Review
Network Fox Genre Animated Comedy Parody Satire Content Rating TVPG (language adult contend and animated nudity) Available DVD and syndication everywhere Perspective Classic (star range 1 5)
Seasons Reviewed Season 12
If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would one day be bored by The Simpsons I would have called them crazy. But here we are and while The Simpsons has become the longest running show on TV at the cost of its core integrity. "Simpsons" in its prime was the best things to grace the small screen. A funny groundbreaking animated comedy with lighteningquick wit insightful social and brilliantly integrated parody. It created its own universe with an entire town of original characters. Most importantly it actually helped shape the sense of humor of an entire generation. That generation which has now grown up and is now creating animated shows in direct competition.
"Simpsons" is a pale shadow of its former greatness. It gradually slipping this way for several years but it wasnt until the 2002 and 2003 seasons that the show really smashed up against the rocks for good. I used to delight in each new episode of "Simpsons". But now the show clunks along each week in what appears to be filling time. The freewheeling gags it used to deliver with such ease are now weighted down by an unnecessary over importance on story. The show at its best may get off a funny sharp oneliner every now and then. Its biggest asset currently is its willingness and given latitude to slam its own network. I do delight in their "Joe Millionaire" onair promo parodies or a recent episode where Homer calls to give the network an idea and the recording says something like "If you know of another networks reality show we can rip off press 2..."
So what happened There really is no one thing that can easily be pointed out to all the latecommers and say "this is what happened" you have to have traced the history. The jump the shark moment could have come as early as the infamous Frank Grimes episode where our vision of The Simpson family was suddenly turned into something to aspire to instead of parody. It could be the legion of big name celebrities forced into every episode. To bring down a show as great as this it was a slow convergence of several things.
Watching it 3 differences are evident onscreen at any given time First the stripping down most of the characters to 1note cartoons. Notably British favorite Homer Simpson going from childlike hardluck father to a ragdoll for wild animals to rip apart as each episode closes. Im particularly appalled at its attempts to use Homer as a political mouthpiece. Did you know that a guy who once lit a Qtip so he could see inside his brain has an active concern for global politics Yeah I didnt either.
Secondly the classic Baby Boomer voice of the series has evaporated and was replaced with contemporary generation X and Y jokes. Now its the internet and Tony Hawke. The voice of the series used to be one of creator Matt Groenings seen through the eyes of Homer and Marge. That voice has been lost as the show has turned into an assembly line institution repackaged and been homogenized for the masses and a new generation of writers lead by Ian MaxtonGraham has come in to "keep it fresh".
Thirdly it has run out of creative juice. Anyone who has stuck with the show long enough can see it literally retelling jokes and recycle previous story lines. When the recycling becomes too obvious or the episode makes no sense they merely double back and declare it all a big selfparody. Not even Al Jean (architect of the show in its prime and the Larry David of "The Simpsons") can save it now.
Since the talented voice cast has remained the same low these many years I put all the blame on this squarely with the Fox network who refused to let this show go out gracefully when Groening siphoned off his role to work on his dream project the now far superior Futurama. In Foxs race to claim this endurance record they have turned a once edgy and visionary show into an institution with an assembly line production and revolving door of writers to match any of the other lame shows on TV. Behind the scenes maybe the condescending wecandonowrong attitude of MaxtonGraham has dealt the show its biggest death blow while producer Mike Scully sat back and ineptly let MaxtonGraham run it into the ground.
In the end the biggest blame may actually land with the "diehard fans" that embolden the show by letting it get away with this junk. Yes "The Simpsons" was groundbreaking and every adult animation in the future owns it a bit of gratitude but blind loyalty to a show only for how it performed in the past isnt healthy.
Since it has hit longrunning status the critical bandwagon jumping has begun and "Simpsons" is more popular than ever amongst critics that want to be on the inside of history. Weve now reached a point where the bad episodes and bad entire seasons outweigh the good and that Im afraid is going to be the sad legacy of "Simpsons" . A trainwreck of crass childish humor grainy animation oddly misplaced satire and forced parodies of only the most obvious pop culture targets.
10 years ago I didnt know what I would do without "The Simpsons" but now particularly with the emergence of satisfying new adult animated shows (Futurama Family Guy and South Park) living without it might be pretty good.
* * 5