A character in a television show I watch has a son called Homer. In a fan group for the show, someone was aghast that parents could give their kid such an embarrassing name and that everyone would laugh at them. I suggested that the name Homer was probably a reference to the ancient Greek poet who wrote The Odyssey and The Iliad. No one in the thread had heard of Homer the poet. Or Homer Hickam. They had only heard of Homer Simpson. I felt like a dinosaur.
That struck me as an example of generational cultural influences. I love The Simpsons, particularly Mr Burns. I even use the term Flanderization whenever I can. The Simpsons is today’s Shakespeare in terms of quotability and cultural commentary.
For me, however, the word Homer will always bring up memories of one of the greatest epic poems every written. My specialisation for my degree was epic poems (I wrote my dissertation on Spenser’s The Faerie Queene), so I know I am biased. Penelope and her weaving will stay with me forever.