The Simpsons questions what is culturally acceptable, showcasing controversial issues like homosexuality, animal rights, the war on terror, and religion. This subtle form of political analysis is effective in changing opinions and attitudes on a large scale. Homer Simpson Marches on Washington explores the transformative power that enables popular culture to influence political agendas, frame the consciousness of audiences, and create profound shifts in values and ideals. To investigate the full spectrum of popular culture in a democratic society, editors Timothy M. Dale and Joseph J. Foy gather a top-notch team of scholars who use television shows such as Star Trek, The X-Files, All in the Family, The View, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and The Colbert Report, as well as movies and popular music, to investigate contemporary issues in American popular culture.

Foreword
Introduction: Turning Into Democratic Dissent: Oppositional Messaging in Popular Culture
Televising Revolutions: The Case for Popular Dissent in the Public Sphere
The Daily Show and the Politics of Truth
Mr. Smith Goes to the Movies: Images of Dissent in American Cinema
The Truth is Still Out There: The X-Files and 9/11
Unpacking the House: Images of Heroism Against the Regulatory State
I Learned that Prison is a Bad Place to Be: 25th Hour and Re-Imagining Incarceration
Riveted to Rosie: O'Donnell's Queer Politics and Controversial Antics on ABC's The View
Gabbin About God: Religion and Spirituality on The Simpsons
It Came from Planet Earth: Eco-Horror and the Politics of Post-Environmentalism in The Happening
Raising the Red Flag: Culture, Labor, and the Left, 1880-1920
Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam: The Evolution of Protest Songs in Popular Music from Vietnam to Iraq
Hip-Hop and Representin': Power, Voice, and Identity
Things in this Country are Gonna Change Pretty Fast: Jericho as Post-9/11 Narrative
It's Not Funny 'Cause It's True: The Mainstream Media's Response to Media Satire in the Bush Years
Gender, the Final Frontier: Revisiting Star Trek: The Next Generation