The Simpsons and the Death of Parody

Patreon: / cuck
Twitter: / philosophycuck
Special thank you to Andrés Oliva, for his help in getting a new mic.
The entries on the zombie Simpsons from Dead Homer Society were extremely helpful in researching this. Highly recommended read on The Simpsons' decline: deadhomersociety.com/zombiesi...
Interviews cited:
www.simpsonsarchive.com/other...
George Meyor interview in ABC (2002), cited in Christ Turner's "Planet Simpson", Chapter 1, Sub-section "Reality TV"
www.simpsonsarchive.com/other...
www.motherjones.com/media/199...

[@capoeirastronaut]

"Funny how it's always 'The Simpsons predicted the future', never 'We created ourselves a nightmare world beyond parody' "

[@fauberkaupfmann982]

Well, this goes into the "comments i wish i could put into a wall" category.

[@SpaceCase1701]

At least half the things The Simpsons supposedly predicted aren't even predictions. We're just still stuck dealing with so much of the same shit we were in the 90s.

[@mapleandsteel]

This is just a sign that we are more involved in the hyperreal simulacrum of mass media, and not touching enough grass, imo.

[@TheWandererOfDreams]

Okay, that isn't funny anymore. It's just......sad. I'm sorry. I'm not sure who to blame, but I'm- I think I'm- I'm SORRY, okay??? For whatever comes next.

[@capoeirastronaut]

@@TheWandererOfDreams Won't somebody, please, think of Lisa..

[@irrisorie7]

hearing lisa call elon musk the greatest living inventor took 30 years off my life

[@ivorydungeon909]

While, I do hope you've got a lot more than 30 left, the 30 you've lost could be a blessing. There's no reason why I shouldn't get to 2055, for example, but yikes, I'll be starting to get elderly and I think we could still be moaning about capitalist realism at that stage. Sure, we might be talking about how holoreality superseded hyperreality, but that theoretical distinction will be in itself a pale reflection of our inability to think beyond qualitative distinctions in signification. I loathe to think of the atrocities we'll witness, and those that occur outside our attention. Not to sound maudlin or anything. Happy new year!

[@camillaquelladegliaggettiv4303]

@@ivorydungeon909 yeah no I'm gonna kill myself before I get to that

[@gregaaron89]

My heart ripped in half just like Ralph Wiggum’s

[@kmanc8571]

@@kekero540 he didn't invent paypal. He started an online bank that bougt the paypal payment system.

[@soupsoup4245]

@@kmanc8571 Yeah, he legit didn't invent shit. He was born rich and bought the rights to be called the founder of companies like PayPal and Tesla. He did nothing except win the birth lottery.

[@lawnmower16]

I admire your restraint, not using the term "flanderization" even once in passing throughout the entire video essay

[@DemonetisedZone]

It's like when a show goes massive then next series is shit because the actors have that self referencing look, those knowing smiles. I fucking hate that It's more pronounced in US than UK. UK sit com OFFICE had a few series. US OFFICE had nine. NINE is whipping every last penny out til it's a corpse then putting the corpse thru a fucking meat reclaimation machine Have gone too far? 😏

[@azhurelpigeon]

Tf is Flanderization

[@lawnmower16]

@@azhurelpigeon It's just a word for the way subtle character traits grow to be extremely pronounced to the point where that's the only thing about their character anymore. For instance, Flanders started out as a well meaning neighbor who was a bit cringe and overly protective of his children due to his religious values, but he quickly grew to just be "the guy who always says dang diddly and shelters his kids and is completely oblivious to even direct insults thrown his way" and he became more like a mascot creature than a character, defined purely by verbal tics and being made fun of by Homer

[@azhurelpigeon]

@@lawnmower16 Ah, so basically every SpongeBob character past like, season 4

[@lawnmower16]

@@azhurelpigeon exactly

[@Mortech_]

No way did Lisa say that about Elon Musk. That is genuinely depressing.

[@TheMadcap919]

“Elon Musk is possibly the greatest living inventor!” I think my IQ dropped a few points after hearing that.

[@RCAvhstape]

Ha ha ha Tesla and Falcon rocket go brrrr

[@NowhereMan7]

It said 2015 so it was when he was still becoming famous and long before he was crazy as hell. All Zombie Simpsons are genuinely depressing . Its like your favourite pet dog, but instead of being full of life and wanting to play its sick and needs to be put down. Its a token of everything that should mean joy and happiness but its poisoned and ill and youre better off staring well clear of it entirely or your heart will ache and you'll be weighed down in heavy thoughts of depression and sickiness.

[@RCAvhstape]

@@NowhereMan7 Oh, you mean back in 2015 when you thought he was one of you.

[@NowhereMan7]

@@RCAvhstape One of me? What is that even supposed to mean. I live in NZ, my life is nothing close to similar to Elon Musk. Ive never considered him one of me. I have never thought that about any person wtf.

[@mooreanonumbers]

"By the way, I am aware of the irony of appearing on TV in order to decry it, so don't bother pointing that out" Sideshow Bob, season 7

[@Red__Law]

One of my favourite Simpsons gags that 😂

[@marocat4749]

Sideshow bob is still great as ever. He could even seen as a character that is smart enough to see whats wrong but also not self critical to see he isnt beyond criticism, following in his cartoonish repeat mistakes. I love him, and its clear he isnt better , through relatable.

[@zapkvr]

How is it even irony? It's entirely predictable and in character for SB. Maybe that's his idea of irony. It ain't mine

[@DrEnzyme]

@@zapkvr there's the in-character irony admitted to by Bob himself in his own statement, plus the dramatic irony of The Simpsons literally being TV show with a sub-plot revolving around TV being bad.

[@XX_MelobraacRedux]

Pointing out your problems, especially for a joke, does *not* make it go away.

[@CypherBrood]

To quote modern philosophers, "ironic shitposting is still shitposting"

[@DonkeyBoyVids]

How does one shitpost ironically, isn't the act of shitposting in and of itself ironic

[@anthonynorman7545]

@@DonkeyBoyVids ironic shitposting is post-irony. Look up the post-post-modern philosopher Jreg

[@DonkeyBoyVids]

@@anthonynorman7545 yeah I guess that would be right, but it's still just shitposting in general

[@anthonynorman7545]

@@DonkeyBoyVids they look almost identical to an unfamiliar audience

[@anthonynorman7545]

@thunder key I don't know if he's the only example of post-irony put he's the only person I know that uses the term to describe themselves

[@birdwatching_u_back]

Legend has it that “In the 80’s, with the rise of neoliberalism…” is the first phrase uttered by every video essayist after they come out of the womb

[@LegioXXI]

*every leftist video essayist

[@thingfish000]

No doubt! Can we just keep in mind that it's a prime time cartoon on Fox that is ready to be retired?

[@bibobeuba]

And is this good or bad for you?

[@birdwatching_u_back]

@@bibobeuba Let’s just say I agree with the essayists who write this way 😌 But it’s also funny

[@babadabdianogo]

Also, stable families ARE good for society. It's been clear throughout history, globally.

[@FuckYourSelf99]

Being old, I remember 'Wait Til Your Father Gets Home', a proto-Simpsons from the Nixon era. The family were fuckups, the neighbor was paranoid... it was reaching for something the early Simpsons nailed.

[@SeasideDetective2]

Indeed, "The Simpsons" gets too much credit for its "originality." Alongside the "wise" and "authoritative" bourgeois father, there has always stood the archetype of the father as a blue-collar bully. Just think of Ralph Kramden, Archie Bunker, Al Bundy, or Homer's direct inspiration: Fred Flintstone. Those guys don't seem to come up as often when sitcoms are discussed.

[@mikeoyler2983]

That's right! In fact the Simpsons were not doing anything that MAD magazine had not already done in the 1950s. MAD just never had a single story line or characters that repeated. However, the image of Alfred E. Neumann like the Simpsons became just as meaningless as Bart or Homer long before the Simpsons even started. Yet, his face was put on merchandise and sold everywhere without the majority having consumers having the faintest idea what his toothless grin and gesture meant.

[@007kingifrit]

@@SeasideDetective2 this isn't a stereotype it stems from the male role of providing physical force in society

[@nicodives1974]

@@SeasideDetective2 Exactly, this guy is pretending there was no other "blue collar moron dad, submisive housewife, smartass kid, naughty kid" show in the 80s and 90s. Now if the simpsons did it better thats other topic, but the format its been overused.

[@SeasideDetective2]

@@nicodives1974 Right. Carroll O'Connor probably did the character type best as Archie Bunker in "All in the Family," partly because he played the role for drama as well as comedy, whereas the other actors went purely for comedy. In college, by the way, I remember learning in an American history class (of all places) that the "wise 1950s father" in classic sitcoms was actually a COUNTER-stereotype in its day. In the very first TV sitcoms of the late '40s, the dad or husband character was a working-class lout from either an Irish or a Jewish background; usually his wife was smarter than him, or at least more normal. I've heard people criticize this character type for being a bullying sexist pig, but what doesn't get appreciated is that, at least in the case of Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden on "The Honeymooners," the character was meant to be ridiculed, not celebrated. Gleason based Kramden on all the married men he encountered growing up in his Brooklyn neighborhood. Al Bundy is still my favorite, though. I consider him even more politically incorrect than Bunker. Whereas Archie merely had a bad temper and foot-in-mouth syndrome, Ed O'Neil's father figure was downright embittered, sarcastic, misogynist, and misanthropic. In real life Bundy would be guilty of child abuse, marital rape, you name it. But on TV he was such a shameless heel that it all became funny.

[@stardragon7893]

Let's not forget that the Simpsons literally created the term "Flanderization" for when characters become parodies of themselves.

[@rambi1072]

I always found it weird that the term is Flanderisation, when Homer when through a much more dramatic character shift. Maybe it's because for Homer is was slow and gradual through the first 10 seasons, where as Flanders became Flanderised in the first few seasons.

[@golem2008]

perhaps because homerization sounds like a critique of shitty hellenistic plays

[@arturobelano6243]

@@golem2008 shitty...

[@golem2008]

not homer himself, had something more like overdone imitations from other, less gifted, writers in mind; somewhat similar in spirit to the "flanderization"

[@TheRationalPi]

@@rambi1072 Flanders happened while the Simpsons still had some cultural relevance.

[@xxcrysad3000xx]

Bart: Lise, everyone in town is acting like me, so why does it suck? Lisa: It's simple Bart. You've defined yourself as a rebel and in the absence of a repressive milieu, your societal niche has become coopted. Bart: I see... I think that about sums it up.

[@icecreamhero2375]

My opinion season 1- season 26 masterpiece. After that, it is hit and miss. You never know if you are going to get a really good one, a mediocre one, or a bad one. It's almost like a slot machine.

[@rosebudsavesacat]

I read it in her voice haha

[@willissudweeks1050]

@@icecreamhero2375 I envy you for liking that many seasons.

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@willissudweeks1050 Thanks. A lot of later ones make me laugh pretty hard. Particular favorites Season 15: *I do'h bot.* Homer fails at building Bart's bike and they enter a robot fighting torment. Homer tries to build a robot but once again fails. Homer doesn't want to let Bart down so he dresses as a robot and pretends to be one. Comedy gold. Season 19: *Sex Pies and Idiot Scrapes* Homer and Flanders become hitmen. Season 23: *A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again* The Simpsons go on a cruise and they are all having a blast. Bart doesn't want the vacation to end because his life is miserable so he high jacks the cruise ship and fakes a disease. si that they are stuck out in the water. There are tons more awesome episodes but those are some stand outs.

[@willissudweeks1050]

@@icecreamhero2375 Thank you I will have to check those out. I honestly think that people get a bit pretentious when analyzing the simpsons. Like just enjoy the show instead of constantly looking for social commentary. That’s not nearly as valuable of a thing to do as people think because ultimately it doesn’t matter. Just best to laugh. I’m open to finding newer ones funny still.

[@unboxingthepast]

The great Simpsons had Michael Jackson voice a mental patient believing he's Michael Jackson. Now, they get in Elon Musk to play himself and give him an ego boost while literally cancelling the Michael Jackson episode.

[@josephjoseph5969]

Michael Jackson never saw me

[@robobox7595]

To be fair, although the Jackson episode was good, they pulled it because they now believe that Jackson probably used his presence on the show to do awful things.

[@lookbovine]

@@robobox7595 I’d say union bashing is pretty awful, and we don’t have to “believe” Musk is “probably” doing it. The guy’s nothing but a dirt ball while MJ was an artist.

[@EdnaK728]

Cancel culture oughta be criminalized, it's nothing but trouble I tell ya

[@Alexandraplotnik]

Wait really?

[@dragonskunkstudio7582]

I never got the full meaning of the word "Sellout" until it was identified as "The death of parody"

[@daveharrison84]

It's not comedy that's in my blood, it's selling out.

[@Matthew.E.Kelly.]

​@@daveharrison84it's not selling out that's in my blood, it's irony. Lots of it. I'm nowhere near anemic.

[@NateS917]

No

[@gildedpeahen876]

bill hicks talked a lot about this

[@samuelwiking4362]

Watching Lisa Simpson call Elon Musk "possibly the greatest living inventor" made me barf a bit...

[@RobotLover696]

Same, jfc i died a little inside

[@focusezz6947]

then who is, in your opinion, the greatest living inventor?

[@asteroidalassassin6949]

The idea of some super inventor creating new machines on a fly is a very fictional concept. Most of the things that are invented are created by teams, even if their is a new invention created by one person it's usually unrefined and needs a group of people to refine it.

[@guitarsoupify]

@@focusezz6947 That's kind of besides the point of why it's so gross. It's not a matter of who is or isn't the greatest living inventor. It's the uncritical and unadulterated praise of Musk from a character who, in her previous incarnation, would have been very sharply critical of the exact kind of callous billionaire archetype Musk embodies.

[@focusezz6947]

@@guitarsoupify yeah I know that, it's been established from watching the video, but I just wanna know who's noteworthy of actually being a great inventor in our times where everything is made by collaborations rather than the lone genius...

[@GogiRegion]

That clip with Elon Musk is just so foreign to me as someone who has really only watched the first few seasons and a few other older episodes of the Simpsons. In the older seasons, Homer would have been the one who was blindly praising Musk, and Lisa would be the one who was onto him and not trusting him like the rest of the family did.

[@Spaghettiboy359]

Very good observation

[@Fr33zeBurn]

Bruh. You're reading into a cartoon that sold out to Hollywood in like season 2 grow up.

[@GogiRegion]

@@Fr33zeBurn Are you mad or did that just come off wrong?

[@mrosskne]

Old simpsons is trash

[@ptown77]

@@mrosskne Nice trollin, troll

[@billscannell93]

It is always wise to leave the stage while you are still wanted! 'Seinfeld' understood this, though the seasons after Larry David left were just beginning to show the same symptoms of decline as The Simpsons. Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes creator) is a great example of a wise artist who resisted temptation and pressure to commercialize. (He also had the sense to quit the strip while it was still golden.) For years he battled the syndicate's pressure to merchandise his characters. He was determined to maintain artistic integrity by keeping the strip in its original medium; he didn't want an actor giving Calvin a voice, and he didn't want to see Hobbes dolls everywhere. Smart man.

[@EdnaK728]

And now nobody under 20 knows who Calvin and Hobbes are, not as wise now is he?

[@billscannell93]

@@EdnaK728 Better to be forgotten than senselessly perpetuate something that lost its spark long ago. Anyway, C&H will continue to be popular with children who are fortunate enough to have intelligent parents. (So will the good years of The Simpsons, for that matter.)

[@EdnaK728]

@@billscannell93 being forgotten is definitely worse

[@oz_jones]

The final strip is beautiful.

[@BoycottChinaa]

Calvin will never be forgotten as he urinates on your prized marque, as his creator surely intended 🥁

[@samk4801]

It seems to me that Married With Children, which preceded the Simpsons by 2 years, was the first to really break the mold from "loving family" to "dysfunctional family".

[@usx06240]

Bumbling fathers are nothing new. The Flintsones and Honeymooners come to mind. What of Archie Bunker. All in the family was the live version of the Simpsons including liberal (in the best ways) ideology as a common thread. Sanford and Son? The Simpsons has a liberal bent, but strikes both sides.

[@samk4801]

@@usx06240 Good points.

[@BoycottChinaa]

That these two were the only Fox money makers in their first decade should be discussed 🍻

[@samk4801]

@@BoycottChinaa Be my guest. 😀

[@argylemanni280]

A certain tribe always likes to show the father as weak. Currently they enjoy showing you interracial couples that are not proportional to reality. They do this to make you believe it's real. Weaken the family, weaken the racial bonds, weaken all tradition... There can be only one reason to weaken a people in this way.

[@samleheny1429]

In Simpsons of old, one of the other characters would have called Elon Musk "The greatest living inventor" and then Lisa, the show's voice of reason, would have challenged this with a well-written spiel about how Musk simply owns the company that employs the actual inventors.

[@danieljoseph6324]

You don't find it ironic that this comment has been regurgitated countless times in the comment section?

[@frogery]

@@danieljoseph6324 What's ironic about that?

[@danieljoseph6324]

@@frogery because they're calling elon musk unoriginal while repeating the same thing over and over again

[@rainy7106]

@@danieljoseph6324 the main critique of elon musk isnt that he’s unoriginal, where the hell did you pull that from

[@gabbar51ngh]

If they could do it without Musk then they could have grouped together and would have. As usual all this left-wing garbage diatribe but as soon as it comes to real life economic policies, the lefties constantly fail to understand basic principles and try to retrofit reality to their needs. It's no wonder left is a constant mess of just critique, flimsy theories and messy execution. Those actual inventors wouldn't even by given much importance under non capitalistic economy.

[@matthewmcneany]

Bart: Hey Dad, how come they're taking The Cosby Show off the air? Homer: Because Mr. Cosby wanted to stop before the quality suffered. Bart: Quality, shmuality! If I had a TV show I'd run that sucker down to the ground! Homer: Amen, boy. Amen. Run at the end of an re-run of an episode after the Cosby show was taken off the air (1992).

[@Cream12345Ice]

At least they stood by their words

[@matthewmcneany]

@@Cream12345Ice and how!

[@Cream12345Ice]

@@matthewmcneany well, they ran the show down to the the ground

[@iamgubbler95]

@@Cream12345Ice might want to give that one another once-over.

[@admiralbrown9334]

It's so weird the way he calls him "Mr Cosby". Do Americans actually call people they don't know by titles like this?

[@BingBangPoe]

It's really sad that The Simpsons became everything they fought to criticize.

[@focusezz6947]

So basically the new Simpsons became a simulation of the old Simpsons, creating a mere pastiche of meme-worthy moments that's representative of the hyper-real, consumerist society that we currently reside? Like the floating signifier you've mentioned, all meaning is lost because there needs be no injection of meaning when everyone can readily recognize the characters from the Simpsons, thus no need to create a product with an inherent meaning to be marketable. Wow Baudrillard was right (the main points of his book 'The Consumer Society') and so prescient for being able to foresee this loss of meaning through parodying the parody, the self-referential circle-jerk that is prevalent and pervasive everywhere. One thing that I'd like to add is the sensibility of the society at large has changed to be less tolerant of subversive ideas and critique, of which everyone seems to be ever more defensive about, and the creators of the Simpsons know this and so maybe their hand was forced to make bland episodes so they can keep on being sell-outs. Anyway, I had to come back to this video after reading Baudrillard's book to fully appreciate how well made and cogent your video essay is, well done.

[@lookbovine]

Baudrillard did not foresee anything. He had plenty of examples. Mass media has been around since mass production.

[@AarturoSc]

A long way of saying that they sold out.

[@ai_serf]

uber comment. i used chatgpt to take some of the ideas of this and have good time. I learned a bit a bout Jean Baudrillard. thank you. Here's an example prompt reply: Jean Baudrillard's critique of consumer culture doesn't explicitly revolve around the concept of "otium," at least not using that specific term. However, his explorations into the nature of consumer society touch upon themes that can be related to the absence of genuine leisure or "otium." Consumerism as a Totalizing Force: For Baudrillard, consumer culture isn't just about the act of purchasing goods. It permeates all aspects of life. This pervasive nature of consumerism can be seen as antithetical to true leisure. When every experience, interaction, or moment can be commodified, commercialized, or turned into a consumable spectacle, there is little room for genuine, contemplative leisure. Endless Desire and Dissatisfaction: As mentioned earlier, Baudrillard suggests that consumer culture keeps individuals in a perpetual state of desire. This constant yearning and the need to fulfill it through consumption can leave little time for meaningful reflection, contemplation, or other activities that characterize "otium." Hyperreality and the Erosion of Authentic Experience: Baudrillard's concept of hyperreality - where the line between reality and simulation blurs - can be seen as a direct challenge to genuine leisure. If one's leisure activities are just another layer of simulated experiences (like virtual vacations, video game escapades, or binge-watching series that simulate life), then the depth and authenticity that "otium" might promise are compromised. While Baudrillard doesn't directly address the classical concept of "otium," his critiques of consumerism, simulation, and the loss of genuine human experiences in a media-saturated world echo many of the concerns that arise when thinking about the absence of true leisure in modern society. In a way, his works can be interpreted as a lament for the loss of genuine, unmediated experiences, of which "otium" would certainly be one.

[@DoctorPhileasFragg]

Or, young people that didn't fully understand the show they were fans of were put in charge of it after the old guys left, and only know how to produce a hollow imitation.

[@atanaZion]

@@AarturoSc I mean, they were always a product

[@luseajr]

theres something horribly ironic seeing "WATCH THE SIMSPONS SEASON 31" sitting under this video

[@daniboy4153]

@FricketyFrack69 [FF69] Same

[@lucapeyrefitte6899]

I see season 5 but yeah

[@SpiralPoliFemboy]

@FricketyFrack69 Season 5 was good.

[@Ttegegg]

What are the simpsons

[@MobCat_]

​@@Ttegegg What rock have you been hiding under for 30 years. I want in.

[@dark0ssx]

sincere is the edgiest thing you can be now

[@DoctorPsyduck]

Sincerity is the endgame for all things that are punk and radical.

[@baileyduggan3659]

“As far as I can make out, 'edgy' occurs when middle-brow, middle-age profiteers are looking to suck the energy, not to mention the spending money, out of the quote, unquote youth culture. So they come up with this big concept of seeming to be dangerous, when every move they make is the result of market research and a corporate master plan” - Daria

[@Octopetala]

@@baileyduggan3659 tl,dr: it's the juice

[@marlonyo]

@@baileyduggan3659 what daria does not know is that she herself what the product of that same system and that you can sell t shirts with that quote.

[@roseclouds5838]

sincerity has always been, people just take punkness as not caring about anything when in reality it was just not caring about societal boundaries that prevent change (ie. professionalism)

[@lakrids-pibe]

I remember reading Matt Groening's *Life in Hell* every week back in the 80s. I would never have predicted that he would gain mainstream popularity like he did. All Glory to the Hypnotoad!

[@oz_jones]

Man, the * is Hell -comics were (and still are) dope. I did not read them before the Simpsons, since I'm a bit young for that, but they were hilarious to my adolescent mind in the early 2000s.

[@Ninja.Alinja]

While they Simpsons were kind-a disfuctional at times, they were as much a loving and loyal and stable unit as the Waltons. No one was cheating (even though both had temping opportunities), no one was getting divorced for other self-obsessed childish reasons, Homer held down a permanent full-time job (at which he was terrible, yet employed and paid), two cars, paid off house, three loved kids, one gifted, the other at least smart, Marge staid mostly at home taking care of the family, kids were disciplined when they screwed up, etc.

[@elektra121]

Thank you! I really never understood why people calling them "dysfunctional". They're fully functional! At their core, the Simpsons may be the most loving, most caring family on air. Sure, they're not perfect, but that just makes them more realistic. As for loving and caring for each other as a family - the Simpsons are the ideal everyone should strive for.

[@burrybondz225]

​@@elektra121can't wait till I have kids so I can choke my son's eyes out of his socket.

[@mechanomics2649]

@@elektra121 Because they're dysfunctional relative to sitcoms of the time.

[@citizensguard3433]

There are sooooooo many “why aren’t The Simpsons good anymore?” Commentary videos on KZbin, but this one distinguishes itself from the crowd, by looking at things from a fresh angle, and being extremely well presented. You execution of something other youtubers attempted, but fail short of truly hitting upon, made me watch the video all the way to the end, whereas, in most cases, this kind of thing can sometimes drag on and on and be a chore to get through by the twenty minute mark. Well done. Subscribed.

[@Ttegegg]

Profiteering off work

[@citizensguard3433]

Sheeesh Tran I don’t understand what you mean by that, sorry.

[@citizensguard3433]

Sheeesh Tran oh... I think I see now. I think you meant to reply to my other comment, about ads and such. Gotcha. I get what ya mean now unless I’m wrong in which case I’m still confused lol

[@Micolashcage1]

He puts a lot of research into his videos. I imagine this is because he is a grad student.

[@master09shredder]

@@Micolashcage1 Yeah, I was gonna say the difference is that this guy has an actual education lmao.

[@azaraniichan]

There is no alternative, or also, '' don't forget, you're here forever ''

[@KookiesNolly]

"do it for her" :)

[@hitthegoat]

Now I se you T.I.N.A.

[@applec1657]

@@hitthegoat i wonder if there's a parallel to be had between enter shikari and the simpsons

[@detrik01]

I think it's a mistake that pastiche replaced parody. I think it's a far more accurate statement to say that the fate of any parody (that lives long enough) is to become pastiche.

[@gregsmith7949]

The realistic lifespan of a television show is 7-8 years. You reach a point where everything has been done. This is never more evident than the Simpsons.

[@henryburby6077]

Correct.

[@estranhokonsta]

Yep. The problem of the Show is that it has gone for so long that it is just a Show now. Self-referencing as said in the video. That is a natural path for everything and everyone. But that doesn't mean that one has to go for "suicide" (as some say Cobain did) just to avoid it. In the end real problem of the show is not that it has aged. The real problem is that is has Authority. Even if the show had terminated much earlier, random people would have used it as a reference for any goal that they support. They only need to tweak the rationalization as needed for the audience they seek. The video has many relatively reasonable arguments but they go astray (and turn even kinda of naive) by end. All in all it is a good video to make people think a little more but people shouldn't take it too seriously.

[@jimgutt749]

All the more amazing that Souith Park is still great. Stone and Parker still at it 20+ years in. Yes, not as fresh as when it first aired, but still biting in its commentary on our life situations...

[@lennypayne4241]

​@@jimgutt749 You're joking, right? South Park fell off the deep end as far back as 2005. The show has since lost all the substance and original identity that made it stand out in the first place and is now an extremely dull, boring, drawn-out show that may deliver a mildly amusing joke once or twice an episode but has overall just become such a generic and forgettable zombie of what used to be satirical gold.

[@geniegogo]

good point. Seinfeld quit the show for this reason, that it would decline slowly and become a parody of itself unknowingly. Some shows keep going because they want to pay certain groups who were underpaid, they all know it and they try to coast but not be too bad about it.

[@TCRYTV]

There's one bit that sums up one of my problems with Zombie Simpsons. That sequence at 20:19 of Lady Gaga being "factory-made" could so easily have been used as a commentary on manufactured pop stars, women in music, female beauty standards, a whole host of things. But it was just squandered, rejecting the critical, cynical joke and choosing to use it as just a quirky character introduction, just another reference or code. That's what happens when culture becomes counterculture - neutralisation by assimilation

[@ryspace]

As an aside, Lady Gaga is actually super talented. For anyone curious, look up her performances at NYU before she was Gaga

[@b_delta9725]

Lady Gaga is a weird case of someone who was once different and revolutionary, but as the video says, she was "recovered", in ways that are far worse than most artists. Music trends like punk, rock or rap can still be seen as different, they still threaten the norm sometimes, but Gaga's intentions of doing the same were completely recovered. Her style went from unique and rebellious to the norm, it's the way way modern music industry and fashion industry sexualize women, not because she failed but because these industries played these cards well, they monetized everything it meant.

[@vylbird8014]

Sometimes counterculture becomes culture - witness all forms of punk. Take your anti-capitalist slogan and slap it on some merch.

[@metalheadedtothemax]

​@@vylbird8014 Capitalist Realism baby

[@phyphrus1934]

The Simpsons may have lost a bit of its edge, but you making that connection isn't accidental. They could have explored it more, but their first goal is to entertain. I think this problem is largely nonexistent

[@Bilboswaggins2077]

I can’t even remember the last time I watched a simpsons episode I enjoyed that wasn’t 15+ years old

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

Barthood was actually pretty good, not particularly subversive by any means but good as an examination of family life in the Simpsons family.

[@BoosterDuck9]

simpsons became gutter trash after season 11 ended in 2000 so that's not surprising

[@originalblob]

15 years ago was already deep onto zombie territory.

[@Anarchovamp]

@@BoosterDuck9 exactly this shows been on for about 20 years too long Like I’m pretty sure the earth will die and the sun will explode before the simpsons ends lmao

[@fauberkaupfmann982]

@@Anarchovamp i mean, messi was born with the simpsons (1987), will retire soon, and the show will still be on air.

[@Dave5400]

Have to say that whilst "perfect families" may have been a mainstay of US TV programmes, they were much less common in UK programmes, certainly post 1970. The vast majority of UK sitcoms have since been about dysfunctional families and their trials and tribulations in coping with life.

[@mou-lou]

I didn't realize that my soulful yearning for a wall-e lego set was going to be so brutally called out going into this video, you got me

[@coachgarcia3130]

There are three Simpsons phases: Classic Simpsons; the Jackass Homer Years; then Zombie Simpsons.

[@berniefunk3840]

I thought it was Jerkass Homer.

[@Account.for.Comment]

The classic can also be divided: the satire of 80 sitcom-family, the critique of societal operations and rhetorics, the experimental years to stay relevant.

[@user-gn4ts8jb7n]

9 and ten is like the calm before the storm. It's okay and definantly watchable, but you can feel it. The storm brewing. The slight off feeling.

[@Account.for.Comment]

@João Descalço try searching for the Dead Homer Society. Mike Scully is just a willing scapegoat who acted as a shield to his writers. The writers are working to death and ran out of ideas, so they started experimenting and relax the workspace. Scully can be credited in making sure the remaining writers dont burn out and quit. He save the show by the sacrificing its quality.

[@user-gn4ts8jb7n]

@João Descalço Season 10 is when the wind picks up and you feel 1 or 2 raindrops hit your forehead

[@natsmith303]

Part of me died inside hearing Lisa the iconoclast raising up Elon Musk.

[@user-et3xn2jm1u]

Even at that, seeing Homer prostrate himself afterward was a bit on the nose.

[@tranzco1173]

@@user-et3xn2jm1u i think his prostration was pointing out the ridiculousness of the hero worship of Musk, his "invention" being his co-investment in Paypal and limited production of very unpractical, dangerous, and expensive electric race cars. And shooting a car into space as advertisement. And a roofing torch sold as a "flamethrower". Musk is a god only to people as stupid as Homer, or idealistically naive as Lisa.

[@brandonporter8509]

@@tranzco1173 but old Lisa wasn’t near that nieve old Lisa Was The kind of Person who when chaining herself to a tree to Keep It from being cut down would probably complain if the chain was made in a factory that exploited workers. Imo old Lisa would call Elon musk mr burns with a better pr team

[@tranzco1173]

@Marco Jesus Francisco Philipe Alvarez If god is a salesman. He has never "invented' anything. he is no nicolas tesla.

[@tranzco1173]

@Marco Jesus Francisco Philipe Alvarez Ok, then what exactly did Musk invent? Musk has two utility patents (actual inventions), one abandoned application, and three design patents (for the appearance of a car door, a charge port, and the general look of a vehicle). Musk is only co-inventor on all of them. He paid other people to make this stuff. He has never invented anything. Can't write a line of code. You are a fanboy. Grow up. Read.

[@rckli]

Parody isn’t just using “their language” against them 😅 Parody is about shining a light where people don’t want to look 👀

[@rckli]

@@BurgertubeFounder perfect - now compare those results with “government weaponized against its citizens” What type of coward says a racist thing like that? 🤣 that’s just so dumb - why would you embarrass yourself like this?

[@TedBilk]

​@@rcklipeople like him can't look past the surface lol, he's stuck in 2016 with Ben Shapiro talking points

[@burrybondz225]

​@@rckliis there really such a map?? I'm not trying to be rude or start an argument but how can such a thing be quantified? What government would self snitch like that?

[@rckli]

@@burrybondz225 a representative democracy would Two reasons why it would: 1. To keep track of their spenditures (eg nazis kept excellent records of their finances used in the Nuremberg trials) 2. To keep public record of their “accomplishments” Don’t believe me? Look up “redlining” or “Jim crow” 🤷🏾‍♀️ we even kept track of what “black” towns were drowned after pillaging them - you can scuba dive and visit them to this day Edit: an explanation - in a representative democracy, if you can convince people “that’s our enemy! I can kill the enemy” then they’ll vote for you. If you can then convince them “look at how effective I am at killing them, the people I said were your enemies!” Then they’ll likely keep voting for you. This is what most demagogues do - america has had their own as well (see Andrew Jackson)

[@borginburkes1819]

@@BurgertubeFounderwhat does this have to do with the Simpsons?

[@gfarrell80]

Nailing it. I'll add that Homer Simpson is an early example of the 'man child' as an accepted male model of behavior.

[@i.b.640]

But in the early seasons he was still determined to care for his family and do his duty. He was just bad at it.

[@gfarrell80]

@@i.b.640 I disagree. Season 2 ep 3, "Dead Putting Society", Homer does the classic manchild move of trying to vicariously live through his child in an absolutely petty contest of min-golf against his generally amiable but still hated neighbor. This is absolute manchild territory. Season 6, episode 8, ('golden age' Simpsons) "Lisa on Ice", which is a great episode in some ways, still shows Homer again playing the absolute imbecile petty manchild role of pitting his children against each other for athletic prowess.

[@burrybondz225]

A comment above me mentioned fred flintstone and another comment mentioned that the whole wise dad trope was a direct response to the manchild trope found before it (the 40s). It was an interesting thread.

[@gfarrell80]

@@burrybondz225 there was a manchild trope in the '40's? I'm not really familiar with that. It seems like the far larger influence in the 40's was cowboy, noire, - classic powerful individual man in the world making his way theme.

[@axileus9327]

He’s a slob not a man child, whatever that is.

[@user-nj3jg6if5i]

I would dispute that the decline of The Simpsons was strictly due to its profitability; it was very profitable during much of its golden age, and season 10 was distinctive in that its original writing staff had almost completely left. While it's feasible that they left because the producers became unwilling to rock the boat (perhaps fearing the loss of their successful franchise, which obviously they did not fear when it was still small), it must also be considered that maybe the original writers got bored of writing the same show for ten years, and the producers were simply unable to assemble a group of suitable replacements.

[@donoghtol]

I'd agree that profitiabilty wasn't the only factor in the decline of the simpsons, but it does tie in interestingly with something one of the former writers said. I remember seeing in an interview recently one of the former writers saying that the reason (or at least one of the reasons) that a lot of them left was just how much work had to be done to make an episode and that they basically just got burnt out. The point made in the video about how less work had to be done in later seasons to ensure the show was good quality would fit with that explanation

[@burrybondz225]

Didn't know that.

[@tywonellington]

Yeeeeeeep. Nearly a decade of great writing, and people are surprised they couldn't keep it up. No show stays good forever, especially after wholesale staff changes. Everything else is a secondary result to that.

[@tcorourke2007]

Sh*t just gets stale after awhile. Plus, a writer affiliated with such success has many options and a popular show has writers dying to get on board.

[@tcorourke2007]

​@@donoghtolThe original scripts used to go through 20-30 revisions!

[@bugsephbunnin4576]

Alway remember: It was the sake of profit what transformed Fallout from a critique of consumerism, enviromentalism, nuclear war, hierarchical institutions, capitalism and human condition, to "Let's go throw nukes with your friends!"

[@BoosterDuck9]

hopefully obsidian can bring real fallot back

[@georgewbush9326]

Even before besthesda fallout fallout's themes were chosen ultimately because their subversiveness could be profitable

[@user-et3xn2jm1u]

I'm happy C. brought up the video game industry. It really is a nice little microcosm for the whole phenomenon. Everyone knows the largest game companies are also the shittiest, they have hordes of people who do nothing but bash them online, and yet those same bashers are sometimes the greatest supporters of the corporate videogame industry. Causing a fandom riot is almost a rite of passage for a new product, it drums up a fuckton of free publicity and always throws the company itself an easy softball, as any improvements can immediately be painted as "they learned their lesson". The companies make terrible, anti-consumer, anti-workforce decisions that only benefit the fatcats. And yet, "there is no alternative". If an indie dev puts together a great game, they in turn will become fatcats themselves, and gradually make their product worse and worse until a new generation faces disillusionment. That is the environment we live in, almost across the board. Leadership is corrupt and incompetent, but powerful enough to have squeezed out any optimism for things to be better.

[@johnjonson2738]

Maybe because average consumer doesn't care about the things you've listed?

[@bugsephbunnin4576]

@@johnjonson2738 thats like deffending an hipothetic Godfather IV with Michael Corleone's son being a positive interpretation of gangster/mafia culture because that's what the casual viewer likes. And that's why understanding a cultural product as a commodity is a waste of resources and talent.

[@ahwhite1398]

It's telling how many of the fans of this channel do not or have not seen Lisa Simpson as another parody character. The situation reminds me of an interview with Danny McBride about his character Kenny Powers, where he expressed uneasiness over how many "Eastbound and Down" fans like his character, but not because of the parody. The parody aspect went over their heads. They just agreed with him.

[@aturchomicz821]

Nah Lisa is peak Millennial, as in always too smart...

[@LogicGated]

The slow demise of the Simpsons always gets me.

[@cnett486]

As a kid born in '84, I can definitely confirm how big and controversial the series was.

[@findlesplurb]

Born in '79 here, so I was about 10 years old when it premiered, and I also remember it was hugely popular but also super controversial. I recall a lot of the fuss was centered around Bart Simpson for 'swearing' (specifically, 'I'm Bart Simpson, who the hell are you?') as well as the 'troublemaker' persona. In middle school they actually had an assembly where the principal and a bunch of other goofs lectured us about how nothing to do with The Simpsons would be tolerated: no t-shirts, no notebooks with their faces, nothing. One girl got sent to the office for quoting a Simpson line. Even at age 10/11 I knew it was crazy that they were that up in arms about it. Those sure were silly times!

[@misterknightowlandco]

Born in 83… I wasn’t allowed to watch it 😂

[@kxkxkxkx]

Teachers used to put censor tape over your Bart shirt for the word "sucks" and now they're teaching kindergartners to have gay sex 😂

[@elus89]

As a kid who watched the series growing up, I can appreciate the brilliance in its sassy criticism, but also that it is not for kids. I find that it gives one an overly cynical and sarcastic look at the world, rather than any admiration for what has been built or accomplished. I think it's a good show for young adults, taken in moderation and balanced out by a good mentor who helps you stay humble and get better every day.

[@michaelrusso8466]

Also born in 84. This show was on the no-watch list until I was probably 10 or 11 years old, along with Ren & Stimpy, Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Beavis & Butt-Head.

[@cheer90099]

the musk episode is such lisa slander too, she would never be caught dead calling him a great inventor

[@Rkenichi]

The current writers would claim otherwise! 😉 💩

[@CautiousKieran]

Or the apu thing..

[@Owen-zm6sq]

Unfortunately The Simpsons fell so hard to neoliberalism that they literally have dem party members appearing in gags as celebrated figures.

[@MrCrashDavi]

@@Owen-zm6sq Dude what year are you in? Any building without Dem party members inside is liable to no-knock demolition, Fox are just protecting their animators and writers.

[@Owen-zm6sq]

@ThoughtCrime yes

[@WarriorBoy]

This was really well thought-out and researched. I wanna know what the true alternative is. Even this video is hosted on the web platform of a major corporation, so what's that truly subversive content look like? How is it spread and how does it reach people? It all kind of seems like the Catch-22 the writers of The Simpsons were in at the time, having to put the show on Fox, is alive and well. Modern creators putting (still critical) content on a platform filled with ads that recommend you content you like so you view more ads, even if the content is subversive. I'd love to hear what the philosophers in the video think the way out from all of this actually is, instead of just critiquing it for what it is. But I guess that's a discussion for another time.

[@addammadd]

It’s pitiful that people look to passive media ingestion for their “way out”. Read books. There is no easy colored pill. There is no way out.

[@Uchihasasuk5]

you could do zines that people distribute anywhere for free or at the cost it takes to print on a sheet of paper. you could post things to liveleak or alternative media sites. you could also make a video like this to subtly emotionally and psychologically push people toward your conclusion/call to action. the means do currently exist- if you haven't heard of super exciting subversive media at the moment, then that means that those ideas probably just weren't very exciting after all or didn't catch on.

[@LeandroAlmeida108]

It seems really subversive to spread subversive content on a big and mainstream platform

[@PermadeathHD]

the advantage of sites like youtube is that you can go under the radar for a while spreading ideas, obviously the whole time youre being watched but not directly by an individual who is able to discern the implication of ideas in a video, as long as youre not explicitly breaking rules you can go far but if you gain too much traction thats what catches you in the light.

[@ai_serf]

success seems like the best tactic against subversion. you could tell the low wage stories guy was starting to making money, and now a lot of his content is, "pull yoursef up by your put straps, if you read a book, all your problems will be solved!". Anyone who is subserversive, the capitalists should give lots of money too, and the subversion will be copoted.

[@jamiemcneil9682]

This video puts into words the feelings i have about the Simpsons, that I couldn't explain myself. This video hits the nail on the head about the decline of the Simpsons.

[@thingfish000]

I got to the end just to realize this was merely a ProPublica documentary.

[@FlosBlog]

"One could, drawing on Mark Fisher, make a more cynical argument" might as well be the title of my Bachelor's Thesis

[@odb1612]

bernini gäng

[@aldenchan8324]

what's it about?

[@Locke3OOO]

Undergrads 🤢

[@FlosBlog]

@@Locke3OOO True

[@naturesquad9174]

What Zero Books does to a mfer

[@consciousiota2161]

It literally depresses me every time I see a new Simpsons episode. This show has overstayed its welcome for way too long.

[@colinlastname5809]

I'm happy as long as 1-2/22 episodes are good each season. Despite being on for longer I don't think The Simpsons is as run out as Family Guy.

[@lookbovine]

Literally depressed? Good to know.

[@maltheopia]

@@lookbovine I literally feel my parasympathetic nervous system assert itself, filling me with waves of depression and malaise, when I think about the Simpsons for more than a few seconds. Doesn't everyone?

[@turtleanton6539]

Like 20yrs to much

[@turtleanton6539]

​@@maltheopiai do. It feels like time has passed for simpson and also me I was once bart age now I am homer age. I will ve grampa age and one day I will be dead but the simpsons will be living on förever and ever

[@antenman]

Jesus, the early Simpsons seasons truly were the best comedic show, subtly, yet deeply subversive without being vulgar, or over the top...

[@donrobertson4940]

Imagine boasting that your party is the party of homer Simpson.

[@andeve3]

The part about Cobain and the 90s really rings true. Gen X and 90s culture in general make a lot more sense when seen through that lens.

[@erichimes5042]

Musicians are cowards!

[@JS-dt1tn]

@@erichimes5042 not all. Arthur Rhames was one such exception. Mainstream music is cowardly however on the whole.

[@JS-dt1tn]

Read Capitalist Realism if you haven't yet. One of the more exciting books I've read in the last year.

[@Kakaze1]

I highly recommend Generation Like. It really makes the point that the idea of "selling out" for artists was already a dying idea in the 90s and that it's completely dead now. www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/generation-like/

[@dunningdunning4711]

@@Kakaze1 I was shocked recently that, on a youtube channel for Nirvana fans, the content creator felt the need to explain to the younger members of his audience what the concept of "selling out" meant. Something about that really depressed me.

[@greenamber9827]

Moe Syzlak described post-modernism as "...weird for the sake of weird.".

[@Ttegegg]

Jokers

[@ChestersonJack]

Ah yes, in the episode where he went back to bartending school and we saw a man apparently very important in Moe’s life drown himself onscreen!

[@xxxCrackerJack501xxx]

I like the term "imitation Simpsons" for the later seasons

Realising that "justice" and "freedom" are floating signifiers totally blew my mind. Awesome work, as always. Thank you.

[@BurgertubeFounder]

@@FranklyNorman Ever heard of a mud shark?

[@burrybondz225]

Mike pence said he would take those signifiers to the far reaches of space, the frontier for a new battlefield.

[@borginburkes1819]

@@BurgertubeFounder what is your problem?

[@elLooto]

floating signifiers... like "capitalism." Think about it....

[@atanaZion]

@@elLooto Capitalism isn't a floating signifier, most ppl who defend it just don't know what it is (same way they don't know what communism)

[@markuswelander8551]

My family values are hoarding and not talking about feelings.

[@nsalegit9482]

Ayy. I live in a similar hell.

[@ToriKo_]

Bruh

[@ericjohnson8169]

Are you my brother?

[@markuswelander8551]

@@ericjohnson8169 Yes.

[@ariehuybregts9875]

Weird, my family values are hoarding and talking about our feelings

[@lullabysorrow5746]

It really is sad that the show that had humanized it's characters, giving us moments like when Homer said goodbye to his mom, or when Maggy called homer her father, now is full of cringey unfunny dead humor. And seeing how a lot of T.V shows coming out aren't even good, I think that no other alternative is right. We are just gonna be that one meme where the dog is sitting in a room on fire going "This is fine" .

[@illegalaryan8400]

I simply stopped watching television. To be honest, I’m angry at myself the more I look back at all the time I spent mindlessly watching it. I was missing out on actual experiences and only having artificial ones projected through a screen. I can tell you who the Mayor of Springfield is on The Simpsons but I can’t tell you who my congressman is. The fact television has become so unwatchable now has been liberating because it forced me to actually participate in life instead of watching someone else’s.

[@Ttegegg]

@@illegalaryan8400 left to be Reston upon

[@fernie-fernandez]

At least we have Schitt's Creek, American Dad, Bob's Burgers, and maybe...SMILF...!?

[@GenetMJF]

Simpsons turned into Family guy

[@juanausensi499]

@@illegalaryan8400 Wise decision

[@dylanculp3841]

Astounding video. Absolutely nailed many topics I find hard to articulate.

[@robinsoncrusoeonmars8594]

This was wonderful and refreshing. Thank you. I will look for your other videos.

[@jacobglaser7773]

The Simpsons was counterculture at its finest. WAS.

[@caucasoidape8838]

I would be okay if it wasn't even that anymore. The fucking characters are completely unrelatable, and make no sense.

[@Bell-ih5ln]

Damn I miss not jerkass homer

[@christiangonzalez6945]

Was, until it became the culture

[@icecreamhero2375]

@@caucasoidape8838 Sometimes I feel like not working like Homer. There are people in my life who can be naggy like Marge. Kids can be bratty sometimes.

[@underscoreellipsesdothyphe1563]

@@caucasoidape8838 the Simpsons if anything was a parody of societys pitfalls, which is part of the reason why it mocks Fox whilst being shown on Fox. The Simpsons if anything just came off the back of 80s comedies, which centred around things like "good old family values" (they show an 80s comedy in one of the episodes that Homer becomes enamored with, but the outcome is that Bart sells secrets to China and eventually Homer builds a nuclear reactor, and is the new Chairman Mao that explodes, as opposed to the 80s comedy where the son and father embrace). Dysfunctional family comedies certainly weren't anything new, Fawlty Towers is a good example and similar premise, but I think the Simpsons is more realistic than any 80s comedy, which was really centered around unrealistic "old fashion family values", *super ironic* considering one of 80s comedies big stars got sent to prison. Ie mocks capitalism in Mr Burns, mocks Liberalism in Lisa, mocks the bar flies with Lenny and Moe, mocks the gangsters, mocks China, mocks America.. I think Matt groening said that Homer worked at a nuclear plant so they could constantly come back to the environment, but they're even self aware enough to mock Lisa's liberalism and tiresome campaigning (eg when Marge changes her hair from blue to grey and then back to blue, lisa says its empowering, but when Marge says "but you said going from blue to grey was empowering", to which Lisa responds "well as a feminist pretty much anything a woman does is empowering" and Homer says "Is my job creating power empowering?" To which Lisa says "no, its oddly demeaning." Or when Lisa drops her campaigning for a nice looking boy) I think Simpsons is more relatable than any other comedy, simply because it's usually so self aware, it even mocks itself for being on TV too long, which is probably why they talk about Kurt Cobain because he too mocked the very industry that he was in (with the songs "he's the one who likes all our pretty songs, and he likes to sing along, and he likes to shoot his gun, but he knows not what it means", I forget the name of the song because I'm not a huge Nirvana fan), but knew he couldn't do anything without it, similar in the same sense to Roger Waters / Pink Floyd, (because people always say people who reject or question capitalism is automatically a communist) its just cynical humor/cynicism I guess which I guess people take out of context, people should check out the art "cynical realism" which was a mockery of propaganda. I think they pandered way to much to the people who complained about Apu, it was unnecessary to write him off, as was it unnecessary to change Carl Carlson's voice actor just to prove they weren't "racist"

[@kitthornton2336]

Well done. Our owners will let us laugh at them, so long as two conditions are met: first, the work must reinforce out the impossibility of change, and second, they must be able to make a profit on it.

[@lyrablack8621]

Well put!

[@el_equidistante]

Our owners are as slaved by the capitalist system as we are really

[@Nordkiinach]

@@el_equidistante Not all of them you moron. Some of them are conscious about it and then instead of finding ways alongside us all to rebel, they secure and reinforce their place as Owners. Meaning malignant intent. Not all, but most. Denying that makes you just contrarian for the sake of it, and you becoming an empty-signifier for supposed _"wisdom"_ which you do not have. None of us do.

[@gracefool]

An ironic point to make on KZbin.

[@el_equidistante]

@@Nordkiinach empty-signifier lol, I see you are excited to use you newly learned word

[@topcatmatt]

Cck I just wanted to say that I could see the split in times between videos, and you had one month were you thought you could do both, and then you went ahead and did your work, then you came back. I appreciate what it took for you to figure that out that balance for yourself. It’s no easy task. Thank you for all your work.

[@1elitegeek]

Feel like I've learned so much from a 40 min vid on the Simpsons, thank you, really interesting, going to do some further reading of this 👍🏾

[@Calz20Videos]

Read Baudrillard

[@killswitchlee123]

The problem with The Simpsons is that modern episodes are written by “fans” that had their own interpreted view of what the show was when they were kids. The classic seasons were written by already-cynical adults.

[@islandboy9381]

The classic seasons had cynicism but there was also heart beneath it, that was also because of a mature writer

[@finchcarvingadiamond]

Kind of reminds me of comic book writers. And the star wars sequels.

[@sasquatch_8185]

That’s the exact problem I have with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia with the past 2-3 seasons.

[@incongruousinquiry]

Ah, similar to the problem with newer Star Trek media, then.

[@razkable]

i look at what made the golden years so good using three c words.....first they were cynical storytellers with real experiences, second they were at their core counter culture with their views on themes and above all else finally lastly the eps had true catharsis at the end of every episode so you felt like you watched a movie in the span of 22 minutes with a true start middle end and had resolution...classic simpsons delivered all of these core elements that made it feel so special...cynical counter culture and catharsis..these three things were vital..

[@edmondantes4338]

"When we have a culture so subversive that major corporations refuse to fund it, let alone recuperate it". Do not underestimate them, they can recuperate absolutely anything.

[@mechanoid2k]

Oh yeah. They'd sell you back your own finger nail clippings if they thought you'd buy them.

[@illegalaryan8400]

They already sell us water.

[@angelofdeath275]

yeah thats happening with social issues right now

[@af6462]

Jeez, you know it's bad when you can tell without any sound that the music video is supposed to be Tick Tock, just based on how literally they drew the lyrics.

[@Epicmcjr9]

This is one of the most interesting video essays I've ever seen!!

[@Alex-cw3rz]

It's weird looking at this from a British point of view, because all British Sitcoms were sort of like Simpsons and some a lot more bleak.

[@souljastation5463]

Yes, I see the British as a less hypocritical version of the Americans, also you have the BBC which is state funded, this allows the show writers to be a little bit freer (albeit with less money to produce the shows).i American TV is always self-righteous and preachy, it was like that when the status quo belonged to the conservarives and it is now that the status quo has shifted to the left, different values but same attitude.

[@Rkenichi]

@@souljastation5463 I know I fucking hate the dnc more than the gop at this point, truly a feat by Obama and Pelosi 👏

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@Rkenichi really? GOP is literally holding back the stimulus bills, it's killed over 300,000 Americans due to it's incompetence. But the dnc are preachy so therefore worse 🤦‍♂️

[@Rkenichi]

@@Alex-cw3rz no they both suck. They both play games for their own benefit. It just depends on who wants more leverage at any given time. Case in point: Pelosi waited until after Biden’s win to accept a stimulus lower than the previous negotiation

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@Rkenichi that's literally just a lie the stimulus bill the dem proposed has been on McConnell desk since the spring time. I hate centrists like you, your worse than conservative, they are just ignorant, you purposefully go out of your way to lie and equate things that are so out of propostion from each other, just so you can pretend to be a nihilist.

[@noleftturnunstoned]

Stephen Colbert is an excellent example of this. His oringinal show was a subversive parody of conservative punditry, but as the show progressed became more and more ridiculous and self referential. He is now indistinguishable from the other late night hosts.

[@Slimbones125]

was talking to my partner, and they said if they got to meet him they'd simply ask "Do you feel dead inside?"

[@noleftturnunstoned]

@@Slimbones125 There was a really good interview he did with Eric Schmidt in 2012 which really shed light on how talented he was and the sophistication of his vision for the character of Stephen Colbert. Unfortunately, Late night.. or whatever makes him seem like the bland official spokes person for conservative middle class democrats. Very sad to see.

[@tisFrancesfault]

To be fair you shouldn't confuse the Colbert report with Stevens talk show. They aren't the same show and never were supposed to be.

[@noleftturnunstoned]

@@tisFrancesfault Yeah, thanks.

[@ArmLegLegArmHead47]

Late Night Shows especially in the US are coherent with the Status Quo. There is no subversiveness in constantly mocking poor white workers or even rich white conservatives while clearly having a protecting and supporting role for the neolibs.

[@mootroidXproductions]

“Something so subversive that major corporations refuse to fund it, let alone refuse to recuperate it.” Not even Disco Elysium was safe. I can’t imagine what it would take at this point.

[@DaisyHollowBooks]

Well, this just surfaced in my feed, and you really address some things I’ve been thinking about. I’m an educator nearing the end of my career, and this video sparked some small hope in me.

[@DanielGalimidi]

I stopped watching any Simpsons around 2005, so I didn't know about Lisa calling Elon Musk the greatest living inventor. I didn't need to know it, I regret learning it, and it's made what's left of 2020 so much worse for me ever since I learned it.

[@Ttegegg]

Death by wage

[@Muzikman127]

“My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined”

[@toganium4175]

One of my favorite Simpsons scenes in hindsight is when Flanders yells at Lisa because she’s the answer to a question that “no one asked.” The Simpsons predicted the downfall of the Simpsons.

[@Ttegegg]

No more lives

[@jhhwild]

The most accurate prediction the Simpsons made about themselves was in a 1992 episode when Bart asked "Hey Dad, how come they are taking the Cosby Show off the air?", Homer replies "Because Mr. Cosby wanted to stop before the quality suffered." Bart then says "Quality, Shmality, if I had a TV show I'd run that sucker into the ground". Homer then responds "Amen boy, Amen"

[@Romeo-le2ez]

Luv u

[@donniesmidway]

Thank you so much for the brilliant essay. You’ve provided many good sources for me to look further into. I’m looking forward to reading Mark Fisher’s book. I’ve been aware of my retreat into irony and judgement of a system I still grovel over. Thank you for this clear and well structured dive into culture. If you’re other essays and videos are anywhere as good as this I am eager to listen.

[@erickschusterdeoliveira2662]

incredible how this went much above an analysis of The Simpsons, I went into this with kind of low expectations and came out greatly impressed

[@mkwke215]

I asked someone what Ronald Reagen did and they said "everything, and we're trying to undo it".

[@Yellow.1844]

god i hate him

[@zachflakerton]

Reagan said that it should be obvious that the rich pay a higher proportion in taxes. I guess in that aspect they’re right. Anytime someone praises Reagan, I let them know I like him too for how left wing he was.

[@xtzyshuadog]

*ah the Simpsons, unapologetically a Parody of the Perfect American Family, a series of homages to classic films and themes, a syndicated week by week adventure into a family rollercoaster that went up then down, with no ability to rewatch or binge watch on demand except for when a clip show episode aired containing a compilation, so no KZbin Best Of videos or social media posts promoting it... A different time. The Age Of Information is a window into a new world, rife with corruption (SOPA) and exploitation (Instagram, Snapchat, ... Twitch OnlyFans)*

[@xtzyshuadog]

*But it also allowed the LA and Philly, New York, Portland writers to explore cultural issues that DIDN'T get talked about in the shows before it, which only covered Cop Procedurals, Dramas, and Family shows. Now here comes The First Serious Animated Comedy.*

[@whatsinaname691]

@@zachflakerton That statement doesn’t mean what you think it means, and if you think the goal of supply side economics is to decrease tax revenue and make the rich pay less, you clearly don’t know much about economics

[@laurafabrini8806]

fuck... I've never heard about that Musk episode... that was sad

[@matguimond92]

sadly I have watched it. What an egg head. edit: Elon Musk.

[@mugakamurakumo]

It's even worse when you have a friend that simps for Musk. God that s hit gets so annoying...

[@MrRadishification]

I thought every liked Musk and he was the only billionaire that's progressive and going to save the world? Or has that notion passed?

[@uhohhotdog]

@@MrRadishification that’s never been a thing outside of right “libertarians”

[@Kongaslam]

I’ve watched it and I don’t even remember it.

[@timhaldane7588]

"Before The Simpsons, there was nothing like it." That's overstating things a little bit. There were absolutely subversive parodies of the family sitcom. Married with Children, for example, preceded The Simpsons by two years. It just wasn't animated or anywhere near as high brow. EDIT: 6:30 nevermind, you got there.

[@jrd33]

Also, Roseanne (1988-) was about a pretty dysfunctional family.

[@MartijnterHaar]

I think it is overstating it a lot. The Honeymooners already dealt with less than ideal working class families. The 70s had the three greats of M*A*S*H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and All in the Family. Then in the 80s, before The Simpsons, there were Golden Girls, It's The Gary Shandling Show, which very explicitly parodied sitcom conventions, and Roseanne, which The Simpsons seems to have gotten a lot of ideas from.

[@enricobianchi4499]

That idea by Jameson of parody becoming pastiche eerily predicted hyperpop.

[@GeoNeilUK]

Yeah, pastiche is affectionate, parody is not. Pastiche is a roast, parody is a burn.

[@TedBilk]

Holy shit yeah

[@TedBilk]

Holy shit yeah

[@CuriousKey]

To put it simply, radical culture must own the means of its own production.

[@cattysplat]

Unfortunately that limits their audience and has only become harder to achieve as free open platforms like the internet become more walled off, where as people freely explored websites with their own free opinions in the 90's and early 2000's, that is barely functional today in how most people use the internet. Google the majority search engine now mass censors results, people getting all their news from Facebook and Twitter which controls what people see whilst filters and censors speech, Copyright laws abused to shut down non compliant and non profitable content creators, ecommerce being consolidated into a few big online sellers. Plus whatever behaviour being organised to counter global capitalists is surveilled with mass data collection, sold as a product about everyone's internet activity. Trends can be spotted and incorporated into the capitalist machine before a rebel movement even realises they are being subverted and subdued. AI and algorithms are already being used to predict and subvert one step ahead, what chance do free thinking humans have against the machines of capitalist war that never sleep and have near full access to near everyone's internet activity to preserve the global elite, normalising censorship whilst selling product through virtue signalling. The current internet is no longer free, our interests and our attention are now the product.

[@CuriousKey]

@@cattysplat precisely. One of the reasons (beyond, but not separate from, profit) for doing all of this is exactly to prevent radical internet culture (beyond what is politically expedient, see Steve Bannon's funding of the alt-right) from operating outside of the control of capital. The very reasons it is difficult to achieve is precisely why it is important to achieve.

[@felipedaiber2991]

Or be extremely explicit in its intentions to do so, anything short of folk punk is inevitably going to be recuperated

[@CuriousKey]

@@felipedaiber2991 I'm not sure stated intention can really prevent recuperation. Plenty of counter culture movements have been absorbed and twisted by capital, including pretty much every punk movement that produces any form of art. What is "folk punk" to you?

[@sboinkthelegday3892]

@@cattysplat It's not like we had Google, back in the day, when we neither had the crowd that google is leading on.

[@ChezBing]

I always stick around to hear you say Tendies123

[@Onehundredpounds]

Bruh same

[@seanyeo5514]

I love that a substantial number of the Patreon names are ironically composed with the knowledge that they will be read out in a serious tone at the end of a serious video. My favourite was ‘And Most Importantly’ Now, passively back to bed for me, while I congratulate myself for having watched something educational on KZbin.

[@AnotherDante]

Tendies123 the first two are a dollar the third ones free

[@KoningFelix1]

Thank God, I am not alone

[@Jaistar2k22]

Now I have too

[@Jimdunne_]

This is incredible. Really really good. This channel has fuelled my appetite for postmodern philosophy

[@skateboard446]

This is a great video! Thank you for making it, truly.

[@50mt]

Somehow this is exactly what I was waiting for, but didn't know I needed.

[@sneedfeed7204]

Lol same. I read capitalist realism recently too so this was def nice timing

[@SaintSwithinsDay]

RIP Mark Fisher. Very greatly missed.

[@EdnaK728]

Okay, but who was he and why would I care?

[@sprobablycancr4457]

@@EdnaK728 You wouldn't. Go eat a crusty burger.

[@cheesi]

​@@EdnaK728you can watch the video to learn this !

[@vinesauceobscurities]

@@EdnaK728 Have you even watched this video?

[@EdnaK728]

@@vinesauceobscurities yes, but I still don't know who this random guy was

[@ChescoYT]

Man, you make incredible videos!

[@stevendorsey4850]

12:38 -- I prefer to remember Mickey Mouse as the mouse that became a Keyblade-wielder, while under the tutelage of his master Merlin. When the dark forces of Organization 13 threatened the entire universe, he left his kingdom behind, along with his wife and many of his loved ones, and fought heartless and nobodies for the safety and prosperity of all the worlds in the universe, regardless of who they were or where they came from.

[@skidooshlayman12]

Occam's razor: The original writers left and were replaced by hacks.

[@dannyboy4682]

I get why you used it, but I think 'minimum viable product' works infinitely better than 'occams razor', a term used when talking about the process of creating scientific theories

[@Ramsey276one]

@@dannyboy4682 Welcome to the Internet

[@mattblumenstein]

the original writing staff was almost entirely replaced by season five, but the beginning of the decline is usually cited as season nine.

[@jed02]

@@dannyboy4682 occam’s razor originated in philosophy and was later applied to science, so they used it correctly. and if saying “minimally viable product” is just an unnecessarily longer way of saying the same thing as “occam’s razor” why say it at all?

[@Ttegegg]

@@jed02 more mercy

[@amanofnoreputation2164]

I don't think the shift towards attacking the nuclear family happened overnight with the coming of the Simpsons. The father figure always had a degree of irony to it because, in a sense, he isn't really part of the family at all and has to go of to work to obtain this abstract commodity called money. Teaching the children how to operate in society is left up to the school system, but here the absenteeism continues with teachers having to spread their attention over tens of students in contrast to older patterns of human life where the children helped out their parents in daily affairs and were more or less adults in their own right from an early age. Because of that, children as non-participants in society didn't come into existence until the industrial revolution.

[@Fr33zeBurn]

There was more insight in this comment then in the entire video.

[@ToneTheTappinFret]

I still love this video for the way you describe the Simpsons in the beginning!

[@kebsis]

'its not a coincidence that family sitcoms became a staple of American tv in the late 40s' Yeah it might have something to do with that being when families actually started getting TVs

[@duncanstevens63]

I really like your conclusion and it got me thinking about memes being our most subversive comedy but then you see advertisers using them and it got me so down and depressed I'm going to go and have a lie down.

[@lasseheller9863]

That's what's really interesting about memes though, they evolve so fast that most memes used by advertisers are painfully unfunny because they can't ever keep up with the newest levels of irony

[@thegrinderman1090]

@@lasseheller9863 Yes, but firstly, if these meme ad campaigns weren't effective, they wouldn't keep getting funded. Secondly, meme pages get bought outright and are then used to advertise to the 'in' crowd. And thirdly, witty memers will get hired by advertising agencies so that they can appear be 'the cool one', e.g. Dennys. There's no escape.

[@lookbovine]

Those sound like deep thoughts. You better lay down!

[@partylikeits1066]

Yep, anything subversive will be coopted and sold back to you by capitalists

[@Alex13501]

I have to say, "Pastiche" is really fitting for "edgy but not really" and such.

[@cryojudgement2376]

"Yeah I hate the system" *puts suit and tie on and rides his carbon neutral bicycle to his office building*

[@mochimochi4179]

Isn't edge by default basically "dark, but not really"? I've always had it explained to me as dark-wannabe, trying to be dark but not understanding what makes something actually dark and just crams it with a fuckload of gore and rape. Kind of like how theres "horror" and then theres "torture porn".

[@nunuri7894]

@@mochimochi4179 as someone whose first language isn’t english, edgy was explained to me in class as something against the status quo or whatever is socially acceptable

[@BrgArt]

@@nunuri7894 being french i took the meaning literally and thought it meant "something hurtful for no particular reason".

[@granda3649]

@@nunuri7894 For me, edgy is just what kids think "mature" is.

[@Scott-hu3np]

I think a major reason for the Simpsons demise is its longevity. Weirdly it's also its biggest strength because the Simpsons is familiar to us. It's comfortable. But the reason why I think it's over is because it's issues don't resonate anymore. Even it's good episodes comment on stuff that happened 30 years ago. It's time for something new. A new way of seeing things, a new way at looking at commenting at our world and society. Which I imagine Gen Z will offer. This is not just a problem with the Simpsons. I think it with most adult animation. That came from the 90s. Like even South Park who are very good at reinventing itself just feels old.

[@carlobasilone3133]

Brilliant essay and observations of the world as it is right now. Thank you very much.

[@LisaBeergutHolst]

Homer: attempts to strangle Bart in nearly every episode... "Some aggressive inclinations" 🙄

[@kawaiiprincess3607]

Whats even more messed up is he explains why he never strangled Lisa. "You can't strangle a girl" Really? The gender is where you draw the line? Granted, Lisa never has done anything worth getting strangled from Homer's perspective but still. Really you should never strangle anyone at all unless it's for self defence, and even then, never do it to children. Was satifuing to see Homer getting strangled for once in another episode though

[@VeryHotBantman]

@@kawaiiprincess3607 this is a cartoon... chill

[@Grgrqr]

@@kawaiiprincess3607 ?

[@kawaiiprincess3607]

Okay I'm fully aware this is a cartoon. Though honestly I feel like this joke was over done.

[@LisaBeergutHolst]

@@VeryHotBantman Homer: Says something sexist *"It's just a cartoon, chill"* Woman: makes a walking simulator *"oMg SjW fEmIn@ZiS r DeZtRoYiNg GaMeZ"*

[@BNardolilli]

Ted Cruz clearly forgot Marge is a Mary Bailey Liberal

[@ultraatari9298]

I was hoping Bloomberg won the primary Not surprisingly even as a kid my first gf compared me to Krusty the clown lol

[@Rkenichi]

Who says he would even need to remember it? To ideologists, the Simpsons’ worth is only as much as they serve as reference points to their ideology

[@Koroschiya]

@@Rkenichi I think it's simply that people hate Lisa and love Homer and Bart.

[@Nahasapasa]

Marge voted for Carter... twice. Yes, she's old.

[@YouAintGotNoTegridyBoi]

In case you haven't seen the modern republican party, it's actually quite liberal now.

[@Gandaleon]

Another fantastic video essay. Thanks for sharing.

[@Atrumeos]

Not only did this video make me like Matt Groening (well, his ideas in Simpsons anyway), it's an amazing entry point into some postmodern ideas and critique of culture under capitalism. Thank you.

[@DoctorPhileasFragg]

More like a digression into postmodern ideas and critique of culture under capitalism.

[@poundcayx]

this episode reminded me a lot of the decline of The Eric Andre Show's quality. originally, in season 1 and 2, they used a lot of clever musings to critique modern late-night shows, whereas now they use random and shocking behaviors to shock real celebrities. maybe you could do an episode on that?

[@Jazzfunkmaster]

Is that not the writers relying on tropes of the genre as EAS wasn’t fully actualised? I think the subversion comes from the unpredictability not any entry level satirical devices

[@MyScorpion42]

@@Jazzfunkmaster What's your reasoning for calling them entry-level devices?

[@12PnT12]

Yeah, season 5 was pretty mediocre and hits a lot of the points in these video. More celebrity cameos, the repeat of rapper warrior ninja, self-referential jokes such as "I wish I was Lance Reddick", featuring a dumb, zombie version of Hannibal and even ending with a feel-good song.

[@islandboy9381]

Even the celebrity guests get completely screwed with and we see how they can't react when it's not following the format, showing the vanity of their appearances in late night television.

[@25-keys44]

@@12PnT12 No, we ASKED for more rapper warrior ninja, cause it was a good idea and the Lance Reddick follow-up was awesome, I kind of agree with the rest though i enjoyed the feel-good songs

[@danb3529]

This is a great video, but one small critique: i believe you've mistaken "satire" for "parody". A parody is something that makes fun of a subject, but while holding respect and love for that subject (One Punch Man), while a satire is making fun of a subject with subversive intent (The Simpsons)

[@hi_mom_im_on_youtube]

35:40 I have great doubts about the internet having the ability to facilitate a radical culture - mainly because of the precuperation that is inherent in social media and all the social movements that either find its roots there, or eventually come under its wing. One could argue that, unlike television and other traditional media, the internet is completely decentralized and democratic, leaving room for social movements to grow without falling to the same fate of commercialization and eventual cynicism about consumption. However, such movements would never receive sufficient traction or attention outside of a tight niche, without ending up in the same system, following the patterns set up by the capitalist social media environment. This is especially noticeable (though perhaps a blunt example) in US-centered liberal social movements that mainly sprung up to fight an oppressive system, only for their ideologies to be resold as products by that same system, thereby defanging them. The bigger a movement grows, the sooner it enters the mainstream and as such, perpetuates itself under the established patterns of a system. So the only way for a social movement to avoid this fate would be an intense and unyielding self-characterization as it being fundamentally opposed to the established media environment, thereby preventing that same environment from ever successfully adopting and recuperating it. Meaning, no anti-capitalist internet movement can ever achieve true success if it can be sanitized and appropriated by social media.

[@Curtarist]

I agree with this point and I would like to add: The last statement in the video relating to radical movements via the internet "We will know we have succeeded when we have a culture so subversive that major corporations refuse to fund it, let alone attempt to recuperate it" has already been achieved, however to our dismay it is not the left that has achieved this, it is right wing populists creating "free speech" media and we have seen the results of the real world action they have enacted, ultimately being a punished failure. However it is not an ultimate failure as spaces like Parler still exist and a multitude of right wing media spaces grow increasingly popular and increasingly vitriolic. These right wing online spaces thrive easier as their ideals are perfectly in line with capitalistic/imprealistic values and can borrow all of their media tactics and presentation, however they are rejected by the broader neoliberal spaces as they reject non-conservative lifestyles, that neoliberals capitalise on like you have mentioned. During the insurrection we could see that there was no aim, there was direction but no action. This is where left and right potential revolutions have something in common. There is a common hate which brings people together and the broader fantasy of an idealised world, but there is no common path or any vision of a path for either side. Adam Curtis is someone who has been extrapolating this idea for a while now in his documentaries. The only way I can see social media and virtual spaces actually aiding an anti-capitalist movement is to be severely explicit with direction for real world action.

[@DepressedHandsomeSpaceCop]

@@Curtarist This is a really good point. These right wing populists are the group closest to creating a real movement for people to get behind. It's incoherent and lacks any serious vision of how to operate an alternative society, but there is nothing comparable on the left, except for limp academic critiques. Being anti-capitalist doesn't tell people what sort of society you are actually for.

[@teddybear127pow]

Is it possible for you to do a video essay on the rise of mindless consumption of media where more and more viewers are unable to handle conflict, morally grey/corrupt themes/characters, complex plot, dialogue that isn’t quippy one-liners, and treat fiction as reality? There’s definitely more to the decline in rich storytelling than mere consumer patterns, but as someone who has been watching it happen in real time, I would love to see a broader take on it. I feel like this video was so close to touching on the topic, so I would like to hear your research on this. Especially when it comes to queer media, the increasing pressure to create “wholesome” characters and stories to make it palatable to the masses, while blatantly attacking queer creators who dare to make anything less than “pure” essentially treating the fictional person as more human and deserving of compassion than the real life people that write the stories.

[@elLooto]

Your last paragraph answers your first question.