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The Simpsons... what happened?

AR_Six

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Originally Posted by Agnacious
Probably because no one can really remember when the last time the onion was funny. It is more like "I knew a guy who met someone who said he once read something funny on the onion" but no one can ever find it.

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http://www.theonion.com/content/vide..._searching_for

The throw-away lines are the best though, the onion does one liners well (whether it be headlines or throw aways).
 

tagutcow

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But why? There's a constant turnover of writers (IIRC, the Simpsons has about a dozen at any given time,) and since it's a cartoon, they don't have to deal with characters aging, pushing the show beyond it initial strengths. I don't see why a good cartoon can't continue indefinitely.

On the rare occasion I see an episode these days (once a season at the very most), it's just kind of meh. I mean, it's not offensively bad, but all the jokes just kind of fall flat.
 

MrG

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Originally Posted by Manton
I expected it to be terrible and so was pleasantly surprised by the laughs I got.

That makes sense, then. I was really excited about it, and I hoped it would be sort of a magnum opus. At the very least I hoped it would be similar to the South Park movie in terms of quality relative to the show.

I suppose I set myself up for disappointment.
 

coldarchon

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Originally Posted by tagutcow
But why? There's a constant turnover of writers (IIRC, the Simpsons has about a dozen at any given time,)

iirc each one of the current staff has a harvard degree.

the old episodes managed to tell the story of a full movie within 20 minutes, and all the plots within were knitted into each other without giving the characters the same moral lesson like it's in other sitcoms ..
 

Connemara

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Originally Posted by coldarchon
iirc each one of the current staff has a harvard degree.
This definitively proves that Harvard isn't the best school in the world.
 

rach2jlc

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Originally Posted by Manton
I agree with the critics. The show was one of the best ever--maybe the best ever--from seasons 2-7, peaked around 4, IMO--and went downhill after that. I stopped watching after season 10 and don't miss it at all. The movie had some good laughs, though.
This has been my experience with it, almost exactly. The classic episodes could be funny and amazingly touching at times. For example, the episode where they discuss why there are no pictures of Maggie around the house and then flashback to her birth, building up to the very end where Homer covers up the sign Mr. Burns made him place in front of him (Don't forget you're here forever) with pictures of Maggie to say "Do it for her." That episode was really funny, and that ending was great.
 

Albern

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Originally Posted by rach2jlc
This has been my experience with it, almost exactly.

The classic episodes could be funny and amazingly touching at times. For example, the episode where they discuss why there are no pictures of Maggie around the house and then flashback to her birth, building up to the very end where Homer covers up the sign Mr. Burns made him place in front of him (Don't forget you're here forever) with pictures of Maggie to say "Do it for her." That episode was really funny, and that ending was great.


That was a great episode; haven't seen it in a while.

For me the episodes just aren't memorable either. Before if someone missed an episode I would be able to recall what happened along with the really funny moments. Now, if someone asks "did you watch The Simpsons last night?", my response would be "yes, but I don't remember what it was about". That started probably 10 years ago.
 

Duff_Man

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I feel like the last season or two has been superior to seasons...14-19/20ish.
 

munchausen

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things fall apart
the center cannot hold

It's still sporadically funny, though. It's just not the genius piece of entertainment it once was.
 

msza

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It seems they've been focusing on Bart more this season, which I've enjoyed. It's old skool. I think it still has brilliant jokes, just not as often -- maybe three or four per episode, whereas in the 90s it was brilliant through and through.
 

Glados1984

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Originally Posted by edmorel
sorry to be the bearer of bad news:

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...9&postcount=17

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...4&postcount=18

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...5&postcount=27


Southpark was indeed amazing. it started great, got **** about 6 seaons in, started to lose th plot and go down hill, but after another 3 seasons, it got great again and the current eppisodes are better than the originals!

i dont think any other show can claim that.
 

edinatlanta

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Originally Posted by Duff_Man
I feel like the last season or two has been superior to seasons...14-19/20ish.

YES.
 

suited

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The last episode I saw had something about American Idol in it. The show was great when it had zero pop culture. I haven't watched it for a long time, but still remains in my top 3 all time favorite shows because of how good it once was.
 

Dashaansafin

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South Park currently is amazing, I feel better than the older stuff.
 

MrG

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Originally Posted by Duff_Man
I feel like the last season or two has been superior to seasons...14-19/20ish.

I agree with this. I don't think the last couple of seasons have recaptured the show's early brilliance, but there has been an uptick in quality.
 

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