Reading Reveiew: The Simpsons

The Simpsons, which first aired in 1989, quickly rose to become one of Fox's highest rated programs by offereing a sarcastic critique of the average American through hypocrisy within the education system, religious beliefs, American Political structures, and even capitalism. What gives The Simpsons a sense of uniqueness are the characters. "The characters," states cartoonist Matt Groening, "are caricatures of the ideologies the represent, they are all ruled by their impulses." As such, The Simpsons is driven by conflicts of ideas rather than that of personality which is what most sitcoms today are based.

Watching The Simpsons were an essential part of my childhood. What made the show so appealing to me were the social issues that were constantly being satirized and the absurd adventures that Homer embarked on which often ended in failure. To me, Homer is the heart of the show. Homer represents the average man, except for maybe intelligence, who takes whatever advice or information he receives literally and is unable to reason rationally.

To me, what makes The Simpsons a success is the fact that often times the show coincides with current events which provides writers a chance to express their opinions by creating episodes that often insult our government. However, the element that the writers rely on, conflict, is wearing thin. I feel that the newer episodes of The Simpsons are not as good as the older ones. I feel that the plots of the episodes have become so outrageous and absurd that I am no longer able to relate to the characters.