Why "The Simpsons" no longer matters

[Welfare Willis]

Hey peeps, far be it from me to do another simpsons thread, but salon.com just did an interview with a writer of a new book and posted some great thoughts on it's decline and it's legacy.

www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/the_simpsons/index.html?story=/books/feature/2009/12/16/john_ortved_simpsons_anniversary

After it hit that 10-year mark, the show had a serious drop-off in quality, and it's just never, ever come back. They started relying on guest stars and more topical humor, which they can't really do because the lead time is so long. So I think this actually speaks to how outdated their writing room is. They'll do an "American Idol" episode, but they'll do it four years after "American Idol" became this big thing. Or they'll do an iPod episode, but they do an iPod episode in like 2006.

[darthalexander]

I always say this but I will take the Simpsons at it's worst over 90% of the crap on tv today. I has really gone downhill a lot but I still get quite a few laughs from it. One thing that gets me is they keep doing this "in the past" episodes and then shoe-horn the characters into whatever time period they're thinking of - like Homer being part of the grunge movement, etc...

It's still a funny show but compared to what it was, it's a shame. I found Futurama to often be a much better show overall.

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

I remember screaming that The Simpsons sucked ten years ago, and of course everyone thought I was crazy. I was a visionary, I tell you.

They should just burn everything after season 9 (including tracking down bootleg copies and breaking the legs of anyone who refuses to part with them) and restore its legacy as the greatest show of all time.

[Free Hat]

The show has been on so long that it really seems like everyone involved is just tired of working on it. Sadly even the voice actors seem bored, and frankly it's reflected in their performances.

[Ben Wyatt]

Another Simpsons bashing thread....

Must be that time of the week.

*goes into WWE current and awaits the Montreal/new nation/turn Cena heel threads*

[WhiteFu]

It's improving. It seems like they're trying to slow it down a little so that a coherent story is being told, and it's paying off. It's certainly not Seasons 10-12 and 17-19 levels of bad..

[Deleted]

I still love it
Even the bad episodes like last weeks have a few funny moments

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2009 16:20:58 GMT -5 darthalexander said:

I always say this but I will take the Simpsons at it's worst over 90% of the crap on tv today.

I used to think that but now I don't think this statement is even true anymore

Watched Treehouse of Horror episode this season and good god was it boring

[Brandon Walsh is Insane.]

Dec 17, 2009 17:14:26 GMT -5 @cyclonechyno said:

Dec 17, 2009 16:20:58 GMT -5 darthalexander said:

I always say this but I will take the Simpsons at it's worst over 90% of the crap on tv today.

I used to think that but now I don't think this statement is even true anymore

Watched Treehouse of Horror episode this season and good god was it boring

CRISS CROSS.

CRISS CROSS.

CRISS CROSS.

[forgottensinpwf]

Dec 17, 2009 16:54:54 GMT -5 @tagteamspecialist said:

I still love it
Even the bad episodes like last weeks have a few funny moments

Bingo. I've had many genuine laughs at most of the episodes this season.

[Deleted]

Alright. The Simpsons need one good series finale and have it soon ASAP. It's horrible now, we are on the urge on having more unfunny new episodes then funny old episodes. Thats a great way of killing your legacy of producing on some of the funniest things ever seen on television before.

I was having a discussion with my landlords nephews who are 10 and 12 and wouldn't believe me that The Simpsons was one time funny. They said they only saw about three episodes of The Simpsons ever (all on animation domination new episodes) and flat out refuse to watch it again. They are seriously missing out those kids.

[Welfare Willis]

Dec 17, 2009 16:49:17 GMT -5 Ben Wyatt said:

Another Simpsons bashing thread....

Must be that time of the week.

*goes into WWE current and awaits the Montreal/new nation/turn Cena heel threads*

Believe me Slick that wasn't my intent. We all know the show has had a decline in quality, but I thought the interview was interesting in that he goes into a bit of history of the show and why the author thinks the show has been in a state of decline.

If you look at the show for the past 20 years the first 8 seasons were pretty much different showrunners every season. Al Jean has been the showrunner for the past 8 seasons. I'm not laying all the blame on Al, but I think the show could maybe use new blood.

[Free Hat]

Dec 17, 2009 17:20:49 GMT -5 @supersweetbotch said:

Alright. The Simpsons need one good series finale and have it soon ASAP. It's horrible now, we are on the urge on having more unfunny new episodes then funny new episodes. Thats a great way of killing your legacy of producing on some of the funniest things ever seen on television before.

I was having a discussion with my landlords nephews who are 10 and 12 and wouldn't believe me that The Simpsons was one time funny. They said they only saw about three episodes of The Simpsons ever (all on animation domination new episodes) and flat out refuse to watch it again. They are seriously missing out those kids.

That's why I think staying on so long has ultimately hurt its legacy. There's an entire generation who will grow up believing the show is crap and never really give it a chance.

Dec 17, 2009 17:14:26 GMT -5 @cyclonechyno said:

Dec 17, 2009 16:20:58 GMT -5 darthalexander said:

I always say this but I will take the Simpsons at it's worst over 90% of the crap on tv today.

I used to think that but now I don't think this statement is even true anymore

Watched Treehouse of Horror episode this season and good god was it boring

Honestly I've never understood that argument to begin with. To me it seems like more of an indictment of the television industry as a whole than praise of the Simpsons. Just because it's better than 90% of the other shows on TV doesn't make it good. It just means everything else is worse.

[AFN: Judge Shred]

The last half of last season, and this season so far, have been some of the best episodes in a while. They are settling back in to story episodes, and character episodes, and not so much "how can we make Homer look stupid" style. Homer at is his best is a dad and husband with good intentions who screws up, but they made him a total buffoon for many years and the heart left the show.

That heart has been coming back slowly.

[bob]

I haven't watched Simpsons since 05 on a regular basis

[taylorandborland]

I pretty much gave up on The Simpsons after the movie.

I basically paid 15 dollars to watch an extended episode with absolutely nothing I couldn't have seen on TV. Even the plot was typical Simpsons.

[Time Lord Soundwave]

Personally, I think the Simpsons have shown a gradual improvement since the move to HD.

[thatguybayne]

I agree 100%. Watching Venture Bros recently I found it stunning how easily they can fit modern pop culture references in to the context of the story and dialouge that would seem so forced and obvious in The Simpsons.

I find it remarkable also how a show that was once so awesome has now been utter crap for more than 50% of it's run.

[waratah]

as someone who may be a bit older than a few posters here, and works in television, i can say in my honest opinion, the simpsons still matters today more so than about 99% of shows on television.

its decline isnt so much about its writing as it is about other shows that have come onto television since the simpsons started. a disfunctional family is now the basis for most sit coms on television both animated and live action. the simpsons has poked fun at this them selves, it means the characters lose impact and the show suffers as a result.

the fact that the simpsons has influenced language, clothing, stereotypes, actions and the humour of many means it no longer has to represent pop culture as it is pop culture, the other shows that base style on it (and this isnt an argument about whats better or worse) like family guy, means that it is in a weird position, it is basically running as a parody of itself, i still find it funny, i still watch it, im in my mid thirties, i was there for the first episode i will be there for the last, after season one, i dont think it was made for kids anymore which probably means why kids today dont find it funny, they can get shock humour and masterbation jokes anywhere, they dont understand the need for subtle humour, and believe me the simpsons is full of it still to this day.

and just on the original argument, is the 'ipod' not relevent anymore?, who in the hell decided it reached its peak in 2006 when it goes up in sales yearly?

[default]

My only problem with The Simpsons anymore is the "redirection" of Lisa. She went from being a great quirky character to more or less a stereotype. How many episodes have been written about her falling for a spoof of something popular. She's also lost all the edge she had in vocalizing her opinions and views.

This is more annoying to me than the episodes where they'd switch plots three-five times in an episode.

Still, I watch. Usually on hulu.