Transcript The Simpsons

The Simpsons
Religious Critic or Spiritual Guide?
Is Religion incompatible with humour?
• Is it okay to be Christian and laugh at
religious jokes?
• Did Jesus ever laugh? Or make jokes?
• Can God manifest through humour?
• Is The Simpsons seen as anti-Christian because “It is
unquestionably the most culturally-literate show on television, except for
perhaps Jeopardy. Each episode contains dozens of references to film culture,
literature, rock and roll (thus the rapping rabbis who sing "Don't eat pork, even
with a fork; can't touch this"), politics, history, philosophy and above all
television culture itself-- Bart and Lisa many times refer to the damage that
television has done to their memory or patience or imagination [56] and the
FOX Network is always highlighted as a purveyor of junk TV. Because many
evangelical Christians do not swim in this culture the humour and cultural
literacy manifested will often pass them by leaving only images of a drunken
father and a rude little boy.”
God
• Does God “Exist” in The Simpsons?
• How is God depicted? “Perfect teeth.
Nice Smell. A Class Act all the way.”
• Is God “mocked” in the Simpsons?
• How many fingers does God have?
How many do the rest of the characters
have? Does this make any
difference?!
• Is God shown to have a plan - even for
Homer?
The Devil
• How is the Devil
depicted in The
Simpsons?
• Does the Devil exist?
• How is Hell depicted?
• Would you rather go to
The Simpsons’ Heaven,
or Hell?
Personal Prayer
“Dear Lord: The gods have been good to
me. For the first time in my life,
everything is absolutely perfect just
the way it is. So here's the deal: You
freeze everything the way it is, and I
won't ask for anything more. If that is
OK, please give me absolutely no
sign. OK, deal. In gratitude, I present
you this offering of cookies and milk. If
you want me to eat them for you, give
me no sign. Thy will be done.”
“Are you there, God? It's
me, Bart Simpson. I
know I never paid too
much attention in
church, but I could
really use some of that
good stuff now. I'm...
afraid. I'm afraid some
weirdo's got my soul
and I don't know what
they're doing to it! I just
want it back. Please?”
(Bart Sells His Soul)
Morality
• “If these two characters - Homer and Bart
were allowed by the writers and directors of
The Simpsons to triumph on each show, it
could be argued that the program was morally
objectionable... But in fact they do not.
Homer's stupidity and greed never pay off
(as when he gains so much weight in order to
be considered disabled and allowed to work at
home) and Bart's pranks are either thwarted
or turn to ultimate good (as when he prompts a teachers' strike and
has to bring them back to the bargaining table in the end.) Moreover
Bart and Homer are balanced by the observant Christians Marge (who
tells Homer never to make her choose between God and her man
because he just can't win) and Lisa (who refuses to watch pirated
cable TV because of her wish to honour the 8th Commandment and
win Heaven). They represent the voices of sanity and piety and they
always (or almost always) triumph in the end.” - True?
The Bible
• How does The Simpsons
portray the Bible (I.e., is it
taken literally?)
• What use do Homer, Rev.
Lovejoy, etc. make use of
the Bible?
• Does this make the show
“anti-Christian?”
•
"If the Bible has taught us nothing else
-- and it hasn't -- it's that girls should
stick to girls' sports such as hot-oil
wrestling, foxy-boxing and such and
such." (Lisa on Ice)
The Bible - Revelation
• How is Prophesy and Revelation
presented in The Simpsons? Is
Christian prophesy of the End Times
taken “seriously”?
• What are the criteria for getting into
Heaven, according to the episode
“Thank God its Doomsday?”
• What did you think about the
criticisms of other faiths, science, and
homosexuality in the fictional movie
“Left Below” in this episode? Is this a
criticism of fundamentalist views?
• Do you think this episode is “antireligious?”
Miscellaneous (Judaism)
• How does The Simpsons treat other
religions? (Krusty is Jewish, Apu is Hindu,
Lisa is Buddhist)
• Krusty: “I’d like to thank God for all my
success, even though I never worshipped
him or believed in him in any way.”
• Krusty’s dad an orthodox Rabi, who did not
give son a bar mitzvah because he feared
his son would “act up.”
• Krusty reconciles with dad and has a bar
mitzvah - but continues to be an alcoholic,
gambler, prescription drug abuser, etc.
• What does this portrayal say about
Judaism? Is The Simpson’s “anti-jewish?”
Miscellaneous
(Hinduism)
•
•
How is Hinduism presented in The Simpsons?
Homer: “No offense, Apu, but when they were
handing out religions, you must have been out
taking a whiz.”
•Vegetarianism. Apu wears a tee-shirt with a red circle and slash superimposed on a
cow, with Bart’s slogan, “Don’t Have a Cow, Man!” and he secretly substitutes tofu
for beef in his hot dogs.
•2. Reincarnation. Sideshow Mel, one of Krusty the Clown’s television sidekicks,
says “You only live once.” Apu pipes up, “Hey, speak for yourself.”
•3. Meditation. Apu has a secret stairway in the Kwik-E-Mart that leads to a rooftop
garden, where, he tells Lisa, “I go when I need some refuge from the modern world.”
•4. Pluralism. “I learned long ago, Lisa, to tolerate others, rather than forcing my
beliefs on them,” Apu tells the girl. “You know, you can influence people without
badgering them always.”
Miscellaneous
(Buddhism)
• Lisa: “I still believe in God. I just
think there's another path to him. Or
her.”
• Lisa: (gasps) Richard Gere?
• Lenny: Ooh! The world's most
famous Buddhist.
• Gere: Well, what about the Dalai
Lama?
• Lenny: Who?
• Carl: You know, the fourteenth
incarnation of the Buddha
Avalokitesvara.
• Lenny: Who's Buddha?
• Richard Gere: It's a good thing
Buddhism teaches freedom from
desire - 'cuz I've got the desire to
kick your ass!
Miscellaneous (Serpenthandling, Santeria, Voodoo the religion(s) of Moe?)
• Moe: “I was born a serpenthandler, and I’ll die a serpent
handler.”
• Moe: “Santeria, what can't
you do?"
• Moe: “I think I will return to
good old fashioned voodoo.”
• Using other faiths solely for
laugh effect?
Family Values - Episode case
studies
• Does The Simpsons uphold “family
values?”
• Why does Homer leave Heaven in
“Thank God its Doomsday?”
• Why does Lisa return to celebrate
Christmas in “She of Little Faith?”
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
• How does Marge save Homer in
are needed to see this picture.
“Homer vs the Devil?”
• What brings Homer back to the
Church fold in “Homer the Heretic?”
• Does the family replace religion in
The Simpsons?