It's Funny Because It's True? The Simpsons, Satire, and the Significance of Religious Humor in Popular Culture

Abstract

The Simpsons’ depiction of the evangelical Ned Flanders has become a well-known stereotype in contemporary American popular culture which has been discussed in academic and popular circles. This article uses a critical analysis of Flanders to challenge journalist Mark Pinsky’s assertion that The Simpsons is “funny because it’s true” (The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Bigger, and Possibly Even Better! Edition, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2007, 226) and Conrad Hyers’ theorizing of humor’s religiousness by demonstrating that Flanders is a satire who contributes to ongoing political debates in the United States. This is accomplished through a cultural analysis of Flanders in light of political debates since the 1960s in which evangelicals have had a significant role. It is argued that Flanders’ actions are simultaneously mocked and praised in a way which denigrates evangelicals and their political participation while supporting the individual acts of piety and Christian morality which do not lead to behavioral prescriptions for others.