The Simpsons Spoof Google Glass, Smartglasses in ‘Specs and the City’

I’ve got Google Glass on the brain these days.

Ever since I got my Glass, I’ve been trying to find out unique and valuable ways to use it in both my personal and professional lives. I’ve been writing wearable-tech related stories. I’m currently working on a video tour of Boston landmarks through Glass. And I’ve been constantly combing the news for Glass-related items.

Glass has been getting a lot of attention in recent weeks. Some bad (a traffic violation for a driver using Glass; a man booted from a movie theater and interrogated by police for wearing Glass), some good (a cool new app for firefighters; the Sacramento Kings using Glass during professional basketball games), and some plain ol’ creepy.

The longest running animated TV show of all time, The Simpsons, also spoofed Glass on last night’s episode, entitled “Specs and the City.” (Season 25, Episode 11.)

The Simpsons ridiculed some of the more absurd aspects of Glass and spotlighted a real, if exaggerated, threat: The potential for a third party to hijack Glass and spy on users. In this case, the evil Mr. Burns aimed to reduce the theft of office materials at his power plant by distributing “Oogle Goggles” to employees and then monitoring them. Hilarity ensued.

The Simpsons have been known to take some not-so-cloaked jabs at technology companies in the past, namely Apple and the iPad, or Mapple and the MyPad in Springfield speak. And though the show doesn’t specifically target Google, it’s clear Glass is the butt of the joke this time around.

Check out a clip from last night’s episode on YouTube for the highlights. Or if you’re a Hulu Plus member, you can watch the full episode online. You can also visit the Simpsons.com and login to your online cable account to access the episode, or wait a week and then watch it without logging in.

AS