THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ARTS WITHIN THE SIMPSONS AND HIS REFLETION IN CULTURAL STUDIES

THE DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ARTS WITHIN THE SIMPSONS AND HIS REFLECTION IN CULTURAL STUDIES

By Antonio Deodato Marques Leão

Media production, nowadays, has contributed to inter-connection between genres. One very interesting media production is cartoons. More than fun, cartoons promote interesting discussions about society as a whole and interconnect the arts.

The concepts derived from studies on intertextuality favored the dissolution of boundaries between genres, as well as the paradigms that surrounded the spaces of different artistic expressions. According to Claus Clüver the best definition for a "work of art would be a text composed according to a given system of signs, interpretive community that authorizes or requires us to read as a work of art”. Clüver, in 1997, proposed that the linear reading and its hegemonic position were put to the test before the new concepts of text and reading that have emerged with the development and consideration of new technologies and new "arts". He also said that "what we do is actually build relationships between our interpretations of primary objects". In our view, the artists have created, over the centuries, a mechanism of appropriation, interpretation and transformation.

By activating this triad appropriative / interpretive / transformative, artists destroy the borders between the arts, make their rewriting or rereading a hybrid art, recording signs, expanding the interpretations and the influence of a given work.

The need for inspiration makes the artists cross the limits, out of sheer convenience, aesthetics, migrating to other arts. Extending the look to other forms of expression and speech always causes some impact on the artist. In the research, the artists find a lot of materials. These source materials are transformed, treated and re-created in a whole new organic product.

An important step to overcome the boundaries between the arts and promote interarts studies was the rise of semiotics. Clüver emphasizes its importance by stating that one result of the semiotic approach is the practice of considering the products of all artistic activities as "texts" to be "read". This happens because a text is a particular realization of the possibilities inherent in one or more specific sign systems and the construction of its meaning, or meanings, takes place over a wide range of different codes. (CLÜVER, 2001).

Also, through semiotic studies, it is possible to go beyond the paradigms involving language to language as the only means of communication. This is because of the inherent human capacity to produce the most diverse forms of communication. Moreover, the interrelation of different signs, from different arts, extends the concept of "masterpiece", allowing: join the artist in his quilt, fragments that allow a more comprehensive reading of his artistic production, and the reader, through these patches, a reading rich in meanings. (CLÜVER, 2001).

We can watch the inter-arts conception in action in The Simpsons. The Simpsons is an animated situation comedy of the U.S. created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of the lifestyle of the middle class in the United States, symbolized by the family of the same name, which consists of Homer Jay Simpson, Marjorie "Marge" (Bouvier) Simpson, Bartholomew "Bart" Simpson, Elisabeth "Lisa" Marie Simpson and Margaret "Maggie" Simpson. The series is set in the city of Springfield and lampoons the culture, society, television, and various aspects of the human condition. (WIKIPEDIA, 2012).

The humor of the show turns into an inter-arts connection that covers a wide spectrum of society so that viewers of all genres can enjoy the show. Such references, for example, come from movies, television, music, literature, science and other cartoons.

There are a lot of episodes in The Simpsons’ trajectory that highlight this connection. One of them is the Halloween version of Edgar Allan Poe's "Raven". Treehouse of Horror I is the third episode of The Simpsons second season, which aired on October 25, 1990. It was the first of a series of Halloween-themed episodes. In this adaptation, Lisa reads "The Raven"; Bart is depicted as the raven, Homer finds himself in the role of the poem's lead character. Marge appears briefly as a painting of Lenore. The poem is read verbatim, with some of the poem edited out for time. Several times a bust of Poe is visible in the background on a bookshelf.

In the 2º episode of the 19º season, called “Homer of Seville” after an accident, Homer goes to the hospital. There Doctor Hibbert informs him that he developed an ability to sing in an operatic voice, only when he's lying. Mr. Burns immediately hires Homer to sing the leading role in his production of La bohème. It is normal the creators of Simpsons invite some artists to participate in the records. In this episode, Maya Rudolph and Plácido Domingo were invited.

Music is a constant art connection in The Simpsons. Lisa loves to play the saxophone. In the opening of the episodes, she appears to play it. In the 2º episode of the 18º season, called "Jazzy and the Pussycats", Bart gets a drum kit to work out his aggression and becomes calmer. When Bart is chosen over Lisa to be a member of her favorite jazz band, she gets furious and decides to adopt animals to combat depression. The guest stars in this episode were The White Stripes.

To finish our example, in the 2º episode of the 18º season, the annual tree-episodes of “Treehouse Horror XVII”, "The Day the Earth Looked Stupid". After being fooled by H.G. Wells “War of the Worlds”, the citizens of Springfield in 1938 react with nonchalance to a real alien invasion. Is important to point out that in the days following the adaptation of H. G. Wells (1938), there was widespread outrage and panic by certain listeners who had believed the events described in the program were real as occurred in The Simpsons.

Reality and fiction are mixed in the media nowadays. The dialogue between music, media, literature, cinema and other genres, refreshes the old productions and brings them to the new generations.

More than other older cartoons on television of past decades, where the children of the family are always perfect in every way; The Simpson family is more realistic and cruel. The Simpsons are not afraid to show people's flaws, in fact, they embrace them. (123HelpMe, 2012). For example, Bart and Lisa show us that children have different behaviors because “not all kids are perfect which is closer to real life.” (123HelpMe, 2012). Bart and Lisa are two different examples of the youth of our generation. Bart is the typical rebellious child, while Lisa is aspiring and more intelligent than the two. Also, there is Maggie who is an infant. There is little to know about her since she is always an infant. (123HelpMe, 2012).

Parents are also depicted with their goods and bad things. Homer is depicted as stupid, liar, selfish, lazy, and explosive anger. Homer also shows immense apathy towards work, is overweight and is always hungry. “He is ‘a (happy) slave to his various appetites’, and would gladly sell his soul to the devil in exchange for a single doughnut.” (WIKIPEDIA, 2012). Homer often spends his evenings drinking at Moe's Tavern; He depicts an alcoholic behavior. Homer shows domestic violence against children, he often strangles Bart. “Homer shows no compunction about expressing his rage, and does not attempt to hide his actions from people outside the family”. (WIKIPEDIA, 2012). Homer has a complicated relationship with his kids and a poor relationship with his father Abraham "Grampa" Simpson. But, even selfish, he loves Marge.

Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is generally a stereotypical sitcom mother, dedicating her strength to her children and her selfish husband. She loves his family and she can do everything, including to block her personality, to support Homer and her children. Margie and Homer, as normal couples have marital problems. “Through it all, Marge has remained faithful to Homer”. (WIKIPEDIA, 2012).

Different from Homer, Margie has a good relationship with the children, even Bart. “Marge has expressed understanding for her special little guy and has defended him on many occasions”. (WIKIPEDIA, 2012). Marge has a better relationship with Lisa and the two are very close. Marge has a good relationship with her mother Jacqueline and her sisters Patty and Selma. “Marge has higher morals than most other characters, once leading a family values crusade against the violence.” (WIKIPEDIA, 2012). She often provides a voice of reason for other people. Marge is the only member of the family who encourages church attendance. (WIKIPEDIA, 2012). Marge generally is the stereotyped portrait of the mother of the family.

Just by taking a glance at the show, you see that it portrays the typical image of the “traditional American family” of the last decade: mom stays home to cook, clean and take care of the kids, while the husband provides for the family. The little boy is very violent, doing a lot of “cool” things, and of course never studies, while the little girl is very quiet and smart. (123HelpMe, 2012).

Animated cartoons, like The Simpsons, more than fun, promote a reflection about society and a view of the interrelation between arts. Cartoons make part of the media productions; therefore, they play an important role in cultural studies. Cultural studies seek to understand how media production generates, disseminates, and produces a portrait of the society through various practices, beliefs and institutions. As said Douglas Kellner:

A media culture has emerged in which images, sounds, and spectacles help produce the fabric of everyday life, dominating leisure time, shaping political views and social behavior, and providing the materials out of which people forge their very identities. Radio, television, film, and the other products of the culture industries provide the models of what it means to be male or female, successful or a failure, powerful or powerless. Media culture also provides the materials out of which many people construct their sense of class, of ethnicity and race, of nationality, of sexuality, of “us” and “them.” Media culture helps shape the prevalent view of the world and deepest values: it defines what is considered good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil. (KELLNER, 1995, p. 01)

In conclusion, junctions between different types of art - and why not say different types of media - not only promote the dialogue between the various forms of artistic expression but a rich source for cultural studies. Through these productions, it is possible to analyze the behavior of the society with its intersections, contradictions, stereotypes, etc., which help us to reformulate old conceptions in the contemporary world.

REFERÊNCIAS

CLÜVER, Claus. Estudos Interartes: Introdução Crítica. Trad. Yung Jung Im e Claus Clüver; revisão Helena Carvalhão Buescu. Publicado em Floresta Encantada: novos caminhos da literatura comparada. Org. Helena Buesco, João Ferreira Duarte e Manuel Gusmão. Lisboa: Publicações Dom Quixote, 2001. pag. 333-362; Bibliografia de Estudos Interartes. pag. 363-382.

______. Liasons Incestuenses: The Sister Arts in Contemporary Culture. IN: Entre Artes e Culturas. Org. Helena Carvalhão Buesco e João Ferreira Duarte. Lisboa: Colibri, 2000.

KELLNER, Douglas. Media Culture. London: Routledge, 1995.

MLA Citation: "A Sociological Approach to The Simpsons." Available in:

<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=85960>. Accessed in; May 23, 2012.

MLA Citation. "Sociology of The Simpsons." Available in:

<http://www.123HelpMe.com/view.asp?id=85960>. Accessed in; May 25, 2012.

SANTAELLA, Lúcia. O que é semiótica. São Paulo: Brasiliense, 2005.