So Patty turns out to be the gay Simpsons character. Not surprising, really, since this would involve the least changing of backstory. It’s kind of sad that the running joke that Selma gets all the dates (despite them being identical twins) is ending this way, though.

Ken Tucker’s blog has a post relating to the Patty marriage episode where he talks about how the show jabbed at religious institutions, which made me think: “the Simpsons” is one of the only shows on TV to consistently grapple with religion. Throughout the show religion is always present, whether it’s in Homer deciding not to go to church or Lisa becoming a Buddhist. Even the minor jokes can centre on religion - when Marge has her skiing accident and Homer is deciding where to send her, the ambulance changes its destination from Beth Israel to St Mary’s to Springfield Presbyterian in Goldilockian fashion.

(Incidentally, I didn’t know Tucker wasn’t writing for Entertainment Weekly any more - I really need to catch up on my EW reading.)

That willingness to actually debate religion’s role and concomitant moral issues, as opposed to neutrally pretending it doesn’t exist as most shows do, is one of the finest aspects of the Simpsons. And while it mocks religious pieties, it never ends up being condescending. It’s probably why religious magazines like Christianity Today can debate the depiction of Ned Flanders.

Tangential link: SpringfieldIsForGayLoversofMarriage.com | The Religious Life of an Animated Sitcom