SimpsonsA Essay Research Paper I DIDN

Simpsons(A) Essay, Research Paper

I DIDN’T DO ITHow The Simpsons Affects Kids The Simpsons is one of Americas most popular television shows. It ranks as thenumber one television program for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, theideals that The Simpsons conveys are not always wholesome, sometimes not even ingood taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At thetime, Groening was working for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He beganworking on Life in Hell, a humorous comic strip consisting of people with rabbit ears.The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life inHell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and collegenewspapers across the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such asTaxi, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originallywanted Groening to make an animated pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to doso in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presentedBrooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, andthree obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to represent thetypical American family “who love each other and drive each other crazy”. Groeningnamed the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer andMargaret and he had two younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagramfor “brat”. Groening chose the last name “Simpson” to sound like the typical Americanfamily name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on TheTracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellanetaand Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to star inHerman’s Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the voice of Bart.Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High,Fantastic Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends.Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullman’s producer, wanted to turn theSimpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for material toappeal to younger viewers. The only show they had that drew a young audience wasMarried With Children. To Fox’s pleasure, The Simpsons saved the network from nearfailure. (Varhola, 3) On December 17, 1989, The Simpsons got their break. The Christmas special,”Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” aired. (Dale and Trich, 19) In the episode, Bart got a tattoo, much to Marge’s dislike. She quickly spent allof the family’s Christmas money to remove Bart’s tattoo with a laser. At the same time,Homer, still on his morning coffee break at 4:00 in the afternoon, learns that he will notreceive a Christmas bonus. When he learns that Marge is relying on the money forChristmas, he decides that he will do the Christmas shopping for the year. He quicklybuys Marge panty hose, Bart paper, Lisa crayons, and Maggie a dog toy. When herealizes that he is not doing very well, he gets a second job as a mall Santa for the extramoney. On the way home from work, he steals a Christmas tree. The next day at themall, Bart sits on his Dad’s lap and pulls down his beard. Homer responds by chokingBart and making him help make Christmas better. On Christmas Eve, Homer receiveshis check, $13.70 for over 40 hours work. Homer takes Bart to the dog track as a finalchance for Christmas money. They discovered a gem in the third race, Santa’s LittleHelper. How could this dog loose on Christmas Eve. The odds were 99 to 1, they weregoing to be rich. Homer put all of his money on Santa’s Little Helper, and to his horror,he never even finished. As Homer and Bart were scouring the parking lot for winningtickets into the night, they saw the track manager throw out a dog. It was not just anydog, it was Santa’s Little Helper. When Bart and Homer came home to their worriedfamily, they had a good Christmas after all. Now they had a dog. (Pond) “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” was not the typical Christmas story. Itdealt with body art, sleeping in the work place, sibling rivalry, stealing a Christmas tree,a misbehaved son, and gambling. Although it was unorthodox, it was very successful.The Fox network decided to air it again on Christmas Eve. (Dale and Trich, 19) In a little over a month, The Simpsons made it’s debut as a weekly show, “Bartthe Genius” was the first regular episode. In the middle of a feared assessment test,Bart switches his test with the completed one of Nelson Prince, Class Nerd. Bart andhis parents are called into Principal Seymour Skinner’s office where they are told thatBart has a 216 IQ. (Homer thought is was 912.) Skinner requests that Bart attends TheEnriched Learning Center for Children. Suddenly, Homer takes a liking to his son.They joke together, play ball together, embarrass Marge at an opera together.(”Toreador, oh don’t spit on the floor. Use the cuspidor. That’s what it’s for.” Bart singsalong with the opera Carmen.) Soon at Bart’s old school, Springfield ElementarySchool, Bart’s graffiti is roped off and tagged, “The Principal. By Bart Simpson. IQ216.” Bart’s friend no longer like him, they refer to him as Poindexter. The kids at hisnew sc