BOC: Simpsons reference (was: Re: BOC: "No-Zilla")

[Paul Mather]

On Thu, 18 Jun 1998, Andy Gilham wrote:

> I used to like it, but after a while, watching a scene and remarking, "oh,
> that's just out of _North by Northwest_," gets a bit tired.  Once or twice
> is clever, every episode is geeky.  I did put a smiley after the geeks jibe!

It's probably just a Zappa thing.  (Groening is an acknowledged fan.)
The Simpsons is rife with "conceptual continuity," and I guess you can
either love it or hate it.  Personally, I also think it's cool to have
so many external references to interesting things (classic films, etc.)
hidden in an ostensibly "low-brow" show for the masses.

> It has this image as being subversive, for reasons I never understood.

If it is subversive, I would say it is because they do non-sitcom things
within the genre of an archetypal sitcom family.  And, on a very mundane
level, compared to the rest of prime-time broadcast USA TV, it *is*
subversive!

Maybe it is subversive because it dares to work on more than one level?

Personally, I've not heard it described as subversive, though.

> Everybody says the Simpsons are dysfunctional, but they're anything but!
> _The Simpsons_ is *so* supportive of "family values"

I agree.  The Simpsons are considered dysfunctional when set aside the
mythical nuclear family, but, within the show, they are the only ones
who consistently succeed (eventually), and they do it simply by "being
the Simpsons."

The Simpsons is strong on "the [Simpsons] family," but I don't think
they promote Family Values (i.e. the Conservative agenda).  If that were
the case, the Flanders family would be held as an exemplar, instead of
being ridiculed at every turn.  The Simpsons are a strong family not by
decree, but because they are willing and able to accept their flaws and
limitations: they have a good synergy.

> [...]  And everybody in the show, just about without exception,
> who's not part of a stable family unit, is depicted as sad or bitter or
> both - Marge's sisters, Principal Skinner, Mrs Kraboppel, Mr Burns, Moe,
> Krusty, everybody.

Not really.  Bleeding Gums Murphy was one of the coolest characters they
had (until they killed him off:), and he was single. :-)  The married
couples don't fare much better.  Milhouse's family are always at each
others throats (and his parents have divorced at least once); Rev.
Lovejoy's marriage is depicted as sterile and somnambulent; everyone
hates the robot-like Flanders; Chief Wiggum is pathetic and corrupt.  In
fact, "the establishment" characters are usually depicted as sad and
pathetic, be they married or single.  There's no favourites: everyone
gets the piss taken out of them. :-)

> [...] And then there's the insulting racial stereotype of Apu
> to top it all off.

Wot, no Groundskeeper Willie?? :-)  Actually, Apu generally has the last
laugh on everyone, and is often shown as being superior in intelligence,
ability, and personality to the rest of the denizens of Springfield,
which certainly does not mesh nicely with the "insulting racial
stereotype" to which you refer.

My main complaint with the Simpsons is that they are making Homer
increasingly moronic just for the sake of a cheap laugh---he's becoming
more one-dimensional by the episode.  Allied to this, they're
manufacturing ever more contorted and improbable situations, just to get
Homer to do something wacky.  (Mind you, more surrealism does have its
advantages.:)

> _King of the Hill_ is worse, though. :)  I couldn't believe the one about
> Hank and Bobby entering the father and son shooting contest!

And I couldn't believe the tender article in our local paper about a
little girl (7 years old, I seem to recall) getting to kill her first
deer (or was it a bear?) when out hunting.  It almost brought a tear to
my eye when I read the part about her ol' pappy help steady the heavy
rifle as she took the shot.  A kodak moment, I'm sure. ;-)

The local rural schools around here are pretty much deserted, come the
start of huntin' season.  I kid you not.  That _King of the Hill_
episode didn't seem all that strange to me. :-)

Cheers,

Paul.

obCD: Hawkwind, _Hall of the Mountain Grill_

e-mail: paul at gromit.dlib.vt.edu

"I didn't mean to take up all your sweet time"
        --- James Marshall Hendrix