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| The Gospel According to the Simpsons |
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 I can't confess to being a big Simpsons fan but I do know that it is watched extensively in many homes all over Ireland. I get to see it when I visit Helen, Tim, Katie, Bethan and Eoghan because it's always on before the children go to bed. Other friends tell me that The Simpsons provide the quietest twenty-three minutes of the day with parents and children being "big fans." So, what is it all about? Why is it so popular? What values does it portray? How are family and faith and God presented? What effects is it having on the TV watching audience? These questions and many more are addressed in Mark Pinsey's book, The Gospel According to the Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family. For those who know little about The Simpsons yet find themselves in conversation with adults and children much more knowledgeable about the Simpson family than the Holy Family this book provides a stimulating, insightful and enjoyable introduction. I imagine that Simpsons fans will simple love it for its insights into the programme, its background, producers, meaning and message. The Simpsons is a situation comedy about modern life, filled with satire, which has at it's centre a family of two parents (Homer and Marge) and three children (Bart, Lisa and Baby Maggie) living in a small town in an unidentified State. What is distinctive about the programme, in comparison to other programmes coming out of the U.S., is the overt place given to faith, God and religion. The members of this family go to Church on Sunday, say grace before meals, pray and discuss moral dilemmas. Pinsky, in his enjoyable conversational style, outlines the spiritual content of the programme. He asks "does Lisa speak for Jesus?", analyses divine imagery, considers the role of prayer in the family and how they deal with a variety of moral dilemmas (in one episode the family discuss with their pastor whether an illegal cable hook up is theft while in another Homer resists the temptation to commit adultery). In the later chapters he considers how various Churches and faiths are presented. The Catholic Church has not always received good press on The Simpsons and the chapter which speaks about the dialogue between members of the Church and the programme makers is interesting reading. Throughout, Pinskey offers the readers a sense of the divergent opinions about the value of the programme and ends by considering the conflict between consumerism and faith. Overall, Pinskey makes a convincing case for pastors and parents paying attention to The Simpsons. There is great potential for using material from The Simpsons in schoolwork, retreats and homilies. For parents, The Simpsons can provide a springboard for conversation around spiritual matters. For all, there is the recognition that, in the words of their creator, the Simpson family is the like the rest of us, only exaggerated – and that gives us the chance to laugh at ourselves - a very spiritual gift. Andrew McNally Pinsky, Mark I., The Gospel According to the Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Annimated Family. 2001, Louisville, KY: Westminister John Knox Press. |
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