Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis: The Simpsons

Abstract

This paper takes a look at a satirical animated family of the television show, The Simpsons from the symbolic interactionist perspective and how society is harmed by social inequality bias. There are two distinct social inequalities in the episode, “Luca$” that deal with skinny verses obese and outlaw verses law. The skinny characters of Marge, Lisa, Maggie and the outlaw characters of Snake and Bart were seen as educated, strong, cunning, and idolized. The obese characters such as Homer and Luca$ and the law characters portrayed by the Springfield Police are looked as inept, lazy, undependable and uneducated.

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective Media Analysis: The Simpsons The television show I chose to do a symbolic internationalist perspective media analysis is The Simpsons episode titled, “Lucu$”. The Simpsons is an animated sitcom comedy show themed that’s main family, the Simpson’s are a satirical look of the lives a typical American middle-class family and has parodies of American culture. There are many social inequality themes throughout this episode such as educated verses uneducated, skinny characters like Lisa verses Homer’s obese character and Lisa’s love interest Luca$ who is a completive eater. The Springfield Police force is looking for Snake, an escaped convict, all while Bart lies to the law about Snake’s whereabouts when he knows where Snake is hiding. SKINNY VERSES OBESE

Many of the scenes in this episode revolve around the school age children during school areas such as the lunchroom and with Luca$ and Bart’s friend Millhouse coming over to the Simpson’s home. The social inequality of skinny verses obese starts in the interaction between Luca$ and Lisa is first Lisa’s disgust when she sees Luca$ overeating in the cafeteria but accepts him. Homer is thrilled to meet Luca$ when he comes over to a playdate with Lisa. During Luca$’s visit, the aunts, Patty and Selma are sitting in the kitchen talking to the Mom, Marge. You can see Luca$ and Lisa playing outside and LucaS is overeating. There is a shot to Homer, who is also overweight and them laughing and then Marge looking back at the kids playing outside with a worried look on her face. Marge then sees her youngest daughter holding a fat stuffed pig toy and takes that away from Maggie, instead handing her a slim bear in a suit while Maggie makes a phone signal with her hand communicating, “Call me.”

Marge doesn’t want her girls to end up marrying someone better than Homer. Marge has premonition of what Lisa’s life will be if she married Luca$. During this premonition, she sees Lisa serving an obese Luca$ in a broken down kitchen setting. Lisa looks worn down and like she has given up her dreams to be with Luca$. It ends with Luca$ trying to give Lisa a kiss, but instead, he eats her, snapping Marge out of her daydream. Marge decides to change the way Homer’s relationship is with Lisa, so she can have a better future, which insults and upsets Homer thinking that he is not good enough. Marge later apologizes to Homer at his and Lisa’s Daddy and Daughter date. In the end, Lisa sees Luca$ eating a salad in the cafeteria and he looks like he gave up competitive eating. The obese are viewed to be uneducated, undependable and lazy, while the skinny characters are viewed to be intelligent, reliable and responsible. OUTLAW VERSES LAW

The social inequality of outlaw verses law, Bart keeps his silence of the whereabouts of Snake, an escaped convict. Bart lies to the police and Snake later rewards him for his silence by leaving him gifts in his treehouse. These gifts include things that Snake has since stole from others such as a PS4 gaming system, a globe and telescope from Springfield Elementary that Bart and Millhouse use as equipment and play baseball in the backyard, a live tiger from the Springfield Zoo, and a suit of armor complete with sword and a catapult from the Springfield Museum of Medieval Armaments which Bart and Millhouse use to bully the school bullies. Snake eventually steals an iPad from Millhouse and gives it to Bart, and Millhouse looks to question where Bart is getting all his new things. Millhouse rates out Snake and Bart finds out while they are watching a newscast that Snake will be put to death.

Bart convinces Millhouse that they need to save Snake, telling him Snake has a child and reminding of Millhouse of a time his father was not there. While Snake is in the jail, the police look stupid and lazy and Snake gets the upper hand when the Chief gets close enough to his cell that he has to open it and let Snake escape again. In conclusion, watching this episode of The Simpsons made me think of how badly television portrays the obese and the law. If we constantly view one group to be lazy, uneducated, and undependable, while holding another social group as being the best, fit and healthy then viewers are given a disservice. Anything that is not considered a norm in our society is considered open to ridicule and for those social groups that face that bias like the obese, poor, homeless or learning disabled in our society are harmed by those biases.

Reference
Omine, Carolyn (Writer), & Clements, Chris (Director). (2014). Luca$ [Television series episode]. In Matt Groening (Executive producer), The Simpsons. Culver City , CA: Gracie Films.