Hugh Jackman is an incredibly talented actor and has always been steadfast in his beliefs and opinions. His career ranged from starring in superhero movies to a musical capturing the life and fame of P T Barnum. With incredible talent as a singer, great comic timing, and enough grit and grimness to pull off a role in Nolan’s The Prestige, it’s safe to say that Jackman is one of the best actors of our generation. Not only does he implement himself fully into a role but he also makes it worthy of box-office success. However, recently he took his career a step further and featured in an episode of the American classic, The Simpsons. The episode has been the talk of the town ever since.
The Simpsons – The American TV show
To understand the news, one needs to first know who’s reporting it. In times like these, there’s hardly a choice left to remain unbiased and neutral, especially in a job that requires you to hold an opinion and express them swiftly. It is equally hard to live in a middle-class society and expect to make it big without sacrificing more than a fair share of sweat and happiness.
It is this very notion that prompted the great American classic show, The Simpsons, to take a dig at the world and its society of today. The Simpsons first aired in 1989 and since then the sitcom has quickly won over the hearts of families worldwide. Homer Simpson is a working-class man supporting his middle-class family in American suburbia. The trials and tribulations that follow this particular class title and navigating those ups and downs as they come have been the stipulated theme of the show.
At its heart, it might not seem too heavy of a subject once you look at the dysfunctional Simpson family and their comical everyday activities. However, that is what makes the show such an effective tool for fighting the uphill battle of class divisions from the front lines.
Hugh Jackman starred as the Janitor
In the final episode titled “Poorhouse Rock”, Jackman stars as the janitor of a nuclear power plant at which Homer works. While there, he encounters Bart Simpson, Homer’s son. Bart having been shown only the best parts of the job decides he wants to be a nuclear safety inspector.
However, the janitor, through a musical song and dance number, highlights the impossibility of such a dream. He shows Bart how difficult it is in middle-class America to get a job. “I’m saying you’ll definitely never get a job like your dad’s, and you’ll have a tough time finding something significantly worse.”
Robert Reich who appears as himself in the show took to Twitter to promote the episode. His role in the episode was also quite considerable. He ranted against the rising economic inequality, unemployment, breakdown of unions, and corporate greed. Reich also brings up “shortsighted politics” saying it contributed to all of the aforementioned.
I’m grateful to be able to share this sneak peek of @TheSimpsons season finale, where @RealHughJackman and I team up to tackle inequality and the demise of the middle class.
Here's a sneak peak of the episode. Be sure to tune in at 8pm ET/7pm CT/8pm PT this Sunday for the rest! pic.twitter.com/ziu7Mp6ef1
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) May 19, 2022
Source: Hugh Jackman Makes a Political Statement in Season Finale of The Simpsons.
