Information Wants To Be Free � The Simpsons on libraries
I can't believe I haven't seen this episode--me with an in-house Simpsons connoisseur? Please read the dialog as provided by Meredith.
I often think there should be a study on the raising of the children in the Simpsons era. The Simpsons run is roughly contiguous with Monster's (affectionate nickname for offspring)life. I believe we watched the early toons on the Tracey Ulllman show when she was a toddler. It went to its own show when she was three. Yes, she was awake. She has had a clear preference for animation over live action her entire life. I can only partly blame Disney. I took her to Miyazaki--Princess Mononoke--when she wanted to see the Pokemon movie. Started a mania.
Monster has watched more hours of The Simpsons than I have watched of M*A*S*H, Star Trek, Gilligan's Island, Petticoat Junction, Green Acres, Leave It to Beaver, My Three Sons, etc., combined.
But the Simpsons! Satire and irony and small children. Are they describing the library of the future? Or is it the library of the current? I have had middle-class patrons come in from the suburbs and express shock at the number of gentlemen of leisure reading the newspapers in my department. I thank god for them. They are not necessarily bums, or homeless. Some are fragrant. They come in and use our resources. Ocassionally, one is drunk, or under- or over-medicated. Even then, they follow the rules pretty well. They like to read the newspapers. I have staff members (not from my department) that have greater difficulty following the rules. Oh, those missing issues, where do they go? (I keep meaning to do a post on "the big weed" as my administration is calling it. Currently on hold due to a lack of boxes--HA! HA!) I am happy the Simpsons are enshrining some of our issues. It means someone is noticing.
(Maybe one day they'll notice that even if I am a middle-aged white lady, no one has ever described me as matronly.)
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3 comments:
I remember when I was younger, there were parents who wouldn't let their kids watch The Simpsons and I thought it was completely bizarre. Compared to what's on TV now, the Simpsons is SO tame. But also, The Simpsons offered amusing insights on the world and clever references to literature, pop culture, philosophy, etc. I still love the Ayn Rand daycare episode! Great stuff. Your blog is great. Thanks for bringing my attention to it. :)
Thank you, Meredith--your blog inspires me. I don't think I encountered irony on TV before All in the Family. That was revolutionary. OK, Green Acres had irony, but it went zoom past me. I realized much later that I didn't get ANY of the jokes. Oh, Bugs, what am I thinking? Didn't get most of those jokes, but I had a bigger clue what made him funny. I take back my Simpsons worries. In fact, everyone should watch them, all the time! Or Bugs.
I own all the Simpsons seasons on DVD, or at least the ones released so far (I think we're up to Season Five) and I have to say there has been little else on TV over the past fifteen years or so that has been as influential. Seinfeld is the only show that compares, in terms of cultural relevance and insight.
Ayn Rand daycare was hilarious, but nothing beats the Sherry Bobbins episode. My God that was gut-busting funny.
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