English Writing Assignment Part 2

The Simpsons and Family Values

by G. Wolfcastle

In its early days, The Simpsons caused some anger among social conservatives. Parents claimed that

Bart was a bad role model. Teachers complained the show encouraged students to disrespect their authority.

Barbara Bush said the show was “the dumbest thing” she had ever seen, and her husband, President George H.

W. Bush said, “This country needs to be closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons” (as cited in Pinsky, 1999). Is

The Simpsons really a danger to the cherished values of North American society? Although it might seem to be

mocking traditional family ideals on the surface, a closer look shows us that the series actually upholds the

very values it seems to be attacking.

Created by cartoonist Matt Groening, The Simpsons began as animated shorts on MTV in 1987 before

being developed into a full series on Fox in 1989. In its long run, the show has satirized everything from

primitive human stupidity to the Second Amendment to reality TV. Frequently appearing on lists of the “Best

TV Shows of All Time,” The Simpsons is so much a part of the current cultural landscape that it is easy to forget

the controversy it once caused. Even now, however, the question about the show’s objective remains relevant;

in order to understand the message of a satire, viewers must be clear on its target.

Before we look at whether The Simpsons is targeting family values, we need to define the term. What

exactly are “family values”? Merriam-Webster defines them as “values especially of a traditional or

conservative kind which are held to promote the sound functioning of the family and to strengthen the fabric

of society.” A more revealing definition can be gleaned from the Institute for American Values, whose website

identifies six distinguishing values as part of the “family values” package: the family as the basic social unit, the

stability of marriage, parental responsibility, the well-being of children, the importance of elders, and the

importance of community institutions (Blankenhorn, 1988).

Social conservatives have attacked The Simpsons for devaluing all six of these things, starting with the

traditional head of the traditional family. One of the most common complaints against The Simpsons is that the

father-figure is depicted as unintelligent and incompetent, not to mention abusive and alcoholic. There is some

truth to this. Homer doesn’t know that ham, bacon and pork chops all come from the same animal (Cohen &

Kirkland, 1995). He often fixes nuclear breach alarms at work by pouring a bucket of water onto his control

panel. His method of disciplining Bart involves attempted strangulation, and he calls alcohol “the cause of –and

solution to—all of life’s problems” (Swartzwelder & Anderson, 1997). However, in spite of all these flaws,

Homer is a loving father and husband. He does his best to support his family, selling his ride on the Duff Blimp

so that he can enter Lisa into a beauty contest, for example, and giving up a chance for a fortune just so

Maggie can keep her teddy bear. In addition, he has remained faithful to Marge throughout the series, even

when tempted by other women, such as Lurleen, the country music star. Although Homer is a flawed father

and husband, he is ultimately a loving one.

Another complaint against The Simpsons is that the entire family is dysfunctional. In the episode

“There’s No Disgrace Like Home,” for example, the family is sent to therapy after behaving disgracefully at a

picnic. In the therapy session, they are wired up to electric shock machines as Dr. Monroe attempts to teach

them to respect each other. Within seconds, they are shocking each other so frequently that they cause a city-

wide blackout (Jean, Reiss, Vanzo & Butterworth, 1990). But in spite of all their dysfunctional dynamics, the

Simpsons are one of the most cohesive and loving families on TV. Homer and Marge are happily married. They

eat dinner with their kids every night. They go to church on Sundays. (Granted, they often sleep in church, but

they still go.) Bart and Lisa argue, but defend each other against bullies. Although they are dysfunctional, the

Simpsons are also a triumph of familial love.

It has often been argued that Springfield is populated by lazy, corrupt people who value personal gain

above public good. Springfield’s police force is mostly incompetent, as demonstrated by Chief Wiggum’s

description of a suspect: “Put out an APB for a male suspect, driving a... car of some sort, heading in the

direction of, uh, you know, that place that sells chili. Suspect is hatless. Repeat, hatless” (Apple & Carrington,

1992). Mayor Quimby cheats on his wife. Mr. Burns, owner of the nuclear power plant, dumps nuclear waste

into the river and tries to block out his rival, the sun. When President Bush Sr. moves in next door to the

Simpsons, he is shown to be a petty bureaucrat who gets caught up in a small-minded war of revenge against

Homer. Indeed, this depiction of society as an assembly of moronic authority figures and corrupt social

institutions is the strongest criticism social conservatives make against The Simpsons.

However, against this backdrop of general corruption, one force remains stable and certain and

uncorrupted: the nuclear family itself. Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie remain consistently true to the

ideal of the family. If we can find a message in The Simpsons, it is not that disrespect rules, or that corruption is

inevitable, or that the dishonest always win; it is that in the face of political corruption and social disorder, the

one thing we can count on is the family. This is shown again and again, as Marge, Homer, Lisa, Bart and

Maggie, demonstrate their loyalty and love to each other. The strongest evidence for this is the fact that every

episode ends with a resolution of a problem and the restoration of peace and happiness in the Simpson home.

Finally, for the critics who argue that The Simpsons is immoral, I offer one undeniable counter-

argument: Lisa. It is Lisa who tells Homer he can’t steal cable and who pleads with Burns to stop polluting.

When she does (once) cheat on a test, her conscience forces her to confess. Lisa, the smartest character on the

show (IQ 156), the one who consistently points out that sexism, racism, homophobia and hypocrisy are wrong,

is the moral voice of The Simpsons.

Thus, when we look beneath the surface of The Simpsons, we see a television program that reinforces

the importance of the nuclear family and upholds, through Lisa, the ideals of honesty, integrity, and personal

and corporate responsibility. As the National Review argued, "It's possibly the most intelligent, funny, and

even politically satisfying TV show ever. The Simpsons celebrates many … of the best of conservative

principles” (as cited in Ortved, 2007). For all their flaws, and all the comedy that arises out of those flaws,

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are a depiction of what is good and enduring in the American family and

American society.

References

Apple, G. (Writer), & Carrington, M. (Director). (1992). Homer’s triple bypass. [Television series episode]. In

The Simpsons, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Blankenhorn, D. (1988, June 10). Just what are family values?. In Americanvalues.com. Retrieved October 15,

2015, from http://www.americanvalues.org/search/item.php?id=2040

Cohen, D.S. (Writer), & Kirkland, M. (Director). (1995). Lisa the vegetarian. [Television series episode]. In The

Simpsons, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Jean, A., & Reiss, M. (Writers), & Vanzo, G., & Butterworth, K. (Director). (1990). There’s no disgrace like

home. In The Simpsons, Fox Broadcasting Company.

Pinsky, M. I. (1999, 15 August). The gospel according to Homer. The Orlando Sentinel.

Ortved, J. (2007, August). Simpsons family values. Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 15, 2015, from

www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2007/08/simpsons200708#gotopage1

Swartzwelder, J. (Writer), & Anderson, B. (Director). (1997). Homer vs. the eighteenth amendment.

[Television series episode] In The Simpsons, Fox Broadcasting Company.