The Rise Fall and Ressurection of the Simpsons

What used to be a satire of popular culture has become the target of satire. I’m speaking of course of the seminal television series The Simpsons. What started in 1989 was the start of a piece of American history. The Simpsons was undeniably witty and charming. It started in the first few seasons as a commentary on American life with quirky characters and quickly evolved.

Simply put, The Simpsons quickly made it clear that it was the best show on television. It was the comedy that got everything right. It incredibly got everything right about eight or nine years in a row, actually. Whenever a show, or movie, or any other art form or entertainment really establishes itself as part of the mainstream, then it can be said that it has the support of many, but also has to face the scrutiny of many.

No longer was it just an animated sitcom about an American family, it was an exaggerated version that drew from the culture of the time to create a fantastical interpretation of our culture. Almost every character that could be explored was focused on, which would turn out was both a blessing and a curse.

The Simpsons is known to be a show with a multitude of recognizable characters. When a show regularly rotates characters that do and don’t have catchphrases, it’s a sure sign that the show has a cornucopia of material to work with. This is common in many forms of entertainment; the more you can develop your characters, the more opportunities you’ll have for story. Casual fans, who watch only once in a great, have little difficulty in recognizing the sharp laugh of Edna Krabappel, or the taunt of Nelson, or the burp of Barney Gumble. The most amazing thing of all is that all the characters that I mentioned are minor characters.

It’s difficult to pin down any one thing that caused these minor characters to become the successes that they were, but it’s not hard to imagine. All the characters that we saw and came to know were people that we felt that we knew, people that we had seen before, or people that we could imagine knowing. Every character was accessible on a show that required a quick mind. Often witty humor requires familiarity with the characters to understand the subtle implications of the humor, but The Simpsons mastered the art of making their own version of famous personas and personalities. Krusty the clown was not a far cry from Bozo the clown. Itchy & Scratchy made the violence from Tom & Jerry all the more apparent. Reverend Lovejoy was the apathetic religious leader with the perfect name. Every character had some sort of witty purpose. Even if it wasn’t immediately recognizable, the viewer could enjoy the show’s humor anchored by the rest of the characters, and of course, the eponymous Simpsons family.

But even loyal fans of the show will tell you things changed with the turn of the millennium. Suddenly, the magic was quickly diminishing. There was little charm left to the characters. Everything that could be said about each character had already been said. No longer were the characters the tools of satire; they had become so famous that their personas were more famous than the original targets. Most characters had been developed already to the point that the writers had to basically incorporate more topical subjects and jokes into the show and assign plotlines to characters seemingly at random. Even the classic wit was drying up in favor of toilet humor that was below the intellectual standards the show declared for itself. The Simpsons became a glaring example of what happens when there’s nothing left to say, but you’re expected to keep talking.

However, loyal fans will tell you that something else shocking happened.

When The Simpsons Movie came out in the summer of 2007, the show was basically at an all time low. However, the movie signaled a positive change. The movie scored a very impressive 90% on the review site Rotten Tomatoes. The animation was markedly different, and the film relied on dry wit that was a trademark of the older seasons. The show very soon after took its cues from the movie. The show updated the intro in 2009, the animation became far more vivid (similar to the movie), and the show began to provide ample wit as well.

The show still suffers from its insistence on toilet humor, as well as characters that have become overdone. However there is satisfaction among the stalwart fans that the show keeps chugging, especially now that the show is staying true to its roots in dry humor.

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