Religious Rhetoric and the Comic Frame in The Simpsons

Considered by many secular and religious critics alike to be the most "religious television show" currently being aired, The Simpsons reflects a commitment to satirizing the pietistic and hypocritical elements of American religious expression, but it does not attack the bases of American religious faiths. Utilizing the Burkean rhetorical concepts of comic frames consisting of an overlapping continuum of comedy, satire, and burlesque, individual characters on the show are evaluated for their rhetorical capacities to make us laugh as well as to make us aware of the impact of religion on our society.