14 Signs That ‘The Simpsons’ Are The Ultimate Green Monster Family!

The Simpsons have been an American television staple for over 20 years, airing their first episode in 1989 and clocking in over 550 of them since then. Never afraid of controversy, the show centers around a loving, if albeit slightly dysfunctional, family in Springfield (the state is up for debate) who get into comic hijinks week after week.

Amidst the chaos, drinking, fighting, biting (and barking), fans of the show are also delighted to see actual issues tackled in a surprisingly witty and thought provoking way. The show often steps outside the realm of pure comedy to address things ranging from social issues, family dynamics, race and culture.

Make no mistake, the issues are presented alongside a hearty helping of ridiculousness and lunacy, but we think that actually makes the message even more wide reaching. By using their particular blend of intelligent yet preposterous comedy, The Simpsons can make a statement without coming across as too serious.

Two particular areas of interest for the show and its creators are the environment and Animal rights. These specific subjects have come up repeatedly over the years, with the most recent commentary focusing on fracking and its disastrous effects on the environment.We’ve compiled 14 examples of times The Simpsons stood up for the planet in the course of a crazy half hour, each one helping to solidify them as our favorite four-fingered, Duff drinking  Green Monster family!

Opposites-A-Frack

Springfield’s resident bad guy C. Montgomery Burns decides to engage in a fracking operation that draws Marge and Lisa’s ire, causing them to enlist Homer to fight back. Given the subject matter, you just know this is going to involve something going up in flames. You just know it. Homer often represents the “everyman” on the show, which makes him the perfect foil for Mr. Burns’ scheming, villainous ways.

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Brawl in The Family

A meeting of the Springfield Republican Party, led by Mr. Burns, results in a decision to destroy the environment while simultaneously doing away with laws against Pollution. Chaos, of course, ensues in the form of felonies for recycling, destroyed owl habitats, disappearing wetlands (in the most cartoonish way possible) and acid rain.

Big Footy

The Bonfire of The Manatees

Homer saves a herd of manatees, and subsequently his marriage, in this episode that deals with endangered species Conservation.

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The Squirt and The Whale

In a touching storyline where Lisa bonds with a beached whale, the show delves into several environmental and animal themes including wind power, animal ingredients in products and even orca social structure. Though the episode has some pretty poignant moments, the appearance of marine activists called the “Sea Huggers” is kind of hilarious when Homer exclaims, “Typical eco-jerks! Using words to talk!”

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Whacking Day

Barry White plays a modern day pied piper when Lisa declares that the town’s tradition of clubbing snakes is cruel. This episode challenges the idea that just because something is traditional, that doesn’t make it humane. It’s never too late to change a practice once we know better.

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Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes On Every Fish

When a three-eyed fish turns up in the lake, the Springfield gubernatorial race gets Mr. Burns as a candidate in an effort to gain control over laws that would stop the Pollution his power plant is churning out. Ever the face of disdain for the environment, Mr. Burns is especially diabolical in his quest to continue his ecologically destructive practices. He just didn’t count on Marge quietly bringing him and his dastardly plan down.

500 Days of Homer

Apocalypse Cow

During his stint in 4-H, Bart raises Lou the calf to be shown in the county fair only to discover that he’s destined for the slaughterhouse. Heartbroken, Bart works to save his friend and is ultimately successful. Though the subject matter is serious and there are touching moments, the mood is kept light with potentially arranged marriages, Lisa playing subliminal animal sounds in Bart’s room to try and “turn him vegetarian” and Bart being able to utter the line, “I had a cow, man.”

The Humanimal Eye

The Old Man And The Lisa

We can’t tell which part makes us hate Mr. Burns more in this episode, the fact that he uses recycling for nefarious purposes or the fact that those nefarious purposes include rounding up all marine life to sell their parts. Actually, yeah, we hate him most for the second part but they both really suck, which is what makes this episode so successful in conveying its message.

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Lisa The Vegetarian

Lisa makes the connection that the food on her plate was once a sentient being and goes veg. For an animated, tongue-in-cheek and highly irreverent television series, we’ve gotta say this episode is one of the most comprehensive ones to deal with the topic in prime time television history. While experiencing the frustrations that arise when others don’t share her passion (or compassion if you will),  Apu (who reveals in the episode that he’s vegan) helps her come to terms with her concerns along with a cameo from Paul and Linda McCartney.

The line, “Linda and I both feel strongly about Animal rights. In fact, if you play ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ backwards, you’ll hear a recipe for a really ripping lentil soup” is still one of our all time favorites.

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On a Clear Day I Can’t See My Sister

Lisa and Bart have a falling out after he teases her in the midst of an impassioned plea to save Springfield Glacier, which has melted due to Climate change. We gotta say, Springfield sure has a wealth of geological features…

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Bart Gets an Elephant

While Lisa is the typical voice of reason and champion for conscious living on the show, Bart sure does have a soft spot for animals. When he wins an elephant named Stampy (a name that aligns with other super creative names from the show like “Pinchy” the lobster and “Bitey” the opossum) from a radio contest, themes of captivity, exotic animals as pets and poaching are discussed as Bart works to get his friend to a nature reserve when he can no longer care for him.

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The Burns and The Bees

Always a little ahead of their time, this episode dates back to 2008 but deals with an issue that has only more recently received the attention it deserves. Lisa (are you surprised) works to raise awareness of the “beesles,” a condition killing bees all over the world, and tries to teach her less eco-conscious cohorts why they should care about it. This includes Lisa at one point sporting a beard of bees so impressive that Grampa Simpson mistakes her for Abe Lincoln. We seriously heart Lisa.

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Lisa The Treehugger

Jared Leto would be so proud of Lisa in this episode after she joins up with the leader of the environmental group “Dirt First” and Level Five Vegan (he doesn’t eat anything that casts a shadow) Jesse Grass in an effort to save trees by reducing wasteful paper production. She camps in a giant redwood as a form of peaceful protest to prevent the tree’s destruction by loggers. Airing in 2000, we’re pretty sure that the Level Five Vegan plot line in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a nod to this bit of awesome (the comics started in 2004).

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The Simpsons Movie

Seriously, the entire thing dealt with the environment, starting when they killed Green Day Titanic-style after water Pollution dissolves the barge they’re rocking out on. Centering around the premise that the titular family must free the town from a dome dropped on them by the EPA after Homer thoroughly pollutes the river, the underlying message of consequences for our actions is peppered with hilarious homages (Lisa and Colin presenting “An Irritating Truth”) and great character moments (Lisa refuses to leave the movie until she’s sees that no animals were harmed during production.)

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Lead image source: The Guardian

Episode Information Via: Simpsons Wiki