When in doubt,The Simpsonsalways gets to it first. It’s become hackneyed to invoke the prescience of the long-running animated series, but there’s a reason why lists called “10 Things Predicted byThe Simpsons” continue to circulate on the Internet. Major political and cultural events, such as the election ofDonald Trumpand the merger between Disney and 20th Century Studios,werefirst depicted in Springfieldbefore manifesting in the real world.Simpsonswriters have their fingers on the pulse of contemporary American culture and display such a nuanced insight into anything ranging from celebrity scandals to technological innovations.
‘The Simpsons’ and Quentin Tarantino Represented ’90s Culture
The Simpsonsand Quentin Tarantino were two of the seminal faces of pop culture in the 1990s, and both defined a new wave of art in television and film, respectively. While still around and successful today, nothing will ever match the peak of their phenomenon of this decade, which sawThe Simpsons' golden run andReservoir DogsandPulp Fictionfor Tarantino.Both media instilled a brand of edgy, rebellious, and new-wave Generation X sensibilitieswhile appealing to populist sensibilities, marked by their postmodern dialogue and onslaught of pop culture references of the mainstream and obscure variety.
WhereThe Simpsonsroutinelypredicted the future of America, Tarantino preferred to sample things from the past and re-appropriate them for his unique cinematic vision. In less kind terms, the writer-director had no qualms about ripping off crime and exploitation movies from the ‘70s and giving them a new glossy look, going as far as directly re-using iconography and storylines. However, Tarantino was a magician as a director, as he made century-old genres and tropes seem revolutionary to mainstream audiences.
“Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie” Features a Tarantino-Esque Billboard
The world received the ultimate ’90s crossover with the Season 8 episode, “Simpsoncalifragilisticexpialad’ohcious,” which depicts an episode of the “Itchy & Scratchy Show” titled “Reservoir Cats,” a nod to Tarantino’s 1992 directorial debut. Unsurprisingly, Tarantino’sultra-violent and blood-soaked tendenciescomplement the mayhem of the brutal relationship between the cartoon cat and mouse. The episode shows Itchy in Mr. Blonde’s shoes, slicing off Scratchy’s ear in a torture sequence scored by “Stuck in the Middle With You.” A Simpson-ized Tarantino, voiced byDan Castellaneta, jumps from behind the camera and performs a self-indulgent monologue about the pervasiveness of violence in America before Itchy decapitates him.
‘The Simpsons’ Shockingly Kills Off Core Family Member and Leaves Fans Devastated in Season 36 Finale
But is it actually bold twist or a ratings trick?
The fictional cartoon series, one of thesignature recurring segmentson the show, received the Hollywood treatment in the classic Season 4 episode, “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie.” The episode, released in 1992, mainly follows Bart’s troublemaking and irresponsible antics catching up to him in the most agonizing way, as Homer finally puts his foot down and prevents his son from seeing the new “Itchy & Scratchy” feature film after neglecting Maggie during babysitting duties. The film, which is just as nihilistic and mindlessly violent as each episode of the cartoon, becomes a phenomenon,sweeping the box office and the Oscars.
During Bart’s punishing embargo from seeing the movie while every kid at school raves about it,we see a billboard that shows Itchy bludgeoning Scratchy with a film camera,which releases a pool of blood onto the ground directly beneath it.The town is so swept up by “Itchy & Scratchy” fever that a newlywed couple has no problems with blood raining down on them as they drive by.
Was Saatchi & Saatchi directly inspired by the billboard for the “Itchy & Scratchy” movie? No one will ever know that answer, but it’s fun to think about just how farThe Simpsons’ influence permeatesall walks of life. ConsideringQuentin Tarantino’s reputation for “borrowing” images and ideasfrom other movies, one might not put it pastKill Bill, which already cribs heavily from kung-fu and samurai films from the ’60s and ’70s, to repurpose the billboard, even though Tarantino likely had zero involvement in its marketing.
Truthfully, we can’t blame anyone for explicitly or implicitly paying homage toThe Simpsons,as its ingenious writing and shrewd insight into American culture are nothing short of magical.They could take something as farcical as a billboard that shoots blood and make it seem tangible and a fabric of contemporary society, one that, at the time, was obsessed with all things violence and disorder in media. In the coming years after the episode’s airing, viral marketing of this ilk would become mainstream with the rise of the Internet.
Quentin Tarantino’s Movies Are Very Extreme and Weirdly Funny
Because Quentin Tarantino’s films represented ahigh watermark for groundbreaking cinemaand ascended to a canon of movies adored by obsessive cinephiles, it’s easy to forget the rich humor imbued into all his work. When writing and directingKill Bill,Tarantino knew he had a goofy, bonkers samurai exploitation movie on his hands,and doubled down on the extreme hilarity of severed limbs and blood gushing out of wounds like fire hydrants. The self-aware absurdity of the blood fireworks that occur in the film is represented in this wildly creative billboard. What the conspicuous similarities betweenThe Simpsons' gag and the New Zealand viral marketing tactic emphasize is thatBart Simpson would’ve eaten upKill Bill, assuming that he wasn’t punished at the worst possible time.
The Simpsons
The satiric adventures of a working-class family in the misfit city of Springfield.
