The Simpsons typical American town, serving as a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle. However, because of its animated nature, "The Simpsons" scope is larger than that of a regular sitcom. The town of Springfield acts as a complete universe in which characters can explore the issues faced by modern society. By having Homer work in a nuclear power plant, the show can comment on the state of the environment. Through Bart and Lisa's days at Springfield Elementary School, the show's writers illustrate pressing or controversial issues in the field of education. The town features a vast array of media
The Simpsons and digital syndication rights for "The Simpsons." Original contracts had previously stated that syndication rights for "The Simpsons" would not be sold to cable until the series conclusion, at a time when cable syndication deals were highly rare. The series has been syndicated to local broadcast stations in nearly all markets throughout the United States since September 1993. FXX premiered "The Simpsons" on their network on August 21, 2014 by starting a twelve-day marathon which featured the first 552 episodes (every single episode that had already been released at the time) aired chronologically, including "The Simpsons Movie", which FX Networks