How Religion is Portrayed in The Simpsons

            Philosopher Karl Marx believed that religion is the product of an oppressed culture desiring a better life. Although people may be upset with their current predicaments, the use of religion allows them to deal with their situation. It not only encourages them to work harder to overcome their issues, but it provides false hopes about salvation in the afterlife. These ideals provide solace to the masses, allowing them to continue life regardless of their struggles. The use of religion to deal with hardship can be observed in various cultures, but it is also present in The Simpsons. Whether it be a form of Catholicism, Judaism, Hinduism, or Buddhism, the inhabitants of Springfield manage to use religion as an outlet for their issues, giving them the strength to continue living their lives.

            Most of the characters in Springfield, including the Simpson family, are members of the First Church of Springfield. Although it is said to be a “Presbylutheran” church, the religion practiced highly resembles mainline Protestantism. Each week the congregation meets on Sunday to hear Reverend Lovejoy give a sermon. Although some of the characters in attendance, such as Ned Flanders, highly value worshiping God, other members do not care much about practicing their religion. One such person is Homer Simpson, who believes going to church is boring because all he does there is hear lectures about how he will someday end up in Hell. As a result, he will occasionally miss mass to stay at home and relax. In some cases, Homer has even listened to football games during mass instead of paying attention to Lovejoy’s sermons.

There are some cases, however, when even Homer decides to rely upon religion to help him make sense of his life. In an episode from season one, he complains about how uncivilized his family is compared to others, and he decides to pray to God with hopes that he will be pitied for his situation. In The Simpson’s Movie, Homer tries to use the Bible to help his father, who has been contacted by God to deliver a prophesy about Springfield. 

Even Bart, who is not very religious, finds inspiration to pray in this film. When a bomb is set to destroy Springfield, he heads to church and asks Flanders if he can pray with him. Despite some of Springfield’s Presbylutherans not having much faith, they always seem to turn to the Lord in times of need, knowing it can make them feel better.

            Dr. Hibbert and his family do not attend the same church as most characters. Rather, they are members of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Springfield. While a religion similar to the branch of Protestantism worshipped by most characters, the majority of the congregation consists of African Americans. Another major difference from the First Church of Springfield is the way worship is performed here. Rather than having those in attendance sit quietly and listen to lectures from a priest, the church allows its followers to actively participate in mass by singing and clapping hymns. When the Simpson family needs to see Dr. Hibbert here because Maggie is not feeling well, Bart reacts to what he sees by exclaiming, “This is awesome! Black God rules!” 

Although the Hibbert family may not worship God in the same manner as most characters, their devout nature to their religion is definitely clear.

            Krusty, unlike the majority of characters in The Simpsons, is Jewish. In the episode “Today I am a Clown,” he admits that he is technically not a Jew because he never had completed his bar mitzvah. Interestingly enough, this does not disqualify someone as being considered a Jew in real life. With the help of Lisa, Krusty manages to have a bar mitzvah, which makes him feel as though he is now a real man. This episode also reveals that Krusty’s father is a rabbi, and their relationship shines throughout the episode. 

Although Krusty may not follow the main religion as the majority of Springfieldians, he still cares about becoming a member of the Jewish community, proving once again how important religion is to the characters in this show.

            Although Buddhism may not be worshipped by many characters in The Simpsons, Lisa does seriously commit to being a follower of this religion. In the episode “She of Little Faith,” she decides to practice at a Buddhist temple after becoming skeptical of her own faith. Actor Richard Gere makes a cameo to help Lisa through this transition, which also allows the episode to make fun of his faith. 

Buddhism is also briefly mentioned in The Simpsons Movie. When the government tells Springfield’s residents that a bomb will soon destroy the town, Ned Flanders consoles children about how they will be with Jesus in Heaven. He the becomes irate when one of his sons ask if Buddha will also be there. Although it may not be the most followed religion in Springfield, Buddhism is a very real option for characters in The Simpsons.

            Besides Ned Flanders, one of the most religiously devout characters in the show is Apu. Throughout the series, he has made it clear that he is a Hindu, and various aspects of his religion show up in various episodes. He has a statue of the god Ganesha at his Quick-E-Mart. 

While some characters, such a Homer, may make fun of the statue, Apu is quick to reprimand them and tell them to leave. He is further infuriated when Homer tells him that, “when they were handing out religions” he “must have been taking a whizz.” Apu also makes sure to carefully follow the rules of Hinduism. When Krusty Burger offers a vegetarian option, he is thrilled because he can finally consume a burger without interfering with his religious practices.

Even though there are some cases where he may be sinful, he regrets his actions and always tries to make amends. After being caught having an affair, Apu tries to make it up to his wife by apologizing and fulfilling her desires to prove he still loves her. Although he does have some flaws, Apu’s strong faith in Hinduism makes him one of the most devout characters in The Simpsons.

            Although various religions are worshipped in The Simpsons, each one is used to bring peace to those who follow it. Even if some characters, such as Bart and Homer, may not be devout at times, they always seem to come back to religion, knowing faith can help them through difficult times. Some viewers may disapprove of the show’s use of comedic use of religion throughout the series, but others praise it how it depicts spirituality as an important part of life. Through showing how religion is valuable for all of Springfield’s residents, The Simpsons shows the true significance of having a faith to rely upon during troubling situations.

Sources:

Beeden, Alexandra, and Miezan Van Zyl. The Sociology Book. DK, Penguin Random House, 2015.

Reiss, Jana. "5 'Simpsons religion episodes that are worth another look". Religion News Service, 22 Aug. 2014. https://religionnews.com/2014/08/22/5-simpsons-religion-episodes-worth-another-look/

"Religion and the Simpsons". Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, PBS, 27 Jul. 2007. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2007/07/27/july-27-2007-religion-and-the-simpsons/7177/

The Simpsons: The Complete Series. Created by Matt Groening, Twentieth Century Fox, 1989-2018.

How Social Class is Portrayed in The Simpsons

          In a 1995 episode of The Simpsons, Homer walks with Marge along a downtown sidewalk. He tells Marge to be careful because the streets are dangerous for “us upper-lower-middle-class types." Although this is the first time in the series where Homer admits he is a member of the middle class, this is no surprise for many viewers. After all, the Simpson family lives in a decent house in the suburbs, and Homer has a job which does not require much skill. Furthermore, there are many characters which live higher lifestyles than him, and other figures exist who have lower social standings. Through analyzing how class is portrayed in The Simpsons, it can be concluded that the show views the upper class at the best place to be, although getting there may be challenging and lead to a lifestyle filled with negative connotations.

            Cletus Spluckler is one of the characters in The Simpsons who is a member of the lower class. He is a hillbilly who is often seen dressed in blue jeans and a singlet. He is the father of several children who wear worn-out clothes which do not properly fit. This is an indicator of Cletus being a member of the lower class because it shows that he cannot afford decent clothing for his offspring. 

Cletus also has low intelligence, which is another sign of having a low social standing. This is, however, believed to be the effect of inbreeding or mercury poisoning. When speaking, Cletus and his family often disregard proper grammar and use slang. Because this is a rather sloppy manner of speaking, these characters are regarded as uneducated members of the lower class who are not very sophisticated.

Homer, while a member of the middle class, still exhibits some traits which make him seem uneducated and poor. He is usually lazy and speaks in a casual manner. His main job is a nuclear safety inspector, which appears to be very simple considering the amount of time he often spends relaxing in his office or conversing with coworkers in various episodes. Furthermore, Homer drives an economy car with a dented fender and drinks frequently. Both of these actions are commonly done by members of the lower and middle classes. Other aspects of his lifestyle further enforce the idea that Homer is a member of the middle class. Homer and his family live in a modest house in the suburbs and often consume fast food from restaurants such as Krusty Burger. 

In addition, Homer tends to complain about his job and wish he had a more prestigious and high-paying occupation. Although Homer’s life is somewhat better than that of Cletus and other members of the lower-class, it is still clear that the middle class is viewed as undesirable in The Simpsons.

While the series may portray members of the upper class as well-educated elites who have better lifestyles than others, it also depicts them as dubious individuals with malicious intentions. Sideshow Bob, for example, speaks in a very sophisticated manner and properly pronounces each word he says. Some episodes even feature him speaking in other languages, including French, Spanish, and Old Scottish. The suggests that Bob knows had an exceptional education when growing up, which is common of members of the upper class. It should be noted, however, that Sideshow does act in malevolent ways throughout the series. In season one he tries to frame Krusty the Clown for an armed robbery, and in later seasons he tries to kill Bart as revenge for Bart discovering the truth about the incident in question.

This suggests that although he is an intelligent member of the elites, he prefers to use his knowledge for evil rather than good. A similar case about upper-class individuals abusing their power can be made about Mr. Burns. Despite being a very wealthy and successful businessman, Burns treats his employees poorly. He has cut the dental plans of his employees and ignored worker safety regulations. Furthermore, in one episode Burns hits Bart with his car and refuses to care about the boy’s health. 

He later tries to offer Homer one hundred dollars to make up for the incident, which disgusts Homer. This again proves that although those in the upper class may have an education and money, they are made to look like terrible people. Although The Simpsons depicts the upper class as a better place to be than the lower classes, it suggests that being there also comes with a fair share of corruption and deceit.

Although being in the upper class is desired by most characters, getting into this niche is very difficult. Vox analysts compiled a list of the dozens of jobs which Homer had over the course of the show’s first twenty-seven seasons. Nearly half of these occupations are taken by members of the middle class, where Homer belongs for most of the program’s run. When the salaries for each of Homer’s jobs were studied, it was revealed that his median salary was approximately forty thousand dollars. While this is more than what he makes during his usual job as a safety inspector, this salary still places him comfortably in the middle class. When these salaries were graphed over the course of the series, it was determined that Homer never really advances in social standing despite what job he gets. 

Even though some episodes involve him working in jobs which are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, such as a company executive and a union leader, Homer always manages to fall back to having a job which places him in the middle class. This suggests that although those in Springfield may be able to prosper in the workforce, they will soon resume being a member of their original social class. Through analyzing Homer’s jobs over the show’s run, it can be determined that although having a higher social standing may be desired by many characters, obtaining such a position for long is very challenging.

Although The Simpsons poorly portrays the lower and middle classes, it makes the upper class seem like a place for corrupt people. Despite members of the upper class being well-educated and wealthy individuals, they are also associated with crime and greed. The upper class is still desired over the lower classes, however, for the increased money, respect, and standing those in this group have. Unfortunately Homer’s experience working various jobs has proven that although becoming an elite in Springfield is possible, staying there for a while is a challenge. Although class may be an issue which divides those in Springfield, it also provides people with different backgrounds to impact who they are, making the show more interesting. Although the presence of social classes in The Simpsons may improve the show, it also permanently affects the lives of most of the characters.

Sources:

Crockett, Zachary. "What Homer Simpson's 100+ jobs tell us about America's middle class," Vox, 16 Sep. 2016. https://www.vox.com/2016/9/6/12752476/the-simpsons-homer-middle-class

Eckman, Moses. "Are These the 3 Worst Things Mr. Burns Has Ever Done?," WatchMojo.com, 7 Sep. 2018. https://www.watchmojo.com/blog/2018/09/07/are-these-the-3-worst-things-mr-burns-has-ever-done

Peterrson, Jessica. "Social Class in the Simpsons," University of Gothenburg, 2010. Retrieved from https://gupea.ub.gu.se

The Simpsons: The Complete First Season. Created by Matt Groening, Twentieth Century Fox, 1989-1990.

How Gender is Portrayed in The Simpsons

            Throughout its hundreds of episodes, Lisa and Marge have always been prominent characters in The Simpsons. These women both provide the show with strong female characters who have morals and are dedicated to their beliefs. There are other characters of both genders, however, which provide a contrast to these people. The actions, occupations, and thoughts of these people provide the show with multiple views on various issues, but they also give insight to how the program portrays the issue of gender. Through analyzing both Lisa and Marge by themselves, as well as the general depiction of men and women in the show, one can determine that although women may be empowered in The Simpsons, their power is undermined by the presence of male characters.

            Lisa and Marge often manage to break traditional gender roles in The Simpsons. Many episodes involve Lisa engaging in activities which support her love of learning. One such case is in “The PTA Disbands,” where she becomes so bored in school that she decides to build a perpetual motion machine. She once led her Little League baseball team to the championship using statistics. Lisa even used geometry to help Bart improve at playing mini golf. When benches fall on her in one episode, Principal Skinner even exclaimed, “She’s been crushed… so have the hopes of our mathematics team.” Lisa’s yearning for knowledge extends to fields which are dominated by men. In one episode from season twenty-seven, Lisa decides to take a class on computer coding. When she does this, she finds herself to be the only female in a class of thirty students. She eventually manages to become a successful coder, however, eventually developing an app with the help of other female coders. 

This proves that although Lisa may be challenged by gender roles, she still manages to do well in her fields of study. Producer Al Jean even once said of Lisa, “I am so proud that she has become a symbol for those of like mind,” proving he admires her for how she inspires girls to enter the fields of math and science. Marge, similarly, performs tasks which are not typically done by women. Most of these cases involve having a job instead of staying at home and cleaning the house. In season twenty-seven, for example, she works for the Springfield Police Department cleaning up crime scenes. In season thirty, she sells “Tubberware” containers at numerous parties around town. 

When Homer finds out about her ambition to be a salesman, he simply says, “‘No wife of mine will ever have to work,’ is what men used to say for some insane reason. You have my blessing.” Through the actions of Lisa and Marge, it is clear that women have the ability to get jobs and fulfill their ambitions in The Simpsons.

            Despite female characters being able to pursue their dreams in this show, male characters still manage to overpower them. While some important jobs, such as teacher and investigative reporter, are held by female characters, most of the jobs which are highly respected belong to men. These include the being the mayor of Springfield, a religious leader, a doctor, a pilot, and a scientist. 

None of these positions are held by a single female character. Instead of holding down prestigious jobs, most of the women in the show have low-paying jobs or do not work. Maude Flanders, for example, is a housewife, while Patty and Selma Bouvier work for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Although there are some male characters with insignificant jobs, men overall have a better chance of gaining a noteworthy career. In addition, female characters in this show are called by their pet names more often than male characters. According to Anna-Karin Mattsson, half of the female names in the show are short forms for longer names, such as Lisa and Marge being short for Elizabeth and Margaret. In contrast, only one third of all the male characters have shortened names. Some male characters, such as Montgomery Burns, even keep their full name despite how long it is. 

This makes men appear to be more important than the women in the show, given how they are not called by a shorter variation of their name. The men, however, are highly dependent upon women for their lives to function. The females in the show usually feed other characters, while men eat what is served. Women are also expected to act as faithful people who care for their families. This allows the men in the show, such as Homer, to live recklessly, push limits, and have an easygoing nature. Men are also permitted to use violence and aggression against others, while women are expected to be calm and collected when dealing with a conflict. Although Homer may strangle Bart for a prank he did, Marge must be diplomatic when addressing Homer over an issue which upset her. Through men’s dominance in the workforce, conversation, and the household, the power of the women in The Simpsons become suppressed.

            Although The Simpsons may not be recognized by many for its empowering message to women, this significant idea is displayed throughout the series. Lisa constantly strives to excel in the sciences despite some of her fields of interest being dominated by men. Similarly, Marge obtains various jobs throughout the show instead of staying in the house and cleaning. The heavy presence of men, however, prevents these female characters from shining. The males tend to have more prestigious jobs, call women by lesser names, and engage in reckless behavior. This leads to most of the female characters working low-paying jobs, having a lower standing, and tending to have stereotypical feminine traits, such as being faithful and loving. Despite its strong feminist message in some episodes, The Simpsons will continue to fall short of inspiring women until the female characters have the same opportunities as the men in Springfield.

Sources:

Algar, Jessie. "What the Simpsons can teach us about tech and sexism: Twenty-seven years of couch gags makes for the right time to discuss the feminist heavy topic of women’s place in coding." Medium, 21 Jul. 2016. https://medium.com/enspiral-dev-academy/what-the-simpsons-can-teach-us-about-tech-and-sexism-86ba917a6a62

Highfield, Roger. "The Maths Behind the Simpsons' Women." Newsweek, 13 Sep. 2014. https://www.newsweek.com/2014/09/19/maths-behind-simpsons-women-269904.html

Mattsson, Anna-Karin. "Gender in The Simpsons" Bachelor thesis. Luleå University of Technology, 2009, DiVA (URN urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-54726)

The Simpsons: Season Thirty. Created by Matt Groening, Twentieth Century Fox, 2018-2019.

The Simpsons: Season Twenty-Seven. Created by Matt Groening, Twentieth Century Fox, 2015-2016.

            How Race is Portrayed in The Simpsons

          Since the release of its first episode in 1989, Matt Groening’s animated television show The Simpsons has captured the hearts of millions of viewers. Although it is now the longest-running animated show on television, it once was a new program which needed to catch the attention of initial viewers. To do this, Groening decided most of the characters would have yellow skin. This color would catch the eye of those skimming through channels, leading to a larger audience. Some characters in the series, such as Apu and Carl however, would have brown skin, setting them apart as members of different races than everyone else in the show. Although this, combined with the personalities of some of these characters, has led to controversy, in other cases it has been used to demonstrate racial equality.

            One of the largest arguments criticizing the issue of race in The Simpsons comes from the way Apu is portrayed. Although he is usually a kind person in the show, his character is often the subject of heated debate over how Indian Americans are stereotypically portrayed. This includes his thick accent and his job managing the Kwik-E-Mart, but it also extends to the fact he is voiced by Hank Azaria, a Caucasian. Many people find this portrayal of an Indian person to be highly offensive because it plays off of stereotypes while neglecting what life is truly like for these people. 

Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism could be used to justify the argument against Apu. According to Said, people report on the East using their own perspectives, which often makes the region appear to be uncivilized and exotic. At the same time, they condense these values to make them easier for people to understand. The result is a society in which people live believing the West is a place filled with uncivilized people who are different from the majority. This appears to be true in the series, where Apu's behavior, culture, and appearance sets him apart from the other characters. Herbert Marcuse’s belief of mass culture repressing people also comes into play here. According to Marcuse, society produces media with a series of meanings and values. People accept the rules and beliefs of these items when they experience mass culture. This leads to a population where political repression occurs through the influence of the media. As Apu continues to be portrayed as a stereotypical Indian American, some worry about how this will affect the treatment of these people in the United States. This provokes many people to rally together to get his character changed or removed from the beloved television show. 

          In light of the growing controversy regarding Apu, Matt Groening has addressed the matter in various ways. During an interview, he once stated, “I love Apu. I love the character, and it makes me feel bad that it makes other people feel bad.” Groening has even pointed out that given the nature of cartooning, stereotypes often make their ways into shows. An episode in the spring of 2018 even tried to address this, but people became upset when it shrugged off the issue and refused to offer any solutions to the problem.

 To noticeably deal with the polarizing issue, Groening has sidelined the controversial character for the past two years and only gave him an occasional appearance on the show. This would help defer tensions by making Apu’s presence less common. The creator even admitted this will continue unless a story comes along which allows Apu to make a decent presence in the show. Furthermore, Hank Azaria, the character’s voice actor, even offered to step down to let someone of South Asian descent play the role. As Apu’s presence continues to perturb some viewers, the production team for The Simpsons will continue to make adjustments so he can be better accepted.

            Although Apu currently may not be depicted in a respectable manner, Carl is a character in The Simpsons who is well-portrayed despite being a member of a minority. Despite being an African American, he is accepted by his peers and often spends time with them in the break room at work or at Moe’s Tavern.

He also has a job working with Lenny at the city’s power plant. This suggests that although Carl is not the same race as most of the other characters in the show, he has the ability to fit in. He is treated just as well as any other employee at the power plant, and there are no African American stereotypes used to define his character. Interestingly enough, a similar case could be made for Smithers in the third episode of the first season. In this episode Smithers’ skin is a brown color, even though in all other episodes he has yellow skin. 

He is still respected, however, when giving Bart’s class a tour of the power plant. Even though some characters may be poorly represented due to their race, others have the ability to thrive and fit in with society despite being a member of a minority.

            Although The Simpsons continues to be loved by millions of people, it still lies covered in controversy for how some of its characters are portrayed. One such individual is Apu, whose image as a stereotypical Indian American is upsetting to many. However, the program is making measures to make the show adequately cover the issues of diversity among all races. They have limited how much Apu is present in new episodes, publicly addressed concerns over how their characters are depicted, and have treated other minorities, such as African Americans, as well as other main characters. Although The Simpsons may not perfectly display racial equality, it is making strides to make their show more socially acceptable.

Sources:

Beeden, Alexandra, and Miezan Van Zyl. The Sociology Book. DK, Penguin Random House, 2015.

Bradley, Laura. "Simpsons Creator Proves, Again, That He Doesn’t Get the Problem with Apu". Vanity Fair, 18 Jul. 2018. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/07/simpsons-apu-controversy-matt-groening-stereotypes-problem-with-apu

Lawler, Kelly. "Fox execs address Apu controversy and the future of 'The Simpsons'". USA Today,  3 Aug. 2018. www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/08/02/simpsons-fox-execs-address-shows-future-and-apu-controversy/890780002

The Simpsons: The Complete First Season. Created by Matt Groening, Twentieth Century Fox, 1989-1990.

Watchmojo.com. "Top 5 Simpsons Facts You Probably Didn't Know." YouTube, 12 Mar. 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZGfGMR87IA.