Tevi Troy explains in a column for The American why a quarter-century-old primetime cartoon has had a significant impact on the White House.

This month marks the opening of the 25th season of “The Simpsons,” which will kick off plenty of retrospectives on how beloved and groundbreaking the show has been.

These observations are of course true, but they do not and will not fully recognize the role “The Simpsons” has had, for good or for ill, in demystifying our political leaders – especially our presidents. When “Game of Thrones” beheaded a character with the visage of George W. Bush, this was unimaginable in the era before “The Simpsons.” And when Barack Obama goes on one entertainment show after another – literally dozens in the reelection period in 2012 – to appear to be a regular guy, he owes a debt to “The Simpsons” as well. …

… Almost immediately, it became a cultural commentary that could vex the White House. After the show’s first season, First Lady Barbara Bush told People magazine that the animated sensation was “the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen.” This elicited a written response from “The Simpsons'” animated matriarch, Marge. Mrs. Bush was chastened by Marge’s letter and apologized for her “loose tongue.” The Bushes, however, didn’t learn the lesson of avoiding a fight with someone who, to adapt an old saying, distributes photons by the megapixel. In 1992, President Bush, in a well-publicized speech, pined for an America that was “closer to the Waltons than the Simpsons.” Once again, it was on – and the Simpson family returned fire. Commenting on the economic slowdown gripping the nation, Bart Simpson tartly observed, “Hey, man, we’re just like the Waltons. Both families are praying for an end to the depression.” …

… In 25 years, “The Simpsons” has skewered almost every president, and has covered every recent one multiple times. One of their funniest bits was a President’s Day pageant song called “The Mediocre Presidents,” which covered mostly 19th century presidents that predated the show’s existence. “The Simpsons” has also let our current president off relatively light on the mockery front. A cartoon image of Mrs. Obama visited Lisa’s school in one episode, with Angela Bassett voicing the first lady. And before the 2012 election, Homer vacillated between voting for Obama and opponent Mitt Romney. Homer chose Romney, and his main objection to Obama was that “I already have one wife telling me to eat healthy.”

Despite the show’s soft touch on Obama, there remains every expectation that our presidents will remain a regular target for “The Simpsons.” More importantly, the presidents themselves know that there are almost no limits to how they can or will be portrayed on TV, all due to the adventures of Springfield’s five most famous denizens.