The Simpsons: Public Choice in the Tradition of Swift and Orwell

Abstract

Abstract: The author disagrees with Homer Simpson who claims that" … cartoons don't have any deep meaning. They're just stupid drawings that give you a cheap laugh." He argues that The Simpsons have a deep meaning in the same way as the works of Jonathan Swift and George Orwell. The message in The Simpsons, Swift, and Orwell is that those in charge do not always undertake action with the public interest in mind—the basic premise of public choice. All three sources provide examples of other public choice themes, and they deliver their message through popular satire with layers of allusion.

Keywords:

• literature
• public choice
• teaching