Watching Simpsons

To some, The Simpsons are filled with stereotypes, and some of them are not that constructive. For example, a recent poll found that, when asked, most people associated Scotland with Groundskeeper Willie. To the Scottish, that’s alarming, partly because their regional government has spent a lot of money advertising and hyping the country, trying to stoke up the tourist trade. In America, at least, those efforts haven’t produced any fruit, so to speak. Plus, on the India, there’s always a number of people outraged at Apu, charging that the Kwik-E Mart operator is a collection of ethnic cliches. That said, it’s hard to argue that the stereotypes have hindered The Simpsons overseas. If one were to log onto YouTube, one would likely find a number of voice over translations, with Homer talking in everything from Spanish to Slavic languages. True, parts of the show’s humor might not translate, but then again, the family dynamic featured in the Simpsons is nearly universal. No matter what the culture, people are going to likely know an idiot like Homer, and enabler like Marge, a brat like Bart, and a nerd like Lisa. Plus, that doesn’t take into account all the minor characters and guest spots. To put it basically, The Simpsons have enjoyed an international success most other American television programs do not. Sometimes, the cultural impact of the show crops up in interesting ways.

Recently, this would include Ireland. There, like the United Kingdom, the show is shown in it’s original state, without the confusion of dubbed translation. This has become readily apparent with Oscar Wilde: Honoring the Irish in Film, an event that seeks to reward Irish contributions to culture. Ironically, the event was held in Los Angeles, not Ireland, and recently, the organizes sought to bestow honors on Simpsons producer James Brooks:

Trina Vargo, president and founder of the alliance, said: “To say the Simpsons has a cult-like following in Ireland is an under-statement.

“After last year’s event we decided that we would think outside the box in terms of this event and honour all things Irish in film.

” Given how strongly the Irish feel about The Simpsons, we thought there would be no-one more deserving of being made an honorary Irishman than Jim Brooks. And it’s been said that there are two kinds of people - the Irish and those who lack imagination - so Jim is Irish as far as we’re concerned.”