“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?
In the start of the show, the Simpsons enter into the new store that opened up at their mall, “Mapple”. This is a pun that represent Apple. Lisa is absorbed by “Mapple” and all the “Mypods” but everything is too expensive and she can’t afford to buy one. She asks a
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He tells her he can’t help her and says “I know our posters say “Think Differently” but our real slogan is “No Refunds.” This is sarcasm of merchandise corporations and the way they fool people into thinking they mean well, when really they just want our cash. Along with the satire of the ignorance of consumers these episode also discusses many stereotypes of modern day society. In this episode Bart meets a new kid, Bashir whose family recently moved to the United States from Jordan. The Simpsons have Bashir and his family over for dinner and Homer becomes suspicious of them because they are Muslim. Throughout the episode Homer tries, to prove that Bashir’s parents are terrorists. This situation represents the stereotypes that are created by society and some believe that all Muslim are dangerous terrorist. Sarcasm is shown in many instances, one that stuck out was when Homer makes fun of the Muslim religion and culture. Instead of saying “Praise Allah” he says “Praise be to Oliver” and instead of saying the Kuraan, he says “the Corona” Stereotypes are shown when Homer automatically assumes that Bashir’s parents are terrorists since they are Muslim. Another example is when one of Homer’s friend Leny tells him “He’s Muslim, so he must be up to something.”
Throughout this episode, these two aspects of modern day society are
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.
This being said satire helps our generation realize there is a big problem and gives us solutions without straight out telling us what we need to do. Satire is an important part of our society today because we like to know what is going on but we do not just want to here depressing news and satire brings a bright side to tough subjects. Our whole generation acts like children if we are told to do something we probably will not do what is asked but if the same thing is brought up nicely we will be more apted to do it. We do not like to feel obliged to do anything. John Oliver is a genius when it comes to satire and being up serious situations with a funny
The kinds of popular culture that survive in the dystopia of Anne Washburn’s play, Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric play addresses our own engagement with popular culture in many ways. The purposes of popular culture sometimes change or remain the same. Popular culture is with us throughout our lives in times of triumph and anxiety. Washburn’s play focuses on a group of people who recall an episode of The Simpsons during a time of crisis. They compare lines and characters in order to better understand the environment around them and they talk about it to entertain themselves. Recalling an old episode was an activity for the characters to spend time during a period of nuclear disaster. This type of entertainment gives the audience interest, relief, and excitement in a dull boring life. Their form of engagement with popular culture is similar to ours through interaction and point of view.
Shows such as Impractical Jokers, where four lifelong friends compete against each other in absurd challenges, do not connect to current events. Still, as a viewer, I have spent many weekdays watching countless hours of Impractical Jokers as a way to relieve stress from the academic rigor I endure. Although shows like Impractical Jokers do not illustrate sensitive topics, I find shows similar humorous and a good distraction from the real world. The chief aim of shows like Impractical Jokers is not to state “dangerous or impossible” messages, but to give the audience a good
Satire is a way of making a serious subject talked about without all of the seriousness that goes along with it. It is used to poke fun at serious topics, for example, politics by using exaggeration and parody. In a show like The Simpsons, satire is used in every episode and even though it is meant to be light to make viewers laugh, it is somewhat educational because they are using real-life situations in the show. An article “Beyond a joke: Teaching Satire Using The Simpsons” by Jan Doyle said “Rather than making our classrooms more lounge-roomish, The Simpsons is a powerful tool for teaching the value of social comment, irony and an insight into expressive potential of satire (Doyle, 1999)”. This quote shows that even though the show is meant for entertaining the public, it is also used to inform people as well about real life. I believe that the satirical aspect of the show being used to inform viewers would only be very effective for adolescents because when I was a young child, I did not fully understand what was the reason for some of the things that were being shown on that TV show because being a child, you are not as aware of what is going on in the media because children usually do not watch the news.
The question of immigration had been one of America’s biggest issues since the 1500s. Mass immigration began in the late 1600s and became uncontrollable for the native population to control. In fact, many began to move west where opportunity existed. After the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, the question of immigration died down until the Irish and German immigration wave in the mid-19th century. Today, immigration is no longer a major issue, but illegal immigration is. All through the late 20th and early 21st century, many Latin Americans began to come to the US, undocumented. Media and government address the issue of illegal immigration in many different ways. The government is usually strongly against illegal immigration and some politicians make it the issue of their campaigns. The media, on the other hand, may vary in their views on the issue. South Park and The Simpsons both satirize the issue of illegal immigration in their own different way.
It is shown and based on research that Homer has Intermittent Explosive disorder. Intermittent Explosive disorder is a condition that is characterized to unable resist aggressive behavior which can cause assault or property damage. Signs and symptoms in this disorder are irritability, rage, aggressive impulsive acts, racing thoughts during aggressive acts, despair and remorse after actions, and can cause divorce, job loss and suspension from school. (Psychology Today, 2015) . Homer has angry outbursts, implusive and gets into fights and has a share of destructive behavior. He often strangles his son Bart when he gets angry which is linked to his anger behavior. Homer most of the time regrets his decisions after he commits them (Pearce, 2015). An example to show that Homer has this anger disorder, in the episode I am Furious (Yellow), Bart makes a comic book series of
The Simpsons reflect current events and everyday social interactions in a comedic narrative. Recent episodes involved topics such as female entry into an all-male military school, gun control, the role or educational and religious socialization in promoting adolescent conformity and the corporate downsizing. These “real life” illustration provide examples from episodes that discusses situations we all have been through. For example , in “Lisa on Ice” curriculum requirements forces Lisa to play hockey.
Satire is constantly evolving in order to maintain with the times. As technology, culture and humanity change and grow, satire is forced to grow with it. Satire of our modern time is more likely to be found on our phones than on print, more likely on a television than a telegram. By merging with pop culture, in forms of Family Guy and Comedy Central news shows, these forms of satire are able to stay relevant. But, despite the change in medium, the purpose of satire and effect of satire holds true. Modern satire, just as that of past satire, sheds light on the problems of our society through ridicule and mockery, without reinforcing and further cementing the stereotypes and prejudices they are trying to expose.
Its faithfulness to the original story, a musical and comedic taste and friendliness towards children makes the film more interesting and approachable to watch, appealing more people than the play. Moreover, as the Simpsons’ version is more straightforward and hence easier to understand, the producers’ message can be conveyed further. Likewise, as The Simpsons’ characters are familiar, it is easier to empathize with them and for viewers to put themselves in their
The show makes an obvious distinction between how men/boys and women/girls act. Anyway, the episode continues with lisa playing with her doll pretending that Malibu Stacy is giving a speech at the U.N, but Lisa is disappointed when she realizes that the new and improved doll says sexist remarks such as “don’t ask me, I’m just a girl” and “let’s buy make up so that boys will like us!”. Lisa goes on a rant about how “millions of girls will grow up thinking that this is the right way to act! That they cannot be anything more than vacuous ninnies...!”and gets really mad when Bart does not understand why she is so upset. The difference in communication styles is shown here as Lisa is more adept with words than Bart is as Bart can only give Lisa a stupid reply like “that’s what I was going to say.” This illustrates the stereotype that girls are more expressive and sensitive than boys are. On the other hand, Marge plays the more traditional housewife as her mind never delves into issues that are not relevant to the domestic center; she is not privy to relevant discussions on social issues like Lisa and cannot understand why Lisa is so upset. She said that Lisa had been speaking up “an awful lot lately.” This suggests that typical lady-like behavior does not include speaking out and that the mother should enforce positive female behavior. Additionally, in
The Simpsons writers entertain the audience of voters and the common people by understatement. They are making light of something that is a big issue. The fact that there is so many people in power that are corrupt and who are in control of our government is something that could deeply affect how our world is.
The show was all but ignored by the older viewing public, who discounted it as a trashy cartoon. The "consumption" (Delingpole) of the program and its messages by the American public when the show first aired regularly was drastically different than what it is now and what the writers of the show intended. On face value alone, "The Simpsons" is not much more than a cartoon about a middle-class family and their ridiculous escapades. But when examined more closely and with a more objective eye ? "consumed" as the show?s writers would intend ? one can see that "The Simpsons" is truly a comment on American society.
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).
Today, comedy news shows are becoming progressively more popular, and in so, becoming a new source of information – which may, or may not, be a positive consequence. Most comedians twist the truth in order to connect to people and make them laugh. The article “A Serious Business: What Can Comedy Do?” suggests some comedians “use logic to make painful things make sense” (O’Hara 108). Satirical comedy acts as a relief mechanism in that it comforts people that may be wary about a certain subject, especially in the realm of politics. Similarly, Peter McGraw and Joel Warner discuss how comedy can act as a coping mechanism. The authors conclude that “activists all over the world have been using comedy as a form of political protest” (McGraw & Warner 147). Iain Ellis writes about how political satirists do more than just deliver jokes, they use satire “to expose, ridicule, and–implicitly–call for action and change” (Ellis 152). Ellis contends that comedy can make a difference by its constant presence in our daily lives. Socrates, Plato, and even shows like South Park believe that humor is a way to persuade others. One of the most effective expressions of humor to affect social change has been the inclusion of satire. Although humor often provides people a welcome escape from the burdens of their daily lives, the satirical comedy deconstructs social issues in various ways as a means to persuade the