No political jokes in Springfield, says Simpsons creator Matt Groening
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(From left) The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening, writer-producer Matt Selman and producer-director David Silverman at the Annecy International Film Festival on June 11.
PHOTO: AFP
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Annecy, France – Like many American families struggling for unity in the polarised United States, The Simpsons (1989 to present) has decided to avoid political jokes, said the creator of the series Matt Groening.
Despite the potential for storylines and humour, Groening ruled out venturing into America’s toxic politics for laughs.
“We don’t do political humour because it is very limited. It dates very quickly,” he said during an interview at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in the French Alps. The week-long festival, which ended on June 14, celebrated the best in animation around the world.
A season of The Simpsons takes at least six to nine months to produce, raising the risk of gags turning stale, Groening added.
The show – broadcast on US network Fox TV and Disney+, which owns the series – has sometimes appeared to predict real events, such as US President Donald Trump’s election, which was first referenced in an episode in 2000.
It has also featured parodies of a host of politicians, from former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Writer-producer Matt Selman said: “We just have to stay true to our characters, their spirit and their relationships. And when they face the sadness of the world, people feel briefly connected to them.”
Despite The Simpsons – comprising parents Homer and Marge and their children, Bart, Lisa and Maggie – remaining frozen in time since their debut in 1989, the writers have ensured the storylines move with the times.
A recent episode parodied artificial intelligence (AI) when a chatbot was asked to write the finale.
“In the plot of that episode, AI was given the job of writing the perfect finale. And, of course, it just regurgitated and spat out all the other finales from all the other shows in very unoriginal and silly ways that of course would be terrible,” said Selman.
“It was our attempt to push back at AI, push back at ever ending the show.”
The natural environment remains a rich source of inspiration, including in The Simpsons Movie (2007), which featured a disaster caused by Homer that leads to Springfield – where the series is set – being sealed under a giant dome.
“The environment’s not going to get cleaned up any time soon,” Groening added.
The Simpsons Movie grossed US$536.4 million worldwide, but the creators ruled out making a sequel – for the moment.
“We are still recovering from the first movie,” joked Groening. “And the sad truth is we don’t have enough time to do both the show and the movie unless we decide we want to work really, really hard.”
The Simpsons has been translated into 26 languages and broadcast in around 100 countries. The 800th episode is set to air in early 2026. AFP
The Simpsons is streaming on Disney+.
