The Simpsons cartoon is not just a satire of its time, but also a ground-breaker for pop culture, says the Canadian author of a new book about of the show. Chris Turner, the Calgary writer of Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation, was in London yesterday for a preview of his book launch today in Toronto. “I think it goes both ways . . . ,” Turner said after his talk to a lunch-time crowd at the University of Western Ontario’s Spoke lounge. “It’s a satire of its time. The praise for its realism is accurate to my mind. In a slightly exaggerated form, it’s an interesting document of its time. “But that ironic, skeptical, smart-ass point of view, that it was the prime purveyor of, had a huge influence on the culture.” Turner showed clips of Last Exit to Springfield — his favourite episode — and read selections from his book, including one that traced the show’s style to Lenny Bruce. Read More >>>
