Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animate television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television in the Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night". He is one of five members of the titular family and has become the most popular and influential character in the series. Homer embodies several American working class stereotypes: he is crude, overweight, incompetent, clumsy, thoughtless and a borderline alcoholic. Despite the suburban blue-collar routine of his life, he has had a number of remarkable experiences. He has occasionally displayed flashes of great intellect and fitness whenever the situation calls for it, and an integrity reflecting his own values, including a fierce devotion to and protectiveness of his family. Castellaneta describes him as "a dog trapped in a man's body. He's incredibly loyal—not entirely clean—but you gotta love him."