The Simpsons and American Society

Transcription

The Simpsons and American Society:
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of the Perfect Donut
Dr. Markus Hünemörder, LMU München
you can download this presentation at www.amerikahaus.de/simpsons
The Fool Monty
The Simpsons, 2010
22nd season
In this extended opening
sequence, the Simpsons
family travel to the planet
Pandora and act out a short
parody of James Cameron’s
Avatar, the best-selling
movie of all time.
2
The Simpsons Phenomenon
3
The Simpsons: An Overview
on the air since 1987/89
25 seasons
48 short clips, >500 episodes,
one feature film
longest-running American
sitcom
animated program
primetime television series
runs on the FOX network
Time magazine's December 31,
1999 issue named it the 20th
century's best television series
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4
Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons
The Flintstones
William Hanna and Joseph
Barbera, 1960-1966
The Flintstones had been
the last primetime cartoon
on American TV before the
Simpsons.
5
Wum und Wendelin
Loriot, 1971-2003
Wum und Wendelin
appeared on the German
quiz show “Der Große
Preis”. They are close
relatives of the Simpsons…
6
Origins
conceived by Matt Groening as
a series of animated shorts for
the Tracey Ullman Show
originally, Groening wanted to
animate his newspaper cartoon
“Life in Hell”, but created a new
set of characters instead
named for members of his own
family, with Bart replacing Matt
although The Tracey Ullman
Show was not a big hit, the
popularity of the shorts led to
a half-hour spin-off in 1989
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Cover of a Life in Hell book, 1987
7
Good Night
The Simpsons, 1987
The Tracey Ullman Show
This was the very first
Simpsons cartoon ever
broadcast.
8
Recurring Aspects
Opening sequence
Chalkboard gag
Couch gag
Catchphrases:
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“D’Oh!”
“Eat my shorts!”; “Don’t
have a cow, man!”; “Ay,
caramba!”
“Ha-Ha”; “Excellent…”;
“Thank you, come again”
Guest voice appearances
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9
The Regina
Monologues
The Simpsons, 2003
15th season
In this episode, the
Simpsons family travel to
England. They meet Tony
Blair, Ian McKellen and J. K.
Rowling, who all appear as
themselves.
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Reading the Simpsons
11
The Simpsons as Satire
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while the Simpsons follows the
format of the American sitcom, it is primarily a social,
cultural, and political satire
Springfield, a fictional “Middle
American” town is clearly
meant as a metaphor for
American society
the show satirizes nearly every
aspect of American life, incl.
politics, religion, art, morality,
philosophy
the Simpsons deals with
controversial issues, e.g. gun
control, elections, gay
marriage, war, patriotism,
immigration, etc.
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The city of Springfield – wherever it is
The Simpsons as Satire
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the Simpsons subverts and
ridicules political, social, and
cultural authority through
exaggeration
the show takes authority
figures, traditions, ways of life
or controversial issues and
exaggerates some of their
(more or less real) aspects to
the point of ludicrousness
the point is to demonstrate
that authority is often
overrated and rarely as
important as it would like to be
seen
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a warning sign – a symbol of authority?
The Many Layers of the Simpsons
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the Simpsons episodes
reward repeated watching
with several layers of humor
and meaning
first level: slapstick and
sitcom
second level: openly satirical
topics, i.e. gun control or
political corruption
third level: fairly obvious to
very hidden references to
(pop) culture; hidden jokes
fourth level: jokes about the
role of television and
commercial popular culture
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Itchy and Scratchy – the ultraviolent
cartoon-within-the-cartoon
MoneyBart
The Simpsons, 2010
22nd season
This couch gag was written
by British graffiti artist and
political activist Banksy. It
points out that, however
subversive the Simpsons
may be, they are also a
commercial product. Some
Simpsons merchandise is
probably produced in poor
countries with poor labor
conditions.
This is an example of the
fourth layer.
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Bart’s Friend Falls in
Love
The Simpsons, 1992
3rd season
This is a parody of the first
two Indiana Jones movies,
and also an instruction on
how to make movies the
Steven Spielberg way.
third layer.
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Superbowl
Commercial
Ridley Scott, 1984
This is arguably the most
famous superbowl
commercial ever made. It
shows a dystopian future –
and a way to prevent it.
This is a popular culture
original later referenced by
the Simpsons.
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Mypods and
Boomsticks
The Simpsons, 2008
20th season
In this episode, a “Mapple”
store opens in Springfield
and Bart plays a prank on
“Steve Mobbs”. This
segment is a parody of the
“1984” commercial.
third layer.
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Trilogy of Error
The Simpsons, 2001
12th season
This a parody of one of the
few German movies that
had an impact in the US.
third layer.
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The Simpsons and Politics
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the Simpsons is a highly
political show
frequent political elements:
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Mayor Quimby, the corrupt and
womanizing politician
the Springfield Republican and
Democratic parties
election campaigns, i.e. by
Montgomery Burns and Krusty
the Clown
presidential elections and
primaries, e.g. 2008 and 2012
politicians from real life
sometimes appear on the show
The Simpsons and Conservative Criticism
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esp. the early seasons were
attacked by conservatives as
destructive, a bad influence on
children, and anti-family
during his re-election campaign
in 1992, president George H.W.
Bush wanted to make
American families “a lot more
like the Waltons and a lot less
like the Simpsons”
the Simpsons got even…twice
in reality, the Simpsons is an
extremely pro-family show; the
family is the very center of the
Simpsons’ universe
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President George H.W. Bush (1989-1993)
lost his bid for re-election in 1992
Stark Raving Dad
The Simpsons, 1991/92
3rd season
This re-run of a 1991
episode featured a special
opening sequence where
president Bush appears on
the Simpsons’ television set
to call for an America “a lot
more like the Waltons and a
lot less like the Simpsons.”
Bart promptly answers:
“Hey, we’re just like the
Waltons. We’re praying for
an end to the depression,
too.”
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Two Bad Neighbors
The Simpsons, 1996
7th season
In this episode, former
president George H.W. Bush
moves in across the street
from the Simpsons.
After Bart destroys his
memoirs, Bush spanks the
boy – the beginning of a
neighborhood feud of epic
proportions.
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Political Parties and Elections in Springfield
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Springfield has both the
Republican and the Democratic
Party
the Springfield Republicans: rich
people meeting at a vampire’s
castle
the Springfield Democrats:
women, gay people and
immigrants meeting at a salad bar
both are common clichés about
the parties: Republicans as
scheming, heartless capitalists,
Democrats as an out-of-touch,
disorganized collection of
minorities
neither cliché is true, but there is
enough (exaggerated) truth to
them to be satirically funny
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Montgomery Burns, the richest man in town
and chairman of the Springfield Republicans.
E Pluribus Wiggum
The Simpsons, 2008
19th season
Springfield holds the first
presidential primary in the
nation. Because so many
Springfieldians are fed up
with established politicians,
they support Ralph
Wiggum, the mentally
challenged son of the chief
of police. Consequently,
both the Republican and
Democratic parties want
Ralph as their candidate.
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E Pluribus Wiggum
The Simpsons, 2008
19th season
Springfield holds the first
presidential primary in the
nation. Because so many
Springfieldians are fed up
with established politicians,
they support Ralph
Wiggum, the mentally
challenged son of the chief
of police.
In the end, Ralph is
nominated by both parties
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Treehouse of Horror
XIX
The Simpsons, 2008
20th season
This episode was aired on
November 2, 2008 – two
days before the presidential
election between Barack
Obama and John McCain.
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Homer Votes in 2012 – Some Explanations
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in several states, Republicans tried to
install voter ID laws in an attempt to
reduce poorer and minority voters
extreme critics of Obamacare said
there would be “death panels”
deciding to let older patients die
“magic underpants” is an unflattering
nickname for Mormon temple
garments
“going commando” means not
wearing underwear
Romney’s health care reform in
Massachusetts was a role model for
Obamacare
Romney refused to reveal most of his
tax returns during the campaign
Obama accused Romney of
outsourcing jobs to China during his
business career
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Despite his experience in 2008,
Homer returned to the polls in 2012.
Adventures in
Baby-Getting
The Simpsons, 2012
24th season
This episode was aired two
days before the presidential
election of 2012, although
the short video “Homer
votes 2012” had been
available online a bit longer.
Homer seems pretty
content with being
outsourced to Chine until
his sister-in-law Selma, who
he really hates, appears
next to him.
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Political and Social Issues
on The Simpsons
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Real Political Issue: Gun Control
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gun ownership is seen as a
fundamental right by many
Americans
radicals, including the powerful
National Rifle Association,
reject any restriction of gun
ownership rights
many other Americans want to
restrict gun ownership for
safety reasons
some gun control laws exist in
the United States, but their
effectiveness is limited
attempts at tightening gun
control have repeatedly failed
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The last person on earth who should be
allowed to own a gun.
The Cartridge Family
The Simpsons, 1997
9th season
After a soccer riot nearly
destroys Springfield, Homer
wants to buy a gun to
protect his home. On his
first visit to the gun shop,
he is told he has to wait five
days because the store has
to run a background check
on him. Now, after five days
of waiting, Homer is eager
to pick up his gun…
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The Simpsons, 1997
9th season
Home hosts a meeting of
the local National Rifle
Association chapter. Even
these gun aficionados are
shocked at Homer’s reckless
gun handling.
34
The Simpsons, 1997
9th season
After the gun nearly
destroys his marriage,
Homer finally hands it over
to Marge to throw it away.
However…
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Real Political Issue: Same-Sex Marriage
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from the late 1960s until today,
homosexual / LGBT Americans
have achieved equal rights in
nearly all aspects of society
the last big barrier is marriage
conservative churches and most
of the Republican party adamantly
defend the traditional definition
of marriage
in several states, gay marriage was
made legal by the courts or by law
in many others, marriage has been
legally defined as between one
man and one woman
in 2013, the Supreme Court ruled
that the federal government has
to recognize same-sex marriage in
states where it is legal
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The US is deeply divided on the issue of
same-sex marriage.
There's Something
About Marrying
The Simpsons, 2005
16th season
When tourists stop coming
to Springfield, the town
meeting legalizes same-sex
marriage to attract gay
couples’ business. The town
even runs a TV commercial
to promote its new policy.
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There's Something
About Marrying
The Simpsons, 2005
16th season
When Springfield legalizes
same-sex marriage,
Reverend Lovejoy opposes
the new law. Liberal Marge
tries to engage him in
theological discussion, to no
avail.
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There's Something
About Marrying
The Simpsons, 2005
16th season
As it turns out, Marge’s
sister Patty is also gay,
which Marge somehow
managed to miss over the
years. Closer to home,
Marge suddenly feels a lot
less comfortable about
same-sex marriage.
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Real Political Issue: Illegal Immigration
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the United States is literally a
nation of immigrants
legal immigration (ca. 1 million per
year) is largely undisputed
sharp debate in the US about 11.5
million illegal immigrants, mostly
from Mexico and Central America
many work in low-paid jobs, often
under bad conditions
deportation is impractical, but
amnesty is controversial
Senate recently passed a reform
bill that would legalize most illegal
immigrants, but the House is
unlikely to pass it
debate about fencing the 3,000
km US-Mexican border
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The Simpsons as an early 20th century
immigrant family.
Much Apu About
Nothing
The Simpsons, 1996
7th season
The United States is a
country of immigrants. Even
the Simpsons immigrated
from the “old country”,
wherever that was…
Since Abe Simpsons
immigrated as child, Homer
is a second generation
immigrant!
41
Coming to Homerica
The Simpsons, 2009
20th season
The people of Ogdenville
immigrate to Springfield
when their barley-based
economy crashes. In
Springfield, they find work
as day laborers, domestic
servants and other low-paid
jobs.
In in satirical twist, the
Ogdenvillians are of
Norwegian (not Mexican or
other Hispanic) ancestry.
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Coming to Homerica
The Simpsons, 2009
20th season
By now, the citizens of
Springfield are trying to
keep the growing number
of Ogdenvillian immigrants
out of their city.
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Coming to Homerica
The Simpsons, 2009
20th season
When the wall between
Springfield and Ogdenville is
finally finished, the people
of Springfield realize their
mistake.
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The Kid is All Right
The Simpsons, 2013
25th season
Lisa befriends a new
student named Isabel
Gutierrez. She is thrilled
until Isabel reveals that she
is a Republican – and a
radical conservative to
boot.
Since the Republican Party
is desperate to attract
Hispanic voters, they
scheme to support Isabel
for class president against
Lisa.
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Conclusion
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The Simpsons and Other Shows
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several other shows take a
similar, but often cruder or more
offensive approach than the
Simpsons:
 Family Guy
 American Dad
 South Park
in recent years, the Simpsons
have lost some of their punch.
Only a few episodes per season
seem to have satirical wit
still, the Simpsons invented
cartoon satire and continue to
define it
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The Smiths from “American Dad” – a cartoon
show with frequent satirical elements.
No Loan Again,
Naturally
The Simpsons, 2009
20th season
This couch gag
commemorates the 20th
anniversary of the Simpsons
as a stand-alone show.
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A Hopefully Useful Appendix:
Episodes for Classroom Use
49
Washington D.C. and Corruption
“Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington” (3rd season, ep. 2, 1991)
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Lisa wins a regional patriotic essay
contest
the Simpsons go to Washington
for the national finals
Lisa discovers a corruption scandal
and becomes disenchanted with
America’s political system
the corruption is cleaned up with
miraculous speed, restoring Lisa’s
faith
parody of “Mr. Smith Goes to
Washington” (1939)
patriotism and naïveté
corruption and lobbyists
Washington D.C. and its symbols
U.S. political system and Congress
50
Townhall Democracy
“Marge vs. the Monorail” (4th season, ep. 12, 1993)
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few episodes focus on direct
democracy, but this one takes a close
look at town hall decisions
it’s also considered one of the
funniest Simpsons episodes
when Mr. Burns has to pay a fine for
environmental violations, Springfield
unexpectedly receives $3 million
dollars
a con man persuades people to spend
the money on building a monorail,
which turns out to be a faulty disaster
town hall democracy
mob mentality
local issues like roads, schools, etc.
public transport
Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek references
51
Presidential Elections
“Sideshow Bob Roberts” (6th season, ep. 5, 1994)
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Bart’s mortal enemy, Sideshow
Bob, is released from prison
he runs against Mayor Quimby
as a Republican and wins
eventually, his victory is
revealed to be a fraud
Republican Party
candidate debates
TV campaigns ads
Watergate scandal
presidential elections, esp.
1988 Bush v. Dukakis
title is based on the satirical
mockumentary “Bob Roberts”
(1992)
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Immigration
“Much Apu About Nothing” (7th season, ep. 23, 1996)
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the classic episode about
immigration, as relevant today
as in 1996
Springfield holds a referendum
on deporting all illegal
immigrants
Apu the shopkeeper struggles
to stay in the US
US as a nation of immigrants
the politics of illegal
immigration
mob mentality and
scapegoating
immigrants and their cultural
heritage
direct democracy
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George H.W. Bush
“Two Bad Neighbors” (7th season, ep. 13, 1996)
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few episodes focus entirely on real-life
politicians
“Two Bad Neighbors”, however, is a
classic, featuring George H.W. Bush,
Gerald Ford, Mikhail Gorbachev, and
others
George H.W. Bush moves in across the
street and becomes Homer’s enemy
when he spanks Bart for destroying
his memoirs
reaction to Bush’s attack on The
Simpsons (“make American families a
lot more like the Waltons and a lot
less like the Simpsons”)
“Bush v. Simpsons” is a mini
documentary on the Bush-Simpsons
feud. It’s a bonus feature on the 4th
season DVDs, disc one
54
Gun Control
“The Cartridge Family” (9th season, ep. 5, 1997)
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Homer buys a gun to protect his
family; gun control laws fail
he goes gun-crazy immediately;
even the Springfield NRA kicks him
out
Marge moves out with the kids
until he gets rid of the gun
when he finally does, Marge
becomes fascinated with the gun
and secretly keeps it
gun control legislation
National Rifle Association
gun accidents
guns and crime
the lurid fascination of guns
US perception of soccer and
soccer riots
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Running for Congress
“Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington” (14th season, ep. 14, 2003)
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when Springfield’s congressional
representative dies, Bart
persuades Krusty to run
Krusty wins, but is frustrated with
his lack of influence in Congress
eventually, Walter Mondale (who
works as a janitor) teaches Krusty
how to really get things done in
Washington: with dirty tricks
congressional campaigns
the House of Representatives
Fox News and its support for
Republicans
Republican Party
the legislative process
yet another parody of “Mr. Smith
Goes to Washington”
56
Patriotism and the Politics of Fear
“Bart-Mangled Banner” (15th season, ep. 21, 2004)
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Bart accidentally insults the
American flag
Springfield renames itself to
“Libertyville” and goes hyperpatriotic
The Simpsons are incarcerated at
“Guantanamo”
this is the best episode on the
“politics of fear” under the Bush
administration after the Iraq War
critique of excessive patriotism
undermining of civil rights
Guantanamo
critique of conservative media
political asylum in France
57
Same-Sex Marriage
“There's Something About Marrying” (16th season, ep. 10, 2005)
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very nuanced episode on
same-sex marriage
Springfield legalizes same-sex
marriage to earn money
Home becomes a reverend and
starts marrying gay couples,
then ever stranger couples
different viewpoints
throughout the show
hypocrisy among conservatives
and liberals alike
coming-out of Marge’s sister
Patty
generally supportive of samesex marriage, but also shows
conservative viewpoints
58
Primary Elections
“E Pluribus Wiggum” (19th season, ep. 10, 2008)
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Springfield’s presidential primary
becomes the first in the nation
the news media and politicians
turn the town into a political
circus
in protest, Springfieldians rally
behind 8-year-old Ralph Wiggum
as the most ridiculous candidate
Democrats and Republicans
nominate the special needs boy
Republican and Democratic
parties
primary elections
political commercials
Hillary and Bill Clinton
news media
59
Immigration
“Coming to Homerica” (20th season, ep. 21, 2009)
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a more recent episode on
immigration
the people of Ogdenville
immigrate to Springfield when
their economy crashes
they find work as day laborers,
domestic servants and other lowpaid jobs
Mexican / Central American
immigration
illegal immigration
day labor
border security enforcement
border fence
vigilante groups against illegal
immigration
60
Episodes for Classroom Use: More Political Topics
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S02E04 “Two Cars in Every Garage…”: running for governor
S02E09 “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge”: censorship
S04E17 “Last Exit to Springfield”: labor unions and strikes
S08E15 “Homer’s Phobia”: homosexuality and homophobia
S08E18 “Homer vs. the 18th Amendment”: prohibition
S11E17 “Bart to the Future”: Lisa as president of the US
S12E04 “Lisa the Tree Hugger”: protecting the environment
S12E14 “New Kids on the Blecch”: military recruiting
S13E07 “Brawl in the Family”: pollution
S15E22 “Fraudcast News”: media power
S16E06 “Midnight Rx”: health care and prescription drugs
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Episodes for Classroom Use: More Political Topics
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S16E11 “On a Clear Day…”: global warming
S17E06 “See Homer Run”: recall election for mayor
S17E17 “Kiss Kiss Bangalore”: globalization
S17E21 “The Monkey Suit”: evolution v. creationism
S18E21 “24 Minutes”: Parody of “24”, surveillance
S20E04 “Treehouse of Horror XIX”: election of 2008
S21E19 “The Squirt and the Whale”: green energy, whales
S23E10 “Politically Inept with Homer S.”: right-wing media
S24E03 “Adventures in Baby-Getting”: election of 2012
S25E01 “Homerland”: homeland security
S25E06 “The Kid is All Right”: conservatism and Hispanics
62
Thank You for Your Attention!
you can download this presentation (no videos, sorry)
and a bibliography for further reading
at www.amerikahaus.de/simpsons
63

The Simpsons and American Society

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