Rear Window directed by Alfred Hitchcock is revered as one of the greatest movies in American Cinema; every shot and plot point in the story considered a work of art from the creative mind of the ambitious director. Due to this, it has been referenced many times in pop culture, TV shows, amongst other forms of media. One of these TV shows is the long-running titan of cartoons, The Simpsons. The episode “Bart of Darkness” is a parody of the whole movie, using the camera angles and plot points from the movie for comedic and mocking purposes, yet in its own peculiar way pays homage to the source material and Hitchcock with respect.
The similarity between the episode and the movie isn’t very apparent at the beginning, but the show does drop in some subtle hints at the beginning to tell what it will be referencing later. The episode takes place during the peak of summer like Rear Window, and shows everybody suffering under it. Lisa and Bart beg their parents to purchase a pool to beat the heat after going for a swim in Otto’s mobile pool. But the most important piece of evidence comes at a scene which can be written off as unimportant to the casual viewer. When the mobile pool stops abruptly in front of the Simpson’s house, water flows through the “rear window” into Otto’s truck, to which he says, “I gotta replace that window”, (Groening, Bart of Darkness). It is a very subtle but clear case of foreshadowing to what the episode is going to parody later that the observant viewer can see and appreciate.
The parody starts to become more obvious after Bart breaks his leg in a pool accident. He essentially becomes the L.B. Jeffries of the story afterwards; bored, isolated, and with nothing better to do than to watch the world turn. He starts to watch other people go on with their mundane lives with a telescope out of boredom until he comes across the neighbor Ned Flanders acting very suspiciously, who becomes like Thornwald in Rear Window. The episode follows a similar storyline to that of the movie, with the wife gone for a long period of time and seeing both bury something in the ground, which could be either be a body or a piece of crucial evidence. Bart and Jeff become so paranoid that they send their
Its faithfulness to the original story, a musical and comedic taste and friendliness towards children makes the film more interesting and approachable to watch, appealing more people than the play. Moreover, as the Simpsons’ version is more straightforward and hence easier to understand, the producers’ message can be conveyed further. Likewise, as The Simpsons’ characters are familiar, it is easier to empathize with them and for viewers to put themselves in their
Along with the satire of the ignorance of consumers these episode also discusses many stereotypes of modern day society. In this episode Bart meets a new kid, Bashir whose family recently moved to the United States from Jordan. The Simpsons have Bashir and his family over for dinner and Homer becomes suspicious of them because they are Muslim. Throughout the episode Homer tries, to prove that Bashir’s parents are terrorists. This situation represents the stereotypes that are created by society and some believe that all Muslim are dangerous terrorist. Sarcasm is shown in many instances, one that stuck out was when Homer makes fun of the Muslim religion and culture. Instead of saying “Praise Allah” he says “Praise be to Oliver” and instead of saying the Kuraan, he says “the Corona” Stereotypes are shown when Homer automatically assumes that Bashir’s parents are terrorists since they are Muslim. Another example is when one of Homer’s friend Leny tells him “He’s Muslim, so he must be up to something.”
The Simpsons writers entertain the audience of voters and the common people by understatement. They are making light of something that is a big issue. The fact that there is so many people in power that are corrupt and who are in control of our government is something that could deeply affect how our world is.
For decades, “The Simpsons” has been a comic relief for many viewers. It has become a franchise that many individuals buy into for the hilarity of the show’s characters and the ability for the cartoon to explain the messages relevant to the period.
The Simpsons is an American television show that features characters such as Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart and Maggie. This television series is one of the longest and most popular television shows to ever hit the screens with a running of 26 seasons, beginning in the year 1990. The Simpsons is known best for its humor, the characters, the scenarios and the impersonalisation of the “All American” family. However there is also an understanding that The Simpsons has become a worldwide phenomenon not only for the narration and plot of the television show, but for the use of cultural representations and intertextuality used throughout the series. This essay will analysis The Simpsons and question whether or not the series plays with and uses intertextuality
American society has been known as the melting pot of our world’s many diverse cultures. A nation where many come together to form a multicultural environment. Stemming from this American melting pot of culture is the animated television show, The Simpsons, “a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle,” (Flew 1994, p. 97). Starting out as a comic strip created by Matt Groening, The Simpsons came into existence as a thirty minute television show in 1989. As of today, the show has produced over 573 different episodes over a remarkable span of 26 years, and has already been renewed for seasons 27 and 28. The show tends to make many references to our American culture making it a comedic sort of reference to what issues are happening
“Donuts. Is there anything they can’t do?” That is just one of the many thought-provoking questions asked by Homer Simpson on the world famous TV show, the Simpsons. A very basic summary of this show, as said by therichest.com, is that it is set in the fictional town of Springfield, and focuses of different aspects of human condition, such as American culture, television, and society. While it may seem simple, there are a lot of components that go into the making of this show, and the final product. To help everybody body get a better understanding of this show, I will first talk about how the Simpsons came to be a show, secondly, I will talk about the characters, and thirdly, I will talk about the comedic aspects of it.
of Homer by Aeon J. Skoble, Mark T. Conard, and William Irwin is book the dives deep into the true meaning of The Simpsons. This book is roof that The Simpsons holds real literary value. The book examines deeply the characterizations of each character and shows how each character of the show represents someone in the American society and are’t just random fictional characters. The D’oh! of Homer argues that the use of parodies has great cultural and literary value. These references and parodies of classical work have great value because it often reminds people of literature or films they may have forgotten. They state that this “naturalizes our own cultural forgetfulness”. This states that people often tend to forget about classic literature because they are not affected by it in their day to day lives but The Simpsons remind people of these great works and make them relevant again and this is something that has great literary value. The book states that the writers don’t just make literary references but cultural ones as well like “Lisa’s breakfast cereal box is called “Jackie-O’s” I probably don’t have to spell out that this cereal exploits the name given to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis by the popular press--and even the popular press recognized Jackie O as a woman of distinctive beauty not to mention remarkable connections, power, and influence”. This is proof that The Simpsons have great cultural value. The shows uses references not just for laughs but also for cultural statements. The book The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer by Aeon J. Skoble, Mark T. Conard, and William Irwin shows that The Simpsons do truly have literary and cultural
In the “Pilot” episode, The Office forces viewers to reflect on their own existences through its satirical and somewhat
On the other hand of Bart is his sister Lisa. Lisa lives the conformist life; trying to change the world with her music and preaching to everyone, especially Bart, about their wrong doing. Sometimes you almost think that Lisa should not even be a Simpson but rather be a part of the Flanders family. During the show Lisa does many noble things like trying get Mr. Burns to stop his greed, or conform Bart but in the end everyone goes back to who they are and Lisa chalks it up as another loss. This is the kind of life that Nietzsche tried to steer people
This is then seen in the theater which is being attended by the Simpsons. Homer stands up and yells "Boring!” Lisa replies "Dad, we can't see the movie!” Homer then goes off on a bragging about why they're paying to watch something in the theater that they normally watch on TV, and that
The segment of the episode I chose involves a conflict between two protagonists Bart Simpson and Lisa Simpson. The conflict arises when Lisa joins the hockey team and is successful at being a competent player. Previously, Lisa was talented in academic field but inept at athletics.
Another simple example of multilevel humor features Homer sitting on the couch, while another Homer walks past the outside window. Although it takes place in a matter of seconds, this scene is one of countless silly but curiously sensational quirks that makes the show “a masterpiece of tiny, throw-away details that accumulate into a worldview.”
Through the invention of the television, the art of animation was able to transition from the big screen to the small screen. Serialized animated adventures boomed in the 80’s and 90’s as a market to pander for children, with dry, easy to follow storylines and bright flashing colors – no room for adult humor or ideas. However, just as the medium changed from film to television, the medium of cartoons has changed as well, opening up for innovative, if at times crude, animated series. Among this new influx of shows, one space time adventure has emerged to set itself apart from the usual lineup of grown-up cartoons. Rick and Morty has proven to be one of the most entertaining adult cartoon show with its engaging story and characters, witty commentary, and its clever use of science fiction tropes and dark comedy to balance the two.
The Simpsons is an animated adult series created by Matt Groening. it depicts the lifestyle of middle class America in a satirical form represented by the dysfunctional Simpson family consisting of Homer, Marge,Bart,Lisa and Maggie. it is also a parody to American culture, television,society and conditions humans find their selfs in everyday. the show first aired on December 17th, 1987 and has broadcasted 558 episodes and on September 28th, 2014 the 26th season of the show started and is the longest-running American TV sitcom.