Now here’s an overanalyzation!  Written by bona fide Drs. Robert Patterson (general surgeon) and Charles Weijer (bioethicist) in 1998, it’s a comparison of the methodology and practical philosophy of Springfield’s most prominent medical professionals. Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, no less! Exclamation point!

I’m afraid Dr. Marvin Monroe isn’t considered one of  Springfield’s most prominent medical professionals. But Dr. Julius Hibbert is:

Deeper analysis, however, reveals that Hibbert is no Semmelweiss. He treats the health care system like his personal cash cow by taking time to talk to his patients and distributing lollipops to children. No wonder the US system is so expensive. Worse yet, he stocks his office with patient education materials that either contain value judgements or are poorly written.

Bonus points for a Semmelweiss reference. Of course, the other prominent medical professional is Dr. Riviera:

…he’s no shill for the medical establishment. Knowing that physicians’ fees are the real cause of the health care funding crisis, Dr. Nick produced a TV ad in which he offered to do any surgical procedure for just $129.95 (Can$193.95 at time of writing [Can$140.87 today. -Ed.]). Cost-effective and consumer conscious, Riviera would never let quality of care interfere with discount-rate fees.

Topical!

An analysis of the medical care provided to the family of Homer J. Simpson
> Catena Ex Situ

Found by snooping around Cartoon Brew recently, Adrien Noterdaem’s Interactive Map of Springfield doesn’t require much in the way of introduction. It doesn’t even require a The Simpsons reference, like “Freedom! Horrible, horrible freedom!” or possibly “Trab pu kcip.” What it does require is an appreciation for a lot of effort. Here’s a section to give you the flavor of the thing:

The above is just an inanimate simulacrum. The actual one is indeed interactive, as promised.

The Interactive Map of Springfield >Catena Ex Situ

I, like so many other souls, used to be a huge Simpsons fan. Not only did I hate every chimp I saw, but I also intimately knew and treasured what the extra “B” stood for. In the past several years, though, there’s been a lot of wailing of teeth and apologia and controversy about when and even if The Simpsons got bad. Personally, I don’t need to get into all of the details about why I don’t watch The Simpsons any more. Because Cap’n at Blasphemes has done all the work for me.

The good Cap’n has done a good job codifying the primary reasons why the quality of The Simpsons ain’t what it used to be. (Except: I don’t want to get all post hoc ergo propter hoc up in your face, but the The Simpsons didn’t get bad until after Brad Bird left the show. Just sayin’.) Note that the essay was written before the movie came out.

Why The Simpsons Have Lost Their Way >Catena Ex Situ

There’s a new feature here at J. Cart. Overanal., and it’s called Mini-Analyzations! We’ll throw these up a few at a time. These below are all from the old archives.

Again, don’t hesitate to send in your own.

• I guess it’s worth mentioning that of the 101 dalmatians, the minority of them had blue collars. This has implications ranging from gender discrimination (the color of the collar is associated to the character’s gender) to socio-economic generalizations toward blue collar workers.
  - Contributed by Fawzi
• In Robotech, haven’t you noticed that the RDF is considered a defense force? Only Japan has a national defense force, and since the show was animated in Japan, it would be obvious that they would be a defense force. If the show was animated in the United States, they would be the Robotech Army.
  - Contributed by Seprihoth5
• If you will note at the beginning of The Simpsons, the “Simps” part is visible before the “ons” part. This is undoubtedly a reference to the word(s) “simpleton” or “simple-minded,” etc.
  - Contributed by Peter I.
• In Transformers, all the bad guys were some kind of flying object and the good guys were some type of vehicle.
  - Contributed by LUVMYHALEYBUG
• The native country of Boris Badunov and Natasha Fatale, Pottsylvania, is basically a combination of the extreme American stereotypes of World War II Germany and Cold War Russia.
  - Contributed by The Editor