The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture

I wrote (20 years ago!) for a graduate seminar on postmodern culture while a student at SUNY Brockport. At that point, The Simpsons was still a new phenomenon, and virtually no critical work had been done on the show. I am deeply grateful to Mark Anderson for encouraging me to explore uncharted territory. The end product, an essay entitled "The Triumph of Popular Culture: Situation Comedy, Postmodernism, and The Simpsons," received great interest when I presented it at the Popular Culture Association conference, and it was quickly accepted for publication in Studies in Popular Culture. I would not have had the courage to present this piece at a conference-much less circulate it for publication-if it were not for Mark's faith in my abilities and the confidence he instilled in me as a student and a scholar.I owe a great debt as well to Earl Ingersoll, my other mentor at SUNY Brockport. Although Earl did not have a direct involvement with my work on The Simpsons, he was instrumental in shaping who I am as an academic, as a teacher, and as a human being. Earl believed in me much more than I believed in myself, and without his persistence I would not be where I am today. For his optimism, his encouragement, and his friendship, I am deeply grateful.This book is the culmination of work that progressed in stages of graduate study at Syracuse University, between 1994 and 1997, and at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD), between 2002 and 2008. My exposure to queer theory during my time at Syracuse University led to an interest in the depiction of gay identity on The Simpsons; parts of chapter 3 were written at that time for a presentation on the topic, then simply entitled "Gay Life on The Simpsons." I began to research other aspects of the show while pursuing my doctorate at UTD. I would like to thank Susan Branson for her support of my interests in analyses of contemporary popular culture. Much of the material in chapter 3 was researched as part of a final project for her seminar on women and US popular culture. I also want to thank Susan for suggesting that I make The Simpsons the subject of my doctoral dissertation. I wish to thank Dean Terry for allowing me to continue my research on The Simpsons as a final project for his course, Critical Media Studies. Most of the information on the history of Fox Television in chapter 1 was gathered as part of that project. My sincerest gratitude goes to my dissertation adviser, Erin Smith, for her guidance and advice at many points over the years. Much of the material in chapter 2 was written as a final project for Erin's Ethnic American Literature course. I am grateful to Erin for her many contributions to various drafts of this project as it moved toward being a completed dissertation-her insights and suggestions have been invaluable. I also wish to thank the x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS How is The Simpsons a satirical artwork engaged with important social, political, and cultural issues? Henry offers the first comprehensive understanding of the show as a satire and explores the ways in which The Simpsons participates in the so-called "culture war" debates taking place in American society. How is The Simpsons a satirical artwork engaged with important social, political, and cultural issues? Matthew A. Henry offers the first comprehensive understanding of the show as a satire and explores the ways in which The Simpsons participates in the so-called "culture war" debates taking place in American society. Situating The Simpsons within the framework of satirical humor in American media, the tradition of the nuclear family sitcom, and the history of the Fox Television network, this book explores American culture thematically, examining how the show satirically engages with issues of race and ethnicity, national identity, gender and sexuality, social and economic class, and religion Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction: The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture....Pages 1-18 “Entertain and Subvert”: Fox Television, Satirical Comedy, and The Simpsons ....Pages 19-43 “You’re an American Now”: Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality on The Simpsons ....Pages 45-78 “Don’t Ask Me, I’m Just a Girl”: Feminism, Female Identity, and The Simpsons....Pages 79-107 “The Whole World’s Gone Gay!”: Gay Identity, Queer Culture, and The Simpsons ....Pages 109-134 “Upper-Lower-Middle-Class Types”: Socioeconomic Class on The Simpsons ....Pages 135-166 “Gabbin’ about God”: Religiosity and Secularity on The Simpsons ....Pages 167-199 Conclusion: American Culture, Satire, and The Simpsons ....Pages 201-207 Back Matter....Pages 209-296 How is The Simpsons a satirical artwork engaged with important social, political, and cultural issues? In time for the twenty-fifth anniversary, Henry offers the first comprehensive understanding of the show as a satire and explores the ways in which The Simpsons participates in the so-called "culture war" debates taking place in American society.