Line #57 Creator/MattGroening


1	[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/matt_groening.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:280:The man himself.]]
3
4	->''"[[https://youtu.be/PiAZ7l3eMdM Git outta ma office!]]"''
5	-->--'''Matt Groening''' (according to his attorneys)
6
7	Matthew Abram Groening[[note]]pronounced "GRAY-ning"[[/note]] (born February 15, 1954 in Portland, Oregon) is an American cartoonist, writer, producer, and animator, known as the creator of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', and other shows including ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'', ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'', and ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}''.
8
9	Groening began his career in 1977 as an underground cartoonist, with ''Life in Hell'' making for his first big break. Influenced by ''ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}}'', UndergroundComics and cult artists like Music/FrankZappa, Music/CaptainBeefheart, Music/TheResidents and Music/TheFugs, the comic is perhaps Groening's most personal work. Its central characters are two gay little men called Akbar and Jeff and a white rabbit family. The cartoons already poked fun at topics that Groening would later attack in his animated shows: politics, religion, school, family, work, relationships and modern society in general.
10
11	The comic became a cult success, and by the mid-1980s Groening was approached by Creator/JamesLBrooks to make an animated TV adaptation of ''Life In Hell''. Initially Groening agreed, until he learned that he would lose the rights to the comic strip. So instead, he redrew his rabbit characters as people, named them after members of his family, and that's how Groening came up with one of America's most enduring TV shows: ''The Simpsons''.
12
13	''The Simpsons'' started off in 1987 as extremely short cartoons used as bumpers before and after commercials during ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow''. Despite being crudely animated with lots of EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, the segments caught on with the American public. By 1989 Groening got the chance to turn the series into a full-length primetime animated series, something that hadn't been done since ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'' in the 1960s (or, if you want to be anal, since ''WesternAnimation/WaitTillYourFatherGetsHome'' in the early 1970s). The show quickly became a [[BreakthroughHit critically lauded mainstream success]], especially thanks to BreakoutCharacter Bart Simpson (though later, Homer Simpson would be the breakout star and later still, it would be all the ancillary characters).
14
15	The show was the first primetime cartoon series since ''The Flintstones'' to become popular both with children and adults, being routinely praised for its clever satire, edgy subversiveness ([[FairForItsDay of its time]]), hilarious gags and emotional depth. Its cult success additionally paved the way for other adult cartoon series such as ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtHead'', ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'', ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', and ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy''. However, the show wasn't without its critics. Especially in the early years, many parents and educators complained about certain scenes they deemed to be offensive or unsuitable for children. Even President UsefulNotes/GeorgeHWBush attacked the series during the 1992 Republican National Convention by claiming that "the American family should be a lot more like ''Series/TheWaltons'' and a lot less like ''The Simpsons''." Only a week later, ''The Simpsons'' reacted by rerunning an episode and, before the episode proper began, letting Bart say, "Hey, we're just like ''The Waltons''. We're all praying for an end to the [[TheGreatDepression Depression]], too." Coincidence or not, Bush lost the election later that year.
16
17	''The Simpsons'' continued its successful run and is still on television to this day, though many fans believe that [[SeasonalRot the show's quality has long since faded away]] (thanks, in no small part, to all the FollowTheLeader shows that have cropped up and found success -- some of which did have former writers of the show itself).
18
19	In 1999, Groening launched another animated series, ''Futurama'', around a totally different concept. Set in the far future (and playing out more like a "fish-out-of-water" story mixed with a workplace comedy and a DeconstructiveParody of sci-fi and futuristic pulp stories), ''Futurama'' mostly spoofs every science fiction or future dystopia concept in a similar satirical way like ''The Simpsons''. The program never reached ''Simpsons''-level popularity (mostly due to Creator/{{Fox}} [[ScrewedByTheNetwork screwing the show out of a potential audience]]) and was cancelled by FOX, but developed a rabid cult following through reruns via Creator/CartoonNetwork's Creator/AdultSwim block (and DVD sales) and was [[{{Uncancelled}} eventually revived]] and given a proper ending (albeit left with the possibility of another continuation) on Creator/ComedyCentral a few years later. In 2022, a second revival, this time on Creator/{{Hulu}}, was announced.
20
21	Groening's third animated series, a ''very'' self-referential medieval fantasy spoof called ''WesternAnimation/{{Disenchantment}}'', premiered on Creator/{{Netflix}} in 2018. Much like ''Futurama'', ''Disenchantment'' isn't as beloved as ''The Simpsons'', but it does have its share of fans.
22
23	Also worth mentioning: his entire work is very fit for analysis of the EveryoneIsJesusInPurgatory kind. The themes can be interpreted in several ways, though, for the record: Groening is a liberal (in the American sense of the word) and identifies himself as [[UsefulNotes/{{Agnosticism}} agnostic]].
24	----
25	!!Works of Matt Groening:
26	[[index]]
27	* ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'' (1977-2012)
28	* ''Franchise/TheSimpsons'' (1987-present)
29	** [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons TV series]] (1989-present)
30	** [[ComicBook/TheSimpsons Comic series]] (1993-2018)
31	* ''{{Franchise/Futurama}}'' (1999-present)
32	** [[{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}} TV series]] (1999-2003, [[{{Revival}} 2007-2013]], [[UnCancelled 2023]]-present)
33	** [[{{ComicBook/Futurama}} Comic series]] (2000-2017)
34	* ''{{WesternAnimation/Disenchantment}}'' (2018-2023)
35	* Creator/BongoComics (1993-2018), a defunct company which distributed ''Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'' comics.
36	[[/index]]
37
38	!!Acting roles:
39	* Groening has [[CreatorCameo voiced himself]] in both ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' and ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}''.
40	* ''WesternAnimation/OliveTheOtherReindeer'' (1999): Arturo (voice).
41	* ''WesternAnimation/HairHigh'' (2004): Will (voice).
42	* ''{{Series/Portlandia}}'' episode "Fashion" (2015): Played himself in a role where he sues Spyke over his "Bart Ska-mpson" shirts.
43
44	!!Appearances in documentaries:
45	* ''Peefeeyatko'' (1991): A documentary about Music/FrankZappa.
46	* ''Revenge of the Dead Indians'' (1992): A documentary about composer Music/JohnCage.
47	* ''The BBC Late Show Special: Frank Zappa'' (1993): Another documentary about Frank Zappa.
48	* ''The Artist Formerly Known as Captain Beefheart'' (1993, broadcast in 1997): A documentary about Music/CaptainBeefheart.
49	* ''Chuck Jones: Extremes and In-Betweens'' (2000): A documentary about animator Creator/ChuckJones.
50	* ''The Devil and Daniel Johnston'' (2005): A documentary about Music/DanielJohnston.
51	* ''Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents'' (2005): A documentary about Music/TheResidents.
52	----
53	!!Tropes used in his works:
54	* AdultsAreUseless: While not every adult is useless, most are fairly incompetent. Matt Groening talks about many of the adult characters as morons. He said in an interview that authority isn't always quite as smart as it should be, and people like teachers and doctors all have flaws. Invoked in the "Nightmare Cafeteria" segment from ''[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E6TreehouseOfHorrorV Treehouse Of Horror V]]'' where Bart and Lisa tell Marge about the cannibalism going on in their school, and Marge promptly dismisses them telling them that she cannot fight all their battles and they should forcefully tell the teachers to not eat them.
55	* AlanSmithee: Groening had his name removed from "A Star Is Burns" due to viewing the episode as a half-hour commercial for ''WesternAnimation/TheCritic'', leading to a well-publicized spat with producer James L. Brooks (who had fought to bring ''The Critic'' to Fox).
56	* AmazingTechnicolorPopulation: Only with ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' though. He decided not to use the yellow skin design for any of his other projects.
57	* AmbiguouslyGay: Akbar and Jeff in ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell''; Smithers (though his closet seems to be getting more and more transparent), Lenny and Carl in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' (though that was phased out near the end of Mike Scully's run on the show).
58	* AmusingInjuries: Groening had said in an interview: "The more horrible bone crunching noises we use for injuries on "The Simpsons" the harder people laugh. It's a sick world."
59	* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: Always parodied.
60	* AnimationBump: Compare the earliest ''Simpsons'' shorts, in which animators were simply tracing over his own crude drawings, to when it went to series and, much later, switched from Creator/KlaskyCsupo to Creator/FilmRoman for its animation. Many of his projects have also survived so long that they eventually evolved from traditional hand-painted cel animation to digital ink and paint and finally [[UsefulNotes/ToonBoom 2D computer animation]].
61	* ArtEvolution: Averted to Groening himself, who has has ''never'' been a great artist from a technical point of view and whose personal drawing style of people with bug-like eyeballs and huge overbites hasn't evolved all that much even after decades in the business. However, his collaboration with animators and character designers has led to vast visual improvements in works which bear his name.
62	** The original ''Simpsons'' shorts were extremely crude, as the animators were tracing over his drawings. More sophisticated character designs were created once the show went to series and gradually became more anatomically correct and solid while still retaining their distinctive looks.
63	** By ''Futurama'', he'd concocted a three-step method for character designs, in which he'd do a crude character design, have a professional designer do a more polished version, then take the polished version and draw it himself to "re-crude" it. The result is a much slicker 50/50 of Groening's drawing style and more technically animatable characters, which remained consistent throughout the series.
64	** Both ''Disenchanted'' and the much later episodes of ''The Simpsons'' exchange traditional animation for UsefulNotes/ToonBoom, allowing for slicker (though [[LimitedAnimation more economical]]) animation.
65	* ArtisticLicense: Both "The Simpsons" and "Futurama" follow a certain reality, but sometimes this is thrown out of the window for absurd gags. WordOfGod says that his work is mainly based on "what I know is real and what I know is fictional."
66	* ArtShift: Also done regularly.
67	** The ''Simpsons'' episode "Brother from the Same Planet" had a cameo of ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy'', animated by animators of that show themselves.
68	** In "Lady Bouvier's Lover," Homer imagines his children becoming pink creatures with five fingers on each hand. Cue to Bart, Lisa and Maggie suddenly transforming into realistically drawn white people for a second.
69	** In "The Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie," several old Itchy & Scratchy cartoons from the 1920s and 1940s are animated in a different style mimicking cartoons from that time period. This happened again in "The Day the Violence Died", when the first Itchy the Mouse cartoon from 1919 was seen and a parody of ''WesternAnimation/SchoolhouseRock'' was broadcast on TV.
70	** The episode "HOMR" has a parody of ''WesternAnimation/DaveyAndGoliath'', also done in their typical claymation style.
71	** Bart tells a scary story, "Dark Stanley", in the episode "Yokel Chords", which is also animated in a different, more macabre style.
72	** In "How Munched Is That Birdie in the Window?" the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon ''Dog Gone Hellody of 1933'' is a stylistic parody of "WesternAnimation/PlutosJudgementDay".
73	** "Angry Dad: The Movie" has stylistic parodies of ''WesternAnimation/TheTripletsOfBelleville'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Persepolis}}'', WesternAnimation/WallaceAndGromit'', and ''Franchise/ToyStory'', all animated in their respective styles.
74	** The couch gag of "What to Expect When Bart's Expecting" has a stylistic parody of the claymation cartoons of Art Clokey, even with a cameo of ''WesternAnimation/{{Gumby}}''.
75	** Several couch gags have been animated by guest animated directors, including Creator/JohnKricfalusi, Creator/SylvainChomet, Creator/BillPlympton,...
76	** The ''Futurama'' episode "Reincarnation" has stylistic parodies of the Fleischer cartoons, early computer games and anime.
77	** The ''WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy'' episode "Simpsons Guy" involves the Griffins getting lost in Springfield.
78	* AuthorAppeal: A lot of the stuff referred to in his comics and animated cartoon shows is semi-autobiographical. Little winks to his childhood friends can be found, as well as references to his own personal favorite artists and topics. His recurrent mocking of UsefulNotes/RichardNixon is an enjoyment that stems from a personal dislike.
79	* BeliefMakesYouStupid: Several jokes in Groening's work poke fun at the absurdities and inconsistencies of religion, its purveyors, and its practitioners.
80	* BerserkButton: Groening really hates UsefulNotes/RichardNixon and thus poked fun at him several times in his work. In ''Futurama'' Nixon is President of Earth, but ridiculed whenever he appears. In an interview Groening expressed pleasure "in kicking Nixon from beyond the grave".
81	** Groening is also not fond of UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler jokes and otherwise racist gags. He discourages his writers to write jokes about these topics, but has let a few good ones pass.
82	** And he especially hates Creator/HannaBarbera animation.
83	* BilingualBonus:
84	** Happens regularly in ''The Simpsons''.
85	** In ''Futurama'' a fictional alien language is used in backgrounds so that fans can decipher it.
86	* BitingTheHandHumor: Especially the Creator/{{Fox}} network.
87	* BlackComedy: All of Groening's works tend to have a very cynical sense of humor; though their brand of black comedy isn't nearly as pitch black as, say, what Creator/SethMacFarlane or Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone tend to come up with.
88	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Happens occasionally.
89	* BrickJoke: Used often.
90	* ButNotTooEvil: According to Groening Bart Simpson was created out of his frustration with this trope; as he put it, the traditional brat in television was usually just a decently mannered kid who spoke too loud, in contrast to Bart's genuinely disruptive and anti-authority behavior.
91	** Of course, back in the day Matt got what he wanted and more: when ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' first began airing (and particularly during the first two seasons) Bart's behavior set off a firestorm of protests from angry parents' groups saying Bart was a terrible role model. Unlike many examples on this page, though, all this complaining was roundly ignored by the show's writers, who refused to change a thing. In fact, it inspired [[Recap/TheSimpsonsS2E9ItchyAndScratchyAndMarge an episode where Marge stages a censorship campaign against Itchy and Scratchy]]. The campaign works, and I&S becomes incredibly bland and boring as a result.
92	** Ironically, either through shifting culture or VillainDecay (probably a little of both), Bart can now be reasonably accurately described as a "decently mannered kid who speaks too loud".
93	*** Even in his heyday, Bart could almost be a subversion. While he genuinely enjoyed causing mayhem, most of his antics were more meant to drive authority figures crazy rather than cause any genuine harm. There were lines that [[EveryoneHasStandards even Bart wouldn't cross]], and when he realized he went too far, he'd actually feel bad about it and try to make up for it.
94	* ButtMonkey:
95	** Binky and Bongo in ''Life in Hell''.
96	** Bart, Homer, Milhouse, Moe, Smithers, Hans Moleman, Lenny, Gil, Squeaky-Voiced Teen, Scratchy, Martin Prince, Principal Skinner, Grandpa, Richard Nixon, George Bush Sr. in ''The Simpsons''.
97	** Fry, Zoidberg, Kif, Richard Nixon in ''Futurama''.
98	* CapitalismIsBad / CorruptCorporateExecutive: Mr. Burns in ''The Simpsons'', and Mom (the owner of Momcorp) in ''Futurama'' act as the [[BigBad primary antagonists]] of their respective series. On the other hand, Groening himself isn't exactly poor either, thanks to [[CashCowFranchise his shows being so commercially successful]].
99	* CatchPhrase: Most of his characters have at least one catchphrase, Homer's "D'oh!" being the most famous.
100	* ChildrenAreInnocent: Usually subverted (Bart Simpson, anyone?) Will still be played straight on occasion.
101	* CorruptChurch: Religious people, philosophers and frauds trying to get rich by selling cheap truths are a frequent target. Reverend Lovejoy is the most self-evident example.
102	** One example from "Bart Sells His Soul" - for context, Bart and Milhouse are discussing the existence of the soul while Reverend Lovejoy is punishing them for a prank by making them clean the church's organ pipes:
103	-->'''Milhouse:''' "Every religion says there's a soul, Bart. Why would they lie? What would they have to gain?"
104	-->'''Reverend Lovejoy:''' while counting the money given to the church "I don't hear scrubbing!"
105	* CorruptPolitician: Always corrupt or not to be trusted. Mayor Quimby in ''The Simpsons'', Richard Nixon in ''Futurama'', and Odval in ''Disenchantment'' are perhaps the most prominent individual examples.
106	* CrapsaccharineWorld / CrapsackWorld: His work can both be cynical as well as celebral of life.
107	* CreatorCameo: Done regularly.
108	** He appears as one of the heads in the head museum in the pilot of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}''.
109	** Groening appeared in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' where they went to a sci-fi convention and everyone was excited to see the creator of ''Futurama''. He was also a boss in ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame''.
110	* CrossOver: References between Groening's various works are often made. Most notably, there was the ''Simpsons''/''Futurama'' crossover episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS26E6Simpsorama Simpsorama]]".
111	* CreditsGag: "The Simpsons" have frequently used a different musical arrangement of the theme music, according to the theme of the episode. Sometimes characters still talk over the credits. Sometimes they are silenced by the woman in the "Gracies Films" Logo.
112	* DarkerAndEdgier:
113	** ''Life in Hell'' handled themes that most mainstream cartoon strips never tackled.
114	** ''The Simpsons'' went in the air at a time when most TV animation was aimed at children (despite attempts at making adult animation in the 1960s and 1970s, as seen with ''WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones'', ''WesternAnimation/WaitTillYourFatherGetsHome'', and ''WesternAnimation/FritzTheCat'') and considered safe and formulaic. It immediately attracted attention because of its subversive content, often featuring themes that (at the time) you wouldn't see or hear in mainstream animation.
115	* DeliberatelyMonochrome: ''Life in Hell'' is published in black and white.
116	* DenserAndWackier: Both ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'' evolved to this point.
117	* DerangedAnimation: Not so much in drawing style, but certain plots and scenes are really off the wall.
118	** JustForFun/TheItchyAndScratchyShow is probably the most deranged Groening's work ever got.
119	* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife: A theme in his entire work.
120	* DeusExMachina: As per RuleOfFunny, in all of Matt Groening's works, there's some apparent impossible or nonsensical convenience not even motivated by a character's InUniverse luck that both allows the plot to progress, and to allow it to progress in the unanticipated but ironic message the episode tries to show.
121	* DifferentInEveryEpisode:
122	** Bart Simpson writes a different line on the blackboard at the start of most episodes.
123	** CouchGag: The Simpsons run to their couch in front of the TV, but usually do something different.
124	** The Church of Springfield has a different 'topic for today' on its billboard whenever it gets in frame.
125	** ''Futurama'' has a different line beneath its opening credits every episode.
126	** When ''Futurama'' aired on FOX there was always a different segment from a classic animated cartoon seen on the giant television screen.
127	* DistinctiveAppearances: Groening has a theory that characters are made memorable by a recognizable silhouette. He implies this rule with his own characters as well, specifically Bart Simpson's hairline to name one.
128	* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Many plots of ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'' are actually parodies of certain films, TV shows, novels or historical events.
129	** A lot of [[PublicSecretMessage Hidden Messages]] can be found as well.
130	** Innuendos and allusions to very adult stuff can be spotted too.
131	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness:
132	** The early ''Life in Hell'' cartoons had a different tone. It features the rabbit Binky bickering about all of his life's problems. Only when Groening changed him into a victim of society the cartoon became successful.
133	** The early ''Simpsons'' are hardly recognizable at all. Their physical designs were very ugly, the animation was amateuristic and many jokes were still very cartoonish and generic. It did have an edginess and subversions, but only in the second season did the satirical component finally start to blossom.
134	*** In some of the earliest episodes Barney has yellow hair and Smithers is Afro-American. Barney's hair color was changed, because the makers felt that only the Simpsons should have the same hair color as their skin. Smithers' skin color became yellow (aka 'white') because the idea of a black character acting as a servant to someone else felt a bit racist.
135	*** In the first season there are several [[OutOfCharacterMoment out-of-character moments]]. For instance: Homer feeling embarassed about his family and Lisa being nothing but a DistaffCounterpart of Bart.
136	* EccentricTownsfolk: Especially in ''The Simpsons'' you have a real sense of a community of odd people.
137	* EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: "The Simpsons" managed to avoid using this trope for a long time, but in the episodes "Springfield Up" and "The Way We Weren't" they did give in to it by having the middle-aged adult characters seen as children going to the same school and/or summer camp. In real life Matt Groening also went to college with cartoonists Charles Burns and Creator/LyndaBarry.
138	* FantasyForbiddingFather: In a strange case of ''DoNotDoThisCoolThing'' Groening's own father was a cartoonist and amateur film director yet he discouraged his own son to become a cartoonist himself.
139	* FatBastard: Homer Simpson at his worst counts for this.
140	* FourFingeredHands
141	* FreeRangeChildren: In both ''Life in Hell'' and ''The Simpsons'', the children are (sometimes) far more mature than their respectable ages.
142	* FreezeFrameBonus: Both in ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama''.
143	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: See above.
144	* GenreBusting: All of his animated series are primarily comedies that are based around parodying or satirizing a particular genre.
145	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' is a DysfunctionalFamily DomCom which satirizes [[ReferenceOverdosed just about all of iconic pop culture from the 20th and 21st centuries]].
146	** ''{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}}'' is clearly a parody of ScienceFiction stories set in [[TheFuture the far future]] or [[SpaceOpera outer space]], mixed with ''Simpsons''-style pop-culture parodies and social satire.
147	** ''{{WesternAnimation/Disenchantment}}'' is likewise a parody of {{Medieval European\|Fantasy}} HighFantasy tropes in general.
148	* GrandparentalObliviousness: Grandpa and Mr. Burns in ''The Simpsons'' can be quite senile and forgetful. Professor Farnsworth in ''Futurama'' too.
149	* HalfwayPlotSwitch: The setups of many episodes often result in a totally unexpected ending.
150	* HiddenDepths: To a lot of people ''Life in Hell'', ''The Simpsons'', and ''Futurama'' appear to be just your typical cartoon series, but they are far more mature than one would expect from what are otherwise considered frivolous entertainment.
151	* HistoricalHilarity: Many jokes poke fun at historical events and characters.
152	* HumansAreBastards / HumansAreMorons: Most people in Groening's works are either [[{{Jerkass}} mean and foul-tempered]], [[TheDitz stupid and incompetent]], [[InsufferableImbecile or simultaneously both]]. Though non-human characters in ''Futurama'' and ''Disenchantment'' are not any better.
153	* HypocriticalHumor: Many characters in his universe are incredible hypocrites.
154	* InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt: His signature is on every piece of merchandise from the shows he created.
155	* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Ned Flanders, Lisa Simpson and Ralph Wiggum in ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', each one of them for entirely different reasons. Flanders because of his faith, Lisa because she is highly intelligent and has strong ethics and Ralph because he is just naïve.
156	* IgnoredEpiphany: Characters will sometimes realize something of huge importance, but do absolutely nothing with it afterwards.
157	* KidsAreCruel: Bart Simpson, Nelson Muntz, Jimbo, Dolph and Kearney.
158	* LongRunner: All of his three best known series are still in syndication, for better or worse. Apart from ''Life in Hell'', which ended in 2012.
159	* MediumAwareness: In both ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'' a lot of jokes are made about television and animation clichés and conventions.
160	* MyCountryRightOrWrong and MyCountryTisOfTheeThatISting: In his entire work Groening shows the darker side of UsefulNotes/TheAmericanDream.
161	* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous:
162	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Marvin Monroe (Creator/MarilynMonroe), Milhouse ([[UsefulNotes/RichardNixon Richard Milhous Nixon]]), Barney Gumble ([[WesternAnimation/TheFlintstones Barney Rubble]]), Arnie Pye (radio presenter Ernie Pie).
163	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Professor Farnsworth is named after Philo Farnsworth, a pioneer in the invention of television.
164	* NewJobAsThePlotDemands:
165	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Troy [=McClure=] acts in many different B-movies. Gil perpetually dangles by a thread at whatever job he is doing. Squeaky Voiced Teen is often doing all kinds of low paid jobs. In later seasons Homer and Marge have been changing their jobs many times over.
166	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'': Sal, despite being a sleazy lazy guy, is seen doing all kinds of jobs over the course of the seasons.
167	* NoBrows: Most of his characters have no visible eyebrows, Milhouse being a major exception.
168	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Subverted! Celebrities who provide a special guest voice in his TV shows will usually be mocked in a certain way. Celebrities who are satirized by having one of the cast members imitate their voice don't come off too well either.
169	* ANuclearError: Especially in ''The Simpsons'' Groening's antinuclear stance is made clear. From an interview: "That's why Homer works at a nuclear plant -- so we can continue to make points about the nuclear industry."
170	* PoliceAreUseless: Chief Wiggum in ''The Simpsons''; URL and Smitty from ''Futurama'' seem more competent, but are prone to PoliceBrutality. Usually averted when a main character (Marge Simpson, Philip J. Fry) becomes a police officer, though this situation does not last long due to StatusQuoIsGod.
171	* PunbasedTitle: Most episodes of the animated series have a hidden pun.
172	* QuestForIdentity: A big theme in his entire work.
173	* ReferenceOverdosed: ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'' are full of references to both 'high' and 'low' culture. The chance that everybody will 'get' every single reference of joke is particularly low. Even Groening doesn't get all the stuff his writers come up with.
174	* RuleOfFunny: Certain illogical situations happen because of this rule.
175	* RunningGag:
176	** ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'':
177	*** Binky is frequently locked away in a dungeon and scolded by his teachers through a small window in the prison door.
178	*** Akbar and Jeff have many [[AmbiguouslyGay jokes about their supposed homosexuality]].
179	** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
180	*** Homer does something stupid and shouts "D'oh!" after realizing this.
181	*** Mr. Burns is unable to remember Homer's name.
182	*** Bart makes a phone call to Moe under a false alias, usually a bawdy pun, yet Moe only realizes this after the entire bar laughs at his stupidity.
183	*** Maggie is unable to stand up straight for long and usually falls down flat with a thud.
184	*** Grandpa has a tendency to fall asleep halfway through a sentence, yet he just never falls over, but just keeps standing upright while snoring loudly.
185	*** Homer takes advantage of Ned Flanders' kindness.
186	*** Patty and Selma insult Homer.
187	*** Comic Book Guy reviews everything with disdain, while using the phrase [[WorstWhateverEver "Worst... ever!"]]
188	*** Mrs. Krabappel and Nelson Muntz both laugh at other people's misery.
189	** ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'':
190	*** Professor Farnsworth announces he has "Good news", yet it is usually exactly the opposite.
191	*** The robot "Malfunctioning Eddie" always explodes in shock.
192	* SadistShow: Groening once described animation as "creating a world full of characters who hurt each other just because you want them to."
193	* SceneryPorn: A lot of comedy and hidden messages can be found in the background of a scene. Some of them can only be spotted when freeze framing the video.
194	* ShoutOut: As a huge ComicStrip/{{Peanuts}} fan, Groening has referenced the franchise often in his work. Akbar and Jeff from ''ComicStrip/LifeInHell'' are in fact mutated versions of Groening's failed attempts to draw Charlie Brown, still visible by their shirts.
195	* SickeningCrunch: Often done in his animated series, because Groening has noticed the more painful, the funnier it will be.
196	* SeniorSleepCycle: Grandpa in ''The Simpsons'' and Prof. Farnsworth in ''Futurama''.
197	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: Mostly cynical, but with a nugget of idealism throughout. His worlds are usually populated by [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold characters who are selfish but mostly want to be better people deep down]], and even the grossest amoral behavior is strictly [[BlackComedy tongue-in-cheek]].
198	* SpecialGuest: His TV shows frequently have celebrities voicing themselves or playing a character. According the ''Guinness Book of Records'', ''The Simpsons'' has even become the TV show with the most celebrity guest appearances ever!
199	** Groening voiced himself in a few ''Simpsons'' episodes (and does vocal effects for Maggie's pacifier sucking).
200	* SphereEyes: A trademark.
201	* SuckySchool: ''Life in Hell'' even has a volume called ''School Is Hell''. Also a prominent theme with the Springfield Elementary School in ''The Simpsons''.
202	* TakeThat: His work pokes fun at everybody, from all kinds of the political, economical, cultural and sociological spectrum.
203	* TakeThatAudience: We ''did'' say everybody.
204	* TakeThatMe: '''Everybody.''' His most notable one is Comic Book Guy, who is Groeining's personal caricature of all of his worst habits and personality traits. Hell, one episode of ''The Simpsons'' depicted Groening as a senile old alcoholic.
205	* TalkingAnimal: Usually avoided, but Bongo, Binky and Sheba in ''Life in Hell'' and Nibbler in ''Futurama'' are exceptions.
206	* WorldOfJerkass: A trademark of all his works. In ''The Simpsons'', ''Futurama'', and ''Disenchantment'', almost everyone is a cynical, selfish jerk whose biggest concern is their own self-interests, and their attempts at sincerity tend to be morally backwards (though as mentioned above, there are also plenty of [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold selfish characters who want to be good deep down]], and occasionally some [[NiceGuy genuinely good people]]).

Context Creator / MattGroening