Whether it's fully intentional or not, many people spend quite a bit of mental power on idolizing TV stars and TV characters. Whether it's about being a perfect parent, an incredible singer, a star athlete or even a deadly criminal, fans often wish for more excitement and validation in their own lives. Now, you don't often come across someone readily taking on the identity of The Simpsons' bumbling patriarch Homer, but it appears someone in the U.K. tried to pull a fast one during a recent traffic stop, offering officers a driver's license with Homer's picture and information on it.
Of all the elements here that are worth questioning -- and there are plenty -- the first one we'll hone in on is the fact that anyone would have the balls to provide this ID to the Thames Valley Police. Even if one makes the assumption that the cop outside the car is not a Simpsons fan, the show has been an international phenomenon longer than many people's entire careers. For the sake of his intellectual prowess, we hope the guy being pulled over was bald, stubbled and overweight, so that there could have been the slightest moment of deliberation before declaring the ID bunk.
The second thing we're going to talk about is that picture. While it could certainly be amusing to take a license picture where I smack myself in the face, the authorities are pretty particular about what can and can't be done in those images. There are more than enough pictures out there of Homer's normal and non-facepalmed appearance, so that should have been the go-to approach here. Well, the real go-to approach would have been to have a legal ID and proof of insurance, but some people just can't be taught.
To be fair, there are a few reasons why someone might want to embark on an existence as Homer Simpsons. For one, he never really worries about getting fired, even when he does the absolute worst job possible. He has a family that mostly loves him and puts up with his shit. He's designed a car that became a real thing. He's used beer to figure out science, He's an MLB hall-of-famer. If only his driving skills were a little better, though.
Sure, it's more than possible that the offending driver had that Homer Simpson ID in his wallet as a joke, and had no intentions of employing it as a legitimate ID outside of a traffic violation. But then he didn't actually have a legitimate license, nor insurance, so you go with what you've got, I guess. For what it's worth, though, I give major props to that fake ID not even trying to pinpoint Springfield's state.
We're going to check and see if The Simpsons has ever predicted something like this, but take note that The Simpsons (and the real Homer) are popping up on Fox every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. ET. To see what new and returning shows will be debuting soon, head to our midseason premiere schedule.
