Good heavens! Ned Flanders has come into his own. A zealous instrument of God, Ned has long been instrumental to “The Simpsons” as it lampoons organized religion. But lately the ground has shifted beneath the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield, U.S.A., along with the rest of the nation. The new term has begun for a president whose re-election was clinched by the “moral values” ballyhoo. The current climate finds faith synonymous with patriotism, while “secular” is code for un-American. Before on “The Simpsons,” Ned was a secondary figure – Homer’s cloyingly pious next-door neighbor. But the values he embodies in exaggerated form now monopolize the political scene. In fact, one might say that Homer is Ned’s next-door neighbor, not the other way around, so clearly does Ned bask in the mainstream. “The values he represents have become more visible in American life,” agrees “Simpsons” executive producer Al Jean. Read More >>>
