PepperSocks said:
The Simpsons is my numero uno, favorite piece of art of all time. I've been watching it since I was 5 years old and can recite every line of every episode before the year 2000 (I'll explain why I can't on the years after that).
It's the show I put on when I'm feeling down, when I'm feeling good, when I feel like watching a certain emotionally charged episode or a certain fun filled, euphoria inducing episode or just when I open the guide and; oh, there it is.
Ever since the year 2000 or around when Family Guy came along The Simpsons lost its soul, in a big way. It became more self-conscious and phoney. The humor got more forced, and dirty-ish, it just wasn't the same anymore and it still isn't. When I see one of those episodes come on I change the channel because to me it isn't even The Simpsons anymore.
The show is a pillar to me and it has taught me countless lessons in my life, it makes me sad to see what it's become. I wish they had just let it go nine years ago.
I will always have those pre-2000 episodes, nothing can take that away.
What are your thoughts on the situation?
EA-1475 said:
As someone who's been watching since the very beginning...
From about 1992 to 1997, The Simpsons were untouchable. It was like every episode was a classic.
From 1997 to 2000, it started getting a little patchy. A handful of good episodes each season but a lot of mediocre ones in between.
Around 2000, the show totally went to shit. The Simpsons went a good 5-6 years without producing a single good episode.
What went wrong...
- the satire element completely vanished. In its heyday, The Simpsons was a satirical take on middle-class America. Now it just tries to be nonsensical fun. And fails. There is some occasional heavy-handed politically correct in-your-face surmonizing but nothing I would call real satire.
(Ironically, South Park, a show that began as a pure absurdist nonsense, has evolved into the best satire on television)
- Complete lack of narrative. Their writers just do not know how to tell a story.
- The "let's tell a story" episodes. Bible stories with Simpsons characters. Fairy Tales with Simpsons characters. Classic Novels with Simpsons characters. For years, Treehouse of Horror episodes used to be AN EVENT because they were the only time that they could throw out the rules and do stupid parodies and whatnot. Now they do them all them time.
- Repeating storylines. How many times is Homer going to be cast in a movie or TV show?
- Celebrity cameos. These used to be used sparingly and tastefully. For a while, they had them EVERY FREAKING EPISODE and they added nothing.
- I'm tired and there's too many things to list...
I will say that in the last couple of years, The Simpsons have improved slightly. I can actually stand to sit through an episode now. But the worst Lisa episode from 92-97 would still trounce the best episode put out today.
And it will not be cancelled anytime soon. They make an absolute FORTUNE of merchandise.
I don't know what much more can be said that this. As an avid Simpsons fan from the beginning also, I can attest to the same.
In my opinion, 1995 - 2000 were the "Golden Years" of The Simpsons. We have never seen this type of humour before and we will probably never see it again.
But think about it,
every groundbreaking comedy TV show only ever comes up with 5-6 years of high-calibre material and then the creators run out of ideas. The same thing has happened with countless other programs e.g. Seinfeld, Family Guy, etc. I am still grateful for the crap episodes of the post-2000 era because to me,
any Simpsons episode is better than ANYTHING ELSE ON FOX!!!
However, post-Simpson-Movie, the few episodes I've watched seem to be evolving in a more bizarre direction, possibly attempting to re-compete with The Family Guy which is beginning to wane, e.g. Stewie's character transformation from a diabolical murderous genius, in to just another gay humour piece (not that there's anything wrong with that
). These episodes have been much more enjoyable and reminiscent of the pre-2000 Simpson era.
The above-mentioned Golden Years of the Simpsons are pure and simple, timeless classics to go down in the books of entertainment with the Star Wars series, Monty Python movies, SNL, Seinfeld, etc etc.
