"The Simpsons" was once a great show. It started off kind of rough, with an emphasis on Bart and only a handful of truly memorable episodes in the first two seasons. However, during season three the show really started taking off, focusing more on Homer as the central figure of the family
From then on out the show enjoyed a lengthy run where almost every episode was an instant classic. Even episodes that revolved around Lisa, the most boring member of the family, brought loads of laughter ("Lisa the Vegetarian," "Summer of 4 Ft. 2," and "Lisa the Iconoclast" immediately come to mind). In my opinion, seasons 3 through 8 were the good seasons, the hilarity tapering off somewhere in season 9. Some would even argue that the show completely jumped the shark when Maude Flanders got killed off in season 11, though that season still had a couple gems left up its sleeve, including the tomacco episode (funniest part of that clip begins around 06:48).
An excellent analysis of the decline of "The Simpsons" can be found here. I would add to the article that the show got much raunchier during its decline as well, one of the reasons I stopped watching.
Which brings me to the heart of my rant.
"The Simpsons" was very controversial when it first came out, because it was a type of humor that hadn't been done before. A country that waited with bated breath for TGIF on ABC every week mistakenly defined an animated show as entertainment for children, whereas "Simpsons" is geared towards a much older audience, with its witty humor and satire. Yes, Bart is a punk kid, but parents became so worried about him being a role model for their children that they labeled him as evil. Exaggerations were made on the show's reliance on flatulent humor, when in reality the show mocks alcoholism through characters like Barney Gumble, whose disgusting nature is a caricature of reality, a commentary on the disease of wine-bibbing.
I admit that even my parents banned us from the show for its first few years. It wasn't until we boys began watching it behind their backs that we became hooked, and eventually convinced them that the show really wasn't all that bad (though my mom still holds a grudge against it, understandably).
Perhaps what really chaps my hide in this subject is the fact that over a year ago I almost dated a girl whose major hangup with me was that I watch "The Simpsons." She had never seen a single episode and frowned upon me for enjoying it because she believed, based on what her parents had told her, that it was crass and inappropriate. No matter how many times I explained to her that the seasons I enjoy are actually very clean (even the episode in which Homer almost is tempted to have an affair with a coworker is handled tastefully), admitting that later seasons had gone down the tubes as far as morality goes, she couldn't get past the labels she'd been raised with. Perhaps what hurt the most is that her trust in an ignorant opinion of a TV show overshadowed her trust in my moral judgment.
I'm not saying that everyone should watch "The Simpsons." I'm not saying that I would let my little children watch it, either, as I feel like an understanding of satire and sarcasm is needed to comprehend certain notions (e.g. Bart's actions are not to be laughed at because we want to emulate them, rather they are to be laughed at because we are to understand the need to steer clear of them). What I AM saying, though, is that those of us who are still on a soap box preaching against this show (at least in any context that involves the first ten years of its airing) need to seriously reevaluate the entertainment they criticize when content found in shows like "Friends," "Scrubs," "Sex in the City," and even certain shows on Adult Swim is flooding our TV's, TiVos, and DVD collections with humor that distastefully mocks sacred topics and exploits sex for a cheap laugh.
Finally, if there's one more argument to be had for why this show deserves a look on a moral level, "The Simpsons" at least instills a moral system in its characters. Whatever you have heard or choose to believe, the Simpson family sticks together during their crises. Sure, Bart makes a selfish choice or Homer does something incredibly dumb to spark their troubles, but in the end the family loves each other and helps each other to overcome. Most episodes end with something morally valuable having been learned by the characters. Less can be said of many other popular television shows out there.
So next time I quote "The Simpsons" and you are tempted to look down on me, please take a second and decide if the cultural hobbyhorse of Simpsons nay-saying is really worth the saddle sores.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
My Beef (and Yours) with "The Simpsons"
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7 comments:
Are you ever going to show us more than your calves or is this blog all a big tease?
Shark, my major hangup with you was not that you watched "The Simpsons," it was what you kept in the trunk of your car instead of a snow shovel that would have come in handy at least one time I can think of...
I agree with you that I don't believe the Simpsons are nearly as bad as all of our parents let on as children. I also agree that the overall message of most of the shows is family oriented with an emphasis on working through problems.
That being said, the thing that I disagree the most with the Simpsons is the portrayal of leadership roles. Whether out of jest or sarcasm, it mocks those in our society that we should look up too. Police officers are viewed as stupid and fat; bosses as greedy and mean-hearted; scientists as geeky; religious figures as uncaring and unbelieving; and perhaps the worst is the undermining of the respectable nature of the father in the home.
However, those figures have been the brunt of jokes and stereotypes long before the Simpsons made its debut. The undermining of these figures should not be completely blamed upon the sitcom, but the show did not help to encourage an increase in respect towards key societal figures.
In conclusion, is looking down on someone because they enjoy watching the Simpsons ok? I would definitely say no. That goes back to the good old bible statement of not judging others. Is the Simpsons bad? That I think is a question that we each should each answer based upon our own personal feelings. But my personal feelings toward the matter is there are probably more uplifting things we could spend our time watching.
Amanda- There's no need to pussyfoot around the fact that the Shark previously had a dead prostitute in his trunk.
Mitch- You're still missing the point. Shark already addressed your concern when he discussed why Bart was not a role model to look up to. The police officers, principals, bosses, scientists, and religious leaders are not portrayed that way to undermine them and their intended authority. The show is a satire. The point of satire is social commentary and the demonstration of what's wrong with society. The Simpsons is not saying that all police officers are fat and lazy, it's showing how wrong it is for police officers to be fat and lazy. It's not saying that all religious leaders are apathetic, it's demonstrating that they should not be. Watch the show carefully and you'll see that each of these negative archetypes has a shining moment, and, as the Shark points out, the show conveys moral and civic lessons through the jokes and satire.
Mitchell Jay-
I agree that some might mistake the antics of Homer as a mockery of the patriarchal role in the family. However, I would argue that those who do so are completely misunderstanding the series. As Cabeza stated, the show isn't saying, "This is how it is," it's rather making a statement that, "This is how it SHOULDN'T be. See how ridiculous this is?" That's the definition of a satire.
Moliere, the olde French writer, had this to say: "The most forceful lines of a serious moral statement are usually less powerful than those of satire, and nothing will reform most men better than the depiction of their faults. It is a vigorous blow to vices to expose them to public laughter."
I think the proof that "The Simpsons" is not downright mocking leadership and patriarchal figures is found in the fact that it showcases many different fathers with differing personae. Ned Flanders, Homer's neighbor, is an EXCELLENT father, who teaches his children valuable principles of charity, faith, and religion. True, the show pokes fun at Ned because of his over-zealousness (once again the show is exaggerating a stereotype in order to establish a commentary on those who blind themselves from reality with religion), yet it's obvious that Ned is overall happier in life than Homer probably is. The fact that they are next door neighbors emphasizes this contrast and causes us to draw conclusions about which characteristics between the two are more admirable.
Again, I draw these conclusions based on seasons 1 - 9ish. After that, the wit was severely dumbed-down and the humor became so sophomoric that it was more a slapstick show than an attempt to increase awareness of social issues.
Let's not forget that until that 7th Heaven show, Homer Simpson was the only TV father that was regularly depicted with his family in church.
Yes, Homer is fat, stupid, and makes a lot of fathering mistakes. That's what makes him a character that we can identify with. While I'm not going to say I was moved by the reunion at the end of the episode where Marge goes to the spa, you can't reasonably disagree that Homer's flaws are treated as an example of the need for interdependence in marriage.
The golden age that the Shark describes when the show focused more on Homer's antics than Bart's wisecracks portrays, I would argue, one of the best marriage relationships on TV. Not the best husband, and not the best wife, but arguably the best relationship. There is more tolerance, less marital bickering, and more forgiveness between Homer and Marge than between most TV couples.
Shark - Great article!
Cabeza - Very well said!
As far as the Simpsons' episodes ending with something morally valuable; my favorite instance of this is in "Blood Feud". Bart saves Mr. Burns's life by donating blood.
Homer: Save a guy's life, and what do you get? Nothing! Worse than nothing! Just a big scary rock.
Bart: Hey, man, don't bad-mouth the head.
Marge: Homer, it's the thought that counts. The moral of the story is a good deed is its own reward.
Bart: Hey, we got a reward. The head is cool.
Marge: Then... I guess the moral is no good deed goes unrewarded.
Homer: Wait a minute. If I hadn't written that nasty letter, we wouldn't've gotten anything.
Marge: Well... Then I guess the moral is the squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Lisa: Perhaps there is no moral to this story.
Homer: Exactly! Just a bunch of stuff that happened.
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