‘Might as Well Be Dead’: Domesticity, Irony and Feminist Politics in Contemporary Animation Comedy

Abstract

This article examines the ways in which contemporary animation comedy series such as The Simpsons (1989–present) and King of the Hill (1991–2010) employ the figure of the housewife to actuate a feminist critique of domesticity. It aims to answer the following questions: how can we situate and understand the enduring presence of such a traditional role in contemporary animation comedy series which are otherwise liberal and progressive in their political orientation? Can feminist politics and domesticity occupy the same space? And if so, what occurs in this genre when the ostensibly antagonistic subject positions of ‘feminist‘ and ‘housewife’ are integrated?