Karl didn’t get Homer into shape, he helped his self-confidence. And arguably he cost Homer his job with that failure of a presentation. A closer comparison would be the episode from a year or two ago where Marge started a gym and Homer got in shape to be a trophy husband.
Anyway, I cringed a little at the premise to this one but thought the episode itself was very funny. I especially loved Comic Book Guy selling out and rediscovering his “principles” (or his need to criticize everything).
I thought it was natural that Comic Book Guy didn’t play Everyman. He’s insecure and in terrible shape (even in comparison to Homer), so I wouldn’t expect him to want to get in front of a camera, and he’s also very lazy and almost never engages in any kind of physical activity. A movie’s a lot of work and I wouldn’t expect him to want to do it.
Just now had time to watch it. Laughed mightily at the stripper/firepole gag and loved Milhouse’s line about the online people being a bunch of losers “and two of them are me!”
But as far as “Homer being comic hero” story lines go, I prefer “I Am (Furious) Yellow.” (aka “Angry Dad”)
Too bad Homer’s surgical mutilation in “Husbands and Knives” stuck in my memory more vividly. That one started out great and really crashed to the finish, which I did not think was the case for Sunday’s episode.