Simpsons predicts Florida parent outrage over Michelangelo's David

2023-03-24

The Simpsons strikes again: Show predicted Florida parent outrage over kids being shown Michelangelo’s David – as school board chair claims fired principal did not properly inform parents

The Simpsons has again predicted the future 32 years later after Florida parents shared their outrage after their children were shown Michelangelo’s ‘David’
Hope Carrasquilla was pushed out of Tallahassee Classical School this week after three parents complained about the ‘pornographic’ curriculum
In the Matt Groening cartoon, a similar set of events takes place when an angry mob oppose ‘David’ from entering the Simpson’s town of Springfield

The Simpsons appears to have once again predicted the future, but with much dire consequences, after parental uproar in Florida resulted in the forced resignation of a charter school principal who showed an image of Michelangelo’s ‘David’ to children.

It’s the latest in a series of real-world events predicted by Matt Groening’s cartoon, which includes Donald Trump’s presidency, the Disney and Fox merger, and murder hornets.

More than 30 years ago, in the animated sitcom’s ninth episode of its second season titled ‘Itchy & Scratchy & Marge,’ Marge Simpson is outraged and horrified by the violence being depicted on her children’s TV show Itchy & Scratchy.

After failing to convince the production company to tone down the violence, she forms an angry mob named SNUH (Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping) to join her in protesting the show’s studio.

Hope Carrasquilla was pushed out of Tallahassee Classical School this week after three parents complained about the curriculum

Meanwhile, Michelangelo’s David is sent around on a tour of the United States, with an expected stop in the Simpson’s city of Springfield, angering members of SNUH.

They urge Marge to protest the famed sculpture, claiming that it’s offensive and inappropriate.

Marge, being an artist herself, insists that it’s a masterpiece and later has her hypocrisy pointed out when differentiating between what art should be censored.

Marge eventually concedes to give up on her anti-TV violence campaign and Michelangelo’s David is brought to the city with freedom of expression prevailing.

Decades later the events of the cartoon appear to have played out in the city of Tallahassee.

Hope Carrasquilla, a Florida school principal, was seemingly forced to resign after three parents complained that their children were ‘upset’ by images of Michelangelo’s David shown in their sixth-grade history class, according to reports from local outlet Tallahassee Democrat.

One parent reportedly branded the statue ‘pornographic,’ and said they wish they had been informed ahead of time that their children would be shown such images.

Created between 1501 and 1504, it is widely considered to be the world’s greatest sculpture.

But the Tallahassee parents considered it inappropriate because of David’s nudity.

They are now demanding to be given an advanced-vote on any topic or lesson that could be considered ‘controversial’.

‘Parental rights are supreme, and that means protecting the interests of all parents, whether its one, 10, 20 or 50,’ said school board president Barney Bishop.

He admitted giving Carrasquilla an ultimatum, telling her she had to either hand in her resignation or would be fired.

Marge, being an artist herself, insists that the statue of David is a masterpiece and later comes to terms with her hypocrisy when differentiating between what art should or should not be censored

But said he doesn’t agree that the image is ‘pornographic’ and that the reason for her dismissal was related to the procedure in which the image was shown to students.

‘The teacher mentioned that this was a nonpornographic picture, No. 1., [also] the teacher said, ‘Don’t tell your parents,’ No. 2., So the issue isn’t whether children should see these pictures or not.

‘Gosh, we’re a classical school. Why wouldn’t we show Renaissance art to children?

‘Did parents know in advance what children were going to see and hear and learn? 98 percent of the parents didn’t have a problem with it.

‘But that doesn’t matter, because we didn’t follow a practice. We have a practice. Last year, the school sent out an advance notice about it. This year, we didn’t send out that notice.’

Bishop said the mistake was ‘egregious’ and being a public charter school comes with a certain focus on ‘civic and moral values.’

‘We teach a traditional, Western civilization, liberal classical education, and if there’s controversial topics or subjects, we tell parents in advance,’ he said.

‘We’re going to be sensitive to everybody at the school.’

Carrasquilla told The Tallahassee Democrat she was ‘saddened’ that her brief tenure at the school came to an end. She was only in the job for a year.

The incident signals yet another point of contention in the ongoing debate surrounding America’s schools.

Tallahassee Classical School is a charter school on Florida’s Panhandle

On the one hand, public schools in Democratic cities are being pummeled for pushing liberal curriculums without parental consent, and advocating for progressive policy changes for transgender kids.

In the case of Tallahassee Classical, a handful of easily-offended parents have forced the firing of an experienced principal.

School board president Barney Bishop III

The news comes amid the state’s attack on public education, drag shows, abortion, and trans medical intervention on minors.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is currently fighting to ban, what he considers, the ‘woke indoctrination’ of public schools.

Through his approved legislation, the state would review reading materials and limit classroom discussion of gender identity, and race books could be pulled indefinitely or temporarily from the curriculum.

Now, DeSantis will likely be former President Donald Trump’s Republican party nominee rival in the 2024 election.

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