Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 28, 1990                   TAG: 9005290214
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A8   EDITION: HOLIDAY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BART SIMPSON

America's newest rebel hero is proving just as popular with young fans as those icons of the past, and he's just as aggravating to their elders. Powerful people are offended by this irreverent smart aleck.

For the uninitiated, Bart first appeared in Matt Groening's print cartoons, and then on producer James Brooks' television series, "The Simpsons."

Now he can be found on buttons and T-shirts everywhere, usually saying something rude.

Bart is a sort of contemporary Everykid. Though generally well-meaning, this 10-year-old character has a wild streak, and constantly finds himself in trouble.

He doesn't do as well as he could in school, ergo his famous motto, "Underachiever; And Proud of It, Man." He'd rather be outside on his skateboard or parked on the sofa in front of the television. At times, he's brash and offensive; at other times, insecure and afraid.

No, he's not an exemplary role model for young Americans. Neither was Huck Finn. He and Bart would have understood each other in an instant.

Now, predictably, all the right-minded forces of civilization are attacking young Bart. School officials in California, Ohio and Kentucky have banned T-shirts bearing his likeness. Federal drug czar William Bennett chided recovering addicts in Pittsburgh for watching Bart's show.

The scolds are wasting their time, of course - and playing right into Bart's hands. This sort of reaction is exactly what his fans want to hear. Indeed, identification with the sometimes sociopathic hero is fueled by adult disapproval.

And there's no stopping a cultural force like Bart. Sure, the merchandizers of Simpson paraphernalia have something to do with the character's sudden popularity. But this feisty kid touches people.

His appeal has something to do with his independence, humor and - why not admit it? - his laziness. The school administrators and moralists are entirely correct: Underachievers are precisely the opposite of what kids today need for role models. We can long for the days when Superman was a hero, and when Americans perhaps were more likely to see themselves in such heroic light.

But today's kids face a complicated world that changes faster than a speeding bullet. They're not going to follow all of the well-meaning advice they hear from parents and other authority figures. They never have, never will. Bart Simpson is far from the worst hero imaginable.