The Simpsons: 25 Years in Decline

The Simpsons has been in decline for decades. The Simpsons used to be the greatest animated tv show on television... but over the last three decades, the show has declined in quality and viewership. In this video, which is an opinion piece. I examine why 'The Simpsons' is subjectively not as funny as it used to be. In 2020, the jokes are less relatable and not a part of the plot. They have no meaning. Shows like South Park used to struggle to create storylines that were not copying 'The Simpsons', and Seth MacFarlane shows like 'Family Guy' and 'American Dad' were criticized for copying 'The Simpsons', as the original writers were so talented. But I demonstrate examples of how 'The Simpsons' is actually mimicking the style and jokes of other tv series now.
PATREON: / justanobservation
FAIR USE NOTICE:
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made "fair use" for the purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research.
Episodes analyzed:
S6e12: Homer the Great
S6e18: A Star is Burns
S31e1: The Winter of our Monetized Content
S32e2: Undercover Burns
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:14 Pacing
2:48 No Rhythm to Comedy
4:29 No Meaning
7:00 Character Motivation
8:33 Copying Family Guy
9:55 Simpsons Music
10:32 Too Many Characters
11:48 Family Guy Crossover
Music:
‘BeeyornandRaysd' by Noir Et Blanc Vie
‘Blue Danube’ by Strauss
‘Gymnopedie no1’ by Satie
#thesimpsons #familyguy #sethmacfarlane

[@ResiZocker]

A youtuber named "Hados" stole your video and translated it into German (claiming that he did all the research himself). The video is called "Der Grund wieso die Simpsons schlecht wurden".

[@JustanObservation]

Thank you! I saw it now and it's word for word the same as my script. Crazy

[@hww3136]

@@JustanObservation wouldnt even be the first time he did something like that lol

[@JustanObservation]

@@hww3136 yeah I’d suspect his entire channel is stealing peoples scripts and translating them to German as if he wrote them. It would be weird to randomly do it once.

[@hww3136]

@@JustanObservation not sure, I quickly checked some of his videos but couldnt find any more evidence, maybe you'd have to look a bit deeper into it. At least he also has some videos specifically about german TV broadcasters where there is no way it's stolen I guess, much easier to get away with it if the original is in a different language and therefore surrounded by a (completely) different community. The only other video thats kinda stolen is his video about why spongebob was such a good show, at least he linked the original, but yeah that doesn't make the whole situation better, seeing some unsuspecting commentors praising him for the video instead of praising you, and he's just replying like "thank you!"

[@hww3136]

@@JustanObservation oh wow, I think he even deleted your comment now, at least I cant find it anymore

[@TheMrFabian1]

I think Barney said it best: "Don't cry for me. I'm already dead."

[@walterwhite8477]

Don't cry for me, the show is already dead

[@MansakeLabsOfficial]

For a split second my brain thought you were talking about Barney the Dinosaur. So now I'm imagining Barney the Dinosaur say: "Don't cry for me; I'm already dead." I just wanted to thank you for that.

[@Skybound.]

@@MansakeLabsOfficial ...

[@TUGamerTM]

@@MansakeLabsOfficial glad I'm not the only one!

[@The_Moe_Szyslak_Exp_feat_Homer]

There's a line in Othello about the Simpsons: "Now a sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a beast." That pretty well covers it.

[@rejectedkermit1220]

I'm glad Futurama ended rather than going down the same route as The Simpsons. Edit: I stand corrected 🙃

[@joedee9811]

Yea...too bad it ended twice. The second run on comedy central and the 4 movies were nowhere near as good as the first four seasons.

[@flynick]

Yep, but really the Simpsons ended when the writers moved on to make Futurama..

[@devforfun5618]

at this point Simpsons just keep going to maintain the record of longest running tv show

[@flynick]

@@devforfun5618 yea zombies are hard to kill

[@kimgkomg]

@@joedee9811 Is that an unpopular opinion? I always thought the same, but I've never heard it before from anyone else.

[@BloggerMusicMan]

If The Simpsons ended its run in 2000, I think it would be remembered today as one of the greatest shows in the history of American television.

[@tricko8000]

Nah, it should have ended after Season 8 (1997)

[@GlipGlig]

It is still remembered as one of the greatest shows ever made.

[@LessGo7921]

I’d say even mid 2000’s it still could’ve been. But by the time they almost got to the 2010’s, it became bad

[@monke12354]

It still is, regardless if its newest seasons lol

[@micahjohnsonboxing6409]

I thought it was good until around season 15. That would have been perfect.

[@mrbigblox6646]

I think a person on Reddit put it best. (I’m paraphrasing here) “Watching a show gradually decline in quality like The Simpsons is like seeing a family member with dimentia. You can see glimpses of who they used to be, but they’re never there for more than a moment…” This analogy is so sad and yet fits so well.

[@rosiehawtrey]

Not really - dementia only lasts three years or so - I speak from personal experience..

[@suspiciousstar7547]

@@rosiehawtrey Dementia can last longer. My great-grandma has had it for about 5 years.

[@rosiehawtrey]

@@suspiciousstar7547 It does depend on the variant someone has and we'll probably find out it also depends on their genetics as well. I think they'll also find that there's a sub clinical process going on for years/decades before.

[@ZackGarcia-ci2by]

Damn that is ... sad yet true

[@cherubry]

As someone who had a grandparent with dementia and couldn't see her for the last few years of her life because it was too painful... it's a good analogy.

[@Kanbei11]

I sometimes wonder how long modern Simpsons would have lasted without the legacy of classic Simpsons.

[@RyanSellman1]

Not very long. Like 10 episodes, then cancellation.

[@isaacboampong4951]

@@elgatochurro the new simpsons is not leftist

[@guillemtb1671]

@@elgatochurro Old Simpsons: Police is corrupt by definition. We should have more strict gun control. New Simpsons: Hello, Mr. Elon Musk. Let me lick your boot. But yeah, sure, new Simpsons is "leftist crap".

[@SENATORPAIN1]

I guess it wouldn't have existed at all?

[@Kanbei11]

@@guillemtb1671 Ignore him, that guy probably thinks the Nazis were leftists because they had socialist in the name.

[@OnnaNiSacheAre]

Something that bothers me is that The Simpsons now have EVERYTHING. Before, they were a middle class family who struggled with money, so they couldn't afford everything (Lisa's sax or diary, travels, ac, etc). That was more real and made you emphatize with Homer. Now they have everything, last generation technology, and they travel around the wolrd like its just a stroll in the park. Before, when they needed to go overseas, we could se the progression of how it went, and I remember I loved the "The Simpons are going to ____!" episodes! Now, they are like "Im dying, I want to buy a bar in Ireland" and boom, the fly and BUY the bar... with what money? It doesn't make any sense, they are not a relatable family, and they are now just a fictional cartoon family that has everything.

[@BBWahoo]

it's the privileged writers just shamelessly pulling stuff from their own lives in the most blatant way possible without any nuance or interest, just cheap gags for cheap viewers, and now you realize that episodes not only reflect the quality of the project but the PEOPLE behind it.

[@MsZsc]

Reminds me of the powerpuff girls reboot’s writer who just literally did self insert

[@BBWahoo]

@@MsZsc Imagine how awful the steven universe reboot will be in 20 years

[@mimiceagle2654]

It’s because homer is secretly rich Royalties from B sharps Insurance High paid jobs (astronaut)

[@MsZsc]

@@BBWahoo you think that knock off adventure time will even survive

[@tinkywinky1238]

1990s - The Simpsons is a family sitcom that happens to be a cartoon 2000s - The Simpsons is a cartoon that happens to star a family

[@austinreed7343]

2010s - The Simpsons is a sitcom that happens to star a cartoon family 2020s- The Simpsons, a sitcom of Disney, is a family cartoon that happens to star a product

[@alejandrogonzalez-castillo4293]

exactly

[@NateS917]

You literally said the same thing twice

[@gregoryporch8395]

​@@NateS917It speaks to a decline in quality.

[@pierreo33]

@@NateS917 You stupid?

[@nickchambers3935]

Another example of the “Homer laughing at something inane” gag is in Homer Goes to College. At his first lecture the professor tells a science related joke, and the whole class chuckles politely while Homer looks around utterly nonplussed. Then the professor drops his notes and Homer erupts into hysterics, continuing while everyone in the room slowly turns to look at him one by one. Like you said, it works because it actually has meaning within the story; it’s not just funny because Homer does something stupid, it’s funny because it shows how out of place he is

[@speedracer2008]

Exactly. There are consequences to Homer laughing at the misfortune and stupidity of people.

[@demonbre]

Hahaha look at that jerk! He dropped his notes!

[@user-zx7zr1jn4z]

And it's followed by him running outside chasing a squirrel. Classic Simpson with multiple jokes in one short segment.

[@MrTee-hw7mp]

The professor says, “I see a lot of new faces. But as they say-out with the old, in with the nucleus.”

[@andymcclurg9916]

This is a good comment, but it could be even better if you replaced "nonplussed" with "indifferent" or "unperturbed"

[@fodsaks]

The problem is, the Simpsons is such a television phenomena no one has the courage to cancel it.

[@SkippyLaughlin]

And as long as the original cast stays people will still watch. If they change then ratings will plummet

[@libbyallen2566]

that's probably it

[@micahjohnsonboxing6409]

@@SkippyLaughlin Dr. Hibbert voice has changed, not sure people care.

[@cortomaltese5206]

They arent. No one watches the show anymore. At the same time, more watched shows are cancelled. I have this theory as to why. Simpsons merch and the older seasons SELL. By continuing to make seasons, the show stays more relevant and isnt seen as something of the past, wich could impact the sales. Its a wierd state, but the show is just an extra to sell shirts and stuff. And since it still has audience and its somewhat cheap to make, it doesnt cost much. Again, just a theory.

[@eatatjoes6751]

The irony is I don't even think there's merch outside of Universal's park anymore. Like, no one maintained the Simpsons area of it since the movie and no one cares, so who is it for, anyway?

[@Ginjitzu]

I'm sceptical there even are writers. A lot of modern Simpsons comes across as something written by an AI algorithm.

[@dredwick]

Its just a bunch of gags written by a team of writers, and they are all smashed together without any storyboarding. Its even worse than Family Guy... at least Family Guy has some episode storylines. South Park is trying hard to stay away from that fate, as they have season story lines. But you could take all of the Simpsons post 2000 (ignoring the art of course) and all the Family Guy post 2012 (not ignoring the artwork) and (ignoring references to Trump) put them in a bin and you would have no idea which episode goes with which season.

[@tehmodestmouse6275]

Dolphin, choosing random balls, of course.

[@redacted2275]

Nah... the current writers are that bad in entertainment today. I wish you were right, though, it would be less disappointing.

[@adrianinha19]

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. OG Simpsons had a sort of method to the madness, now is just madness...and a very boring one at that

[@Lion7802]

@@tehmodestmouse6275 I understood that reference

[@dylanchadderton1]

For me the Simpsons died on February 13, 2000. The episode "Alone Again, Natura-Diddly" was the mark of a noticeable shift in comedy and story telling. There was a different voice actor for Maude that episode and it looked like they killed her off quickly because of that. That whole season something felt off and ever since then it went downhill with every subsequent season.

[@razkable]

You can tell once the 90's ended and Futurama Family Guy started and peak South Park King of the Hill as well began that the Simpsons kinda lost their footing and tried to be more like those shows which were made to be counters to the Simpsons ironically

[@NothingBesideRemains]

As well, Futurama premiered March 28, 1999, a mere year earlier. A lot of key staff worked on Futurama instead and you'll find you can backtrack the year between this date and your date and not miss out on any great episodes. For me the jump the shark episode is when Homer kills Grimes. Super tone shift. Homer's no longer dumb, he's borderline insane and immoral.

[@lukeharrison2507]

Seinfeld: "A good showman always bows out while he's still on top". The Simpsons: "Let's just keep pumping out seasons until one of our main cast members dies of old age."

[@Whiteboykun]

Marshall wallace, while not a main cast member, did die a few years ago

[@thefractured_butwhole]

Russi Taylor (Martin) has died.

[@FolgoreCZ]

@@thefractured_butwhole Obviously he ment (and even said) one of the MAIN cast members. Meaning one of the "big six" i.e.: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer. When one of them is out, the suffering will finally be over. Both Marcia Wallace and Russi Taylor were "only" supporting cast, so their deaths could have been worked around. Along with Phil Hartman, who aslo died and wasn't mentioned yet.

[@seththomas9105]

@@FolgoreCZ Phil Hartman is dearly missed, his characters added so much to Golden Age Simpsons.

[@Octoberfurst]

Well that's the problem. They should have ended the series years ago before it got stale. Now they are running on empty but are still hanging in there. It is just like Happy Days. That program was on air way too long. They even had the infamous "Jump the shark" episode which has become a term for a program that has run out of new ideas and started doing insipid episodes.

[@consciousiota2161]

It's so bizarre seeing a 90's show promoting 2020 culture. I guess they're trying to appeal to the kids, but it just looks like the show has gone through a time warp.

[@mr.vidjagamez9896]

should have just appealed to the fans who were watching it while maintaining some type of quality and let those who do find the show entertaining start watching on their own, rather then trying to appeal to an entire new fanbase

[@bowmaj8666]

Agreed! There's something about watching Simpsons characters playing on a video game console that resembles an Atari 2600, then years later watching them playing a console like the Nintendo Wii that just doesn't feel right to me. It's like seeing a teenage Fonzie using a smartphone.

[@IDHLEB]

@@leojs5673 Imagine attacking people over a dead TV series.

[@Daneki]

This is best summed up by seeing Bart lazing on the sofa with a smartphone. i can't accept this image.

[@consciousiota2161]

@@Daneki Or that viral video episode.

[@SSJfraz]

The show went from coherent plot lines with often a perfect blend of dark, mocking and relatable humour to basically chasing internet meme status. Every scene has become a cheap desperate attempt to go "viral", as opposed to doing what the Simpsons used to do best.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Nam. Memes are much funnier than anything the Simpsons has put out in the last 20 years.

[@PiglipsMaximus]

Memes and internet comedy is Z list comedy. Its cheap easy and cringe if somebody throws an internet meme at you in real life...like dude save it for the phone its not actually funny in real life

[@Dandy-Man]

@@PiglipsMaximusI’ve been trying to find a way to say this for SO DAMN LONG. Thank you for putting my thoughts into words

[@LegatoSkyheart]

"Quality Smality, If I had a TV show I'd run that sucker into the ground." - Bart Simpson 1992.

[@razkable]

That was 30 years ago

[@leesimmons5453]

Most prophetic thing ever said on that show.

[@VideoGameMasters09]

Not gonna lie, back in the 90's I would have never have guessed we'd be in 2021 still getting new Simpsons episodes.

[@Dratchev241]

yeah no shit. I figured it been canceled around 2000. since a lot of stuff that came on air in 1989-1990 was going off air or already off by 2000.

[@ItachiUchiha_1724]

@@Dratchev241 the simpsons contract with fox was made till 2070 Unless the contract becomes void The simpsons will be here for a while

[@riatorex8722]

@@ItachiUchiha_1724 Or maybe until every single one of the VA or Matt Groening himself dies

[@justinran1693]

Meanwhile in 2070: season 175 episode 134: Homer Eats Pasta

[@swinelias]

@@riatorex8722 the more probable outcome, for better or worse.

[@justinjoseph6966]

Was a hardcore fan of the show since I was a teenager and tried to hang on when it started going downhill, but after Lisa Goes Gaga, I was done. A few weeks ago I actually watched a new episode for the first time in years about Comic Book Guy not wanting to have kids and giving the backstory as to why and thought it was absolutely horrible, which made me sad because Comic Book Guy was always one of my favorite characters. Funny thing is, Bart and Homer kinda foretold the show’s eventual decline when they did their little tribute to The Cosby Show when Homer tells Bart that Cosby wanted to end the show before the quality declined to which Bart replied, “Quality shmality, if I had a TV show, I’d run it straight into the ground!”, to which Homer replied, “Amen, son! Amen!” They were so bloody brilliant back then!

[@CorazonMexica]

The concept of CBG married simply doesn't work in my opinion. It would be okay if at least they did it better, but the Japanese girl doesn't even feel like a real character to make it seem justified. She feels more like how a western guy wants in a Japanese girl, instead of more a human being who happens to be Japanese.

[@Jvnet10]

@@CorazonMexica God, same. Honestly I can't believe the writers rushed what could have better worked as a small story arc into a single episode. Her character feels like a cardboard cutout whose entire personality is to display and/or parrot some basic level japanese trivia to the viewer. Very disappointing for a show that used to be so clever in its writing and humor.

[@abhay17381]

I watched Lisa Goes Gaga just a few days ago and it was such a battle to get through the episode. I could barely finish it over 3 days.

[@PinClockFuntime]

@@CorazonMexica it isn't earned, just another one of those "we don't want our characters to be lonely :(" thing so she's poofed into existence to marry CBG, rather than it be something that's earned, and she's just an accessory to him.

[@PinClockFuntime]

@ghost mall not only that but she's also a mangaka who's quickly fascinated by him because....the writers want him to have a girl and no reason with any of the punch old simpsons would have, because they'd know this plot is awful.

[@profoundment1636]

This man says it the best. Unironically, in the episode "A Star is Burns" Bart says," uh oh I smell a cheap cartoon crossover" in response to the Flintstones meet the Jetsons. Little did he know that he would meet the same fate.

[@FireMarshallStev]

Bart's line is intentionally ironic. Literally the next line is Homer introducing Jay Sherman, a crossover character from "The Critic."

[@Jordannadroj20]

Never heard of The Critic?

[@supaskiltz9877]

@@Jordannadroj20no one did, it’s why it got canceled and had a crossover with the Simpsons lol Jay Sherman is 100% more known as a 1 off Simpsons character then a main character from his own show

[@thenintendogamingchannel5519]

Here’s one thing that really makes me angry: Ever since season 10, Homer has become a selfish jerk. Modern Simpsons episodes have Homer do mean things with little guilt just to get a cheap laugh out of the viewer. This problem, as well as many other problems, were solved in The Simpsons movie. Homer learned a lesson in that movie, and the humor felt like a classic Simpsons episode. Despite that, the writers made Homer a jerk again after the movie, and continued with the formulaic plots

[@grantc61]

Yes, and I remember seeing an episode around season 15 where Homer actually hit Marge - I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I've never watched the show since. Homer is a complete jerk now, whereas he used to be a foolish but loving parent.

[@nooblord1233]

@@grantc61 which episode was it?

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

@ghost mall Much like Spongebob, both Bikini Bottom and Springfield could have ended on their respective movies in 2004 and 2007 with legacies. Instead, they dragged on longer and both couldn't survive the 2010's though I can give Spongebob some credit since I hear from fans that Bikini Bottom didnt upgrade to 2010's technology such as iPads and tablets using internet talk. They seemed to remain in their 2000s way of living

[@ohmeohmicah]

yeah they didn't upgrade to any new technology or slang but god it only takes one look at the new spongebob eps to see that spongebob seriously went downhill compared to how it used to be

[@MS-ns2pj]

Homer was a great deal meaner in earlier seasons. This is especially true with Ned Flanders.

[@NakedSnake85]

First thing about The new Simpsons that sucks is the animation style. So cold and sterile, no heart.

[@djm5687]

There was a certain "warmth" with cell animation that can't be copied with CGI. However, CGI is cheaper than cell animation m

[@wavefront9221]

The problem with the new digital style is that it destroyed the lo-fi cartoon quality that classic Simpsons had. The rough design was important to the humor of the show because it created a bizarre facsimile of America. The clean lines and perfect layouts of modern Simpsons don’t convey any kind of satire or expression, they’re just dull and sterile.

[@DarkReptilian]

The animation alone shouldn't be blamed though, it's mostly the hows and whys it is applied. Old school animation was costly in time and money, this pressure created a demand for effort and skill that, accompanied with that time's good writing, made it's details "embiggen" the show's quality as it went side by side with the writing effort. The modern animation though allows for much easier animating, a godsend of technology that allows to do more with less, the issue of it comes with the fact that the writing it accompanies isn't as great, so it could be seen more of a cheapening of the production rather than improvement of the cartoon. The scenarios and characters are more detailed, this is undeniable, but at the same time it reminds me of triple A games, it's fancy looking but in it's core it is meh at best.

[@valtersplume3726]

I hate you. I hate everyone who thinks that the current animation style sucks.

[@archetypealch3my290]

@@valtersplume3726 the current animation style is absolute GARBAGE ! You’re garbage for liking it

[@Halfstar3]

It's true. At one point the Simpsons was arguably the best show ever made. Consistently brilliant. Now it's just a hollow shell of it's former self, limping on. I had a friend who visited the writers on the Simpsons a few years back. He told me none of them cared, and apparently he interviewed some of the cast members, one in particular told him (off the record) that he used to challenge the writing staff over some of the jokes, pointing out things like "But Ned Flanders would never say that" etc. The writers apparently replied with "but it's funny" or "but we need him to say that to set up the joke." After continued unheeded protests, the cast just stopped caring too. Now apparently, they just read the lines that are given to them and go home. Sad.

[@gallibon1319]

Depressing.

[@anttam117]

Look at it this way: The Simpsons has had a long series run of 33 seasons, with the very first episode airing back in late December of 1989. That means that in a couple of weeks time, this show will turn 32 years. 32 years on the air. Now, it seems to be a universally agreed truth that the series saw a stark decline in quality and content between the middle of seasons 9 and 10, and started its slow decline by the beginning of season 11. The “Golden Era” of the series is estimated to be somewhere between seasons 3 and 8 (or 4 and 8, depending on who you ask), while not obviating the merits and good humor of the first two seasons. With season 1 launching on may 1990 and season 10 ending on may of 1999, we are talking about nine years worth of good, quality material. A little less if you exclude most of season 10’s crude. Nine years of quality. 9 out of 32. That’s, what, a little more than 28% of the entire show’s run? That looks bad on anything. We’re talking about a TV series that, despite the greatness of its early years, has been a bad, unfunny and derivative show for the majority of its life. This thing should have been cancelled back in 1999.

[@patrickdoherty4527]

Couldn't agree more.

[@CorazonMexica]

Well said.

[@tricko8000]

8 years of quality* Season 9 is fucking garbage

[@somebodyoncerolledme7211]

@@tricko8000 Season 9 is arguably the last Golden Age season, I don't know what you're talking about. It was the last season with the charm and emotion of the golden age episodes where Mike Scully began transitioning the show to a solid blend between wacky humor and the charm I was talking about with assistance from long time writers.That was before Mike Scully just seemed to ignore the other writers and do whatever shit he wanted from season 10

[@micjimster4845]

It confuses me how the Simpsons is even still seen as the best show on television it was only good for like 9 years it's been mediocre to absolute garbage for 24 years you would think with that track record the show would be university hated yet shows like family guy were bad for only 10 to 15 years depending on who your asking but has a horrible reputation in the TV world.

[@Orkinetxegar]

For me one other thing that makes the "Homer laughing" joke work is thr context in the scene. In "a star is burns" he is the only one laughing in a full cinema filled with straight faced people. In the newer one is in his home with bart.

[@devforfun5618]

and he wasn't watching viral videos, he was supposed to be watching artistic movies

[@TheVodkaHaze]

Not to mention in one episode he laughs only for a few seconds, whereas in the other he laughs for 1 hour.

[@adultmoshifan87]

I got the DVD featuring A Star is Burns, Film Festival, for my 16th birthday all those years ago! I'm sure it's still in the loft somewhere...

[@MonsieurBiga]

@@devforfun5618 YES. This person gets it. The football one is a million times funnier, because it's a parody of the very first movies, where one stupid thing happened, and the name of the movie was a description of it. E.g. the arrival of a train in La Ciotat. The monkey one? Trying to be relatable to young people. "Hurr hurr viral videos amirite kids? The You Tube? Memes? Please laugh" Old Simpsons made you discover stuff, it didn't treat you like a moron

[@supersasukemaniac]

That's why I always loved Mystery Science Theater. Yes it was a comedy show, but the movies they riff on where actual movies that bombed on their first run. Imagine how weird/epic a MST episode where they riff on Star Wars would be if Star Wars had bombed?

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

At this point, I'm convinced nothing is going to cause The Simpsons to stop. They'll just keep going forever, even after every single original talent behind it dies or retires.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

@@vhsgeneration9065 Can't say I blame them, if I were stuck working for a show that's basically the living dead it'd probably take a tole on my sanity as well, knowing that nothing I do could get the show killed.

[@vhsgeneration9065]

@@JCBro-yg8vd Yeah, it's probably painful knowing you are part of destroying a show that is such a legacy. Wonder who actually has the power to stop it though.

[@JCBro-yg8vd]

@@vhsgeneration9065 No one, probably. Even if all the main voice actors were to retire or walk out tomorrow they'd just be replaced. Look at how they recast all of Russi Taylor's roles after her death, or how they just wrote out Mrs. Krepabla after her VA died.

[@vhsgeneration9065]

@@JCBro-yg8vd Maybe they could include something in one episode which simply forced the show into cancellation, maybe have Homer stranglig Lisa or something. It's probably possible to end it somehow but it won't be without blood. That's for sure.

[@atiyadavids4651]

@@vhsgeneration9065 whoa holy shit

[@Mr.Quixotic]

It honestly saddens me that a beloved show of my childhood that I used to watch with my family almost everyday and enjoyed it has gone down the drain. Ever since the new seasons became very unfunny, it seems like my family and I have forgotten all about the Simpsons. I have so many memories watching this show together with my family, it was great back then.

[@ulfrick11]

I watched it every day after school. I hate what it has become.

[@gameking3278]

I think the show started getting worse ever since they made the Simpsons movie. The movie was awful compared to older episodes, and it just kept getting worse from there. Instead of some heartfelt and funny moments and interesting stories it’s just stupid jokes that don’t make any sense and can get offensive.

[@PiglipsMaximus]

Channel 2 at 6pm in the UK. Now i wouldnt be caught watching the shit its so desperate

[@PiglipsMaximus]

​@@ulfrick11id rather watch bobs burgers and thats saying something

[@gameking3278]

@@PiglipsMaximus same. Also, I would rather watch King of the Hill which is also saying something. The only comedy shows I can think of that are worse than the Simpsons as of right now are Family Guy, the Cleveland show, and American dad.

[@Acolyte_501st]

Comedy is at its best when it’s well linked with a genuinely engaging story where you care about the characters.

[@razkable]

That's why season 1 was actually really iconic...each ep felt like a mini drama story that could be timeless and replayed as much as possible....there just happened to be comedy in there as well...season 1 will always be my favorite paced season...it's so dry and slow that you can fall asleep while watching it which is nice

[@catmerchant8699]

A good comedy should not need to stop telling the story to tell a joke- something the new season does.

[@NowhereMan7]

I think there is some truth that this generation cant sit still and watch something for more than 5 seconds unless it immediately pays off with loud noises and visual gags. They might as well make Simpsons tiktoks. The visual gags are unrelated to the story anyway so why not just make them direct to tiktok or youtube shorts. Its sad. I wish the show ended at the turn of the century.

[@Acolyte_501st]

@@NowhereMan7 That is true to an extent but to be fair it isn’t Gen Z that popularised Family Guy or The Simpsons..

[@NowhereMan7]

@@Acolyte_501st I was meaning that the writers of the Simpsons now must feel pressure to create immediate jokes rather than fully formed interwoven layered jokes like proper simpsons. Like even if they did make it better I dont think people these days would have the patience to watch. Its a moot point anyway as they will never make it better. I wish they ended it so much

[@monsterguyx6322]

It's hard to imagine now, but during the Simpsons' "golden age," we were amazed on a weekly basis that a TV show so consistently good could even exist. But it really has gone far past its prime and should end.

[@djm5687]

I think that "The Simpsons" coin still work for a few years if they stick to Halloween episodes, movie sequels, and an occasional "special". In other words, no more than 3 or 4 episodes per year.

[@YapyYap]

I think they lasted a long time. Seasons 2-9 were excellent. Seasons 10-16 were still good. Season 17 was meh and 18-19 rather bad. They go back to the slope with 20-22 but then got more and more bad.

[@worldcomicsreview354]

I remember being on a forum with a "what's your favourite TV show" thread, and it was like you didn't even need to say The Simpsons, as that was a given. And this was in 2000, so the slide was already starting (but old episodes were regularly repeated)

[@seththomas9105]

@@YapyYap Good call.

[@bewd4310]

@@YapyYap no it died at season 9-10. 2000s and onwards Simpsons is dreadful.

[@Vaguer_Weevil]

The differences are night and day when listening to the early Simpsons, a friend of mine put on the first few seasons while I was busy playing a videogame and I was just listening to them in the background. Their morals, their motivations, I never realised how fleshed out they were just hearing them interact with eachother without looking at the funny yellow cartoon characters. From that perspective I feel like that's also partially what's wrong with the show, they're just seen as funny yellow cartoon characters nowadays and aren't taken anywhere near as seriously as they used to be because of it. They've become the equivalent of fireworks, just flashy colours and obnoxious loud noises.

[@LordSluggo]

During the Golden Age, it was an animated sitcom. Now it's just a cartoon.

[@t.l.e.e.]

So they’re pretty much just minions for adults and older kids. Great going fox, you’re as bad as illumination studios.

[@sebastian.victor7461]

The difference between the older ones and news is night and day.

[@patrickdoherty4527]

It's sad to think that the bad totally outweighs the good at this point. I remember years back it would come on and I would say "aah, it's a new one." - That was about 17 years ago.

[@shuvrobasak5163]

Watching simpson's classic seasons (1-9) is one of the greatest experiences in my life.

[@AnAdorableWombat]

You have low expectations but that can be a good thing

[@razkable]

Simpsons even through season 12 is still funny...but seasons 1 through 8 are amazing

[@madgavin7568]

Season 9 was when The Simpsons started to decline. That horrible Skinner episode in particular.

[@leoh.6922]

Nowadays I can hardly smirk about the Simpsons. But whenever I watch an episode from the golden era I have to laugh all the time. The jokes were so clever and sophisticated in the earlier seasons. And even the charcters were more complex and heart-warming.

[@spankynater4242]

There was one episode where Lisa tells bart “I know you’ve known mom longer than I have, but…“. That right there was some hilarious stuff.

[@razkable]

I was watching the pie man episode from the later era and omg was it horrible...they just stopped caring...it makes you lose brain cells

[@gameking3278]

@@razkable I saw an episode that was described as “Abe Simpson gets scammed by a con artist, and the Simpsons family tries to help him“. I decided never to watch the show again after that. Basically, Abe gets tricked into thinking Bart has been kidnapped and will die if Abe doesn’t pay these people $10,000. He doesn’t realize it’s a scam until after giving these people the money. The entire family manages to track down the building where these people operate, but even after the cops show up they don’t get arrested and Abe never gets his money back. The building gets shut down, but the criminals get to walk away without any charges.

[@purplehaze2358]

This show isn’t just on life support, it’s dead and reanimated.

[@zamsaraguth]

Pun intended?

[@Amy-si8gq]

its just a shell now....

[@miltonmilton5695]

That is why the veteran fandom calls it 'Zombie Simpsons'.

[@mooing7326]

The best analogy I heard was comparing it to an elderly relative with dementia. Really emphasises the tragedy involved in watching a new episode and realising its forgetten who it is.

[@cnlbenmc]

Yet another thing that Dr. Bright shouldn't have been allowed to interact with...

[@anonymoustipster202]

What frustrates me the most about modern Simpsons is that its turned from something I love to something I roll my eyes at when people defend it compared to other shows.

[@WhatIsMatter101]

The best episodes of Simpsons are the ones with a good short set up at the beginning that had nothing to do with the main story but sets up the whole episode just as well.

[@edgargaebolg9307]

After seeing how Nickelodeon shitted on Stephen Hillenburg's tomb and used Spongebob Squarepants to wipe its ass, I'm afraid The Simpsons won't be put down even if Matt Groening or the main cast dies

[@Lumber8967]

Well, Matt Groening is totally okay with what they’ve done to the Simpsons. He doesn’t care, he’s just rolling in the moolah dude.

[@haikat4]

@@Lumber8967 Groening was personal friends with Jeff Epstein and took trips to his little island. I think that speaks for itself.

[@gak1146]

@@haikat4 Careful the normies cant take that much information at once. i hate the word normies but nothing else to describe them as.

[@khdvhdv6435]

@@gak1146 your so edgy and unique man

[@jackanderson2733]

@@gak1146 cringe

[@bryandummett8966]

I’m 40 and grew up with the Simpsons. Seasons 1-10 will forever be a part of my life. The reason it’s not the same anymore, and never will be again, is simply because it’s been on too long.

[@torstenscholz6243]

South Park is on the air for 24 years now, too, and is still good though.

[@bencarroll6885]

@@torstenscholz6243 Certainly is but then there's nobody else like Trey Parker and Matt Stone.

[@bencarroll6885]

@@torstenscholz6243 Apart from South Park, the one other adult cartoon I still follow is American Dad. I am more attached to it than either King of the Hill or Futurama, two other shows on the ''Animated But Underrated'' List.

[@bryandummett8966]

@@torstenscholz6243 That's because Matt and Trey still have complete creative control.

[@bencarroll6885]

@@bryandummett8966 Exactly yes and here's another fact: Simpsons and Family Guy fans are not allowed to like South Park and American Dad. You can't like all four.

[@t221000]

For me the biggest reason for its decline is the reason you stated at the end. Once they had Alec Baldwin, Kim Basigner, and Ron Howard guest star as themselves the show stopped satirizing Hollywood, pop culture and politicians and instead were a part of it by having countless celebrities guest start or in some cases politicians guest star often as themselves and it wasn't to satirize them. The worst example of this was an episode in 2010 I think where Michelle Obama played herself and she made Lisa feel better about herself. That's a plot that makes no sense. The last episode I saw had the entire cast of "Girls" guest starring and it was a terrible plot.

[@suarezguy]

Some celebrity guest stars still did make fun of themselves, though, and even if they didn't still were funny.

[@c.moriarty1178]

By that Baldwin episode they were fully into the Scully era and any remnants of the Oakley-Weinstein writing that left after Season 8 were gone. Seasons 9 and 10 were really the end of the golden era, in my opinion. Phil Hartman's final episodes aired, Futurama premiered, the '90s drew to a close. I think the first eight seasons are untouchable, but if it had ended after Seasons 9 or 10, its legacy would have still been practically perfect. Much like Seinfeld, which declined after Larry David left but still went out "on top" despite the wackiness of the final two seasons

[@jasonkyleadams7577]

Totally unrelated, but when I watch some of these "downfall of the Simpsons" documentaries and the creators compile footage spanning decades, a part of me misses the old-school style of hand-drawn animation. It was low resolution, fuzzy and it feels like each frame has depth. It's a sharp contrast to the newer (ala computer-generated) animation where the backgrounds, the sets, the background characters, and the foreground characters are all sharp and in focus.

[@danielw2712]

100%, the old animation is the primary reason why i miss the original series. it's the technology that fundamentally changed everything, the poor writing & pandering to tiktok generation is the byproduct of that. we should have stayed with the hand-drawn animation...

[@TheDahaka1]

I first caught on to this "copying" trend when Marge, with no reason, mispronounced the word "wind", saying that she only ever saw the word written. That was from Family Guy, said by Carter Pewterschmidt, a secondary character that we don't see much but is rich, old and detached from reality enough to make us actually believe he never heard the word "wind" from anyone before. In which world would an average housewife, with kids that like to play outside, not know how you pronounce the word wind? That was the day I realized that Family Guy put more effort in their jokes than that season of the Simpsons, and the decline hasn't stopped.

[@TheDragonman104]

I do agree with your statement that the joke made more sense in Family Guy but I think the Simpsons were the ones who did that joke first. The Simpsons one came from a treehouse of horror episode where Homer became the grim reaper The Family Guy one came from an episode where Peter found out Carter was having an affair.

[@TheDahaka1]

@@TheDragonman104 I just checked and you're right. The Simpsons episode is from 2004 while the Family Guy one is from 2010. I guess I remembered incorrectly because I was already checked out with the Simpsons long before that episode, so I watched it way after the other one XD

[@grindingshiba]

My man carter smart af🤝

[@micjimster4845]

@@TheDahaka1 still your kinda not wrong the Simpsons characters now feel like family guys parody of the characters especially homer he's not as bad as Peter yet but boy is he getting close not to mention for a brief time though season 25-26 they were doing these weird family guy cutaway gags wannabes

[@ecko1922]

Real question. Who watches the simpsons anymore ? I mean like who really tunes in on Sundays to watch the new episode? How is show still on the air?

[@Ometecuhtli]

@Okay Okay Yes but I think they're being censored.

[@flowerdagoat]

I still enjoy watching the older seasons because the new ones are unbearable but yea, My family has a lot of dvds so there’s some seasons that I just watch from time to time

[@greenekj6]

It still has its dedicated fans.....that are probably *too* dedicated.

[@JoseGomez-zy5ih]

@Okay Okay I don’t know if it’s something from the service here in Colombia🇨🇴 , but the only seasons available are the last teo

[@ironicmanx9886]

I still watch Simpsons sometimes but the older ones. They just show the episodes up to season 19 and the most golden seasons 5-14.

[@Drozey710]

When it comes to nostalgia I don't get excited anymore, I've accepted the fact that all the original minds behind the shows, movies, and video games I loved just aren't there anymore.

[@prowthegamer]

“You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

[@l.salisbury1253]

"The guy who watched 'The Simpsons' back in 1994 Who won't admit the damn thing isn't funny anymore!" -Stewie Griffin

[@brittasnow64]

and that episode aired in 2006 lmao

[@smokesletsgo2374]

The show was good when it was about the every day life of the family and townspeople like Moe, Krusty, Lenny, Chief Wiggum, etc. Now it's just celebrities everywhere and stupid pop culture bullshit. It was supposed to be about the regular all-American family in an American town, normal people don't encounter movie stars and rock bands every day of their lives. It's ridiculous

[@anxietyfox4322]

This is something that really gets on my nerves too. Every episode seems to have a celebrity of some kind, or a band, or someone else famous. And all of them are introduced with a glowing speech about how famous and amazing they are, and why everyone should be impressed. Nobody meets so many celebrities on a daily basis, and its annoying how instead of parodying them they're celebrated and praised. Remember the episode when Burns packs his softball team with baseball pros? All of them suffer some horrible fate, and all the nuclear plant workers just treat them with disdain for taking their spot on the team. They work in the story for a purpose, instead of the show being used as a commercial for them. Michael Jackson appeared as a mentally ill guy in a mental ward who thought he was Jackson. The difference between a funny joke and pointlessly worshipping celebrities is just.. ugh.

[@smokesletsgo2374]

@@anxietyfox4322 Another thought I had when watching old episodes, was Homer was more like Fred Flintstone when the show was good. Now he's like Peter Griffin, and it sucks so hard

[@christopherwebb3517]

As far as the pop culture angle is concerned, I think they hit rock bottom with the Lady Gaga episode. The whole thing was just a 22 minute commercial for Lady Gaga. The audience kept waiting for a punchline that never came.

[@MrRyan-wu4jx]

It’s been constant star studded cameos since like season 2 though, the difference was they didn’t use to be focal points of episodes.

[@Ttegegg]

@@MrRyan-wu4jx gravel time

[@KingYou2002]

My thoughts on The Simpsons: Seasons 1-9: Amazing (The Golden Age of The Simpsons. Out of 203 episodes, there is only 1 episode I consider to be bad and no, clip shows don't count) Seasons 10-13: Good (While there are horrible episodes in the rest of the scully era like Kill the Alligator and Run, Homer Simpson in: Kidney Trouble and Bye, Bye Nerdie, most of the episodes are a net positive) Seasons 14-19: Okay (The teen seasons can feel pretty a bit bland and lukewarm but there are some hidden gems though. An overall mixed bag). Seasons 20-25: Bad (When it's not having horrible episodes, it's mostly painfully boooorrrriiinnnggg) Seasons 26-33: Terrible (Fucking end it already, This show is just garbage now and will never be good again)

[@rickydiscord7671]

family guy's basically the same in this level. yeah it has different humor but has the same family idea as the simpsons. at 1st it was ok the humor is ok not over the top. but as every 3 seasons pass by it just gone down hill. I liked it the way it was not what it is now. both have the same issue and it's sad. and dumb people that watches all the new seasons and be all like "that's what it always ways." "watch the older seasons and try saying that again."

[@homersimpson6585]

as someone who used to be a diehard simpsons fan I totally agree, the reason why I saw around 30 seasons is because I was thinking "i'm past the point of no return" but I just can't fucking watch it, its just unwatchable. from season 1 to season 19 it was a great show they had some terrible episodes but mostly were great, 20-25 was kinda bad but not terrible but after that I forced myself to watch those seasons and I couldn't go passed season 30 from how terrible it was

[@KingYou2002]

@@homersimpson6585 You're more nicer towards the teen seasons than I am. For me, Season 19 undoubtedly begins Zombie Simpsons, or at the very least after Eternal Moonshine of the Simpson Mind. That episode was the last perfect outing for the series.

[@homersimpson6585]

@@KingYou2002 honestly season 17-19 where I remember seeing more terrible episodes but not bad compared to the ones made now, but season 16 doesn’t get enough love imo I actually loved this season one of my favorites tbh I guess season 10 and after doesn’t get enough love because we set our standards so high,but yeah the seasons after 19 imo just wasn’t that good

[@rongeojohns7906]

Yes they need to end it already they haven’t nothing else to prove.

[@Shorty_Lickens]

I was born in 1979. I grew up with the simpsons. I remember the Christmas special in 1989, which was genuinely funny. And I remember when it was picked up as a regular series for spring of 1990. It marked a complete shift in the television landscape at the time. But when I was 11 I didn't know about all that. All I knew was it made me laugh and it made me smile. And considering I would later find out I had depression at the time, it was probably a lifesaver for me and some other kids of the Worst Generation. I also remember it becoming boring around season 7, and after that god awful Skinner episode of season 9, I checked out emotionally. Wish it had died and Futurama had taken over. Now its a zombie. Been a zombie for about 23 years. And that makes me sad. I wonder what show, if any, the kids today consider special and significant. I just watched Season 34, episode 18 and holy sweet jesus is it ever terrible. Not one joke and mostly annoying to watch. Fun Fact: Marge Versus The Monorail is still the highest rated episode of the whole series. It was written by Conan O'Brien.

[@HelderGriff]

A la grande le puse cuca

[@HelderGriff]

I think you have the same age as Bart

[@Shorty_Lickens]

@@HelderGriffYeah about that. In one early season they mention he was born in 1980.

[@dirrdevil]

This is a very good contrast of classic Simpsons with the modern imitation. This is much better than just saying the old stuff sucks; you really articulate your points and demonstrate the differences.

[@JustanObservation]

Thanks man!

[@suarezguy]

The show was doing very concept-based episodes even its very good years as well, though.

[@dugoose777]

I feel bad for the voice actors, they lived through voicing funny, relatable, emotional people and had to watch as their characters changed into yellow husks with minimal personality

[@dugoose777]

@Greg Elchert yeah it's probably good money, considering they are voice acting for some of the most iconic television characters ever made

[@austinreed7343]

@Alex Wells Unless said ethnicity is Scottish, Italian, German, or even Jewish...

[@azuralmusic]

If they didn't want to do it they wouldn't - wheelbarrows of money for reading short bits of dialogue is a good deal

[@dejazO0]

lol you think they care all they care is about paycheck 😂

[@qewbe]

You do know they can just stop voice acting them

[@idkidk2935]

You know a show is amazing when the only criticism southpark had about it is that it did everything

[@mydogsnameislucy768]

Homer and Bart being influencers is just.. depressing.

[@charlesburns7391]

Every new episode is just an ad for someone\something\someplace

[@sonial1839]

The Simpsons were a 90s product and that's how they should have stayed. Started with the decade and ended with it. Seeing them using uber, internet, smartphones and satellites was going to be uncomfortable. And sure it was. They also tried hard to become rawer in order to compete with other crude series. It was a total mess

[@digits8490]

100%, the 90s aspect and setting kept it nostalgic and pure. I don’t wanna watch parodies of dreadful modern day apps and devices, its just cringe

[@Thomasmemoryscentral]

Basically The Simpsons like many other shows of the late 20th century suffered greatly in the 2010's because now you're having them resort to the new fancy technology and talking in internet talk so out of character that they're parodies of themselves

[@mfbias4048]

Amazing observation about the 90’s

[@caspar_gomez]

you know, if they just kept them stuck in the 90s (I mean they don't age anyway) while continuing to run, it might have been better, nostalgic even

[@mfbias4048]

@@caspar_gomez That would have been a great idea, but the show ran out of script ideas so it needs current celebrities, culture and technology to give it blood (not that it is good)

[@claudevandog]

I'm gonna say it... The Simpsons at its peak was far better than peak Family Guy, but modern Family Guy is better than modern Simpsons. Both shows are mainly just a hollow collection of gags at this point, but Family Guy at least seems a bit more self aware, like they know they're past their prime too, while The Simpsons just seems like a zombie of a show.

[@circleinforthecube5170]

"The Simpsons at its peak was far better than peak Family Guy," I don't know about that dude thats pretty subjective

[@claudevandog]

@@circleinforthecube5170 Obviously that part is, the point of my comment was the 2nd half, not everyone will agree but modern Family Guy is way better than modern Simpsons. Family guy still at least has the occasional creative idea, like the emmy winning episode was kinda funny

[@circleinforthecube5170]

@@claudevandog yeah personally i think both shows should have ended after the tenth season

[@nickrustyson8124]

@@circleinforthecube5170 Family Guy should've ended at their 8th, and The Simpsons should've ended at the movie

[@pokinsmot]

@@nickrustyson8124 the movie should have happened a looooong time before it did. Season 12 at the very latest.

[@Knightmessenger]

When I first saw Family Guy, I thought it was a Simpson's ripoff like everyone else with less compelling storylines and dumb jokes that were simply random. But I think it has done a better job of sticking to its identity, and being self aware about it. The Simpson's was a show meant to be taken a little more seriously and seems to be trying to hard to get noticed, even if it goes out of character.

[@itellyouforfree7238]

Family Guy has an excellent formula and it works. It's much better than The Simpsons even at their peak

[@supaskiltz9877]

Family guy shifted hard as well just like the Simpsons, it just happened a lot earlier so it’s less noticeable but there’s big reason to why people say the first 3 seasons are the best and that’s because it didn’t follow the typical “family guy” formula as much

[@Fuck_whoever_took_my_name]

I think a fantastic example of how on point you are with this video come from the fact that "A star is Burns" caught so much shit for itself being a crossover episode (The Critic) and people felt like it was one of the worst of the time because of it, and yet when held in comparison to the modern Simpsons it's a masterpiece. Great video.

[@aferraro92]

The decline of The Simpsons and refusal to let the series die with dignity has truly been one of the saddest things of my generation. And that's saying something. As much as I miss Futurama I'm just glad it didn't end up like this.

[@MissDavids]

I agree.

[@Bradchoksondik]

I mean with all the actual real life problems and horror in the world “the saddest thing of my generation.” may be a little too much.

[@torstenscholz6243]

@@Bradchoksondik Weird Al's "First World Problems" playing in the background.

[@rosiehawtrey]

You know Futurama is about to be rebooted?

[@KonEl-BlackZero]

Jesus Christ, the cringe in that 31th season episode in unbearable.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

31th seasons? Fuck

[@SlapstickGenius23]

The 31st season is pretty terrible.

[@user-dv2hc8zt3o]

Every season after 9 is unbearable.

[@RandalfElVikingo]

@@user-dv2hc8zt3o I always believed season 10 was the last good season of The Simpsons, but then I read the episode list and it's full of pure shit. Even episodes that could've been good like Homer giving an organ to his dad were ruined by stupid jokes or lame storytelling. The Superbowl episode is also another one I hate.

[@hypyman45]

To be fair the movie is were the show utterly died

[@stanrix]

One thing I admire about British comedy serials, they keep them short and sweet so they can leave on a high note. Shame the Simpsons didn’t do that.

[@Marshmobilise]

American obsession with money ruins everything in the end

[@Goldenleyend]

Its funny how looking back at the jokes that made us laugh we don't think of the context or the underlying meaning in the episode, yet its precisely that which makes them funny and memorable.

[@Lazarus1095]

The thing that bugs me the most about the "modern" Simpsons is how it depicts the future. It seems like the new generation of writers simply cannot imagine a future in which any of the SImpsons- including Homer and Marge themselves- have any meaningful degree of happiness.

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

That is probably reflective of the general American mood of our time. At least, if it is what I think it is. It seems to me many Americans have loads of things that they don't need, and yet they aren't happy. I think because they don't have many of the things that they do need.

[@Lazarus1095]

@@HolyKhaaaaan Well put.

[@thelordelric8424]

I remember a recurring joke in the early seasons where whenever they showed they future, Bart would be more successful every time. Going from the head of construction union, to a state level politician, to a supreme court justice.

[@mervunit]

@@HolyKhaaaaan it's not reflective, it's inflected that's how they want us to feel or at least pretend to feel.

[@HolyKhaaaaan]

@@mervunit Maybe. I think it can kind of be a recurring loop. We're fed garbage commercials that tell us material happiness will make us happy, we buy things, a culture is built around buying things, and pop culture just reflects American culture, and in turn because they have commercials the cycle runs over again. A healthy dose of ad-blocking programs ought to at least end the cycle. Maybe change things for the better.l

[@ouiseylou]

They fired Danny Elfman too didn't they? So the music has just LOST its beautiful character

[@MrSeekerOfPeace]

Its too tarnished and unworthy for Danny to have his name associated with it.

[@riatorex8722]

WHAT? @Censorship Ingsoc you're right. They don't deserve the craftsmanship of Danny Elfman

[@trevortuominen8233]

It was Alf Clausen.

[@steveward6099]

Danny Elfman only wrote the theme... that's all. He didn't score the episodes... he's a busy guy lol.

[@TSFboi]

For those who don't keep up, the most recent season (33) is largely considered a comeback to the fandom - it's the first time since the 2000's they've switched showrunners and it's different. They're putting a lot more thought into the character's relationships and making good episodes. If they keep it up for a few more years it might be considered a Simpsons Rennaissance.

[@NowhereMan7]

It isn't even remotely connected to the show it was in the 90s. The name may be the same but that's about it. It is so far gone the idea of it becoming good again is something only someone who doesn't understand how bad it has become could believe. I'm sure some newer episodes are less painful to watch than others but the idea that it can pick back up after over 20 years of garbage episodes is just impossible to believe. I held out hope that it would get better until 2003. I cant watch a modern episode. Its like seeing your pet thats sick and needs to be put down. It hurts.

[@m0-m0597]

let the simpsons die and let new ppl create something new.

[@SomeUnnoticedAnimatorAndEditor]

Im a month late but season 33 was AMAZING 🤩 Episodes like A Serious Flanders, Portrait of a lackey on fire, boyz and the highland, etc I just watched season 34 and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT 🤩🤩🤩 I hope they don't ruin it 😢

[@adamkalaher8022]

For those of us in the UK old enough to remember- I remember it originally broadcast on BBC2 on Monday and Friday evenings, with Friday being a double bill, before it moved to channel 4. Started to go down hill for me around the mid 2000's.

[@natasha8966]

Yea I remember that, i think I stopped watching it with the movie to me it was bad then got into different shows around 2007, also I put it on once or twice a new episode was on ages ago goodness it was so unfunny, I couldn’t believe it and the show looks so different it looked better back in the late 90s vs newer style looks hideous to me.

[@CrispyHulk1]

The Simpsons seasons 1-9 (approx) will live on forever as the greatest animated series ever created. It was an absolute titan in the 90's. The undisputed juggernaut. We loved it in Australia!

[@gour348]

😆🤣 That’s cute

[@steveward6099]

I just watched some episodes from season 10, I don't get why people write it off here.

[@GameChanger-xi4iy]

Nah greatest animated series ever created was Avatar the last Airbender, nothing will top that in terms of storytelling through animation, Simpsons was more of an animated sitcom.

[@gour348]

@@GameChanger-xi4iy I thought the EXACT same thing when I ready that comment. I started watching Avatar when I was 5. I’m now 22 and my mind hasn’t changed.

[@CrispyHulk1]

@@GameChanger-xi4iy Nah it’s The Simpsons and that’s undisputed. I’m happy that you like Avatar that much, but saying it’s greater than, and had a bigger impact than The Simpsons is dumb.

[@purplehaze2358]

“Time wasting gags” is literally just a euphemism for filler.

[@p.d.l7023]

Family Guy is the Bruce Lee of of time wasting gags.

[@aheendwhz1]

Time wasting gags can work for some people and in some situations, and Family Guy kind of invented them. That makes Family Guy a unique show that might not appeal to anyone, but has its own style. But there's no need to add them to the Simpsons, as they don't really work with the humour the Simpsons used to have.

[@hallucinatedovens8414]

I think "time wasting gags" is more honest, filler seems like the euphemism

[@HrHaakon]

Yeah, but I kinda like Family Guys' gags. They're actually funny, and don't pretend that they're anything else than dumb shit. Simpsons was supposed to be a relatable show, and this just doesn't suit them.

[@MIKE-TYTHON]

@@HrHaakon well your view is in sharp contrast to that of the guy making the video and the one everyone’s agree with, by saying that 1995 Simpson’s was better because they had meaning but nowadays it’s just dumb shit which in there option is worse

[@LeBatakum]

In addition to the superb writing during the first 10 or so seasons, The Simpsons can never replicate the charm and warmth of the animation back then-which contributed so much life to both the jokes and the emotional beats

[@mooing7326]

I want to correct something. The simpsons wasn't just the best cartoon on tv. It was without a doubt the best show on TV by a long way during the first 7 seasons. Nothing even came close. I am not exaggerating when I say it breaks my heart when I see a new episode and am confronted with what it's become.

[@maxfieldnelson]

2 years late, but the simpsons season 1-7 is still the greatest run in television history imo. It's in my top 3 all time

[@HelderGriff]

The sad truth is that nothing lasts forever and this would have died anyways, it doesn't matter if they hired new and good writers

[@ThatGuy-vi6cj]

Exactly! It kicked the asses of many live action shows whilst still earning great praise and respect.

[@mrhuman1317]

Imagine after 70 years or so. All the actors are dead and all voiceovers are being made by google translator

[@ketamineheadyoda2248]

Dude, no.

[@mollypaws]

Maybe they'll do something similar to vocaloid, record the VAs saying specific vowels, syllables, etc. then can be made into a program that can make them say anything.

[@GreenIsMyPepper]

15.ai

[@haikat4]

@@mollypaws It's called deepfake, it's done thru an AI algorithm. It can already be done just by compiling clips of somebody talking. For instance, Donald Trump and Joe Rogan can be easily deepfaked because there are so many clips of them speaking that can be compiled.

[@MattExzy]

Have you seen those AI videos of Homer's voice reading Star Wars quotes.. it'll happen lol

[@Stormcrow179]

You are correct about the meaning part, as there are episodes such as when Homer eats the poisonous pufferfish and has to come to terms with his mortality, Homer finding his soul mate after a chilli bender gone wrong and Lisa's substitute teacher episode. Also several memorable quotes such as: "See you in hell, candy boys!" "Aw 20 dollars, but I wanted a peanut" (Brain) Twenty dollars can buy many peanuts (Homer) Explain how (Brain) Money can be exchanged for goods and services" "The only monster Lisa is the one who's enslaved your mother, and I call him Gamblor!" "Bart, I don't want to alarm you, but there may be a boogeyman or boogeymen in the house!"

[@rickaaay3938]

Most memorable for me: "you dont win friend with salads"

[@tomoakley760]

That shot of Homer slumping over in the couch in the glow of late-night TV broke me as a kid, and it still breaks me now as a 27 year old. Classic Simpsons could really nail the sombre moments better than even most live action shows of the time could

[@FekLeyrTarg]

"Dental plan" "Lisa needs braces"

[@Ometecuhtli]

"Kiss my asphalt!" "The happiest place on Earth: Tijuana!"

[@BassManDan1018]

In a more merciful timeline, Simpsons bowed out at its height after season 8, and returned in the 2020s with the same writing staff and the characters aged up. Would’ve been an incredible opportunity to do more character based stories at new stages in life. Homer and Marge as grandparents dealing with health and mortality, Bart, Lisa and Maggie with their own kids… every future episode has been extremely well received, they should’ve just committed to a full series like it.

[@gabrielcote8211]

Hell, Bart, Lisa and Maggie could explore different realities of young adults in the modern world, since their personalities and paths of life could be so different.

[@homer8029]

In the uk you grew up watching the simpsons on Channel 4 at 6pm.

[@connor9568]

frfr

[@renstar1313]

BBC was the glory years

[@ChiseledAdonis]

This was so well put together! If the Simpsons just axed everything between 2000-2002 they wouldve been legendary... Hell thdy could've went out on top with Seinfeld in 98' But the sheer GREED kept them in the game... In the 90s they had full seasons with no misses... Now they go seasons without hits. A true fall from grace

[@xFallenRagex]

They should have stopped short. lol

[@residentelect]

@Chiseled Adonis☑ (love the username 🤣) Could not agree more... I took so much from The Simpsons due to being in my teenage years when it hit its peak. Most days if I have a few moments to myself, or feeling a little down, I'll re-watch one of the gags which made me howl with laughter back in the day. This afternoon it was from the episode "Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" during which Bart gives Homer a freebie coupon book for his birthday; *Homer* "I'll start with a couple of pizzas, then a complimentary tango lesson, then I'll cap it off with a smooth, refreshing colonic!" *Lisa* "Erm, Dad..." *Homer* "Do you like Piña Colonics, and getting caught in the rain...."

[@jruler93]

Hell, even the '08 Simpsons Movie would've been a good point to end on.

[@Jacobmathews.]

Yes

[@pedinhu18]

@Dusk Raccoon Spongebob also needs to go, if you ask me.

[@Jane-oz7pp]

Barney is by far one of the most interesting characters ever written, per earlier season at least. And compellingly relatable. The troubled artist and adventurer, drowning his sorrows with substance abuse until he seems no more than another schlub, passing out in the gutter after 12 too many beers. A person of incredible potential and intelligence, wasted by a society that doesn't have room for him. If any character should get a spin-off a-la The Cleveland Show, it's Barney Gumble.

[@JoshuaAmaro]

Yea I love Barney Rubble too

[@drillnewsandclips3798]

@@JoshuaAmaro Grumble

[@LikaLaruku]

Accidently read this thinking about the purple dinosaur instead of the Simpsons character, & the visualization game me a good laugh.

[@estuans0interius]

As a kid I thought he was a gross slob no-life.... now I am that person.

[@spod2998]

@@drillnewsandclips3798 Gamble

[@frankdogg1985]

Simpsons will always hold a special place in my heart, Simpsons in their prime can't be messed with, one of if not the best cartoon show of all time

[@razkable]

I will argue seasons 4 and 6 are still the best comedic written seasons of any TV show in history.....season 4 is just amazing

[@MichaelChiklisCares]

I hate the new clean animation, I hate the new humor, doesn't work!

[@Tiberius_Gracchus]

Was a huge fan of the originals. Then circa 2000 it just became so cringey to watch. I haven't been able to sit through an entire episode since then. There are people who claim to like both the old & new...I don't know how that is possible.

[@bewd4310]

They're delusional and or disingenuous people. Simply lying to themselves.

[@penske_material]

To me the real show is seasons 2-9, but I do enjoy it up until season 16, not because I think s10-16 are as good, but because I can still find enjoyment in them, but they get progressively worse and less funny.

[@kirbymods5549]

@@penske_material I couldn't even watch season 10 because homer just seemed off

[@penske_material]

@@kirbymods5549 the thing is that I started watching the show regularly after he show was already in season 13 or 14. Before that I would watch an episode here or there, but never as an everyday thing. But if I had been watching the show since the beginning, I would have probably stopped like you did lol.

[@fozzcraft2575]

@@bewd4310 eh let people like what they like

[@dawicked2k8]

The "who shot Mr Burns?" was a big thing back then

[@homer8029]

i used to stop strangers and ask them who they thought done it

[@johnindigo5477]

How old are y'all

[@soyuzdavillan721]

From what I remember when they first put who shot Mr Burns on TV they did a America's most wanted kinda thing to go along with it

[@eatatjoes6751]

I was born in May of '95, so I would have probably been still in the "everyone gabbed about it" stage.

[@NightMedicine]

I’m so lucky I got to experience those first 4-7 seasons. Around the time Conan was a writer. It had more quality jokes per-minute than any show ever.

[@countsmyth]

Totally agree. The Simpsons stopped relying on their own characters, and threw in celebs and character we never see again.

[@writtenimage5360]

Great video... literally can’t watch the Simpsons anymore

[@JustanObservation]

Thank you! Yeah it was my first time in years watching it

[@andrewpytko4773]

I feel the same way with Family Guy.

[@baconburgeronly3089]

Yea you dont know what your missing

[@andrewpytko4773]

@@baconburgeronly3089 We're missing absolutely nothing.

[@odolwa1]

Wow you are such a rebel

[@Muesliman467]

The show being rubbish now is an almost inevitable byproduct of it having gone on for too long. The best thing they could have done was ended the regular seasons after season 10, then done a film every so often or just a special feature length episode for tv once a year or something.Dragging out full seasons of a show that ran out of ideas before 9/11 had even happened is borderline cruel.

[@torstenscholz6243]

South Park is on the air for 24 years now and is still going strong.

[@leob4403]

It would have been more cruel for them not to do seasons 10-20, so many of my favourite episodes are in those seasons

[@CorazonMexica]

@@leob4403 The bad stuff still outweights whatever "good" things those seasons have. Danny All is right: if the show stopped after season 10 or so, maybe we would have gotten movies with much better stuff than those "good" things seasons 10-20 have.

[@leob4403]

@@CorazonMexica there's barely any bad stuff in those seasons whatsoever, they are all fantastic

[@CorazonMexica]

@@leob4403 Lies.

[@rosario508]

At one point in my life whenever I heard that The Simpsons was going to be renewed for another season I would fall into a deep depression.

[@torstenscholz6243]

The Simpsons are renewed for a new season? D'oh!

[@potatogod975]

I can't help but compare the simpsons to the roman empire Both, at their peak, were the greatest at their time After their golden age ended, they were still around but were a shadow of what they once were

[@jtmmmm27]

They rung their creativity dry after 2000, been milking the cash cow ever since.

[@Nightweaver1]

What was that episode where Homer got raped by the panda? Yeah, right around that time was when it started going to shit.

[@TheBlueFox95]

@@Nightweaver1 i’m sorry when homer got what😃

[@Nightweaver1]

@@TheBlueFox95 Yeah, re-watch the episode, it's all in there, including him dressing up in a diaper and saying "baby made a boom-boom."

[@actic555]

@@Nightweaver1 "him dressing up in a diaper and saying 'baby made a boom-boom.'" So literally too?

[@Nightweaver1]

@@actic555 Very literally. It was just an awful, awful episode.

[@shrek187]

The weird thing is that American Dad became the better show out of the three just because of how much the show can work with so many weird things that kinda make sense. Especially with Stan being in the CIA and assume the weird tech is there or the better part having to do with Roger's many personas. It stays on topic with A and B stories and doesn't rely on cutaway gags because there are just maybe 1 to none, usually an old memory brought up.

[@IvanGarcia-ke3lo]

Yeah, it started as the worst of the bunch. It's quite odd how some cartoons start great but become bleh after a few seasons (simpsons, rick and morty) and some others start awfully and age like wine, like south park or american dad. Family guy is okay, not in his prime but at least watchable. Rick and Morty is another bad season til being shit.

[@TheDragonman104]

I don’t know about American Dad, some of their newer stories were pretty dull.

[@shrek187]

@@TheDragonman104 Yeah, it's been getti g dull lately. My comment is going to age badly soon.

[@TY-km8hj]

@@IvanGarcia-ke3lo I liked season 5 of rick and morty tho the quality drop off is getting noticeable. The new writers and Dan harmons dislike of story eps and trying to rush thru them seems like it's beginning to clash unless they can find a perfect balance between them amd the random one-off eps. I'd still like to see character development tho whoever route they go down

[@bigvinnie3]

@@IvanGarcia-ke3lo i personally loved the first seasons of American dad and south park.

[@Lucky_9705]

Seasons 1-8 were golden. Everything after is Zombie Simpsons.

[@AnalogWolf]

Well said. I stopped watching the show back in fall 2001. I cannot believe it has gone on for 20 years since that point! The classic seasons will always have a place in my heart but I cannot watch the bastardized episodes that in my mind do not even exist because they are just awful and don't deserve to be called the Simpsons. In my mind it should have done what Seinfeld did and go out on top, rather than dragging it out for many seasons just to make money. That show still holds up today, even though during the early seasons it was finding itself.

[@fryphilip7474]

To be Fair the Gold Era Simpson should be viewed as it own thing

[@nukepizzaa]

Canon

[@kinglsddd4164]

It basically is, the new simpsons can't even the considered the same show at this point

[@kirbyfazendoummoonwalk9214]

We should call "The yellow Era" instead of "The Golden Era"

[@steveward6099]

If its not set in the 90s its not the Simpsons. Like Indiana Jones isn't Indiana Jones less he's in the 30s.

[@bastionunitb7388]

When you watch new age Simpson's the first 5 minutes are pointless It's like a completely different skit that they play before the actual episode

[@BaconDragon-yr5vf]

And most of the time those first 5 minutes are the best points in the Episode. It's like they are teasing you with these fscinating ideas only to give you crap at the last second.

[@bastionunitb7388]

@@BaconDragon-yr5vf it's true there have actually been some funny concepts that could have been a decent full length episode but then some bullshit celebrity shows up and ruins the rest of it

[@newphilmz3605]

They've been doing that a long time. But there was usually some sort of connecting point from the beginning part to the later part of the episode. Like they'd go somewhere to do something, but they end up running into somebody and a new plot develops. But the new episodes its even more random with no connecting point.

[@ride-playerbb2818]

Exactly like Family Guy

[@Lion7802]

YES

[@LikaLaruku]

Great research, great clip editing. But I have a tiny bit of constructive criticism. It's really hard to listen to both you & the background music at the same time. It could be that your voice is slightly drowned out by the almost equal volume of the music. It could also be that Strauss (& Tchaikovsky's) music command a lot of attention & the ears are fighting to focus on the music.

[@JustanObservation]

I have fixed this in my new videos. I was only starting off back then

[@albertoavena]

Great video! Just a note, is the piano music from Final Fantasy IX??

[@jackbarton4938]

It's so interesting that you picked that season 31 episode to analyse. For about 15 years now I've only watched seasons 1-9, but about a month ago I decided to watch a random new episode out of morbid curiosity and it turned out to be the viral video one. I really wish I hadn't. It was execrable. The show has become somehow less than nothing.

[@jackbarton4938]

​@Stan Marsh Back when it first aired I watched a lot of Simpsons seasons 10-15 and it got progressively worse until 90% of it was appalling and I gave up. The one season 31 episode I watched was 20 times worse that that, so I don't see why there'd magically be episodes amongst such filth that could rival seasons 1-9, which are the greatest thing that's ever been on TV by a long way. That would require all of the characters to suddenly stop being the husks that they became about 20 years ago, Homer to stop being a jerk, the jokes to revert to being multilayered, clever and purposeful, the plots to regain their sense, the animation to regain its heart, celebrities to stop appearing as themselves, and about 50 other things that the current production team are painfully incapable of. We clearly disagree on what even made the Simpsons brilliant in the first place, but you're entitled to your opinion.

[@cern1999sb]

The Simpsons should've stopped a long time ago. There's nothing that will bring them back to what they once were.

[@mimiceagle2654]

Duckbilled Walrus maybe but some recent episodes are in my top 25 But maybe 30 was enough

[@infinitum8558]

The Simpson's Movie shouldv'e ended The Simpsons.

[@trappnest4490]

@@infinitum8558 You're absolutely right. It would have been a great way to end the show

[@steveward6099]

Its like they're only there to receive their place in the guineas book of records each year.

[@wentencel]

This video was full of insight that I agree with. Microphone pops and plosives tho... I assume you've fixed that issue by now since this vid is two years old.

[@sae2705]

It has been interesting watching the evolution of 3 cartoons I grew up with. And sad too. The Simpsons - Started out with relatable plots & characters who were likeable and a good touch of smart comedy. And gradually became random humour that doesn't relate. Family Guy - Was closer to what the Simpsons was at the start and very quickly became about random humour that doesn't relate and added a level of crudeness & offensiveness. I don't really see a decline in Family Guy because IMO it's been the same for most of its life, any decline is perhaps because that can get stale South Park - Started out with a lot of crudeness & tested the water for what offences it could get away with. But as it aged the writing got more complex & the show more depth & its comedy got smarter. It too suffered a decline when it was clear most of the jokes were "what are the current affairs, let's gag". But ended up also leaning more into the characters & stories, which to me helped salvage the decline. It's like the Simpsons lost its meaning & relatability. Family Guy practically never had it and South Park gained it.

[@viggisdestructionemporium5283]

Simpsons, You have become the very thing you swore to destroy

[@IyeViking]

I feel like the Simpsons tried to be a bit more like a standard sitcom at first but now they’re not a sitcom, they’re more of just a cartoon with gags. My favourite show used to be The Simpsons but it’s been replaced by Bob’s Burgers, that show is relatable, everyone feels like a real human and acts the way they should, the main family feels like a family and they all go through real world problems, even if some are exaggerated or cartoonised for the sake of the humour, it still feels human, it’s something we can all sit down, think and feel about as if we knew the characters ourselves.

[@woos057]

Tbh Bob's Burgers is probably the most realistic adult cartoon out there. I hope they keep up with their quality

[@WakingDuck]

Projekt Kobra don’t you dare down talk KOTH boy

[@half-death8095]

@Projekt Kobra what is wrong with king of the hill? Maybe not every joke lands but that happens to everybody

[@half-death8095]

@Projekt Kobra I get the criticism , for me the enjoyment comes from context as it seems to be parodying a certain part of America or maybe even how other countries view it. I also looked up bobs burgers and I'm with you on this one. It was just boring

[@half-death8095]

@Projekt Kobra a bit late but a happy new year to you as well dude

[@dstyKchp]

4 minutes in while talking about rhythm it made me think of writing as a song with a flow, beat, rhythm and melody having "it's a secret" be hammered in while Homer's exhausted as the beat while the story flows and your comparison of modern simpsons as having sudden abrupt changes, yes sometimes it might work but it takes knowing the rules to know how to break them. This was a shower thought and I hope it makes sense

[@MartelLamar]

I kind of had a feeling on the direction the show was going when it seemed like the protagonist role slowly shifted from Bart to Homer.

[@baldrickthedungspreader3107]

The Simpsons at this point is like a friend who moves in as a roommate who if hilarious at first but soon overstays their welcome after 30 years

[@gregorymirabella1423]

@Tom Spencer wdym?

[@eatatjoes6751]

It's more like this one person that won't leave your house - you took him in, got him settled, and now he *refuses* to leave your house even after his muscles have clear signs of atrophy and he's gotten annoying.

[@baldrickthedungspreader3107]

@@gregorymirabella1423 he has a mooching roommate

[@Ometecuhtli]

And cuts himself in an attempt to "be funny".

[@Spider-Man2094]

They’re literally Gill from that Christmas special.