Was The Simpsons always horrendous?

razorblunt · 26-05-2020 7:40am

Better Than Christ wrote: »

Useful if you want to try and pinpoint the exact second that it stopped being good.

Cancel The Simpsons?

NEVER!

764dak · 26-05-2020 9:57am

Conall Cernach wrote: »

I never liked that Grimey episode. Homer was too much of an oaf in it, I think.

The one where Bart and Ralph become friends was on Channel 4 this morning. It has one of my favourite lines from any show. "What is your fascination with my forbidden closet of mystery?"

tom1ie wrote: »

Season 6 episode 24 lemon of Troy. For me the pinnacle of the simpsons.

CPTM wrote: »

It was better before they turned Homer into complete moron altogether. Remember the episodes 'Do it for her' (about Maggie) or when he found his mother and the episode finished with them looking up at the stars. I'm all for jokes but those sentimental moments humanized it and it hasn't been the same since.

These are some old reviews I found on the Simpsons Archive website:
Lemon of Troy (1995) episode:

Don Del Grande: C-plus - the jokes weren't very funny, and the story
didn't particularly go anywhere, especially at the end.

Eric Stein: Well, it was an okay episode. A little on the stupid side
(at points, so stupid, it was funny). I better see some improvement
to the show, or it will be history soon.

And Maggie Make Three (1995) episode:

Aaron Varhola: Two weeks ago, an A episode, and now this? The cutting was too fast to tell a coherent story, and (except for two gags),
the gags seemed forced, too "Saturday Night Live"-ish. Dumb Homer
made an unwelcome appearance as well, but his "Awwww" fawning over
Maggie at the end pulled it above "Fear of Flying". C-/D+

Vanessa Cameron: I'm not usually one to dump on OFF, but last night's
episode was a real disappointment. While it must be hard for the
writers to contain the overpowering urge to play up Maggie's mind-
boggling cuteness, I think they went a bit overboard. I say it's
the tackiest episode ever. Not a real laugh grabber either.

Bailey Irwin: First they did a great flashback episode about Homer and
Marge meeting; then a very good one about Bart as an infant; then a
fairly good one about Lisa as an infant; now a truly awful one about
Maggie as an infant. I'm going to start a collection so the writers
can BUY an original damn idea! GRADE: F.

Tara Ariano: This whole season, there has been at least one continuity
error per episode, but this one was the worst, with at least six
that I can think of offhand. I laugh, but then I'm ashamed to have
been sucked in when the jokes are so weak.

Matthew Kurth: The first time I ever turned off the TV and walked away
during an episode. Repetitive, expository, tired, predictable, and
a waste of potential. Not even the superb ending could save it.
5/10

This Little Wiggy (1998) episode:

Chris Courtois: "This Little Wiggy" had a disjointed, slapdash feel, almost
like a first draft of an episode. The opening Knowledgeum scenes were full
of great bits, but the transition to the main Ralph-Bart story line was
abrupt and awkward. (Ralph gets pulled out of a giant ear and starts
barking like Wigglepuppy, which inspires Marge to have Bart play with
him??) For a Ralph centered episode, there were surprisingly few great
Ralph lines, certainly nothing on par with the lines in "I Love Lisa",
although the moonrock in the nose, and "My dad took away your beer" were
both good. The episode was amusing, if somewhat slight. A bit more
tightening up might have raised this from the C+/B- grade I give it.

Haynes Lee: Had a real painful start but picked up somewhat near the end.
Could have used a subplot though. This is no where near as good the first
Ralph vehicle "I Love Lisa". (Grade: C+)

Yours Truly {hmw}: There's something about the episode that I can't quite put
my finger on. It was a fairly decent episode, but the style of humour
didn't gel for me. But it was good to see Bart back in his prank-pulling
and danger-seeking ways. (Grade: C)

EmmetSpiceland · 26-05-2020 10:05am

764dak wrote: »

These are some old reviews I found on the Simpsons Archive website:
Lemon of Troy (1995) episode:

And Maggie Make Three (1995) episode:

This Little Wiggy (1998) episode:

Skylinehead · 26-05-2020 10:22am

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Yes, Mr Sherman, everything stinks.

26-05-2020 10:26am

AllForIt wrote: »

Noting worse than when Simpsons fans go on a roll recounting this scene, than scene, the other scene, laughing hysterically along the way, and just when you think his memory has failed him a quarter of an hour later, off he goes again not realizing your not following any of this until eventually you're forced to make an excuses and leave or he'll never stop otherwise.

...... Could replace that with Fr Ted fans also

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 26-05-2020 12:08pm

punisher5112 wrote: »

It's gone with the pc times and following the trend....

Snowflakes.

It was great to about I'd say season 14 and anything previous was brilliant.

If they kept it like that I'd still watch the new ones today but do enjoy watching the old ones....

New stuff is absolute dirt....

Matt Groening always made an effort to remove jokes mocking marginalised groups. The show always had PC snowflakes in charge and it was still hilarious.

jaxxx · 26-05-2020 12:39pm

Did Hank Azaria stop voicing Apu after that ridiculous f*cking backlash there last year? It's a f*cking animated TV show, what the actual f*ck does it matter who the voice actor behind the character is. A white guy (can't remember his name and can't be arsed to Google) voices Cleveland in Family Guy, f*cking PC leftist/rightist/what-ever-ist bustards gonna force him to stop as well?

The same f*cking BS with Robert Downey Jnr from Tropic Thunder over his role. He wasn't playing a black guy, he was playing a white guy PLAYING a black guy. Why are these f*cking idiot PC c**ts so f*cking stupid??

Would there be such uproar I wonder if a 'white' character was played by a non-white actor? I think not! F*cking hypocrisy.

I'm taking this off topic aren't I? MB

BACK TO THE SIMPSONS, QUICK NOW!

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 1:02pm

Jimbob1977 wrote: »

The Simpsons was top notch until around 1999. The peak was around 1995.

It's like writers fatigue

Nobody can churn out quality content for 30 years. Eventually standards fall and the audience lose interest.

Ah yeah but it's more than that. It's the fact that the core demographic when it was made are probably past the core demographic age now.

There's the fact that it was novel and innovative when it was made but it's neither now.

It was edgy when it was new and it's not anymore.

It was relevant to its own time when it was new but it's not relevant to now.

There are loads of reasons why you thought it was better back then than now. It was great and we were the target demographic. It's not surprising that we wouldn't like it anymore. I'd say most people my age watch it mostly out of nostalgia rather than the fact that it's good.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 1:08pm

jaxxx wrote: »

Did Hank Azaria stop voicing Apu after that ridiculous f*cking backlash there last year? It's a f*cking animated TV show, what the actual f*ck does it matter who the voice actor behind the character is. A white guy (can't remember his name and can't be arsed to Google) voices Cleveland in Family Guy, f*cking PC leftist/rightist/what-ever-ist bustards gonna force him to stop as well?
...[/IMG]

The Apu character was probably a forward step in including him in the Simpsons family back in the late 80s when it was new. Now it's just a bit reductive and silly. The show has run for so long that times have changed around the show.

The Asian stereotype was just very tired and boring. I've no problem with them doing away with the character. But to be fair, the same could be said of the rest of the show. It's not relevant anymore.

piplip87 · 26-05-2020 1:11pm

Seasons 1-9 constantly excellent
Seasons 10-17 some excellent episodes but season quality as a whole declining
Seasons 18+ the odd good episode.

I think they are just going through the motions now. Churning out episodes and not been controversial anymore.

I'd still rank South Park well above it though just for Parker and Stones ability to take a real life issue, take the complete piss out of but at the end make a some very good points. While not been afraid to offend.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 1:16pm

Duffy the Vampire Slayer wrote: »

Matt Groening always made an effort to remove jokes mocking marginalised groups. The show always had PC snowflakes in charge and it was still hilarious.

Oh absolutely. There are loads of people who really don't get that about shows. They were PC in their own time and now they make a reference to something which has become an offensive term. The original Intention wasn't to be offensive (like in only fools and horses when Uncle Albert refers to black lads listening to monkey music). Nowadays you'd only say that with I tent ion to offend but Albert didn't mean it that way - because the show was so PC in its own setting.

It's the same with the Simpsons. It wasn't supposed to be offensive. It was always just a bit of fun that anyone could enjoy with a bit of ribbing for everyone but nothing too offensive. That's why the Apu character has become outdated in the 30 years since it was new.

iamstop · 26-05-2020 1:16pm

piplip87 wrote: »

Seasons 1-9 constantly excellent
Seasons 10-17 some excellent episodes but season quality as a whole declining
Seasons 18+ the odd good episode.

I think they are just going through the motions now. Churning out episodes and not been controversial anymore.

I'd still rank South Park well above it though just for Parker and Stones ability to take a real life issue, take the complete piss out of but at the end make a some very good points. While not been afraid to offend.

I don't think anyone here remembers Alf. Remember Alf?

Woke Hogan · 26-05-2020 1:18pm

South Park was miles better in its early days before it just started preaching to people about what the creators think about the headlines.

I also blame it a lot for “South Park cynicism” as well: most of its viewers wouldn’t be particularly well read or intelligent and resorted to adopting the South Park creators’ nihilistic and gross Libertarian views as their own. The Irish Independent’s Ian O Doherty being a prominent example in this country.

Woke Hogan · 26-05-2020 1:18pm

iamstop wrote: »

I don't think anyone here remembers Alf. Remember Alf?

You are Alf, Bill.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 1:19pm

piplip87 wrote: »

I'd still rank South Park well above it though just for Parker and Stones ability to take a real life issue, take the complete piss out of but at the end make a some very good points. While not been afraid to offend.

I'd completely agree. South Park has stayed relevant. The new episodes are as relevant to now as the old episodes were to their own time. Great show and has kept pace with time. Unlike Simpsons

OptimusTractor · 26-05-2020 1:26pm

Don't know if this has been mentioned but it was never the same after Hank Scorpio.

Probably the shows greatest secondary character.

I do think the over reliance on celebrity guests was the beginning of the downward trend.

c.p.w.g.w · 26-05-2020 1:39pm

OptimusTractor wrote: »

Don't know if this has been mentioned but it was never the same after Hank Scorpio.

Probably the shows greatest secondary character.

I do think the over reliance on celebrity guests was the beginning of the downward trend.

But I think we only see Hank in one episode makes him all the more special... genuinely love that episode, also the Bart's Army episode...just googled it was season 1

Mad_maxx · 26-05-2020 1:48pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I'd completely agree. South Park has stayed relevant. The new episodes are as relevant to now as the old episodes were to their own time. Great show and has kept pace with time. Unlike Simpsons

the simpsons is complete crap now and has been for longer than it was good but ive never taken to southpark , dont know what it is

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 2:02pm

Pauliedragon wrote: »

I think in my own case who has a pretty crude sense of humour when I started watching family guy and southpark my interest in the Simpsons wained straight away. When I went back I found it too vanilla for my taste. I suppose age probably has something to do with it. When I was 10 a cartoon character pulling down his pants was hilarious, not so much now.

That’s all you got from the Simpsons? :eek:

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 2:02pm

Deleted User wrote: »

A term has be coined: Zombie Simpsons. The Simpsons as we knew has died but has been propped up and looks similar but is dead inside. It happened soon after season 11.

Waaay before season 11.

It’s sad to me that kids now may not know of the brilliance of classic Simpsons. It molded my sense of humour and introduced to me to satire. It was the first show I saw that did not dumb things down for its audience. It was intelligent and assumed that the audience was too. But wasn’t afraid of slapstick either.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 2:07pm

Sephiroth_dude wrote: »

When Conan left it went down gradually, its absolute tripe now and has out stayed it's welcome.

Much as I love Conan, that’s not true. He left the show in 1993 and only four episodes are credited to him. Classics for sure, but a lot of the good stuff came for years after he departed.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 2:22pm

razorblunt wrote: »

It’s been done. That episode wasn’t at all as bad as made out to be. You may as well complain that Homer didn’t die from the injuries sustained in failing to make it across the gorge on a skateboard.

The Tamazarian episode has one of my favourite ‘Homer’s Brain’ moments. At 06:43 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPtYZxgMkzg

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 2:23pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Waaay before season 11.

It’s sad to me that kids now may not know of the brilliance of classic Simpsons. It molded my sense of humour and introduced to me to satire. It was the first show I saw that did not dumb things down for its audience. It was intelligent and assumed that the audience was too. But wasn’t afraid of slapstick either.

Ah yeah but what age were you when you were enjoying it and they weren't dumbing it down?

Duffy the Vampire Slayer · 26-05-2020 2:39pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Ah yeah but what age were you when you were enjoying it and they weren't dumbing it down?

I watch classic Simpsons episodes and spot so many jokes I never noticed before.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 2:43pm

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

It's like music. In your formative years, what you experienced there will always be great and never be bettered. And yeah, while The Simpsons' quality has obviously dipped, it's popular to automatically say "It's not as good as it was in my day!".

Series 31 rocks!!! :pac:

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Ah yeah but it's more than that. It's the fact that the core demographic when it was made are probably past the core demographic age now.

There's the fact that it was novel and innovative when it was made but it's neither now.

It was edgy when it was new and it's not anymore.

It was relevant to its own time when it was new but it's not relevant to now.

There are loads of reasons why you thought it was better back then than now. It was great and we were the target demographic. It's not surprising that we wouldn't like it anymore. I'd say most people my age watch it mostly out of nostalgia rather than the fact that it's good.

No, sorry, ye’re completely wrong. I recognise that a lot of things I liked when I was young are actually not that great. Classic Simpsons (1989 - 1997) is just that fucking good. Then and now.

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Ah yeah but what age were you when you were enjoying it and they weren't dumbing it down?

I don’t accept this point at all. There are soooo many things I enjoyed as a child and teenager that I recognise are not good now. And I didn’t have Sky so wasn’t even very young watching the last of the classic seasons. I’ve watched all the classic seasons as an adult and the quality is apparent.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 4:11pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

No, sorry, ye’re completely wrong. I recognise that a lot of things I liked when I was young are actually not that great. Classic Simpsons (1989 - 1997) is just that fucking good. Then and now.

I don’t accept this point at all. There are soooo many things I enjoyed as a child and teenager that I recognise are not good now. And I didn’t have Sky so wasn’t even very young watching the last of the classic seasons. I’ve watched all the classic seasons as an adult and the quality is apparent.

You genuinely don't accept that your taste could have changed? Your taste should have changed.

Some of the shows and movies that I regard as my all time favourites are ones that I wouldn't watch again because I've either grown out of them or have seen them so many times that it's not fun to watch them anymore. Still my faves but if I didn't grow out of a show from the 80s or 90s, I'd worry about my lack of development.

It's like when a great sports star gets too old. Their new work isn't cutting it anymore but it doesn't mean their old work wasn't good in its time.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 26-05-2020 5:25pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

You genuinely don't accept that your taste could have changed? Your taste should have changed.

Some of the shows and movies that I regard as my all time favourites are ones that I wouldn't watch again because I've either grown out of them or have seen them so many times that it's not fun to watch them anymore. Still my faves but if I didn't grow out of a show from the 80s or 90s, I'd worry about my lack of development.

It's like when a great sports star gets too old. Their new work isn't cutting it anymore but it doesn't mean their old work wasn't good in its time.

Well, I’m the one inside my head. I know what I know. And, as said, I’m well able to recognise when I’ve outgrown something. That’s happened to me quite a bit actually, with other shows I held dear. So there’s no reason to think I’m not judging classic Simpsons in the same way. Classic Simpsons is good in any time. No worries about “lack of development” here. It’s weird that you’d think liking a show from the past would signify that rather than it just being good.

El_Duderino 09 · 26-05-2020 6:19pm

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts wrote: »

Well, I’m the one inside my head. I know what I know. And, as said, I’m well able to recognise when I’ve outgrown something. That’s happened to me quite a bit actually, with other shows I held dear. So there’s no reason to think I’m not judging classic Simpsons in the same way. Classic Simpsons is good in any time. No worries about “lack of development” here. It’s weird that you’d think liking a show from the past would signify that rather than it just being good.

And it seems you've taken no account of nostalgia.

The classic so.paons were relevant back in the day. They're not relevant now. That's one of the reasons that new peopep don't "discover" the Simpsons, even the classic ones.

It was good back then when I was the target audience and the quality probably dropped off. It's the relevance that completely dried up and that's why I don't bother with it. I'll watch a few minutes of one for old times sake but as soon s the ads come I'll change channel. It's not worth waiting for and each story is completely irrelevant. It's just a kinda-funny show now but it wouldn't be worth making in 2020.

Homelander · 26-05-2020 6:28pm

That's a weird argument.

It's like trying to argue that nostalgia is a major reason most people consider the original Star Wars trilogy better than the prequel trilogy, rather than the widely acknowledged inferior quality of the latter.

I mean, it also completely ignores the downward trend of both critical reception and audience scores to The Simpsons.

Could it have anything at all to do with the insanely high quality of the first 10 odd seasons, with it's excellent writing, characters and plot lines that have stood the test of time remarkably well?

No.....it's nostalgia.

Ekerot · 26-05-2020 6:34pm

Besides watching clips on Youtube I haven't watched an episode of the Simpsons in well over 10 years now. Don't know anyone who does either, although I hear it's still big in South America even today.

I think I tuned out around the time Ned and Mrs Krabappel began a relationship, which was around the 500th episode mark. Now that Disney owns it though, I expect the Simpsons to go on for at least another 30 years!

Was The Simpsons always horrendous?

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