Homer Simpson looks set to win a BBC poll for Greatest American Ever by something of a landslide. With just three days left to go, at time of writing Homer leads the voting with a score of about 47%, with Abe Lincoln and Martin Luther King coming in at two and three respectively, yet only managing less than 10% of the vote. Further down the list, George Washington trails Bob Dylan, with Bill Clinton, of all people, taking the wooden spoon. Fourth place belongs to Mr T.

It's all part of an international broadcasting project to find out what the world really thinks of America.
Personally, I like it. I respect its history (bar the war on the indigenous people and its instigation of the Cold War). I enjoy its contribution to world culture (bar Mortal Thoughts). I've got over the War of Independence. That was a very long time ago. People move on. The problem is that the place just has some wankers running it at the moment.

So I'm not sure how to take these results. Obviously the dear old yellow buffoon is deserving of our affection, but even for the online community to put him so far ahead of people like Thomas Jefferson, King, Washington, and Lincoln, you've got to think there's something slightly awry. The aforementioned were all truly great men, who did much to change the world in which they lived and shape what is arguably a great nation, despite its many imperfections. But they did more than say "D'oh!" and make the occasional accidentally sage observation. This is like us calling Benny Hill the greatest Englishman of all time. And what about Matt Groening? Or Dan Castellaneta? Without them, Homer wouldn't be half of what he is today. Or any of it, even. Why aren't they in the poll?

Oh, it's too late to make any more of this.

There's one thing to be grateful for, I suppose - at least Little Bush didn't make the shortlist.