For a long time, I’ve viewed The Simpsons as strictly a form of entertainment, and it wasn’t until recently that I realized that it was a means for American citizens to express their views to the American government and public. Once I started to look at The Simpsons in that light, I realized that it is in fact a huge satire and a really intelligently written one at that. I, along with the rest of America, have come to love The Simpsons over the past 26 years, however, many criticize these yellow people on Fox for sending a negative image of the American lifestyle, values, and family to the rest of the world and for teaching America’s youth the wrong morals. Others just find it to be mindless TV. However, they’ve got the wrong image.
The Simpsons has not only become an outlet for the opinions of America, but it has become an ideal example of nationalism. For starters, it highlights the positives about American society, like when Homer (who hates his job) keeps pictures of his youngest daughter Maggie by his desk in order to remind him that the reason he should work is for her happiness. Despite how dim-witted and brash Homer may seem, he’s still a caring man who would do anything for his family, showing how the average American, though they have their faults, still thrives on maintaining a sense of family in their lives.
On the flip side, The Simpsons also mocks all the flaws in American society and shows ways to amend it, causing the show’s audience to react and demand change and thus expressing nationalism by encouraging Americans to make their nation a better place to live for everyone. The show addresses the ridiculousness behind issues like racial prejudice, pollution, and political corruption in a way that grabs the viewer’s attention. The Simpsons has become an icon for forms of media that not only entertain the audience but also educate the audience about the politics and corruption of their nation, and thus becoming a revolutionary and fast-growing platform to inform the general public about the major issues in modern society.
For instance, one of the many issues the show tackles is children’s TV shows and American media in general. Bart and Lisa Simpsons regularly tune in to a show known as Itchy and Scratchy, a parody of Tom and Jerry but much more violent, which mocks what American audiences are hungry for when it comes to the media. It got me, along with many others, to step back and think about this aspect of our society and how it has affected us in a negative way, for the violence in our media has played a role in our violent history.
While The Simpsons gets us to reflect about the positives and negatives of American society and provokes us to start thinking of ways to change, like many other new outlets out there, The Simpsons doesn’t actually ignite any actual action. After all, while the show does have a political and social message it’s trying to portray, it is still essentially a form of entertainment. Its audience wants to sit down and enjoy what’s presented to them, not be angered or motivated by to go and take on some radical political or social reform. Still, The Simpsons has done what very few TV shows before it have: display serious issues in a witty and hilarious manner for everyone to relate to and enjoy.
Feature photo credit: Originally uploaded by Keyser Soze on Wikimedia Commons
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