The Simpsons - Mr. Burns - American Business at Its Worst

As Springfield's number one villain, Montgomery Burns represents Corporate America at its worst. He lies, cheats, and buys off everyone from employees to nuclear power plant inspectors. He is as stingy as he is rich, and has very few, if any, redeeming qualities. This begs the question: Why include a character like this in a show like the Simpsons?

There are several reasons, but here are the most important reasons. 1. Burns is a satire of American business. As a true satire of the money-grubbing American businessman, the creators are able to use Mr. Burns to create amazing commentary on some very real economic issues. By calling attention to the inequity of the system in a humorous way, it is more palatable to audiences, without being too harsh. 2. Burns's over the top personality makes it possible to easily humanize him, as in the episode where Marge paints a fragile picture of Burns naked. There are several episodes in which various characters plead to his humanity. He may cave in and show his humanity for a moment, but then he is right back to being Mr. Burns. 3. The Simpsons needed a true villain as the other characters all have noticeable redeeming characteristics. Think about it, Moe is too kind hearted and Chief Wiggum is too stupid to be good villains. Not only do you need someone bad, you need someone who is smart and without much of a conscious. Montgomery Burns makes the perfect villain.