The Simpsons and Philosophy:
The D'oh! of Homer
Edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conrad, and Aeon J. Skoble
(review written: August 25, 2001 by Timothy Yenter)
Non-fiction
303 pages
Open Court Publishing Company
2001

Dare I say it? No point in disguising the issue: "The Simpsons" has consistently been the best television show of the last 10 years. Each week it offers up a dose of our perverted society. (I'll leave the reader to decide whether the show perverts our society or if it reflects the inherently perverted nature of our society.) In the world of "The Simpsons," social critique exists alongside sight gags, and physical humor and literary references share equal screen time. Therefore, it is only natural that fans of the show would spend equal time laughing aloud and wondering about its caricature of their lives.

In this spirit, The Simpsons and Philosophy is a new collection of eighteen (rather light) philosophical essays covering a range of "Simpsonian Themes". The essays explore whether Homer is as morally inept as he appears, what Lisa can teach us about intellectualism in America, whether "The Simpsons" actually offers a traditional (conservative) view of the family, and a decent range of other topics.

Each essay takes a unique approach, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. The most successful essays use "The Simpsons" as an opportunity for introducing the reader to the thought of an important philosopher. "Thus Spake Bart" is an excellent brief introduction to Friedrich "God Is Dead" Nietzsche, as well as being one of the strongest character analyses in the book. "A (Karl, Not Groucho) Marxist in Springield", which details the ways "The Simpsons" is both like and unlike Marxist critiques of capitalist society, is a similarly engaging essay.

Not all the essays are so successful. Some never deliver the package they claim to offer, or they suffer from oversimplifying philosophical ideas or Simpson characters. Plus, 300 pages of any subject can be tiresome, so only committed fans of the show will likely read the whole book. Those with a passing interest in the show or in philosophy may find that reading just a few of the essays may be enough to increase interest in both. Anyone with an addiction for "The Simpsons" should find this a valuable addition to their book collection, and would-be philosophers of culture will also welcome this volume to their libraries. (They may also be interested in other volumes in this series on Philosophy and Culture; a volume on "Seinfeld" was released in 2000, and one on The Matrix is due out in 2002.)