End Of Year Satirical Project

GROUP PRESENTATION – 4 STUDENTS

Many families do not allow shows like “The Simpsons” to be watched because they are seen by some parents to be almost subversive, teaching incorrect moral values and showing bad examples of behaviour to the young. As a group, script a dinner party discussion between two parents who are against allowing their pre-teen children to watch shows like this, and two other parents who feel there is much to be gained by allowing their pre-teen children to view it. Use example from actual episodes of the show. You must present this interesting dinner party conversation to the class and it should last for about 2-3 minutes. (15 marks – this is the total for both writing and presenting)

John: Against 

Max: For

Julie: Against

Vanessa: For

These two families went out to a nice restaurant for dinner one night. They got into a conversation about the show the Simpson's. Both families children watch the show and Max and Vanessa have no problem with their children watching it but John and Julie think it is not moralistic and the values portrayed should not get to the ears of their children. This is the conversation they had at the restaurant. 

John: The Simpsons is definitely not a show for pre teen children. It teaches nothing to kids and portrays very bad and abusive moral vales.

Julie: I agree, there is no way I want my children to watch shows like this. Our kids shouldn't grow up thinking this is how to act or behave.

Max: Yes but we shouldn't encourage these morals we should teach the kids while watching the show this  is what you shouldn't do and how you don't behave. 

Vanessa: We need to teach them this is wrong and they need to learn this early in their lives so they don't fall into the trap of becoming unmoralistic and rude. 

John: There are many ''catch phrases'' expressed throughout the show that are rude and reflect how not to express your emotions.

Julie: Yes I agree, I have watched the show many times as I was curious to why the children enjoyed it so much and throughout each episode Bart Simpson is portrayed as rebellious and says things like ''Eat my shorts'' and ''Don't have a cow man'' to his teachers and family. I definitely think this is unacceptable and don't want my children to repeat this to me our their teachers. 

Max: I have watched the show also and characters like Marge try to pull the family together and teach right from wrong. She punishes Bart when he does something wrong and encourages Homer to do the same thing. 

Vanessa: Yes Marge is a well meaning and very patient matriarch of the Simpsons family. She has a grounding voice in the midst of her family's antics by trying to maintain order in the family household. This is how a normal family is sometimes children are rude but we teach and guide them away from the wrong to the right. 

John: While that is correct Marge still has no control over the family and Homer acts like a child and encourages violence. He says things like ''why you little'' and then almost strangles Bart to death in most episodes. 

Max: Yes but this adds to the comedy of the show and why our children enjoy it so much.

Julie: If they enjoy comedy there are many more movies and T.V. shows they can watch which are more age appropriate and don't encourage bad morals. 

Vanessa: If you don't expose your children to this kind of behavior now when are they going to experience it and be taught right from wrong. 

John: Even President George Bush says ''It has a bad influence of the children.'' Another character you may be aware of in the show is Apu. He is an Indian store owner of a small convenience shop. Apu is giving many stereotypical jokes and situations. In one episode Apu's approaches a calm Reverend Lovejoy for calling his religions miscellaneous and says ''You know Hindu isn't a small religions. There are 7 millions of us. 

After this long conversation John and Julie finally decided that the show wasn't so bad after all and so long as they expressed that the morals in the show are wrong to their children it would be better for them to be aware of things like this now rather than later.