The name Eric Goldberg probably doesn’t ring any bells, but he played a major role in shaping millions of childhoods. He’s the animator on such Disney films as Hercules, The Emperor’s New Groove, The Princess and the Frog, Fantasia 2000, and Wreck-It Ralph. He also directed Pocahontas and Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes: Back In Action, and, most importantly, designed the Genie in Aladdin. Were it not for Goldberg, the Genie wouldn’t be pop culture’s third most recognizable blue character, behind the Smurfs and Tobias Fünke.
Goldberg’s latest accomplishment: designing the couch gag for this Sunday’s episode of The Simpsons, “Fland Canyon” (it’s probably time to retire the pun titles, everyone). Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie are transformed into different Disney classics, from Cinderella (Lisa) to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Marge) to the topical The Jungle Book, with Homer as Baloo. Can I imagine Homer wasting the day scratching his butt on a tree? Yes, yes, I can.
The episode itself has nothing to do with Disney. The synopsis reads, “Homer recalls a tense family vacation to the Grand Canyon with the Flanders family. At first, the Flanders’ perfection puts the families at odds, but when they get stranded and Ned and Bart go for help, the families finally bond.” Unless the tense feelings are over Flanders demanding that Homer not go “Donald Ducking” around the Canyon. He doesn’t appreciate it when it’s like Homer’s wearing nothing at all, nothing at all, nothing at all…
