A Marxist analysis of the Simpsons

Comrade Nesbitt has done the international working class movement a tremendous service with his decision to put up his critical analysis of the Simpsons online. Clearly with both an attack on Iran and the Simpsons movie likely to come soon, this could not be more timely. In the early 1990s, US president George Bush used to praise the 1970s series The Waltons, claiming the US could do with less of the Simpsons and more of the wholesome Waltons Doug explains why the Simpsons ideologically challenged the US ruling class then, but also why George W Bush is not likely to make such an attack today:

Ultimately, the Simpsons is a victim of its own success and a victim of the post-Seattle era. The show spawned a world primetime cartoons and now competes for ratings, and in that competition, it’s the spectacle that takes the prize. This means more celebrities, more exotic locations, more gimmicks, more massive plot holes and so on. Rather than being a satirical examination of American working class life and alienation under capitalism, the show has been transformed from satire to spectacle.