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Simpson fan fest Aug 04, 2009
This is easily one of the most entertaining audiobooks I have listened to in a long time. The book is filled with quotes from the Simpson, and the narrator does great Simpson impersonations. The narrative has a seemingly endless number of anecdotes from Simpson's episodes (all referenced by episode number.) To a fan of the show, these references bring back fond memories. The book excels when it operates as a Simpsons fan companion.
Unfortunately, it falls flat when it tries to dig deeper. The arguments come across as those from a serious fan of the show trying to justify it's importance by placing it in external paradigms. Many of the arguments could easily be applied to just about any other aspect of pop culture. (The Fruit Loops Generation?) The insight that pop culture has become a strong identifying factor in a fragmenting society is interesting, but by no means original. The strange irony is that a corporate entity is needed to provide a unifying force for a youth culture rebelling against the corporatism of society. For a Simpsons fan like the author, Simpsons serves as that force, and the thesis of this book will apply. However, for others, including those that have a shared interest in the Simpsons and other things, the argument falls flat.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
 Great for thinking Simpsons fans who are not offended by a Marxist Feb 15, 2009
When I came to the reviews here, I wanted to see what other books this author had written. I was not very surprised to find he had recently written a book on Marxism. Although I am very pro-capitalist, I look at it the way a neoliberal might have enjoyed being included on the show Firing Line.
As others have posted, the Simpsons make fun of just about everything, and I truly doubt anyone gets all the references. This book pointed out certain references on episodes that I had seen many times without realizing them.
My now-teenage son will now inform me of when the show is referencing Shakespeare. How many people know the one episode "## short stories about Springfield" is a reference to another Canadian (the author is also), Glenn Gould. It would be very difficult for anyone outside the United States to understand all the references. It is hard enough for most people since the Simpsons often makes no sense whatsoever (to me that is real life).
People say the Simpsons has been in decline for many years, yet I find that, if anything, the references are more densely packed and frequent, and it still is funnier than most shows on tv, unfortunately. I truly wish there were more shows on tv today that make me laugh, but it seems this is one of those few.
Of course, some of the references will become very dated eventually, but I think in 20 years (if the show is not still on), it is going to live in reruns a lot more than Friends or Seinfeld.
However, references are just as likely to be of the past as current.
Of course, the episode that parodied Nirvana came out a few years past when this book was published, but the satire was about something that happened in the 90s.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
It's Like a Totally Self-Indulgent Master's Thesis on the Simpsons Sep 08, 2008
The book had its fair share of interesting parts, and the author made some decent points about his critiques of modern society and how the Simpsons dealt with them. And I'll admit it is a book I can pick up and read a few paragraphs with and be done with, which is appealing at times.
But man alive, sometimes the book felt like papers in college I would write and use excessive language as filler to get the paper to a minimum page requirement. I almost feel like grabbing a red pen myself after reading it for more than 5 minutes and begging for some stuff to be chopped out.
Another thing that I didn't care for particularly was how ultra hip the guy was trying to be. There was one point where he rambled on about different Radiohead albums and how they reflected what society was doing at the times they were released. It was like haring the ramblings of a super stoned person who completely thinks they are saying the most enlightened thing ever but, well, aren't. The guy's political leanings (typical college leftist type, although not totally versed in that dogma) really shine thru as well, which were off-putting at times.
That being said, there are enough recollections of good Simpsons episodes put forward in a thought provoking way where the book isn't totally bad either, although to me this isn't as much a book as it is one huge essay.
1 of 4 found the following review helpful:
 Fanboys should not be authors Apr 03, 2008
The subject matter of this book was very compelling. I have been a Simpsons fan for many years and have often pondered the place this show has in our culture.
Simpson's book is marred by his fawning and constant proclamations of Matt Groening's genius. We get it: the Simpsons are important.
After about 30 pages of this, it is hard to take anything Turner says seriously.
1 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Did this guy have an editor? Dec 29, 2007
Wow. Another reviewer called the authors' style "rambling". That is an understatement to say the least. There are sentences in this book that run for over half a page. Both the author and his editors had to either be on serious drugs or way over their limit of Starbucks. Some great points, but, way too long and totally self-indulgent.
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