The Gospel according to the Simpsons, Bigger and Possibly Even Better! by Mark Pinsky

Author:Mark Pinsky
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: politics, animation, south park, futurama, family guy, king of the hill, the simpsons, american dad
Publisher: Mark Pinsky

Yiddish expressions, usually voiced by Krusty, abound: tucchus (butt) and yutz (empty head), plotz (burst), bupkes (nothing), ferkakteh (execrable), schlemiel (bungler), and schmutz (mess). The clown refers to his long-lost daughter as “my lucky little hamentaschen,” a reference to triangular pastry eaten on the holiday of Purim. Other Yiddish words and puns and double entendres also pop up. Springfield’s miniature golf course is sometimes (but not always) called “Sir Putts-a-Lot.” The Yiddish word putz means penis. Another of Krusty’s middle names is “Schmoikel,” which sounds like the diminutive of another Yiddish term for penis. “What’s a good Jewish word Krusty can use here?” Gentile writers would ask Mike Reiss. And it usually would be Gentile writers who would seek such words. “Not even a majority of the stuff comes from the Jews.”

There are other in-jokes that were obviously written by Jews for other Jews. A casino boat travels from Springfield beyond the territorial limit to allow activities forbidden by U.S. law. In a fleeting shot, a man in a tuxedo, under a canopy, is seen marrying a cow in what is clearly a Jewish wedding ceremony—then the groom smashes with his foot a glass wrapped in a napkin.

The Jewish content of The Simpsons inspired one fan, Brian Rosman, a health policy researcher at a Brandeis University think tank, to create a Web site that features still shots from “Like Father, Like Clown” under the heading, “Jewish Life in Springfield.” It also uses Homer Simpson to help Jewish viewers with the observance of Lag B’Omer, the counting of the sheaves between Passover and Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, and a bilingual pun on Homer’s name. Rosman believes that

The Simpsons does the funniest, most authentic parodies of Jewish life among all the comedy shows on TV, certainly compared to shows that are considered more “Jewish,” like Seinfeld. The Simpsons demonstrates a more intuitive understanding of American Jewish history, Jewish religion and culture, and Judaism’s place among all the other varieties of belief and identity in America. I only wish there was more Jewish content on the show, because when they do it, they do it very well.

Actually, there may be more than even Rosman realizes. Apart from Krusty, The Simpsons from time to time suggests an underlying element of what might be called “crypto-Judaism.” In one of the opening chalkboard sequences, Bart writes, “I am not the reincarnation of Sammy Davis Jr.” While watching the “Rapping Rabbis” on television, Homer asks Marge, “Are we Jewish?” Sight gags in the series also extend this conceit. A menorah—the Hanukkah candelabra—is seen in the Simpsons’ family storage closet, without comment on how or why it got there. There are other hints. Watching the cross-dressing movie Yentl puts Homer in an amorous mood—at least when he’s delirious—especially the part when Barbra Streisand, the title character, is in the yeshiva. In another episode, Homer, lightheaded from donating blood, raves, “Jewish? No, I’m not Jewish.” And Jews pop up in unexpected places. Along with Duff Man, the local beer company mascot, one of the regular trio of teenage toughs is also Jewish.

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