Website Review: TheSimpsons.com
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know this site mirrors the long-running,
popular
TV
show's belovedly weird shticks. The humor in the site's
content might go over the heads younger teens, and you'll
probably want to talk about the show's satire with older ones.
Kids must be 13 to post in the boards, which appear to
generally stick to topical -- although often silly --
information: "Homer=The Greatest Man in television history."
Reply: "Homer=Figure of Religion." Once in a while an iffy
comment does appear: "sex, drugs, rock'n'roll…speed,
weed, birth-controll…lifes a bitch, than u die..fuk the
world and lets get high," but they are few and far between.
There's an odd sequence in the intro to the Character Bios
section that shows buxom women vying for job by kissing the
boss in a janitor's closet and the quotes under the screen
shots of each episode often talk about beer, hurting someone
with a chainsaw, pooping, porn, and other questionable themes.
The site also promotes the Simpsons Movie and has a link to an
extensive store.
Families can talk about talk about The Simpsons empire. From bobbleheads to movie gear, how can enjoying a show or a movie transform into a consumer glut? Does it make the TV show seems less genuine if it has so many products attached to it? Families can also talk about the use of social satire. How does a making funny character with flaws help us think about what's right and wrong with certain attitudes and behaviors in American culture? When a show has a 400 episode history and is made into a feature film, what does that say about the sustained creativity required of the show's writers?
Common Sense Media Review
Devotees of
The
Simpsons
will find a bonanza of information and obscure things to
buy at Fox network's official site for Matt Groening's popular
cartoon show.
Browse through a guide to all 400 episodes (equipped with mostly tactless quotes from the specific episode); read show character bios; post a message for fellow obsessed fans to respond to; play a trivia game; enter a contest to win Simpsons stuff in the shop; or link to The Simpsons Movie site.
If you're familiar with The Simpsons, none of the crass, silly, and sometimes not-good-for-kids behavior will be a surprise on this site. Yet an odd sequence in the intro to the Character Bios section showing buxom women vying for job by kissing the boss in a janitor's closet may cross the line into the questionable social message arena for the 13-year-old group recommended for this site.
The Springfield Community Forum area is probably of most concern for parents as it's not regularly monitored. Surprisingly, it generally sticks to topical -- albeit often silly -- Simpsons information: "Homer=The Greatest Man in television history." Reply: "Homer=Figure of Religion." Once in a while an iffy comment does appear on the boards: "sex, drugs, rock'n'roll…speed, weed, birth-controll…lifes a bitch, than u die..fuk the world and lets get high," but they are few and far between. Users have to enter a DOB and e-mail address to post something, but everyone is able to read the messages.
Overall, there's nothing spectacularly new or innovative on this straightforward promotional site, just standard fan food with lots to view and even more to sell.
Fans of this site may also enjoy watching The Simpsons on TV.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
