Student's Research Paper I

Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Third Draft Yang Y. Cho
Prof. Sang Kim

Who Can Be the Real Audience of the Simpsons?

1. Introduction

The Simpsons is one of the most successful and popular animations in the world and so, the Simpsons movie will open in sixty-four countries on July 27 (simpsonsmovie.com. 2007). The reason for its popularity is the Simpsons deals with not only very fun topics and various stories and characters but also has a broad range of audiences. Nowadays, many adults like to see TV animations. Walker points out the reasons why adults like the Simpsons is that “it is a cartoon but it is not just for kids; it is very humorous to adults as well” (newnet.org.uk). Actually, according to Desowitz (2002), a third of animation’s audiences are adults and many parents are watching TV animations with their kids to have fun because they just want to feel like kids.It becomes that the animations’ directors have wanted to be satisfied with a broad range of audiences such as men and women and preschoolers, teenagers, and adults. Thus, most of the subject matter of the jokes is not easy to understand for kids and so adults and kids laugh differently about the scenes.Children cannot understand the Simpsons fully and sometimes they are influenced badly by mimicking without judgment. Thus, the Simpsons is not proper for children. For example, everyone including adults will laugh at some simply fun or ludicrous acts but adults will only laugh at some sarcastic stories. Furthermore, sometimes, parents will realize that some of the topics of the Simpsons are not fit for their kids and they worried about the influence of TV animations because of sexuality, violence, impoliteness, and wrong prejudice. However, the time schedule of the Simpsons is 6:30 to 7:30 P.M. Mon. to Fri. on FOX television broadcast and the rating of the Simpsons is TV-PG, TV Parental Guidelines, which means children need their parents’ guidelines when they watch TV (tvguidelines.org). However, it is questionable how many children have watched the Simpsons with their parents every weekday and if children should be allowed to watching the Simpsons.

2. The Bad Influence On Children’s Behavior And Eating Habits

The Simpsons has mainly five characters, father Homer, mother Marge, son Bart, daughter Lisa, and youngest kid Maggie and those are typical characters expected to observe in ordinary American families. Among the characters, Bart always makes some trouble in his elementary school with uncommon behaviors and says negative things for example, he starts to answer with “I will not…”(worldwide-web.com). Thus, Bart is awkward and not a good model character for kids because Bart’s behaviors are described violently and abnormally. For example, in the episode “Please Homer Don't Hammer'Em,” Bart jeers at and fights with his principal Skinner by attacking Skinner’s allergy and in the beginning of the episode “Jazzy and the Pussycats,” Bart goes to a funeral service but Bart plays with a laser beam and ball without seriousness. Those scenes will give children wrong ideas about respecting elder people. However, children will be looking at this character carefully because Bart has similar age, habits, and lifestyle with them. Although those scenes exist to give people humor, children adapt in a different way and they will act directly in their real lives. As they have seen several times, they gradually adapt and imitate those behaviors unconsciously. About this problem, Drake (2002) points out “Parents who aren't careful will find … Bart Simpson… as the role models chosen by their children.” and even teenagers learn secondary characteristics such as clothing behaviors and mannerisms from television.The other problem is food diet for children. Homer is explained like “comic heroes like doughnut loving Homer” (Myers, 2005). It implies that children have followed eating doughnuts like Homer. Actually, British parents are afraid of the effect of unhealthy food habits in cartoon heroes to their children and 59 percent of parents thought the character Homer Simpson promoted to viewers unhealthy lifestyle (Myers, 2005). Obviously, in the scenes in episode “Ice Cream of Margie,” Homer likes ice cream and he has a new job that is selling ice cream with ice cream truck. Homer knew the ice cream is harmful for children but Homer does not stop to selling rather he pushes children to eat ice cream. The other episode “Moe 'N' A Lisa” shows Homer driving while sipping alcohol when Homer is going to literary conference with his family and Moe. Thus, Homer goes and stops his car depending on the sipping and stopping of alcohol. It is just a source of humor but it is dangerous to educate children. According to Cochran (2004) “The Simpsons has the ability to open the table up for discussion on a wide range of issues revolving around the Food and Drug Administration, and has done so over the past fifteen years with humor and style.” However, children cannot understand the deep meaning of the stories and they just misunderstand and accept visual scenes. Thus, the Simpsons is not for kids.

3. Why Do Many Adults Like To Watch the Simpsons?

How many adults are watching The Simpsons? According to West (2006) the Simpsons is the favorite cartoon to parents as 23 percent because of parenting skills, slapstick comedy and the hidden meaning. It is that the Simpsons not only just giving people humor but also has some message. Furthermore, the messages are only comprehended by parents because the Simpsons is mimicking live-action representation so they can relate to the characters and the story lines with their real lives (people.co.uk). Some funny scenes also have sarcastic stories. Sometimes, it solves their problem and relieves their lives through the Simpsons. For example, in the episode “Ice Cream of Marge,” Homer has changing his job to an ice cream seller because he likes ice cream. It makes parents rethink about role of fathers especially responsibility of family. Every father would think about leaving or changing their job when they face some trouble but it is difficult to leave or change their jobs in the real world because of their family. However, Homer can do it instead of them in the cartoon. Otherwise, the other episode “Homer Don't Hammer'Em” and “Ice Cream of Marge” shows that Marge realized her talent and struggles with her environment. It makes to reminds women what the position of women’s lives is as mothers. Some women will have their own job and they will have similar experience in their workspaces. Others will stay at home to care for their family but they will dream of having jobs instead of housework like Marge. Likewise, parents sympathize fully with several issues as compare their real lives. The Simpsons connects with their audiences, adults and it is one of the successful reasons.

4. The Simpsons Is No More For Children

Usually, children possessed the TV animations but recently TV animations have been rediscovered. Especially, the Simpsons is no more for children’s exclusive possession because the Simpsons describes American’s daily episodes with realistic family and the social issues with humorous happenings. Thus, when adults watch the Simpsons, they will realize the Simpsons reflects their lives using different images. In order to have fun, the behaviors of characters look silly and sarcastic social issues are described violently, foolishly, and simply, but not all understand the hidden joke and the whole meaning of stories. Thus, it is possible that these elements and expressions make children misunderstand and give bad influences such as food diet and behaviors of character. Otherwise, adults, the real audiences, can enjoy the obvious jokes and the visual sight gags like kids. They also can solve their stress from their society and get a challenge from the Simpsons. In fact, Lisa already said about who the real audiences of cartoons are in the episode "Krusty Gets Busted"(1989); "If cartoons were meant for adults, they'd put them on in prime time." In addition, Horowitz (2000) explained about that “Its ability to connect to its audience - mostly “adults,” as Lisa so astutely pointed out. “The Simpsons” is a sitcom meant for adults. It's meant for the educated, the intellectual, the pop culture-conscious.”

References

Cochran, J. D. (2004, April 27). “Mmmm... Pistol Whip”: An Exploration of Food, Drugs, and Medical Devices in The Simpsons. Retrieved. June 11, 2007, from http://leda.law.harvard.edu/leda/data/652/Cochran_redacted.html

Desowitz, B. (2002). Age Rage: Who’s Really Watching TV Animation? Animation Magazine 16 no4, 24-32, 36, 40

Drake, S. (2002, June 7). Psychologist Warns of TV's Negative Influence. Retrieved June 9,2007,from http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_75258.html

Horowitz, J. (2000, April 21). A study of the audience of "The Simpsons." Retrieved June 9, 2007, from http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/jh.paper.html

Kogen, J. & Wolodarsky, W.(Writer), Bird, B.(Director).(1989) Krusty Gets Busted [Television series episode]. In Sakai. R (Producer), First Series. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Myers, J. (2005, Aug 14). TV Heroes Need A Health Make-over, Even They Influence Children's Diet. Retrieved June 9, 2007, from http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/3797.html

Walker, K. Why Are The Simpsons So Successful. http://www.newnet.org.uk/karlw/simpsons.html.

Warburton, M. (Writer) & Kirkland. M. (Director). (2006). Ice Cream and Marge [Television series episode]. In Greaney. D (Producer), Eighteenth Series. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Warburton, M. (Writer), & Kirkland, M. (Director). (2006). Please Homer Don't Hammer 'Em [Television series episode]. In Greaney. D (Producer), Eighteenth Series. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Warburton, M. (Writer), & Kirkland, M. (Director). (2006). Moe 'N' A Lisa [Television series episode]. In Greaney. D (Producer), Eighteenth Series. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Warburton, M. (Writer), & Kirkland, M. (Director). (2006). Jazzy and The Pussycats [Television series episode]. In Greaney. D (Producer), Eighteenth Series. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

West, A. (2006, July 2). Simpsons Is Parents’ Favourite. Retrieved June 9, 2007, fromhttp://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17321663&method=full&siteid=93463&headline=simpsons-is-parents--favourite--name_page.htmlRetrieved June 9, 2007, from http:// www.simpsonsmovie.comRetrieved June 9, 2007, from http:// http://www.newnet.org.uk/Retrieved June 9, 2007, from http:// http://www.tvguidelines.org/Retrieved June 11, 2007, fromhttp://www.worldwide-web.com/JeffreyBabad/Simpsons/Bart/index.html