[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhjGoaKf52s]
Life in Hell was nothing, if not wary, of effort for the sake of effort. When expounding wisdom on applying to college, Groening framed it as the only alternative to a low-status job, early marriage, living with your parents, or the army. In that light, Homer telling Bart and Lisa to “never try” seems delightfully complimentary to the 1987 strip.