Photo: Gregory Urquiaga/不良研究所
Karma Waltonen鈥檚 first-year seminar on The Simpsons isn鈥檛 about watching cartoons. Students discuss themes explored on the show (bullying, mental health, sex and more), write their own scripts for the show (one student wrote a story that had the titular family visiting 不良研究所 for Picnic Day) and talk about how the show reflects the time in which it was made. 鈥淲e explore how particular issues are shown through that prism,鈥 she said. Waltonen also teaches other, more traditional courses through the University Writing Program, but studies pop culture because it reflects the values and experiences of those who create it, she said. The continuing lecturer teaches three first-year seminars that examine pop culture: courses on The Simpsons, Dr. Who and author Margaret Atwood. She alternates them, also offering one on stand-up comedy. This fall she covers Atwood. Some might doubt the seriousness of her studies, but Waltonen teaches a class on William Shakespeare, and she said his work was pop culture in its time. 鈥淢argaret Atwood and The Simpsons 鈥 they鈥檙e explorations of modern society,鈥 she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e mirrors of us.鈥 She was introduced to Atwood鈥檚 work when she read The Handmaid鈥檚 Tale. Then, when Waltonen was a high schooler in Pensacola, Florida, a doctor was murdered by a man who said he wanted to stop the doctor from performing abortions. Waltonen said the event felt like something straight out of the pages of the book-turned-Hulu-series, and she was hooked on Atwood鈥檚 work. She now serves as president of the and edits the society鈥檚 academic journal. She said she appreciates how Atwood鈥檚 writing has a sense of humor, and said she鈥檚 always been interested in work that uses humor to examine society. Waltonen has co-authored two books on The Simpsons&苍产蝉辫;鈥&苍产蝉辫; 鈥 and a forthcoming collection of essays (hers is on how the show explores sex).