The Simpsons Essays -- Cartoons Politics Argumentative America Essays

The SimpsonsWhen the FOX network aired The Simpsons in 1989, the make brought the yellow-skinned and four-fingered cartoon characters named Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson into millions of American living rooms. This bent archetype of the American family, as well as the hundreds of zany characters that populate their all-American hometown of Springfield, fast became the targets of frightful criticism. Elementary schools banned T-shirts way the images of the Simpson family and their slogans. Former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett and heretofore President George Bush berated the show as subversive and demeaning (McAllister 1494). However, a more careful probe of the show reveals further more than nose-thumbing glow humor--enveloped in sarcasm and comedy, The Simpsons offers a thought-provoking critique of American politics, faith, and the American family. The Simpsons, taking prime- duration television far beyond its normal scope, throws fierce governme ntal punches right and leftover. Caricatures of Presidents Bush and Clinton hasten shown up in Springfield during respective(a) episodes, Bush as a laughable political failure and Clinton as a sexual pervert. tour Springfields mayor is a corrupt, womanizing Kennedy parody, the local republican Party plots evil schemes from a nearby cave (Cantor). capital of Minnesota A. Cantor, an side of meat professor at the University of Virginia and one-time(prenominal) analyst of Simpsons politics, argues that the universally critical political message of the series tends, standardised most Hollywood entertainment, to favor the left over the right. John OConnor, a television critic for The New York Times, goes farther to say that The Simpsons is the most motif show on prime time (McAllister 1494). ... ... country is well outlay laughing about. Works CitedBerman, Marshall. Skepticism in Action Simpsons Religion vs. learning Episode. Skeptical Inquirer jar against/April 1998 19. Cant or, Paul A. The Simpsons. Political Theory 27.6 (December 1999) 734. MasterFile FullText 1500. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College redeeming(prenominal) Library. 19 March 2000. Doherty, Brian. Matt Groening. generate Jones March/April 1999 34. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 19 March 2000. McAllister, Matthew P. The Simpsons. Encyclopedia of Television. Ed. Horace Newcomb. Chicago Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. porta Notes. Ed. Barbara Wickens. Macleanss 29 April 1996 14. Sillars, Les. The Last Christian TV Family in America. Alberta Report/Newsmagazine 21 October 1996 36. MasterFile FullText 1500. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 19 March 2000. The Simpsons Essays -- Cartoons Politics Argumentative America EssaysThe SimpsonsWhen the FOX network aired The Simpsons in 1989, the show brought the yellow-skinned and four-fingered cartoon characters named Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson into millions of American living rooms. This bent archetype of the American family, as well as the hundreds of zany characters that populate their all-American hometown of Springfield, fast became the targets of enormous criticism. Elementary schools banned T-shirts bearing the images of the Simpson family and their slogans. Former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett and even President George Bush berated the show as subversive and demeaning (McAllister 1494). However, a more careful investigation of the show reveals far more than nose-thumbing gutter humor--enveloped in sarcasm and comedy, The Simpsons offers a thought-provoking critique of American politics, faith, and the American family. The Simpsons, taking prime-time television far beyond its normal scope, throws fierce political punches right and left. Caricatures of Presidents Bush and Clinton have shown up in Springfield during various episodes, Bush as a laughable political failure and Clinton as a sexual pervert. While Springfields mayor is a corrupt, womanizing Kennedy parody, the local Republican Party plots evil schemes from a nearby cave (Cantor). Paul A. Cantor, an English professor at the University of Virginia and sometime analyst of Simpsons politics, argues that the universally critical political message of the series tends, like most Hollywood entertainment, to favor the left over the right. John OConnor, a television critic for The New York Times, goes farther to say that The Simpsons is the most radical show on prime time (McAllister 1494). ... ... country is well worth laughing about. Works CitedBerman, Marshall. Skepticism in Action Simpsons Religion vs. Science Episode. Skeptical Inquirer March/April 1998 19. Cantor, Paul A. The Simpsons. Political Theory 27.6 (December 1999) 734. MasterFile FullText 1500. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 19 March 2000. Doherty, Brian. Matt Groening. Mother Jones March/April 1999 34. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 19 March 2000. McAllister, Matthew P. The Simpso ns. Encyclopedia of Television. Ed. Horace Newcomb. Chicago Fitzroy Dearborn, 1997. Opening Notes. Ed. Barbara Wickens. Macleanss 29 April 1996 14. Sillars, Les. The Last Christian TV Family in America. Alberta Report/Newsmagazine 21 October 1996 36. MasterFile FullText 1500. Palni SiteSearch. Goshen College Good Library. 19 March 2000.