The Revelation of Maude Flanders

[Fat Hippo]

So basically Bob just posted a character piece about a woman who has beliefs contrary to his own, who has demonstrated in going out of her way to do what she feels or knows that shes doing the right thing, to him she is the villain, and hes perfectly content with her dying so that the world is rid of her for the better.

...Oh boy

Have you even seen the episodes? Maude is very much framed as a "villain" in the sense of being mean-spirited by the writers of the show, not by Moviebob. Though there is no denying that the left-leaning political tendencies of the Simpsons are probably closer to Bob's than not, your beef is still with the creators of the Simpsons for making fun of people with views contrary to their own...which they do constantly, and is actually an important part of the show. Which isn't really something to be condemned, as every show has a right to hold a political agenda and doesn't need to cater to anyone else's views.

 

[cynicalsaint1]

I'm not really sure I'd call this a revelation.
Maybe its because I really haven't watched most of latter seasons, but I never liked Maude Flanders ...

I had already not watched for many years when they killed her off, and distinctly remember thinking "What's the big deal about that? She was a terrible character anyways" when I heard about it.

 

[Darth_Payn]

First, I am impressed bob didn't get into a whole "thing" about killing off Maude Flanders to add more character depth to Ned and their boys. Second, Bob left out the parts of Maude's personality that, compared to Marge, made her MORE progressive and accepting of others' differences. She wouldn't have lead the protest of Michaellangelo's David if Marge didn't get the protest-train rolling on Itchy & Scratchy, and now protesting things she doesn't understand is the closest thing Marge has to a steady job. Sure Maude helped lead the charge on the burlesque house, but she was swayed by the song-and-dance number like everyone else in the mob, but Marge wasn't (Rev. Lovejoy: "Thanks a lot, Marge, that was our only burlesque house!"). Also, as one of the "Investorettes", teaming up with other women to make oodles of money sounds rather feminist* to me, and they all voted to kick Marge out for being her usual wet-blanket self.

Wow, I am NOT making Marge sound like a positive role-model.








*Speaking as a white heterosexual human male, I have only the most basic understanding of feminism, that it's about women's freedom of choice in their lives and equality with men under the law.

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

So basically Bob just posted a character piece about a woman who has beliefs contrary to his own, who has demonstrated in going out of her way to do what she feels or knows that shes doing the right thing, to him she is the villain, and hes perfectly content with her dying so that the world is rid of her for the better.

...Oh boy

Have you even seen the episodes? Maude is very much framed as a "villain" in the sense of being mean-spirited by the writers of the show, not by Moviebob. Though there is no denying that the left-leaning political tendencies of the Simpsons are probably closer to Bob's than not, your beef is still with the creators of the Simpsons for making fun of people with views contrary to their own...which they do constantly, and is actually an important part of the show. Which isn't really something to be condemned, as every show has a right to hold a political agenda and doesn't need to cater to anyone else's views.

And shes still a caricature of people who are like that. Personally i dont lean like that either but being cool with someone dying like that just because "their views arent like my own".

I didnt shed a tear for the founder of the West Baptist Church dying, but I didnt take joy in the idea either.

I also summarized what I said considering the recent actions of the "SJWs Vs MRAs" online fiasco and where Bob himself was criticizing [justifiable] said scumbags who were a part of that whole toxicity. Maude may not be real but Sara Palin, Michelle Bachman, & the GOP Moms still are.

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

So basically Bob just posted a character piece about a woman who has beliefs contrary to his own, who has demonstrated in going out of her way to do what she feels or knows that shes doing the right thing, to him she is the villain, and hes perfectly content with her dying so that the world is rid of her for the better.

...Oh boy

Have you even seen the episodes? Maude is very much framed as a "villain" in the sense of being mean-spirited by the writers of the show, not by Moviebob. Though there is no denying that the left-leaning political tendencies of the Simpsons are probably closer to Bob's than not, your beef is still with the creators of the Simpsons for making fun of people with views contrary to their own...which they do constantly, and is actually an important part of the show. Which isn't really something to be condemned, as every show has a right to hold a political agenda and doesn't need to cater to anyone else's views.

And shes still a caricature of people who are like that. Personally i dont lean like that either but being cool with someone dying like that just because "their views arent like my own".

I didnt shed a tear for the founder of the West Baptist Church dying, but I didnt take joy in the idea either.

I also summarized what I said considering the recent actions of the "SJWs Vs MRAs" online fiasco and where Bob himself was criticizing [justifiable] said scumbags who were a part of that whole toxicity. Maude may not be real but Sara Palin, Michelle Bachman, & the GOP Moms still are.

 

[Grace_Omega]

I know Bob has repeatedly defended the later Simpsons seasons, but I just don't see where he's coming from. I'm sure there are good episodes even in the latest season, but I've tried watching them often using a fairly wide sample set of episodes randomly airing on TV and they inevitably seem to range from mediocre to awful. By contrast, when an older episode comes on I almost always enjoy it.

 

[SNCommand]

So we should be surprised the caricature of a christian conservative housewife acts like a caricature? I'm not seeing what's noteworthy

 

[orangeapples]

the only thing I remember about her is that at one point she wore a tight fitting dress and had a nice rack. To be honest I didn't even remember her name. Also that she's dead.

 

[Dickdatduck]

I can also see where other critics are coming from when they talk about change in humour. Once upon a time, slapstick humour in The Simpsons was largely confined to Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake. The more recent episodes that I've sat through have effectively turned Homer into a walking target for these jokes. They can be funny, sure, but it's a different show now.

I still think people have very selective memories on the Simpsons. My recollection of the earlier stuff was filled with lots and lots of physical slapstick humor (even the whole "Homer strangles Bart" running gag), and much of the first several seasons had loads of Homer getting physically destroyed for comedic effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDWsWXCen0

The thing with that clip is that Homer ends up bruised, bloody, and broken as a result of it. It makes you cringe because it's a realistic depiction, despite being a cartoon. Whereas more recently...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYNPtDbykp0

...he walks away fine like it's an episode of Looney Toons.

The ambulance crashing into a tree and homer falling off of a cliff is less like Looney Toons?

 

[skylog]

I can also see where other critics are coming from when they talk about change in humour. Once upon a time, slapstick humour in The Simpsons was largely confined to Sideshow Bob stepping on a rake. The more recent episodes that I've sat through have effectively turned Homer into a walking target for these jokes. They can be funny, sure, but it's a different show now.

I still think people have very selective memories on the Simpsons. My recollection of the earlier stuff was filled with lots and lots of physical slapstick humor (even the whole "Homer strangles Bart" running gag), and much of the first several seasons had loads of Homer getting physically destroyed for comedic effect.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlDWsWXCen0

The thing with that clip is that Homer ends up bruised, bloody, and broken as a result of it. It makes you cringe because it's a realistic depiction, despite being a cartoon. Whereas more recently...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYNPtDbykp0

...he walks away fine like it's an episode of Looney Toons.

The ambulance crashing into a tree and homer falling off of a cliff is less like Looney Toons?

Well, he's covered in bandages and has to be carried away in a stretcher, so there's some semblance of reality there. Though I do see your point.

 

[Kameburger]

So basically Bob just posted a character piece about a woman who has beliefs contrary to his own, who has demonstrated in going out of her way to do what she feels or knows that shes doing the right thing, to him she is the villain, and hes perfectly content with her dying so that the world is rid of her for the better.

...Oh boy

Have you even seen the episodes? Maude is very much framed as a "villain" in the sense of being mean-spirited by the writers of the show, not by Moviebob. Though there is no denying that the left-leaning political tendencies of the Simpsons are probably closer to Bob's than not, your beef is still with the creators of the Simpsons for making fun of people with views contrary to their own...which they do constantly, and is actually an important part of the show. Which isn't really something to be condemned, as every show has a right to hold a political agenda and doesn't need to cater to anyone else's views.

And shes still a caricature of people who are like that. Personally i dont lean like that either but being cool with someone dying like that just because "their views arent like my own".

I didnt shed a tear for the founder of the West Baptist Church dying, but I didnt take joy in the idea either.

I also summarized what I said considering the recent actions of the "SJWs Vs MRAs" online fiasco and where Bob himself was criticizing [justifiable] said scumbags who were a part of that whole toxicity. Maude may not be real but Sara Palin, Michelle Bachman, & the GOP Moms still are.

I hate to just jump in here, but I feel like you are characterizing his reaction a bit more intensely then I think may be appropriate. I mean admittedly when Bob even writes the word women these days, there is a bit of the requisite I roll and following "ok i know where this is going..." that comes along with it, but this wasn't really that, nor did it seem like a particularly celebration of her death either that I feel like you're claiming it is. I think it's really easy to see this going there because Bob makes no secret of his political beliefs.

I think his reaction was more so the same kind of feeling you get when you see any villain of her type "get whats coming to them" which more often then not isn't death. I think the better way to articulate it would maybe be along the lines of "i wish someone would knock her down a peg," but since the character did die, which is something we are reminded of a lot in more recent episodes, it's easier to look at it and talk about it in those terms.

Also it's a cartoon character. Wishing for the death of a cartoon character is not as serious an offense as wishing or celebrating the death of a human being.

tl;dr
I think the core of what he was pointing out is that in death Maude was given a hero's tribute and treatment despite being quite the villain in reality.

 

[Leonardo Huizar]

Also it's a cartoon character. Wishing for the death of a cartoon character is not as serious an offense as wishing or celebrating the death of a human being.

...DUH

What I was pointing out is even if the character is fiction, people just like her do in fact exist.

I find this funny since right before this post i read an Article on "Harry Potter & the Labor Day lesson" in the local paper. And TL;DR it was about how in the story it portrayed the indentured servants *goes to get article ...realizes its in the car* ...the house-elves were exploited and the attempts to free them throughout the series had its good and bad sides and it was good way to teach the younger readers about immiseration of others without being preachy about it. Slavery, discrimination, and exploitation of those different than you is a real thing

...Much like how kids grew up on The Simpsons, seen the scumbag morale right for the caricature they may or might not be, then feel good when they get their comeuppance because they are the bad guys. Feel great that the analog of someone you hate falls to their death... but not really... because that would be "terrible" if it actually happened.