Posted by Lending Club :: October 5, 2010 @ 11:00 am
It is well known that The Simpsons is a cultural icon TV show. Its success is partly attributable to how current the subjects it takes on are, in addition to its trademark wits and cynicism.
Last Sunday, The Simpsons' “Loan-A-Lisa” episode was star-studded with cameo appearance from Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Richard Branson, as promptly reported by TechCrunch. But we all know who these guys are, showing how the web and geeks have forever changed the way we live, work and play.
A lesser known, yet equally impacting personality also made an important appearance: Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and founder of Grameen Bank. Yunus pioneered microcredit, the innovative banking program that allows perfect strangers to lend to each other. Microfinance was definitely the main theme in Matt Groening's newest creation, showing how microlending, peer-to-peer lending and crowdfunding are becoming mainstream concepts right in front of our own eyes, literally.
But the three ideas explored in this episode that really got me excited were:
- Frugal living: live within your means, and do not overextend yourself to the point of owing more than you earn. Marge learned a lesson when trying to show off by buying an excessively expensive purse that she did not need, nor did she have the money to pay for it, readily charging it on her credit card.
- Education is the way: yes, Zuckerberg, Gates and Branson are school drop-outs that are swimming in money, but they are the exception. Success comes from education and work, combined with passion and dedication to what you love.
- Choose the "good" investment: why throw the money on frivolous things when you can invest it in others to improve their lives. Lisa got it right... again.
Here is the full episode, courtesy of Hulu and Fox. Enjoy!
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8 Comments
This is great. I have not seen an episode of the Simpsons for years
and had no idea that it would ever feature Muhammad Yunus. The
times really are a changing...
The Simpson's was and still IS my favorite cartoon.. These guys who
produce this show are on point when it comes to the economy and how
the typical American feels in this moment in time.. A friend of
mine referred told me about Lending Club and I just signed up to
start investing in borrowers. Jeff
The Simpson is my favorite cartoon since I was a kid, not only
entertaining and funny but its also teaching us many things in
life... for instance I knew nothing about Microfinance OR Lending
Club, and here I am, reading this blog post and wanting to find out
more about these topics. Cool eh?
Simpson episodes can always cheer me up.
Hey, I had not watched that episode. Awesome.
[...] lack access to banking and loans (a.k.a. the “unbanked”). The
concept was pioneered by Muhammad Yunus, economist and Nobel Peace
Prize recipient from Bangladesh, who devised a model to extend
loans to [...]
simpson.... hehehehe nice episode....
simpson is my favorite... hahaha :p good find.
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