B Reactor Atomic Culture Room: The Simpsons

The Simpson exhibit panel in the Atomic Culture Room.

See exhibit panel for specific image credits.

Main Text
Text at the left reads: “In the show, ‘The Simpsons,’ the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant is rife with problems like meltdowns and improper waste disposal.”

A title reads, “The Simpsons.”

Text continues: “The first time TV viewers heard the phrase ‘D’oh!’ was in 1989 when The Simpsons first aired. In the animated show, Homer Simpson works as a bumbling safety operator at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. The Simpsons does not paint nuclear power plants in an accurate light but did reflect public opinion at the time. Accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl lowered public faith in the industry. Through humor, the show reflected and reinforced public concerns with the nuclear power industry.”

Exhibit Panel Description
The color poster, entitled “Comedy,” shows an illustration of a pair of nuclear cooling towers above an industrial plant at the foot of a mountain with the name “Springfield” spelled out in tall, capital wooden letters like the Hollywood sign in California. At the bottom right, the cartoon character Homer Simpson lies on his back munching a doughnut, leaning on a leaking barrel of radioactive waste.

Visit This Exhibit Panel
In-person visitation of the B Reactor is only authorized on guided tours offered by the Department of Energy.