The Simpsons, satire, and American Culture - Matthew Henry

 The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture by Matthew. A. Henry

• 'Mr. Spritz goes to Washington' is a perfect example of satire used within The Simpsons, featuring an overtly propagandist series of cliche images; 'an example of the self-conscious humour so common on The Simpsons'. PG19
• 'Satire is protected speech. Even if the object of the satire doesn't get it' - comedian Al Franken PG20
• The Simpsons often use satire in light of Fox, especially in the Fox News segments of the show, with the irony that The Simpsons were owned by Fox. The satire featured in the show 'raises awareness of partisan politics and media bias' PG21
• Within the context of television, the satire in The Simpsons 'helps illuminate the potential for oppositional content and the limitations to that imposed by the shows' position as part of a global media empire and merchandising phenomenon' PG22
• Technologies' impact on the forms of satire is prevalent in how The Simpsons became a massive cultural icon; Amanda Lotz explores the changes in technology from 1985-1995 and the dramatic shifts in consumer behaviour in the US. Fox became a dominant television presence due to the 'new era of industry competition' and 'the emergence of new technologies' PG22
• The Simpsons 'turned out to be the kind of 'edgy' show that the network needed to make a name for itself' PG26
• 'Satire is a complex art form, one that relies upon contemporary issues, a high level of literacy, and a healthy sense of irony to be understood' PG28
• Filmmaker Michael Moore comments on how The Simpsons may be deemed controversial as Americans are 'ironically illiterate' PG28
• 'We now live in a world defined not by the word but by the image' PG29
• 'Satire has been long associated with the editorial cartoon' PG29
• 'Cartoonists have contributed to the political and social fabric of America since the founding of the republic, when Benjamin Franklins' crude drawing 'Join, or Die' called for a united front against England in 1754' - Chris Lamb 'Drawn to Extremes: The Use and Abuse of Editorial Cartoons' (2003)
• The Simpsons is credited as being a 'postmodern text that draws upon multiple forms of popular culture.. situated within a tradition of satirical art that goes well beyond cartooning' PG30
• The Simpsons draws inspiration from earlier 20th Century satirical films such as Kubricks' 'Dr. Strangelove (1964) or Terry Gilliams' 'Brazil' (1985). Satire has been employed by a multitude of filmmakers and writers in order to 'address a wide range of important contemporary issues, including war-mongering, commercialised violence, poverty, abortion, racism, and political corruption' PG31
• The Simpsons 'skilfully' combines both slapstick humour and political satire, enabling it to appeal to 'adults and children alike' PG33
• Vladimir Nabokov was very anti satire, preferring parody over the latter; 'he was much more interested in 'the game' than 'the lesson'. Nabokov rejected the idea of political or satirical art; 'A work of art has no importance whatever to society. It is only important to the individual' PG34
• William Irwin and J.R. Lombardo highlight how the show is 'rife with satire, sarcasm, irony, and caricature' - "The Simpsons" and philosophy (2000)
• Matt Groeing, the shows creator, has 'repeatedly stated the he intends the Simpsons to be political, satirical, and subversive' PG37
• 'TV is a barrage of urgent imagery and alarms interspersed with urgent imagery trying to sell you something. So, to operate in that arena, you've got to be garish, bold and physical. No matter how clever you are, you've got to have Homer slam into a brick wall at some point' - Matt Groeing PG 37
• According to media scholar Douglas Rushkoff in his book 'media virus' the key to The Simpsons' success in how it has become a 'media virus' is its' use of 'counterculture missiles' and 'subversive messages' PG 38
• Rushkoff elaborates on how 'media controllers' are those (in the words of Noam Chomsky) whom 'manufacture consent'; media activists consequently are 'rebels' against societal norms. According to Rushkoff, these media activists use 'viruses' in order to 'promote countercultural agendas'. Despite the negative connotations of 'viruses', Rushkoff focuses on the positives in terms of subverting the status quo, thus leading to 'some sort of evolution'. However it is important to take the negative aspects of viral media into consideration. 'A popular children's show is the perfect virus' PG38
• 'Entertain and subvert. Thats my motto' - Matt Groeing PG39
• The issue with viral media like The Simpsons is that it's younger audiences are exposed to things 'they didn't sign up for' according to producer Mike Reiss PG39
• Henry Matthew concludes that 'it is imperative that we develop a media literacy', noting how it helps cope with a 'seductive cultural environment, a method for resisting media manipulation and an invitation for creating emancipatory popular culture' PG42
• 'Oh Marge, cartoons don't have any deep meaning. They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh' - Homer Simpson

Henry, M., 2012. The Simpsons, Satire, And American Culture. Palgrave Macmillan.

(Henry, 2012)