Happy 30th Birthday to The Simpsons!

So, The Simpsons is 30 years old today. Happy Birthday!

The Simpsons has been a part of my life since growing up during the golden era of TVQuick in the 90s. I’ve seen every episode and own the best Simpsons mug in the world ever!

I remember people pushing back against watching the Simpsons in my own youth clubs at age 16 in much the same way that I push back against people watching Game of Thrones today. The Simpsons was rude, it was disrespectful and it glorified dysfunction.

At one level this is absolutely true. The Simpsons are an immensely dysfunctional family: Gifted, yet chronically depressed and isolated bohemian Lisa. ADHD-riddled, juvenile criminal Bart. Repressed, anxious and pathologically OCD Marge. Mostly drunk, angry, bumbling, and prematurely aging Homer. And of course, all round psychotic, stunted developing Maggie. Add to this an unruly dog, a terrified cat, an oft experimented on hamster, and a senile old Grandpa – in a detached suburban house – with hyper-conservative neighbour Ned, and a rag tag town of the confused and the ignorant. Then you have The Simpsons.

Sound familiar?

At the heart of The Simpsons massive appeal is empathy and recognition. They unapologetically display the worst of ourselves – and we all find someone to relate to in their yellow world. However, there is a twist – and the twist is hope.

Each Simpsons story arc goes through the same three acts: Act 1, very random setup; Act 2, unbearable and unresolvable chaos and destruction; Act 3, resolution, reconciliation, and loving life lesson.

The Simpsons Third Act

It’s in this closing act that the power of The Simpsons comes through. Even though there is so much chaos and disfunction, the overwhelming power of love always conquers all. The family always ends united and together.

The power of the Simpsons is hope. Granted, sometimes I wonder if Marge would be better without Homer, or if Lisa would be better living in a boarding school – but the place of the family always wins out. There is just so much hope.

There are plenty of books and articles already discussing the place of Spirituality and particularly the Christian religion in The Simpsons, so I won’t retell those stories here. However, the Christian-driven focus on the dysfunctional, yet powerfully united-in-love family is what has kept The Simpsons ticking over all these years. It’s also what will keep the church alive too!

I’m glad to be a fan and wish The Simpsons a very happy birthday indeed!