The Simpsons
In 1989, Fox Broadcasting Company began introducing a new cartoon, called “The Simpsons,” in which they signed the cartoonist Matt Groening to draw cartoon designs for. His first job was creating 13 new episodes for the Simpsons’ first television season. The introduction of Simpsons was Fox Network’s way of regaining a youthful and growing audience for middle-aged and middle-class adults. Throughout the total of 18 current seasons of The Simpsons, the show has grown large popularity, but faced a lot of grief from certain viewers because of their contradictions against American education, legal systems, religious beliefs, etc. While watching this show, viewers need to understand that these types of shows are not real-life based, but created, based on ideas to entertain. Groening states, “Unlike many sitcoms today, the show is not personality driven; it is about the conflict of ideas. If they were played by actors, the Simpson family would be seen as unrealistic and undeveloped. As animated characters they can b
e merely the ideas they represent.” Although, behind the scenes there are real life values being represented that people may not see. For example, one episode represents Homer, the factory working father, finding a new, more popular and desirable job traveling with a rock band. The job was more interesting, his son Bart started believing he was a “cool” dad, but he soon noticed that he was not spending the time he desired with his family. Homer decided he would rather work at a factory job and be able to see his family more, concluding “being with my family is more important than being cool.” This is why regular viewers of the show would spend half of their time laughing over the funny and perverted comments or actions, but the other half enjoying the general nature of the cartoon’s values. Over the years, each main character has created its own value or representation to take from the show. Homer can represent the many types of contradictions faced by middle class Americans. For example, his average lifestyle of denial at work, always bored, and visits Moe’s bar on a regular basis. Marge represents the problems of a modern housewife, directly related to family life. She is constantly disregarded of her own needs to please either Homer other the kids. Bart can represent the faults of public schooling and bad parenting. He is consistently knocking down the usefulness of public schooling and continues to be punished for his actions, but not by his parents. Lastly, Lisa represents the rational part of the family. She is the smartest and youngest, excluding Maggie, but in some cases she is alienated from the rest of the family because of her differences.
Tingleff, S. (2000). The Simpsons as a Critique of Consumer Culture. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from The Simpsons Archive
Web site: http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/st.paper.html
In 1989, Fox Broadcasting Company began introducing a new cartoon, called “The Simpsons,” in which they signed the cartoonist Matt Groening to draw cartoon designs for. His first job was creating 13 new episodes for the Simpsons’ first television season. The introduction of Simpsons was Fox Network’s way of regaining a youthful and growing audience for middle-aged and middle-class adults. Throughout the total of 18 current seasons of The Simpsons, the show has grown large popularity, but faced a lot of grief from certain viewers because of their contradictions against American education, legal systems, religious beliefs, etc. While watching this show, viewers need to understand that these types of shows are not real-life based, but created, based on ideas to entertain. Groening states, “Unlike many sitcoms today, the show is not personality driven; it is about the conflict of ideas. If they were played by actors, the Simpson family would be seen as unrealistic and undeveloped. As animated characters they can b
e merely the ideas they represent.” Although, behind the scenes there are real life values being represented that people may not see. For example, one episode represents Homer, the factory working father, finding a new, more popular and desirable job traveling with a rock band. The job was more interesting, his son Bart started believing he was a “cool” dad, but he soon noticed that he was not spending the time he desired with his family. Homer decided he would rather work at a factory job and be able to see his family more, concluding “being with my family is more important than being cool.” This is why regular viewers of the show would spend half of their time laughing over the funny and perverted comments or actions, but the other half enjoying the general nature of the cartoon’s values. Over the years, each main character has created its own value or representation to take from the show. Homer can represent the many types of contradictions faced by middle class Americans. For example, his average lifestyle of denial at work, always bored, and visits Moe’s bar on a regular basis. Marge represents the problems of a modern housewife, directly related to family life. She is constantly disregarded of her own needs to please either Homer other the kids. Bart can represent the faults of public schooling and bad parenting. He is consistently knocking down the usefulness of public schooling and continues to be punished for his actions, but not by his parents. Lastly, Lisa represents the rational part of the family. She is the smartest and youngest, excluding Maggie, but in some cases she is alienated from the rest of the family because of her differences.Tingleff, S. (2000). The Simpsons as a Critique of Consumer Culture. Retrieved November 6, 2007, from The Simpsons Archive
Web site: http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/st.paper.html
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