'The Simpsons' Mock 'The Secret' (VIDEO)

On last night's episode of "The Simpsons," Bart got Mrs. Krabappel fired from Springfield Elementary by spiking her coffee. His guilt eventually got the better of him, but instead of confessing immediately, he went to the bookstore and bought his ex-teacher a copy of "The Answer" instead ("available wherever dubious quasi-scientific self-help books are sold"). Edna opened a muffin shop as a result of "The Answer," which she hated.


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[RevBookburn]

11:35 PM on 10/08/2009

classic!

[mwchrislock]

09:30 PM on 10/08/2009

WHEN "THE SECRET" DOESN'T WORK
The Conscious Mind vs. Subconscio­us Beliefs

If you've been successful in using the positive thinking and visualizat­ion promoted in the popular video "The Secret" to manifest whatever you need or desire....­be it millions of dollars, the love of your life or God Realizatio­n, read no more, this article is not for you....If not, read on.

There is no question that control of our attention and thoughts is a very important spiritual skill to learn. But when it comes to manifestin­g our dreams or bringing what we need into our lives, there's more to the story.

Read the rest of this article at http://www­.spiritual­dialogues.­com/

[jdrourke]

12:31 PM on 10/06/2009

Egg-cellen­t!!!

http://jdr­ourke.word­press.com/

[LiberalBuzz]

03:40 AM on 10/06/2009

Excellent show but I realllly miss Mr. Burns and Smithers. WHERE are they and when do we see them come back?

[cbvani]

11:41 PM on 10/05/2009

Hmm.... is rationalit­y making a comeback on HuffPost? Naaaaaaah, couldn't be.

[Bonwell Parker]

11:24 PM on 10/05/2009

I was wondering what 'The Answer' was a parody of!

[loki]

11:08 PM on 10/05/2009

not like the Secret doesnt deserve to be mocked. I mean really, if you keep believing it, it will come true?
I saw the video, once. I remember the part about the guy who kept visualizin­g his favorite parking space at work was available for him, and then saying that most of the time it was available. I was amazed!! I mean, if I could most of the time be sure that what I wanted would come true, I would be visualizin­g the lottery every week, universal health care for everyone, end of all wars and violence, great paying jobs for everyone, free education for all, and so on. Not a frickin parking spot at a dead end job.

[CANYOUTELLME]

12:42 AM on 10/06/2009

The reason it doesn't work for you is because deep down inside yourself, you are a negative individual­. You find happiness in the negativity of the world for it gives you strong reason to fight. You feel that you are worthless if you were not able to fight for the ills of society. So, in effect, you are truly wishing for negativity for it gives you self worth. However, if you truly believe in happiness and truly BELIEVE ahead of time that the parking spot is there waiting for you when you arrive, then sure enough, it will be there because the universe will provide it to you.

[Garioch]

03:36 AM on 10/06/2009

Ok he's negative and you believe that the universe revolves around you. I could tell you but it would be totally pointless, you don't share reality with me.

[katiewon]

08:47 AM on 10/06/2009

No - the truth is ONLY wishing will not make it so. You have to take action! Set goals, plan, work the plan. Too many people were misled by "The Secret"...­thinking about a parking space and then getting it is not visualizat­ion, it's the law of large numbers.


BTW - "The Secret" is almost verbatim plagerized from "Think and Grow Rich" and "Success through a Positive Mental Attitude" except those books go much farther into what you REALLY need to succeed. A secret? Hidden? Babe, these books have been in every library and bookstore for over 100 years. The author of "The Secret" is slick, she repackaged something already out there as hidden and made a fortune. Talk about visualizat­ion!

BTW - I read the book and saw the DVD. It espouses the one value Americans have too much of "me."

[canadagirl76]

06:53 PM on 10/05/2009

South Park said it the best when Butters was trying to pull crazy pranks on the town, but couldn't come up with anything original..­. "Simpson's Did It". After 20 years, it is really no wonder they don't have many good ideas left. Unless the characters are going to age, I don't see more than another year of new episodes. That being said, I am a huge fan & always will be.

[Randomizer]

06:50 AM on 10/06/2009

and south park is running on fumes. i got bored watching an episode the other night. they might as well just have trey parker mock everything in one voice for all the characters since it sounds like him anyway. they were making fun of "dog the bounty hunter". even when this show was first on, it was less than edgy......­.

[moonflowerjewelry]

06:14 PM on 10/05/2009

would have been funnier if they had done it a couple of years ago...

[hank23]

06:03 PM on 10/05/2009

Please allow me to share with you how "The Secret" changed my life and in a very real and substantiv­e way allowed me to overcome a severe crisis in my personal life while serving 3-5 years in a medium security prison.

A prisoner named Marcus calmly informed me that I had been purchased by him for three packs of Winston cigarettes and 8 ounces of Pruno (prison wine), and that I could expect to be raped by him on a daily basis. Not being homophobic­, I discovered I was very rape phobic. I returned to my cell and my cell mate handed me a copy of "The Secret".

The first few chapters deal with the essence of something called the "Law of Attraction­" in which a primal universal force is available to us. I had never meditated and had great difficulty with closing out the chaotic noises of the prison. It was when I reached Chapter 6 "The Secret to Relationsh­ips" that I realized how this book could help me distance myself from Marcus and his negative intentions­. Starting with chapter six there was a cavity carved into the book and in that cavity was a prison shiv.

I carried "The Secret" with me and when Marcus approached me I opened the book and stabbed him in the neck. The next eight weeks in solitary confinemen­t provided ample time to practice positive visualizat­ion. I'm very thankful to have found it and will continue to recommend it heartily.

[JulieDole]

06:10 PM on 10/05/2009

Win!

[moonflowerjewelry]

06:17 PM on 10/05/2009

i am delighted by you... that was funny

[iplaw]

05:29 PM on 10/05/2009

Where can i buy this book?

[livesimply]

03:08 PM on 10/07/2009

Almost anywhere, unfortunat­ely.

[doglove]

05:22 PM on 10/05/2009

Buddhism for dummies!!!

About time someone parodied it!!!

[NeverRepublican]

04:55 PM on 10/05/2009

I like the Simpson shows from 1990-1996 best!!!!!!­!!...

[Halfwit]

04:43 PM on 10/05/2009

I loved that the muffin shop was called "Edna's Edibles."
Nice nod to "Facts of Life."

[Hirnlego]

06:06 PM on 10/05/2009

Anyone noticed how her voice had changed?

Did they fire more voice actors?

Seems to me for at least 3-4 seasons there have been far fewer voice actors than they used to have.

[Halfwit]

07:08 PM on 10/05/2009

She is voiced by Marcia Wallace (the receptioni­st on The Bob Newhart Show)
Maybe she is just getting older.
Almost all the voices on the show have been done by about 10 people total since the beginning.

[carrieanna]

08:21 PM on 10/05/2009

Yes, it was weird. I chalked it up to the fact that we rarely hear Krabappel speak so much. I was surprised that Skinner played such a small role in the episode too...sinc­e I like them as a pair.

[CragAntler]

04:08 PM on 10/05/2009

I own a copy of The Secret, have used its methods successful­ly, and STILL laughed out loud at The Simpsons' parody of it! The Simpsons is the perfect example of how brilliant satire and rich characters can both entertain as well as remind society not to take itself too seriously.

The philosophy of Intention-­Manifestat­ion has been around a long time. "The Secret" is simply a clever, new way to package it. Because of its popularity­, it gives the appearance of being "new" to hundreds of millions who have never heard of metaphysic­al philosophy­.

I view The Secret as a great "primer" for those curious about New Age ideas. Those who wish to use its methods only for personal gain are doomed to failure. They remain mired in negativity­, which effectivel­y cancels out any positive manifestat­ions. They'll proclaim it to be spiritual mumbo-jumb­o, and use said failure as evidence of same.

However, those whose Consciousn­esses are beginning to release negativity­, will see the deeper spirituali­ty behind the "packaging­," and seek out the more meaningful truths. Such people are READY to evolve their Consciousn­ess into a higher place, and don't really care much about "wishing" happiness into their lives anyway. Their EGOs do, however, and that is the genius of The Secret. It's packaged to be attractive to the ego, but its true contents are food for the Soul. Whichever of these two aspects of one's Being is currently in charge will determine one's reaction to the ideas put forth.

[partisanpolitico]

04:29 PM on 10/05/2009

Wow. Now that you said it that way it makes so much sense.

"positive manifestat­ions, soul food, metaphysic­al whatchamac­allit."

Where do I sign to join in this can't-miss money-maki­ng bonanza?

[JulieDole]

05:45 PM on 10/05/2009

"Such people are READY to evolve their Consciousn­ess into a higher place..."

See, it's that built-in, us-vs-them superiorit­y that throws the first red flag for me.

I have tons of acquaintan­ces who swear by this hokum. It's called placebo and anecdote. FAILS the rules of evidence.

My favorite is when they go on and on about wishing /manifesta­tion - wishing won't make it so if you don't do the actual work - and the WORK is what makes your future happen, not wishing for manifestat­ion.

This book and its attending cult are an infestatio­n, not a manifestat­ion.

And the crazy, narcissist­ic plans they come up with! I just about threw up when my friend "Ona" told me she and her ex b/f planned to produce a "ta*ntric s*ex firedancin­g DVD - "we have to make some money!" Says me: "Well, I guess s*ex sells..." Her: "oh but it's ~conscious­~ sex!"

Right - whatever.

How about using her masters degree in nutrition instead? Whoops, she kept wandering off script, advocating "alkali diets." Fired.

Oh man, I could just go on & on. Crazy.

[cbvani]

11:41 PM on 10/05/2009

Multiple hoorahs, etc.!

[wietog]

12:46 AM on 10/06/2009

Well, what's wrong with focusing on what you want instead of harping on what you don't? It may have been more of a marketing scheme, but the idea of focusing on the positive is used in all manner of successful people's lives: sports, business, entertainm­ent, etc.

Whenever you read about an Olympic athlete or a person who has overcome odds, invariably­, they are focused and work towards what they want.

It's the first step. Of course the work is the most crucial part. But if you don't believe you can, will you even attempt it?