Since 1989, Matt Groening's hugely popular animated series has brought the antics of the Simpson family into millions of homes. In recent years, the series has also proven to be of academic interest, as many colleges and universities now offer courses dedicated to studying the longest running American sitcom.
How the Simpsons Saved American Literature - Hofstra University
This English course takes a look at some of the classics that were referenced or alluded to in the series, stating that, "if the references are important enough to be lampooned by The Simpsons, these works must be important cultural milestones." Some of the works studied in the class are: Huckleberry Finn ("Simpsons Tall Tales" - S12E21), A Streetcar Named Desire ("A Streetcar Named Marge" - S4E2), The Devil and Daniel Webster ("Treehouse of Horror IV" - S5E5), and of course The Raven ("Treehouse of Horror I" - S2E3) and The Telltale Heart ("Lisa's Rival" - S6E2; "The Telltale Head" - S1E8).
Folklore and the Media - Fairleigh Dickinson University
This is an anthropology class that looks at how forms of folklore have been used to "entertain, teach, admonish, and generate group cohesion." To do that, students in the class will explore the use of folklore in film and television in the form of retellings of fairy tales and urban legends in television programs. While The Simpsons is not the core focus of the class, it is studied for its use of urban legends.
Sociology of the Simpsons - University of Fraser Valley
The Simpsons may be an American comedy, but the neighbors up north love it just as much. UFV, a university in Abbotsford, British Columbia, had such a long waiting list for the class in 2007 that they offered it again the next year. Students in the class were expected to make presentations on aspects of culture as they relate to The Simpsons. The class also explored how "the show lampoons such topics as diverse as religion, social roles, democracy, gun control, environmentalism and of course, the family."
The Simpsons as Satirical Authors - Columbia College (Chicago)
This humanities class looks at the "postmodern satirical presentations and commentary which The Simpsons has made (and continues to make) through its utilization of the humanities." The class explores how the series comments on certain issues such as global and political identities and gender using traditional humanities studies in the form of artistic, literary, and philosophical critiques, among others. The class also has a special emphasis on "self-referentiality and how The Simpsons satirizes both itself and its characters as an operative principle and strategy."
Some other colleges and universities that offer or have offered classes on The Simpsons are:
- University of California, Berkeley (The Simpsons and Philosophy)
- Siena Heights University (Animated Philosophy and Religion)
- Rochester Institute of Technology (Introduction to Cultural Studies - The Simpsons)
- San Jose State (The Simpsons as Social Science)
- Tufts University (The Simpsons and Society)
While Groening may not have expected to be here twenty years ago, the fact that his series has made its way into colleges and universities around the world is a testament to the tremendous impact it has had - and will continue to have - over the years.
For a complete episode listing, click here (courtesy of IMDB.com)
Sources:
"ENGL 192C - Description." Long Island, New York's Largest Private College - Hofstra University. <http://www.hofstra.edu/forms/FORMS_courseDescriptionForm.cfm?course=ENGL&coursenum=192C&term=201001&level=UG>.
"Darren Blakeborough." University of the Fraser Valley (UFV): study in Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Mission, (BC, Canada). Web. <http://www.ufv.ca/MarCom/SuccessGallery/DarrenBlakeborough.htm>.
"Course Descriptions - Anthropology." Fairleigh Dickinson University. <http://www.fdu.edu/academic/0810bulletin/224-273.pdf>
Tayla Holman - Tayla is a student at Hofstra University, where she is majoring in print journalism and English with a concentration in publishing ...
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