Image of Harry Shearer

Livestream confirmed for sold-out event with The Simpsons star

A sold-out event with international star Harry Shearer - one of the voices and writers of The Simpsons - will be livestreamed from Jesus College this Friday (6 July) from 6pm.

Unprecedented demand for tickets for the Jesus College Intellectual Forum lecture and Q&A session on political satire saw all seats filled within hours.

To open up the event to as many people as possible, the livestream will be available on the College YouTube channel. Questions for Harry Shearer can also be sent to the @IntellForum Twitter account using the hashtag #simpsonsQA or by email ahead of the event

Harry Shearer - who voices a range of The Simpsons characters including Mr Burns, Smithers, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders - will be interviewed by University of Cambridge PhD student Tyler Shores about the history of The Simpsons, its uncanny accuracy in predicting the Trump Presidency seventeen years before it happened, the show’s use of political satire, and its relevance in a fast-changing world. 

Simpsons expert Shores previously taught a course on The Simpsons and Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has also been honoured with a brief appearance in an episode.

Shores said: “When reality seems stranger than fiction – as the current state of political affairs may seem to us at times – a talk such as this can provide an exploration of how intelligent satire can be a productive force. This event will be a chance for some thoughtful laughter.”

Dr Julian Huppert, Director of the Intellectual Forum, said: “We are delighted to have the satirist Harry Shearer visit us. Some would say that politics is now beyond satire. We hope you will join us on Friday to find out if he thinks that is true."