John Cena Breaking Up With Nikki Bella Looking More and More Like a Work by Ashley Sweetly

Remember when The Simpsons added Poochie to the mix? Everything that was meant to be a joke about the character has become true about Roman Reigns.

On February 9, 1997, a new character was introduced on the long-running sitcom The Simpsons. Poochie the Dog made his first appearance in a satirical send-up of the inner workings of television. But just over two decades later, WWE superstar Roman Reigns has come to represent everything that Poochie was meant to ridicule.

Now, you may be sitting in front of your computer, or reading this on your phone, and you’re thinking, “Wait, what?” And I wouldn’t blame you for having that reaction. I’ve had some crazy ideas in the past. However, I think that, even if you don’t agree with my conclusions, everyone can agree that I make a pretty good argument. So let’s sit back and see just how Roman Reigns is no different than a short-lived cartoon dog.

First, let’s look at personalities. In the Simpsons universe, ratings were falling on The Itchy & Scratchy Show. So the network creates a new character: a dog with attitude. He’s meant to be “in your face,” so he can appeal to the kids watching the show. Sound familiar?

Roman Reigns — nicknamed “The Big Dog,” as if we need more proof of this little theory — was the tough guy of the Shield. But he was also the “cool” one of the group: he would stand quietly off to the side, say something snappy, and brood. Part of why he was chosen to be the next face of WWE is because he’s supposed to resonate with the kids. Aren’t they the ones buying his merchandise? And aren’t they the ones cheering him on a nightly basis?

Our next point should really click and solidify this comparison. Despite massive hype, Poochie (and Reigns as “the guy”) were met with disdain from the viewers. Lisa Simpson perfectly summed up why Poochie failed — with a quote that describes the Reigns push to a T (emphasis mine):

It’s just that Poochie was a soulless by-product of committee thinking. You can’t be cool just by spouting off a bunch of worn-out buzzwords.

What about Bart’s response to Comic Book Guy, after he first uttered his “Worst. Episode. Ever.” catchphrase:

Thousands of hours of free entertainment, yet you still complain (on the internet) when something isn’t to your liking? Where have I heard that before? CBG, in an episode old enough to legally consume alcohol in the United States, perfectly captures the IWC’s feelings on Roman Reigns and WWE as a whole — they owe me for my loyalty, so they should do what I want.

And Homer, the voice of Poochie, decides that the best way to “save” the character after a poor reception is to just stick with the status quo — with the one exception being an amplification of Poochie’s attitude. He also suggests that “whenever Poochie’s not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, ‘Where’s Poochie?'”

Has anyone else noticed lately that Roman Reigns is being mentioned a lot more when he’s not on screen? It used to be that only champions were constantly brought up during random matches on television. But Reigns, who has failed in every one of his recent championship matches, is on the tip of everyone’s tongues these days. Did Vince McMahon watch The Simpsons lately and just model Roman’s push on Poochie’s character arc?

Look, it may not be a perfect comparison. Nothing ever is. But much like Shane McMahon morphed into Ross Geller of Friends, Roman Reigns is turning into a real-life version of a satirical cartoon character. Whether this trend reverses or not remains to be seen, but Reigns needs to un-Poochie himself quickly.