The Simpsons as a Sitcom

1382 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The simpsons impact

The Simpsons as a Sitcom

"The Simpsons" is an example of an American sitcom. A sitcom is

situation comedy, which is when the same setting and same characters

appear in every episode. Examples of sitcoms are programs such as

"The Crosby Show" and more recent sitcoms such as "Friends". Sitcoms

surfaced in the 1950's in America showing the "ideal" family. Slowly

sitcoms started to show the reality of life and dealt with social

issues such as divorce and unemployment. Sitcoms have become very

popular because people could relate to the program and sitcoms show

problems, which happen in every day life in a light-hearted way. These

are some of the reasons why "The Simpsons" is very successful and

popular. In this essay I am going to use the example of "The Simpsons"

and evaluate to see how it follows the conventions of the sitcom

genre.

The opening sequence of "The Simpsons" introduces us to the main

characters and we can see the stereotypes, which are used in the

programme. In the opening sequence we see Homer at work. This is what

a stereotypical father's role is. We are also shown how Homer goes

against the stereotype because he takes some radioactive waste with

him showing that he is careless. Marge is shown doing the shopping and

looking after the baby Maggie. Marge fits the stereotypical role of a

mother in the sense that she is a housewife and takes care of the

house. In the programme Marge sometimes goes against the stereotype

because she seems to be the authority figure of the family and this is

what the man of the house is supposed to do. Bart is shown in

detention in the title sequence. Bart does not fit the stereotypical

...

... middle of paper ...

...f the air because people would take offence to it.

"The Simpsons" is a very successful programme and has been running for

a very long time. Many people have different views on "The Simpsons"

some think that it is rude and stupid others think that it is funny

and realistic. I think that "The Simpsons" shows the reality of life

in a light-hearted way. I think this is why it is a successful

programme and also the humour kind of hides the rudeness and that is

why people don't take offence to it. In some ways "The Simpson" is a

sitcom because it has a family in it and has the same characters and

the same setting in every episode. In some ways it isn't a sitcom

because it goes against stereotypes and does not set a good example to

others. Despite this I still think it is a very good programme and

should be called a sitcom.

Show More
Related

  • The Popularity of The Burns and Allen Show

    761 Words  | 2 Pages

    Vaudeville was very popular from the late 1800s to the early 1900s in North America. Vaudeville shows were made up of many random acts that were placed together in a common play bill. Some acts were, for example, plays, clowns, jugglers, comedians, etc. Once the radio was introduced, vaudeville’s started to become less popular as the radio’s popularity started to increase. The radio started out with maximum five programs but as the demand for radios increased so did the amount of programs, which went up to almost 500. Radios was the place families and friends gathered to hear the news, sporting events, music, entertainment, etc. One show millions of people listened to was The Burns and Allen Show, starring George Burns and Gracie Allen. Allen was the one who had all the punch lines and was very silly and Burns was the straight man, serious, and was the one who allowed Allen the opportunity to say her punch lines. Burns and Allen were one of the few people who succeeded in different medians and brought changes to the way entertainment was performed.

    Read More

  • An Analysis of the Television Sitcom, Different Strokes

    504 Words  | 2 Pages

    Different Strokes a comedy sitcom, first aired in 1978, and lasted until 1986. This sitcom consisted of a widowed Manhattan millionaire, Phillip Drummond , who adopted two orphaned brothers. Arnold who was 8 years old and Willis who was 12. The boys' mother was Drummonds housekeeper who became very ill, so Drummond made a promise to her that he would take care of her two sons after she passed away. Drummond treated the two boys like his own. He also lived with his daughter, Kimberly, who was 13 years old, and his current housekeeper. This sitcom showed typical life lessons in growing up, and social problems that were occurring during that time. Some of the aspects of this show were both positive and negative.

    Read More

  • Does Homer Know Best?

    1615 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sitcoms like The Simpsons, are used to show that the traditional family is not what it is played out to be on other shows like Father Knows Best, The Jetsons and Leave it to Beaver. The Simpsons challenges and upholds the traditional sitcom while representing the American nuclear family as a unique and lovable family. Like most shows that come out of Hollywood, The Simpsons is pro-Democrat and against Republican views. This show suggests that not following the traditional family roles will you give you a happier life. Gender roles are often used in the show to demonstrate masculinity and femininity. Through satire and parody, The Simpsons addresses gender roles and the typical problems and behavior of an average American family.

    Read More

  • Pleasantville

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    Popular culture is the artistic and creative expression in entertainment and style that appeals to society as whole. It includes music, film, sports, painting, sculpture, and even photography. It can be diffused in many ways, but one of the most powerful and effective ways to address society is through film and television. Broadcasting, radio and television are the primary means by which information and entertainment are delivered to the public in virtually every nation around the world, and they have become a crucial instrument of modern social and political organization. Most of today’s television programming genres are derived from earlier media such as stage, cinema and radio. In the area of comedy, sitcoms have proven the most durable and popular of American broadcasting genres. The sitcom’s success depends on the audience’s familiarity with the habitual characters and the situations

    Read More

  • Hyper-Irony In The Pilot Episode Of Modern Family

    871 Words  | 2 Pages

    Family comedies have evolved throughout the past century. What was once revered as classic has completely changed forms and turned into the comedic experience we witness today. Family sitcoms in particular have been converted to show a broader picture of how family’s interact in today’s world. This greatly appeals to today’s audiences and is what people want to see. Modern family specifically has tapped into what nontraditional families are all about and even with being so alternative has resonated with every type of family, making it one of the most popular shows on TV at the present moment. The pilot episode of Modern Family uses hyper-irony, allusions and uses references to technology to enforce comedic impact.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Everybody Loves Raymond

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    Younger generations and the more vulnerable in society can be influenced in avoiding peer pressure, but for the individuals filled with wisdom, the shows can reflect based on American modern society. Everybody Loves Raymond and Full House are great shows who faces similar life obstacles a typical person living in the US has today. As a result, most modern family comedy sit-coms are reflecting our society’s generations and the more vulnerable. Based on the success of early family sit coms, American’s adapted to a fast pace lifestyle with the help of modern

    Read More

  • The Brady Bunch

    712 Words  | 2 Pages

    The word sitcom is short for Situation Comedy. A good sitcom story idea places the star (or supporting character) into a situation in need of a resolution, which will cause the character to respond in unexpected, exaggerated, and hugely sidesplitting ways (Rannow, pg. 13). A comedy now days are different from how they were in the 1960's and 1970's though. Today directors use sexual content and foul language to make people laugh and do not usually have a purpose or point to get across to the audience with each show. In earlier comedy, such as The Brady Bunch, Director Jack Arnold tried have a lesson learned in each episode while still maintaining a sense of humor, minus the foul language and sexual content. Although the show is not extremely funny to most people it is still a classic show that deserves to be remembered.

    Read More

  • The Impact of African-American Sitcoms on America's Culture

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Impact of African-American Sitcoms on America's Culture Since its start, the television industry has been criticized for perpetuating myths and stereotypes about African-Americans through characterizations, story lines, and plots. The situation comedy has been the area that has seemed to draw the most criticism, analysis, and disapproval for stereotyping. From Sanford and Son and The Jefferson’s in the 1970s to The Cosby Show (1984) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in the 1990s, sitcoms featuring black casts and characters have always been controversial. However, their significance upon our American culture cannot be disregarded.

    Read More

  • Effects Of Socialization In The Simpsons

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    Socialization plays in important part in the passing on of culture from generation to generation. It is defined as the lifelong process of social interaction through which we acquire a self-identity and the skills needed for survival. The agents of socialization provide the necessary social interactions to teach culture to individuals in a society. The four primary agents of socialization include parents, education, peers, and media. The most pervasive one, media, has a major role in teaching messages about the norms in culture. The purpose of this project was to observe the subtle messages that a TV series, like The Simpsons, send about gender, class, disability/ability, and age.

    Read More

  • Everybody Hates Chris

    1151 Words  | 3 Pages

    Since television came into existence, it has evolved into a useful tool to spread ideas, both social and political, and has had a great effect on the generations growing up with these heavily influential shows. To these younger generations, television has taken the role of a teacher, with the task of creating a social construction by which many of us base our personal beliefs and judgments on. This power allows television shows take the opportunity to address problems in a manner that many audiences can take to heart. Many television shows present controversial topics in a comical matter, in some ways to soften the blow of hard-hitting reality at the same time bringing attention to the issue being addressed. In the television show, Everybody Hates Chris, season one, episode four entitled “Everybody Hates Sausage”, the stereotypes that continue to fuel racism are examined in a satirical motif, and class is presented in a comical way, but carries serious undertones which present a somewhat realistic view of the different social strata within the United States.

    Read More

  • Comparison Between The Simpsons and Futurama

    1191 Words  | 3 Pages

    cower in fear and a thriller should keep you on the edge of your seat.

    Read More

  • Racial Diversity In Pop Culture

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...Latinos and European Americans that goes beyond superficial jokes? It is a contemporary and insightful exploitation of today's diversity issues, yet it does contain a noticeable exclusion. There are no black lead characters. For a show that addresses diversity issues, this is an apparent elephant in the room. I believe it is because it is easier to write affirming comedy about gays, latinos, youth, and older people, but not racial issues. It would very difficult to to make comedy of racial issues because white privilege is a very serious occurrence. The total avoidance of it, just reflects how race is still a tricky subject in the United States.

    Read More

  • Stereotypes In Sitcoms

    1008 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The sitcom is a jumble of mixed metaphors: the repetition compulsion of eternal sameness conjoined to a desire to overturn the established order; a profound aesthetic conservatism bundled with an ingrained desire to shock. Every sitcom possess not just a routine that it perpetually seeks to overturn but also a particular style of fomenting that chaos.”

    Read More

  • Cultural Stereotypes In The Family

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Sitcoms on television often use cultural representations in character choices as well as in situations the characters may fall into. Popular cultural themes can be shown in relationships between characters, such a family dynamic. One of the most popular examples of a typical family dynamic is a when the father of the family is on top of the hierarchy. We have seen this family stereotype on television for decades, namely Leave it to Beaver. Over time, stereotypes and norms of western culture have been embedded into popular television programing. A prevalent sitcom over the past six years has been a show called The League, which gained popularity due to the rise in popularity of fantasy football. The show made to be a comedy based around a group of friends who partake in a fantasy football league. In this show, many obvious cultural stereotypes arise that

    Read More

  • Analysis of Women's Rights Articles

    526 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the article, Compromising Positions, Kathleen Collins writes about how the television, especially family television shows, portray women. She believes that even still today television shows like Friends, Everybody Loves Raymond, or the home improvement shows like Merge and Mix It Up, women are still portrayed as "housewives who bustle and cluck while their hapless husbands do little more than hand out spending money (Collins, par. 1)." She believes that these shows "reinforce old prejudices regarding women's emotional ties to the home rather then challenging assumptions about which gender likes what kind of living environment and why (Collins, par. 17)."

    Read More

More about The Simpsons as a Sitcom

Open Document