The Simpsons

[[File:Logo The Simpsons.svg|right|thumb|165px|¡Ay, caramba!]]
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{{hatnote|Not to be confused with the unrelated [[Simpson's paradox]]}}
[[File:Wax Museum Plus (6345577800).jpg|right|thumb|300px|The Simpson family in fabulous 3D! Barney Rubble can be seen [[Human-dinosaur coexistence|coexisting with a dinosaur]] in the background.]]
'''''The Simpsons''''' is an animated sitcom from the Fox Network first broadcast in 1989.<ref>{{wpa|The Simpsons}}</ref> It is often hailed as one of the best [[United States|American]] TV shows ever, if not the best.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/sep/07/the-simpsons-greatest-tv-show-of-all-time "What's the greatest TV show of all time? Easy. The Simpsons"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 7 September 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.vulture.com/2016/09/tv-the-book-simpsons-best-television-show.html Why The Simpsons Is the Best TV Show Ever], The Vulture, Sep 2016</ref><ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/tv-lists/100-greatest-tv-shows-of-all-time-105998/eastbound-and-down-106484/ 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time], Rolling Stone</ref>

Its central focus is a family of five Simpsons:
* '''Homer Simpson''' (voiced by Dan Castellaneta) — the father, a nuclear power plant worker, stupid but displays a certain cunning at times, and motivated largely by emotion and appetite
* '''Marge Simpson''' (Julie Kavner) — the kind, loving, put-upon wife of Homer
* '''Bart Simpson''' (Nancy Cartwright) — the oldest child, mischievous but with occasional hidden depths
* '''Lisa Simpson''' (Yeardley Smith) — the intelligent middle child, also later [[vegetarian]] and [[Buddhist]]
* '''Maggie Simpson''' (no regular voice actor) — the baby, who doesn't do much despite occasional silent adventures

However, what distinguishes the show is its vast range of additional characters, mostly voiced by a core cast including Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Tress MacNeille, and in early years the late Phil Hartman.<ref>{{wpa|List of The Simpsons cast members}}</ref>

Controversy surrounding the series includes claims that it has an uncanny power to predict the future, allegations of [[racism]], and its treatment of [[rationalism]] and [[skepticism]].

==Predicting the future==
There are claims that ''The Simpsons'' has uncannily [[Predictive programming|predicted the future]], including the following:<ref>[https://edition.cnn.com/2017/12/15/entertainment/the-simpsons-predictions/index.html 'The Simpsons' remain our psychics], Lisa Respers France, CNN, 15 Dec 2017</ref><ref>[https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/times-simpsons-predicted-future-16462 Every time The Simpsons predicted the future – ranked in order of weirdness], NME, 15 Dec 2017</ref><ref name=nyt>[https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/02/arts/television/simpsons-prediction-future.html ‘The Simpsons’ Has Predicted a Lot. Most of It Can Be Explained], New York Times, 2 Feb 2018</ref>
* [[Donald Trump]]'s presidency, correctly predicted in the episode "Bart to the Future" (production code BABF13, original air date March 19, 2000)<ref>{{wpa|Bart to the Future}}</ref>
* Lady Gaga playing the Super Bowl, including a depiction of her performance flying through the air — supposedly predicted in 2012 in "Lisa Goes Gaga", happened in 2017. [[Snopes]] rated this a mix of true and false, because ''The Simpsons'' did show images of Gaga performing that resembled her later Super Bowl performance, but in the show it wasn't actually at the Super Bowl, and it copied a previous 2011 show where she'd entered on a zip wire. This alleged prediction was complicated by many people sharing doctored images and images from other episodes that were unrelated to Gaga or the Super Bowl: the show had done other Super Bowl episodes, but not featuring Lady Gaga, which may have added to the confusion.<ref>{{wpa|Lisa Goes Gaga}}</ref><ref>[https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lady-gaga-superbowl-simpsons/ Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict Lady Gaga at Super Bowl LI?], Snopes</ref>
* Smartwatches in "Lisa's Wedding" which shows a vision of the future including Lisa's fiancé Hugh talking into a watch with a screen and some kind of keypad; the episode first aired March 19, 1995.<ref>{{wpa|Lisa's Wedding}}</ref> The idea of watches with built-in phones or communication devices was much older: Dick Tracy had a watch with a built-in two-way radio in the 1940s, as the lengthy [[TV Tropes]] page on the concept will tell you.<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GadgetWatches Gadget Watches], [[TV Tropes]]</ref>
* The 2003 Siegfried and Roy tiger attack, eerily predicted with a thinly-veiled parody of the duo in the episode "$pringfield (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)" (1F08), first broadcast Dec 16, 1993.<ref>{{wpa|$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)}}</ref> While it's a striking [[coincidence]], you don't need to be a genius to guess that people who work for years with dangerous animals may eventually be attacked.
* [[The Walt Disney Company|Disney]] buying 20<sup>th</sup> Century Fox, correctly predicted in "When You Dish Upon A Star" (5F19) first aired November 8, 1998<ref>{{wpa|When You Dish Upon a Star}}</ref>
* The Rolling Stones playing on forever, correctly predicted in "Lisa's Wedding" on March 19, 1995, still happening in 2019.<ref>{{wpa|Lisa's Wedding}}</ref> Since the Stones began performing in 1962, predicting a lengthy career wasn't much of a stretch.
* [[9-11|9/11]], supposedly predicted by the cover of a brochure which says $9 and has a photo of the Twin Towers (which could be taken to be the number 11), in the episode "The City of New York vs Homer Simpson" (4F22) first broadcast September 21, 1997.<ref>{{wpa|The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson}}</ref> This could be taken as something creepy, but is easily explained as a minor coincidence stretched to fit later events (much like the prophecies of [[Nostradamus]]).
* The mass of the [[Higgs boson]], predicted by Homer on September 20, 1998 in the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace" (5F21) and not discovered until 2012. This can be explained by the fact that the nerd of the group, David X. Cohen, knew a lot about [[physics]] and used a plausible guess that was already [[Hypothesis|hypothesised]].<ref name=nyt/><ref>{{wpa|The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace}}</ref> David later teamed up with Groening to make [[Futurama]].
* Tom Hanks getting [[2019-20 COVID-19 outbreak|COVID-19]] in 2020, supposedly predicted in 2007 from ''The Simpsons Movie''. Because in the show Hanks told people to leave him be, and people with COVID were supposed to stay away from other people.<ref>[https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/12/simpsons-fans-convinced-movie-predicted-tom-hanks-getting-coronavirus-2007-12390330/ The Simpsons fans convinced movie ‘predicted’ Tom Hanks getting coronavirus in 2007], The Metro (UK), Mar 12, 2020</ref> This is astonishingly tenuous even in comparison to most of this list.

Identifying such coincidences is entertaining for fans, but can generally be explained by the show's incredibly lengthy running time. While largely set in present-day America, ''The Simpsons'' has had several episodes set in the future, such as the previously mentioned "Lisa's Wedding", as well as the fantastical "Treehouse of Horror" anthologies which break the continuity of the main show to present [[science fiction]] or horror stories. A study reported in 2018 found that ''The Simpsons'' over its 30-year run had made about 1224 predictions about the future, which allows for a lot of correct ones even if the overall rate is very poor.<ref>[https://mic.com/articles/187428/heres-how-the-simpsons-keeps-predicting-the-future#.YSZnRSrB7 Here's How the Simpsons Keeps Predicting the Future], Mic, 2018</ref>

And sometimes the show cheats: there's an episode where Lisa predicts the Super Bowl winner, which has been altered for subsequent broadcast to update the teams.<ref name=nyt/>

Likewise a lot of other shows have predicted spooky things (that are almost certainly just coincidences); for instance ''{{wpl|The Lone Gunmen}}'' had a plot about terrorists flying a plane into the World Trade Center, broadcast a few months before the actual 9/11 attacks.<ref name=nyt/>

==Racism==
===''The Problem With Apu''===
Allegations of racism centre on the character of Apu the convenience store clerk. He is often considered a caricature of an Asian-American, working in a [[stereotype]]d job. The show has given him a variety of more-or-less stereotypical plotlines including an [[arranged marriage]]. When the show started, issues of representation were less commonly discussed, but Apu has recently become more of an issue (partly because the number and visibility of Asian Americans has increased). The criticisms were given focus by comedian Hari Kondabolu's 2017 documentary {{wpl|The Problem with Apu|''The Problem with Apu''|:}} Kondabolu emphasises that he is a Simpsons fan but finds Apu racist and suggests the character encourages racist abuse of Indian-Americans.<ref>[https://newrepublic.com/article/147980/epiphany-problem-apu-simpsons My Epiphany About the Problem With Apu], Jeet Heer, New Republic, April 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.avclub.com/the-problem-with-apu-wades-into-a-bigger-issue-the-evo-1820550571 The Problem With Apu], AV Club</ref>

The controversy has received a variety of responses from the show. Hank Azaria, the in-no-way-Indian actor who voices Apu, has been sympathetic to concerns, suggesting an Asian actor could be cast as Apu.<ref>[https://news.avclub.com/on-the-late-show-hank-azaria-says-recasting-apu-seems-1825521305 On The Late Show, Hank Azaria says recasting Apu "seems like the right thing to do"], AV Club, 25 April 2018</ref> Creator Matt Groening has equivocated.<ref>[https://news.avclub.com/matt-groening-says-the-debate-around-apu-is-tainted-1827687168 Matt Groening says Apu critics "love to pretend to be offended"], AV Club, 30 April 2018</ref> Show runner Al Jean has defended the show, mocking criticism in the episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished".<ref>[https://news.avclub.com/simpsons-showrunner-al-jean-still-seems-pretty-sure-the-1825252453 Simpsons showrunner Al Jean still seems pretty sure there's no problem with Apu], AV Club</ref> This episode sees Lisa and Marge reading an old book full of inappropriate content, as is often experienced when returning to problematic childhood faves like Enid Blyton's character [[Nigger]] the [[Golliwog]] in the Noddy books; Marge wants to re-write the book but Lisa has a dream where she's visited by the book's creator and then delivers an on-the-nose speech telling the show's critics (in an address direct to camera) "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now [[politically incorrect]]. What can you do?" The program then shows a photo of Apu, and Marge says, "Some things will be dealt with at a later date," and Lisa adds, "If at all."<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/simpsons-apu-stereotype-controversy-new-episode-lisa-marge-a8295516.html The Simpsons respond to Apu stereotype controversy in new episode], ''The Independent'' (UK)</ref>

The criticisms of the show's portrayal of Apu involve a number of related points:
# Indian-Americans are under-represented on television and hence a prominent character such as Apu has the responsibility to represent actual Indian-American lives and experiences in all their complexity, rather than relying on out-of-date stereotypes like convenience store workers, Hindu gods, and arranged marriage.
# Apu's catchphrases have been used (mainly by children) to mock and bully Indian-Americans.
# It's wrong to have a white (non-Indian-American) actor playing Apu, because it offers a caricature where an Indian-American could do a better job. (And deprives an Asian actor of work.)

The criticisms have not been universally accepted, with lots of [[conservatives]] and fans of the show taking the point of view that there's no problem. Pradeep J Shanker argued in the ''[[National Review]]'' that Apu is a praiseworthy character: a good father to octuplets, extremely [[religious]], a [[gun]]-owner, and a businessman (not all of which are universally-beloved attributes, and as a store-owner he's shown to sell out-of-date and unhygienic food amongst other violations). Shanker acknowledges the lack of representation of Asian Americans, particularly in the recent past, but denies that name-calling is a significant form of racism.<ref>[https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/04/the-simpsons-apu-controversy-absurd-shallow/ Why the Apu Simpsons Controversy Bothers Me as an Indian American], ''National Review'', Pradeep J Shanker, April 2018</ref> It's certainly true that Apu's portrayal is far from the most racist thing in American society, but that doesn't make it right (a prime example of [[Whataboutery]] from Shanker). And even if Apu's character has been fleshed out over the years, the show undeniably mocks and stereotypes [[Hinduism]], Indian culture, and Indian-Americans; even though it also mocks [[Christianity]] and American culture, there is a difference between mocking the mainstream (where there are many other representations, powerful people can offer alternative views, and most of the population have considerable knowledge already), and mocking minorities.

People differ on what to do but there are some commonly advanced solutions:
# Leave Apu as he is, it's only a joke (Al Jean's preferred solution)
# Quietly disappear him (as other characters have disappeared, but normally due to the [[death]] of a cast member)
# Recast with an ethnically appropriate actor and/or
# Change the character to be more representative/realistic, maybe getting in more Asian-American writers

Eventually, the show writers of the Simpsons started phasing out the character of Apu, quietly diminishing his role as early as 2018.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/the-simpsons-apu-retired-hank-azaria-racism-a9361821.html "The Simpsons quietly dropped Apu years ago – but nobody noticed"] by Louis Chilton, Independent, 2020 February 27</ref> In January 2020, the voice actor who played Apu, Hank Azaria, said that he would no longer voice the character.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/jan/18/simpsons-actor-hank-azaria-says-he-will-no-longer-voice-character-of-apu "Simpsons actor Hank Azaria says he'll no longer voice Apu: 'We all agreed on it'"] by Victoria Bekiempis, Guardian, 2020 January 18</ref> Azaria later apologized for the character in April 2021, stating that although he believed the character was created with good intentions, the portrayal nonetheless was a symptom of "structual racism".<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-56731420 "The Simpsons: Hank Azaria apologises for voicing Indian character Apu"], BBC, 2021 April 13</ref> Despite the above, series creator Matt Groening continues to insist that Apu has not been written out of the show (in fact, he claims to be proud of the Apu character) and there may still be plans for the character in the future.<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/tv/2021/03/21/the-simpsons-creator-matt-groening-talks-700-episodes-future-apu/4754144001/ "'I'm proud of Apu': 'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening reflects on 700 episodes, casting controversy"] by Bill Keveney, USA Today, 2021 March 21</ref>

===Other representational issues===
The show has other characters that might be problematic, although they're often excused by the show's focus on offending everybody.<ref>[https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/10/17216420/the-simpsons-problem-with-apu-response-politically-incorrect-stereotype-hari-kondabolu The Simpsons’ response to The Problem with Apu recognizes times are changing, but rejects progress], The Verge, 10 April 2018</ref>

Its [[African-American]] characters are very different from Apu in that they're very specific and unique individuals rather than standing for an entire race, although white actors are still commonly used. The main ones are:
* Dr Hibbert (voiced by Harry Shearer until 2020, then Kevin Michael Richardson), a chuckling family doctor modeled in part on Bill Cosby, or at least how he was seen by the public during the 80s and 90s (though one 90s episode mentioned Hibbert being sued for sexual harassment, adding more fuel to the "Simpsons Predict the Future" fire.)
* Drederick Tatum (voiced by Hank Azaria), a heavyweight boxer with a strangely camp and effeminate voice modeled in part on Mike Tyson.
* Carl Carlson (also voiced by Hank Azaria until 2020, then Alex Désert), a friend and colleague of Homer who also has a close friendship with the white Lenny Leonard (in early episodes there seems to have been some confusion by production staff over which one was Lenny and Carl).<ref>{{wpa|Lenny and Carl}}</ref>

There are also stereotypes of hillbilly characters, notably Brandine and Cletus, with their billion children, bad teeth, stupidity, references to [[incest]], and other cliches about Appalachian mountain folk.<ref>[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HSVeAQAAQBAJ&lpg=PT240&ots=6YvYwrwq9g&dq=are%20Brandine%20and%20Cletus%20racist&pg=PT240#v=onepage&q=are%20Brandine%20and%20Cletus%20racist&f=false The Simpsons, Satire, and American Culture], M. Henry, Springer, 2012</ref> This is a meaner cliché than Apu, but people aren't so bothered about attacks on rural whites (partly because they're less likely to be killed for who they are than other minorities).

There are also stock [[Italy|Italian]] characters Luigi, a stingy chef, and Fat Tony, a Mafia leader, who are both like Apu in being obvious ethnic stereotypes (though it may help that Fat Tony is voiced by an Italian-American, Joe Mantegna.)

===Sexism===
{{main|Sexism}}
Allegedly, a writer called Mimi Pond was considered for a staff position when the show first started but rejected because producers wanted an all-male writers' room.<ref>[https://www.gq.com/story/does-the-simpsons-care-about-its-racist-caricatures Does The Simpsons Care About Its Racist Caricatures?], GQ, April 9, 2018</ref> Since then there have been female writers such as Jennifer Crittenden but the writing staff is still largely male.

==Rationalism==
==="Lisa the Skeptic"===
In this episode, Lisa discovers a skeleton that appears to belong to an [[angel]]. All the townspeople except her are convinced it is some kind of religious omen and the [[end of the world]] is nigh. Eventually, it turns out to be a [[PR]] stunt, not an angel, and Lisa was right all along.<ref>{{wpa|Lisa the Skeptic}}</ref> (On the other hand, Lisa is a [[Buddhist]] in later episodes.)

===Nuclear power===
The show takes a mocking or hostile view of [[nuclear power]], which is far safer than scary hydroelectric generation. However, this is largely for the humor, as C. Montgomery Burns's nuclear power plant is intentionally portrayed in ridiculous ways.

It's important to remember the context in which The Simpsons was created. When The Simpsons was initially created in the late 1980s, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island, and many other nuclear accidents were fresh on everybody's minds. The idea of a bumbling idiot being a nuclear power plant inspector was a funny joke at the time. However, the staff would wind up visiting the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant early on in the series' history and their overall attitude towards nuclear energy would change.<ref group=note>Though this didn't mean they wouldn't stop with the humor, and some moments during the tour stuck with them. Matt Groening, who didn't attend the tour, remained fixated on a photograph of a sign on a door warning someone to alert a supervisor if they heard "loud, intermittent buzzing" inside.</ref><ref>https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-12-28-me-7251-story.html</ref>

==="The Springfield Files"===
An early episode parodied and crossed over with popular 1990s show ''[[The X-Files]]'', dealing with themes of supposed [[Extraterrestrial|aliens]] that have an actual rational(ish) explanation.<ref>[https://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2016/01/21/the-simpsons-x-files-crossover-oral-history/ When Mulder and Scully Went to Springfield: An Oral History of the ‘Simpsons’-‘X-Files’ Crossover], Wall Street Journal, 21 Jan 2016</ref>

==See also==
* [[American tall tales]]
==External links==
*[https://www.fox.com/the-simpsons/ Official website]
*[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096697/ ''The Simpsons'' on IMDb]
*[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons ''The Simpsons''] on [[TV Tropes]]
*[[wikiquote:The Simpsons|''The Simpsons'' on Wikiquote]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

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Categories: Cartoons and comics, Television programmes