TV - Movies
Here's Why The
Simpsons Season
34 Premiere Takes
On Conspiracy
Theories
By KIM BELL
The 34th season of "The Simpsons" premiered on September 25 with an episode that depicts Homer becoming fascinated with a local conspiracy theory. In a recent interview, executive producer Matt Selman shared his thoughts on the episode — and on the evolution of the conspiracy theory itself and its place in society — and made clear that the point was not simply to poke fun, but to investigate and demonstrate how such a volatile evolution comes to pass.
"Ultimately," Selman explained, "people just want to feel like they're part of a community of people that respect each other [...] they've been told they're dumb, so they formed these very intense communities with very intense specific belief systems." This revelation is the catalyst for the episode's events, Homer's spiral, and, according to Selman, the crux of what the premiere seeks to unravel.
"We're trying to explore the emotional dynamic of how conspiracy cults become so fervent," he said, adding, "Obviously we're making fun of conspiracy-theory social-media fervor. But at the same time, we wanted to have a relatable [episode] about the human element of it all."