Perchance

One of my students this past semester wrote a paper about how the Simpsons were "the best show ever" for promoting family values (whatever that means!)

I wonder if he was aware of all this...

-Perchance.

Cutter

Perchance: Are you sure your student wasn't pulling your leg? Family values? Well, I dunno what your students ideas of family values are, but IMHO Homer Simpson isn't what I'd call a model father and husband.

For one thing, he's unbelievably irresponsible. Far to many examples to list, but you can pretty much tune into any ep to see some examples. One of the biggest though is when he encourages Lisa to break into the museum with him. Wow, encouraging your kids to break the law! That's family value for ya!

Furthermore, he knows bugger all about his children. In the episode where Kent Brockman wins the lottery he doesn't know his childrens' birthdays, or ages! In one episode (can't remember which one) when Marge reminds him that they have 3 children his response is "The dog doesn't count as a child", completely forgetting about Maggie. In the one where Homer's mother returns, he doesn't know Maggie's name is actually Margaret (sp?).

And one of the biggest kickers, and one which frankly disgusts me, Homer appears to be an advocate of marital rape. I can't remember the ep (I think it might be the one where Burns' runs for office) but whichever it is, we get the following dialogue (might not be 100% accurate):

Homer: "I just want to snuggle." (Snuggle being their pet term for sex).

Marge: "Well I don't."

Homer: "What's that got to do with it?"

Yep, there's lots of family values to be found in Homer Simpson.

(Edited for grammar).

[ July 13, 2002: Message edited by: Cutter ]</p>

GaryP

I've read several articles the last few years about the Simpsons being good for religion because they are so honest about it.

And then they give examples of episodes where Marge and Homer are close to breaking up or some other crisis. And they claim it's because of the "Family values" they have,implying the solution can only be found through religion.

When the Simpsons first started fundies hated it! This is just another small example how Christians can take pop culture ,e.g., rock and roll, and turn it into a device to further their beliefs.

Perchance

Hi Cutter,

No, he wasn't pulling my leg. (Believe me, I wish he had been!) The paper was about how the cartoon showed a "nuclear family," how it showed "tolerance for others" in the form of having weird characters, how it displayed children getting in trouble and then having to submit to authority figures instead of getting away with it...

It was a masteful example of waffling. A defense of family values without actually defining family values. (He listed a few "good things," but didn't explain what gave them the title of family values, or how they all tied together).

I kind of expected it, though. This was his second paper, and in his first he'd written about how "false patriotism" was on the rise in America since the September 11th attacks, and how much this angered him.

I considered myself conservative until I came to this university. Now, given the positions I'm advocating and the way my students argue against them, I feel extraordinarily left-wing.

Sometimes I can manage to get through to one of my very conservative students, and sometimes it feels more like <img src="graemlins/banghead.gif" border="0" alt="[Bang Head]" /> .

-Perchance.

P.S. Oh, and one more example of cartoon teachings about religion:

South Park... "Jesus was made of crackers?" (In the episode: Do the Handicapped Go To Hell?)

That one always cracks me up .

Ojuice5001

Has anyone read The Simsons and Philosophy? One of the essays (by William Irwin) in it gives an argument, which I find persuasive, that The Simpsons does promote family values, or at least an atmosphere where family values can flourish. You have to see it in the context of TV and the real world in general.

The basic idea is that The Simpsons is about a community, which is ruled by Geimenschaft. The residents of Springfield may be dysfunctional nuts, but they live together and consequently, they have to and do patch up their differences at the end of the day. In a big city, the media, government, businesses, and churches can do whatever they feel like, and they won't make enemies because they are felt as being impersonal. But in Springfield, the likes of Mayor Quimby or Roger Meyers (producer of Itchy and Scratchy) have to take into account the wishes of the people they affect.

You also have to consider the message that some other shows are sending. In Seinfeld, the characters will probably never form families, and Party of Five portrays kids who get along fine without a family. The Simpsons can be seen as saying "Yeah, family life is hard, but it's worth it." Also, you would be hard-pressed to see Marge as not supporting family values.

Obviously, Homer is not supposed to be an ideal father. The point is that someone so imperfect is still able to create a family that makes its members happy. The Simpsons is trying to portray the bad side of human nature as comically as possible, while still not leaving us with a hopeless picture. I say The Simpsons does promote family values.

himynameisPwn

Perchance, off topic, where do you teach? Im a high school senior and deciding colleges next year. Would be lovely to have an infidel teacher.

Splat

Not to try and lure you away from Perchance, but we have lots of infidel teachers, and we're pretty close to New York. PM me if you'd like.

Cutter

Perchance: Love that South Park quote!

excreationist

From <a href="http://www.planearium.de/scripts-513.htm" target="_blank">South Park</a>:
from the <a href="http://www.planearium.de/scripts-504.htm" target="_blank">Super Best Friends episode</a>
from the <a href="http://www.planearium.de/scripts-309.htm" target="_blank">Jewbilee episode</a>:

MadMordigan

I love how the church marquee in the Simpsons has a little "Amex, Visa, Mastercard accepted".