Ted Cruz and The Simpsons, How Cruz Got Political With Lisa And Bart
Last week Ted Cruz got into a political fight with a cartoon show. Ted Cruz and the Simpsons took center stage at CPAC when Cruz divvied up the family according to political affiliation.
Last Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Ted Cruz and the Simpsons sent Twitter abuzz when he referenced the Simpsons show, which he’s a fan of, at CPAC.
“The Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson,” Cruz said of the character who is portrayed on the show as a progressive do-gooder. “And Republicans are happily the party of Homer, Bart, Maggie and Marge.”
Unsurprisingly, Ted Cruz’s comments ignited a wave of responses on Twitter from fans as well as animators, writers and producers who worked on the show.
Al Jean, showrunner for the Fox series, tweeted that Cruz could use a pacifier from character baby Maggie.
“Ted Cruz says Maggie Simpson would vote for him,” Jean tweeted. “I think Ted’s the one who could use a pacifier in his mouth.”
The Simpsons former showrunner, Bill Oakley, also weighed in on the characters’ political affiliations. He tweeted that there was “no way” Maggie was a Republican and said that Bart is a Libertarian.
As for Homer Simpson, Oakley wrote, “He may be Republican because the joke with Homer, as everyone knows, is that he is poorly-informed and reactionary in the extreme.”
So many things wrong with this:
1) Maggie = No way
2) Bart = Libertarian
3) Marge = Well known fan of Jimmy Carter and John Anderson
4) Homer = He may be Republican because the joke with Homer, as everyone knows, is that he is poorly-informed and reactionary in the extreme https://t.co/jdspX4b7gq— ??Bill Oakley?? (@thatbilloakley) February 22, 2018
The Simpsons has dabbled in political commentary on the show, and even had an episode in 2000 that predicted Donald Trump would become President (with Lisa Simpson being elected after him and inheriting his budget crisis).
The Ted Cruz and the Simpsons fiasco came about during an interview with “The Federalist” founder Ben Domenech, who referenced a 1997 Simpsons episode in regards to the current gun control debate.
Titled “The Cartridge Family,” the episode centered on patriarch Homer Simpson buying a gun much to the disapproval of his wife, Marge.
When Homer argues he should have a gun because “it’s in the Constitution,” daughter Lisa points out, “Dad, the Second Amendment is just a remnant from Revolutionary days. It has no meaning today.”
Cruz’s assessments were telling to some observers on Twitter, with one quipping: “Lisa is the only intelligent character in the family. So R the dumb characters Republican?” adding: “Remember when Homer joined the NRA and used his semi-auto pistol to change channels on the TV.”
Another fan pointed out: “The entire point of the Simpsons is that Homer is a walking example of what not to do and Lisa is the voice of reason. Ted Cruz is the least self-aware organism on the planet.”
Cruz’s choices of characters to represent his party did seem dubious at best. Perhaps it provided a window into his values and priorities, represented by the characters.
As any fan knows, Lisa Simpson is a nerdy outcast but moral compass of the family. Father Homer Simpson is a loose cannon with no filter and low intelligence. Brother Bart Simpson is a rebel with little prospects as a functioning member of society. Mother Marge Simpson is sturdy but conventional. Lastly, Maggie Simpson is a typical baby who cannot speak yet.
Yet, for Ted Cruz Lisa Simpson is a Democrat while the rest of the Simpsons are Republicans.
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