In 2016, the relevance of the TV show The Simpsons could’ve been the same as any other year. However due to the candidacy and further election of Donald Trump as president of the United States, the animated series has resurged in a big way. The episode “Bart to the Future” that first aired in the year 2000 features the characters traveling to the future, where Lisa is the president of the country. There is subtle mentioning of the nation being bankrupt after having Donald Trump in the White House.
But aside from the show’s prophetical powers, its influence in Pop-culture throughout its almost 30 seasons is quite obvious. Though today it can seem that the show’s massive factor implies that there are more misses than hits, this animation has been an interesting critique and portrait of contemporary society, as well as of art.
Art can always be parodied, but Matt Groening’s creation has brought classical works of art to the masses. In both subtle and obvious ways, the writers and artists have found ways of inserting classical pieces from the Great Masters, as well a whole host of examples of modern artists, particularly American. A conspiratorial theory could imagine that in the same way the CIA financed Jackson Pollock’s career, the cartoon could also been used due to its worldwide influence. But this portrayal can also be related to the people making the show being fans of fine art.
The allusions have a way of being flavorful additions to each episode. The website Complex has found over 100 references of art throughout the show’s run. Not every episode contains hidden artworks but they seem to have some of the best writing in television history. No matter how many years go by, it appears that the first couple of seasons will continue to be cultural references for millions of people across the world.
Translated by María Suárez
