How Homer Simpson became an aspirational figure

In today’s Big Story podcast, the Simpson family’s circumstances have barely changed at all over 30 years—but the world around them has dramatically shifted. When the show debuted, Homer and his family were holding onto the bottom rung of the lower class and were portrayed that way through all sorts of financial crises.

But by today’s standards, Homer—who has a steady job that pays enough for Marge not to work, belongs to a union, owns his own multi-bedroom home and can afford annual vacations—would be among the most economically stable millennials. The way income inequality has shifted the window of dreams for a young family can be clearly seen in TV’s longest-running sitcom. But how did it happen?

GUEST: Dani Alexis Ryskamp, freelance journalist, The Atlantic

You can subscribe to The Big Story podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google and Spotify

You can also find it at thebigstorypodcast.ca.