Lisa Simpson and "another species of Marxism"
January 2, 2014 11:12 AM Subscribe
"Plain leftist agitprop has replaced the show’s once ingenious, equitable political equipoise." A review of recent Simpsons episodes.
"In the new life of Lisa, liberalism is but another species of Marxism. But Springfield was always a town everyone could recognize and imagine living in. Now it’s just another intolerant suburb of Hollywood."
(previously, about Zombie Simpsons)
"In the new life of Lisa, liberalism is but another species of Marxism. But Springfield was always a town everyone could recognize and imagine living in. Now it’s just another intolerant suburb of Hollywood."
(previously, about Zombie Simpsons)
This post was deleted for the following reason: Sorry, this is kind of a lousy politicized Op-Ed that isn't very compelling. -- mathowie
perhaps... the truth is in the middle
posted by dilaudid at 11:14 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by dilaudid at 11:14 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Is this from the Socialist Obama universe?
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on January 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:16 AM on January 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
... A modern show with the old sensibility would surely have fastened upon the cult of Obama ...
This article is crap.
posted by benito.strauss at 11:21 AM on January 2, 2014 [9 favorites]
This article is crap.
posted by benito.strauss at 11:21 AM on January 2, 2014 [9 favorites]
Boo-hoo. Conservatives just don't write good comedies (on purpose…).
posted by littlejohnnyjewel at 11:23 AM on January 2, 2014
posted by littlejohnnyjewel at 11:23 AM on January 2, 2014
Ah yes, since I voted for Obama, he is my "messiah". I remember 2009!
posted by thelonius at 11:24 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by thelonius at 11:24 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
It might have been more tolerable had the author avoided using right-wing facebook speech ("useful idiots" "the Democrat position").
posted by wester at 11:25 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by wester at 11:25 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
. In “Four Regrettings and a Funeral” reporter Kent Brockman refuses to join Fox News in New York because he has “scruples,” resolving to return to Springfield where he can decide what the news is, “like a god!”
I've not seen the episode, but that's a joke zooming over someones head isn't it? Or is this whole thing a joke and it's zooming over mine?
posted by Artw at 11:26 AM on January 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
I've not seen the episode, but that's a joke zooming over someones head isn't it? Or is this whole thing a joke and it's zooming over mine?
posted by Artw at 11:26 AM on January 2, 2014 [8 favorites]
Rainier Wolfcastle: Hahaha Homer, I see your daughter is one of those whale kissing, Dukakis hugging moon maidens.
Homer: Hehe, yeah one time she... oh she's looking at us.. be cool :starts humming:
I agree. This article is crap. Someone obviously can't reconcile his enjoyment of a show with his opposition to the show's politics and is hiding it behind criticism of the show's "decline".
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:28 AM on January 2, 2014
Homer: Hehe, yeah one time she... oh she's looking at us.. be cool :starts humming:
I agree. This article is crap. Someone obviously can't reconcile his enjoyment of a show with his opposition to the show's politics and is hiding it behind criticism of the show's "decline".
posted by RonButNotStupid at 11:28 AM on January 2, 2014
I thought I once read that there are a few dozen Christians on the show and they have a Bible study together. It sounded like a pretty good place to work. Has that changed?
posted by michaelh at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014
posted by michaelh at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014
/looks up ownership of New York Press, runs into tangle of collapsed alternative weeklys and freepapers with no apparent end. Preeeeety certain it isn't an attempt to out-Onion The Onion.
posted by Artw at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
Someone obviously can't reconcile his enjoyment of a show with his opposition to the show's politics and is hiding it behind criticism of the show's "decline".
Heh. It reminds me of a former friend who became a far-right, white supremacist militia dude but still insists that he loves the Clash.
posted by scody at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
Heh. It reminds me of a former friend who became a far-right, white supremacist militia dude but still insists that he loves the Clash.
posted by scody at 11:30 AM on January 2, 2014 [4 favorites]
Whether caused by politics or not, I hope we can mostly agree that the show has pretty bad for some time now.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:31 AM on January 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:31 AM on January 2, 2014 [2 favorites]
In the opening credits, what does the cash register say when Maggie is scanned?
The cash register says, "NRA4EVER", just one of the hundreds of radical right-wing messages inserted into every show by creator Matt Groening.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:33 AM on January 2, 2014 [6 favorites]
The cash register says, "NRA4EVER", just one of the hundreds of radical right-wing messages inserted into every show by creator Matt Groening.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:33 AM on January 2, 2014 [6 favorites]
That article reads like a Simpsons parody of a right-wing Simpsons critique as published in The Onion and read by Lisa Simpson, if that scenario was played out for 5 seconds on Family Guy.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:38 AM on January 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 11:38 AM on January 2, 2014 [5 favorites]
In “Four Regrettings and a Funeral” reporter Kent Brockman refuses to join Fox News in New York because he has “scruples,” resolving to return to Springfield where he can decide what the news is, “like a god!” MSNBC, the joke of the real news world, is spared biting satire for the sake of guest star Rachel Maddow
[...]
Since at least the 17th season, when an episode demonstrated a firm grasp of 19th century thinking in erecting and tearing apart the straw man of creationism, the show has been mired in illiberal imbalance on Christianity
[...]
In either case, Brooks should no more have Lisa paraphrasing Marx than Mary Richards angrily burning her bra
Uh, what?
Is this supposed to be a joke post, or just a ridiculously empty link? I couldn't even find out what he was talking about regarding Matt Groening and USAF nose art, for which his article is one of the top links.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:39 AM on January 2, 2014
[...]
Since at least the 17th season, when an episode demonstrated a firm grasp of 19th century thinking in erecting and tearing apart the straw man of creationism, the show has been mired in illiberal imbalance on Christianity
[...]
In either case, Brooks should no more have Lisa paraphrasing Marx than Mary Richards angrily burning her bra
Uh, what?
Is this supposed to be a joke post, or just a ridiculously empty link? I couldn't even find out what he was talking about regarding Matt Groening and USAF nose art, for which his article is one of the top links.
posted by zombieflanders at 11:39 AM on January 2, 2014
In a show tellingly titled “The Kid is Alright”—after the mean-spirited movie commending a lesbian freezeout of males as untrustworthy sperm donors
Come on, this can't be for real.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:41 AM on January 2, 2014
Come on, this can't be for real.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:41 AM on January 2, 2014
Well, this article is certainly putting the writing on even the recent series in a comparatively positive light.
posted by jaduncan at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
posted by jaduncan at 11:42 AM on January 2, 2014 [3 favorites]
Fuck equitable political equipoise...and bad writing.
posted by uosuaq at 11:46 AM on January 2, 2014
posted by uosuaq at 11:46 AM on January 2, 2014
I lived with an American Mormon family for a time when I arrived in Japan (I was replacing Mormon Dad as a teacher, and he was on-boarding me).
Anyway, Mormon Dad, a very decent guy from Middle America, absolutely hated the Simpsons (by this time the show had been on air for four or five years). Subversive. Leftwing. Profane. Etc.
But he had never seen it.
So I rented a Simpsons videotape from the local video store (or maybe I had brought one with me) and he loved it. Totally changed his worldview.
Anyway, this article is so retro it's not funny.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014
Anyway, Mormon Dad, a very decent guy from Middle America, absolutely hated the Simpsons (by this time the show had been on air for four or five years). Subversive. Leftwing. Profane. Etc.
But he had never seen it.
So I rented a Simpsons videotape from the local video store (or maybe I had brought one with me) and he loved it. Totally changed his worldview.
Anyway, this article is so retro it's not funny.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014
Wow, this was so much worse than I expected. I read this very sympathetically and came away utterly unconvinced.
If you want to read a good polemic about political axe-grinding getting the better of a comedian, Alex Pareene's takedown of Andy Borowitz is a classic.
posted by BobbyVan at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014
If you want to read a good polemic about political axe-grinding getting the better of a comedian, Alex Pareene's takedown of Andy Borowitz is a classic.
posted by BobbyVan at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014
I remember the hearty welcome they gave to George H W Bush back in the good old days of balance.
posted by Segundus at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Segundus at 11:51 AM on January 2, 2014 [1 favorite]
In a show tellingly titled “The Kid is Alright”—after the mean-spirited movie...
That's some nice detective work, Lou.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:52 AM on January 2, 2014 [7 favorites]
That's some nice detective work, Lou.
posted by Atom Eyes at 11:52 AM on January 2, 2014 [7 favorites]
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posted by scody at 11:13 AM on January 2, 2014 [12 favorites]