Conclusion

To conclude, both textual poaching and intertextuality have been in The Simpsons for years and has gained a reputation for both concepts whilst also becoming a perfect example of both as well. I have found in my reading and analysis that the reason for fans taking on the act of textual poaching in The Simpsons, is due to how much fans love the show, so they want to feel more involved with The Simpsons. Similarly, the main text uses intertextuality as a way of showing respect to other texts, such as Game of Thrones and to give the fans of The Simpsons the bringing together of other texts they enjoy.

Fairclough categorised intertextuality into two kinds: ‘manifest intertextuality’, which refers to bits of previous texts incorporated into present text and ‘interdiscursivity’ which involves the mixing of discourses and genre (Hiramoto, M., 2012. p.113). I have realised and discovered that The Simpsons, has utilised Fairclough’s ‘interdiscursivity’ method of intertextuality to the advantage of producers Groening and Brooks, allowing fans from other texts to look into the series and potentially start watching The Simpsons. Textual poaching also allows people to watch the show if they see some fan art, fan fiction or memes that they like.

For the future of The Simpsons, after looking at these concepts in detail with the case study, I believe that they will continue to bring freshness and longevity to the series. It is up to the audience to make the connection between referenced texts/genre and the text at hand (Gray, J., 2005. p.47) and The Simpsons will always have episodes to represent everyday life or other texts that the fans can look out for.