On December 17th 1989, The Simpsons first aired. Margaret Thatcher was still Prime Minister and the Berlin Wall had fallen only a few weeks earlier – the world was a different place. Weathering comments from Presidents and parental concern groups, The Simpsons has finally made it to its twenty-sixth season, but like Kwik-E-Mart hotdogs is it past its sell by date?
For the past fifteen years the show has been accused of a decline in quality, with many older fans acknowledging the existence of a so-called ‘golden age’ of the show between the fourth and eighth seasons. For five great years, The Simpsons were the undisputed kings of cartoon comedy, but recently a series of competitors have arrived. The arrival of edgier and cruder cartoons like Family Guy and South Park have led to a drastic change in style. The sophisticated warmth of the earlier series has given way to the odd sight of Homer refereeing a German victory at the World Cup and Bart becoming the mascot for ultra-racist, Russian football club, Zenit St. Petersburg. In an attempt to catch up with its own imitators, The Simpsons has in a bizarre way become a parody of itself.
Despite all this the quality of the earlier episodes are in no way diminished. ‘You Only Move Twice’ will forever go down as the greatest James Bond film to never feature James Bond, while the idea of Homer giving up his dream job at Barney’s Bowlarama in order to provide for his family is a poignant reminder of both how emotionally raw and real the show could be. The Simpsons will forever be known as one of the greatest television shows, despite the alleged decline in quality. It taps in to the zeitgeist of the whole American nation and provides lesson on what it means to be a good human being. Even the recent rather lacklustre Season Twenty Six premiere featured several moments of emotional resonance that people the whole world over could relate to. In this world of edgier, cruder cartoons The Simpsons retains its heart and values, propelling it like Lard Lad’s doughnut head and shoulders above the competitors.
While The Simpsons may be decried as losing its quality, several generations of fans have grown up knowing only the newer episodes. For these fans there is no decline in quality, and as ex-show runner Mike Scully said, “If you lower standards of quality the show can run on indefinitely”. Next year’s freshers will have been born ten years after The Simpsons shorts first appeared on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. Many people at this university, myself included, have not known a world without The Simpsons. It’s a cultural touchstone that transcends generations.
Frank Jackman
Image property of FOX.