Top 10 Times The Simpsons Parodied Pop Culture

“Radio Bart”
Throughout the 80s and early 90s, fundraising campaigns for various social causes resulted in several “charity singles” - think “We Are the World,” “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” and even “Heal the World.” But questions followed on just how much funding was going through as well as about cultural motivations, or whether it was all a performative effort by pop-stars for free PR. For the Simpsons’ send-up of the phenomenon during its third season, we see Krusty the Clown rounding up several celebrities, including Sting, for “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well.” The campaign is meant to help a boy apparently trapped down a well, but it’s actually one of Bart’s pranks. Strangely, not one single celebrity seems to realize that their time would be better spent actually trying to rescue the boy rather than recording a song together.

“New Kids on the Blecch”
The late-90s saw a massive explosion in commercial pop music with artists like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls and NSYNC experiencing seemingly overnight success and superstardom. But the backlash was equally powerful, highlighting market saturation and a formulaic, corporate- and producer-driven sound - basically, the promotion of form over substance. This is perfectly parodied in the Simpsons’ 12th season when music producer L.T. Smash forms “Party Posse”, a new boy band made up of Bart, Milhouse, Nelson and Ralph - none of whom can really sing. Luckily, L.T. has access to NASA-created voice-enhancing software, otherwise known as “Studio Magic,” perfectly nailing the idea that the contemporary pop industry was more marketing than music.

“The Day the Earth Stood Cool”
The modern “Hipster” emerged in the late-90s as a counter-culture lifestyle rejecting mainstream trends and mass consumerism, embracing vintage fashion, artisanal products, and well, “being cool”. But the sheen wore off quickly, and hipsters were soon seen as performative and sometimes hypocritical. This back and forth is on full display in the Simpsons’ 24th season. After meeting cool donut entrepreneur Terrence, Homer embraces his inner hipster and Springfield rapidly becomes the newest “hipster’s paradise”, leaving Marge to deal with elitist breastfeeding mothers, while Bart and Lisa become bored with Terrence’s son T-Rex’s ironic detachment and penchant for vintage toys. The episode even tips its hat to Portlandia, a sketch comedy show that also parodies hipsters, by casting leads Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein [a]as Terrence and his wife Emily.

“Marge Gamer”
The MMORPG, or “massively multiplayer online role-playing game”, exploded in the mid-2000s with the release of World of Warcraft. The online fantasy game allowed players to create characters and interact with their fellow gamers within immersive worlds. But for many, this “fun hobby” became an all-consuming pastime, often with real-world consequences. While other shows at the time took a more critical stance on the genre, such as South Park’s “Make Love, Not Warcraft”, the Simpsons’ take is more referential, as Marge subscribes to the in-universe game “Earthland Realms”, in an attempt to become more tech savvy and get closer to Bart. Though not heavy on satire, the episode does poke fun at in-game avatars, and at least somewhat references how people can become hooked on gaming.

“Lisa Gets an ‘A’”
Speaking of video games, in 1994 Sony broke into the console market with the PlayStation, a compact disc-based system that offered up better graphics and audio. What set them apart from competitors was marketing, branding the PS1[b], as one journalist noted, a “lifestyle accessory, rather than just a kids’ toy.” Ironically, The Simpsons’ parody of the PlayStation, and one of its most recognizable titles, Crash Bandicoot, not only predicted how obsessed with gaming people could become a decade before MMORPGs, but ironically focused on children. While home sick from school, Lisa dismisses Marge’s suggestion of trying Bart’s video game, “Dash Dingo”, but once she starts playing, she becomes so infatuated that she neglects the schoolwork sent home for her.

“Lisa the Beauty Queen”
In 1988, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company debuted their anthropomorphic cartoon mascot, Joe Camel, to American consumers. His whole aesthetic was meant to make Camel Cigarettes part of the “hip lifestyle”, though critics had a different read: an appeal to younger smokers. After an investigation, the FTC would ultimately argue that Joe Camel had become, quote “as recognizable to kids as Mickey Mouse,” end quote. So in 1992, the Simpsons writers held Camel’s feet to the fire. When Lisa is named Little Miss Springfield through sponsor Laramie[c] cigarettes, she’s required to ride atop a giant Laramie parade float, while Menthol Moose, a thinly-veiled parody of Joe Camel, tosses packs of cigarettes to kids in the crowd. It’s a shock for Lisa, who puts an end to it by literally crushing Menthol Moose under a giant pack of smokes.

“Lisa on Ice”
During Apple’s Steve Jobs-less period, the company undertook several new projects, including a personal digital assistant, the Newton, which began hitting store shelves in the summer of 1993. Though some praised the device at the time, a recurring criticism was the device’s undercooked handwriting recognition software, and production of the Newton was halted in 1998. The Simpsons took a shot at this supposed technical marvel in 1994 - during a school assembly, Kearney instructs Dolph[d] to “take a memo on your Newton - Beat up Martin” when he annoys them. The device incorrectly translates this to the now iconic phrase “Eat up Martha”, causing Kearney to whip the device at Martin’s head. Allegedly, the phrase “Eat up Martha” became a cautionary tale for Apple employees when developing the iPhone keypad. Now THAT’S staying power.

“Homer’s Barbershop Quartet”
Do we even need to explain who The Beatles are? Though the band had been referenced on the show before, the writers wanted to center an episode around Homer in a barbershop quartet that was quote “a big parody of the Beatles.” Writer Jeff Martin, an “obsessive” Beatles fan produced a treasure trove of references and parodies. It would take too long to list them all, but more overt references include the name “The Be Sharps”, the designs for the group’s albums, Barney’s relationship with a Japanese conceptual artist, and the finale rooftop concert mirroring a similar 1969 performance. Throw in guest voice George Harrison, and one of John Lennon’s most infamous quotes and you’ve got a hilarious send-up and love letter to four music legends.

“A Fish Called Selma”
The Broadway musical has been a cultural mainstay since 1927’s “Show Boat,” and thousands of shows have since been produced, from legends like Rodgers & Hammerstein[e] to Stephen Sondheim. Though not the most common in the 20th century, there were still some well-known film-to-stage musicals produced, including “Nine”, “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Beauty and the Beast.” Though these did not directly inspire them, the Simpsons writers created an unlikely send-up in 1996: a musical adaptation of the 1968 sci-fi film “Planet of the Apes”, starring Springfield mainstay Troy McClure. The show not only spoofs classic musical style, but also includes a now famous satire of Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus”. What’s truly amazing is how predictive this musical parody is, as the model would become a genre unto itself during the 2000s.

“The Book Job”
There’s no denying the 2000s marked an uptick in the popularity of young adult fantasy literature. With the success of the “Harry Potter” book series and TV shows like “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, this gold-mine market became flooded with multiple YA franchises, including The Hunger Games and Twilight. However, the genre’s perceived commercialization of literature, reported reliance on ghostwriters and market saturation led to repetitive elements, such as the “Chosen One” protagonist and “Magical School” setting. This is all perfectly satirized in this Season 23 episode: Lisa discovers one of her favorite authors is actually just a figurehead, Homer assembles a “crew” consisting of his son, Patty, Moe, Principal Skinner and Professor Frink… and guest-star Neil Gaiman[f] …to develop their own book. Their discussions, which eventually produce “The Troll Twins of Underbridge Academy”, explicitly point out many of these tropes and trends.

Let us know in the comments which Simpsons moments best captured the cultural zeitgeist, and which just completely missed the mark for you!

brown-steen https://youtu.be/O3JXjwLoGcc?si=EJLPwTwedanXToA3
[b]pee ess one
BANDA-coot https://youtu.be/izxXGuVL21o?si=8d4k6F9XIGVP2FDJ
[c]LAIR-UH-mee https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/acbe91ca-6c48-4957-b14c-34e93be453dc
[d]KUR-nee https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/3e0e6325-c42b-4ca4-9788-dc803198629e
Dolph rhymes with "golf" https://www.yarn.co/yarn-clip/c7c960e6-d7b9-4140-9a59-e007446a23d3
[e]hammerstein rhymes with "nine" not "mean" https://forvo.com/search/Rodgers%20and%20Hammerstein/
SAWND-hyme https://forvo.com/search/stephen%20sondheim/
FAL-coh ("FAL" rhymes with "pal" https://youtu.be/SZZPCUorZNk?si=PwXx2XshLlEoIuOl
[f]Neil GAY-min https://youtu.be/o3ujLxQP8hE