The (dramatized) Simpsons

When Homer flashes Ned‘s bible study group, the good christian learns that he must try to embrace the obnoxious neighbor. With the helpful persuasion of a what-would-jesus-do bracelet, and the it’s-time-for-a-good-deed  wall clock, Ned grows the courage to invite the Simpson family on the bible study’s journey to the Holy Land, Jerusalem. He would had turned him town, if his sarcastic response hadn’t drawn Marge’s attention, just in time for her to accept the offer, and insist that they’d pay their own way.

In Israel, Homer is forced by the Israeli Army to admit that potato pancakes – or latkhas – are as good as American pancakes, and that falafel can be delivered to the top of Mt. Zion. Bart is chased from the Wailing Wall by a special tour-guide’s super daughter, who works security for the tour, and uses Krav Maga to take him down. And, eventually, Ned has a mental breakdown, which leads to his banishment from entering a very special church.

Homer thinks that the upset christian runs off into the desert, and he pursues him on the back of a camel (aka a sand horse). But, he gets stranded in the desert, and is confronted by three heaven-sent vegetables, who deem him the messiah. When he gets rescued, the good doctor diagnoses him with Jerusalem Syndrome, just before the patient vanishes from the hospital bed.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Ned freaked out at Homer

They find him at the Dome of the Rock, announcing that every religion is part of the same clod of clay, and that everyone needs to celebrate the commonality of chicken; after all, Muslims, Christians and Jews can all eat it.

By the end of the episode, Homer urges all to spread the word, “Peace and Chicken!”

Technorati Tags: christian, holy land, jerusalem, ned, simpsons

Matt Groening, creator The Simpsons

The Simpsons break new ground in social commenary as Matt Groening introduces what seems to be a new level of socio-centric animated satire.

The beginning of the episode shows Homer with his new GPS system, and how difficult it is for him  to follow Lisa’s simple explanation: meters are three inches longer than the 36-inch yard. Because of his dimwitted demeanor, he misses a right turn, and somehow manages to crash through a construction site before arriving at the front of the elementary school, fastened to the back-end of a tow truck.

At school, Bart is disappointed about his teacher’s absence when he learns that Skinner is forcing their class to integrate with their fellow forth graders. But, the transition isn’t a total loss, once he chooses a desk with a vampire-loving skateboard girl named Nikki.

Meanwhile, Lisa is busy loathing her first ‘F’ while seated alone on the playground see-saw. She tries to cope with the horrible truth, until suddenly a fellow failure joins her on the teeter-totter. Soon everyone is embracing her common stupidity, which gets spoiled by the teacher, who reveals that the grade was just a mistake, and that the young girl had really gotten an ‘A’ triple plus on the exam. This news turns the majority against her, as she is immediately ridiculed for her superior mental capacity. In her confusion about what had happened, Lisa posts on her organic gardening blog. She is enthralled to find an inspirational response from a curious individual named flotus1. To her surprise, the author turns out to be the First Lady Of The United States, Michele Obama, who arrives by helicopter to congratulate Lisa’s ambitions, and to inspire other over-achievers to continue on the path to greatness.

The (dramatized) Simpsons

As for the fourth-grade relationship, America’s overly litigious society is heavily criticized as an innocent kiss turns into a lawsuit, leading to the young boy receiving a crash course in the bizarre nature of love, which would have turned him away from girls altogether, if not for another strategically whimsical kiss on the boy’s cheek.

Technorati Tags: animated, matt goening, satire, simpsons, social commentary, socio-centric