Washburn: Pop Culture Analysis

Imagine someone close that’s lived the straight and narrow to get where they are at. They are not perfect, maybe they could have put a little more time into their assignment at work or held their temper towards the grandpa driving too slow in front of them, but they’re just human living life the best way they know how. When a not-so-freak accident occurs and they find themselves behind bars imprisoned for the rest of their life. Sounds like the plot to “Shawshank Redemption” right? At this very instance, this story is being told of ordinary citizens behind the curtains of the New York Court System in rapidly increasing numbers. What may seem like an isolated incident is part of an ever-growing

“My Pods and Broomsticks” a very controversial episode of “The Simpsons” is full of satire, concentrating in the main theme of stereotypes and the ignorance of consumers in this day and age. These are represented through the Simpsons, elements, or flaws of modern society are cleverly displayed using many devices such as humour, puns, irony and sarcasm. When analyse an episode of the Simpson it gets you thinking, does the Simpson serve a greater propose than to just entertain?

"The Simpsons" basis, a father, a mother, and three kids, is far from unusual. The "typical" American is a blue-collar worker not unlike the father, Homer, who works a mindless job at the local nuclear power plant in the Simpsons' hometown of Springfield which is basically Anytown, USA. Marge, the mother, is a fairly typical housewife besides her large blue beehive hairdo. Bart, is the rebellious older son; Lisa, the under-appreciated middle child; and Maggie, the adorable baby. The Simpsons don't live in luxury, but they are a generally happy family that encounters the problems of everyday, and not-so-everyday, life, something that millions can relate to. But there is something that sets "The Simpsons" apart from the

In fact, according to those behind the scenes, these forays into politics mark more than just material for the next laugh; rather, they are deliberate efforts to shape American society. "Simpsons" creator Matt Groening says that, under its facade of humor, the show is trying "to nudge people, jostle them a little, wake them up to some of the ways in which we're being manipulated and exploited." He adds, "'The Simpsons'' message over and over again is that your moral authorities don't always have your best interests in mind" (Doherty).

As a child, I owe credit to Lisa Simpson for setting me on the path to social justice, activism, veganism and Jazz.Foremost, she was my gateway drug to feminist rebellion. Lisa came before the guerrilla Girls, Gloria Steinem, Angela Davis and Naomi Wolf. Why do we overlook this trailblazer and feminist thinker? The beloved heroine is actively fighting many injustices for girls during her 20 year existence, outstandingly in one of my favorite Simpsons episodes, “Lisa vs. Malibu Stacey”. The episode follows eight year old Lisa’ as she is gifted a talking version of her favorite Barbie inspired doll, Malibu Stacey. Like every girl in Springfield, she is initially overjoyed to receive the gift, unlike other girls she becomes gravely disappointed to discover Stacey’s aspirations only amount to boys, cheerleading, and shopping. Embarking on an existential journey, Lisa questions herself and her community about their relationship to the doll and the world. Courageously, she storms the mansion of the doll’s inventor to discuss her grave disappointment with the message Malibu Stacy

One of the longest running TV series of all time is the Simpsons. The Simpsons is an animated sitcom that uses satire to depict the “average” American family. The Simpson Family consists of Homer (father), Marge (mother), Bart (son), Lisa (daughter), and Maggie (baby). In 2007 The Simpsons hit the big screen. This major motion picture about Springfield, the home of the Simpson Family, and has just about everything possibly imaginable. Springfield however has a very large problem, they pollute like no other place in the United States. It was not until Lisa Simpson proved to the town how polluted the local lake was that change was instituted. After Lisa “saves” the lake the city institutes wide spread trash and recycling procedures. However Homer doesn’t want to wait in one of the lines and instead dumps his trash in the lake. This is the straw that broke the camel’s back because after this the lake became toxic. At this point the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) steps in and with the authorization of the President. Springfield becomes encapsulated in a large dome. At this point it becomes a life or death situation. The Simpsons then manage to escape and go on a wild journey. Only to eventually get caught. Once the Simpsons are returned to the dome, a massive bomb is placed in an effort to prevent Springfield from further pollution. (The Simpsons Movie). The looming threat that in a short matter of time everyone could be dead. It is at this point that Terror Management

of Homer by Aeon J. Skoble, Mark T. Conard, and William Irwin is book the dives deep into the true meaning of The Simpsons. This book is roof that The Simpsons holds real literary value. The book examines deeply the characterizations of each character and shows how each character of the show represents someone in the American society and are’t just random fictional characters. The D’oh! of Homer argues that the use of parodies has great cultural and literary value. These references and parodies of classical work have great value because it often reminds people of literature or films they may have forgotten. They state that this “naturalizes our own cultural forgetfulness”. This states that people often tend to forget about classic literature because they are not affected by it in their day to day lives but The Simpsons remind people of these great works and make them relevant again and this is something that has great literary value. The book states that the writers don’t just make literary references but cultural ones as well like “Lisa’s breakfast cereal box is called “Jackie-O’s” I probably don’t have to spell out that this cereal exploits the name given to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by the popular press--and even the popular press recognized Jackie O as a woman of distinctive beauty not to mention remarkable connections, power, and influence”. This is proof that The Simpsons have great cultural value. The shows uses references not just for laughs but also for cultural statements. The book The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer by Aeon J. Skoble, Mark T. Conard, and William Irwin shows that The Simpsons do truly have literary and cultural

This episode of the Simpsons describes deviance in a different way. This episode was a great example because you can distinguish any kind of movement that’s going on or if it has a meaning. This episode was made to entertain the audience because we are used to seeing cartoons for entertainment. The Simpson’s deviance was described in two ways, shoplifting and how Bart wanted a video game desperately.

Ironically, this was Groening’s intension, as his critique of the American family also extend to the idea of authority. Groening says he used “the guise of light entertainment to wake people up ‘to some of the ways we’re being manipulated and exploited’ by modern American culture….your moral authorities don’t always have your best interests in mind…. Teacher, principals, clergymen, politicians- for The Simpsons, they’re all goofballs, and I think that’s a great message for kids” (Pinksy, 2001, pg159). This idea of questioning the validity of authority is another tabooed concept never before seen in the sitcom

Bart and Lisa become bored with the scripts hence they decide to write own episodes of “The Front”. The aspect of boredom comes about due to rejection of some of their scripts. In the episode, it is evident that Homer did not complete his high school and has a science course, which he is required to take. As Bart and Lisa seem to be discouraged by the bad episodes brought forth in “Itchy and Scratchy”, they start to write the episodes under the name of Grandpa Simpson. Ideally, this assignment aims at providing an in-depth view of the various elements and techniques, which the author uses to enable the viewers grasp whatever the series encompasses.

The Simpsons The smooth sound of the saxophone serenaded my ears as I sat on the luxurious seats of the lounge room awaiting the premiere of “The Simpsons.” From that moment, I not only wanted, but knew that I had to play the saxophone. “The Simpsons” is a depiction of a stereotypical, middle class, American family. The characters which make up this dysfunctional yet hilariously amusing family are Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.

In life we often take for granted the food we get to eat on a daily basis. However, for just one night we had the opportunity to see how prisoners eat, when they are lucky. Our recipe came from the book Prison Ramen, where we sifted through a variety of other ideas before deciding on the “Wet Ramen Burrito.” Not only did the recipe appeal to us, but the narrative that went with the recipe did too. In the short narrative written by David Anthony Faustino, titled “No Stars Behind Bars” (58), he addressed how his celebrity status enabled him to break laws that the common man could not get away with. However, one drunken night he pushed his luck too far. Faustino could no longer use his status. The cops did not care and neither did the other inmates in jail with him. Suddenly, he realized that no matter one’s fame there is always a certain threshold where one’s status becomes irrelevant. While the media portrays the famous as invincible, Faustino’s narrative proves that all “stars” can find themselves behind bars, at which point everyone

The Springfield citizens has every reason to be out for Simpson blood. The madness triggered by Homer has drawn the attention of U.S. President Arnold Schwarzenegger and Environmental Protection Agency head Russ. ”You know sir," Cargill tells the Arnold, "when you made me head of the EPA, you were applauded for appointing one of the most successful men in America to the least successful agency in government. And why did I take the job? Because I'm a rich man who wanted to give something back. Not the money, but something." That "something" is a devil's plan to contain the disaster. As the fates of Springfield and the world hang in the balance, Homer embarks on a personal odyssey of redemption - seeking forgiveness from Marge, the reunion of his splintered family, and the salvation of his hometown.So this is where my character comes to play, her name is

Among currently running animated sitcoms, there are a few that have current connections to people and events. Most famous of this genre of shows are South Park and Family Guy. Unlike South Park, which follows a group of friends at school, Family Guy is about a family. The Griffin family consists of parents Peter and Lois, their children Chris, Meg, Stewie, and the family dog, Brian. Instead of showcasing the adventures of an individual struggling to balance impulses and responsibilities, Family Guy focuses on the dynamics created by family members who are extreme in their personality traits and very different from each other. Peter, the father, is impulsive, incompetent, and easily excitable. Lois is the stereotypical responsible mother and wife. Meg is a classic case of a teenage girl struggling to fit in at high school. Chris is your average awkward and immature teenage boy. Stewie, the precocious baby, is by far the smartest and most cunning of the cast. Interestingly, the screenwriters often drop hints that he is gay. He is eager to assume adult responsibilities and motivated to have

The Simpsons is an animated adult series created by Matt Groening. it depicts the lifestyle of middle class America in a satirical form represented by the dysfunctional Simpson family consisting of Homer, Marge,Bart,Lisa and Maggie. it is also a parody to American culture, television,society and conditions humans find their selfs in everyday. the show first aired on December 17th, 1987 and has broadcasted 558 episodes and on September 28th, 2014 the 26th season of the show started and is the longest-running American TV sitcom.