Conclusion: The Simpsons, Cultural Feedback Loops, and the Case of Apu

The concluding chapter revisits the central idea behind this book—The Simpsons’ trajectory into the age of convergence culture. More specifically, the chapter discusses notions of the civic imagination and fan activism in relation to The Simpsons, as well as the contested relationship between the producers of a profitable media franchise and participatory culture. In this connection, I interrogate the idea of cultural participation going full circle and feeding back to the original text. Traditionally, the media industries have resisted interference with what they consider their intellectual property. But at the same time, they have to open up their work to popular discourse in order for a product to remain popular and thus to survive in the marketplace of convergence culture.