lunchbox

So, I must admit I haven't watched many episodes of the Simpsons so I'm not sure if this is an entire obsession or just a futurama thing.

Richard Nixon was in many a futurama episode and he wasn't just in passing. I wonder what Matt Groening's obsession with Richard Nixon is. If anyone knows, that would be great.

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the_marq

Nixon was in at least one episode of the Simpsons, in fact every living American president has been lampooned by the Simpsons. I don't think this nessecarily means Groening is obsessed with them, Presidents in general and Nixon in particular are just good comedy fodder.

Nevermind the fact that Groening himself wrote a very small percentage of Futurama and Simpsons episodes.

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thesupermikey

Groeing is/was a part of the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s. Nixon was a seen as a barrier to the ideals of the culture. People who were a part of that movement saw Nixon as an evil bastered; some cannot even talk about him with turning red in the face.

Nixon is the perfect spoil for Groening because not only is Nixon seen as 'evil' but the events of Nixon's time in the public light well known enough that an entire episode of Futureama parodying it.

In later episodes Futureama is able to play with the idea of war. Nixon was president during Vietnam war. The connection there is obvious.

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Mobo123

My wife and i counted. The Chinese guy said cocksucker 28 times in about 3 minutes. I was on the floor laughing my ass off.

Fremen

Mobo, I think you want the Deadwood thread, about three floors down.
This is the Groening/Nixon thread.


I think the writers used Nixon in Futurama so much because he had such a distinctive voice and recognizable mannerisms, and they were able to play he and Bender off of each other so well because of each other's caustic personalities.

That's my take on it, at least.

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Kostya

The Whacking Day episode takes a good stab at Nixon, but Futurama definitely uses him a lot more.

Simpsons generally seemed to like giving Clinton a hard time

wrongfullyaccuzd

Richard Nixon's middle name was "Milhouse"...tribute?

Kadath

The commentary on the Futurama episode "A Head in the Polls" where Nixon runs for President of Earth is pretty telling about how the writers and actors feel about Nixon. I think those of us who weren't even alive when he was in power will never understand the depth of people's emotions about him -- but look at how some of us feel about Bush, and he's not considered to be on the same level as Nixon.

Billy West's Nixon is simply hilarious.
Aroo!

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