#1 Satire

• I think that Jonathan Swift has the explanation to why shows like The Simpsons and South Park have been running for so long. Even though the shows are offensive, audiences fail to see that they are part of what is being criticized or poked at, so they don't take personal offense to the jokes. For example, the pilot episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" takes aim at top management, pointing at their greed when the workers at the nuclear power plant don't get their Christmas bonuses. The episode also takes a swing at the working man when Bart tells his dad, "you must really love us to sink so low," when it is revealed that Homer has been secretly working as a Santa at the mall to make up for the lack of a Christmas bonus. Bart's comment implies that there is something shameful in not having enough money. Because The Simpsons has something to say about everyone, it's possible for viewers to filter out what they don't want to hear about themselves (the creators of the show probably know this and love it because it adds an extra layer of irony to the whole thing).