The Simpsons season 37 brings a historic meeting between two circuits

“The Simpsons” is an institution. It’s one of the most influential television shows of all time (not to mention animated sitcoms) and remains beloved by millions of American viewers.

However, all over the world, “The Simpsons” sounds different. This is because the series has been dubbed into multiple languages ​​around the world, with different actors doing their own interpretations of the characters. The French dub of the series is known for giving different accents to certain non-white characters, such as having Apu speak with a Goan Portuguese accent or Kirk Van Houten with a Brussels accent. Dubbing is as important an art form as the original dubbing. At best, it is more than a simple translation; it’s also a localization and an adaptation, and the dub actors become as important as the originals.

In “The Simpsons” season 37, episode 12 (titled “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!”), the series finally pays homage to dub actors — particularly the Latin American Spanish dub (there is a separate Castilian Spanish dub) — by featuring a historic meeting between two Homer Simpsons. The episode focuses on Bumblebee Man, who has his own origin story and decides to hire Homer (Dan Castellaneta) as his understudy after destroying his body following years of slapstick comedy. The two then become friends in a storyline referencing Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” while exploring the pains and art of stunt dubbing.

Above all, “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” is notable for having Bumblebee Man voiced by none other than Humberto Vélez, who voiced Homer in Latin American Spanish for years. Not only that, Vélez also appeared as himself at the end of the episode, where he performs his iconic Homero voice in Spanish.

Overall, “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” is a big love letter to the history of “The Simpsons” in Latin America and its impact in the region. Focusing on Bumblebee Man, the episode pays homage to slapstick comedies which inspired the character while also taking on a deeper meaning by having Vélez voice the character. As a result, most of the episode features two Homer actors interacting, even as Vélez voices someone else.

It doesn’t stop there either. Patricia Acevedo, who plays Lisa Simpson in this dub, and Claudia Motta, who plays Bart and Marge Simpson in this iteration, also play small roles here. Add in the fact that Vélez can use his iconic Homer voice to play himself, and it all makes for an incredible nod to the Latin American Spanish dub of “The Simpsons.”

Another treat for Spanish-speaking fans, “¡The Fall Guy-Yi-Yi!” officially recognizes Homer’s name in Latin America as “Homero”. This is more significant than you might think, given that the name has long been the source of endless debates between Latinos and Spaniards over the correct pronunciation (“Homero” versus “Jomer”). We hear this from Marge herself (Julie Kavner), who shouts “Homero!” towards the end of the episode as Homer falls down the stairs of the Teotihuacan pyramid.

This nod makes it clear that the Latin American dub of “The Simpsons” is more than an afterthought or translation. Rather, it is an adaptation that has influenced “Simpsons” fans around the world. So, by tipping its hat to the Latin American translation of “Homer,” the series embraced its heritage in that region. Far from invalidating the Spanish dubbing, it simply recognizes the millions of people who know this iconic character as Homero Simpson.