“Cartoons (Seriously) Can Teach Us About Faith” Response Essay

“Cartoons (Seriously) Can Teach us About Faith” Response Essay
The article “Cartoons (Seriously) Can Teach us About Faith” by Mark L. Pinsky highlights how it is easier for one to be exposed to cultural issues, and religious topics through animated shows. Pinsky uses the show The Simpsons as a prime example to make his point.   Pinsky discusses how the staple to The Simspons plot is religion. He pulls examples from the series from what Lisa teaches Bart about the soul, along with how the family goes to church regularly, and television’s most widely accepted televangelist, Ned Flanders.   Pinsky also provides a list of several other shows that use the topics discussed as a focus of their plots.   He uses South Park to discuss that despite its offensive and satirical nature many religions are proud to be satirized in order for people to notice and understand what they are about.   Pinsky closes his article by posing the question on whether or not that these topics being introduced through cartoons are a good thing. He follows up his question by stating that when young people are in church or a place of worship the view the lessons with skepticism, but when they are at home watching television they view the topics with a more open mind.  
I have read Pinksys essay several times now, and each time I find myself agreeing more with all of the points he is trying to make. This article had me interested from the first paragraph because I have always been infatuated with the use of religion in cartoons, and this article does exactly that. I do find that it is easier to understand and find social and religious topics interesting through the use of cartoons. “No where on the small screen are these weighty issues dealt with on a more regular basis than in edgy animated comedies” (pinksy701).   This point, which also introduces the main idea, made me as a reader want to continue on through the article. This also made me think about the various animated shows that I have seen in...