Who Knew? Back in 1990,Marge Simpson Wrote A Letter to Former First Lady Barbara Bush - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Brian Damage · 09-20-2011, 10:05 PM

As the culture wars of the ’80s raged into the ’90s, every politician and political spouse had a favorite punching bag. Tipper Gore and the PMRC notoriously went after everyone from Prince to the Dead Kennedys, and Dan Quayle was always ragging on poor Murphy Brown. Barbara Bush’s punching bag of choice in that era was The Simpsons, which she called “the dumbest thing” she had ever seen. Never one to take an insult to her family lightly, Marge Simpson composed a response to Bush in the fall of 1990, writing, “Heaven knows we’re far from perfect and, if truth be known, just a wee bit short of normal; but as Dr. Seuss says, ‘a person is a person’” and quipping, “Ma’am, if we’re the dumbest thing you ever saw, Washington must be a good deal different than what they teach me at the current events group at the church.” Twenty-one years later, we’d like to point out that, while Bush’s husband turned out to be a one-term president, The Simpsons is still on the air.

http://flavorwire.com/211233/read-ma...o-barbara-bush

ShamelessFanGirl · 10-05-2011, 02:24 PM

They mentioned this a couple times both Season 2 and Season 3 of the show that James L. Brooks had written Barbara Bush a letter in the form of Marge Simpson after the First Lady had criticized the show. Growing up, I wasn't allowed to really watched the Simpsons so I didn't know anything about this until much later. I know that George W. Bush Senior made the comment, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." It has been speculated before by the Simpson team that this may have been a line that someone just gave him, that they didn't think he had seen the show at that point.

Anyway, Barbara Bush I suppose took this as a cue from her husband and decided to say something derogatory herself about the show as well. I don't know if she ever saw it either but saying that it is the stupidest thing she had ever seen? Okay, I get the show is not for everyone. My mother herself joins that group of people. She doesn't care much for the show at all. However, The First Lady forgot...when you play with fire, your going to get burned. That is why I thought that the letter that James L. Brooks wrote I thought was very good. He got straight to the point quickly and expressed the displeasure in a very appropriate and mature manner.

09-20-2011, 10:05 PM	#1
Brian Damage I'm Rich Bitch Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 03, 2002 Location: What Ain't No Country I Ever Heard Of...They Speak English in What? Posts: 63,107	Who Knew? Back in 1990,Marge Simpson Wrote A Letter to Former First Lady Barbara Bush As the culture wars of the ’80s raged into the ’90s, every politician and political spouse had a favorite punching bag. Tipper Gore and the PMRC notoriously went after everyone from Prince to the Dead Kennedys, and Dan Quayle was always ragging on poor Murphy Brown. Barbara Bush’s punching bag of choice in that era was The Simpsons, which she called “the dumbest thing” she had ever seen. Never one to take an insult to her family lightly, Marge Simpson composed a response to Bush in the fall of 1990, writing, “Heaven knows we’re far from perfect and, if truth be known, just a wee bit short of normal; but as Dr. Seuss says, ‘a person is a person’” and quipping, “Ma’am, if we’re the dumbest thing you ever saw, Washington must be a good deal different than what they teach me at the current events group at the church.” Twenty-one years later, we’d like to point out that, while Bush’s husband turned out to be a one-term president, The Simpsons is still on the air. http://flavorwire.com/211233/read-ma...o-barbara-bush
	__________________ The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven: John 3:3 *Money Doesn't Buy Happiness...But I'd Rather Cry in My Private Jet*

10-05-2011, 02:24 PM	#2
ShamelessFanGirl Great Power and Resposbility Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 16, 2011 Location: Kentucky, USA Posts: 581	They mentioned this a couple times both Season 2 and Season 3 of the show that James L. Brooks had written Barbara Bush a letter in the form of Marge Simpson after the First Lady had criticized the show. Growing up, I wasn't allowed to really watched the Simpsons so I didn't know anything about this until much later. I know that George W. Bush Senior made the comment, "We are going to keep on trying to strengthen the American family, to make American families a lot more like the Waltons and a lot less like the Simpsons." It has been speculated before by the Simpson team that this may have been a line that someone just gave him, that they didn't think he had seen the show at that point. Anyway, Barbara Bush I suppose took this as a cue from her husband and decided to say something derogatory herself about the show as well. I don't know if she ever saw it either but saying that it is the stupidest thing she had ever seen? Okay, I get the show is not for everyone. My mother herself joins that group of people. She doesn't care much for the show at all. However, The First Lady forgot...when you play with fire, your going to get burned. That is why I thought that the letter that James L. Brooks wrote I thought was very good. He got straight to the point quickly and expressed the displeasure in a very appropriate and mature manner.