1. The Simpsons
By Debbie Marques

2. Programme follows a non linear narrative
Creates confusion over time and space
First episode: December 17, 1989
The Simpsons is the longest-running American sitcom
The Simpsons

3. Intertextuality refers to the way in which texts gain meaning
through their referencing of other texts.
Pastiche= closely imitates work of previous artists
Parody= made to mock, comment or trivialise (irony)
Homage= mixing and blurring of conventions, tributing quotes
Satire= merciless and ridicule
INTERTEXTUALITY

4. The Simpsons 'itchy and scratchy' is a simulation of the real world of
Springfield making references to Tom and Jerry .
Itchy and scratchy is a show lisa and bart usually watch
Make relative references to Tom And Jerry by the fact the it is a cat
chasing a mouse
INTERTEXTUALITY
Tom & jerry Itchy & scratchy

5. INTERTEXTUALITY IN ART
Mona lisa Scream
• Having a Mona Lisa
painting in The
Simpsons.
• Getting idea from
another media text
• Parody of the real art
piece.
• Having homer in the painting
getting idea from the scream
• Getting idea from another
media text
• Parody from the real painting
Simpsons version Simpsons version

6. TWILIGHT
Making references to film Twilight
Having characters from the film
Homage by using quotes and actions from the film
Based episode on film as a tribute
INTERTEXTUALITY
http://www.youtube.com/wat
ch?v=aF0ARAfQ9Ck

7. HARLEM SHAKE
Viral video
The Simpsons had their own version of Harlem Shake
Using it in the program so audience can relate to it
Make close references to real video
INTERTEXTUALITY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G
OYji1D2788&safe=active

8. POPULAR CULTURE
Lady gaga
Make references to other celebrities
Such as justin timberlake, justin bieber, lady gaga
INTERTEXTUALITY
http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=Of8Ym
CtoxSE&safe=active
http://www.you
tube.com/watch
?v=CVvCG3wimh
Y

9. PSYCHO
Making references to film psycho shower scene
Lisa hits homer
Blood dripping onto the floor
Music is also the same as in the film scene
INTERTEXTUALITY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV0lSpg
MsxM

10. Hybridisation= Mixture of genres
animation, comedy, drama
Each episode usually has a mixture of genres
All these end up making an American sitcom such as The Simpsons
This is then called bricolage as it is a mixture of conventions from many
types of genre to make one new one (sitcom)
HYBRIDISATION/ BRICOLAGE
Religion and beliefs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLHY6XKCogYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c52hSSDitfs
Late night show

11. SELF REFLEXIVITY
A B C C
“oh don’t worry
everything will be
alright by next
episode”
Lisa moans of
wearing same
dress
Lisa: “the writer
should be
ashamed of
themeselves”
Bart: “cartoons
have writers”
• Programme points out to the audience that it is a media text.

12. BEFORE (1989) NOW
15 writers come up with plots and ideas
for jokes
Writers come up with plots and ideas for
jokes
1 or 2 writers are sent away to write out
the whole script for the episode
1 or 2 writers are sent away to write out
the whole script for the episode
Script is then given a read through by
the voice artists, before making any final
alterations.
Script is then given a read through by
the voice artists, before making any final
alterations.
Episode recorded onto voice track and
sent to animation team
Episode recorded to voice track and sent
to animation team in Korea
The animators draw out story boards
and rough sketches for how the episode
will look
Using ToonBoom create 3D effects
These are then shot under a camera,
pieced together and combined with he
voice track to give the writers and
director a rough overview of the episode
Already computerised and ready to put
voice records and music onto footage.
How it is made

13. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
kykiQO_cDro&safe=active
BEHIND THE SCENES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hb
m5QzfYa_8&safe=active
Lady gaga in The Simpsons
interview with her and
producer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhY
JlUWHFGA&safe=active
Doctor house
characters on
The Simpsons
How it first
started

14. SIMILAR PRODUCTS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=Dh0OuuGrzlQ&safe=active
• First episode: January 31, 1999
• Animated sitcom
SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
About a nuclear family First aired during different eras
Same kind of intertextualities Attract different audiences
Sitcom Way jokes are portrayed
Make fun of pop culture, government,
and ethnic or religious backgrounds.
Make reference from different
generations

15. SIMILARITIES DIFFERENCES
portrays adults as clueless idiots with no
common sense
Characters are 4 boys instead of nuclear family
Same king of jokes are made (intertextualities) Different type of language
Revolves around families living in the suburbs
while constantly dealing with the problematic
problems.
Attract different audience due to language and
kind of jokes made
Include fictional version of certain celebrities
that interact with the main characters
More modern, references from modern media
texts and topics
SIMILAR PRODUCTS
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=UUkkJXqIkcA
• First episode: August 13, 1997
• Animated sitcom

16. Lyotard
Challenging meta narratives
Example : religion, nuclear Christian family and Lisa is Buddhist.
Criticising religion : having Starbucks in church (episode)
Rejects idea of set rules and happy ending
Doesn’t like idea of happy endings therefore many episodes do
not end in a happy way.
THEORY /THEORISTS

17. Jameson
Simpsons when first started was made because there was not many
programmes that kind
Got famous for the originality
Was being made for art
However now it is made for profit
According to Jameson nowadays media texts are made just for
money and not for art.
THEORY/ THEORISTS

18. DEBATES
FOR AGAINST
Intertextuality Higher number of
people watching it.
Audience may take it
offensively.
Self reflexivity People will find it ironic
therefore it becomes
funny.
Audience may find it
pointless the fact they
are giving up the
illusion.
Contemporary themes Audience can relate and
therefore find it
interesting.
May blame the
programme and say it is
mocking contemporary
society.

19. Not common to see programmes like
this
Technology was not as advanced in
order to be able to make many
animations
Parody could be taken in the wrong
way and be highly criticised.
Not as many postmodern
characteristics were used
COMAPRISON TO HISTORICAL TIME
PERIODS
BEGUINING
(1989)
NOW (2013)
• More programmes the same
genre
• Intersexuality is more visible as
there are more programmes in
which they can relate to.
• Easy to identify postmodernism
in the programme

20. FUTURE
HOW WILL IT BE IN THE FUTURE ?
• Similar style products will be invented
• More genres will be combined together (hybridisation)
• The audience will increase as more and more people are going to be able to
relate to the Intertextualities.
• Loose sense of originality as more copies are going to be made