John Ortved, formerly of Vanity Fair, discusses his new book, The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History (Greystone, 2009), an oral history of the Fox sitcom that’s in its 21st season; also discussed is the influence of The Simpsons on comedy and more, the people behind the show, Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Sam Simon, and more.

The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History by John Ortved. (Greystone, 2009) Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: The Simpsons

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line. This is THECOMMENTARY.CA.

In its 21st season, The Simpsons remains a vital part of television and invariably popular culture. Now, a new book gives us a look behind the scenes of the long running animated sitcom that since its debut in 1989 has affected our language, politics, and more. The book is called The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History. Its author, John Ortved joins me now. He grew up in Canada, and is a former editorial associate at Vanity Fair, where this book grew out of a piece he wrote there. His work has also appeared in publications such as New York, Vice, and the New York Observer. His website is www.artisdumb.org. The book is published by Greystone. Its foreword is written by Douglas Coupland. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, John Ortved; Good morning, Mr. Ortved.

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