Simpsons' War of the Worlds

Some comments that respond to p-duck's comments on the other Simpsons post.

This clip may not be as funny if we were still at war (depending when the clips runs) because people may not notice the reference. I don't think I can address the other questions, but I do think that the Mr. P-Duck's reaction goes deeper than just being over there.

Anywho. This is the full clip for the last Treehouse of Horror VII. There are two narratives incorporated into the larger narrative. The first is the parody of War of the Worlds focuses on the gulibility of the people; the second refers to the arrogance of occupation, which still makes sense but only in terms of the gulibility of the people. (In a way, one underlying claim is that in a democracy, you get the leaders you deserve.)

Below is the full clip from Treehouse of Horror XVII, "The Day the Earth Looked Stupid."

First, does the first narrative soften the second narrative or does it make it worse?

Second, is this an appropriate form of an argument since there may be no chance to refute the show (though you could engage in debate with others that watch it)?

Third, what ethics should the writers of the Simpsons follow?

Fourth, what other themes are in this: the "masses" are stupid; the masses are anti-intellectual and easily duped by the media; government officials are incompetent; the intellectuals know the "truth" (Lisa) but are unable to persuade the masses; and, finally, then there is the invasion/ occupation.



On a side note: I use the episode "Lisa the Iconoclast" to teach Plato's allegory of the cave. Some Plato scholars suggest that Plato's three parts of the soul correlates to three different classes of individuals in society. There is the warrior class, which is based on courage; there are the masses, which are ruled by passions; and there are the rulers (the wise Platonic Guardians), which rule by reason.

In both "Lisa the Iconoclast" and "Treehouse of Horrors XVII," Lisa represents the Platonic Guardian-- she knows the truth but either lies to the masses (noble lie) because the truth would hurt the masses or she cannot persuade the masses because the masses are too stupid to understand.

What are writers of the Simpsons suggesting to their audience: Are they saying that Plato is correct, the masses are too stupid, and this episode not only attacks those that planned the war but also most of the audience? Is there a further joke on the audience that mocks the audience because the audience members don't really even know why this is funny? (If funny is the correct word.)

Finally, there is a relationship between this administration and this interpretation of Plato. Usually, this view of Plato develops from the Straussians, a few of whom were the architects of the current war (Perle, Wolfowitz). How does this alter our understanding of what the writers of the Simpsons suggest?