The Simpsons: 10 Most Important Episodes Ever Made

9. Homer's Phobia (15.8)

Homer's Phobia was the first episode of the show to deal with gay themes, as Homer befriends a campy novelty store owner named John (brilliantly voiced by director John Waters) and turns against him when he discovers him to be gay. A show like The Simpsons had never dealt with gay themes prior to this episode, and Homer's Phobia broke new ground in its exploration of a "bigger" subject - all in a very tidy 22-minutes. When Homer's Phobia aired, the writers expected the reception to be highly controversial, but were surprised to receive very few complaints about the content of the episode. What's remarkable about Homer's Phobia, and indeed the reason that it stands as one the show's most important - and progressive - episodes, is the way that it touches on so many gay issues and manages to deconstruct them in an intelligent way without it feeling preachy. Once again, this episode is an example of The Simpsons breaking down the barriers of what was deemed to be acceptable at the time.