Simpson's Same Sex Episode/Seattle

Last Sunday, the popular animated series The Simpsons decided to deal with the issue of gay marriage, a bold and courageous move for any entertainment show in this poliical climate. I watched the show in anticipation of how they would deal with the issue and hoped that at the end, the millions of viewers who enjoy The Simpsons would draw a bit of enlightenment.

If you missed the show, let me recap the plot: After being the brunt of Bart and Milhouse's pranks, a tv personality rates Springfield the lowest of any city he's every reviewed on his list of cities to visit. Soon afterwards, tourism to Springfield fizzles and the town is left wondering how to bring the toursits back. At a town meeting, Lisa suggests legalizing gay marriage in an effort to capitalize on a new segment of the marriage market and to also strike a blow for civil rights. The town agrees and pretty soon gay folks are skipping all through Springfield.

When the new arrivals try to get married, Reverand Lovejoy quickly boards up the church, announcing that he refuses to marry any gay folks. Marge tries to engage him in a theological discussion, but he rings the church bell to drown her out.

With no one to marry gay people, Homer decides to get a preaching certificate and build a church in his garage. At $200 a couple, he will soon be able to buy a big screen tv. The gay folks show up in droves to get married and Homer is racking up.

With no more gay people to marry, Homer starts marrying straight folks. Soon after, Patty, Marge's sister, tells Marge she's getting married. When Marge asks the new guy's name, Patty tells her "Veronica". All of a sudden, Marge's liberal pro-gay stance turns into a liimp and she shows her discomfort over her sister's gayness.

Patty decides to introduce the Simpsons to her fiancee, Veronica, but during the meeting Marge keeps making side remarks. Patty finally tells Marge that if she isn't comfortable with this, she shouldn't come to the wedding. Marge then goes to the bathroom and walks in on "Veronica". Noticing the upturned tiolet seat and "Veronica" shaving, Marge realizes "Veronica" is a man. Tickled by this revelation, Marge decides to go to the wedding.

At the wedding, watching her sister profess her love for this imposter, Marge stops the wedding and announces that "Veronica" is a man. "Veronica" admits that it's true and tells Patty he had to pretend to be a woman to get on the PGA tour where they met and he couldn't tell her because he'd already fallen in love with her. He begs her to marry him anyway to which Patty responds: "Hell no, I like girls".

At the end of the episode, during the closing credits, Homer is still performing marriage, but with the gays and straights married, he's now left to marry people to whatever they walk through the door with.



So...I feel the Simpsons played it safe, playing to the beliefs and arguments to people on both sides of the marriage equality issue. The episode included an argument over the Bible and its silence on the gay issue and the religions figure's unwillingness to have a Bible discussion and Marge announcing that "love is love" yet at the same time it re-enforced typical gay stereotypes: gay men skipping through Springfield, typical "butch' women and of course Patty and Veronica had to meet on the PGA tour.

I also need to mention that the episode had a Parental Advisory announcement. "This episode of the Simpsons deals with the issue of same-sex marriage. Parental Advisory is advised."

I've been watching The Simpsons since I was in college. Actually, that's not true, the first time I watched The Simpsons I was so appalled I didn't watch it again for years. I couldn't believe that show: Itchy taking a chain saw to Scratchy, people being shot, child abuse (how many times is Homer going to choke the shit out of Bart?), alcoholism...all this during prime time. I thought The Simpsons were downright obscene. Now I'm older and little desensitized and it doesn't bother me so much, but really shouldn't ever episode of The Simpsons have a parental advisory? Sunday's programming included back to back Simpsons and the second episode concluded with a man being shot down in the street, blood everywhere, no parental advisory in sight.

So, what are we saying? The sight of two men or women holding hands is more traumatizing than seeing a person shot, a cat sawed in half, a man choking his child in every episode? South Park has the same elements and even that has a parental advisory and it comes on at 10PM ON CABLE. Yet The Simpsons are free to broadcast their violence and dysfunction as they see fit.

But I digress...

I don't understand the motivation behind the Parental Advisory disclaimer, I really don't and I at first thought that it had something to do with FCC regulations or the fear that the show would get boycotted or something, but The Simpsons have existed for 12 years without worry of how the show is percceived. It is one of the only shows on television that doesn't taken studio notes or worry about the public's response, it's why it's been successful for so long. Knowing this, I was very disappointed by its decision to give the episode the equivalent of a PG-13 rating.

I also didn't particularly appreciate the end of the episode where Homer was marrying anybody and anyTHING who would walk through his church doors. It gives credence to the argument of: what's next after marriage? What if people want to marry their cars or pets? I thought that was an irresponsible and disrespectful element of the episode. A friend said she thinks they were trying to argue the frivolity of marriage, but I seriously don't see The Simpsons being that evolved.

I guess I should at least pat The Simpsons on the back for making an effort, the episode wasn't all objectionable and now there is at lest one gay characer on the show.

In other news, I am currently in Seattle. Hanifah is performing her show here at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center. She performed last night to a very positive and receptive crowd and she's performing again tonight and tomorrow. We're going to check out the city in a little bit. After the show last night, the theatre's crew took us out to a black-owned (yes, there are black people in Seattle) restaurant called Marjorie's where they gave suggestions on what to check out. We're very close to the Needle so we'll do that and surprisingly they unanimously told us to check out the library - apparently the architecture there is just to absolutely die for.

The weather here is off, they said. They said that L.A. has their weather what with the rain and all, they are surprised to see the sun in February. No, I mean really, really surprised. I'm worried about being cold here, I brought L.A. clothes. Oh well.