Simpsons part 2

I think that it is very interesting The Simpsons comment on society. In a way both society and the simpsons have made a major impac on eachother. The Simpsons almost seems to be trying to wake America up from our ridiculous lifestyles that they incorporate into their cartoon. The Simpsons reflects society in order to make us realize certain idiocies yet it celebrates them. Society watches apathetically, but the simpsons do not seem to be trying to smash a message into our brains, yet the message is still there. Now, more than ever, the simpsons are reflecting society, as each episode relates to the headlines of todays news. We live in a post 9/11 world where the news has a very different effect on society. It was almost as if when we all stuck our eyeballs to the TV for weeks after the towers fell, that media changed altogether. Was their some subliminal message in the screen that made society obsessed with shitty reality TV such as Rock of Love. TV shows (especially South Park and the Simpsons) now seemed to be incorporating new material overnight.

The Funny thing is we bought into it. We all feel the difference and it disturbs us, yet it keeps us watching. Its like when The Beatles did acid and sported mustaches and marching band attire. If the Ed Sullivan Beatles met Sgt. Peppers Beatles, would oasis style fist-fighting ensue. I feel that The simpsons is the same way. There seems to be a moment if you watch two episodes (one from '94 and '04) you might think for a second "is this the same show?" "Are the writers doing huffing glue?". I was really interested when people said that they hated the new Simpsons and miss the classic Simpsons. It seems everyone feels the same way about any music, media, and/or people. They change and they lose their spark of interest that attracted us in the first place (think of Sick boys speech from trainspotting). But they earned their place in our minds and on the 8:30 Monday night slot because they amused us so many years ago. People's change of interest with these type of things interest me. I catch myself doing it as well.

back to the simpsons. Now the Simpsons relies on society (the society it mocks warmheartedly) and looks for new inspiration because The Simpsons have been everwhere. and done pretty much everything. Each TV has situations that fit an archetype that they will run into. Sex, drugs, homosexuality, death, Prom, a supernatural scrooge-esque reflection, usually something involving a small house fire caused by faulty circuitry. The Simpsons have gone through a lifetime of events. They have lived out more events then a hundred people will ever encounter. Yet they never grow. And the simpsons is a show that can be watched in no particular order. Clean slate every episode. And now that they cornered themselves, What else is there but to conform to societal issues for new material.

I believe that The Simpsons will gracefully bow out of TV within the next 5 years. And their is no shame in it. They have experienced many highs and lows (many more highs), and I think even they know that they cannot go on forever. I think it truly could be the saddest day on TV. The Simpsons is a show that we take for granted and that had so many episodes that we turn away because we assume it will always be there. The show should be honored that we consider it to be a part of American Culture that will never fade. And it probably never will fade, even after it is gone.

Simpsons

it has been a long long time since I have seen The Simpsons (except for the movie). I interned at Fox this summer and worked with a creepy simpsons superfan who looked a lot like Anthony Soprano Jr.. (only with a Mahmoud beard) The premiere took place a block away from my apartment (in LA), so I got to go to the Fox theatre where I saw the cast who normally are these faceless (I only really knew Hank Azaria). I'll post some pictures I took from the premiere. I feel really bad for the woman who voices Lisa. She was in all these 80's movies and now she only has the show. I only know who she was because I remember her from the Billy Crystal classic "City Slickers". She reminds me of the creepy little person psychic from Poltergeist. (is that the correct term, little person? I know midget is not PC)

Ok now I will actually talk about the Simpsons. I often watched it when I was younger and only a couple episodes have remained engraved on my brain. I remeber their was a block of episodes that my friends and I were watching and I remember certain scenes from that day only because becausei was laughing so hard I choked on cheesecorn.

I was trying to look up what episode had some great bits but I couldnt find it. I found episodes with the scenes of certain episodes, but for some reason I rememebr seeing all these scenes in one episode. I realized that it was the "So It's Come to This: A Simpsons Clip Show". It is funny how even the Simpsons knows it can't escape the archetypal episodes that have been featured on shows such as Boy meets World and Friends. I remember homer is in the hospital (I thought it was because he ate the poisonous pufferfish but i was wrong) and he goes up to the vending machine while on drugs "chocolate......."and he remembers the chocolate land scene. He then chokes on the candybars and goes into a coma (at the same time I choked on cheesy popped corn). Another funny scene was when Barney tries to smother him with the pillow, and then throws a water fountain out a window and runs away (a great One flew over the Cuckoo's nest parody). This is my favorite episode because I remember most of the clips from it. I dont seem to remember many of the premises of episodes, yet I think everyone has a couple favorite clips that they will always remember. (How many fucking times have I used the word "remember" in this entry???)

It seems to me that the show almost seems blended together and only certain scenes stick out for me. The Be Sharps "Baby on board episode with the beatles references (Barney and a Yoko type asian girl, and the weird NUMBER 8 track jab). Ironically they break up much like the Beatles. And the episode where homer quits the powerplant and shines his head in the bowling ball cleaner, and his bowling jacket melts off when acid rain falls on him on his way to Mr. Burns house (he crawls through a air vent for people who want their jobs back. It is just a buildup for Mr. Burns to say "Ah Homer, I always knew you would come crawling back.")

It seems that sometimes The Simpsons tries to be subversively mocks American culture, yet is a major influence on american pop culture.

Also I found this article about the Simpsons and Consumer Culture
http://www.snpp.com/other/papers/st.paper.html