Cutting Remark By A Surprising Source
I love The Simpsons. I have watched since it’s introduction on The Tracey Ullman show oh so many years ago. Even when my dad banned it from our house because my ‘lil bro pulled santa’s beard off at my grandma’s company x-mas party (as had been seen on The Simpsons the week prior), I still watched, but in secret! I have seen the show evolve into a pop culture phenomena and into something people of all walks of life can bond over. I love the humor and the family dynamic and never questioned it. I look forward to new episodes as I do all of my favorite shows (though the number of ’em has drastically declined over the years).
I am not easily offended and often find such moments of offense to be more windows of opportunity to share the experience or knowledge with my fellow earthlings. I say this because the other night, while watching the newest episode of The Simpsons, I was offended and shocked and then just plain fucking mad! The episode is titled, “Love is a Many Strangled Thing” and it addresses the unique if not entirely abusive relationship that Homer has with Bart. Hence the “Strangled” bit. We’ve all laughed at those moments when Bart just pushes Homer over the edge and that all-time classic “strangling” ensues. No worries there, I mean, they’re cartoons!
This episode also had a “nightmare” sequence for Homer. In it he suddenly finds that he is the character “Precious” from the film of the same name. I was startled to see such a dark reference on such a funny and family-oriented show, but I didn’t question it. That is, until I caught what Bart (while in the nightmare as “Precious” abusive mother) says at the end of the sequence, “I don’t see many more movie roles for a girl like you. Not unless George Lucas needs another Death Star.” And my heart broke. And then I just got angry! (You can watch the clip below, quality is poor, but the quote is in there.)
I just can’t get past this. When he said that I felt a stab in my heart, seriously! I know it’s a cartoon, but it stings! And what the fuck is that all about anyway? Why attack the actor and not the character or film or whatever? I don’t get it! Because we all know how fucking mad-rad-awesome and fantastic Gabourey Sidibe is, y’all! I think the writer’s took a fucking day off or something. A lot of work goes into those episodes and a lot of people have to agree and get on board with an idea for it to be approved and ready for the show. So how did this little biting bit of fat hate get thrown in there? More importantly, WHY?! Why did anyone deem that little remark necessary? It certainly didn’t help the plot or even make me laugh. I have laughed at fat jokes before. It’s true. Not in awhile, but I have. Now? I prefer fat puns by fat people. Just how I like it I guess. But this was just wrong and rude.
I can’t say that I will stop watching The Simpsons, but I will begin to look a bit more closely at the dialogue and take note of those writers’ names and see if maybe I can’t write a letter or two. Homer is a much beloved fat international anti-hero. He usually doesn’t give a shit about his fat, and even when other characters make him feel badly about it, by the end of the episode, he usually comes to some form of acceptance. In the end, the real nightmare was mine.
Jokes like this make me wonder who the writers think their audience is. Do they think that only slim people watch the Simpsons, so it’s OK to make jokes bullying fat people? Do they think that the fat people who do watch are all self-hating enough that they’ll find this joke funny?
Because really, they just made a joke that a reasonable person could expect would alienate a pretty significant portion of their fan base. (I know a lot of fat friends who like the Simpsons.) Why do that? Why?
I’d add this to my list of offenders: Mike Rowe of “Dirty Jobs”, Conan O’brien, David Letterman, Jay Leno… Clearly, if you’re willing to make a cruel fat joke, you don’t want me, a fat woman, watching your show.
I didn’t know Mike Rowe hates fats, too?! Oh well. As I grow older I see that no one is ever what you hope of expect them to be. Thanks!
I watched that episode and had a very different reaction. I didn’t interpret it as a jab at Gabby Sidibe, but rather as a reflection of the actual feedback she’s gotten from many writers and critics. The phrasing was crude because the character who spoke the words was also crude.
Okay, so then what was the point of that line? Because it didn’t fit with the rest of the episode and why comment on the actress who played a character in that character’s mother? I just don’t see that. Sorry. I do appreciate that you had a different reaction, but I still feel that sting from when I first saw it.
I wonder the same thing, about how certain things slip through. There are so many people involved in just about any source of media. How is it that some really hateful, bullying things get through with none of the people involved saying — hey, wait a minute?
Exactly. And even if no one stuck up for the fatties, someone had to realize along the way that that single line just didn’t fit with the rest of the episode. I don’t consider myself very sensitive at all, hardly. But this just hit a sour note for me on a few levels. Thanks.
Mike Rowe may not hate us, but he cracked a joke sometime last year… oh, I’m having a hard time remembering the specifics… he compared something to wrestling with a fat woman, that it feels good but you don’t want anyone to see you doing it, something like that. It really stung, because it felt like he was telling me that he doesn’t see me as part of his audience.
The jokes by the late night talk shows are cruder, usually along the lines of “fat people eat a lot of food! Hurr, hurr!”. But even then, dudes, who do you think is watching your show? A bunch of skinny people and nobody else? Catch a clue. You’re alienating people.
I expect nothing more from those late night guys, sadly. And from Conan I would hope for more, but I don’t hold my breath! Ha! That joke from Mike Rowe? It’s not that bad, I guess. I mean, it’s not right or great, but it doesn’t sting like that Simpson’s one. Thanks for the googling! =0)
Here’s the joke, thanks to google:
Mattress guy:, it’s like wrestling with a fat woman.
Mike: Have you ever wrestled with a fat woman?
Mattress Guy: No
Mike: It’s like riding a moped. It’s fun until someone sees you.
I’m guessing that The Simpsons made the joke in an effort to keep up with more offensive (but popular) shows. Family Guy can’t go a whole epidsode without ripping on fat people (women in particular – “only fat women are fat”) and covers it by screaming “SATIRE.” TV is about money and cruelty apparently sells.
You so right, but with the Simpson’s? I dunno, I feel like they’ve always addressed fat jokes/issues through Homer in a decent way mostly. This one just seemed so out there. FG is truly one of the worst, for sure.
Alright, I’ll give my two cents.
So the only fat characters in movies are victims of abuse? I really hated that movie. I mean, I’m fat and childhood abuse didn’t cause my fat. Here’s a story about a fat woman and it’s depressing. Yeah, the movie sucked.
So I didn’t take The Simpson’s as an attack on the fat actress but all the BS that goes down for a fat actress. I found it funny, because I saw it as a parody of a really lame movie and as talented as Sibide may be, she may have a hard time finding other roles because of her weight, which is the BS the Simpson’s was poking at.
I’ve heard a lot of people who think that movie wasn’t good. I personally thought it was heart wrenching and mind blowing and great. Not something I’d want to watch/go through again, but it was an important film, for sure. I don’t see how the movie or the Simpson’s are trying to make abuse the cause of fat at all. Did I miss something there? Again, I just felt the remark was odd and stuck out like a sore thumb. Had it been in context of something, anything, it would have made more sense, possibly. Thank you for the two cents. And for reading! =0)
Mike Rowe’s joke is a tired old one and as a guy I have come across it often, to me there is a deeper truth to the sentiment behind it, usually it’s regarding sex rather than “wrestling”:
“It’s like riding a moped. It’s fun”
Translation: I am attracted to fat women and enjoy spending time with them.
” until someone sees you.”
Translation: But I am so insecure and needy for the approval of others that sharing that I have this attraction outside the norm would fill me with shame.
This amazes and saddens me. I have always had guys as friends, more so than girls, but I’ve never heard this before. I’ve heard lots of fat chick jokes (usually involving searching for genitalia) but I always thought that guys would be proud of whatever their “type” was. I hate that people hide their true desires because of some bullshit need for approval. I say this a lot, but had I known that there were guys that liked me in high school, I would have dated most of them! I never dated guys at my own school because I thought they hated me. I wasn’t fat yet, but for some reason I intimidated guys. I suppose I was more forward/outspoken than the popular gals, but damn! So many lost opportunities. Ha! I just wish guys would own their shit, ya know? My friends knew my “type” and while they made fun at first, I was never without a date and they came to understand that when you know what you want it’s much easier to actually get. Oh well. Here’s hoping for a better tomorrow for all of us. And thank you for reading and commenting. You rock!