Examples Of Satire In The Simpsons

There are multiple examples of satire in The Simpsons. One specific example focusing on various concepts of satire is in the episode “The Boy Who Knew Too Much.” In this episode, Bart skips school and is the only witness in a legal case against Freddy, Mayor Quimby's nephew. Bart is the only key to proving Freddy's innocence, but he would have to admit to skipping school. This episode mainly focuses on satirizing corruption in the legal system, exaggeration in the media, abuse of power by authority figures, and the education system. One main example of satire in this episode is poking fun at the corruption of the legal system. When Homer gets the letter stating that he has jury duty he exclaims, “Freddy will hang for this!” Even though Homer

When it is time for the jury to come to a decision, Homer purposefully votes innocent so he can cause a deadlock to get a free room, food, and swimming pool. All of these things poke fun at the court system and show how corrupt and easy it is to manipulate things during trials. Another example of satire during the episode is poking fun at the school/education system. At the start of the episode, it is shown that the school has switched to “Ultra Hard Plaster Chairs designed by Posturologists to eliminate slouching.” All of the kids are moaning and groaning in pain because of the uncomfortable chairs. This comedic effect is furthered by Millhouse exclaiming that he’s ”lost all feeling on the left side of his body.” This is furthered when Skinner talks about the electronic tracking implants that only one student signed up for. The disciplinary system is also mocked when Skinner states, ”I know you cut school yesterday, when I can prove it, I’m shipping you off to the Christian Military Reform School.” The multiple examples of satire are overly exaggerated to be comical. Almost everything in this episode is unrealistic and would not be viable in the real