There was a time (last year) when “The Simpsons” was heralded for “master[ing] the art of neutral political satire.” But when the show wants to, it can also do things the not-neutral way.
In the Trump era, even ‘The Simpsons’ won’t be politically neutral
A new short skewers President Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey.
Fox / ‘The Simpsons’
The creators of the beloved animated show — which just finished its 28th consecutive season on the air — released a new skit on YouTube yesterday that features President Donald Trump, ex-FBI Director James Comey, Attorney General Jeff Sessions ... oh, yeah, and the ghost of Richard Nixon:
“I, uh, came to thank you, Donald,” Nixon’s ghost says. “I’m moving up! Thanks to you, I’m now the 44th best president. I just have one piece of advice: If you have tapes, burn ‘em!”
Timed to Trump’s 125th day in office, the clip concludes with a disclosure: “Paid for by the Committee to Turn the Clock Ahead to 2020 — Or Back to Whenever. Just Not Here.” And it’s a feast of freeze-frame gags: The books on Trump’s bed include “Two Scoops For Me” and “I’m Still Fired” by Bill O’Reilly, and there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it recreation of the orb photo from last weekend:
Fox / ‘The Simpsons’
It looks like “The Simpsons” is going to make a habit of poking Trump. The show previously satirized Trump’s first 100 days, and last year on election day, depicted Russian President Vladimir Putin voting for Trump in Springfield.
That was a departure from the previous two presidential elections, in which Homer more even-handedly voted for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, respectively:
And if that’s all too recent for your liking, then just watch this gratuitous clip from the Season 3 classic, “Mr. Lisa Goes to Washington.” 1991!
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
