Essay, Research Paper: Characters Of The Simpsons: Archetypes Of American Society

There are stereotypes of different people and beliefs throughout American's thinking. From early
on we learn to associate certain cultural differences to certain individuals. The cartoon
representations on The Simpsons are a perfect example of such associations. Each character
from the long-running, prime time television show is an archetype of individuals in the
American society. Homer, Lisa, Barney, and all the rest give us a look at what "typical"
Americans should act like while, at the same time, critiquing their attitudes and behaviors.
The Simpsons is not the average cartoon show. Although it features cute, animated
people and many humorous situations it was not meant for children. This is how the show's
writers can get away with such a complex stereotype for each character. Adults and in particular
American adults will understand references made buy the characters, their actions and thought
processes. When picked apart the main characters of the show, the Simpson family, each have
their own Americanized attitudes, which when thrown together encompass the typical "nuclear"
family.
To set the scene for this example, picture a family of five, all doing their various daily
activities: the little boy skateboarding around the neighborhood causing trouble, the little girl at
school concentrating on her music, the mother and baby at the supermarket, and the father
driving home from a hard days work at the plant. All of a sudden the viewer is in this family's
house watching them flop onto the couch in front of the television and doing something to make
you laugh. This is just the beginning credits from every Simpsons show. From the description
given here, it sounds like a nice normal family but actually seeing the events transcribed here
paints a very different picture. Each family member in the sequence does something
stereotypical of an individual in America.
Bart, for example, is getting into trouble, running into people on the sidewalks with his
skateboard. His character could be the preteen troublemaker we see all across the country. Yet
he is clever when performing his wild and crazy antics all over town. In one episode, Bart writes
in for a personal ad in the paper. Come to find out the lady behind the ad is his teach Mrs.
Krabappel. He uses his street smarts and child's imagination to create a fake man, write her love
letters, and even come up with a picture to send. Realizing the trouble this could cause him, Bart
ends the "relationship" but in an extremely creative manner. The mischief of this ten year old
boy could be called typical of all boys his age.
Granted not all little boys end up getting into so much trouble. Any parent can confess
that, for the most part, their children are well behaved and good natured. Elementary school
teachers are always telling the school and the parents about the great things their students have
been doing in class. Although this is true, there are those that like to make a teacher's and
parent's life a little more interesting. Bart is a representative of all the antics school-aged boys
get into. In no way is Bart a true picture of these boys. He is there to exaggerate the problems
we, as a society, perceive these little boys to have, therefore making the show funny and
interesting to watch.
In another episode, there is a great example of how our society thinks that makes
everyone laugh. The Simpson family is having a barbecue and Lisa, being the vegetarian she is,
presents her father, Homer, with a salad to eat instead of his roast pig. The initial purpose of the
get-together was to help the family get to know the rest of the community. But much to Lisa's
surprise Homer shuns her food singing, "You don't make friends with salad!" The social
implications of status are shown here, the salad being of lower quality and prestige than a huge
roast pig. Again the writers are making fun of how Americans look at social gatherings such as
barbecues and questions their relevance. Do people really need to have meat to make friends?
No, not at all. Any true friends would like a person for who they were and not what they serve
for dinner. This is another exaggerated aspect of American thinking. It holds little truth but
what is there is blow out of proportion enough to make us laugh, and realize how futile the act
really is.
This process of putting American society under a microscope is what The Simpsons show
is all about. Without the characters being so typical, so exaggerated, it could not "poke fun" at
what American culture has become. This show takes people we see, such as our neighbors, TV
newscasters, and even celebrities, and blows them out of proportion. In a sense, the character
becomes the archetype for American citizens. The qualities the characters show us is the
supposed norm, and sometimes , it is too close to reality. Every time one of these "norms"
appears through a character's thoughts or actions, we pause to think and consider how silly, yet
real, the action or thought was. If we can picture our friends, bosses, or children as being that
character on the screen, then writers for The Simpsons have done an excellent job. They have
drawn us in and shown us the stereotypes and patterns of behavior we fall into. At the same time
we laugh, knowing that it is all right to make fun of yourself once in a while.