The Simpsons

In MM12 this year we were asked to do a project on the Simpsons and how the TV show has evolved.

The Simpsons is a television show which many families have enjoyed over many years. It is one of the longest running TV shows around today. The Simpsons first began as a series of ‘bumpers’ or shorts for the Tracey Ullman Show in April of 1987. The full length episodes didn’t start until January 14, 1990. The creator of the Simpsons is Matt Groening. Born in 1954, Matt Groening grew up in Portland, Oregon. IN the mid-1980’s he moved to Los Angeles and started drawing a comic called “Life in Hell” but then heard of an opening for a filler on the Tracey Ullman Show and started drawing the Simpsons. Another animated TV series created by Matt Groening is Futurama. The Simpsons executive producers are James L. Brooks and Al Jean.
           

Although there are many broad characters to the Simpsons, the main voices are actually done by some of the same people. Dan Castellaneta does the voices of Homer and Grandpa, and countless others.

Harry Shearer does a lot of the secondary characters including those of Ned Flanders, Mr. Burns and Smithers. Hank Azaria does a lot of the more foreign voices such as Apu, Moe and Chief Wiggum.

Many women actors such as Nancy Cartwright do the voices of many of the male characters. She does the voice of Bart Simpson, Nelson, Todd Flanders, and Ralph Wiggum.

Julie Kavner the voice of
Marge Simpson and many of her relatives such as Patty, Selma, Jacqueline Bouvire, and
Aunt Gladys.

Yeardley Smith is the only actor within the Simpsons cast who does only one voice, Lisa Simpson. 

Pamela Hayden also takes part in the Simpsons doing the voices of Milhouse, Rod Flanders, Janey Powell, Dolph, and Malibu Stacey.

Other talented actors involved with the voices of the Simpsons characters are Marcia Wallace, Russi Taylor, Tress MacNeille, Maggie Roswell, Doris Grau, and the late Phil Hartman. These are only a few of the voices these actors did. Many of them took on multiple roles. For a full list of these characters go to http://www.area51newmexico.com/simpsons/simpsons_voices.html.

Most of the Simpson characters are actually based on Mark Groening’s own family. Homer is actually based on Groening’s own family. Homer (also the name of Mark Groenings real father) is basically the main character. He is the father of the Simpson Family and has three kids (Bart, Lisa and Maggie) and a wife (Marge). Also included in the Simpson family are their pet dog (Santa’s Little Helper), and a couple cats over the years (Snowball I and Snowball II). Homer works at a nuclear power plant owned by Mr. Montgomery Burns. One of the most famously known sayings comes from Homer “D’oh!” This Duff Beer loving, Ned Flanders hating character truly shows some personality.

Homer’s wife, Marge is also one of the main characters. She and Homer first met at summer camp, but started dating in high school. She is the person who holds the family together. With bright, big blue hair and always wearing a green dress and a pearl necklace, Marge is a traditional family home-maker. Marge is the type who develops a special relationship with everyone, including her father-in-law Abe. She cares deeply about her three children and husband, but is easily influenced. Once her neighbor almost turned her into a criminal and she has been spotted numerous times flirting with other men.

Bart Simpson is a widely known character and is almost as important as Homer. Being classified as a dare-devil and a young hooligan, Bart also has a soft side. Although Bart may constantly be up to mischief within his own town, he still finds time to stick up for his younger sister (when other people are making fun of her) and saving his town from a comet. Bart also finds time to befriend the friendless (such as Milhouse and Ralph Wiggum) and receives lots of support from his dog, Santa’s Little Helper. Bart is the oldest of three children.

Lisa Simpson is a brilliant child who can’t wait to grow up. Being just 8 years old she already outshines Bart academically and is passionate about animal rights. She is a dedicated vegetarian and shares every little girl’s dream, to own a pony. Lisa is the second oldest child in the Simpson Family and plays the saxophone (or sax-a-ma-phone as Homer calls it). Lisa has unsuccessfully tried to create her own line of Dolls (Lisa Lionheart) so she collects many Malibu Stacey dolls instead.  

Being the youngest of the Simpson family and unable to speak yet, there is very little information about Maggie Simpson. Although she is only one year old, she has already shot someone (Mr. Burns) and gained an arch nemesis, the one eye-browed baby. Often found sucking on a pacifier, Maggie has also learned how to spell her name with an etch-and-sketch.

The TV show the Simpsons is also widely known for its reference to other movies, books and TV shows.  The comic character Fallout Boy contains characteristics of Batman and Superman, but mostly represents Robin (hence the outfit). Maggie and Lisa also love “The Happy Little Elves” which actually represent the Smurfs. The Seven Duffs represent the Seven Dwarves from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, being named Tipsy, Queasy, Surly, Sleazy, Edgy, Dizzy and Remorseful. They are seen within the Duff Gardens theme park (which has more referral to the Busch Gardens). McBain is the big movie star in the Simpsons and he is a representation of mainly Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, but also a little of Clint Eastwood. Ozmadair (the little martian who appears beside the Simpsons heads in some episodes and giving them ‘valuable information’) actually represents the Great Gazoo from the Flintstones. Lisa’s favorite doll is Malibu Stacey, which is almost an exact representation of today’s Barbie Doll. And the most commonly occurring double-sided characters would be Itchy and Scratchy. That’s the cartoon Tom and Jerry for you. You can find any of these characters in at least one episode of the Simpsons, the Simpsons Movie, or and of the Video games.

 

The Simpsons has been one of the biggest influences on television to this day. Running for 30 years, it has won awards almost every year. It attracts to everyone’s interests and says some stuff about your culture you never would have noticed before. Some people find this offensive because it points out the wrongs in your society and they don’t like criticism, but I think that this is almost a good thing. It makes you go “Hey. Yeah, we do that a lot” and then you laugh at yourself.

 

Some of the phrases from the Simpsons also have a large influence on everyone. From Homer’s “D’oh” to Bart’s “Don’t have a cow man!” everyone has used at least one Simpsons catch phrase. One of my favorite episodes is where Homer calls the operator and asks for the number for 911.

 

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