The Simpsons
When one thinks of modern animation, the Simpsons is inarguably the longest running, and thusly one of the most socially impactful. It is hard to believe that there is anyone out there who is not familiar with the show to some degree, but in case there is someone reading this who has lived in a cave without TV or access to popular media since the early 90's; the Simpson's is at it's core a basic family comedy focused on the the titular Simpsons, Marge and Homer, the parents, and Bart, Lisa, and Maggie, their children.
Over the course of the 24 years that the show has been on the air, it has touched on almost every topic in modern American society to some greater or lesser extent. This includes many feminist topics, such as women working outside of the home, women in politics, and gender roles as a whole. Lisa, in particular, is well known for voicing feminist arguments.
While the overall message of the Simpsons is fairly pro-feminism, the unchanging nature of the characters really undercuts the ability of the show to illustrate positive changes to the situation or the society. The ability of a show with the reach and cultural impact to implant ideas and concepts, particularly in the children that grew up watching the Simpsons, cannot be understated. Even though the characters of the show do not change significantly over time, the children who grew up with them, absorbing those ideas, have and I am certain that many of leading figures in modern feminism owe some of their earliest exposures to feminist concepts to Lisa, Marge, and the rest.
Over the course of the 24 years that the show has been on the air, it has touched on almost every topic in modern American society to some greater or lesser extent. This includes many feminist topics, such as women working outside of the home, women in politics, and gender roles as a whole. Lisa, in particular, is well known for voicing feminist arguments.
While the overall message of the Simpsons is fairly pro-feminism, the unchanging nature of the characters really undercuts the ability of the show to illustrate positive changes to the situation or the society. The ability of a show with the reach and cultural impact to implant ideas and concepts, particularly in the children that grew up watching the Simpsons, cannot be understated. Even though the characters of the show do not change significantly over time, the children who grew up with them, absorbing those ideas, have and I am certain that many of leading figures in modern feminism owe some of their earliest exposures to feminist concepts to Lisa, Marge, and the rest.