Watching Simpsons

Pop culture always makes for good metaphor, partly because, through the act of comparison, it can make one’s point easier to digest. For example, one can take the intricate and somewhat complicated aspects of computers and blogging, and, through a Simpsons metaphor, make the information a little more accessible to some. The key, however, is that a person needs to be fluent in the pop culture being used. So, if one were to compare the state of animation to Adult Swim’s Robot Chicken, it’s not going to work for most people, because a small group of people watch that show. (No offense meant to fans of Robot Chicken, by the way). Most people have some idea who the Simpsons are, due to their longevity on television.

So, lately, there’s been another metaphorical use of Springfield. This time, it comes from the world of sports writing. Basically, Michael Zuidema of The Grand Rapids Press has been pondering the current situation with the Detroit Tigers. To do so, he has employed a series of comparisons between baseball players and Simpsons Characters. Here are a few examples:

Curtis Granderson — Bart Simpson

Don’t have a cow, man. (Full disclosure: I once owned a Bart Simpson T-shirt that contained that phrase. I wish I could find it and wear it ironically like the people who wear fake-vintage shirts from Urban Outfitters. Wait, I have some of those, too. Man, I’m such a poseur.) Doesn’t Granderson remind you have a certain talented smart-mouth with loads of potential? Now let’s just hope Granderson isn’t an underachiever and proud of it.

Placido Polanco — Ned Flanders

Sigh, life would be so much better if Polanco would grow that iconic mustache. Because he already resembles the type of nice guy who goes out of his way to help everyone else before himself and never gets enough credit for it. Plus, Placido Polanco vaguely sounds like Hiddly-Doodly.

Gary Sheffield — Krusty the Clown

An aging star, who occasionally is accused of being cranky and appears to desperately need a hug. Plus, he’s allegedly been linked to the type of illegal substances that have Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens in hot water.

Of course, the comparisons are not complete or total. Still, Zuidema has chosen to isolate key character traits as his focus. Krusty, the joke goes, is a has-been, even though, in Springfield, he’s still widely popular. In writing about Sheffield, Zuidema is choosing to ignore that in favor of aging, crankiness, and substance abuse. Basically, Flanders is helpful, but in comparing him to Polanco, the evangelical Christianity is left out, among a few other things. Still, that’s fine. Metaphors work when they’re relatively close. Most readers fill in the rest of the meaning for themselves, anyway.

Detroit Tigers, Baseball, The Simpsons