For example, in his campaign for governor, Mr. Burns blatantly lies about a three-eyed fish, portraying a mutation resulting from poor safety standards at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant as a natural phenomenon. Nevertheless, in "The PTA Disbands," Homer later speaks out against striking and instead advocates sloth in the workplace. Occasionally, complaints about over-taxation can be seen in The Simpsons, such as in "The Trouble with Trillions," in which Mr. Burns, Homer, and Smithers actually leave the US, claiming it was due to its taxes. Los Angeles County supervisor Sheila Kuehl enjoyed an outdoor meal at her favorite restaurant just hours after telling people outdoor dining is "a most dangerous situation" and voting to ban it. From Syria to Clinton, here’s proof. In the episode "Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington," Lisa Simpson witnesses her representative, Congressman Bob Arnold, receive a bribe, and subsequently her patriotism is severely damaged. The popularity of The Simpsons, which is in the midst of a record-busting FXX marathon, is assured. Newsom meanwhile, dined indoors with a large party, none of whom were wearing masks, at Napa's ritzy French Laundry. Lisa … ». ... Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge Todd Gillespie In the episode the Simpson family is sent to a "re-education center" for defaming the USA, almost completely by accident. Politics is a common theme in The Simpsons, and this phenomenon has had some crossover with real American politics. As it has done in the past, The Simpsons had in episode 18 of its seventh series predicted the storming of the Capitol Building which aired on March 17, 1996 DH Web Desk, Jan 07 2021, 11:38 ist Political and Social Satire in The Simpsons - Kindle edition by Nehling, Gerard. [7] Amidst concern over high taxes, Mayor Quimby blames illegal immigrants, using them as a convenient scapegoat. [4], While "The Cartridge Family" clearly mocks irresponsibility with firearms hiding behind the Second Amendment. In the 2009 season finale, Coming to Homerica, the town of Springfield is forced to deal with a crash in neighboring Ogdenville's economy thanks to tainted barley crops. In the former Soviet Union, it was the norm for the nomenklatura (party insiders) to live the luxe life while the people unlucky enough to live under their tyrannical governance suffered terrible deprivation. However, Burns was also wanted by the FBI for "grand grand grand grand larceny", and this was likely the real reason for their flight. “The Simpsons” began as a comedic take on a volatile nuclear family but it soon expanded to be much more. A debate on government funding of education can be seen in "The PTA Disbands". What Nostradamus was to the people of the 16th century, The Simpsons is to the Millennials. Politics is a common theme in the animated television series The Simpsons, and this phenomenon has had some crossover with real American politics. Jimmy Carter. When the Wuhan virus first hit, a lot of people pointed to the opening scene in that same episode because it shows a flu from Asia walloping Springfield. Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France', https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/Politics?oldid=677449. "As you know, we've inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump." Directed by Mark Kirkland, Mike B. Anderson. Eventually the townspeople get sick of the changes, for example, overcrowded hospitals with foreign medical sheets. He finally gives a strong liberal speech about the benefits of immigrants. What struck people so forcibly was that Kent Brockman, Springfield's own talking head news anchor, was, « Democrats: The 'have ballot, will travel' party, As long as you can keep fighting, fight! There's nothing original about the way our socialism-loving political class operates. For Thanksgiving, Newsom told Californians to have small dinners, dine outside only, wear masks constantly, stop the party after two hours, and minimize bathroom use. The episode "Mr. Spritz Goes to Washington" also sees Republican nominee Krusty winning an election partly through conservative bias in FOX broadcasting, specifically Fox News Channel, with the presenter referring to John Armstrong, his Democratic opponent as 'our red friend', with devil horns while anti-Democratic slurs scroll along the news ticker such as "Do Democrats cause cancer? ", "Dan Quayle: Awesome" and "Hillary Clinton" embarrasses self, nation". Denver's Mayor Michael Hancock headed to Mississippi within 30 minutes of telling Denver citizens to stay home for Thanksgiving. This leads to the police patrolling the border which allows even more immigrants. Considering these politicians' openly displayed arrogance and corruption, it really isn't a bridge too far to believe that they'd engage in the most egregious forms of election fraud to maintain their political power and all the benefits that come with it. Al Jean, the Showrunner and Executive Producer of The Simpsons is coming to the Intellectual Forum in January to talk about his unique perspective into how the long-running animated show has reflected – and at times perhaps shaped – how we think about the political world. Mayor Quimby and the town decide to build a wall to keep them out, and naturally the wall is built by Ogdenvilleians since they have cheap labor. The Simpsons has had its share of polarizing episodes in its long run. [2] If the show has a liberal slant, this was joked about in the episode "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular," in which reference was made to "hundreds of radical right-wing messages inserted into every show by creator Matt Groening." The episode ends happily, but this is a clear paraody of the situation with Mexican immigrants into America. For Thanksgiving, Newsom told Californians to have small dinners, dine outside only, wear masks constantly, stop the party after two hours, and minimize bathroom use. The main thrust of the episode is that Marge Simpson ends up in jail for shoplifting and enjoys time away from her family. Judges have been seen to perform acts that are in some way illegal; in "The Boy Who Knew Too Much", the judge re-opens an already finished prosecution case on the basis that she "Can't say no to children", and Judge Snyder admits to "wildly exceeding his judicial authority" when banning all sugar from Springfield in "Sweets and Sour Marge." But what about its political and global reach? The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. Authority figures such as teachers and parents the police patrolling the border their! 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