The International Writers Magazine:Reality Check
DANGEROUS
ART NETWORKED DAILY
James Campion
In Praise of The Simpsons &
An Engaging New Book That Hits The Mark
"And
so it has gone for the Great American Joke, from Mark Twain to
H.L. Mencken to Lenny Bruce to National Lampoon. If you look closely
at a recent map of the United States of America and find a chasm
where the Great American Joke lives scenic, satirical Hypocritical
Gap there you find Springfield, U.S.A." -
Chris Turner from "Planet Simpson"
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For
16 seasons The Simpsons; the sharpest, most biting satire ever unleashed
outside the underground and splashed onto the global mainstream,
has managed to affect the cultural landscape while simultaneously
ripping its fabric to hilarious shreds. |
It is the most subversive
kind of art, sprung from the very medium it attacks, gaining the popularity
and relevance of an international icon, while also being its most uncompromising
critic. For a mere TV show, a cartoon one at that, it is unique in its
construct, dissemination, and finally its vast and varied audience,
which include poet laureates to heads of state, rock stars, and
scores of professors from the loftiest heights of academia. So now finally
we have a study of its brilliance and influence worthy of the subject.
It is a 400-plus page tribute, dissection, and investigation entitled
"Planet Simpson How A Cartoon Masterpiece Defined A Generation"
by Canadian journalist and pop culture essayist, Chris Turner.
Someone had to do it, and for all true fans of what could be deemed
(as many critique circles already have) the best show in television
history, it would appear the right man for the job did. "When many
critics or fans discuss theyre favorite rock band or filmmaker,
theyre convinced that whatever is happening within that phenomenon
will change everything," Turner told me in our discussion earlier
this month. "But there are so few cases when that is actually the
case. The Simpsons are one of those." From The Simpsons heralded
and over hyped infancy to its Golden Age of the early to mid-90s,
which Turner calls "an awesome achievement in pop art", all
the way through its incredible level of consistency in writing, voice-acting,
production, and direction, "Planet Simpson" expertly reviews
and defines the longest running prime time television comedy by leaving
no philosophical or cultural query unturned. Turners astoundingly
encyclopedic research on the hundreds of episodes and thousands of key
moments pleases the discerning fan while also deftly presenting the
shows highlights for the novice. The best compliment for any book
of this ambition would be that it serves as a practical explanation
for why we all love The Simpsons as much as we do, and "Planet
Simpson" does this in spades.
"Unlike many other television shows that have limits to its relevance,
it seems The Simpsons holds up to this kind of obsession," Turner
reflects. "I never get the feeling from the big-time fans that
theyre using the show to escape the realities of the world around
them, just the opposite. The Simpsons actually tends to bring you closer
to reality in a lot of ways." Turners Simpsons is a juggernaut
of pop iconoclasm wrapped in the astute blade of cutting humor hitting
so resolutely close to the bone its existence is nearly a wonderful
mirage. The author states emphatically, "You almost felt in the
early seasons that The Simpsons was too good, too smart, and too biting
that it would be taken off the air. It didnt belong somehow."
"Planet Simpson" begins by laying out the groundwork for what
Turner dubs "The Simpsonian Humor Principle", which is somewhat
based on the satirist/comedian Lenny Bruces "What Should
be" vs. "What is" riffs; the false assumption that its
human nature to base our judgments of the world at large on "what
should be" like God, country, principle, morality, and open, selfless
dedication to each other and our environment, an almost superman vision
of society. The "What is" is the actual maddening complexity
of human nature filled with greed, insolence, power-struggle, jealousy
and pettiness. According to Bruce, and the best The Simpsons have to
offer, by ignoring the imperfections and fears of our world and replacing
them with rose-colored fallacies we create the framework for disappointment
and disillusionment. "There is only what is," scoffed Bruce
in 1964. "The what-should-be never did exist, but people keep trying
to live up to it. There is only what is." From here "Planet
Simpson" takes off in several provocative directions, highlighted
by Turners strong grasp of the socio-political landscape of the
world that The Simpsons draw material from weekly.
Whether it is a study of the consumerism lunacy of 90s America,
the power of corporate tentacles throughout the civilized world, or
our silly obsession with celebrity, Turner tells us where and how and
why The Simpsons seem to have it nailed and consistently get away with
pushing an envelope other art forms wish they could touch. Turner agrees
with Simpsons creators like Matt Groening and Sam Simon who have stated
that because of the two-dimensional façade of a cartoon, much
more is accepted and allows for the writers a greater palate with less
limitations.
"The example I often use for this is where Homer is giving Bart
advice on how to deal with women and ends up getting inexplicably drunk
during it," Turner cites. "He comes to no conclusion, blathering
incoherently. Whereas the normal sitcom dad might have some bland, formulaic
advice, we get poor frustrated Homer getting inebriated." The book
cleverly breaks down the Simpsons family members into defining chapters,
encapsulating their individual and collective luster and why they have
resonated under the satirical umbrella of "what is" so effectively
for so long: Homer; goofy, lovable father or gluttonous, consumer-addled
hedonist? Bart; misguided imp or rebellious punk icon? Lisa; smart,
compassionate voice of reason or pompous intellectual finger-pointer?
Marge; the shows patient moral center or enabling nag-victim?
Each character is studied for its reflection of human nature and how
their image has represented us hilariously and so vividly without apology
for the shows incredible run.
Then of course there is Springfield, U.S.A. and its inhabitants, which
run the gamut of societys ills and thrills from politics in the
overtly slimy Mayor Quimby; "I propose that I use what's, uh, left
of the town treasury to move to a more prosperous town and run for mayor.
And, uh, once elected, I will send for the rest of you" to organized
religion in the blatantly judgmental Reverend Lovejoy; "And as
we pass the collection plate, please give as if the person next to you
was watching" to corrupt attorneys in the dangerously inept Lionel
Hutz; "Mr. Simpson, this is the most blatant case of fraudulent
advertising since my suit against the film, The Never-Ending Story"
to our mediocre crop of educators in the overwhelmed Principle Skinner,
"God bless the man who invented permission slips".
"The Simpsons uses its medium as well as any art uses its medium,"
Turner told me in closing. "Over the past half-century high art
has been all about transcending its medium, playing with pop icons and
commenting on society at large, from Andy Warhol on down, and The Simpsons
does that as well or better than all of them. Without hyperbole, I believe
it is to television, a powerful 20th century art form, what theater
was to Shakespeare during his time."
Amen.
© James Campion December 2004
realitycheck@jamescampion.com
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