Please Let the Simpsons Die Following Season 40

Expensive Mr. Groening,

Within the very uncommon probability that you just occur to learn this letter, let me begin by saying how shut The Simpsons is to my coronary heart. That’s why it brings me no pleasure, within the wake of Fox’s most up-to-date four-season renewal, to ask you to please let the present die with dignity.

I nonetheless vividly bear in mind my first time assembly the household in “Some Enchanted Night,” higher often called the Babysitter Bandit episode, at age 8 through the authentic air date in 1990. It was without delay stunning, humorous, thrilling, and somewhat harmful. Loads flew over my head, however I used to be hooked.

As I grew into my teenagers, the present grew to become a lifestyle. It was the idea for assembly a few of my greatest mates. We spoke in Simpsons quotes, and would name one another when favorites aired in syndication. I’d at all times get a hoop from my good friend Chris when “King Dimension Homer” aired, him reciting our favourite line from the pig in Homer’s gluttonous fantasy to weight acquire. “Sure, sure, that’s the spirit,” he’d say in a faux-British character accent. Once we had been 14, my good friend Andy developed superior testicular most cancers, with a really small probability of survival (He’s alive and properly at the moment). His Make-A-Want was to go to the Simpsons studio, and he introduced me again a Simpsons comedian #1, signed by the complete forged, together with a drawing of Homer with the inscription, “Your pal, Matt Groening.”

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Photograph by Drew Fortune

Now, although, I ask you to let the present finish. Granted, I haven’t watched religiously for the reason that Ray Romano-guested “Don’t Concern the Roofer” episode from 2005, however at any time when I pop in to take a look at new episodes, my consideration wanes. At worst, it’s unwatchable. At greatest, it’s wonderful, which jogs my memory of Sick Boy’s quote from Trainspotting, a few past-his-prime Lou Reed and fallen heroes: “It’s not unhealthy, nevertheless it’s not nice both. And in your coronary heart you sort of know that though it sounds all proper, it’s really simply shite.”

In fact, I can’t converse for The Simpsons’ legions of followers, however at 43 years outdated, I haven’t met and even spoken to anybody who champions the brand new episodes, not to mention episodes from the final 20 years. In Simpsons fan converse, the “Golden Period” of the present is roughly seasons 2-11, or 3-12, and that’s being beneficiant. Whereas there have been jewels within the final 20-odd years since that point, I implore you to go looking your coronary heart, Mr. Groening. The savage wit is gone, the satire a dulled edge. Homer getting damage in more and more illogical style, with Bart cackling at his misfortune, has turn out to be an more and more bleak components, largely ushered in by the massive disappointment of The Simpsons Film in 2007.

Fractures in my relationship with the present started in earnest round 2005. Whereas I really appreciated the Ray Romano episode, the romance was gone: I wasn’t constructing future reminiscences with the present, however somewhat residing prior to now. Bother had been brewing for the reason that “Tennis the Menace” episode in 2001, particularly when Homer jumps on the household’s yard tennis internet, to, ahem, hilariously “Surf the Web”: It was at turns oddly out of character, a dated reference, and a caustically unfunny sight gag geared toward I don’t know whom. Actually not us in our early twenties or teenagers, who would already be savvy sufficient to roll their eyes.

It was the start of the nice Simpsons Identification Disaster, a dilemma the present has by no means resolved as within the mid-aughts, the showrunners appeared to intention for a tween viewers, with extra devotion to the aforementioned sight gags and a much less cerebral method. Gone had been the times of the present mentioning Pablo Neruda, the main target shifting to splashy visitor stars not given a compelling story to play with. (I’m wanting in your course, “Lisa Goes Gaga.”)

Govt producer and long-running Simpsons scribe David Mirkin has lengthy insisted that the writers and showrunners intention for an grownup viewers. In a 1995 interview, Mirkin acknowledged, “We’re writing it for adults, and clever adults at that. We don’t actually assume an excessive amount of of children. We’re not enthusiastic about children as we’re writing the present.” Assuming this place nonetheless stands, I’m baffled by how he accounts for juvenile fart jokes, or the oversaturation of Ralph Wiggum in later years.

In all equity, there was assist for the final two years of the present. Vulture ran a chunk in 2023 about how the Simpsons has regained footing, and is “good once more.” Equally, quite a few Reddit posts make the identical argument, however good/okay is the overall consensus, by no means nice.

My love for the model formally died the fateful 2007 day once I confirmed as much as The Simpsons Film with Chris. Our pleasure had been constructing for months, as we eagerly snatched up all of the Simpsons merch rolled out for the film. It was our Star Wars, and we had been prepared.

About 10 minutes in, we started shifting uncomfortably in our seats, ready for our first snort. I recall completely that the one time we heartily laughed was when Moe known as Marge “Midge,” a beloved recurring little bit of him forgetting her title. We left sullen, rejected, our intelligence insulted. Positive, the model doesn’t owe us something, however now we have a proper to struggle for its legacy.

The Simpsons (Fox)

Regardless of the “meh” angle from Gen X and millennials that I do know, the present nonetheless attracts respectable numbers. Season 35, for instance, averaged 1.74 million viewers — a substantial drop from the 15 million viewers who watched Season 12 in 2000, although on par with broadcast TV rankings as of late.

Whereas it’s straightforward to say that the present remains to be fashionable, Disney+ viewership clearly incorporates all seasons, and studies from my Simpsons mates who grew up with the present, now with households, say that their children (a spread of roughly ages 7-12) solely watch the brand new “Treehouse of Horror” episodes. I observe two Simpsons teams on Fb, “Obscure Simpsons Characters” and “Rancho Relaxo,” with 290K and 61.2K members respectively. Sometimes somebody will submit a few new episode which begins the argument once more concerning the high quality of recent episodes. Principally, the teams include Golden Period nostalgia posts and jokes.

And across the time the Golden Period ended within the aughts, comedy basically grew darker and weirder, with the continued dominance of South Park and the arrival of Household Man and Grownup Swim. In the meantime, The Simpsons remained stubbornly dedicated to TV-PG, a trait each comforting and anachronistic. And when it makes an attempt to go darkish, it looks like overcompensating: “Treehouse of Horror XXII” (2011) is taken into account one of many grimmest and least enjoyable, with “The Diving Bell and the Butterball” phase singled out because the worst Halloween phase within the present’s historical past. Homer is paralyzed by a spider chew, and might solely talk by flatulence. We weren’t laughing then, and I’m cringing now.

That’s in the end what I ask of you, Mr. Groening: What do your characters nonetheless need to say, and who’s actively ready to listen to it? There appears to be a combination of community greed or creative hubris to account for Fox granting a four-year renewal of the present. I humbly ask, to protect the present’s legacy, to not drag it out past these years. I do know I sound like Abe Simpson yelling at a cloud, however legacy is a tough factor. The present’s endurance is admirable, however like a band releasing more and more embarrassing albums after the magic is gone, commerce has overshadowed a once-great factor. Give the household and followers the dignified closure everybody deserves.

Your pal,

Drew Fortune