There are hardly any television families as iconic as the Simpsons. Since 1989, the chaos from Springfield has shaped pop culture. In 2009, the series even ventured far and collaborated with a well-known adult magazine.
The Simpsons have been on air since their debut in the USA on December 17, 1989, with around 37 seasons and 798 episodes produced, and new ones are still released annually. The series still addresses pop culture and social issues today, humorously poking fun at stereotypes from the USA.
Unlike later shows like Family Guy or South Park, the Simpsons were not just aimed at an older audience. It was like a sitcom that you could watch with the whole family because multiple members of the Simpsons were in the spotlight. There were jokes for adults, but younger viewers could also follow the individual episodes and humor.
However, for the 20th anniversary of the series, there was a rather unusual collaboration in 2009. The innocent Marge Simpson landed on the cover of Playboy, an adult magazine.
Satirical Appearance in Playboy
Marge Simpson in Playboy? As reported by The Hollywood Reporter in 2009, the Playboy magazine was not doing well. Sales figures had been declining since 2006. With the collaboration with the Simpsons, they aimed to reach a younger audience in their 20s, without alienating the old readers. At that time, the average age of readers was in their mid-30s.
Therefore, Marge Simpson was not only dedicated the cover of the November issue but also several pages, including facts and a fictitious interview. To reach more people, they collaborated with the supermarket chain 7-Eleven, which sold the special edition in stores. It was only the second time in the chain’s history that they sold the magazine in stores.
7-Eleven is also present in the Simpsons universe as a parody. The shop owner Apu works at the Kwik-E-Mart, which serves as the show’s equivalent to the real supermarket.
Why did the Simpsons do this? There is a pretty simple answer: attention. The 20th anniversary was a good occasion for such a PR collaboration. Marge was the first cartoon character to make it onto the cover of the magazine. Countless news sites around the world reported on this in 2009. After all, almost everyone has heard of the Simpsons.
The interviews and facts were taken with humor in the magazine itself. While there were more explicit images, the interview felt as if it came from the series (via TikTok):
- Marge explains she is doing this only for a good cause
- She thanks Homer for lying that he doesn’t know the magazine
- She explains that she walks around the house throwing away all the adult magazines
- Additionally, there were relationship tips thanks to her experience with Homer
During the interview, they also promoted the episode The Devil Wears Nada
(Season 21, Episode 5). In the episode, Marge poses for charity for a calendar and then becomes the talk of the town.
The Collaboration Also Sparked Criticism
Was the Playboy appearance criticized in the real world? In reality, not everyone responded positively to the unusual collaboration. The controversial and strongly conservative Christian organization American Family Association
(Source: csnews.com) criticized 7-Eleven’s decision to sell the issue in stores. They wrote:
It is irresponsible of 7-Eleven to display [pornographic material] in front of children who come to 7-Eleven to buy a hotdog or a Slurpee. A cartoon is appealing to children. Playboy, 7-Eleven, and Fox allow this.
Despite the criticism from conservative sides, the special issue managed to gain quite a bit of attention and is now a collector’s item. Anyone wanting to get the magazine today pays over 100 € on platforms like eBay.
Sarah Churchwell, a lecturer in American literature and culture, criticized the collaboration less bluntly in 2009 at the Guardian. The series often tackles feminism and women’s roles with Marge and Lisa.
Churchwell mentions the episode about the Barbie parody Malibu Stacy or a scene from the series where they criticize the objectification of women in advertising. Exactly what Marge did with the Playboy appearance, which ultimately only aimed to appeal to a younger audience.
Even though it has been 16 years, this special collaboration shows how big the Simpsons once were. As a pop culture giant, you could not escape the family, even if you didn’t like the series. One actress even managed to profit quite well from it: An actress earned millions with The Simpsons even though she only appeared in one episode
