May 21, 2007 | Sex & Society

"Simpsons" 400 skewers FCC & Fox

Ridiculous? Yes. Relevant? Often. The 400th episode of the Simpsons tackles tooth decay, Fox, and the FCC, the three great evils facing America today. Not bad for a show that has survived longer than M*A*S*H and Cheers, and still manages to pull in a sizable, if somewhat obsessive, audience each week.

"You Kent Always Get What You Want," has local news anchor Kent Brockman lose his job for dropping the "mother-F-bomb" on the air after Homer Simpson, being interviewed as the 1 millionth ice cream cone purchaser, splashes hot coffee on Kent's crotch. At first ignored, a firestorm erupts when Ned Flanders, Homer's do-good neighbor, writes an angry letter to implore "people I never met to pressure government, with better things to do, to punish a man who meant no harm for something nobody even saw!"

The Simpsons has always been fearless in tackling government, religion, and many of society's blatant hypocrisies throughout its 18 seasons. But it does so on a TV network best known for its pointed anti-liberal, pro-Bush editorial stance. On the surface this seems to be an odd case of editorial schizophrenia, but look a little closer and it all makes sense. As this same Simpson's episode points out, Fox is really just a network of the uber-sensational, be it Rush Limbaugh or When Animals Attack or Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire. Simple programming with little substance.

In fact, with at least 2 more seasons and a summer theatrical release, the Simpsons may be the smartest show the Network has, providing the only "fair and balanced" reportage about which Fox News so often boasts. D'oh!

• Another tv milestone: 400 episodes of the Simpsons [Popmatters]
• Simpsons vs Fox News - video clip [devilducky.com]
• D'oh! Simpsons hit 400-episode milestone [Daily Southtown]