The Simpsons' Beloved Springfield - by Karma Waltonen & Denise Du Vernay (Paperback)

About the Book

"First aired in 1989, The Simpsons has become America's most beloved animated show. It changed the world of television, bringing to the screen a cartoon for adults, a sitcom without a laugh track, an imperfect lower class family, a mixture of high and low comedy and satire for the masses. This collection of new essays explores the many ways in which The Simpsons reflects everyday life through its exploration of gender roles, music, death, food politics, science and religion, anxiety, friendship and more."--Publisher's description.

Book Synopsis

First aired in 1989, The Simpsons has become America's most beloved animated show. It changed the world of television, bringing to the screen a cartoon for adults, a sitcom without a laugh track, an imperfect lower class family, a mixture of high and low comedy and satire for the masses. This collection of new essays explores the many ways in which The Simpsons reflects everyday life through its exploration of gender roles, music, death, food politics, science and religion, anxiety, friendship and more.

Review Quotes

"As a chef, my biggest connection to The Simpsons is with food. In each of the essays of this book, the authors share how they connect to The Simpsons, a show that really is a part of us all."-"Chef John" Mitzewich of Foodwishes.com is one of the most-watched chefs on YouTube.

"Fans of The Simpsons will welcome the opportunity to delve deeper into their favorite show."-Booklist

"Impressively informative.... An absolute 'must read'...erudite and insightful essays. A unique and original body of impressively presented scholarship."-Midwest Book Review

"Laboriously researched and deeply philosophical, The Simpsons' Beloved Springfield makes you think about The Simpsons in waaaaaays you can't imagine."-Neil Arsenty, host of classic Simpsons trivia in Chicago and runs the popular @dailysimpsons fan account on Twitter

"Nobody 'steams a ham' [writes and edits academic material] about The Simpsons quite as well as Denise and Karma!...a brilliant book...read their book"-Bill Oakley was writer, producer, and show runner of The Simpsons with his partner Josh Weinstein. He is currently Co-EP of Disenchantment and is known as "The Gordon Ramsay of Fast Food" for his Instagram food videos

"The book provides a deeper reading of the show, discussing its music and film allusions and how it examines themes such as nationalism, gender roles, and environmentalism. ... This is a perfectly cromulent resource and a fun read. Simpsons fans will appreciate academics geeking out, and scholars will benefit from this embiggening of Simpson-ology."-Library Journal

About the Author

Karma Waltonen teaches professional writing, literature, popular culture (including The Simpsons), and stand-up comedy at the University of California, Davis. She is the president of the Margaret Atwood Society and edits Margaret Atwood Studies. Denise Du Vernay taught college courses in composition, literature, The Simpsons, speech, and the humanities for seventeen years. She is the treasurer and social media manager for the Margaret Atwood Society. She lives in Chicago, Illinois, where she works in Advancement for Loyola University Chicago.