Difference between revisions of "The Joy of Sect"

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"The Joy of Sect" is the thirteenth episode of The Simpsons' ninth season. In the episode, a cult called the "Movementarians" takes over Springfield, and Homer and the rest of the Simpson family become members. Homer and Bart are initially introduced to a pair of young Movementarian recruiters in an airport. Homer becomes brainwashed, and moves his family into the cult compound. David Mirkin had the initial idea for the episode, Steve O'Donnell was the lead writer, and Steven Dean Moore directed. The writers drew on many groups to develop the Movementarians, but were principally influenced by Scientology, Heaven's Gate, the Unification Church and Peoples Temple.

 

The episode was later analyzed from religious, philosophical and psychological perspectives, and books on The Simpsons compared the Movementarians to many of the same groups that the writers had drawn influences from. The show contains many references to popular culture, including the title reference to The Joy of Sex and a gag involving Rover from the television program The Prisoner. USA Today and The A.V. Club featured "The Joy of Sect" in lists of important episodes of The Simpsons.

 

 

 

 

 

In Flanders's [[rumpus room]], Marge deprograms her children by promising them what appear to be hover-bikes. In reality, Marge had suspended regular bikes from the ceiling with wires, and Flanders provided hover-bike sound effects while hidden in a closet. Homer yields after Ned offers him a beer, but just as the first drop lands on Homer's tongue, he is captured by the Movementarians' lawyers. Back at the compound, Homer tells a crowd of Movementarians that he is no longer brainwashed. He opens the doors of the [[Forbidden Barn]], hoping to expose the religion as a fraud. However, he is surprised to find "one hell of a giant spaceship," and The Leader proclaims that, due to Homer's "lack of faith," humanity will never reach Blisstonia. The Springfieldians fear that The Leader is speaking the truth, but as the spaceship begins to fly away, it falls apart, revealing The Leader on a pedal-powered aircraft departing with everyone's money. Everyone's faith is broken, but The Leader does not fly very far, crashing on [[Cletus Spuckler|Cletus Spuckler's]] front porch.

 

As the Simpsons return home, Lisa remarks, "It's wonderful to think for ourselves again." However, the family soon becomes hypnotized by a FOX television commercial, which declares, "You are watching FOX." In unison, the family responds, "We are watching FOX."

 

 

Aspects of the Movementarians were inspired by different cults, including Scientology, [[Jim Jones]] and the Peoples Temple, the Heaven's Gate group, the Unification Church, the [[Oneida Society]], and [[Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh]].<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video | people=Mirkin, David |year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "The Joy of Sect"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> In particular, the leader driving through the fields in a [[Rolls-Royce (car)|Rolls Royce]] was partly inspired by the Bhagwans, and the notion of holding people inside the camp against their will was a reference to Jim Jones.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The name "Movementarians" itself was simply chosen for its awkward sound.<ref name="Mirkin" />  The scene during the six-hour orientation video where those who get up to leave are induced to stay through [[peer pressure]] and [[groupthink]] was a reference to the [[Moonies]] and the [[Erhard Seminars Training|est Training]].<ref name="O'Donnell" />  The show's producers acknowledged that the ending scene of the episode was a poke at FOX as "being the evil mind controlling network."<ref name="Mirkin" />  The episode's script was written in 1997, at roughly the same time that the members of the Heaven's Gate cult committed [[Mass suicide]]. The writers noticed strange parallels between Mirkin's first draft and Heaven's Gate, including the belief in the arrival of a spaceship and the group's members wearing matching clothes and odd sneakers.<ref name="Mirkin" />  Because of these coincidences, several elements of the episode were changed so that it would be more sensitive in the wake of the suicides.<ref name="O'Donnell">{{cite video | people=O'Donnell, Steve |year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 9 DVD commentary for the episode "The Joy of Sect"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>

 

Chris Turner's book ''[[Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation|Planet Simpson]]'' describes the Movementarians as a cross between the [[Church of Scientology]] and Raelism, with lesser influences from [[Sun Myung Moon]] and Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.<ref name="turner">{{cite book | last = Turner | first = Chris | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = [[Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation]] | publisher = Da Capo Press |date=2005 | location = | pages = Page 269, The First Church of ''The Simpsons'' | url = | doi = | id =  | isbn = 030681448X}}</ref>  ''Planet Simpson'' also notes the Simpsons' chant at the conclusion of the episode as evidence of a "true high-growth quasi-religious cult of our time," referring to  [[television]].<ref name="turner" /> The book refers to a "Cult of Pop," which it describes as "a fast growing mutation ersatz religion that has filled the gaping hole in the West's social fabric where organized religion used to be".<ref name="turner" /> Martin Hunt of [[FACTnet]] notes several similarities between the Movementarians and the Church of Scientology. "The Leader" physically resembles [[L. Ron Hubbard]]; the Movementarians' "trillion year labor contract" alludes to the Sea Org's billion year contract; and both groups make extensive [[Scientology and the legal system|use of litigation]].<ref>{{cite news  | last = Hunt  | first = Martin | coauthors = | title = Celebrity Critics of Scientology, Simpsons (TV show) | work = [[FACTnet]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date = | url = http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/celebcrit.html#simpsons | accessdate =  2007-10-24}}</ref>  ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' analyzes the episode in a piece called "Springfield joins a cult", comparing the Movementarians' plans to travel to "Blisstonia" to Heaven's Gate's promises of bliss after traveling to the [[Hale-Bopp]] [[comet]]. However, it also notes that "The Joy of Sect" is a commentary on organized religion in general, quoting Bart as saying, "Church, cult, cult, church. So we get bored someplace else every Sunday."<ref name="koski">{{cite news | last = Koski | first = Genevieve | coauthors = Josh Modell, Noel Murray, Sean O'Neal, Kyle Ryan, Scott Tobias | title = Features: Inventory: 15 ''Simpsons'' Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras | work = [[The A.V. Club]] | pages = | language = | publisher = 2007, Onion Inc. |date=July 23, 2007 | url = http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/inventory_15_simpsons_moments/2 | accessdate = 2007-10-24}}</ref>  ''Planet Simpson'' discusses ''The Simpsons''<nowiki>'</nowiki> approach to [[deprogramming]] in the episode, noting groundskeeper Willie's conversion to the philosophy of the Movementarians after learning about it while attempting to deprogram Homer.<ref name="turner" />  Author Chris Turner suggests that Marge should have instead gone with the "Conformco Brain Deprogrammers" used in the episode "[[Burns' Heir]]" to convince Bart to leave Mr. Burns and come back home.<ref name="turner" />

 

In ''The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer'', the authors cite "escaping from a cult commune in 'The Joy of Sect'" as evidence of "Aristotle's virtuous personality traits in Marge."<ref name="irwin">{{cite book | last = Irwin | first = William | authorlink = | coauthors = Aeon J. Skoble, Mark T. Conard | title = The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer | publisher = Open Court Publishing |date=2001 | location = | pages = Pages 48-49 | url = | doi = | id =  | isbn = 0812694333}}</ref>  As the title suggests, the book ''The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh!'' examines "The Joy of Sect" from a [[psychology|psychological]] point of view. It discusses the psychology of decision-making in the episode, noting, "Homer is becoming a full-blown member of the Movementarians not by a rational choice, ..but through the process of escalating behavioral commitments."<ref name="brown">{{cite book | last = Brown | first = Alan S. | authorlink = | coauthors = Chris Logan | title = The Psychology of the Simpsons: D'oh! | publisher = BenBella Books, Inc. |date=2006 | location = | pages = Page 211-212 | url = | doi = | id =  | isbn = 1932100709}}</ref>  ''The Psychology of the Simpsons'' explains the key recruitment techniques used by the Movementarians, including the charismatic leader, established authority based on a religious entity or alien being (in this case "Blisstonia"), and the method of taking away [[free choice]] through acceptance of the Leader's greatness.<ref name="brown" />  The book also analyzes the techniques used during the six-hour Movementarian recruitment film. In that scene, those who rise to leave are reminded that they are allowed to leave whenever they wish. They are, however, questioned in front of the group as to specifically why they wish to leave, and these individuals end up staying to finish watching the film.<ref name="brown" />  The book describes this technique as "subtle pressure," in contrast to the "razor wire, landmines, angry dogs, crocodiles and evil mystery bubble Marge confronts to escape, while being reminded again that she is certainly free to leave."<ref name="brown" />  ''The Psychology of the Simpsons'' writes that "the Leader" is seen as an authority figure, because "He has knowledge or abilities that others do not, but want."<ref name="brown" />  Instead of traditional [[mathematics]] textbooks, the children on the compound learn from ''Arithmetic the Leader's Way'' and ''Science for Leader Lovers''.<ref name="gimple">{{cite book | last = Gimple | first = Scott M.  | coauthors =[[Matt Groening]], introduction | title = [[The Simpsons Forever!: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family ...Continued]] | publisher = [[HarperCollins]]| date = December 1, 1999 | pages = Pages 26-27 | isbn = 978-0060987633}}</ref>

 

In Pinsky's ''The Gospel According to the Simpsons'', one of the show's writers recounted to the author that the producers of ''The Simpsons'' had vetoed a planned episode on Scientology in fear of the Church's "reputation for suing and harassing opponents".<ref name="pinsky" />  Pinsky found it ironic that Groening spoofed Scientology in spite of the fact that the voice of Bart Simpson, [[Nancy Cartwright]], is a Scientologist,<ref name="pinsky" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1274066,00.html|title=That's my boy|accessdate=2007-05-14|author=Emma Brockes|date=2004-08-02|publisher=The Guardian}}</ref> having joined in 1989.<ref>{{cite news | last = Burnett | first = John | coauthors = | title = All things Considered: Scientology | work = [[All Things Considered]] | pages = | language = | publisher = [[National Public Radio]] | date = March 12, 1997 | url = http://www.solitarytrees.net/racism/collar.htm | accessdate =  2007-10-28}}</ref>  Pinsky notes that [[Matt Groening]] later "took a shot at Scientology" in ''[[Futurama]]'' with the [[List of fictional religions|fictional religion]] "Church of Robotology".<ref name="pinsky">{{cite book  | last = Pinsky  | first = Mark I. | coauthors = Tony Campolo | title = The Gospel According to the Simpsons  | publisher = Westminster John Knox Press  |date=2001  | isbn = 0664224199}}</ref> Groening said he received a call from the Church of Scientology concerned about the use of a similar name.<ref>{{cite video| people=Groening, Matt|year=2003|title=[[Futurama]] season 1 DVD commentary for the episode "[[Hell Is Other Robots]]"| medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox |quote=I did get a call from a Scientologist who had somehow gotten hold of the script.}}</ref>

 

Jeff Shalda of ''The Simpsons Archive'' used the episode as an example of one of the "good qualities present in The Simpsons," while analyzing why some other aspects of ''The Simpsons'' make Christians upset.<ref>{{cite paper | author = Shalda, Jeff. | title = Religion in the Simpsons | version = Online | publisher = The Simpsons Archive |date=December 29, 2000 | url = http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/jsh.paper.html | format = | accessdate =  2007-02-10}}</ref>  The book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'' commented that the episode was "an odd one," with "a lot of good moments," and went on to state that it was "a nice twist to see Burns determined to be loved." However, the book also noted that "The Joy of Sect" is "another one where the central joke isn't strong enough to last the whole episode."<ref name="BBC"/>  In a 2006 article in ''[[USA Today]]'', "The Joy of Sect" was highlighted among the six best episodes of [[The Simpsons (season 9)|''The Simpsons'' season 9]], along with "[[Trash of the Titans]]," "[[The Last Temptation of Krust]]," "[[The Cartridge Family]]," "[[Dumbbell Indemnity]]," and "[[Das Bus]]."<ref>{{cite news  | last = Clark | first = Mike  | coauthors = | title = New on DVD | work = [[USA Today]] | pages = | language = | publisher = Gannett Co. Inc. |date=December 22, 2006 | url = http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/reviews/2006-12-21-new-on-dvd_x.htm?csp=34 | accessdate =  2007-10-24}}</ref>  ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' featured the episode in its analysis of "15 ''Simpsons'' Moments That Perfectly Captured Their Eras."<ref name="koski" />  The episode is used by the Farmington Trust (UK), an organization which encourages Christian education in schools, colleges and universities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/04/02/db0201.xml |title=Bobby Wills - Telegraph |accessdate=2007-11-19 |format= |work=}}</ref> In their lesson plan, ''An Introduction to Philosophy: The Wit and Wisdom of Lisa Simpson'', the episode is described in a section on "False Prophets" as applicable for "..studying the more outrageous manifestations of ‘religion’ or those simply alert to the teachings of Christ on the subject."<ref name="farmington">{{cite book | last =Taylor | first =Tessa | authorlink = | coauthors = | title =An Introduction to Philosophy: The Wit and Wisdom of Lisa Simpson | publisher =Farmington Institute | date =August Term 2004 | location =[[St Mary's College, Durham]] | pages =Pages 30-32 | url =http://www.farmington.ac.uk/documents/new_reports/ME17.pdf | doi =  | id =  | isbn = }}</ref>