Pop Culture: Why Do We Have Too Much Time

In the 1990’s, America was preparing itself to transition into a new millenium (the year 2000). During that monumental shift, the America (or rather, the Americans) of that time became infatuated with a television show by the name of The Simpsons. First created by cartoonist Matt Groening for a series of animated shorts that debuted on The Tracey Ullman Show, The Simpsons has been showcased for an estimate of twenty years, with the show’s first official episode airing December 17, 1997. Despite the longevity of the program, The Simpsons still to this day has great success. In fact, it is a show religiously watched by many and all Americans know (or at least recognize) the family’s name. Moreover, The Simpsons’ characters, themes, and dogmas

And in a way I believe that’s its job.” According to the Oxford dictionary popular culture is culture transmitted via mass media and aimed particularly at a younger demographic. In this paragraph I will be addressing how pop culture is affecting us more than society affects it and why that is. In an article simply titled, Why We Have Too Much Time On Our Hands, Psychology Today’s Dr. Jim Taylor goes over why we have too much time and the effects of having too much spare time. He writes, “Why [do we give] such devotion to something so [comparatively] unimportant in our lives?”(Jim Taylor, para. 4). Well, according to Sre Ratha from Medium, “The first and most rudimentary effect of pop culture is how it builds and strengthens interactions with people who are also into the same kind of things...pop culture helps people grow and be more accepting considering the vast amount of representation throughout the various genres in pop culture” (Medium, Impact of Pop Culture on Society). In fact, as popular television programs have become more inclusive by adding in people of color, differing socioeconomic classes, diverse religions, and openly gay characters, the face of popular culture and its role in society has shifted. Although I strongly believe in the power of inclusion, can that need to relate to all social classes be taken too far? The answer is

Over time however, the comedic program shifted to pure satire. The Simpson family is not only showcased as imperfect, but also depicted as the face of middle-class America. This satirical portrayal and gross misrepresentation gives the impression to viewers, around the country and around the world, that middle income families should be perceived as un-orderly and uneducated. Again, this goes back to popular culture telling people what to think of themselves and what they need to have and do to be considered normal before they’ve even had the chance to figure this out for themselves. The main character, Homer Simpson, is an overweight, overworked father, who loves donuts and drinking beer, happens to have no talents and all he ever does is screw up. His wife, Marge, is a mother of three who is marginalized in her own home (most of the time by her own husband) and is always unsatisfied, yet fails to voice her frustration. Bart Simpson, the eldest child, is known for his constant trail of wreckage and pessimistic persona. Lisa, the middle child, is a typical “good girl” yet she is seen as an outsider that causes disappointment within her home. The third child, an infant by the name of Maggie, is displayed as curious and wise (i.e., not yet corrupted by her family). What was once a harmless show suitable for the entire family has slowly become a harmful pass