The Simpsons are back for season 37, and the showrunner, Matt Selman, revealed how the animated series will be handling real-world politics. And, it’s far more different than what similar shows, such as South Park, have done.
The 800th episode of The Simpsons is titled Thrifty Ways to Thieve Your Mother. And, it has nothing to do with politics. When Entertainment Weekly asked about the recent events revolving around Trump and freedom of speech, Selman explained that since season 37’s episodes were written 10 months ago, they had no way of knowing about Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension.
However, he mentioned that they likely wouldn’t have focused on the President of the United States’ antics even if the show had been written amid the recent controversies. He said that while he agreed with South Park’s stance on Donald Trump’s battle against the media, his goal for the long-running show isn’t about responding to current events or making political statements.
Well, when you write a show that doesn’t come out until 10 months after you write it, it kind of takes the pressure off, because who knows what the f— we’re gonna be looking at in 10 months. So like South Park, they make their show in a week, and even they can’t stay up to date on things. More crazy s— goes down faster than even they can do it. And you know, Jimmy Kimmel’s great, and I’m glad he is back on TV. Censorship sucks. What can I say? Censorship sucks.
But it’s not our mission statement to respond to the crisis of the moment. It’s more about a town of good-natured dum-dums dealing with a changing world, yet our characters never really change. The world changes around them.
Selman also stated that he wanted to make sure that people from all sides of the political spectrum could watch the show without feeling judged. So, removing anything that has to do with Trump and his opinions would ensure that no one would feel like they’re being targeted for their beliefs.
We’re not gonna do a big show where the president comes to town. We did do that, but he was George Bush and he’d been out of office for quite some time. And, you know, we just don’t do big topical things, ’cause the topical is so chaotic and nuts. So we have to look at the bigger trends.
Ideally, I would like to think that people on both sides of our divided nation can watch The Simpsons and feel that, like America, Springfield is a town of people who are good, but easily misled. Whatever your definition of misled is, you can apply that to the show.
What The Simpsons’ Stance On Politics Means
According to Selman, the series is more or less neutral towards politics. This is a smart move for him and everyone else involved with the show’s narrative. While shows like South Park are big and bold, they usually anger a decent portion of the nation, which really limits their audience. The Simpsons’ toned-down take on Trump is something that would raise its viewership.
Beyond just being a good strategy financially, it will also make people feel less alienated and more comfortable. No one wants to sit down after a long week to see their party being ruthlessly attacked.
Our Take On The Simpsons’ Stance On Politics
The Simpsons avoiding making any major statements regarding the chaotic world of politics right now is a relief. Too many shows are throwing punches at each other, and it’s getting a little stale. While all showrunners and writers are free to express themselves through their work, it shouldn’t take over the entire series.
Recent events have really made a lot of people lose sight of a good TV show. Everyone already sees what’s happening around the globe through news channels and websites. They don’t need to be bashed in the head over and over again, almost every week. One of the best things about TV shows is the fact that they do and should continue to give their audience an escape from their problems.
