Simpsons and Freudian Dream Theory

Findings Cont.

How are dreams used to depict mental states of the characters?

     Above is a graph showing only the prevalence of anxiety, repression, and the death instinct in the dreams of each character.  Bart and Homer have significantly more dreams, so the ratios here may be more significant to this particular point than the actual numbers.  Homer and Bart have more nightmares than anything else.  These graphs show that they experience anxiety and are constantly struggling against repressed desires and fears.  Marge has far fewer dreams, but most of them are anxiety dreams as well.  Lisa, on the other hand, has mostly good dreams, with less repressed content.  
     I think this compilation of data shows that dream sequences of The Simpsons are more than just a handy plot device or means of characterization.  Certain character traits and roles are already clear in the show:  Bart is a trouble-maker, Homer is a drinker, Lisa is ambitious, and Marge is a home-maker.  These characterizations are all immediately clear from the content of almost any episode.  However, what isn't immediately clear is the way that these characters see themselves.  These dream sequences give the reader an understanding of why the characters are the way they are.  
     With Bart and Homer, this is especially significant.  Both characters usually act in ways that society frowns upon.  Homer eats too much, gets drunk, neglects his family and his wife, and prefers to watching tv over much else.  Bart acts out in school and at home and is frequently mean to his little sister and his friend Milhouse.  This dream data show a correlation between bad behavior and anxiety and repression.  Thus, the viewer can understand Homer's and Bart's behaviors as stemming from particular fears and patterns of thought.  
How is a relationship between dreams and therapy codified within the world of The Simpsons?
     Four of the dreams analyzed-- S23Ep16, S25Ep18, S27Ep1, and S27Ep9-- deal directly with the therapeutic possibilities of dreams.  In all of these, a character resolves some kind of internal conflict while dreaming.  In S25Ep18, the dream itself functions as a futuristic replacement for talk therapy.  In S27Ep1, Marge's dream convinces her to stay with Homer, and she dreams of Homer's dreams-- implying that by imagining his dreams she can better understand him and her feelings towards him.  In S23Ep16, Homer dreams that his own dream is trying to tell him something, and through his dreams he comes to understand and fix his bed-wetting problem.  These examples show a fairly explicit relationship between dreams and therapy, but even more connections can be found by looking at the data further.
     Below is a visual representation of the effects of dreams in The Simpsons.  The graph shows any significant behavior change that a character displays after having a dream.  This graph indicates that character growth and development are frequently related to dreams.



How explicitly does The Simpsons display Freudian concepts?  Is the appropriateness of Freudian Analysis in decoding The Simpsons' dream sequences simply evidence that Freud was right?  Or is it a deliberate way of presenting information on the writers' part?  What is the purpose of using dream sequences to tell stories?
     If one accepts the conclusions of the project thus far, (namely, that Freudian interpretation of dreams in The Simpsons can be used to chart character growth and explain behavior), there are a few possible interpretations:
     One:  Freud accurately represents the way dreams function, and The Simpsons is accurate in representing real dreams.  Freud cites examples from literature and popular culture as evidence for the way we reason with symbols.  Perhaps The Simpsons provides further evidence in favor of Freudian Dream Interpretation.
     Two:  A common criticism of Freudian analysis is that it is nonfalsifiable.  That is, Freud doesn't present any way to disprove his theories or interpretations, and it can seem that any implausible claim can be made about a person's inner life, and then reasoned out using Freudian terms and some logical gymnastics.  

My Conclusions:
     I'd like to push back heavily against the second claim, and make some caveats about the first.  The Simpsons features a few direct references to Freud and to Freudian concepts that indicate a prior knowledge and purposeful demonstration of his ideas. Below is a Simpsons' quotes about Freud.


There aren't many of these references, but they often equate Freud with insight or intelligence.  

Furthermore, the dream sequences themselves deal with repressed material, like Homer's bed-wetting.  And, as Lisa says, they have rules.  
These rules don't just apply to the characters, either.  Often, these rules are directed at the viewer instead.  The dream can indicate a lot about the characters' mental states and inner conflicts, as the graphs above show, but below is a list of episodes in which the dream doesn't quite function within the Simpsons' world, and instead seems to be targeted at the viewer by breaking the third wall in some way:
S27Ep13, because the dream is a part of the couch gag and doesn't relate to the actual plot.
S27Ep1, because in the end, Marge and Homer end up as a tattoo on a woman's back, and it's unclear exactly how much of the episode was a dream, and whose dream it was.
S25Ep18, because the whole episode is in a future world which can be interpreted as completely or partially Bart's dream.
S25Ep6, because Homer is dreaming the same dream as Lisa.
S23Ep16, because the dream is entered and explained by the other characters, as though a conscious Freudian analysis is being done within the dream itself.
     So why use dream sequences to explain characters' behaviors and growth?  Why present these dreams in a manner consistent with Freudian interpretation?
What does this information tell us about the presence of Freudian Analysis in modern culture?