Why do we stick around?

Many times the question is asked "If you're so critical about the show, why do you keep watching it?" Simple. The emotional depth the show used to have made us care about the characters, as if they were nearly real people. Now, that may sound pathetic to those of you who don't watch the Simpsons for anything more than a laugh... but it's true.

I used to think I watched just for the comedy. The show used to _truly_ be the funniest thing anywhere. But it's strange I haven't stopped watching since the quality of the humor has dropped, and I know why. I think I actually care about these cartoon drawings. Much as you may be emotionally moved at the end of the play "Les Miserables" to cry when Jean Valjean dies (hey... my tough-guy brothers both weeped like babies), or when Bambi's mother is shot, that is the sort of connection I feel for these cartoons. Makes me sound like a super-geek, but I think I'm not alone in this feeling.

Sure, when the show displays its flashes of brilliant humor now and again, I love it. Chris Pfeiler and I disagree about "Bye Bye Nerdie", but at least the episode was reaching back to the pattern of social satire it seemed to have forgotten for a while. There were no groups of characters standing in a circle, simply exchanging dialogue (as in "Tennis the Menace"); there was action, and social commentary. I believe Chris' dislike for the episode stems from the mean treatment of Lisa; but, I saw Lisa displaying no lingering pain--emotional, or physical. She simply decided to figure out the problem, which had a most ironic solution.

At the end, Homer says "So, she just bullies people to get some attention..." Lisa says, "No, Dad! It's the nerd swea--" "Just to get some attention."

That scene is rife with the classic irony the show used to have.

Now, if it were just the humor that came back now and again... I may be satisfied, but I'm not sure. I think more emotional connections and observations should be made throughout the show. The production staff shouldn't shy away from emotionally charged, as well as bitingly satiric material. They used to blend the two masterfully. I think they could do it again, if they tried.

bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit bullshit

The Rack wrote:

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

Ok, why then? If you've got me that well figured out, why do I stick around the show? What has your psychoanalysis revealed that my post is missing?

How did you know what the next five episodes will be?
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hahahaha thats funny

Sydney Assbasket wrote:

I still watch the show, but if I know I won't get to watch it for some reason, I don't bother programming my VCR like I used to. And if I unexpectedly miss an episode, it doesn't bother me like it used to because I know it probably stunk anyways. ________________________________________________________________

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In article , Dan writes:

I actually agree. Sure, the quality has dropped, but some of the newest episodes actually has some of the emotion that reminds you of the earlier seasons. The true, classic Simpsons, however, will never return. I guess we should just be happy with what we've got for now and aprecciate the better new episodes. But if they make one, repeat: _one_ more episode like "Kill the alligator and run", the show must be taken off the air immediately.

"Per Esben Svelstad" wrote in message news:5TAf7.9146

Hehe, I just saw that one on a rerun. (Sort of half-watching it while doing the laundry. I couldn't bear to actually just sit down and intently watch it from start to finish.) That episode was horrible. The ONLY good part was Homer's song, "Jimmy crack corn and I don't care/Jimmy crack corn and I'm not there/We build this city on rock and roll/Something something....day"

"Greg Jameson" wrote in message news:ziBf7.1703$[email]...

doing

I think I liked the Ol' Velma character, and even the "guy with the whip"... the magic whip, that allowed Homer to play the piano better. It was just plotted so poorly, with the alligator magically appearing at the end. The unrealistic train crash/push thing was a sign of how little in touch Scully's "Simpsons" is with the real world.

"Per Esben Svelstad" wrote in message news:5TAf7.9146$[email]...

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Points of clarification: I'm not saying any of the newest episodes have emotional qualities, at all. I'm saying that these emotional connections I feel (and, I believe, others feel) toward the characters began in the earlier seasons (I would guess between Seasons 1-7). When I speak of "Les Miserables" and "Bambi", I'm talking about the emotional connections to fictional characters... (not necessarily cartoons, obviously). If one can be motivated to cry at Valjean's death, the death of a fictional character, I believe one can become "close" to a fictional cartoon character as well, and I think that happened (to my surprise, actually) with The Simpsons.

I started out looking for this intelligent, sarcastic, satiric humor I once loved in Bloom County. I found it, but surprisingly, after 12 years, I watch even the poorest of episodes because (I believe) I have an emotional connection to the characters. This is true even after long droughts of no emotionality present between esp. Seasons 10-11. I only *noticed* I didn't enjoy the show as much when the quality of humor started to suffer.

I agree with some of what you said, but my problem is that I USED to care about the characters. Past tense. Now, I'm to the point where I really don't care what happens to any of them. One of the main characters could meet a grisly death and I think I'd just go, "Oh well, the show sucks nowadays anyway." The characters I cared about are not the characters that populate the show now. Oh sure, their names are still Homer, Bart, et al, but they're not the same characters. So I don't care about them.

As for why I still watch occassionally -- actually I've missed quite a few episodes of this season so far. I watch the daily reruns mainly. The ones I HAVE seen, though, I really disliked, to the point of turning them off halfway through and choosing something better to do with my time.

As for why I "still" stick around in this newsgroup, well I haven't been here very long. I just came here out of curiosity and nostalgia for the old shows mainly. I admit that most of my posts have probably been on the theme of "the old shows are great, the new shows stink." Oh well. It's just what I think.

"The Rack" wrote in message news:cwyf7.19860$[email]...

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"Greg Jameson" wrote in message news:u4Cf7.1909$[email]...

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I see that point. But maybe I'm just more stubborn than those who have left the show's audience. :)Obviously many people _have_ left, and the show has a new demographic, for sure. But I think I could still feel good about a nice Homer/Lisa/Bart/Marge episode. Case in point: The end of HOM'R. Very nice.

I force myself NOT to watch the syndicated re-runs. They're chopped (edited) to bits, for one. I've been taping the show since Season 1 (the FOX uncut versions), and I think I'd become really bored of the show if I constantly watched re-runs of it. If I'd like to see an old episode, I'll pop in a tape. With the DVD sets coming out, I think you'll see many old fans (who may never have even heard of a computer newsgroup for The Simpsons) rekindle their interest in the show.

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I wish I could be as practical with my time :)

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Well... there's a few of us here who appreciated the classic style better. There's always questions as to why we still watch, esp. after we critique a bad episode and an otherwise enthusiastic 12-year-old says "if you don't like it, don't watch it." My point is, it's not that simple. The old shows made us care... but that just makes us sound pathetic :)

"The Rack" wrote in message news:_vCf7.20321$

(edited)

Well yeah, I hate the editing, but what're you gonna do?

I've been taping the show since Season 1 (the FOX uncut

I just watch it because it's the best thing on at 6:30 when I get home from work.

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No, it makes us sound intelligent. Yeah, that's it. :)