The Simpsons. The animated Guide to Contemporary Spirituality?

Transcription

1 The Simpsons The animated Guide to Contemporary Spirituality?

2 Matt Groening Born 1954 Mennonite Religious background. Currently self-described as agnostic. First cartoon strip Life in Hell (1977) about his reactions to life in Los Angeles - strip still syndicated in over 200 papers. Life in Hell credited with catching attention of Hollywood producer James L. Brooks, who contracted him to do a series of shorts for The Tracy Ullman Show. Life in Hell Apple Ad, 1989

3 The Simpsons Tracy Ullman short - Shoplifting First aired as 30 second and 60 second shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show beginning April 1987 (3 season run.) December airing of Christmas special Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire. January Season one launches. 24th season just finished (replaced Gunsmoke as longest running American prime time television series in Season 21.) Season 25 has already been authorized). 1st Full length feature film released July 27, Earned$537 mil.

4 The Popularity of The Simpsons Oct 2009 Playboy cover - rorschachsrants/news/?a=11130 Immensely popular - $two billion in merchandise sold in first 14 months! Consistent audience of 8-9 million viewers. During the first week of school in 1990, two thirds of the sixth graders in the United States apparently wore Simpsons paraphernalia. (Dale and Trich, 43) Highest rated show on Fox repeatedly, (credited with saving the failing network). Often among 10 highest rated shows on network television. 27 Emmy awards to date.

5 Family Values Debate The Simpsons is an assault on the family and all human relationships. It discourages alarm at the decline of the family and disparages the earnest, often abject bonds of kin. Bart as a poor role model? Underachiever shirts banned in some schools.

6 The family-values debate George Bush Senior (1992): his presidency was aiming for a nation closer to The Waltons than The Simpsons

7 The Simpsons and Religion According to one study of religion on prime time, fewer than 6% of characters have identifiable religious affiliations; religion is rarely central to plots. (old study 1994 but can t find anything more recent!) A 2001 study of the Simpsons found 69% of episodes contain at least 1 mention of religion, and 11% focus on a religious storyline 85% of Americans self-identify as Christian; 5% self-identify as some other faith why is it so hard tofind religious characters on television?

8 Hostile Critic or Spiritual Guide? [In the Simpson s,] Christian faith and values are constantly viciously targeted at every turn. The show is filthy and subversive. It only gets away with it because it's a cartoon and knows how to occasionally act as if its mocking tone is playful. Anyone who believes otherwise needs to see such episodes [as the one] where Homer has a crayon removed from his brain thus rendering him a genius. One of the many revelations that follows is his proving that God does not exist. He presents this finding to Ned Flanders and Ned has to agree that he is correct! This is not playful on any level. Avoid the Simpsons at all costs.

9 Path to Atheism or path to faith? I d like to credit my shift toward doubt and then atheism to the episode of The Simpsons Homer the Heretic. In this episode, Homer quits going to church and as a result has the best day of his life. Homer doesn t become an atheist, instead he sees God in a dream and creates his own religion and then learns about all religions being valid at the end, however Homer throws out some good arguments the got me thinking. Such gems as What if we picked the wrong religion? Every week, we're just making God madder and madder! and Why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to Hell?

10 Frequently cited Religion Episodes Homer the Heretic (Homer stays home from Church and has the best day of his life - Season 4) Treehouse of Horrors IV (Homer sells his soul for a doughnut- Season 5) Bart Sells his Soul (Bart doesn t believe in the soul, and sells his to Millhouse - Season 7) She of Little Faith (Lisa rejects Christianity and becomes a Buddhist Season 13) Thank God its Doomsday - The Rapture comes, and only Homer gets into Heaven - Season 16) the Greatest Story ever D ohed (Homer visits Israel and believes he is the Messiah Season 21)

11 Homer the Heretic

12 Thank God its Doomsday