Posted on 02/20/2005 10:50:50 PM PST by Former Military Chick
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 20 - In the ongoing culture wars over whether gays should have the right to marry, an animated question reared its head on Sunday prime-time television: as goes "The Simpsons," does the nation go, too?
In an episode titled "There's Something About Marrying," a longtime character on Fox's 15-year hit - it was Marge Simpson's sister Patty Bouvier, a closely held secret until the 8 p.m. broadcast - came out of the closet while Homer Simpson conducted dozens of same-sex weddings after small-town Springfield legalized the unions in a bid to increase tourism. As television's longest-running situation comedy, "The Simpsons" is no stranger to hot-button social, religious and political issues, mocking wardrobe malfunctions, Hollywood liberals and born-again Christians, among other targets.
But when a show as mainstream and popular as this takes on one of the most divisive issues in American society, it is certain to attract attention. Bookmakers in the United States and England were taking bets as to which character would be revealed as homosexual, and whether there would be a kiss - a nod, perhaps, to the popular programming gimmick of having lesbian characters lock lips during sweeps periods like the current one.
But mostly, television experts, fans and advocates for gay marriage ruminated over the larger significance of the moment.
"The issue was mainstream to some degree, but now that they've deigned it worthy of the show it is interwoven into the fabric of popular culture," said Ray Richmond, a television columnist for The Hollywood Reporter and co-editor of the anthology "The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family."
He added, " 'The Simpsons' bestows upon something a pop culture status it never had before, simply by virtue of being ripe for a joke."
(BetUS.com posted odds on the kiss at 7 to 5, and laid odds on Patty as the favorite to come out of the closet.)
Not unexpectedly, culture warriors were swift to weigh in, both for and against the cartoon's treatment of the issue.
"It's saying to those who demonize homosexuality, or what they call the homosexual agenda, anything from 'Lighten up' to 'Get out of town,' " said Marty Kaplan, associate dean of the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Communication and host of a media show on the talk radio network Air America. "It sounds as though they're saying that what the religious right calls 'the homosexualist agenda,' as if it were creeping Satanism, is: these people are your neighbors in the Springfield that is America."
Indeed, in some ways the Simpsons' fictional hometown, Springfield, has become a surrogate for mainstream, small-town America, with Homer its bumbling working-class hero. The closest parallel may well be the endearing though intolerant Archie Bunker, who became a symbol of working-class America in the 1970's show "All in the Family."
L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Parents Television Council, criticized "The Simpsons" for addressing the issue of gay marriage, though he cautioned that he had not seen the episode. A parental advisory preceded the broadcast.
"At a time when the public mood is overwhelmingly against gay marriage, any show that promotes gay marriage is deliberately bucking the public mood," he said.
"I'd rather them not do it at all," he added. "You've got a show watched by millions of children. Do children need to have gay marriage thrust in their faces as an issue? Why can't we just entertain them?"
The show's writers could not be reached for comment, and Fox declined to comment.
Since debuting in 1989, "The Simpsons" has commonly skewered the most sensitive topics of social, religious, political and cultural debate. The culture, in turn, has returned the favor. "The Simpsons" has been featured in at least one university philosophy course, in which Homer was used as a tool to understand Aristotle, Kant and Nietzsche, and in a mathematical course to explore topics like calculus and Riemannian geometry.
The show, now in its 16th season, still garners strong ratings, while reruns of episodes from past years are broadcast continually on Fox. It has become a billion-dollar franchise for the network, spawning lucrative DVD packages, books and consumer merchandise.
Here ya go.
If homosexuality is genetic, how did Patty get the "gay gene" and Selma did not? < /rhetorical question >
I never considered "The Simpsons" as a show for kids. The humor is way too jaded, sarcastic, and/or adult-oriented; many jokes you have to be above a certain age to understand what Matt Groenig is referring to - like an old TV show or song. I don't watch it anymore, but I also never knew a kid who watched it either.
Too bad. I like some of the earlier seasons of the Simpsons, when Conan O'Brien was writing and Phil Hartman was a regular voice for the show. You know a show is on its way out when crap like this becomes regular. The Simspons heyday is long past IMHO.
been watching it since i was 7 or so...now 19. go figure?
I did not see the episode. Maybe my perception is wrong.
Personally, I saw the subject matter in the tv listings tonight and just decided to skip this episode. I've been skipping more and more of them lately, it's really been going downhill this year. There was a good show on about archaeology instead.
BUMP
There's always someone building motorcycles on Discovery or playing poker on the Travel Channel.
They're still making new Simpsons shows?
I vowed never to watch again after the recent horrible post Super Bowl episode. I should have quit watching years ago, around the time they killed off Maude Flanders, but I hoped it might get better. It just keeps getting worse and worse though.
I saw it as mocking the whole issue.
It was strictly a 'Lisa idea' for the town to increase tourism, rather than any ideological statement. By the end of the show, "people" began showing up and being "married" by the "Reverend" (mail-order ordination) Homer, with blow up dolls, standee figures, and in the case of the Capt'n, the ships figurehead.
At one point, Homer prays for God to give him the 'right words' to perform a cermony 'sanctifying what You hate'.
As to Aunt Patty, Marge outs her intended at the altar as really a man in drag, who had been passing himself as a Women's PGA golfer, because he wasn't good enough to play in the men's tour.
It made a mockery of fake preachers, the gay agenda, publicity seeking mayors, and the whole rest of the nine yards.
You're not alone. Simpsons lost its zeal to me quite awhile back, South Park has taken its place and has been quite a bit better so far.
Like most episodes of "The Simpsons", it was hilarious, although the cable was lousy and I missed some of it. Patty actually came out of the closet years ago, but nobody made a thing out of it. I think brent Bozell needs to calm down. He's always bashing the Simpsons. It's a cartoon, man!
Marge (in her usual nagging and annoying manner) tried to convince Rev. Lovejoy that his religious objections were wrong (and he stuck by his guns....and oddly enough, was NOT depicted as being bigoted by holding this position). What I thought was most interesting is that liberals came off as complete morons in this episode. Marge was shown to be a hypocrite....she first thought gay marriage was a wonderful, compassionate idea and that God couldn't be against it (although the Bible clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman)....UNTIL her sister came out as a lesbian. She then was completely behind Patty getting married when she found out that Patty's fiancee Veronica was really a transvestite named Ron, and not a woman. Patty dropped Ron like a hot rock, reasserted her gayness, and was unapologetic about it. Other backers of gay marriage were shown as just being greedy or opportunistic. In all, the backers of gay marriage came off worse than the opponants of it.
I'm not in favor of gay marriage, and tonight's Simpsons showed the results of changing our definition of marriage (Cletus Spuckler married his sister Brandine, and Homer had a sign up for those who wanted to marry animals....but all chimps had to be in diapers). Although the issue was presented in a comical fashion, the writers did manage to make the point that if gay marriage is allowed, then anything else goes.
I believe it was Dostoevesky who said that "If there is no God, anything is permissible, even cannibalism." Tonight's episode of The Simpsons made the point that if gay marriage is permitted, where do we stop? We shouldn't hate gays, but marriage is between a man and a woman.....not a man and a goat, or a man and a man. If marriage is no longer sacred, what else is?
Thanks, Matt Groening. Good point tonight.
I must confess I have never EVER watched it and well find something else to do when beloved turns it on. I am slow to catch humor and well the Simpson's would be more than I would figure out.
I did not think it was meant for kids either. But, then again I think they were marketing to kids.
You know what is interesting, 7th Heaven, yes I admit I am a fan of family show that is wholesome and has values has been picked up for a 10th season. Breaking some records like "Little House on the Prairie" and yes I was a fan of that show as well. Obviously someone is watching it even if they do not admit it, networks can shows way to easy. Most recently they did a show about fathers and it was one of the most superb written show that I have had the pleasure to watch.
Probably about a year ago, Thomas Sowell in one of his "Random thoughts on the passing scene" colums asked, "When did The Travel Channel become The Gambling Channel?"
Personally, as a long time poker player I enjoy watching the WPT.
It has also brought a lot of new players into the scene and they can often be tagged as "dead money".
All I can say about this episode is that it seemed to mock everybody - but that's been a mainstay of Simpson humor. That being said, this program just wasn't that funny (to me anyway). I even turned the television off during the second episode which I can't even remember right now. Too bad, I still "laugh out loud" watching some of the older re-runs.
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