Transcription of THE CARTOON SOCIETY: USING THE SIMPSONS TO TEACH …
1 THECARTOONSOCIETY:USINGTHESIMPSONSTOTEAC HANDLEARNSOCIOLOGY* ,TheSimp-sons,canbeparticularlyeffective forillustratingsociologicalthemesandenco uragingcriticalthinkingamongtoday' (1959), ' ,TheSimpsonsisa 'abilitytograspcoursematerialeffectively , mini-societythatencompassesallofthemajor socialinstitutions-education,family,mass media,government,religion,theeconomy-thr oughtheexperiencesofthe"nuclearfamily" ,socialpsy-chology,andsocialstructurehel pscreate"Springfield, , "theSimpson'shometown,asa "Springfield"intheUnitedStates,makingit oneofthemostcom-mongeographicnamesinthec ountry(Getty127 TeachingSociology, ,2000(April.))
2 127-139)128 TEACHINGSOCIOLOGY ideascentraltothestudyofsociologyintheco ntextofthisanimatedsociety,thisre-source encouragesstudentstothinkcriticallyabout courseconcepts,thusenhancinglec-tures,di scussions, (Cantor1991;DouglasandOlson1995;Olsonand Douglas1997;Snow1983)andfeaturefilms(Bur ton1988;Han-nonandMarullo1988;Loewen1991 ;Pren-dergast1986;Smith1973,1982;Tiptona ndTiemann1993;Tolich1992)haveanestab-lis hedplaceinsociologicalpedagogy,andcontin uetobeutilizedincreativeandeffec-tiveway s(Leblanc1997;ValdezandHalley1999).Morer ecently,additionalformsofpopularcultureh avebeensuccessfullyintro-ducedintothecla ssroom,particularlypopu-larmusic(Ahlkvis t1999;Armstrong1993;Martinez1994,1995;Wa lczakandReuter1994),comicbooks(HallandLu cal1999)andnewspapercomics(SchachtandSte wart1990;Snyder1997).
3 Theextensiveliteratureoffersideasforimpl ementingpopularcultureusingnumer-ousappr oachesfora widevarietyofsocio-logicalcourses,coveri ngmethodological, ,Leblanc(1997)demonstrateshowfea-turefil manalyseshelpstudentspracticeethnographi cobservation, "reel"lifesubcultureswithinfilms, ,Martinez(1995)docu-mentsthatstudentscan recognizetheoriesofdeviantbehaviorthroug ha contentanalysisResearchInstitute).Thesho w' "createa uniquelearningenvironment,fos-terclassdi scussion,andhelpstudentsques-tionassumpt ionsaboutthemselvesandoth-ers"(1995:415) .Finally,theliteraturepro-videsresources forutilizingpopularcultureacrossa widespectrumofsubstantivetop-ics,includi ngthesociologyofsport(Snyder1997),race,c lassandgenderinequality(HallandLucal1999 ;Loewen1991;Mar-tinez1994),medicalsociol ogy(Pescosolido1990),socialproblems(Hann onandMarullo1988),andsocialmovements(DeF ronzo1982)amongothers(seeBurton1988).
4 Ina numberofclassroomcontexts,popu-larcultur estimulatesclassdiscussion(Martinez1994; Snyder1997),fosterscriti-calthinkingskil ls(Remender1992;Snow1983;ValdezandHalley 1999),improvesstudentcomprehension(Ahlkv ist1999;Wal-czakandReuter1994),andencour agesindi-vidualstodevelopa sociologicalimagination(Burton1988;Prend ergast1986;TiptonandTiemann1993).Tosumma rize,thesestud-iesdemonstratetheimmensev alueofpopu-larcultureforthesociologicalc lassroomthrougha ,itscriti-calcommentary,anditsabilitytoe ngagestudentsintheactivelearningprocess, TheSimpsonsprovidesanidealresourceforhel pingstudentstothinkandsee"sociologically .
5 "THESIMPSONSANDSOCIOLOGYTheSimpsonsiscur rentlythelongestrun-ningprime-timeshowon television, ,theshowhasbeentransformedfromitsorigina lsatiricalfocusona dysfunctionalnuclearfamily(Larson1993)to a ,andhasbeendescribedas"afun-housemirrorr eflectionofthe'average'Americanfamily,as itstillpersistsinournationalimagination" (MacGregor1999:27). ,recentepisodeshaveinvolvedtheCalifornia Propo-sition187anti-immigrantmovement,fe maleentryintoanall-malemilitaryschool,am unicipaldebateoverlegalizedcasinogam-bli ng,guncontrol,theroleofeducationalandrel igioussocializationinpromotingado-lescen tconformity,thethreatofcorporatedownsizi ng,protestoverloggingnaturalhabitats,med icaltreatmentofattentiondeficitdisorder, andateachers' "real-life"illustrationsprovideanexcelle ntfoundationforlecturesandclass-roomdisc ussionona ,in"LisaonIce"(2F05)
6 , 'steamplaysherbrotherBart'steaminthecham pionshipgame,theirmothertriestominimizet heimportanceofcompetition,whiletheirfa-t heraggressivelychallengesthemtofightmerc ilessly"towinyourparents'love.""LisaonIc e"includesadditionalthemesofdeviance,med iasocialization,theroleofpubliceducation ,riotbehavior, addressessociology' ,it ,TheSimpsonscanbeusefulforupper-levelcou rsesincriminology,education,family,globa lization,socialpsychology,socialmovement s,andrace,class,andgenderstratification, ,butrather, ,imagesofadolescentdeviancearecommonthro ughouttheshow,andaresupplementedwithnume rousreferencestotheroleofthefamily,peers ,schools, " "(IFI2) :"Let'sbuymakeupsotheboyswilllikeus.
7 "TheepisodetracesLisa' 'scorporatemanufac-turer,addressestheiss ueofworkplacesex-ualharassment, 'snewdoll,oneminoritychildencour-agesher friends:"Keeprunning,we'realmostthere."T hisepisodetypifiesthese-riesinthatitaddr esseskeysociologicalconceptslikeconsumer ism,inequality,gen-dersocialization,andp atriarchy, , lessonplanfora lectureof500introductorystudents, ,studentsareexcitedabouttheepisodes,perh apsthestrongestassetofTheSimpsonsasa KevSociolos!icalConceptsasIllustratedbvT heSimosons~~Q~tfj>n~C"J000n~0t"'40~~Soci ologicalConceptHowTheSimpsonsIllustrates theConceptKeyEpisodesandIllustrativeQuot ationAging,Health,andthe-TheSimpsongrand fatherlivesina nursinghomewhereheandtheotherelderly"Sta rkRavingDad"(7F24)LifeCourseresidentsare oftenneglectedbytheoutsideworldandfreque ntlyexperience"OldMoney"(7FI7)ageism"Hom er'sTripleBypass"(9F09) ,withHomer:"Aw, 'vedonea lotofgreatthings,attentiongiventoemergen cycare,hospitalization,mentalhealth,ands urgerybutyou'reaveryoldmannow,andoldpeop leareuseless.
8 [ticklesGrandpa]Aren'tthey?Hzh?Yestheyar e!Yestheyare!Teehee." ("HomertheVigilante"I F09)ClassandSocio--TheSimpsonsarea workingclassfamilylivingmonthtomonthwith thefather"Burns'Heir"(IFI6)economicStatu semployedassafetyinspectorin a nuclearpowerplant"Scenesfroma ClassStruggleinSpringfield"(3 FII)-Powerexhibitedbytheownerofthenuclea rpowerplantandotherelites"HomertheGreat" (2F09)includingtelevisionandsportscelebr itiesHomer:" ,homelessness,thatsheis a betterperson,wecanseehowawfulweandthe"un derclass"reallyare." (3 FII)CollectiveBehavior-Illustrationsofso cialmovementactionsincludinganti-immigra tionsentiment,"BartDiscoversa Comet"(2 FII )andSocialChangeanti-pornographyandcenso rship,1960scounterculture,gayrights,theG reen"Bart'sInner-Child"(IF05)movement,an dprohibitionactivities"Homerversusthe18t hAmendment"(4FI5)-Collectivebehaviorproc essesincludingmobmentality,panicaboutSpr ing-MayorQuimby:"Aretheseprotestersgetti nglouderfield'sdestructionfroma comet,andsportsriotingordumber?
9 "("MuchApuaboutNothing"3F20)Crime,Law,an dCrimi--Attentionis focusedonineptpolicechiefandhisofficersa stheyconfrontillegal"HometheVigilante"(I F09)natJusticedrugs,organizedcrime,stalk ing,terrorism,juveniledelinquency,andvio lence"TheSpringfieldConnection"(2F21)amo ngothercriminalactivityinSpringfield"Hom erBuysa Gun"(5 FOI )-IncludesexploitsofcareercriminalSnakea ndrepeatoffenderSideshowBobBart:"Doyouha veroominyourjailfora two-time-Illustrationsofjusticesysteminc ludingthedeathpenalty,policebrutality,lo ser?"prisons,inequality,discretion,andse ntencingPoliceChief:"No,butthatneverstop pedusbefore."("BlackWIdower"8F20) ' ,misbehavingatschool,"Homer'sDUI"(9F14)d isrespectinghisparentsandelders,andingen eralactingrebelliouswithbehav-"HomerStea lsCable"(7F13)iorsindicativeofa numberofsociologicaltheoriesofdeviance"B arttheMother"(5F22)-Carney,Jimbo,andNels onrepresenttrouble-makingbullieswhocomma nd"TwoBadNeighbors"(3F09)respectthroughc oercionandpettythieveryHomer:"Youcan'tta keawaymyrighttoraisea-TheSimpson'selderd aughteris theclassicalnon-conformist,challenginglo caldisobedientchild.
10 "historicalmyths(WhackingDayandSpringfie ld'shistory)andreligiousfunda-mentalismw hilestrugglingtobethe"smartkid"inschool- Examinesthenatureofworknotonlyasa sourceofincomebutalsoasidentityas"BumsVe rkaufenderKraftwerk"(8F09)exhibitedbya bartender,conveniencestoreclerk,educator ,factoryworker,"LaborUnion"(9F15)governm entbureaucrat,minister,policeofficer,sch oolbusdriver,smallbusiness"MargeGetsa Job"(9F05)ownerandothermembersofSpringfi eld'seconomy"TheOldManandLisa"(4F17)-Inc ludesillustrationsofalienation,complexor ganizations,corporatetakeovers,Homer:" 'mnota safetydownsizing,entrepreneurship,jobtra nsitions,harassment,strikeactivities,and watch-you-call-it,I'mnothing.
