The Simpsons: Teachings of Hinduism
Interested in the Hindu religion?
Do you want to learn more about its rituals, practises, and beliefs?
If so, just watch this episode of the Simpsons!
While watching old re-runs of one of my favorite series, The Simpsons, the other day, I found myself engaged in an episode that portrays explicit representations of the Hindu religion and Hindu people.
Let me start off by telling you about this one episode in particular. It ultimately allows the viewer to witness a traditional Hindu marriage ceremony. The members of Springfield all come together to celebrate the arranged marriage of Apu and his wife, Manjula.
This scene is extremely explicit as it shows the major aspects and rituals that take place during a Hindu marriage ceremony. For instance, Apu, Manjula and other Springfield residents are dressed in traditional Indian clothing. In addition to the portrayal of Indian clothing, which most people are pretty familiar with anyways, the setting is extremely colorful. It is decorated in a traditional Indian manner with the presence of sacred Hindu objects. For instance, an elephant, an Indian symbol of strength and wisdom, is used for Apu’s arrival down the aisle.
This matrimonial practice also portrays the use of fire, which is an essential totem of a Hindu marriage. Fire is used within a Hindu wedding to evoke the Fire God, Agni, to bear witness to the ceremony. Its importance is clearly revealed within this episode as Apu and Manjula walk around the sacred fire, which is a part of the “Shilarohan and Laaja Homam” step of the ritual.
This scene also draws attention to the Hindu Gods, and acknowledges their importance during a marriage ceremony. This is clearly evident as Homer Simpson disguises himself as the Hindu God, Ganesh. As he tries to scare Apu and Manjula’s families, one of Apu’s relatives realizes the impersonation by the inelegant behaviour of “Ganesh”.
This portrayal of explicit religious themes within the Simpsons can be explained by Jonathan Z. Smith who states that his five year old daughter had seen more different cultures on Sesame Street than he had seen in 30 years (Smith, 1999). This supports the fact that popular culture reveals tremendous diversity and a lot of this diversity is revealed through the exposure of various religions and cultures on television.
…. “I Now Pronounce You Man And Wife”
Sources:
Smith, Jonathan Z. and Benney, Alfred. Created by Alfred Benney. “Dr. Jonathan Z. Smith Engages with the Question: How Has Television Influenced the Study of Religion?” November 1999. DigitalCommons@Fairfield. Web. http://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/asrvideos/184
