She has things she wants: She wants a pony
• She has things she loves: She loves kiddie cartoons

Care

• Her cat died.
• She’s told she can’t get a pony
• Homer is her model of manhood.

Invest

• We first meet her doing a Polynesian dance while waving torches: She’s pretty badass.
• She’s clearly the smartest.

Strength / Flaw: Precocious / annoying