Homer Simpson Marches on Washington : Dissent Through American Popular Culture

The Simpsons questions what is culturally acceptable, showcasing controversial issues like homosexuality, animal rights, the war on terror, and religion. This subtle form of political analysis is effective in changing opinions and attitudes on a large scale. "Homer Simpson Marches on Washington" explores the transformative power that enables popular culture to influence political agendas, frame the consciousness of audiences, and create profound shifts in values and ideals. To investigate the full spectrum of popular culture in a democratic society, editors Timothy M. Dale and Joseph J. Foy gather a top-notch team of scholars who use television shows such as "Star Trek", "The X-Files", "All in the Family", "The View", "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", and "The Colbert Report", as well as movies and popular music, to investigate contemporary issues in American popular culture Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Foreword: The Influence of Captain Janeway ......Page 8 Acknowledgments ......Page 12 Introduction: Tuning in to Democratic Dissent: Oppositional Messaging in Popular Culture ......Page 14 Part 1. Popular Culture as Public Space ......Page 32 1. The Revolution Is Being Televised: The Case for Popular Culture as Public Sphere ......Page 34 2. The Daily Show and the Politics of Truth ......Page 50 3. Mr. Smith Goes to the Movies: Images of Dissent in American Cinema ......Page 72 4. The Truth Is Still Out There: The X-Files and 9/11 ......Page 88 Part 2. Popular Culture and Oppositional Narratives ......Page 110 5. Unpacking the House: Images of Heroism against the Regulatory State ......Page 112 6. "I Learned Prison Is a Bad Place to Be:" 25th Hour and Reimagining Incarceration ......Page 124 7. Riveted to Rosie: O'Donnell's Queer Politics and Controversial Antics on ABC's The View ......Page 138 8. "Gabbin' about God": Religion, Secularity, and Satire on The Simpsons ......Page 154 9. It Came from Planet Earth: Eco-Horror and the Politics of Postenvironmentalism in The Happening ......Page 180 Part 3. Popular Culture and the Dynamics of Dissent and Social Change ......Page 202 10. Raising the Red Flag: Culture, Labor, and the Left, 1880–1920 ......Page 204 11. Iraq Is Arabic for Vietnam: The Evolution of Protest Songs in Popular Music from Vietnam to Iraq ......Page 216 12. Hip-Hop and Representin': Power, Voice, and Identity......Page 232 13. "Things in This Country Are Gonna Change Pretty Fast": Dissent, Mobilization, and the Politics of Jericho ......Page 254 14. It's Not Funny 'Cause It's True: The Mainstream Media's Response to Media Satire in the Bush Years ......Page 270 15. Gender, the Final Frontier: Revisiting Star Trek: The Next Generation ......Page 290 Contributors ......Page 308 Index ......Page 312 The Revolution Is Being Televised: The Case For Popular Culture As Public Sphere / Timothy M. Dale -- The Daily Show And The Politics Of Truth / Jamie Warner -- Mr. Smith Goes To The Movies: Images Of Dissent In American Cinema / Beth Wielde Heidelberg, David Schultz -- The Truth Is Still Out There: The X-files And 9/11 / Paul A. Cantor -- Unpacking The House: Images Of Heroism Against The Regulatory State / Sara R. Jordan, Phillip W. Gray -- I Learned Prison Is A Bad Place To Be: 25th Hour And Reimagining Incarceration / Peter Caster -- Riveted To Rosie: O'donnell's Queer Politics And Controversial Antics On Abc's The View / Katherine Lehman -- Gabbin' About God: Religion, Secularity, And Satire On The Simpsons / Matthew Henry -- It Came From Planet Earth: Eco-horror And The Politics Of Postenvironmentalism In The Happening / Joseph J. Foy -- Raising The Red Flag: Culture, Labor, And The Left, 1880-1920 / Jeffrey A. Johnson -- Iraq Is Arabic For Vietnam: The Evolution Of Protest Songs In Popular Music From Vietnam To Iraq / Jerry Rodnitzky -- Hip-hop And Representin': Power, Voice, And Identity / Tanji Gilliam -- Things In This Country Are Gonna Change Pretty Fast: Dissent, Mobilization, And The Politics Of Jericho / Isabel Pinedo -- It's Not Funny 'cause It's True: The Mainstream Media's Response To Media Satire In The Bush Years / Carl Bergetz -- Gender, The Final Frontier: Revisiting Star Trek: The Next Generation / Diana M. A. Reike. Edited By Timothy M. Dale And Joseph J. Foy ; Foreword By Kate Mulgrew. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The Simpsons television show regularly questions what is culturally acceptable, showcasing controversial issues like homosexuality, animal rights, the war on terror, and religion. This subtle form of political analysis is effective in changing opinions and attitudes on a large scale. This book explores the transformative power that enables popular culture to influence political agendas, frame the consciousness of audiences, and create profound shifts in values and ideals As an orphan under the care of her selfish aunt who pressures her to convert to Catholicism and enter a loveless marriage, Henrietta learns to live by her wits. Henrietta's story draws attention to the difficulty for women of earning a living in mid-eight