Many people would argue that the Simpsons is not appropriate viewing for Year 11’s, and there is no beneficial reason why it should become part of the syllabus. I would like to ask those people to sit down and really WATCH an episode, and I could almost guarantee they would be forced to think twice. The cleverness of this cartoon is unbelievable, and there is a lesson to be learnt in every episode. I’m sure parents would not object to the children watching the news, when there is quite possibly more violence and disrespect present in ½ hour of the news than there is in an episode of the Simpsons. In my opinion, the Simpson’s is far beyond a cartoon and should be thought more of a valuable educational research item.
I believe the creator of the Simpsons – Matt Groening is an extremely intelligent and intellectual man that should be given a tremendous amount of credit. He has made a cartoon that can be viewed and understood at so many different levels. For example, a child could relate to each character for their face value and get enjoyment out of the simple humour. It could also be viewed simply as a humorous cartoon with an unforgettable family and furthermore it could definitely be viewed at an educational level. Whichever level it is viewed at, in every episode Groening makes it clear there is nothing more important in life than family, which is a valuable principle to hold. The loving Simpsons family consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and the forgotten child, Maggie. There is so much more to this family than what there appears to be at first appearance.
Homer is the typical American man, he loves his doughnuts, football and beer, oh yeah and his family. While he likes to believe he is the head of the family due to his uh intelligence and sharpness, he is often sent crashing back to reality by his wife Marge as she always seems to come out on top where intelligence is concerned.
Marge is unforgettable with her big blue hair and screechy but soft voice. Marge isn’t afraid to show her love for her family and enforces her noble values upon her children Bart, Lisa and Maggie.
Bart is a typical boy, he loves trouble and if trouble doesn’t find him, he’ll go looking for it. Although he tries to conceal the affectionate feelings he possesses for his family, Bart always seems to end up learning a valuable lesson each episode about how important his family is along with other issues young boys are faced with everyday.
Lisa is the brains of the family. I find it impossible to watch an episode of the Simpson’s without learning at least one new witty fact that has come from Lisa. Lisa doesn’t have a very strong relationship with her father as she relates more to her mother.
The true indication of successful teaching is measured by the students' ability to grasp course material effectively, and then use that knowledge beyond the classroom. The Simpsons provides an excellent way to accomplish this goal. Learning is all about relevance, enjoyment and substance.