Opposition To “The Simpsons” Essay, Research Paper

How The Simpsons Affects Kids

The Simpsons is one of America s most popular television shows. It ranks as the

number one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the

ideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even in

good taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children.

On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons first television broadcast was aired. The Christmas special, Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire was such a hit, that the Fox network aired it again on Christmas Eve. In a little over a month, The Simpsons made it s debut as a weekly show, Bart the Genius was the first regular episode. Soon, Simpsons merchandise was all over America. Every kid wanted an “Underachiever and Proud of It, Man” or an “I’m Bart Simpson, Who the Hell Are You?” shirt. Hats could be seen everywhere that had Bart dressed like a devil saying “Go For It, Dude!” or with Homer, his arms open, lunging forward saying “Why You Little.” The most popular shirt was a family picture with Homer choking Bart. During the first week of school in 1990, two thirds of the sixth graders in America wore Simpsons paraphernalia.

As the popularity of The Simpsons grew, so did parents’ fears. To their horror,

Bart Simpson became a role model. “Aye Carumba!” was a popular expression among

kids. Almost anything a child did wrong was attributed to “last Sunday’s Simpsons.”

Bad ideas were being broadcasted into kids’ minds. In the third episode, a baby-sitter robbed the Simpson household of most of its belongings. In the fourth episode, Homer caused a nuclear accident, got fired, and attempted suicide. Bart stole the head off of the statue of Jebidiah Springfield, Springfield’s founder in the sixth episode. In the eighth episode, Bart took a picture of Homer with an exotic dancer and distributed them to the entire town. Marge had an affair in the ninth episode. Homer stole cable, and almost everything else imaginable in the fifteenth episode.

The Simpsons is often viewed as one of the biggest threats to Christianity. The

Simpson family goes to church on a regular basis, but Bart and Homer loath it. A typical Sunday School conversation is as follows:

Child: “Will my dog, Fluffy go to heaven?”

Sunday School Teacher: “No”

Other Child: “How about my cat?”

Teacher: “No, Heaven is only for people.”

Bart: “What if my leg gets gangrene and has to be amputated? Will it be waiting for me in heaven?

Teacher: “Yes”

Bart: “What about a robot with a human brain?”

Teacher: “I don’t know! Is a little blind faith too much to ask for?”

The pastor, Reverend Lovejoy is a hypocrite. In “22 Short Films About Springfield” he leads his dog to the Flanders’ yard to go to the bathroom. He praises

the dog until Ned Flanders comes outside. He then acts angry and threatens the dog

with hell. When Ned leaves, he praises the dog again. In one episode, Homer quits going to church and falls in love with life. He claims to have his own religion so he doesn’t have to go to work on holidays, such as the Feast of Maximum Occupancy. In a conversation with Lisa:

Lisa: “Dad, I don’t understand, why have you dedicated yourself to living

a life of blasphemy?”

Homer: “Don’t worry Lisa, if I’m wrong, I’ll repent on my death bed.”

The Simpsons is not just an enemy of Christianity, though. In one episode, where Krusty the Clown is reunited with his father, a rabbi, almost the entire episode is spent making fun of Judaism. Lisa asks Bart, “Do you know what a rabbi’s most valued possession is?” Bart replied, “I dunno, those stupid little hats.” Hinduism is constantly joked with by using East Indian, Kwik-E-Mart clerk, Apu Mahasapeemapitalon. Apu is once asked is he Hindu. He replied, “By the thousand arms of Bishna, I swear it is a lie.”

The average child can acquire a plethora of foul words from one episode. In “Flaming Moe’s”, Bart is “jinxed”, meaning he can’t talk until somebody says his name.

Homer: “What is it boy?”

Bart: [Grunts]

Homer: “Us anything the matter, my son? Talk to me young man.”

Bart: [Takes a pencil and writes 'Say my name.]

Homer: “Say your name? Why should I do that, my lad?”

Bart: “Because I’m jinxed damnit!”

Homer: [Punches Bart in the arm.]

Bart: “Ow! What was that for!”

Homer: You spoke while you were jinxed, so I get to punch you! Sorry, it’s the law!”

Homer Simpson definitely has the worst influence on children. Once, Homer

overheard Ralph Wiggum say the he would do anything for Lisa. In the next scene,

Ralph is coating the Simpson’s roof in tar. Ralph calls out, “Mr. Simpson, the tar fumes

are making me dizzy.” Homer, relaxing in a hammock replies, nonchalantly, “Yeah,

they’ll do that.” Homer fits the genera of the parent who pressures his kid to do well in

sports. In one episode, after Bart scored a winning goal, Homer congratulated him,

“Okay Bart, you won the hockey game. Now, just as I promised, here’s your turtle, alive

and unhurt.” Homer got angry at Marge once for spending lots of money to vaccinate

Maggie against diseases she doesn’t have. His advice on how to get out of jury duty is

“to tell them that you’re prejudiced against all races.” His self proclaimed, best advice

is, “Sometimes the only way you can feel good about yourself is to make other people

look stupid.”

The Simpsons are the leading television show for our nation s young people. Many ideas can be taken from this very popular series such as drinking, cussing, racism, and many other degrading problems towards our society. The Simpsons should be viewed by mature audiences who have set values. The series is not educational; therefore, it should not be viewed by our countries future leaders.

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