The Simpsons is long past cancellation time
In cartoon news, while I haven't watched the Simpsons for several years now, I have noticed that lately, it's become more and more annoyingly left-wing and insulting to conservative beliefs. For example, during the election, there was the villainous Monty Burns' endorsement of Mitt Romney as seen in this video:
And then, more recently, there was even this unfunny clip:
According to Monty Burns, the economy is like a car driven by a rich man who'll drive you over a cliff if you don't give him all your dough. I thought the idea was that the rich man could employ you, and if you're successful, you'd be able to make a lot of money out of his pockets. How did all that get lost in Burns' logic?
Once, there was a time when I thought the Simpsons was funny, and some of the comics based on it too. And I do remember falling off the couch laughing at a scene where the family zapped each other in a clinic run by Dr. Marvin Monroe, a character who was dropped from the cast after 1993. But today, my opinions have been changing dramatically, and when I look back at the "groundbreaking" cartoon series now, I feel like I've been used. The last time I seriously tried to watch the Simpsons was in 2005, and even then I'd grown tired of it, finding it far less funny every time I watched it. Some of the slapstick was getting nasty too, including an episode where Homer got his finger cut off and had to get it sewed back on.
Since then, I've lost interest in it altogether, and find it both bewildering and insulting to the intellect that it's still running long after it eclipsed Gunsmoke's 20-year run. I'm not sure if it's reached the same number of episodes as Gunsmoke's had yet (to my knowledge, that classic western series had 637!), but it's pretty obvious that the still continuing run of this cartoon must have more to do with determination to break records in quantity than in quality, and even then they'll probably keep it going long past the boredom factor sinking in.
And then, more recently, there was even this unfunny clip:
According to Monty Burns, the economy is like a car driven by a rich man who'll drive you over a cliff if you don't give him all your dough. I thought the idea was that the rich man could employ you, and if you're successful, you'd be able to make a lot of money out of his pockets. How did all that get lost in Burns' logic?
Once, there was a time when I thought the Simpsons was funny, and some of the comics based on it too. And I do remember falling off the couch laughing at a scene where the family zapped each other in a clinic run by Dr. Marvin Monroe, a character who was dropped from the cast after 1993. But today, my opinions have been changing dramatically, and when I look back at the "groundbreaking" cartoon series now, I feel like I've been used. The last time I seriously tried to watch the Simpsons was in 2005, and even then I'd grown tired of it, finding it far less funny every time I watched it. Some of the slapstick was getting nasty too, including an episode where Homer got his finger cut off and had to get it sewed back on.
Since then, I've lost interest in it altogether, and find it both bewildering and insulting to the intellect that it's still running long after it eclipsed Gunsmoke's 20-year run. I'm not sure if it's reached the same number of episodes as Gunsmoke's had yet (to my knowledge, that classic western series had 637!), but it's pretty obvious that the still continuing run of this cartoon must have more to do with determination to break records in quantity than in quality, and even then they'll probably keep it going long past the boredom factor sinking in.
If nothing else, the Simpsons taught me one thing: no series should run forever. John O'Sullivan of NRO had a good observation: anything that isn't directly right-wing will turn left over time. Happened with Law & Order, as well, another long-runner.
I can appreciate you're feeling used, as some episodes of Simpsons or Law & Order, I went, "what did I see in this thing?"
Back to Simpsons, the first four seasons are classic and timeless. However, these days, you know you got problems when the writers actually took the opportunity to demonize Fox News during Fox's 25th anniversary special. How classy.
I stopped watching by 2004, when the liberalism was out of control -- although, the decay started by Season 10 or whenever Mike Scully took over as showrunner -- and haven't looked back ever since.
I have no idea why it remains, beyond nostalgia and it was once a cultural institution. It used to have a good reserve of good phrases or catchphrases -- which they mocked in the early days -- but now, no more.
On the other hand, it brought these problems on itself, and if and when it does finally leave the airwaves, I won't miss it. And judging from the public at large, very few will miss it, too.
Or, I could be wrong.
Posted by
Killer Moth |
3:18 PM
Yeah, Killer Moth, I also stopped watching The Simpsons about eight to ten years ago. It seemed like as soon as Bush was in office, they went downhill completely. I also watched that 25th anniversary special and was pretty disgusted with their demonization of Fox News.
It's definitely overstayed its welcome.
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:19 PM
I also agree that Mike Scully helped ruin the Simpsons. He was showrunner from 1997 to 2001, which is around the time the show went downhill completely.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:53 AM
Right. Last I checked, Scully is still around, and Al Jean -- who did great work in the early years -- is the current showrunner. But Jean has become or let the leftism remain, so I don't have much use for either one.
And the degrading would have happened, regardless, but, Scully really fast-forwarded the process. Wish they ended things after the movie, which was a fan dream since Season 2 or 3? Oh, well.
But, yeah, the 25th Anniversary Special, that really did cross the line, as "you're so consumed by your hatred of Fox News, you want to spoil your celebration with nasty politics?"
Posted by
Killer Moth |
1:14 PM
Yeah, it spoiled it for me and certainly didn't make me want to watch any new episodes. I've also heard the newer episodes rely way too much on celebrity cameos, too.
And I didn't know that Mike Scully was still around, probably lurking in the background. Al Jean seems to have become Scully 2.0 and under his tenure the liberalism really has become rampant and out of control.
I have friends who say that I should stick to Family Guy, American Dad and the Cleveland Show, but I've never liked any of those shows. I think Seth MacFarlane is a douche personally.
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:59 PM
I'm not surprised about the celebrity cameos' overuse in recent seasons. No real surprise, there.
As I said, Scully is still around, but I don't know what capacity. Or if not in current seasons, then semi-recently. Looking at Jean, that surprised me and depressed me, as he did fine work with the Critic.
As for Family Guy, American Dad and the Cleveland Show, I haven't watched the former much, since the revival and I don't bother with the latter two, per se. Although, the leftism was there in Family Guy, pre-revival. And now that it's FOX's golden child, it can do no wrong.
As for American Dad and the Cleveland Show, the latter has a little more heart, and the former is "at least, the main lead is a conservative... ish." So I don't know what to tell you.
Yeah, MacFarlane is a douche, and yet, he was nice to Andrew Breitbart, so I don't know what to tell you.
Posted by
Killer Moth |
5:16 PM
I'd forgotten about MacFarlane being nice to Breitbart, so he earns a few points back in my book.
Posted by
Anonymous |
12:52 PM
Seeing how Romney is basically a conservative Democrat, it doesn't bug me too much. Unintentional perhaps, but whatever.
Posted by
morbius |
7:15 PM