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Author Archives: Andrew Bloom
The Simpsons and the Journalistic Battle between a Billionaire and an Eight-Year-Old in “Fraudcast News”
At heart, The Simpsons has always been part media satire. Usually the show would point its satirical lens at television as its medium of choice. The series, simply by existing, took the stuffing out of more typical sitcoms where families were nicer (not to mention richer), and most problems could be solved in an easy and heart-warming fashion. But as I discussed on The Simpsons Show Podcast, the show reserved just as much comic ire for the tired antics of Krusty the Clown, the ultraviolence of Itchy & Scratchy and, of course, the sensationalizing dispatches from Channel 6 news anchor, Kent Brockman.
So it’s natural that The Simpsons would eventually take aim at the broader media landscape, questioning who might take the reins of our sources of information and decide what kind of self-serving spin to add. It’s just as natural for the show to explore the counterreaction to that — the lone voices in the wilderness forging a real connection and trying to be heard above the din. And it’s the peak of both approaches to personify the former in the guise of Mr. Burns and the latter as li’l Lisa Simpson.
South Park’s Pandemic Special Is Surprisingly Earnest
It’s South Park! And they’re covering current events again! In a year where there’s been more news-per-square-inch than anyone can handle, not even the show’s “Six Days to Air” approach can cover it. So instead, Trey Parker, Matt Stone, and their collaborators have birthed a one-hour special to cover (among other topics): COVID-19, police brutality, lockdowns, wildfires, protests, Zoom meetings, mental breakdowns, Donald Trump, the Build-A-Bear Workshop, and an avalanche of the other developments, big and small, that have consumed our lives in 2020.
Posted in Other Animated Shows, Television
Tagged COVID-19, Episode Reviews, Eric Cartman, Randy Marsh, South Park, South Park Season 24, Stan Marsh
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A Brief History of Marge Simpson Versus Washington
You may think it’s a sign of our perpetually insane times that a member of the Trump administration somehow managed to kick up a feud with a cartoon character. Nevertheless, Trump’s Senior Legal Adviser, Jenna Ellis, recently tweeted that Democratic VP candidate Kamala Harris “sounds like Marge Simpson.” This prompted Marge, ever the consummate (albeit imaginary) professional, to issue a polite but cutting response, criticizing Ellis for resorting to name-calling, something she discourages in her young children, and for disrespecting suburban housewives.
That might seem like the latest bizarre cut from the never-ending “greatest hits” of 2020. But The Simpsons, and Marge in particular, have long found themselves entangled with real life political figures, most of whom, like Ellis, underestimated just who they were messing with.
Saying Farewell to Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D
It might surprise you to know that Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. is still on the air. The show (which ends its seven-season run this week) debuted in 2013, one of the first new releases from the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the 2012 megahit The Avengers. Superhero fans, and the public writ large, were champing at the bit to spend more time in that world. They also wanted to spend more time with Phil Coulson, the workaday agent who’d become the connective tissue for Phase 1 of the MCU.
Robocop: A Fable of Humanity Corrupted, Commoditized, and Restored
Robocop is a tale of corruption and dehumanization. The film examines what it means to suck the humanity out of something, replace it with a mix of technology and greed, and witness the grim results when what’s left takes hold. It is an action-packed polemic against prioritizing private profits above the public good, escalation above restraint, and lead and steel above flesh and blood.
But as I discussed on The Serial Fanaticist Podcast, it’s also a paean to the resilience of the human soul, unquenched and undeterred by whatever self-serving, nest-feathering malevolence may have been permeating corporate boardrooms in the 1980s. OCP, an evil company that wants to replace regular cops with robotic enforcers, tries to erase the identity of the man who has become its latest product, so that he‘ll be a better tool and a better soldier. And yet, the man’s connections, to his partner and his family, reawaken and sustain him despite the company’s concerted efforts to stamp both out.
Posted in Classic Films, Movies, Sci-Fi Movies
Tagged 1980s Movies, Action Movies, Film Reviews, Paul Verhoeven, Peter Weller, Robocop
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Back to the Future, E.T., and the Wonder of a Non-Violent Blockbuster
The modern blockbuster is built on combat. No matter what emotional depths our heroes may uncover — no matter the melodrama, deconstruction, or social commentary that emerges in their wake — there had damn well better be enough eye-popping fisticuffs to justify tugging on the producers’ purse strings.
But there’s a model, in movies like Back to the Future, Mary Poppins, and E.T., for exciting, special effects-heavy films that don’t rely on high-powered scuffles to create their spectacle and awe. Big problems that must be solved, eye-catching showcases, and great escapes can all provide a means for cinema’s auteurs to wow audiences along a different dimension. In the process, these types of movies provide an alternative to the monotony of the standard third-act action sequence and call for more imagination than the usual collision of fists and firepower.
Posted in Classic Films, Movies
Tagged Back to the Future, Blockbusters, E.T., Essays, Mary Poppins
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What We Do in the Shadows: The End of Season 2 and What We Really Want for Guillermo
What I want for Guillermo de la Cruz as a person directly conflicts with what I want for him as a T.V. character. That’s an inherently silly conflict because, of course, Guillermo is just a T.V. character. But as I discussed on The Serial Fanatacist Podcast, part of what makes him so compelling on What We Do in the Shadows is how real and relatable his predicament is, despite his obviously fictional and fantastical circumstances.
None of us know what it’s like to be the put-upon familiar for a house full of self-involved vampires. But almost all of us know what it’s like to feel that your hard work is unappreciated, that your contributions are taken for granted, and that you have a greater potential that could be realized elsewhere.
The Simpsons: Krusty’s Newfound Faith and Jewish Representation Abound in “Today I Am a Klown”
One of the many distinctive things about The Simpsons is that religion is a big part of its characters’ lives. The eponymous family is full of grousing but nevertheless consistent church-goers. Lisa wrestled with the Eighth Commandment. Homer chatted with the big man himself about life, the universe, and everything. Ned Flanders questioned his own usually unfailing devotion and, for better or worse, Apu’s Hindu beliefs have been a major element of his persona. Even Reverend Lovejoy has faced down his own growing apathy and waning commitment to his flock.
And, of course, the show features the world’s most famous Jewish clown. As I discussed on The Simpsons Show Podcast, Krusty (real name: Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky) is an odd place to look for representation if you are, like yours truly, Jewish. He is venal, crude, and shameless. And while there’s occasionally good cause to sympathize with him, there’s rarely a reason to truly admire the guy as a symbol of Semitic humor or charm.
Posted in Television, The Simpsons
Tagged Episode Reviews, Judaism, Krusty the Clown, The Simpsons Season 15
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In Mrs. America’s Finale, Women Lose Even When They Win
The real Gloria Steinem recently criticized Mrs. America. She argued that the show misses the mark in its depiction of Phyllis Schlafly as the biggest obstacle to passing the ERA, rather than blaming the more pernicious and powerful forces at play. Steinem characterized this as part and parcel with a longstanding ploy to set women against one another, rather than address the real obstacles and causes behind the systemic hardships they face.
In a strange way, I think Mrs. America, or at least its finale, agrees with her. As the show’s done so often, “Reagan” contrasts the fictionalized Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, and the rest of the women’s liberation movement on the one hand, with Schlafly and her acolytes on the other. Both hold lavish events. Both continue the fight over the ERA. And both, most notably, vie for the ear of those gunning for the Oval Office.
But in the end, both sides collect nominal wins while ultimately losing, having only truly succeeded in thwarting one another.
After Its Season 3 Finale, Westworld May Be Unfixable
If I could make only one rule for Westworld, it would be this — no more twists. The series is addicted to pulling the rug out from under its audience, trying to make fans say “whoa”, or otherwise recontextualizing everything the audience has seen so far. That approach completely undermines the show’s attempts to tell stories, establish character, and convey meaning. As I discussed on the Serial Fanaticist Podcast, when everything the audience sees is merely a setup for some later subversion, none of it matters, and all the audience at home can do is wait for the punchline.
