The Simpsons is an Emmy and Peabody-winning American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Network, and is one of the most successful television shows ever produced. The television series is a spin-off of a series of animated shorts originally aired on The Tracey Ullman Show. The series is a satirical parody of the "Middle American" lifestyle epitomized by its title family. It lampoons many aspects of the human condition, as well as American culture, society as a whole and even television itself, being famous for its frequent use of self-referential humor.