The Simpsons also did a lot to damage the reputation of the nuclear power industry

[bluestateguy]

Don't give this Japanese disaster too much credit. Twenty years of mockery by Matt Groening has not enhanced the industry's public standing. The Springfield nuclear plant is owned by the greedy Mr. Burns, assisted by his bootlicking henchman Wayland Smithers, and employs nitwits like Lenny, Carl and Homer. Screwups,mismanagement and near meltdowns seem to be common. And the plant's nuclear safety inspector? Homer Simpson. Yeah. Not a positive face for the industry (in stark contrast, BTW, to the 50 heroes working to save lives in the plants right now).

Homer must have a pretty decent job too: he owns a home with a wife and three children, and Marge does not work.

For the record, I was lukewarm about nuclear power before this disaster, but now stand firmly against it. I just make the point that the industry has had a mediocre reputation for the last 20 years anyway, and much of it is because of the Simpsons.

[Brickbat]

1. I'm sure union nuclear plant workers appreciate your opinion of them.

[Teaser]

13. dude did not express an opinion of nuclear plant workers

.

[doc03]

2. The Simpsons is a cartoon n/t

[Ghost in the Machine]

6. Shhhhh, you'll spoil it for him!

I'm wondering if Batman & Spiderman are the *real* reasons crime had been going down, too. Criminals never know where those two might be lurking..

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. NOT in the minds of Tea Baggers.

If its on Tee & Vee, its gotta be true.

[Teaser]

12. no. it's a way of life.

.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. This needs a picture

[Alexander]

4. You apparently never saw the three-eyed fish episode.

It was one of the most popular episodes of the Simpsons, was very anti-nuclear in its message, and was aired in the second season.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Cars_in_Every_Garage_and_Three_Eyes_on_Every_Fish

Many subsequent episodes have featured either Blinky, the three-eyed fish, or other mutated creatures that live near the nuclear plant.

[Initech]

5. I remember reading that Ralph Nader did an expose where he said...

that more nuclear plants were run by the likes of Homer Simpson and Mr. Burns than they were anything else. :scared:

[onehandle]

7. Smile when you say that to Homer:

[scarletwoman]

9. Hey, whatever works is fine with me. (nt)

[flvegan]

10. You couldn't be more wrong...they have 3 children.

[neverforget]

11. For some reason I'm thinking of Frank "Grimey" Grimes

[Motown_Johnny]

14. I think you have it backward

If anything that cartoon portrays a nuclear power plant where nothing serious ever happens, no matter how inept the staff.

When Springfield cancer rates skyrocket and Maggie dies you can come talk to me about the negative image being forwarded by this cartoon.

P.S. The Simpsons have THREE children.

[pitohui]

15. in that case good for mr. groening

i & some of my other relatives protested many of these boondoggles being built back in the 1970s but who the hell listens to us?

if they'll listen to a cartoon and it's kept some people alive because of a jane fonda movie and a silly cartoon series that we're not overrun w. these boondoggles good for ms. fonda and mr. groening

i won't criticize japan, a country w. many people and few natural resources for building nukes but in the usa a country where we have a LOT of resources i just don't get it why we flirted w. this crap

[robdogbucky]

16. Markey of Massachussetts said it succinctly

Paraphrasing:

The nuke industry has not built a new facility in 36 years because Wall St. will no longer take the risk. Now the only plants can possibly get built is with federally guaranteed loans, in other words stick the taxpayer with the downside risk, not the companies or the insurers (Wall St.)

Markey also said the alternatives (solar, wind, natural gas, etc.) are already developing at a pace that will leave nukes out of our future as just not economically feasible in terms of risk and in terms of the abundance of other cheap sources of energy that are going to come on line.

He said this incident is the death knell to an industry that has been on life support for 36 years anyway.

104 plants in 32 states right now.