Wanna feel old? One of the greatest gags in Simpsons history just turned older than several members of the Kotaku staff. That’s right, the instant-classic Season 8 episode “Homer’s Phobia” debuted on this day in 1997. In it, Bart befriends John, the owner of an antiques store . Homer becomes concerned that John’s influence will “make” Bart gay, so he obsessively seeks out hypermasculine activities for the two of them to do together in order to preserve his son’s heterosexuality.
” As C+C Music Factory’s “Gonna Make You Sweat” blasts from every direction, Homer shields Barts eyes from the boogie-oogie hardbodies. You’ll be surprised to learn that while I’m a bit of a Simpsons superfan, I didn’t actually have this auspicious day circled on my Troy McClure calendar. The anniversary was brought to my attention by a tweet from Josh Weinstein, writer, producer, and showrunner on the animated classic from 1992 to 1998.