Typical season 12 problems in CABF07

While we are bad-mouthing so many current episodes so much at the moment here�s a short analysis of "Tennis the Menace" which is an episode that can show you many of the problems of season 12.

Recycled jokes (Homer in the shower, already seen in 2F13) Completely unrelated and too long opening (retirement home/graveyard) Self Irony ("Who�d have thought we�d end up building a tennis court...") Simple slapstick (various scenes such as Homer "surfing the net") No real story (characters just staying around, not much plot) Out-of-character behaviour (almost everyone, forced hostility) South-Park-Humour (Dr. Hibbert and his outdoor operation) Scully-Humour (Bart and Marge as lovers, incest reference) Stupid story (no subtle references, no deeper intelligence) Emotionally cold (forced hatred and hostility between the family members) Disgusting and bizarre stuff (Burns and his swollen giant hand) Forced celebrity appearance (tennis stars appear for no apparent reason) More or less aprupt ending (short talk, let�s go home, no problems solved)

Only monkeys and other animals with subtitles are missing.

Maybe I�m exaggerating a little but I think there�s a lot of bad stuff. Surprisingly, it�s still one of the better episodes in season 12, maybe because it�s at least a little bit grounded in reality.

Chris

You don't say why these are "problems".

I happen to like -

I think these elements add an element of anarchy which set the Simpsons apart from other sitcoms. They undermine traditional sitcom story structures. And they provide a subtle response to the critics in this NG and elsewhere that want the Simpsons to fit the "normal" mold that other TV shows seem so desperate to fit into.

This was pretty funny, and it isn't like it happens every week. ("Are you Serena? No, I'm Venus" .. hehe).

I am getting tired of the rock stars (I thought the Kid Rock and Who shows were crap) although the NSync episode was funny.

I tend to agree with you in your dislike for:

However, I don't consider this analysis, just saying what makes me laugh.

"Kelly" wrote in message news:[email]...

solved)

Well, Chris isn't one of those critics. Neither am I. In fact, I don't watch more than 1 hr of TV a week. I do waste some time on newsgroups, though :)

The simple fact is they have celebrity appearances to bring in new viewers. If they just concentrated on the plot first, they'd get viewers. Celebrity appearances used to be a spice added to the mix. In Tennis the Menace, they _were_ the mix.

Not to sound too sexist, but you're a young female fan, right? The dislike of rock music vs. pop has nothing to do with the quality of a Simpsons episode. (I didn't really like the Kid Rock or Who episodes, either... but it wasn't because of the guest stars). This example does seem to reinforce the idea that certain episodes are aimed at specific demographics, though.

Yep. All it does is prove that some people really like this new style of episode. People who liked the show's style right at the beginning 12 years ago are the ones who (for the most part) don't. I don't think anyone who really loved the show when it began still thinks it's as good as it used to be.

I agree. I've been watching since day one (have not missed one and seen most of them many times) and while I enjoy every episode, some more than others, I do think it's declined in overall intelligence.

I am a relativly new member to this NG (about 2 months now) and I never thought too much about the decline in the show until I started reading all of the talk here. Ever since, that's all I can see when I watch the show now. I keep thinking, Matt, why aren't you fixing this?? It's still good, but not quite as great as it once was. I still plan on watching and buying the DVD's for as long as it runs...I just hope we can begin a shift back to the integrity of the earlier seasons (3-10 would be fine).

ScottSPM

These problems used to be amusing, before the writers used abrupt endings and self-irony in every single damn episode!

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"Chris Pfeiler" wrote in message news:[email]...

here�s

you

because

I agree with "No real story (characters just staying around, not much plot)" the most. There were some clever things in there, especially the line "It's better watch stuff than to do stuff." That is a great satiric idea, but it's buried by bad execution.

I don't want to "dump on everything they do", because in the end this cartoon... WHATEVER it is... is still someone's creation. How weird it would be to stand over a painter's shoulder, and get angry and criticize him/her if he/she didn't paint it the way we liked. It's not like the product they'r e making doesn't appeal to SOMEONE... it's just not us, anymore.

I'm back to this idea that the earlier seasons were aimed at intelligent adults. It was then that we forged emotional connections with the characters. Now, the show is aimed at either really young children, or the lesser intelligent, or both. Problem is, we can't pull ourselves away... because we still care about the characters, and we still look for that intelligent humor.

I don't believe constant negativity will change the course of the show, nor do I think we (as fans) have a place in demanding that it go back to what it once was. And, that's the cold, hard truth. We may hope that the new EP will have pity on us, and try to take the show back in the direction it used to go. But it may be a vain hope. Our criticisms are probably all in vain.

Sure, there was good stuff in the episode and even the ending is not as worse as some other current endings, just a little aprupt. There were indeed some good lines, I especially liked "I�m Iraqui" by Kent Brockman and Homer�s reaction.

I used the episode as example because there are many problems (stuff that I consider as problem) concentrated in one episode but the problems are often not as bad and strong as in some other episodes..

What I meant with "just staying around" is that there was no dynamic in the story. It was just a bunch of scenes, some characters here and there, they talk, they walk, they talk again and even if they had some good lines it were just lines in an otherwise weak "nothing".Another season 12 episode with such a lack of dynamic is "Pokey Mom" where it was even worse.

On the other hand, "Trilogy of Error" is an episode with lots of dynamic so it�s way better than the usual season 12 stuff. There�s fast movement and action and stuff happens and even though the plot of "Trilogy" is pretty silly and bizarre it�s an enjoyable episode.

Neither do I. But what else can we older fans do in these days? We can watch old episodes on video or syndication, we can hope for the future and we can complain from time to time in a most negative way to show that we are still here and not happy.

The writers (and I�m quite sure some of them read the NG) don�t take us serious and use us for mocking and self-irony but a newsgroup without occasional oldschool rambling and complaining would be boring, wouldn�t it?

Chris

"but a newsgroup without occasional oldschool rambling and complaining would be boring, wouldn�t it?"

"These problems used to be amusing, before the writers used [oldschool rambling and complaining] in every single damn [post]!"

slightly edited for my own amusement,

-alex

"There is no cannibalism in the British Navy, absolutely none, and when I say none, I mean there is a certain amount." -Sir John Cunningham

Hehe...now THAT'S a true satire!

Mocking the very people who made the show a success isn't very nice.
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The Indian DVD Resource: http://www.fly.to/indiadvd

What happens when you delete the Recycle Bin?

"Gay" is not a synonym for "bad."

Remove "bination" to reply.

The show seems to be written by marketing guys rather than comedy writers. They're rather obviously trying to dumb down the humor and attract the people who have very little attention spans for plot and character development. I don't think "art" has much to do with the show these days. It's this mentality that leads to Michael Bay movies! ________________________________________________________________

The Indian DVD Resource: http://www.fly.to/indiadvd

What happens when you delete the Recycle Bin?

"Gay" is not a synonym for "bad."

Remove "bination" to reply.

"Sydney Assbasket " wrote in message news:[email]...

would

him/her

they'r

people

I

I guess I agree. I'm just not sure how me, or any of us bitching about it is going to help :/

Sir Isa-who who?

Chris Pfeiler wrote:

this was probably the worst this season. just.. stupid. and not in the way that made me like the jockey episode, just... stupid.

plus the animation was REALLY off.

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<While we are bad-mouthing so many current episodes so much at the moment here�s a short analysis of "Tennis the Menace" which is an episode that can show you many of the problems of season 12.

I at once, hated that episode, but I think TtM is one of S12's funniest if you shove plot aside.

~Paul Melnyk, too Laozi to come up with a witty nickname. "An autocrat is a facist that's loved, a dictator is a fascist that's hated."

Humor on a sitcom has to stem from at least a very thin logic. It is totally out of character for Homer to just build a tennis court and even more out of character for Marge to even allow it to happen. If Homer suddenly became a George Carlin type character, I probably wouldn't find him funny, as much as I do like Carlin. ________________________________________________________________

The Indian DVD Resource: http://www.fly.to/indiadvd

What happens when you delete the Recycle Bin?

"Gay" is not a synonym for "bad."

Remove "bination" to reply.

"Sydney Assbasket " wrote in message news:[email]...

if

totally

of

a

as I

What if Principal Skinner suddenly became some sort of.... lobster-like creature?