The Simpsons suck you say? Share your plotline to improve the show.

Cafe Society
1

The thread title essentially says it all. Most people will agree that The Simpsons is not up to the snuff of it’s glory years. Those same people will range from “Still better than 99% of what is also shown” to “I quit watching it years ago and I wish Matt Groening would disappear.”

The complaints are generally centered around the weakening plots of episodes. Homer is too stupid now. Homer is too much of a jerk. Lisa episodes are boring and preachy. Bart is underused. Bart is overused. Cannon is not followed. Gimmick episodes detract from the show flow.

So, this is your opportunity. Your big chance. What plot, using any character/situation would you like to see. Be as brief or as long-winded as you might want to be. Feel free to have a main plot and a secondary one to fill up time.

2

How about the one where it gets cancelled?

Seriously, I think they need to change things around. I’d kinda like if they started to grow the kids up.

3

That’s exactly what I thought when I saw the title of this thread.

For me, it isn’t really the plotlines that are the problem, since they were always pretty silly to begin with. The problem is the quality of the writing. Jokes that would have gotten cut out in the early and mid 90’s are now expected to last for most of an episode.

4

I don’t think the show sucks, though I don’t watch it regularly. Still, a plotline I’d like to see is a “Trading Spaces” one where the Simpsons trade spaces with the Flanderses.

5

I agree that it’s not the plotlines, it’s the jokes.
But you can’t say they suck or are stale after this week’s episode.
Moving into the church?
Homer playing air guitar with the cross?

Come on, that’s the kind of stuff that makes the Simpsons kick ass over any other animated show on television.

And lines like:
Marge: “Homer, can’t you pray silently?”
Homer: “But God’s way the HELL up there!!”

6

While waiting for the bus, Bart relates a “dream” he had about being abducted and anally probed by aliens. Maggie drops by and Bart plays “kick the baby” until the bus arrives. Then, Bart and Lisa witness aliens abducting Maggie while they ride away on the bus. At school, Bart starts farting flames, but continually denies any actual abduction. Even when an 80-foot satellite dish emerges from his anus, he does not believe. Kang and Kodos find the Simpsons by using the satellite dish, Maggie escapes the mothership, and Bart is taken away, only to be ejected later and given pinkeye by Scott Baio!

7

The following week on South Park, Cartman dresses up as Santa Claus to gain money. Mr. Garrison blows all his money on a losing dog who he ends up gaining as a pet…or something.

8

I think the less formulaic storylines would do a lot for the last few years of the Simpsons. For example there are several different unrelated stories but they are all almost divided into the main story (featuring Homer) and the semi-unrelated story that deals with the kids. I would like to see more stories that add depth into the side characters. I don’t really remember seeing a detailed story with Lenny or Carl as the main characters, for instance. They are typically both used as side gags or for one-liners.

9

Not true. The major complaint is that the jokes aren’t funny anymore. The other stuff is secondary. It relates to the fact that the writing is no good, but isn’t the primary reason that the show sucks. For example, on one of the late episodes, Homer is such a big, fat, annoying idiot that he cuts off his finger trying to grab a brownie while Marge is still cutting them. It’s just not funny. The fact that Homer has morphed into the stupidest, most annoying man on Earth isn’t a problem per se, but when he does stupid things just for the sake of being stupid, but in a completely humorless way, it makes me want to throw things at the TV. And it’s not that there are never any funny jokes in the later episodes; it’s just that they are fewer and further between.

Plot - schmlot. I don’t care what the plot is. The things I end up remembering fondly about The Simpsons are the individual gags that made me laugh out loud.

10

I always thought it would be interesting if they took the script of an episode of “Leave it to Beaver” (maybe the one where Beaver ends up in the bowl of soup on the billboard) and recreated it as closely to verbatim as possible, changing only the proper names. Maybe it’s a little too conceptual.

11

Homer goes back to work at the nuclear plant.

12

For me, this season has been a mixed bag. On the positive side, I’ve noticed they’ve tightened up the stories and avoided the wild third-act tangents that’s plagued episodes from the last few years. Unfortunately, on the negative side, it seems as though they’re doing a lot more recycling of old episodes (which is always a sign of a show on decline). For example, last Sunday’s episode about Homer taking over the church was basically a redo of “Homer the Heretic” complete with a disaster (this time a flood rather than a fire) causing Homer to find the error of his ways. And how many times have they done the story where Homer does something thoughtless that alientates Lisa and spends the rest of the episode trying to win back her affections? At least there’s still enough funny gags and one-liners in a typical episode to make them worth watching. Otherwise, I would’ve bailed out by now.

13

We need more Moe, in fact he needs a spinoff.

14

I had thought up an idea for an episode called “A Very Special Sweeps Week Ratings Grabbing Spectacular!” –

It begins with Homer, Bart & Lisa watching t.v. Marge comes home with – a new haircut! The family makes a fuss about Mom’s short new ‘do. Marge says she’s exhausted and lies down on the couch for a nap. We hear the sound of a harp strumming (the kind of strumming normally heard as tv sitcom characters drift off into dream/fantasy scenes.) Marge is ‘awakened’ by the sound of it – the harp is being played outside by Special Guest Star Reese Witherspoon! She wave to them and says “Hi!” (Why she is playing a harp on the Simpsons’ front lawn is not addressed.) As Reese continues strumming, Homer ponders the many famous celebrities whom the family has met over the years – a Clips Montage follows showing Past Guest Stars.

Suddenly, Skinner & Mrs. Krabappel drop by to invite the family to their wedding. Bart asks why the couple would want to invite HIM (their mutual nemesis) to their wedding – because they were hoping to have the wedding in the Simpsons’ back yard! Then, Ned Flanders & his new girlfriend drop by – they are getting married too and want to have a wedding in the Simpsons’ back yard! Skinner & Krabappel, and Ned & his girlfriend agree to have a double wedding. Homer ponders all the weddings that have taken place over the years – cut to Clips of weddings. Bart remarks that all the reminiscing reminds him of a cheap “Flashback episode” from t.v., the kind that normally makes him long for a commercial break…

commercial break

The show resumes as the wedding plans are taking place. Homer gets a phone call from the rest home, his father is dying! The family rush over and Homer & Abe have one last quarrel, Abe strangles Homer with his last dying breath.

A funeral takes place. Homer’s half-brother (voiced by Special Guest Star Danny Devito) returns. Homer reflects on all the deaths in Springfield. Cut to Clips of funeral scenes.

A will is read wherein it is revealed that he was the half-brother of C. Montgomery Burns, the father of Mr. Van Houten, and the uncle of Sideshow Mel!

Abe was also independently wealthy, and leaves Lisa everything! Lisa decides to use her money to build lowcost housing for the poor in Mexico. She bids her family a fond farewell, and (accompanied by Milhouse & Ralph) leaves town. Marge wonders what will become of her baby, “dunno” remarks Homer, “but funny how much this seems like one of those tv episodes that are set ups for spinoff series!”

Commercial break, featuring a fake promo for a new fall series called “Lisa’s Mexicali Blues.”

On the day of the double wedding, the Simpsons are surprised when Jenny Simpson arrives on their doorstep. Jenny is Bart’s cousin, and she promptly moves into Lisa’s room. Jenny plays a clarinet and spouts Republican rhetoric. Rev. Lovejoy gets sick at the last minute and the wedding is presided over by Special Guest Star William Shatner, who happens to have an internet-received reverend’s license, and happened to be walking by the Simpsons’ house. Skinner & Mrs. Krabappel marry, but Ned’s marriage is stalled when Maude appears on the scene! She never died after all!

Smithers chooses that moment to come out and annouce that he’s gay, and that he loves Mr. Burns. Inspired, Selma declares that she’s gay and in love with Lunchlady Doris. Patty confesses she has remarried Sideshow Bob, who walks into the yard (voiced by Special Guest Star Kelsey Grammer) and promptly whacks himself in the face by stepping on a rake.

Mr. Burns announces that he’s bought the Simpson family property and is converting it into a golf course, Homer tells Marge they will be moving into an new apartment in Hollywood – and everyone in Springfield is moving with them! Marge is beside herself with dismay, it’s all too much and she stomps away. She steps on the rake and whacks herself in the face as well, only to black out. Maggie takes the passifier out of her mouth and says “Cripes! Mom knocked herself out!”

We fade in on Homer & Marge in bed. They are extremely crudely drawn (like they were originally.) Bart, Lisa & Maggie (who can’t talk) walk in. None of them have any recollection of people like Mr. Burns, Smithers, the Skinners, the Flanders, Barney Gumble, or weddings, funerals, or anything else that happened in the past 14 years.

“It was all just a dream!” Marge happily gushes. “And now back to the Tracy Ullman Show…” a voiceover announcer states. “Who was that?” Homer asks.

End credits

15

Really, do you mean it? :o Aw shucks, I try to… Oh, you mean Sizlak (sp?)

Hey, the Simpsons have had quite a run. I’m not saying it’s entirely over. In fact even the worst of the last few seasons have usually had a moment or 2 in them that just put me on the floor. But it’s certainly nearing the end.

16

How about an episode where Marge becomes a robot? :wink:

17

The Simpsons on Survivor (Guest Voice: Jeff Probst)

Bart lands a Fox News Channel talk show gig (bring back Birch Barlow and Sideshow Bob?)

Lisa experiments with Ecstacy at a rave. (“I am again the Lizard QUEEN!”)

Homer agrees to ski jump over a shark tank at Daytona Beach during Spring Break. (“Aaaaayyyyyy!!!”)

18

Ahem, PATTY is the lesbian. SELMA is the one who married Sideshow Bob and Troy McClure.

I still want there to be an episode where Marge gets a really great new hairdo. Everyone raves over it-although Homer can’t figure out what’s different about her.

She isn’t sure about it, and in the end, gos back to her old 'do. Homer then asks if she got a new hairdo. Or something.

19

Well now, isn’t this thread based on a logical fallacy?

None of us are writers for the Simpsons. We are mere viewers. How does one’s complaining about the lack of the quality of ANYTHING make one responsible for improving the quality of said product? I mean, if you go to a restaurant and don’t like the food, you’re not going to go back to the kitchen and whip up something you DO like. You’re just going to stop going to that restaurant.

I mean no disrespect, Mullinator. I’m just as tired of people saying how the Simpsons stinks anymore and thinking like they are Roger farking Ebert or whoever for saying so. I just get annoyed at the “well why don’t YOU make a better…” argument because it seems like a cop-out.

20

I guest star!!!