“Stupid sexy Flanders”

From: The Simpsons

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Homer Simpson

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from The Simpsons’ episode entitled Little Big Mom, which was first aired way back in January 9, 2000.

In a memorable scene, Homer sees Ned Flanders in a very skintight skiing outfit and Flanders innocently mentions that it feels like he’s wearing “nothing at all.” When Homer loses control while skiing downhill, he desperately tries to remember what his instructor told him to do when he does get into trouble… but he just can’t get the image of Flanders shaking his tuckus.

Geek wisdom: Our mind will tend to wander to different things throughout the day. This habit can easily distract us from what were supposed to be doing, making it difficult to focus. It’s very difficult to overcome this interference as it can even take over when we’re trying to remember something important.

During times like this, it may be better to try not to think about the thing we want to remember. Rather, just relax and let your mind wander back to what it’s supposed to be thinking off in the first place.

“And I for one welcome our new insect overlords…”

From: The Simpsons

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Kent Brockman

The story behind the quote: It’s actually hard to write Geek Wisdom using the Simpsons. Not because there aren’t a lot of quotable lines from the show. Rather, it’s because 20th Century Fox will usually take down a lot of video clips from the show! This is a quote that has been in the making since I started writing this blog but I’ve never really been able to find a good clip or even a picture of the quote… until now!

The quote became popularized in the Simpsons episode “Deep Space Homer” wherein Homer Simpson becomes an astronaut because of NASA’s attempt to bring an “ordinary” man into space for publicity. Unfortunately, Homer accidentally breaks the ant terrarium, causing the ants to float all around the shuttle.

During an interview with news anchorman Kent Brockman, one of the ants float very close to the camera. Kent then concludes that the ants have taken of the shuttle and will be conquering the planet Earth next… so he delivers the quote.

Since I’m pretty sure the clip will be taken out soon (even with the edit), I’ve decided to post a picture of the quote below.

I For One Welcome Our New Insect Overlords

Geek wisdom: A person’s character can only be tested during hard times. And it may actually be surprising how fast your friends and even your family members can turn on you when things start to go south. Your mettle will also be tested during those trying times and you yourself may be shocked how quickly you can betray your family and friends.

A true test of a person’s character is what he’ll do when the odds aren’t in his favor. Like Kent Brockman, he caved when he thought the human race was about to be enslaved. How will you react against those odds?

“Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.”

From: The Simpsons

Genre: Cartoons, Television

Who said it?: Homer Simpson

The story behind the quote: The quote comes from The Simpsons’ 7th Treehouse of Horror special. The Treehouse of Horror is the show’s annual Halloween television special where the show spoofs various films and television shows. As such, they don’t fall into the regular “continuity” of the show’s illustrious 25 years of being on the air. One of the mainstays of the Treehouse of Horror specials is the appearance of the aliens Kang and Kodos. While they do appear in the episodes, they mostly are relegated to the background.

However, the segment Citizen Kang, they’re actually the ones that push the story forward. The aliens replace Bill Clinton and Bob Dole and run for the presidency in their place. Even after Homer exposes the aliens’ plot, Kang gets elected as “it’s a two-party system.” While the human race is building a weapon for the aliens, Homer reveals who he voted for.

Geek wisdom: It’s easy to focus blame on someone else. It’s almost instinctive for a lot of people and it’s understandable. No one wants to be the cause or the one at fault for anything bad. But someone has “to take the blame” and most of us are fine as long as it’s not them!

However, this is the wrong way of thinking. We have to own up to our mistakes when we commit them. That’s the only way we’ll learn from them. If we steer blame away from ourselves, the only thing we learn is how to avoid taking responsibility.