For the past five years or so, when I watch a new Simpsons episode I usually do not find it funny at all. However, when I catch a re-run of the episode I find a little funnier and by the 3rd time I see it I really like it. I think the reason for this is the way I have watched the Simpsons for so long. I have seen all my favorite episode at least 5 times. I don’t know if I can really appreciate the show at this point until I have seen an episode more than once. Not because I miss the jokes or anything, but just that I have gotten so used to watching episodes in this manner. Anyone else find themselves not enjoying a new episode until you have seen it at least a couple of times? Do you think you have trained yourself to enjoy the show in this way?
Yes.
There, I said it. Unequivocably, yes.
“But it’s still better than 90% of television!”
No it ain’t. They’re just pumping episodes out, using cookie-cutter jokes, situations, setups, all revolving around the concept of “Hey! Look! These are the characters you came to love ten years ago! Isn’t that something?!?” It’s like watching Marlon Brando in The Island of Dr. Moreau… they’ve fallen so far, and compared to THAT, compared to what they USED TO BE, it’s painful to watch the new drek that they pass off as my beloved Simpsons.
There’s no effort being put into the writing anymore, and so I says that it sucks. You go enjoy your “better than 90% of television”, I’ll go back and rewatch seasons 3 through 9, thankyouveryverymuch.
Even Harry Shearer doesn’t much like it any more.
I think Simpsons is better than ever, and just getting better all the time. But that’s me. I’ve never understood the fascination for the Mr Plow episode either.
Copy that.
SKY One (entry level Satellite/Cable) shows two three or four episodes a day. Other channels also show old shows. I’ve long since had my fill of the Simpsons. Just don’t watch it any more, when it used to be required viewing. Heck I even tried to get my parents to watch it I thought it was that good. I couldn’t say which season they started deteriorating since they don’t seem to get shown in any coherent order here. But I’d say they went south when they started having high concept episodes like: “the Simpsons meet the Who” - “Homer joins the Navy” (how likely us that?).
An ex-fan signs off 
Another reason for the downhill slide: Dumb worked for Homer, so they applied it to everyone else on the show. Even Marge got as dumb as Homer.
Homer was funny because he contrasted against most everyone else. Comic Book Guy was funny because he was Comic Book Guy, not a CBG “that’s also dumb like Homer”. Nelson was funny because he was your quintessential bully, not Homer In A Vest. Apu was funny because he was your quintessential convenience store clerk, not Indian Homer.
It’s this sort of simple-minded “Hey, that gag worked HERE, let’s just use it again!” mentality that shot the Simpsons straight through the balls.
I agree with the OP. I find many of the newer episodes rather amusing on repeat viewing. It seems that they do indeed get better over time.
The Mr. Plow episode was genius though.
I’ve only seen an original episode once or twice in the past couple years, and they have been less laugh-out-loud funny than the same era episodes in syndication.
Perhaps the reason is that in syndication, they cut out a lot of the episode, leaving only the funny parts? When I see an original episode a lot of the time it appears to slow down for no apparent reason, not even to be funny by doing something for no apparent reason.
Which is not to say that they never lose humor by cutting things out, or that stretching out the episode doesnt lend it positive qualities other than humor, I’m just saying that cutting out some bits can result in a funnier episode.
A lot of the really funny earlier episodes followed this formula;
Serious Situation + Funny Element(s) = A funny, enjoyable, Simpsons episode
(Sexual Harassment + Candy Convention + Venus de Milo stuck to the girl’s butt = Funniest episode of the Simpsons I’ve ever watched)
The new (everything after '98ish) episodes follow this formula;
Outrageous Situation + Ludicrous Elements + Funny because of Novelty = A below average Simpsons episode that while having its moment, does not leave a good taste in the mouth.
(Crows Follow Homer around for some reason + Crows attack Homer + Homer needs marijuana and then becomes addicted = An episode that did little more then make me want to try marijuana)
Continued:
Now there are some gems in every new season, and even some great jokes in some of the crappier episodes. But they really don’t do much for me anymore.
In defense of Mr. Plow:
The thing that sticks out the most in my mind in that episode (outside of the Mr. Plow song) is in those days guests were a humorous aside (Linda Ronstadt) rather than "let’s parade celebrities out so we can use them in commercial spots (I’m looking at you, N*sync…)
I agree with the OP, I find myself liking episodes better on the 2nd or 3rd viewing.
I agree with SPOOFE almost entirely, except that my window for liking the show is even smaller (seasons 2-6 and some of 7).
I’ve seen all of the episodes from those seasons about a thousand times each, and I still laugh my ass off at almost all of them. Every time I try to watch a new ep (I’ve seen about one episode a season since after they killed off Maude Flanders, which was my absolute, cut-off, “I don’t like this show anymore” moment), any enjoyment I might garner from it is ususally overshadowed by an annoying guest star or the simply fact that characters are either gimmicky or unrecognizable, and I find myself thinking how much funnier Futurama and Family Guy were.
In my opinion, the last three seasons have been very uneven, to the point that I wonder if they have two sets of writers that don’t interact with each other at all. But seasons 13-15 were better than seasons 10-12, which were pretty evenly bad, even on multiple viewings.
One big problem is that they took away too much of Homer’s dignity. Stupid is funny, but he’s too stupid now. Plus, he’s too cruel sometimes: he caused Grampa’s kidney to explode, then ran away from surgery; he framed Marge for drunk driving; and other things that I can’t think of right now. Cruel actions that are throwaway jokes (such as Homer choking Bart or forgetting about Maggie) are funny; entire episodes about Homer’s cruelness just make him unlikable. Then I guess the writers feel like he has to have his comeuppance, so he gets electrocuted or burned or raped by a panda. But instead of seeming to deserve it, he’s so stupid that it just seems like cruelty to Homer. His saving grace in early seasons was that even though he wasn’t the best husband or father, he at least tried. Now there are too many episodes in which he’s just an obnoxious drunken lout.
Keep in mind that a lot of the episodes from seasons 4 and 5 that we consider classics were actually pretty ludicrous: Marge vs. the Monorail was pretty crazy. Bart becomes a big star. Homer used to be in a barbershop quartet and won a Grammy. Homer in space. Grampa wins an Emmy. etc. Would those be considered as good if they had aired during seasons 14 and 15 instead of 4 and 5?
Well, yes. I recently watched the episode where Homer goes into space and the treehouse of horror that paradies The Shining for the first time (I’ve missed some really good episodes over the years!). The quality of the writing is so much better, with literally no dead air, that it really drives home how far the series has fallen.
MASH suffered the same thing. You could have easily lopped off the last three seasons and not have missed anything.