The Impact of The Simpsons on American Children :: TV Television Media Essays

The Impact of The Simpsons on American ChildrenThe Simpsons is one of Americas virtually popular television shows for viewers under eighteen years of age. However, the ideals that The Simpsons conveys argon not always wholesome, sometimes not even in dangerous taste. It is inevitable that The Simpsons is affecting children. Matt Groening took up drawing to escape from his troubles in 1977. At the time, Groening was operative for the L.A. Reader, a free weekly newspaper. He began working on Life in cuckoos nest, a humorous odd mooring consisting of people with rabbit ears. The L.A. Reader picked up a copy of his comic strip and liked what they saw. Life in Hell gradually became a common comic strip in many free weeklies and college newspapers crossways the country. It even developed a cult status. (Varhola, 1) Life in Hell drew the attention of James L. Brooks, producer of works such as Taxi, The Mary Tyler Moore figure, and Terms of Endearment. Brooks originally wanted Groeni ng to make an frolicsome pilot of Life in Hell. Groening chose not to do so in fear of loosing royalties from papers that printed the strip. Groening presented Brooks with an overweight, balding father, a mother with a blue beehive hairdo, and three obnoxious spiky haired children. Groening intended for them to fight d admit the typical American family who love each other and drive each other crazy. Groening named the characters after his own family. His parents were named Homer and Margaret and he had both younger sisters named Lisa and Maggie. Bart was an anagram for brat. Groening chose the last name Simpson to in force(p) like the typical American family name. (Varhola, 2) Brooks decided to put the 30 or 60 second animations on between skits on The Tracy Ullman Show on the unsuccessful Fox network. Cast members Dan Castellaneta and Julie Kavner did the voices of Homer and Marge. Yeardley Smith (later to one in Hermans Head) did the voice of Lisa. Nancy Cartwright did the vo ice of Bart. Cartwright previously supplied the voices for many cartoons, including Galaxy High, hazardous Max, Richie Rich, Snorks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony, and Glo-Friends. Tracy Ullman later added Cartwright to her cast. (Dale and Trich, 11) Brooks, Groening, and Sam Simon, Tracy Ullmans producer, wanted to turn the Simpson family into their own show. The Fox network was looking for material to appeal to younger viewers.