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ANALYZE THIS

By Vince DiMiceli
The Brooklyn Paper

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In "There’s No Disgrace Like Home," an early episode of the Fox TV series "The Simpsons," Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa and Maggie visit therapist Dr. Marvin Monroe after watching his commercial promising "family bliss or double your money back."

Thus began the analysis of America’s favorite dysfunctional family.

Conversely, in "The Simpsons and Society" (Hats Off, $15.95), author Steven Keslowitz tries to explain how "The Simpsons" has influenced us.

Keslowitz, who’ll be signing copies of his book at the Court Street Barnes and Noble [106 Court St. at State Street, (718) 246-4996] on March 18 at 7 pm, spent many hours watching the show while he was growing up. Now, he wants to prove he wasn’t wasting his time.

The Brooklyn College student’s premise is that during the course of their 15-plus years on the air, "The Simpsons" have tackled many important social issues - from proper parenting to international affairs.

Unfortunately, Keslowitz ignores the precedent set by other cartoons - namely "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" - where satire ran the gamut.

The fact is, "The Simpsons" isn’t breaking any new ground. But Keslowitz isn’t making any offers like Dr. Monroe if you’re not completely satisfied.

As Homer would say, "D’oh!"

©2004 Community Newspaper Group


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