The Simpsons - Grampa Simpson - Voice of an Earlier Generation

You can't watch the Simpsons without growing to love Grampa Simpson, Homer's dad, Abraham J. Simpson. Whether he is living with the Simpsons, watching the kids, or living at Springfield Retirement Castle, his unique look at life not only makes us laugh, it satires our own "Greatest Generation." By showing a supporting character such as Grampa Simpson in such detail, it allows the creators to comment on the World War II generation, being a grandparent, and growing older.

One of the best features of the Simpsons series is the fact that they show a variety of ages, all together. However, when it comes to representing the older generation, the only other older character that is heavily featured on the series, besides Grampa Simpson, is Montgomery Burns, the money-grubbing, filthy rich owner of the Nuclear Power Plant (i.e. Homer's boss). There are several other small supporting characters that reoccur throughout the series, such as Marge's mom, and even aging hippy Mona Simpson - Homer's fugitive mom. In Grampa Simpson, however, we are presented with a loveable Grampa who schemes, swears, and is forgetful. At the same time, he truly loves his son's family. Unlike Montgomery Burns, the other regular WW II era (if not older) regular, Grampa Simpson is a goodhearted individual who knows the meaning of sacrifice and hard work - a nice contrast to Burns's greed.

Like many of the Greatest Generation, Grampa Simpson fought in World War II, settled down to create a family after the war, worked hard at various jobs, and then retired. Upon retirement, he lived with his son's family for a while, only then to move into a retirement home - Springfield Retirement Castle. His interaction with the people there is priceless; it offers a lot of commentary on growing older, how we treat elders in our society, and much more. We see him fall in love again, only to lose his new love to death.