
Understanding The Simpsons
Animating the Politics and Poetics of Participatory Culture
Moritz Fink(Author)
Amsterdam University Press
Published on 5. October 2021
Book
Hardback
236 pages
978-94-6298-831-6 (ISBN)
Description
Accolades such as the best TV show of the twentieth century or the longest-running scripted series on American prime-time television have elevated The Simpsons to the pop culture pantheon, while also suggesting the very vintage character of the program. But the label The Simpsons refers not just to a show that seems to belong to a bygone television era, it implies a rich narrative universe, including a set of iconic figures, familiar across continents and generations. Through the lens of transmedia studies, Understanding The Simpsons traces the franchise's trajectory, exploring how one of the most popular comedy series of all time has redefined the intersections between corporate media and participatory culture, as the kernel of its cult meaning.
Reviews / Votes
"Does the world need another book on The Simpsons? Don't have a cow! From Black Bart to Banksy, from the Harvard Lampoon and underground comics to Mad Magazine, from transmedia storytelling to DeviantArt, Moritz Fink deftly explores what's 'cult' in this long-running television series and in the process, uses The Simpsons to explore the complex status of television in contemporary culture."- Henry Jenkins, University of Southern California, editor of Popular Culture and the Civic Imagination: Case Studies of Creative Activism
"Meticulously researched and intelligently argued, Understanding The Simpsons: Animating the Politics and Poetics of Participatory Culture will be welcomed by American Studies scholars, students of television seriality, and anyone interested in the cultural histories of the nineties and naughties and beyond. Whether you like to watch The Simpsons as an academic, as a fan, or as an aca-fan, this book is for you."
- Frank Kelleter, Freie Universitaet Berlin, editor of Media of Serial Narrative
"Broadening the scope of study of The Simpsons from the television series to its status as a global transmedia franchise, Moritz Fink's book is essential reading for anyone interested in the television industry and production, media convergence, fandom and participatory culture."
- Rebecca Williams, University of South Wales, author of Theme Park Fandom: Spatial Transmedia, Materiality, and Participatory Cultures
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Amsterdam
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Academic
Illustrations
21 s/w Abbildungen
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
523 gr
ISBN-13
978-94-6298-831-6 (9789462988316)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
approx. 12/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€68.80
Not yet published

E-Book
10/2025
Routledge
€60.49
Available for download

E-Book
10/2025
Routledge
€60.49
Available for download
Person
Moritz Fink is an independent media scholar. He holds a doctoral degree in American Studies from the University of Munich, and has published on The Simpsons as well as a variety of pop culture themes.
Content
Introduction, 1. Bart Talks Back: The Politics and Poetics of Participatory Culture, 2. Alternative TV: The Genesis of The Simpsons, 3. More than Just a Cartoon: Meta-Television Culture and the Age of Irony, 4. High Fives on Prime Time: Representing Popular Culture, 5. At the Edge of Convergence Culture: Engaging in the Simpsons Cult, 6. Echoes of Springfield: The Simpsons in Remix Culture, Conclusion: The Simpsons, Cultural Feedback Loops, and the Case of Apu, Bibliography, Index