Description
Book SynopsisUsing our favourite Springfield family as a case study, Watching with The Simpsons examines the textual and social role of parody in offering critical commentary on other television programs and genres.
Jonathan Gray brings together textual theory, discussions of television and the public sphere, and ideas of parody and comedy. Including primary audience research, it focuses on how The Simpsons has been able to talk back to three of televisionâs key genres - the sitcom, adverts and the news - and on how it holds the potential to short-circuit these genreâs meanings, power, and effects by provoking reinterpretations and offering more media literate recontextualizations.
Examining television and media studies theory, the text of The Simpsons, and the showâs audience, Gray attempts to fully situate the showâs parody and humour within the lived realities of its audiences. In doing so, he further explores the possibilities for popular entertainment
Trade Review
'essential reading for fan and academic alike.' - The Velvet Light Trap
Table of ContentsPart 1: Reading Through Intertextuality 1. Intertextuality and the Study of Texts Part 2: Watching with the Simpsons 2. Domesticom Parody, Genre, and Critical Intertextuality 3. Ad Parody and The Logic of Television 4. News Parody and the Public Sphere Part 3: Talking with the Simpsons 5. Parody and/as Interpretive Community 6 ‘The Simpsons Attitude’ Conclusion
