Introduction

                                               

                                             

The purpose of this blog is to explore episodes of The Simpsons that are centered around the characters' pasts and futures. Because The Simpsons is so long-running, the representations of past and future vary as the series goes on. I plan on providing examples of these changes as well as looking at how The Simpsons portrayed certain time periods in the past versus how they may have actually been. 
I feel as though this topic is significant because, as Carl Rhodes says, "The Simpsons is an arena in which such reflections [on society] have been particularly highlighted on account of the wide ranging subject matter that the show has addressed" (Rhodes 375). Part of the wide-ranging subject matter includes the portrayal of different decades throughout the series. As the show gets older, the flashbacks to the past and flashforwards reflect various different time periods, which makes for an interesting study.
It is also important because representing time periods through The Simpsons makes it more personal and relatable than just presenting facts or stories. The Simpsons, while exaggerated, represents a typical middle-class American nuclear family. Eliezer Van Allen discusses this in his article "The Simpsons: an Imperfect Nuclear Family". He states, "Despite these condemnations about the Simpson family's imperfections and dysfunctional nature, their shortcomings and general realism are what actually make this family so reflective of the American family and actually radical in the wake of television families of the past" (Van Allen). Experiencing historical time periods through a family North America is so familiar with, and one we can identify with, makes us learn about them in a unique and interesting way.