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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 53 customer reviews )
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15 of 15 found the following review helpful:
 Very solid read Apr 03, 2006
By Pops Freshenmeyer
99% of the reviewers missed the point of the book. A book that promises a 'sprawling, multidimensional critical look' at "The Simpsons" as seen through the lens of pop culture analysis--what did they expect to read about? Most of them complain about the book's length and criticize the author's penchant for branching off into other pop culture topics. However, these two main complaints are both the central points of the book, and their arguments seem to be very defitions of "sprawling and multidemensional". I enjoyed this book very much, and liked the length of the it, as it meant the author did go in-depth in his analyses. While I did not necessarily agree with all of his points, he did present them very well and it is very obvious the man knows his "Simpsons." Furthermore, I did find many, but not all, of his "tangents" to be related and very applicable to the points he was trying to make using aspects of The Simpsons. As a long-time fan, I've always said that there is very little in life that "The Simpsons" doesn't relate to, so I really enjoyed this book. The reason I didn't give it a perfect is b/c I did find parts to be a bit dry for me, but that's the extent of my dislikes. My advice is this: if you want a more lighthearted read on "The Simpsons," buy one of the many other books about them--BUT if you want a much more in-depth and well-written book delivering what it promises, this is it.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
smells like otto's jacket Feb 15, 2006
By Ryan M. Moore
"some guy"
This book isn't a masterpiece, but it deserves better reviews. If you're looking for something more fun in the vein of Simpsons merchandise or don't like to have your pleasures intellectualized, then stay way. But if you're a Simpsons fan and you've always thought it was postmodern but you were absent on the day they taught Jameson and Baudrillard in seminar and so you can't explain why . . . then this book is for you! Sure, the chapters are way too long and the prose reads like it was written by comic book store guy, but it's got its insights and it makes you laugh. The chapters are organized by character so you get a sense of how each represents a little slice of Americana--Homer the working-class oaf, Marge the desparate housewife, Bart the punk rock nihilist skateboarder, Lisa the earnest liberal do-gooder, Burns the wretched capitalist pig. I really like chapter 10, about the show's endless spiral of self-referentiality and media parody. The quiz on p.411 asking if you can guess which was a fake movie with Troy McClure or a real movie with one of the Baldwin brothers is almost worth the price of the book itself.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
Better than I thought it would be Feb 21, 2006
By Danezilla
"Can't Sleep, Puppets Will Eat Me"
After reading all of these negative reviews, I was fairly hesitant about wasting time on this tome; however, as an avid Simpsons fan, I felt obligated. I had to skip over most of the introduction. It seemed too personal, too contrived, and frankly, I felt as if he greatly overestimates the impact of the show at the outset. As I started reading the text proper, I was immediately intrigued. While I take a lot of Turner's social analysis with a grain of salt, I was entertained by the references, and interested in the majority of the material covered. I think I would have enjoyed a book about this subject that was a bit more academic since Turner tends to ramble and lose sight of his focus in his too-frequent tangents. I recommend this book only to hardcore Simpsons fans who are also interested in the popular culture that ran parallel to the show.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
I was intrigued... Dec 08, 2004
By B. Salomons
"8r4d"
... I mean, a journalist from Calgary writes a book about the Simpsons? What lost Turner that fifth star was his lack of disclosure: This book doesn't belong on the shelf beside the episode guides, quiz books, or comics. It would be more comfortable in the culture section tucked between Naomi Klein's No Logo and Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. I just wish I knew that before I dove into this engrossing book. What better way to reach this generation, after all, than to wrap a narrative of liberal politics (honestly represented by the Simpsons itself, by the way) in everyone's favorite cartoon family. I would have still bought it and read it (that's my disclosure) but this isn't a book about cartoons: it's a book about the last fifteen years of Gen X, Y, AND Z.True, Turner spends a handful of pages at the beginning of the book setting the stage, as it were. We are treated to favorite moments from the show, relatable anecdotes, and some unofficial history behind its conception. But then Turner begins his broad and sweeping path through the cast: we are treated to archetypal descriptions of each character -- not as end in itself, but rather as a jumping point for some wild (and often speculative) tangental explorations of culture and politics in our modern age. We laugh at the antics of Homer, then grimace at how the bumbling cartoon documents the decline of modern society. It's interesting. And if you are looking to explore the Simpsons at a level that is much deeper than average (though very relatable and written very friendly) this is your book. Recognize that. You'll either love it or hate it -- but I think that may depend on your political viewpoint AND your tolerance for literature of society's vocal left.
50 of 68 found the following review helpful:
 Longest. Alt.tv.simpsons Post. Ever. Dec 29, 2004
By Stephen Holland
Have you ever been to a party and been cornered by someone who wants to discuss his favourite book (or cartoon, or CD, or political theory, or celebrity) in detail? Chris Turner's Planet Simpson reminded me of the many times that I have had to endure a bore talking with passion about his views on such fascinating topics as Perl vs C++. We have all had these experiences, but most of use would prefer to avoid reading a book that treats the reader this way.
Planet Simpson is a long, rambling discourse about why the author likes The Simpsons, and why the author thinks that The Simpsons defined North American pop culture during the 1990s. Unfortunately the book contains little more than a rehash of the jokes that the author found funny, and repeated comments about how
The Simpsons deconstruct pop culture. The book offered no real insight into why The Simpsons was popular, why The Simpsons nailed such a wide variety of topics over its ongoing 14-year run, or why The Simpsons started to decline. The author
appears to have made no effort to interview people involved with the show; does not discuss, or even acknowledge, other works about The Simpsons; and largely misses the connections between this tv series and other developments in pop culture over the past 14 years.
In short, this book was dull.
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