The Simpsons Movie

Ezra Klein says almost exactly what I was thinking about the Simpsons movie:

It was a film during which the lead female character realized her husband was a senseless brute who would always put his happiness before her own, and where her son realized the father was an abusive drunk who was continually denying him the emotional support and family environment he needed. And unlike in most Simpson's episodes, both characters recognized these truths fully, and abandoned Homer to begin new lives elsewhere. And shortly thereafter, both took him back, tossing away their opportunities for personal growth and fulfillment despite there being no evidence of an enduring change in their tormentor's psyche. It was a tremendous demonstration of the self-destructive mentality of the abused, and in that, quite unsettling.

The only thing I take exception with is that I think The Simpsons is pretty much par for the course when it comes to the portrayal of heterosexual relationships on television, i.e. pretty pathetic. Certainly it was no worse than, say, Family Guy.

UPDATE: I should add that I was really, really happy when the family ditched Homer, but I just knew that it being The Simpsons, they would get back together again before the movie was over. It always works that way in our patriarchal culture.

Nevertheless, a tiny bit of me held out hope that they would ditch the bum. One good deed - saving Springfield - in no way makes up for so much bad behavior.