Sun 21 Feb, 2010
Racial myth and miscegenation on “The Simpsons”
Comments (25) Filed under: HistoryTags: Black history month, Historical amnesia, James DeWolf, Multiracial identity, Slavery, The Simpsons
On tonight’s episode of “The Simpsons,” Lisa Simpson explores her family’s historical connection to slavery and presents the results at school for Black History Month.
This was fascinating for me to watch, as my own family’s powerful connection to slavery has taken up much of my time and energy over the last decade. Being a direct descendant of the leading slave trader in U.S. history, I think I can also relate to Lisa’s worry that her family tree sometimes seems dominated by scoundrels.
Disappointingly, however, this episode perpetuates some of the most common stereotypes that dominate public perceptions about the connections of American families to the nation’s history of slavery. For, immediately after learning that the Simpson family had a connection to slavery, we hear that this story involves Simpson ancestors living in the South, and that they were, in fact, anti-slavery and risked everything they had to take part in the Underground Railroad.
Most readers of this blog know the broad outlines of the true history of American slavery. They know that slave owning was widespread in the northern states, and could actually be more common in the North, on a per-capita basis, than in the South. They know that slavery was not unknown in the Midwest and West, as well, even in states which were nominally free from the outset. They know that most Americans throughout the country were complicit in slavery, either through owning one or more slaves, or through benefiting from economic activities which depended on slavery for their existence. Finally, they know that few Americans, even in the North, were abolitionist, and that involvement in the Underground Railroad was, of course, exceedingly rare. While abolitionist sentiment was admirable and anti-slavery activism daring and praiseworthy, American families were overwhelmingly complacent about slavery, until after several bitter years of civil war.
“The Simpsons” is, of course, only popular entertainment, and the elements of a compelling story won’t necessarily run counter to prevailing public myths about the nation’s history. Nevertheless, this is yet another example of how historical amnesia operates: it is simpler, and more palatable to most of the country, to think of the nation’s slavery as primarily a southern sin, and of families from elsewhere in the country as noble abolitionists. Each time a subject like slavery is discussed only in the contexts which are most palatable to the public, the public will become increasingly convinced that these contexts were representative of history as a whole. The end result is that when I recount the basic facts of the previous paragraph to audiences, the most common response is not that they were unaware of this history, but that they can scarcely believe it could be true.
To be fair to “The Simpsons” and the Fox network, this show did offer one delightful and unexpected twist, which challenges stereotypes and illustrates the sorts of historical patterns which were quite common but are too nuanced to be included in the public memory of slavery and race. In the ending of the episode (“The Color Yellow”), it was revealed that a Simpson ancestor at the heart of the story fell in love with a runaway black slave. As a result, the Simpson family is, in fact, not white at all. The Simpsons turn out to be of mixed race and have been passing as white for generations. In ruminating on this revelation, finally, the Simpson family quickly mentions several stereotypes of black Americans and issues related to white privilege (such as different rates of pay for similar jobs).
Kristin says:
James – I too caught this episode. I'm not a regular "Simpsons" viewer but happened to be clicking past it when I hear Lisa say something about being a slave owner. It was so interesting to see the character react with such horror when she thought her ancestors were slave owners and then to be "relieved" and "triumphant" upon learning they were part of the URR and helping an escaped slave. The mixed-race twist at the end was unexpected but so true to many families (both those who identify as black and those who ID as white) whose ancestors go back many generations on US soil and who may have been closely linked to slave owning/trading.
I too was very disappointed in how they propegated the amnesia of the north/south paradigm. Is there a pop-culture forum where we can respond to this? Maybe "Traces" needs to break into a pop-culture media outlet in order to start busting up the popular amnesia. Do you think KB would be more interested in stop-motion or computer animation for a cartoon version of the DeWolf story? 😉 j/k
cheers -k
James says:
Welcome to the blog, Kristin!
Let me just say this: I think we need to lobby the producers of "The Simpsons" to have Katrina make an animated guest appearance, as so many other celebrities have, to comment on their family's historical amnesia. 😉
John says:
Disgusting, pretending the simpsons have black genes in their linage, typical cultural marxistic propaganda as usual.
James DeWolf Perry says:
John, let's ignore your suggestion that there's something wrong with any particular genetic lineage.
Why would you have any reason to think the Simpsons don't have any black heritage in their family tree? What could be more common in the United States?
And, of course, why would you assume that this fictional–yellow–cartoon family is white in the first place?
E says:
Oh you're totally right, it's based in a perfect world where white people don't exist.
well lets see? erm, common sense?
Theres Dark toned ( Black people) ,Asians, Mexicans ( & latins) etc with their own skin tone. 😛
When white guest stars are portrayed, guess what? they're YELLOW too.
you're silly.
James DeWolf Perry says:
You're absolutely right: that seems to be how race works on "The Simpsons," and by that standard, we can expect the Simpsons would look racially white in the real world.
However, as I said, it's very common for white-looking Americans to have black ancestry. The idea of assuming racial purity in an ordinary "white" American family is a fantasy, pure and simple.
So the idea that the Simpsons must be purely of European descent, that it's political "propaganda" for the show to suggest otherwise, is what's nonsense.
slavicproud says:
Stupid African, this episode is not a canon.
The Simpsons have many non-canon episodes.
The Simpsons are white and have no black ancestors because they no have African features. White Americans are mixture of European, Jewish and native americans.
Blacks are 79% African and 21% Mulatto.
Simpsons are Swedish. I'm sorry I broke your Afro-centrist theory
James DeWolf Perry says:
I don't believe in censoring this blog, other than for language or spam, and I believe in offering a response to any ideas posted here, regardless of whether they appear sincere. So ….
No episodes of "The Simpsons" are designated as "canon" or not. On an episode that is as authentic as any other, it was clearly stated that the Simpsons are descended, in part, from enslaved people of African descent.
It's a myth that people have to have particular physical features if they are of a particular race. This myth stems from a false belief that race has a biological basis, as well as naiveté regarding what those of mixed race look like.
So, yes, the Simpson family are clearly drawn, in the context of their show, to appear racially white. That, however, says nothing whatsoever about their racial purity. Many white Americans have relatively recent African ancestors, and it's not necessarily visible on the outside.
I don't know what you're trying to say when you state that white Americans are a mixture of Europeans, Jews, and Native Americans. While race is an arbitrary social construct, it does have a fairly well-defined meaning, which can only be stretched so far. While white Americans can, of course, have Native American ancestry, that is, by definition, a racial mixing; and most white Americans don't have Native ancestry. Meanwhile, most white Americans aren't of Jewish ancestry, although of course many are. Moreover, Jewish identity isn't the same as race; there are many black African Jews, for instance, and a great many Jewish ancestors *were* European.
Meanwhile, most black Americans are, in fact, of mixed racial ancestry (with about 75% having European ancestors). Is that what you mean by "mulatto," which actually means having mixed black and white ancestry (thus, one *can't* be 79% black and 21% mulatto)?
Finally, there's nothing "Afro-centrist" about noting that a Simpsons episode discusses their enslaved ancestors, and African heritage. This would be, at most, "Afro-acknowledging" or "Afro-non-denying." You should try it. 🙂
O'Carroll says:
Ignoring your other incorrect statements, The Simpsons are of Greek descent. In season 13 ep 18 "I am furious (Yellow). While Homer is arguing with Marge about his anger issues, he clearly states "I'm just passionate, like all us Greeks."
James DeWolf Perry says:
You're right, Homer does describe himself as being Greek. He also describes himself as being part black … so that sounds like his ancestry includes both. ?
Thank you for ignoring my other incorrect statements.
Jennifer Marie Thorpe says:
I’m sorry. Their cartoon characters. Cartoon characters can’t be swedish or can they? If they can be swedish, then they can also be black…
LeShan Denae Eddings says:
Marge has a afro Bart has a box haircut,Lisa and Maggie have bantu knot hair dos.and Marge calls Homer homie? civilization started on Africa…you black too?
Kevin says:
James, like E said,
You are silly.
It is obvious that anyone who is yellow on the simpsons is white — except for the yellow people that are asian (which you can totally tell are asian, because of the way their facial features are drawn + the sound of their voices).
Stop being an idiot.
James DeWolf Perry says:
With respect, Kevin, I believe you've missed the point, and didn't actually read my reply to "E."
Yes, it's clear that the audience is expected to assume that the generic Simpsons character–yellow, without specific features associated with race–is intended to be seen as racially white. Any non-white character seems to be identifiable by a different skin color or, as you point out, with distinctive physical features and/or accent. (The fact that white people are treated as a neutral, default race, the only one not drawn with distinctive racial features, is of course highly problematic.)
However, the point here is that it's inappropriate for fans to complain that the Simpsons family turns out not to be white at all, but to be mixed-race. This is true despite these racial cues.
Why? First, because the identification of most Simpsons characters as white has always been implied, not stated, and was always inherently ambiguous. For instance, since the white characters are yellow, and have cartoon features rather than ones traditionally identified with Caucasians, it's impossible to say that some of those generic characters aren't meant to be, say, Hispanic, or Native American, or of distinctively Middle Eastern appearance, or of mixed race. So it's ridiculous for some fans to complain that they somehow "knew" the Simpsons were white all along, not mixed race, and feel misled.
Second, there's a big difference in our society between "being" of a particular race (or racial mixture) and being *seen* to be of that racial identity. Many people have long passed as white, for instance, who are actually of mixed white and black ancestry. This is an essential part of our American story, and of the history of race here. So it's entirely reasonable, and common, for an ostensibly white family to turn out to be of mixed race. This is especially true if we have no way of saying that the family looked especially white in the first place, rather than racially ambiguous; or claimed any particular, European ancestry (like being German, or being "Irish on both sides"). These things are, of course, true of the Simpsons family.
Ana says:
I completely agree with James! Therefor all of your comments and replies are irrelevant. You’re just here to troll and not talk about facts. Watch some of the Simpson shows and then read his reasoning for pointing it out. Calling him names are so uncivilized and immature and I can understand that from people who do not know how to read or doesn’t understand from another human’s point of view and it shows. I agree 100% facial features doesn’t always make an African American as for me, I am a High yellow African American even though I’m not mixed I have the complexion of a Caucasian, facial features of an Asian, and hair of an Native American but I am BLACK not mixed pure black, I won’t call you all names because that’s unprofessional but you need to learn some respect when it comes to other people’s opinions because this statement that he made could be completely true! And James has a supporter right here.
Alexandra says:
To ana, have you looked into your family tree to see if maybe you have Native American, Asian, or European ancestry? There’s times I think non of that matters. It doesn’t matter what we are, but recently I started feeling differently. It’s kind of cool knowing where our ancestors were from. ?
Eden says:
To be fair to The Simpsons and the Fox network, this show did offer one delightful and unexpected twist, which challenges stereotypes and illustrates the sorts of historical patterns which were quite common but are too nuanced to be included in the public memory of slavery and race. In the ending of the episode ( The Color Yellow ), it was revealed that a Simpson ancestor at the heart of the story fell in love with a runaway black slave. As a result, the Simpson family is, in fact, not white at all. The Simpsons turn out to be of mixed race and have been passing as white for generations. In ruminating on this revelation, finally, the Simpson family quickly mentions several stereotypes of black Americans and issues related to white privilege (such as different rates of pay for similar jobs).
Gelias says:
What does white passing mean. It seem to be another American [expletive] ideology. It’s not because one of your ancestor is not from Europe that it means that you’re not white. My great grand mother was a black woman from Eritrea but I m purely white, I have nothing in common with black people.
Moreover, apart if you’re from UK, Germany, Scandinavia, majority of European (especially south and eastern) have at least one ancestor who’s from outside of the continent. Tell them if they’re not white, they will laugh at you.
James DeWolf Perry says:
Gelias, race is a social construct, and as such, its meaning can never be more, or less, than what any given society imparts to it.
Thus, the U.S. construction of race, in which those of mixed ancestry may "pass" as white but are traditionally not seen as being white, is neither more, or less, correct than the social view in which a European with one or more African ancestors is seen as racially white.
I'm sure many Europeans with African ancestry *would* laugh at being told they aren't white. Just as many Americans who are, genetically, just as white would laugh at being told they're white. These are equally valid social constructions of "race."
You also seem to suggest that you are "purely white," despite being of mixed European and African ancestry, because you "have nothing in common with black people." You seem to be articulating yet another view, that it is your cultural background which determines your race. (If I'm misunderstanding what you mean by "nothing in common," please let me know.)
In the U.S., race is traditionally seen as being about physical features and ancestry, so that a person may be "white" or "black" without necessarily having any affinity with cultures traditionally associated with those races. And, again, neither view can be more correct than the other, since both are inherently arbitrary social constructs.
Bill says:
I think I should point out that Every Man Woman and Child on the planet has some African heritage and that the characteristics of race ie skin/hair color, eye shape etc. are evolved from environment and as you have stated repeatedly in this thread Race is nothing but a social construct and makes no real difference other than socially and culturally It is incredibly sad how much some people get hung up on the color of someones skin or the fullness of their lips or slant of their eyes rather than the content of their character which is all that really matters
I am Bill,I am Canadian and I have Dutch, English, Irish, French, Native Canadian(Ojibiwe, Cree, & Blackfoot) and African ancestry and I am Proud of all of it this along with my upbringing and education and many other factors that have brought me to this very moment this is who I am
I have white skin this categorizes me as Caucasian that is nothing but social and political illusion that is not who I am
James says:
I guess people are forgetting that Family Guy made an appearance/ crossover episode with the Simpsons and they remained white I color and Brian & Stewie commented everyone looked like they had jaundice. I’ve watched it my entire life every Thur and eventually every Sun and I’ve always thought of them as simply yellow cartoons and never really though about the race angle.
To find out that they ended up being of mixed race was a cool twist imo. I think some of these people have taken the show for something it never tried to be, which is a normal family / existence. Why do people think they never tell what state they live in they dont want people to be able to narrow them down to a stereotypical / geographical location. They are simply from everywhere and nowhere.
That’s what has made them so successful for so many years.
Now how I came across this blog after searching ” how much money did the Simpsons Movie make?” Is anyone’s guess, lol.
Thanks James
From James
Vi says:
There is one episode that proves the simpsons are white. S5 episode: 13. As Apu walks by the simpsons Home. Homer is watching a comedy show. When the comedian does a joke about the white people, Homer laughs and says “thats true we are so lame”. This proves the simpsons are white. Watching all the epsiodes and caught it. So there, people can stop arguing about it now.
James DeWolf Perry says:
Vi, what that episode proves is that Homer *thinks* of himself as white … or finds it convenient to *talk* about himself as white … or at least to do so when it's appropriate to be self-deprecating.
This doesn't mean he doesn't have a black ancestor–which, by the "one drop rule," would traditionally have him and his family classified as black. And as the episode discussed above makes plain, the Simpsons *do*, in fact, have a black ancestor who was enslaved.
Naturally, this is also just a television show, and its particulars can't be taken too seriously. But the social issues it touches on certainly can be!
jessica dale says:
Personally, i think of race as the colour of your skin, and have always thought of it that way. I have mainly european (scottish) blood so i am considered white. Everybody has some black blood in them, as we came from africans if I'm correct. So technically everybody is black. I always just thought of myself as white because of the tome of my skin, and i feel as though thats how everybody views race.
Matt says:
It’s pretty damn sad that we have to debate the racial identity of cartoon characters…yes there is an episode linking the simpsons to having black ancestors and on the opposite side there is an episode in which homer states he is a white male between 18-49 years old and continues to say everybody listens to him.
So in retrospect homer, and the children would be biracial. Although that’d identify as white. no info on Marge exists to determine her.
There your debate is solved, congrats. Now can we all stfu about it.