The Simpsons are in many ways a source of moral orientation, even on the big issues

Dr Kris Jozajtis

The show has been condemned by some fundamentalist church groups in the United States.

Former US president George Bush once said American families needed to become "more like the Waltons, and less like the Simpsons".

However, Dr Jozajtis said: "The Simpsons are in many ways a source of moral orientation, even on the big issues such as the meaning of life and where we come from.

"They seem to be anxious about these sort of questions and they worry about what is a good and moral way to live.

Morals and values

"The Simpsons appeals to a wide variety of people and provides them with a very realistic view of how families deal with morally complex issues."

He pointed out that the programme frequently raised these dilemmas through its satirisation of issues like teenage drinking and adultery.

And he said: "In talking about religion, teachers should be asking children where they find their morals and values because they do consider all of these issues, if not so much in the traditional way.

"And even if they are committed Christians, or from any other religion, their frame of reference is still within a media-saturated cultural environment."