When The Simpsons premiered, many hailed it as a sign of society's decline. And to them we say: D'oh! Instead, The Simpsons has become the smartest and most pointed look at the world we live in-all while becoming everyone's favorite TV family.
The World According to The Simpsons is a hilarious and insightful study of what The Simpsons has to say about society, and how society is affected by The Simpsons.
What does Marge say about the state of modern feminism? Are we too obsessed with "Hollywood Jerk" celebrities? Are Americans as great as they think? Is Homer the new industrialized employee? Will no Simpson child be left behind?
No issue is settled until the Simpsons have had their say. So sit back, relax, and explore the wisdom of Springfield and what it means for our society. Or as Homer might say, "Mmm...bookalicious."
| Foreword | ix | |
| Preface | xv | |
| Introduction | 1 | |
| Section 1 | ||
| Chapter 1 | The Simpsons and Society | 15 |
| Section 2 | Character Analyses | |
| Chapter 2 | Is Homer a Good Father? | 31 |
| Chapter 3 | Bart: America's Bad Boy? | 43 |
| Chapter 4 | Marge: Holding the Family Together | 61 |
| Chapter 5 | Lisa: True Simpson or Potential College Student? | 69 |
| Chapter 6 | To Speak or Not to Speak: Maggie Simpson vs. Stewie Griffin | 75 |
| Chapter 7 | Beyond the Fab Five: A Look at the Supporting Cast | 79 |
| Chapter 8 | The Simpsons and Other Television Sitcoms: Politics and the Nuclear Family | 93 |
| Section 3 | The Simpsons and Contemporary Life: The Issues | |
| Chapter 9 | Ay Carumba! Simpsonian News and Views | 103 |
| Chapter 10 | The Simpsons and Globalization | 107 |
| Chapter 11 | Television, the Typographic Mind, and Selling the Three-Eyed Fish | 129 |
| Chapter 12 | The Simpsons and American Exceptionalism | 149 |
| Chapter 13 | Industrialization and the Worker: Homer Simpson as the Industrialized Employee | 175 |
| Chapter 14 | The Simpsons and Celebrity Culture | 187 |
| Chapter 15 | Gun Control Legislation and "The Cartridge Family" | 197 |
| Chapter 16 | Homer Simpson and Morality | 207 |
| Chapter 17 | The Education of Springfield | 213 |
| Conclusion | 227 | |
| Finale | 233 | |
| Finding Your "Inner Homer": The Homer Simpson Quiz | 235 | |
| More on The Simpsons and Society | 237 | |
| Notes | 239 | |
| Bibliography | 267 | |
| The Simpsons Episodes | 277 | |
| A Special Message to My Nuclear Family | 293 | |
| Acknowledgments | 295 | |
| Inspiration for The World According to The Simpsons | 297 | |
| Index | 299 | |
| About the Author | 301 |
Anonymous
Posted October 25, 2008
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
"An accomplished work with many insights to share." -Duncan Dobbelmann, PhD
"...His book of d'oh is a big hit." -New York Daily News
When The Simpsons premiered, many hailed it as a sign of society's decline. And to them we say: D'oh! Instead, The Simpsons has become the smartest and most pointed look at the world we live in-all while becoming everyone's favorite ...