10 Times The Simpsons Ruined Homer's Life

So, we’ve already seen that Homer and Abe’s relationship is super strained, and how this affected Homer’s confidence and ability as a father. Abe may not have been explicitly cruel, but he was absent a lot, and when he did interact with his son, it was purely cursory.

In another flashback, we see a young Homer and his blossoming talent as a gymnast. He had a whole career ahead of him, and his life could have taken an entirely different course had his father been more supportive of him. Instead, during a performance, his father expresses his doubts as Homer performs an elaborate move, causing Homer to lose concentration and fumble.

As a result, his gymnastic career was thrown off course forever, giving the unfortunate young man a lack of confidence that would burden him throughout his life.