Politics in The Simpsons

Politics is a common theme in the animated television series "The Simpsons", and this phenomenon has had some crossover with real American politics. Some U.S. conservatives have voiced opposition to the show. [The BBC [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4285287.stm Simpsons' gay character is Patty ] ] Former U.S. President George H. W. Bush has even said that the U.S. needs to be closer to "The Waltons" than to "The Simpsons." [SNPP. [http://www.snpp.com/other/articles/roundspringfield.html The Simpsons Archive: "Round Springfield] ] The show has a liberal slant which was joked about in the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular", in which a reference was made to "hundreds of radical right-wing messages inserted into every show by creator Matt Groening." More recently, however, at least one conservative has adopted character Groundskeeper Willie's derisive term for the French, "cheese-eating surrender monkeys". [The Guardian. [http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,893202,00.html Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France'] ]

Political topics addressed on "The Simpsons" include gay marriage (in the episode "There's Something About Marrying"), gun rights ("The Cartridge Family"), evolution vs. creationism ("The Monkey Suit"), and election campaigns ("Sideshow Bob Roberts", "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington", "E Pluribus Wiggum").

Political bias

Some commentators say the show is political in nature and susceptible to a left-wing bias. [Turner, pp. 221–222] Al Jean admitted in an interview that "We [the show] are of liberal bent."Turner, p. 223] The writers often evince an appreciation for progressive ideals, but the show makes jokes across the political spectrum. [Turner, p. 224] In the DVD commentaries, creator Matt Groening and the majority of people who work on the show state several times that they are very liberal, but some, such as John Swartzwelder (the writer of the most episodes), are conservative. The show portrays government and large corporations as callous entities that take advantage of the common worker. Thus, the writers often portray authority figures in an unflattering or negative light. In "The Simpsons", politicians are corrupt, ministers such as Reverend Lovejoy are indifferent to churchgoers, and the local police force is incompetent. [Turner, p. 56]

Criticism of values

On January 27, 1992 then-current President George H. W. Bush made a speech during his re-election campaign that reignited the feud between the Simpsons and the Bushes. At that point family values were the cornerstone of Bush's campaign platform. So he gave the following speech at the National Religious Broadcaster's convention in Washington. "The next value I speak of must be forever cast in stone. I speak of decency, the moral courage to say what is right and condemn what's wrong, and we need a nation closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons. An America that rejects the incivility, the tide of incivility and the tide of intolerance".Turner p. 225-226]

The next broadcast of the Simpsons was a rerun of "Stark Raving Dad" on January 30. In that broadcast there was hastily included a new opening, which was a response to Bush's speech. The scene begins in the Simpsons living room. Homer, Patty, and Selma sit on couch. Maggie is in her high chair next to the couch. Bart and Lisa are sprawled on the carpet. They all stare at the TV and watch Bush's speech. When Bush says, "We need a nation closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons," Bart replies "Hey, we're just like the Waltons. We're praying for an end to the Depression, too."

Foreign relations

Brazil

In 2002 Rio de Janeiro tourist board found the season 13 episode "Blame It on Lisa" so offensive to the Brazilian people that they threatened to sue the producers. The board's exact words were "What really hurt was the idea of the monkeys, the image that Rio de Janeiro was a jungle ... It's a completely unreal image of the city".Turner, p. 326] Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso found it to be "a distorted vision of Brazilian reality". [Turner, p. 325] Rio de Janeiro had just spent millions promoting the city internationally. Their reputation was already damaged because of an outbreak of dengue fever a few years earlier. The producers apologized and the issue did not go any further. However it was international news for a while.

France

"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys", sometimes shortened to "surrender monkeys", is a satirical and insulting phrase referring to the French, which gained notoriety [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,893202,00.html Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France'] "The Guardian". Retrieved on December 27, 2006] in the United States, particularly in the run-up to the Iraq War. The phrase was first popularized in the "Simpsons" episode "'Round Springfield" (first aired on April 30, 1995). [ [http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blpic-frenchsurrendermonkey.htm Sound recording of Groundskeeper Willie's line] "About: Political humour". Retrieved on December 27, 2006] Groundskeeper Willie, the school janitor, an unkempt immigrant from Scotland, is teaching French due to budget cuts, dressed in a striped jumper and a beret. He greets the class with (in heavy Scots accent) "Bonjourrrrrrrrr, yah cheese-eatin' surrender monkeys!"

The line was first picked up and used predominantly by Republican American politicians and publications. They were led, according to the British national newspaper "The Guardian", by Jonah Goldberg, a popular columnist for the U.S. bi-weekly "National Review" and editor of their website National Review Online. [cite news | url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,893202,00.html | title=Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France' | publisher=The Guardian | date= February 11, 2003 | first=Gary | last=Younge | coauthors=Jon Henley | accessdate=2007-06-30] Goldberg's online-only column, the G-File, is written in a more casual, personal manner and in the late 1990s often contained "Simpsons" (and other pop-cultural) references. Goldberg's repeated aggressive use of the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" led to its more widespread use amongst his readers, although Goldberg had stopped using it by the time the phrase was gaining mainstream popularity post-9/11.

France opposed many U.S. positions and actions, in particular, the 2003 invasion of Iraq. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2364203.stm "France threatens rival UN Iraq draft"] . "BBC News", October 26, 2002. Retrieved on April 23, 2007] Some argue the phrase's success reflects deep antipathy in the U.S. towards countries such as France who oppose the U.S. in international forums. [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/france/story/0,,893202,00.html Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France'] "The Guardian". Retrieved on December 27, 2006] The "New York Post" resurrected the phrase "Surrender Monkeys" as the headline for its December 7, 2006, front page, referring to the Iraq Study Group and its recommendation that U.S. combat brigades be withdrawn from Iraq by early 2008.cite news | url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/12072006/news/nationalnews/iraq_appease_squeeze_on_w__nationalnews_.htm | title=Iraq 'Appease' Squeeze on W. | publisher=New York Post | date=December 7, 2006 | first=Niles | last=Lathem | accessdate=2006-12-07]

Issues

Gun rights

The theme of gun rights were explored in the episode "The Cartridge Family". Sam Simon had pitched an episode for one of the first seasons which saw Homer getting a gun and nobody wanting him to have it. The episode concluded with Homer foiling a robbery and stating that although guns bring destruction, it worked for him. [Cite video | people=Meyer, George| year = 2006 | title = The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Cartridge Family" | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox] However, this episode was pitched by Scully for either season seven or eight, before being used for season nine.Cite video | people=Scully, Mike| year = 2006 | title = The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Cartridge Family" | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox] This provided the basic outline, and John Swartzwelder wrote the script. A lot of lines in the episode put guns in a positive light, as the staff felt that they could not just make an episode about how bad they were. Several of the staff are "pro gun" although others, such as Matt Groening, are very left wing and completely against them. [Cite video | people=Groening, Matt| year = 2006 | title = The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Cartridge Family" | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox] That said, the episode was designed to be non-bias and does portray each side of the argument equally. [Cite video | people=Michels, Pete| year = 2006 | title = The Simpsons The Complete Ninth Season DVD commentary for the episode "The Cartridge Family" | medium = DVD | publisher = 20th Century Fox] Scully noted that if there is any message in the episode it's that a man like Homer should not own a gun. The censors were nervous about some of the episode's subject matter, such as Homer pointing the gun in Marge's face, and Bart aiming the gun at Milhouse with the apple in his mouth, but ultimately let it go.

Homosexuality

"The Simpsons" have explored lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) themes several times. "Homer's Phobia" was the first episode to entirely revolve around homosexual themes, but the series has made several references to homosexuality before that episode aired.Raju Mudhar, "Springfield's coming-out party; Cartoon to reveal gay character And it might not be Smithers," "Toronto Star", July 28, 2004, pg. A.03.] In the 1990 episode "Simpson and Delilah", the character Karl (voiced by Harvey Fierstein) kisses Homer, while the recurring character Waylon Smithers is often shown to be in love with his boss, Montgomery Burns, initially suggestively and finally overtly. [Stephen Kiehl, "Homersexual debate splits Springfield," "The Ottawa Citizen", February 12, 2005, pg. L.7.] Two later episodes that explored LGBT issues were "Three Gays of the Condo" and "There's Something About Marrying"."Springfield awaits its first outing," "Calgary Herald", July 29, 2004, pg. E.2.]

References

ee also

*Religion in The Simpsons
*cite book | last=Turner | first=Chris | title= |publisher=Random House of Canada |id=ISBN 0-679-31318-4
*cite book | last=Foy| first=Joseph J.| title= |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |id=ISBN 978-0-8131-2512-1

External links

* [http://www.politicswatch.com/us-election-nov5-2004.html Politics Watch — speculation on political alignments of Simpsons characters]