"Discuss the portrayal of the family in 'The Simpsons'. Why does this portrayal work so well as a television cartoon?

        I think that the show itself is aimed at younger audiences, for example teenagers and young adults because; the programme has some unrealistic features such as the Simpson’s skin colour and the fact that they have four fingers. Although the programme has other cultures (i.e. Indians and Black people), the main family, which are the Simpsons, have yellow as a skin colour. Their skin colour can be argued whether it is realistic or unrealistic because, yellow may have been used because it is a primary colour, and primary colours are attractive and eye catching, but; on the other hand it may have a meaning which could be ‘universal’ because it is neither black nor white. Using yellow as a skin colour makes it known to viewers that racism is ruled out and I believe that yellow is a good example for this because it is warm, bright and welcoming; and this makes a good statement. Another argument could arise that their skin colour is yellow because if they were to be a real life equivalent you would assume them to be Caucasian; and so their skin is drawn as yellow to combat the idea of the common ‘black or white’ situation. The fact that all the characters in The Simpsons have four fingers shows that they are all a unique and unified community despite age and race, this also makes a good statement. Both the skin colour and the four fingers are attractive to young viewers but they also have meaning to older viewers, and different parts of the show are aimed at different audiences. An example of this would be in the episode ‘Lisa’s Pony’; it could be argued that it is aimed at younger children, especially girls. The episode ‘Brother, Where Art Thou?’ would be aimed at the older audiences, especially men, but whatever the case it is possible for a variety of age groups to watch and enjoy the programme. The allusions in the show itself prove to the audience that the show is up to date, and it gives the show a sharper angle of realism, which again would attract people to watch the show. An allusion from the film E.T. was used in The Simpsons. The film E.T. is most known for the contact of alien and human with their finger touching each other. This was like a connection. This connection was seen when Lisa and her mother did the same thing. That one moment in The Simpsons held much meaning, it showed the personal relationship with Marge and Lisa, and Marge’s maternal and loving side. It also showed that Marge is a significant figure in Lisa’s life. This allusion can be very heart-warming for viewers to see.

        Within the show itself, a lot of music is used to evoke and communicate meaning; when something bad is happening, the music will be slow and quiet. When somebody is in danger, the music changes with the action, and is fast and louder than normal. Just as much as music is used in the programme, a lot of underlying messages and direct messages are used in the show. For example in the episode ‘Bart’s Dog Gets Out’, it shows what happens when pets are not looked after properly. Leading from this, the show does not just contain serious messages, but a lot of comedy as well. I think that the combination of these two things greatly increases the appeal of the show. Even though the programme does have cynical and sentimental moments, there is no doubt that the show is funny and serious at the same time. An example of a cynical moment or better yet a satirical moment would be in the episode where, Santa’s Little Helper (the dog) is taken ill, and there is a brief moment where he is seen running through a dark channel ‘towards the light’. This is simulating his passing from being alive to being dead. The satire is the voice of ‘God’ urging him to come towards the light, but he is referring to him in dog terms as in ‘Come on boy!’ and ‘There’s a good boy’. An example of a sentimental moment would be in the episode ‘Brother Where Art Thou’ where Homer meets his half brother for the first time. It can be argued that family values are criticised in the programme, but not to a great extent. For example, when Lisa gets a pony, the fact that Homer brought her the pony; this would not occur in an average family, and this indicates that their family values are ridiculed or somewhat debatable.

        The one thing that makes The Simpsons stand out from other animations is the fact that it appeals to a wider range of viewers. There is also a large usage of primary colours, which gives an immediate visual effect and acts as a benefit because it differentiates the programme further. This is accentuated by the programmes more relevant content, especially compared to other programmes using the same type of colour scheme. The thing that The Simpsons have in common with other filmed situation comedies is the fact that it uses real life situations, and makes use of music, along with other situation comedies. I think The Simpsons is a cartoon because it enables the writers to reach out to a wider age range, and yet still talk about issues, and encompass comedy into the show; just like filmed situation comedies. The fact that it is a cartoon also means there are no need for stuntmen and women, so a lot more can be achieved in that area of things, and the comedy in the show can be enhanced further providing more excitement for the viewers.