The Odyssey in pop culture

I have found very few examples of The Odyssey in the media, hence choosing it as a challenging book to tackle, but here are a couple I found that portray it successfully(?)

D'oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Homer Simpson plays Odysseus in the episode 'Tales of The Public Domain' (2002)

 Much more people have heard of Homer Simpson than his namesake Homer the poet!

This retelling makes more sense if you already know the story of The Odyssey, but the way the episode is written means the story is being told to people (the Simpson family) who don't know it so it's told in a way the audience will understand.

In this film by the Coen brothers, George Clooney is 'the damn pater familias' Ulysseys Everett McGill, a crafty convict trying to get home to his family. This clip references the sirens that tempt Odysseus with their song.

Sound familiar? Maybe only to those who know the Odyssey well! Though the film is claimed to be based on The Odyssey, you have to look closely for similarities and it's definitely enjoyable without knowing the original story. 

However, the fact the story has been adapted into a successful Hollywood movie suggests it's an exciting tale which is still relevant today. The use of songs in the film ties in well to the Odyssey originally being sung to audiences, not read from a book.

If the study guide idea doesnt work out, perhaps I could use modern storylines that come from the Odyssey to show people how the story affects us today without us realising...

The most recent example I found features viral video character, Sassy Gay Friend; "are you familiar with the oral tradition"?

Again, this is more amusing if you're familiar with the story already. But this video fills you in at the beginning, and perhaps even provokes interest in the Odyssey by making it funny.