What "happened" to the Simpsons?

Alright, so generally everybody agrees that in the past several years, the show's gone downhill, some to the point of saying it should have been cancelled years ago. Personally, I think even the "shell of the show" we've got now is *still* better than most of what passes for entertainment on the networks these days, but that's another story.

Anyway, what do you guys think "happened" to cause this? Can the blame be placed simply on bad writing/directing, or is the problem simply that they've done every conceivable thing there is to do with these characters without repeating themselves?

What got me thinking about it mostly is listening to all the DVD commentaries again recently, and noticing that on a few occassions, even the show's producers/writers/directors seem to hint that they realize the show isn't what it used to be...and then there's a few times where someone will make a comment about an early episode and say "this is almost as good as what we're doing now" - they're probably speaking in regards to the animation quality, but perhaps some are deluded enough to think the show's overall quality hasn't slipped at all. I've noticed Groening in particular "groaning" about several times in these episodes where he feels they went 'too cartoony' - so how does he possibly justify some of these newer episodes?

Finally, what do you guys think could be done to get the show back on track - anything, or is it simply past its prime?

-lugnut

Mike Scully hired all his family and friends, who weren't up to the job....

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

Nope, I think it's just as bad as shows currently on the air.

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

I agree with you on that one.

That's part of the problem, especially when you consider that these characters never age (e.g., no stories about Bart getting a driver's licence... oh, wait... no stories about Bart LEGALLY getting a driver's licence).

I hate the lowbrow jokes... especially Homer talking about his "wang", or someone else's, which is really humour beneath the Simpsons. They stopped aiming high. We also lost a few little touches here and there that would flesh out the characters... like the episode when Krabappel says to Skinner "Go tell your mother" and he replies "Oh she'll hear about this." A throwaway line, but we NEVER get little non-plot-related touches like that anymore.

Appealing to a younger age group is more profitable since they buy the majority of the crap in commercials. Since the 10th season, the writers developed an irrational fear their long-time adult fans would suddenly stop watching and have been making the show more cartoony/slapstick so kids and young teens think OFF is 'hip.'

So, to put it bluntly, OFF has been Poochified, and that's without adding a new family member.

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

"Why Am I here?" wrote in message news:gal8e.7653$[email]...

Like Bugs / Buzz Bunny just was?

"Ken Carriere" wrote in message news:[email]...

Almost, but Buzz Bunny is part of a new series, not a sudden 'change' to an existing show. "Buzz" and the rest of the Loonantics look...uh, bad.

"Why Am I here?" wrote in news:gal8e.7653$[email]:

Dunno bout all that. The earnest, sentimental, heart-felt CRAP was ejected several years ago.

Like today's rerun -- Grampa: "Dignity's on me." pffft!

I've been slow to join the Worst Episode Ever crowd, but it's getting a bit ripe.

And advertisers want 18-39 not children & young teens. They don't buy cars..... I'm drawing a blank on who advertises on the Simpsons, lil help?

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005 03:59:08 GMT, "Why Am I here?" wrote:

I am intrigued by your ideas and would like to subscribe to your newsletter.

The new digital animation and "slick" shadowing doesn't help any.

The producers stopped listening. For instance how many times in this group has it been said "plots are recycled."

Now in the 50s when reruns were scarce and they couldn't go to the internet and look up www.snpp.com and see plot outlines there was an excuse.

But not today. So do the writers and producers listen to a perfectly legitimate complaint?

No they toss it off with a joke like Lisa saying "you're bound to repeat yourself" and write a substandard version.

And then refuse to put Darren Hayes or any songs of his on the series. He has dozen of songs that fit. This would no doubt boost ratings too.

You've just become a cantakerous old square, you should just stick to Nightline.

"Abrasive Sponge" wrote in message news:[email]...

Tonight's topic, I'm okay, you're too fat.

     I agree with that first paragraph completely. Yes there are more
later episodes that make me cringe (and regret having anyone else in
the room at times), but there are good ones that are a whole lot better
than nothing.
     As for the cause, I would blame it on entropy. The original group
had the spark and the desire needed to put in long hard days and very
long hard stretches of those days to make their vision come true. Most
people at some point in their lives come upon something that captures
their imagination and they will work like mad at it. But they have to
burn out at some point, physical endurance runs short. They get older.
So they try and hire people to do the job so they can enjoy their
success,  the trouble is you just very seldom get employees who will
love your project like it is their own. You almost NEVER get employees
who will fight the same way the original crew will (against cost
cutting, Fox's meddling and a million other demands and pressures).
It's hard to find people with talent who also have respect for the
rules and are willing to refrain from putting their own slant on things
or just being lazy.
     There's no doubt an element of "Hey, I'M in charge here now"
(especially in one case I can think of...)  that creeps in too. Look at
"Jaws Wired Shut", it was just on in the syndication. The entire
extended "Popeye" sequence with Homer seems to be a response to the
negative comments about the "Popeye" moment in "Deep Space Homer". If
I'm not mistaken (and I am often enough) the later show was done
shortly after the DVD and commentary on the earlier show was released.
Groening consulted but I wonder how long (if ever) he really had full
veto power. He came up with The Simpsons, in his own words,  to avoid
inevitably losing control over his Life In Hell characters.
     Jay Ward was probably the very last man with full control over his
cartoons. He paid very dearly for that control and he was still at the
mercy of foriegn animators, TV censors and budgets.
     Listening to some of the "Futurama" 7 "Simpsons" commentaries
makes me wonder about the general subject of who had control (and how
much control) after the first few shows.  In 20-30 years some of the
participants will be poor or seeking attention and we'll start getting
the insider books which will reveal everything.
     So far, I'm still enjoying the ride, though it's like Homer's
hover car, scraping bottom now and then.

Neutrodyne wrote:

Not a comment on your argument as a whole, but you are indeed mistaken here - Jaws Wired Shut aired in early 2002, thus was produced in 01-02, a number of years before the commentary for Deep Space Homer would ever have been recorded (04 or maybe 03). Also, the executive producer for that season (13) onward was/is Al Jean, so not quite as much of that influence is present, though some "time to clean up Scully's mess" is.

     I've been under anesthesia a few times since 2002, I didn't
remember off hand when the first DVD set came out, though we're going
on #6 (estimates of the date seem later now than they were around the
time #5 came out....) and at first everyone was upset that it was
taking nearly a year between installments...
     I didn't find anything wrong with either Popeye reference, and
would respond to  (if by some very odd set of circumstances he would
ask me) Matt that they  aren't necessarily "cartoony" references, they
can be obscure Robin WIlliams references for the 12 people besides me
who LIKED his Popeye.

I think the problems don't lie in anyone one area in production, although the animation itself is as good as its ever been, prob better.

The writing/ creative side has been on a steady slide/shift depending on your tastes for the last 10 years no doubt due to the orginal staff leaving after season 4. What they're no longer doing is pushing the limits and trying to attracted a new audience they're just playing it safe and keeping the status quo to keep the viewers happy, I just can't believe they havn't mocked the president like they have with the last two very bizzare. I'm actually annoyed they're stealing ideas from the first 8 seasons now.

Then there the acting which is just bad now or at least no where near the standard set by the first ten seasons.

Thats my two cents.

[email] (lugnut) wrote in news:[email]:

Geez, I'm surprised no-one has figured it out yet- a wizard did it.