In Season 29, episode 6 of The Simpsons, the feminist analysis is given tons of usage. In the episode Marge decides to run for mayor of Springfield after she is fed up with the way things are run. In the town hall meeting the first signs of sexism are present when the mayor puts down Marge for being a female by making sexist jokes. He makes comments about the difficulty of running a city is more complicated then getting her nails done. When she calls him out on his sexist comments, he continues to make more. In the next scene Lisa and Marge are in the kitchen talking about how society is still very much sexist and when she tells Homer she wants to run for mayor he says he is completely against a woman being mayor.
The show continues its traditional values when Marge is asked what can she do for everyone in the town and she says as a mom she will have them eat their vegetables. Her position as a mom becomes at the forefront of the episode, the audience reacts by doubting her ability because she is a female and a mother. Even one of the women critics her baked dish she brought to the pta meeting instead of her as a politician.
The show continues its traditional values when Marge is asked what can she do for everyone in the town and she says as a mom she will have them eat their vegetables. Her position as a mom becomes at the forefront of the episode, the audience reacts by doubting her ability because she is a female and a mother. Even one of the women critics her baked dish she brought to the pta meeting instead of her as a politician.
Even though she became the first woman mayor in Springfield it seems like the citizens of town, especially the media is down her throat watching every move she makes. They scrutinize her more harshly because she is a female expecting her to fail. When Marge tries to fix the problems around her by making a video of her in the kitchen, it reiterates that she can not get away from the “women are only good as mothers” stereotype. As she is filming Homer cuts in and ask her what time is dinner ready. When she tells him that she is in the middle of the speech, he disregards her and continues to ask the time. A few minutes later he comes back and ask her if it's possible to cook a hot pocket in the dryer. His lack of understanding for food preparation makes it seem as though women are the only ones who can successfully cook dinner and that it is not in men’s nature to be able to cook properly.
After holding a focus group, her team that helped her get into office convinces her to use her husband's goofiness to raise her ratings. Throughout the rest of the scenes Homer is used as a comedy act next to Marge to boost her approval ratings. The show depicts that a woman in power is unable to succeed unless a man is involved. Marge is only able to increase her approval ratings by having Homer involved in her role as mayor even having a float of him being created for the Thanksgiving Parade.
Later on in the episode, Marge goes to the former mayor and asks him if it's possible to have a good family life and be a political leader at the same time. This scene highlights what many women have to go through when it comes to balancing their lives. When a career woman who is also a mother is doing well, society feels the need to question whether she can balance both. Her personal life is tied to her professional one and people are unable to separate the two. Marge’s confusion on the balance is society’s pressure for her and other career woman to pick one life path instead of getting to enjoy both.
The scene ended with the former mayor asking her to stay for an event because they needed coffee and cake served. This moment describes how as a woman no matter how professional you become, it is hard to escape society’s need to put you in domestic positions.
I think this episode was very clever in bringing to light the hardships of career women in today's society. Woman are always underestimated whenever they are trying to obtain a higher position and are also questioned on their abilities. Family always plays an important role in a woman's career and often women are forced to leave their positions in order to take care of their families. As mentioned in chapter 8, women are often sexualized and not taken seriously in the professional world.
ReplyDeleteWomen in powerful and leadership roles are rarely taken seriously. I'm glad you were able to catch all these moments in the episode you watched. As much as I want to say that this show is progressive and showcases why we need feminism, The Simpsons does it again with never sticking with one takeaway. Since Marge always ends up giving up on her political career, how much should we really consider this episode to be a good piece promoting feminism?
ReplyDeleteWage disparities, sheer presence of the glass ceiling, and media examples that perpetuate backwards stereotypes are continuously showcased through different media outlets. As great of a show as the Simpsons is, Marge continuously resorts to household duties which brings me to the question if one should condemn it for being part of the problem rather than trying to find a solution.
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