Treehouse of Horrors: Iraq Edition

Back in the 1970s, TV shows such as M*A*S*H and All in the Family were not so subtle in making serious political statements, whether it involved Vietnam or the Nixon resignation.

Primetime network TV today doesn't have anything like these two shows now on the air. When it comes to this type of television, network executives say "No Deal."

Think about it: Even in the non-prime time, and just a few days before an important national election, the creators of Saturday Night Live decide to air a "best of" show last night, effectively a repeat. (Darrell Hammond doing a Jesse Jackson impersonation is incredibly funny, but not incredibly relevant.)

Tonight, the annual "Treehouse of Horrors" Halloween episode of The Simpsons gets political with a segment about the invasion of Springfield by aliens. The aliens call it "Operation Enduring Occupation."

The neoconservatives are going to have a cow when they see it. And I don't think Mayor Quimby is going to like it either.