Election Cycle: ‘The Simpsons’ Director Says 2016 Race Is ‘The Weirdest Thing I’ve Ever Seen’
— -- For more than 25 years, the creators of "The Simpsons" have developed political parodies of the candidates and issues facing the country. As the show celebrates its 600th episode, I hit the yellow carpet to get their take on this year’s election cycle.
Back in 2000, an episode featured Lisa Simpson in the Oval Office as the first female president -- she had inherited a massive debt crisis from "President Donald Trump." Sixteen years later, Trump is facing off against the first female nominee in a real-world election.
"The Simpsons predicted the future shot by shot because we’re part of the illuminati," joked David Silverman, the show’s director.
The show has tackled controversial topics ranging from gay marriage ("There’s Something About Marrying") and gun rights ("The Cartridge Family") to border control ("Coming to Homerica").
Last year, Simpsons writers and artists scrambled to add a scene about Donald Trump declaring his candidacy for President of the United States because they worried that his campaign would not last beyond the end of their show’s 2015 season. Sixteen months later, they are still grappling with his political rise.
"Remember those light-hearted days, when the planet wasn’t in danger," said Executive Producer James Brooks. "It was just a gag."
"The attitude is to tell a joke that makes people laugh even if they disagree with the premise," said Matt Groening, creator of the show. "If we can make a Republican laugh at a shot at Republicans and a Democrats laugh at a shot at Democrats, then we know we’ve succeeded."
