Little Lisa & American Anti-Intellectualism

Lisa S

Lisa & American Anti-Intellectualism is the title of an essay written by Aeon J. Skoble, published in The Simpsons & Philosophy - a book that i wont link to from here b/c i'm not trying to sell you anything.

here is Skoble's thesis, 4 paragraphs in:

"So, it is fair to say that American society is conflicted about intellectuals. Respect for them seems virtually to go hand in hand with resentment. This is a puzzling social problem, and also one of great importance, for we seem to be on the verge of a new 'dark ages,' where not only then otion of expertise, but all standards of rationality are being challenged. This clearly has significant social consequences. As a vehicle for exploring this issue, it may be surprising to choose a TV show which, at first glance, seems devoted to the idea that dumber is better; but actually, of the many things that The Simpsons skillfully illustrates about society, the American ambivalence about expertise and rationality is clearly one of them.
On The Simpsons, Homer is a classic example of an anti-intellectual dolt, as are most of his acquaintances, and his son. But his daughter, Lisa, is not only pro-intellectual, she is smart beyond her years. 8-) She is extremely intelligent and sophisticated, and is often seen out-thinking those around her. Naturally, for this she is mocked by the other children at school and generally ignored by the adults. On the other hand, her favorite TV show is the same one as her brother's: a mindlessly violent cartoon. Her treatment on the show, I argue, captures the love-hate relationship American society has with intellectuals. Before turning to the ways in which it does this, let's have a closer look at the problem."

Skoble supports his thesis well, including sections on Fallacious Authority & Real Expertise/ Do We Admire Or Laugh At Lisa and a section which i'll explore briefly so i can get back to work...Philospher Kings, D'oh.

before i transcribe the Philosopher King section verbatim, maybe it's best to start with a brief reminder about Plato's Allegory Of The Cave. The general public are prisoners locked in a cave, experiencing reality through shadows on the wall. The prisoner's complete life experience is dictated by the shadowed images and their physical status as prisoner eludes them. The question lies in how they wake, and through a socratic method, philosophers have since been exploring the concept of Philosopher King. It's complicated. What isn't. here's the closing section of Skoble's essay. i'll put a link to the book at the bottom...

Philosopher Kings? D'oh!
A more specific instance of the way The Simpsons reflects American ambivalence towards the intellectual is found in the episode "They Saved Lisa's Brain." In this episode, Lisa joins the local chapter of Mensa, which already includes Professor Frink, Dr. Hibbert, and the Comic Book Guy. Together they end up in charge of Springfield. Lisa rhapsodizes 8-) about the rule of the intellecutals, a true rationalist utopia, but too many of their programs alienate the regular citizens of the town (including, of course, Homer, who leads the charge of the idiot brigade). It would be easy enough to see this sequence of events as a satire on the way the average person is too stupid to recognize the rule of the wise, but more than that is being satirized here. Also under attack is the very notion of rule of the wise - the Mensans have some legitimately good ideas (more rational traffic patterns), but also some ridiculous ones (censorship, mting rituals inspired by Star Trek), and they squabble amongst themselves. The Mensans offer something of value, especially in contrast to the corrupt regime of Mayor Quimby or the reign of idiocy that Homer represents, and Lisa's intentions are good, but it is impossible to see this episode as unequivocally pro-intellectual, since one theme is clearly that utopian schemes by elites are unstable, inevitably unpopular, and sometimes foolish. ...In Lisa's challenge to Springfield, the show calls attention to the cultural limitations of small-town America, but it also reminds us that intellectual disdain for the common man can be carried too far and that theory can all too easily lose touch with common sense.

[there's more, it's a good read ]

Now, here's a quick addition from me. Lisa is also our narrator. Explaining the story as it moves in larger terms, voicing the subconscious perception of both the writers and audience.

i have to work now. here's a link to the book, it's not an affiliate link or anything spammy like that, it's just so you can see what it looks like because i feel nice today.

i'll put an mp3 up at some point. come back.