# The Simpsons have sucked for the last ten years and here's why! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2007, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620 "2007-07-13T08:01:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/101 "2007-07-16T05:54:05Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] **Dave** doesn’t understand that the reason he’s constantly forced to call people “elitist” is because most people actually _are_ better than him. -Joe [/QUOTE] Present company excepted, of course. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/102 "2007-07-16T06:02:43Z")
[QUOTE=Just Some Guy] They need to end the show soon before we’re all cocooned in metacriticism… [/QUOTE] I’m sick and tired of people complaining about being cocooned in metacriticism. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/103 "2007-07-16T12:31:04Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass] I was watching a re-run from the polluted syndication pool the other day. The family got sick, and the gag was that Homer kept saying, “I’m gonna throw up…no I’m not…I’m gonna throw up…no I’m not…I’m gonna throw up…no I’m not…” This went on for God knows how long until I turned off the t.v. in disgust. [/QUOTE] It would almost be as stupid as having a cartoon character walk into a non-sensically placed field of rakes and get hit in the face over and over again. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/104 "2007-07-16T17:02:33Z")
Ok, I just saw a commercial for the movie. The two jokes I saw were: Homer pusing a pig across the ceiling while singing “Spider-pig, spider-pig, does whatever… he… does” (Stop it, you’re killing me Simpsons!) Homer crashing back and forth into a giant rock and a building called, get this, “A Hard Place”! Get it, he is _literally_ caught between a rock and a hard place! How hysterical is that? Yes, I’m sure that with the context not provided in the commercial, they are funny. Yeah right. These are two jokes they are using to lure people into the theatre? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/105 "2007-07-16T17:35:41Z")
What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. All this talk of satire and metahumor and clever allusions mean jack when the show was created to sell t-shirts that said “Underachiever and proud of it!” on them. The show became more clever as the producers hired clever people, but don’t try and pretend it was something it wasn’t when it began. I was 9 years old when the show debuted and have seen nearly every episode in the firs run (only wavering in the last few years). And I’ve come to a few conclusions: 1. The show _is different_ now. No amount of arguing can change that. It’s plain as day to anyone who’s watched more than a few episodes. 2. Consequently, I think the bad episodes of today are much worse than the bad episodes of the golden age (seasons 2-9). But of course, this is all my opinion. 3. That said, there is still the occasional classic being pushed out. 4. Finally, I find that watching some of the newer episodes in syndication has made them slightly funnier than their debuts. Not up to the classics, but more than once I’ve caught myself saying “I really hated this episode when it was new, why is it funny now?” I guess if you divorce yourself from the year the episode was made, it’s all just The Simpsons in the end. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/106 "2007-07-16T17:39:08Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. [/QUOTE] Where on earth did you get that idea? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/107 "2007-07-16T17:44:28Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. I don’t think that’s true. It was originally on the Ullman show, definitely not a kids show, and it was never a Saturday morning cartoon. Just that there was enough “broad” comedy to allow kids to enjoy it. Similar to the Flinstones, which I also believe was originally intended mostly for adults. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/108 "2007-07-16T17:51:09Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Ok, I just saw a commercial for the movie. The two jokes I saw were: Homer pusing a pig across the ceiling while singing “Spider-pig, spider-pig, does whatever.. he.. does” (Stop it, you’re killing me Simpsons!) [/QUOTE] I thought that was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in ages. To each his own. > [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > 1. Finally, I find that watching some of the newer episodes in syndication has made them slightly funnier than their debuts. Not up to the classics, but more than once I’ve caught myself saying “I really hated this episode when it was new, why is it funny now?” I’ve definitely noticed that also. Maybe because, particularly 5 or 6 years ago, when I was sitting down to watch the Simpsons I was super primed for absolutely constant nonstop brilliance, and if that didn’t come, I would be so irritated that I wouldn’t be able to recognize the reasonable amounts of hilarity that were, in fact, present. I certainly remember first seeing episodes that I now think are classics and being disappointed at the time, around seasons 7 to 8. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/109 "2007-07-16T17:52:35Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. All this talk of satire and metahumor and clever allusions mean jack when the show was created to sell t-shirts that said “Underachiever and proud of it!” on them. The show became more clever as the producers hired clever people, but don’t try and pretend it was something it wasn’t when it began. [/QUOTE] Season one wasn’t great, but as has been pointed out, it wasn’t targeted at kids. A lot of kids ended up watching it, sure…but it’s never been a “for kids” show primarily. Season one’s “Homer’s Night Out” is about Homer getting photographed stuffing money into a stripper’s cleavage. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/110 "2007-07-16T18:02:52Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. All this talk of satire and metahumor and clever allusions mean jack when the show was created to sell t-shirts that said “Underachiever and proud of it!” on them. The show became more clever as the producers hired clever people, but don’t try and pretend it was something it wasn’t when it began. [/QUOTE] The clever writers, or at least some of them, were there at the beginning. I think the show is a lot closer to reality and a lot less wonderfully twisted at the beginning, but then again, in the first season there’s stuff like “There’s No Disgrace Like Home,” where they all give each other electric shocks and then find happiness by buying a new TV. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/111 "2007-07-16T18:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Ok, I just saw a commercial for the movie. The two jokes I saw were: Homer pusing a pig across the ceiling while singing “Spider-pig, spider-pig, does whatever.. he.. does” (Stop it, you’re killing me Simpsons!) [/quote] Spider pig Spider pig Does whatever a spider pig Does. How is anything funny that you’re going to type out in a description? Why don’t you type out a gag that you found funny from whatever season you really liked, and I’ll tell you whether I laughed when I read your description. I thought that pig gag was funny. Because, first of all, the original rhyme is _Spider-man Spider-man Does whatever A spider can._ A classic AABA rhyme scene, but Homer can’t rhyme “pig” so he rhymes on “does” and shoe-horns in his lyric which destroys the meter. All while holding a pig with dirty feet upside down against the ceiling, making it walk, with Marge looking on. > [@](#): > > Homer crashing back and forth into a giant rock and a building called, get this, “A Hard Place”! Get it, he is _literally_ caught between a rock and a hard place! How hysterical is that? Somewhat. I like how the camera follows the wrecking ball back and forth, and his belly protrudes even more than normal while his back is arched on the ball. And, it’s kind of funny that a building is just called “A Hard Place.” Visually, it’s pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/112 "2007-07-16T18:23:21Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Season one wasn’t great, but as has been pointed out, it wasn’t targeted at kids. A lot of kids ended up watching it, sure…but it’s never been a “for kids” show primarily. Season one’s “Homer’s Night Out” is about Homer getting photographed stuffing money into a stripper’s cleavage. [/QUOTE] Pfft, call yourself a fan? The photo was just of Homer dancing with Princess Kashmir, his belly protuding from under his shirt; there was no physical contact between them, let alone cleavage stuffing. He does later mention stuffing dollar bills down “some stranger’s g-string” during his impassioned speech. I bet you don’t even know her turn-ons and turn-offs. ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/113 "2007-07-16T18:26:32Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] What I find funny is that a lot of the “Simpsons hasn’t been funny for a decade!” arguers forget is that the show was originally created for kids. All this talk of satire and metahumor and clever allusions mean jack when the show was created to sell t-shirts that said “Underachiever and proud of it!” on them. [/QUOTE] Other people have already pointed out the falsity of the idea that the show was created for kids, but I’ll point out that many of these merchandise Ts were unliscenced knockoffs. And as for the shirt you reference,“underachiever and proud of it” was a T-shirt **[before](http://famous.y2u.co.uk/F_The_Simpsons_03.htm)** it was a line on the show, which is why that line in Bart Gets an F was funny. There’s your meta-humour, right there. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/114 "2007-07-16T18:31:29Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Spider pig Spider pig Does whatever a spider pig Does. How is anything funny that you’re going to type out in a description? Why don’t you type out a gag that you found funny from whatever season you really liked, and I’ll tell you whether I laughed when I read your description. I thought that pig gag was funny. Because, first of all, the original rhyme is _Spider-man Spider-man Does whatever A spider can._ A classic AABA rhyme scene, but Homer can’t rhyme “pig” so he rhymes on “does” and shoe-horns in his lyric which destroys the meter. [/quote] That might be mildly amusing had it not already been done a zillion times on the show. “I am so smart I am so smart S-M-R-T” I mean, “S-M-A-R-T” or “Who needs the Quickie Mart?” Their floors are sticky mart. It makes us sicky-mart. (Homer): The Quickie Mart is real… doh!" Those things were funny. This is just a pale imitation. Recycling old jokes and not even doing them as well. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/115 "2007-07-16T19:02:52Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Pfft, call yourself a fan? The photo was just of Homer dancing with Princess Kashmir, his belly protuding from under his shirt; there was no physical contact between them, let alone cleavage stuffing. He does later mention stuffing dollar bills down “some stranger’s g-string” during his impassioned speech. I bet you don’t even know her turn-ons and turn-offs. [/QUOTE] ::hangs head:: I’ll admit. It’s been years since I saw that one. I just found a (not too accurate) description of it on [snpp.com](http://snpp.com). Whatever happened to Princess Kashmir? I remember seeing her a couple of other times after that episode, but not lately. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/116 "2007-07-16T19:17:09Z")
[QUOTE=Zoggie] Whatever happened to Princess Kashmir? I remember seeing her a couple of other times after that episode, but not lately. [/QUOTE] She has a non-speaking cameo as a member of a bowling team called “The Homewreckers”, along with Lurleen Lumpkin (a country singer Homer briefly managed and almost bedded), Mindy Simmons (a worker at the nuclear plant who Homer almost bedded) and Jacques (a bowling instructor Marge almost bedded). I believe she was also a dancer at Belle’s Burlesque House. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/117 "2007-07-16T19:26:01Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass] That might be mildly amusing had it not already been done a zillion times on the show. “I am so smart I am so smart S-M-R-T” I mean, “S-M-A-R-T” or “Who needs the Quickie Mart?” Their floors are sticky mart. It makes us sicky-mart. (Homer): The Quickie Mart is real… doh!" Those things were funny. This is just a pale imitation. Recycling old jokes and not even doing them as well. [/QUOTE] So, when did it stop being funny? Is “you don’t win friends with salad” funny? Is “I’m a-shaving my shoulders” funny? Is “I am evil homer” funny? Was his “max powers song” funny? Was “Mr Plow” funny? Had the gag run it’s course by the time kwik-e-mart episode aired? You know, sometimes Homer sings funny songs. He sings them in his funny voice with a stupid rhythm, and dances out of rhythm to whatever he makes up. It’s part of his character. I guess I was just too stupid to pin point that exact time in the history of the Simpsons when things like that went from being funny to being non-funny. I guess I don’t get how “That name again is Mr Plow” was hilarious, but “does whatever a spider pig does” is recycling old jokes and not doing them well. I’m glad I have threads like this to help clear it up, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/118 "2007-07-16T19:37:42Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] You know, sometimes Homer sings funny songs. He sings them in his funny voice with a stupid rhythm, and dances out of rhythm to whatever he makes up. It’s part of his character. [/quote] Well, he gets knocked down. He gets knocked down again. You’re never gonna knock him down. Then he takes a whisky drink. He takes a chocolate drink. And when he has to pee, he uses the kitchen sink. He sings songs that remind him he’s a urinatin’ guy. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/119 "2007-07-16T19:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=lowbrass] Where on earth did you get that idea? [/QUOTE] I got that idea from being a nine year old when the show debuted. At last! At last! A cartoon on at night! The TV landscape is a better place for kids today! I may have been nine, but I knew a show that created with kids in mind when I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2007, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620/120 "2007-07-16T19:47:11Z")
Examples of truly funny lines from recent episodes: Marge, obviously spooked at the visage of the Count from Sesame Street on TV: “Go back to your own country” Moe, explaining how leperchauns get to Springfield from Ireland: “They hide out in the wheel wells of Aer Lingus jets” Milhouse, to Bart, after Bart catches Homer & Marge having sex: “Believe me Bart, its better catching both of them, than just one” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-simpsons-have-sucked-for-the-last-ten-years-and-heres-why/411620.md?page=7)