Great gifts are unconditional, seeking to please the recipient — no strings attached. I still laugh when I think of Homer Simpson trying to pass off his new bowling ball as Marge’s birthday present. As he gives the gift to Marge, the bowling ball falls through the box, flattening her birthday cake.
Homer:
Don’t worry. This frosting will come right off.
[He admires the green bowling ball, engraved with the name "Homer"]
A beauty, isn’t she?
Marge:
Well, it’s hard for me to judge… since I’ve NEVER bowled in my LIFE!
Homer:
Well, if you don’t want it, I know someone who does…
This classic Simpsons episode, “Life on the Fast Lane,” won the show’s first animation Emmy. The story also helped coin the phrase Homer gift: a present intended for the giver rather than the recipient. The premise rang true for columnist Dear Abby. In 2004, a reader submitted a bogus letter following the Simpsons plot, including the bowling ball gift. The advice maven responded but then retracted the column when an editor recognized the hoax.
Tags: giftology, television shows
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