By Thomas Willett
“It’s just hard not to listen to TV. It’s spent so much more time raising us than you have.”
-Lisa Simpson (Yeardley Smith) “Homer Badman”
When I look back on my life, I notice all of the typical highs and lows. I think of how it shaped the person that I eventually became and if I did the right thing. For the most part, I can proudly declare my time well spent. Still, when you accumulate for all of the years spent in educational facilities and talking to friends, what exactly has shaped my world view the most? Was it ambivalent teachers? Was it a wise old sensei teaching me how to wax cars? They contributed, sure. However, if you had to ask me what central thing has taught me the most in my life, it wasn’t school, friends, or work.
It was the Simpsons, who this Sunday will celebrate their 500th episode, a benchmark for any television series let alone a cartoon. I cannot attest for others, but being born in July 1989, I never knew another way of life. It was currently airing on the Tracey Ullman Show and months away from starting its long running show with “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire.” By the time I gained consciousness, it was at the height of its popularity and I had plenty to keep me entertained. The show had branched out from television to include Butterfinger commercials, arcade games, dolls, and “The Simpsons Sing the Blues” CD that unintentionally introduced me to Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, and Albert King via cast member covers. While many kids grew up on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network shows, I was the unfortunate kid without cable, only peeping at cable’s brilliance at my grandparent’s house. With only about 20 channels, the Simpsons were perfect. It was on every day and my love of cartoons was in its infancy.
I immediately think of the episode “Lisa’s First Word” in which a baby Bart Simpson peeks out from his crib to watch Johnny Carson and laughs at Ed McMahon’s funny laugh. That’s how the show started for me. I cannot tell you when I first watched the show, but I can tell you that this show managed to stick with me. The only other one is Animaniacs. Both shows are probably most responsible for how I view pop culture. I didn’t grow up aware of a lifestyle that didn’t involve a big infatuation with the past. It’s also impressive because I didn’t know it until years later.
In truth, despite the first three seasons probably being the most accessible during my younger days, those remain my least memorized. Partially this is because the DVDs don’t have a ‘Play All’ feature that makes episode selection a chore. True, some stick out like “Bart the Daredevil,” but for the most part I perceive it more as the building blocks for what was to come. They were crass and funny, but weren’t quite accepting of the satirical bent that would shape its legacy. I felt that with season 4, with Conan O’Brien in charge, it produced what would become the moments that actually left a mark on me.
Everyone remembers “Marge vs. the Monorail” and one of my favorites: “Itchy and Scatchy: The Movie.” The latter is probably the definitive reason that the show clicked with me. It’s true that Bart Simpson was an appealing character that I enjoyed, but it was also because this show instilled in me realism. The show managed to feature moments of gratuitous violence and stupidity, but in that episode, when Bart wreaks a little too much mayhem, he gets punished from seeing a movie based on his favorite show. This show had consequences and presented them in comical ways (including a hefty book adaptation). The best part was that there was a sense of respect presented amongst the family that I felt glued the show together. Most of all, I could kind of perceive this happening to me. I feared being a vandal leading up to the Simpsons Movie just because of this episode.
Everything else came later. The more I began to understand the world, the more that I realized that I had already learned it from the Simpsons. Who was Charles Bronson? He was that guy who went to Emmett’s Fix-It Shop to fix Emmitt . To this day I haven’t seen a Bronson film, but I can poorly construct a parody based on those brief moments. I think that the Simpsons also created my thirst for curiosity as a result. I wanted to get every joke; including many that the writers have stated in commentaries are very dated. I didn’t immediately just begin researching references, but when I would learn about them in history class, I immediately flashed back to the episode in which I was first made aware of them.
I think what makes the show work for me is because it’s always there to educate me. I think with an additional sense of childhood nostalgia, watching every episode a few times a year results in discovering a great cross road between sheer joy from bizarre one-liners, crazy characters, significant references, and just knowing that the show has always been there for me to dissect. Because of the lazy continuity from season to season, it also made me more aware of small details and how each exists in their own universe. I think that if you combine everything, you’ll understand why I love the show. It’s not just nostalgia. It’s an encyclopedia where I discovered so much of what I cherished now and shaped the way I look at cartoons and comedy.
It also established my meticulous nature to give everything way too much of a chance. Because I have always analyzed the Simpsons through repeat viewing, I have also given too many shows a chance. I am more accepting of the hit-and-miss ratio and usually license my time to five episode increments to gauge how good the show could be. It’s eventually what leads me to hate Family Guy by consistent viewing just to realize there was no substance in most of the references. However, when it works, I think back on to how the Simpsons has given me the gift of curiosity and to look for substance next to style, and characters with interesting foibles.
How can you argue with a team that has included Dana Gould, John Schwartzwelder, Brad Bird, Conan O’Brien, Al Jean, Don Payne, Mike Scully, and Wallace Wolodarsky and was produced by James L. Brooks, Matt Groening and Sam Simon? To me, this show has probably the greatest mix of comic writers, including guest writers like Seth Rogen and Ricky Gervais. Almost everyone that I currently admire has been on this show or referenced. It has caused me to forever be enamored with the possibilities of cartoons and voice acting.
While I will admit that not every episode is worth praising, I still have seen most of them upwards of six times. A reason I forever defend this show is not only because I was born into it, but because it signifies what cartoons could be. It paved the way for other farcical shows like Family Guy and South Park, yet none compare. Still, I think the reason that the show prevails is the same reason shows like Star Trek are still mentioned. There’s the general premise, but there’s plenty to explore if you take time. It speaks a lot about the time in which they were conceived. It’s a prominent reason I haven’t given up on Saturday Night Live.
While I cannot attest to any other generation having better program, I feel that there is a certain importance that comes with what they watch. I feel that my desire to explore the world is largely because of the Simpsons and it’s because of its diverse cast and references. By visiting France and Russia, I became interested in those cultures, despite the ridiculous Communist subplot of the latter. As I watch more movies, I feel that I can understand subtle references. This includes a whole monologue about sugar derived from Scarface that I didn’t recognize until just three years ago. I have watched a fair amount of Robot Chicken and at most I see humorous moments that are weakly stapled together in a mean spirited way. I will admit that some are funny, but when the characters feel like they’re beating you over the head, it becomes too much. The Simpsons embody layers properly because there is a certain amount of respect paid to every element.
I will not deny anyone that says the recent seasons are not up to par. From episode 1, the show has always been hit and misses. I feel that there are three years in recent time that felt like they were attempting to compete with Family Guy (then at its arguable peak) with making Homer Simpson as rude as possible, forcing Marge to feel crazy, and the kids to be rude in a way that feels far removed from their heyday. It didn’t feel natural.
They have since mellowed out and in the past few seasons, I personally believe that they are at the strongest they’ve been in years. The satire may not be as strong, but I feel like the show has now evolved into an actual sitcom. In “The Great Wife Hope,” Marge is seen prepping for a fight twirling a ribbon to spell out love. I feel that the comedy is more in the characters, who have felt the most sincere that they have in a while. They no longer are obsessed with being rude and to most interesting, but they still tackle issues in competent ways that I enjoy. It’s odd for people who expect regression from their heyday. The 90’s were a different time when things were more bizarre and distorted. The Simpsons reflect American culture perfectly, and that includes making the kids like what kids in the 00’s and 10’s liked with monster card games and Game Boy knock-offs.
It may not be as edgy as Family Guy, but they shouldn’t be. They’re the older brother to the show who is showing how to grace with dignity. As they approach 500 episodes, I can still recall watching episode 400 called “You Kent Always Say what You Want” and seeing Keifer Sutherland praise the show during act breaks. Maybe it won’t last beyond season 25, but I still believe that the show deserves some respect. It isn’t pushing itself as hard as it used to (when it does, it gets terrible episodes like “The Real Housewives of Fat Tony”), but the episodes are still there for the fans. I doubt that there will be any new ones popping up randomly, but that’s mostly because it’s too daunting to just hop in now, when it’s created for the fans who know everything inside and out. I would love for this to expand beyond its current existence, but at some point you just seem delusional.
So bring on episode 500. This may be the last benchmark the show hits, but I am proud to say that I have seen every moment. It has been very rocky, but I feel that it remains a classic example of a show that can be rude, wild, and still very influential for smart, ambitious fans who continue to see the new episodes and research Un Chien Andalou and Allan Sherman because of one reference. I know that I am not done with any episode, and despite my burned out feeling for some (“So It’s Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show” with a wraparound about April Fool’s Day that I just cannot stand), I’ll continue to watch for that moment when I feel some Zen and discover why I watched the show in the first place.
Without this show, I really feel my world view would be different and I probably wouldn’t be a nerd, let alone, ambitious. I also probably wouldn’t like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest as much. They referenced that movie too many times not to.
You can read Thom’s blog every Wednesday and hear him on Nerd’s Eye View every Tuesday and Thursday at nevpodcast.com . Send your thoughts to nevpodcast@gmail.com. You can also read Thom’s movie reviews for Cinema Beach at cinemabeach.com .
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