The Gender Roles of the Simpsons
The Simpsons TV Show Analysis
In The Simpsons, all of the characters display how they resemble the typical gender roles as well as roles in the family, but also contradict in them as well through their actions and personalities. Homer is the husband in the family, he is bald, has a beard, and overweight therefore showing that men are considered to be lazy and do not care about their looks yet they are supposed to be the more dominant/powerful sex. Marge, the wife, stays home and does chores. She takes on feminine characteristics because she is always shown as the typical housewife and mother. Bart is the destructive son that is taking after his father’s laziness and Lisa is the intelligent daughter that has her own opinion and thoughts.
In The Simpson, since it is a cartoon I am not quite positive if Marge is portrayed as beautiful or not. However, I do not feel like Marge is unattractive. Her hair is big and tall, she wears normal clothes as opposed to other "beautiful" female characters in this show, other than her blue hair, Marge seems rather normal although she does not have spectacular looks. In "Gender and Television, the author quotes another author of The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan "claimed that television has represented the American woman as a "stupid, unattractive, insecure little household drudge who spends her martyred, mindless, boring days dreaming of love--and plotting nasty revenge against her husband.” I would have to disagree with this statement since Marge appears to be a strong character that does not seem to day dream about love and in contrast loves her husband and family despite their faults.
In the episode "Dangerous Curves", the flashbacks in this episode revealed that Homer and Marge were not happy in the beginning of their marriage. In the flashback after getting lost, they walk to a house to use their phone. Upon meeting the homeowner, he invites them to attend the party. Homer embarrasses Marge by flirting with a girl at
In The Simpsons, all of the characters display how they resemble the typical gender roles as well as roles in the family, but also contradict in them as well through their actions and personalities. Homer is the husband in the family, he is bald, has a beard, and overweight therefore showing that men are considered to be lazy and do not care about their looks yet they are supposed to be the more dominant/powerful sex. Marge, the wife, stays home and does chores. She takes on feminine characteristics because she is always shown as the typical housewife and mother. Bart is the destructive son that is taking after his father’s laziness and Lisa is the intelligent daughter that has her own opinion and thoughts.
In The Simpson, since it is a cartoon I am not quite positive if Marge is portrayed as beautiful or not. However, I do not feel like Marge is unattractive. Her hair is big and tall, she wears normal clothes as opposed to other "beautiful" female characters in this show, other than her blue hair, Marge seems rather normal although she does not have spectacular looks. In "Gender and Television, the author quotes another author of The Feminine Mystique Betty Friedan "claimed that television has represented the American woman as a "stupid, unattractive, insecure little household drudge who spends her martyred, mindless, boring days dreaming of love--and plotting nasty revenge against her husband.” I would have to disagree with this statement since Marge appears to be a strong character that does not seem to day dream about love and in contrast loves her husband and family despite their faults.
In the episode "Dangerous Curves", the flashbacks in this episode revealed that Homer and Marge were not happy in the beginning of their marriage. In the flashback after getting lost, they walk to a house to use their phone. Upon meeting the homeowner, he invites them to attend the party. Homer embarrasses Marge by flirting with a girl at
Cited: Devor, Aaron H. “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender.” Rereading America. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2004. pp.424-431. Mary Desjardins. “Gender and Television.” California State University, Fullerton in The Museum of Broadcast Communications. June 30,2011. http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=genderandte Kimbal, Billy, and Iam Graham. "Dangerous Curves." The Simpsons. Dir. Matthew Faughnan. 9 Nov. 2008. Television. Messner, Michael. “Center of Attention: The Gender of Sports Media.” Introduction. Rereading America. 6th edition. Eds. Gary Colombo, Robert Cullen, and Bonnie Lisle. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004. 1-15. Odenkirk, Bill. "The Last Temptation Of Homer." The Simpsons. Dir. Michael Polchino. 19 Oct. 2008. Television