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The Public War of Words Between First Lady Barbara Bush and Cartoon Character Marge Simpson
Politics and pop culture once mixed in a very public and humorous way
Presidents and First Ladies often keep their thoughts to themselves when they have something critical to say about non-politicians. It’s a good way to avoid public back and forth, and generating bad publicity. However, even when they might think there is nobody to respond to criticism, they should be prepared for anything. Former First Lady Barbara Bush, the wife of President George H. W. Bush, discovered that the hard way more than three decades ago when she found herself in a war of words with Marge Simpson, a character from the beloved animated television series, The Simpsons.
Bush was a close political ally of her husband, campaigning and working with him stride by stride, as he built an impressive political resume over the years. His stops included serving in Congress; as an ambassador; as Director of the CIA; as the 43rd Vice President and finally as 41st President of the United States. Although he only served one term in that last role, he oversaw some significant developments, including the end of the Cold war and the rise of tensions in Iraq. Both she and her husband were very visible during their time in the White House — and their words or…
