"The Simpsons" revels in mocking public education

[alp227]

Last night I was watching the "Separate Vocations" episode of The Simpsons. Last week, my local CW station was showing season 3 episodes in syndication, something unusual given that most syndicated Simpsons episodes are usually non-stop recyclings of seasons 17 and later. An episode from the third season, it aired in 1992 on my first birthday...something I realized when I looked this up on Wikipedia. In "Separate Vocations", Bart and Lisa take a "career aptitude test" in class. The test results reveal that Bart will grow up to be a police officer and Lisa a homemaker. In this episode, I noticed that the episode (and perhaps the show in general) depicted public education and standardized testing negatively, similarly to much sentiment on DU. Scenes included:
- The "career aptitude tests" that the children at Springfield Elementary School take are shipped to Iowa. A sign says: "Welcome to Proctorville, Iowa, home of National Testing Center". (around 2 mins. in the video)
- Lisa steals all the Teacher's Editions and hides them in her locker. In the teacher's lounge, which is filled with tobacco smoke, all the teachers panic after hearing about the theft. Bart's teacher Edna Krabappel hollers: "Declare a snow day!" Another teacher says, "I can't remember my multiplication tables!" Later, Lisa's teacher Ms. Hoover feels overwhelmed with students wanting to turn in homework and says "I've got to get out of here!" In another classroom, a male teacher with glasses and his hair tied back decides to discuss the 1960s instead of his normal lesson plan in class. (around 18 mins. in the video)
- At the end of the episode, Bart takes the blame for Lisa and is forced to write "I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty" on the chalkboard as detention.

Watch the episode here: http://smotri.com/video/view/?id=v412841233c

A few months ago, I'd seen a more recent episode of the Simpsons, "Waverly Hills, 9-0-2-1-D'oh", this time a bigger hit on public schools. Marge moves the family to a wealthier neighborhood after observing all sorts of dysfunction in Springfield Elementary: overcrowded classrooms and lazy teachers.

According to Wikisimpsons, "Springfield Elementary is a satirical comment on the state of public schools and education in the United States. The school had used rather bizarre methods to make up for the lack of funding."

Unfortunately, as long as the government keeps on spanking public schools and favoring corporcharterization, our students will continue to fall behind their international counterparts. And...this will reflect in Hollywood for the whole damn world to see and wonder, "THAT's how American kids go to school"?

Just an observation from a frequenter of this forum.

[Fumesucker]

1. The Simpsons revels in mocking *everything*..

That is its purpose, it's a satirical look at life in America.

Satire is like one of those magnifying makeup mirrors that shows every pore on your face, it's uncomfortable when it focuses on you.

[physioex]

3. I agree.....

Simpsons mock all things in an even handed manner. One of my favorite parts is when Lisa says, "And finally I promise a french teacher that can speak french." I find it particulary funny cuz we actually had a teacher that wasn't qualified to teach french and couldnt speak a word.

[paulsby]

5. exactly what i was about to say

this reminds me of isaac hayes' response to south park mocking scientology (he's a scientologist). he QUIT. south park has made fun of jews, mormons, catholics, atheists, etc. and that was fine with him, but god forbid (tm) they make fun of SCIENTOLOGY.

similarly, the simpsons makes fun (satirizes) all sorts of stuff.

[Catshrink]

6. Last Sunday, the Simpsons mocked South Park...

Instead of the SP 4 standing on the street we saw Bart, Milhouse, Nelson, and another kid dressed up like Kenny. Otto killed Kenny with the school bus.

[bluestateguy]

2. Everybody takes their licks on the Simpsons

Public schools, corporations, unions, Democrats, Republicans, religions (all of them), Hollywood, the media, academia, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, old folks, young folks, the military, non-profit organizations, and more.

The Simpsons is not a show for the thin skinned or people with pet issues and personal agendas*.

*I am not saying that you are necessarily one of those people.

[LeftyMom]

4. It's a good thing you missed Treehouse of Horror V

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treehouse_of_Horror_V#Nightmare_Cafeteria

Principal Skinner is worried that the detention hall is becoming overcrowded and Lunchlady Doris is being forced to serve Grade F meat in the cafeteria. Skinner discovers a common solution to both problems: eating misbehaving children. The first student to be eaten is Jimbo Jones who is served as "Sloppy Jimbos". Üter is then sent to detention and made into a German meal called "Üterbraten". Bart and Lisa figure out what the teachers are doing, but one by one, the kids are "sent to detention" where they are caged and butchered. The kids try to get Marge to help, but she instead tells them that she cannot fight all their battles for them and to be assertive ("Look them in the eye and say, 'Don't eat me'.") Eventually Bart, Lisa and Milhouse are the only students left and they decide to escape. Skinner and the other teachers corner them on a ledge above a giant operating blender. Willie tries to help the students, but is killed with an axe in the back by Skinner. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall to their dooms. Bart wakes up to find it was all a terrible dream. Marge assures him that he has nothing to be afraid of except for a mysterious green fog that turns people inside out. The fog seeps through the window and the Simpsons and Willie are turned inside out. They perform a bloody song and dance number as the credits roll.