Matt Groening Quotes

I have the comedic chops and intelligence to raise points and discuss both sides of whatever is on our mind as a society.

Critics have a responsibility to put things in a cultural and sociological or political context. That is important.

I'm a sort of political person, and I feel that there's a kind of ineradicably political dimension to theater, to all theater, whether it's overtly political or not.

Studies indicate that these children are more susceptible to advertising and even less likely to understand the purpose of this advertising.

Television is something the Russians invented to destroy American education.

You should always believe what you read in the newspapers, for that makes them more interesting.

Americans born since World War II have grown up in a media-saturated environment. From childhood, we have developed a sort of advertising literacy, which combines appreciation for technique with skepticism about motives. We respond to ads with at least as much rhetorical intelligence as we apply to any other form of persuasion.

As my Russian improves, I become increasingly conscious of just what sort of a society I live in.

The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding the commercials are there to help sell things. And that TV shows are there to sell commercials, and so on.

It's so important for people to pay attention to history and learn from it, because it's the only thing we've got that's going to help us figure out where we are going. Especially the way things are manipulated in the press today. You have to sort through so much stuff to figure out what is real and what is not. It gets harder every day.

I try to watch a movie a day, if not more, and through movies, I learned about so many different political themes I hadn't been interested in and cultural things I hadn't been aware of and economic factors I hadn't thought about.

You can't get all of your news from Jon Stewart, especially since it's a comedy show.

Comedians who are 22 years old can certainly be funny and clever, and be capable of telling jokes - but are they talking about their favorite TV shows, or a particular brand of shampoo?

It's harder to take politics seriously, to understand the issues, than it is to drown it all in a sea of scorn. And while the world cries out for greater analysis and insight, we are distracted by bread and circuses, aka the 'Great British Bake-Off' and 'Tumble.' We should rediscover our tradition of satire. Of speaking truth unto power.

The importance of satire is bringing more people to the table. There are a lot of average citizens who aren't interested in politics and would be more interested if it's brought to them in a comedic, funny, satirical way.

I do a lot of reading of news so I can be smarter, and I do a lot of watching TV news so I can know why Americans aren't very smart. Then I can point out the hypocrisy of politicians or the media.

To make films, you have to have something to say. To have something to say, you have to be a student of life. And to be a student of life, you have to be feeding yourself with what life, politics, society, and your family fuels you with.

Educate yourself: Read up on current events and books.

What pushes me forward is everything I have learned: political, social, cultural. I put all that into the clothes.

I want people to know my political point of view. There's an appetite for that, almost an expectation. I also want to make people laugh, but I wouldn't want to do it at the expense of my point of view.

I have been a politically conscious citizen. I've been an artist, a reader, and have been chiselled by that.

Public television is a very important thing for our human race, and it allows us the ability to discuss the elephants in the room and understand stories beyond the headlines.

I really believed it was important to explain to our young audience that expectations based on people who are trying to sell them things are unattainable.

We have a responsibility to show the public the kinds of truths that they don't see on the TV news or the Hollywood film.

There have been many socially conscious concept albums. I wanted to make a 'social consciousness' concept album disguised as a country record.