Comparatively, this post might seem a bit trivial, but I've been a geek-caliber fan of The Simpsons since I was 7, when I unnerved the Sunday School teacher by drawing Bart.
The movie was generally very well-received, by me as well (I made sure to pop open a can of Buzz Cola when the clouds parted and those familiar yellow letters came rolling towards us), but amongst fans my age there's a rising disappointment, it seems, in the TV show. Granted, they aren't as consistent as they were in their golden age, which lasted for almost ten years, depending on your taste. But even current episodes get better, richer, and funnier the more you see them and unearth further layers of humor.
The problem is that, as the generation that grew up with The Simpsons, we've seen all the golden-age episodes so often that every line is burned into our quote-and-joke banks. We have nostalgic memories of watching those episodes, the quality of which time has not diminished in the slightest, and we could watch them over and over. Compare this weight of sentimentality to seeing a new episode for the first time...of course it's not going to measure up!
In this age of Family Guys, South Parks, and Robot Chickens, The Simpsons have undoubtedly lost some of their edge. But for those fans who whine of being so disillusioned now with the show, watch a recent episode again and I gaurantee you'll pick up on things you didn't the first time.
1 comment:
Definitely.
Post a Comment