The Simpsons

The episode 'Midnight Rx' makes Apu’s Indian-American identity central to the plot as he is racially profiled and suspected of terrorism by a border guard, directly framing an immutable characteristic against systemic injustice. The narrative relies on his non-white status as the source of his struggle. An earlier episode in the season has Homer and Apu illegally returning from Canada for cheap medicine, which also centers Apu's immigrant status in a conflict with an American institution.

The season retains the long-standing tradition of mocking American institutions, such as the government's competence and the cost of healthcare, but this is a satire of policy, not a demonization of Western civilization itself. The episode that focuses on a foreign culture, 'Goo Goo Gai Pan,' is highly critical of the Chinese government's totalitarianism, including explicit reference to the Tiananmen Square massacre, which is the opposite of civilizational self-hatred.

Several episodes feature the 'Girl Boss' trope, particularly 'Mommie Beerest,' where Marge steps in to save Moe's bar and runs it as a successful business, effortlessly outperforming and emasculating Moe. In 'She Used to Be My Girl,' Marge grapples with the 'prison' of motherhood when her successful journalist friend, who chose career over family, is idolized by Lisa. The narrative validates the career-focused friend's path, while Marge's domestic life is portrayed as a source of jealousy and regret.

The episode 'There's Something About Marrying' centers on the legalization of same-sex marriage in Springfield and features a major character, Patty Bouvier, explicitly coming out as a lesbian. The plot centers alternative sexuality as a positive social development and directly challenges the normative structure of the family, as Patty's choice is fully celebrated.

The episode 'The Father, The Son, and The Holy Guest Star' pits Catholicism against Protestantism, satirizing the doctrinal differences and perceived backwardness of both, with a specific focus on Marge's belief that Catholics do not use birth control. The season also features Homer becoming an ordained minister via the internet solely for profit, which cheapens a religious institution. While hostile to organized religion's social and political stances, the critique is satirical and balanced rather than outright declaring religion the root of all evil.