The Rise and Fall of The Simpsons

The Dysfunctional Family

For years, The Simpsons have entertained families of all sorts with its dysfunctional family, crude humor and belly jerking laughs. This animated sitcom, created in 1989 by Matt Groening, soared into popularity throughout the 90s, a cartoon intended for adults but loved by families as a whole, These first years were the golden years.

​Steadily gaining fans throughout these golden years, The Simpsons ended up playing a big part in influencing the pop culture of today - some of its words and catchphrases have even made their way into official dictionaries and played a major part in FOX rising to fame. This long-running show has truly made its impact over time but many believe it has run its course but that will never change the impact it had on society and tv culture as a whole.

Recycled Plots

The fall of The Simpsons today many have summed up into lazy, recycled plots, increasingly bizarre behavior and overall incoherentness. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and, Maggie have all had their highlights but with so many scenarios already done, it seems as though the writers are running out of ideas and losing creativity.

​Homer has always been bizarre but his tactics in more recent years have crossed the line from stupid funny to just plain stupid (in his defense, he has been hit in the head so many times throughout the years that maybe, he is just dumber). That being said – the true fans can still enjoy the show because the characters are still their same old lovable selves.

Can We Trust Them Anymore?

Some people believe the steady decline of the show all started around the infamous episode named 'The Principal and The Pauper". The supporting casts members of The Simpsons have always played a vital role and getting to know them through the years has added to why we all love the show so much - that's why this episode had such a negative impact.

​We find out that everything we thought we knew, the backstory of Principal Skinner was all fake, almost like erasing every previous thing we thought we knew about the principal and causing us to question the credibility of each other things we knew about other characters. "The Principal and The Pauper" was a hilarious episode regardless but its long-term impact sadly was more negative than positive.

So Many Cameos

The Golden Years, also known as the first 8 or 9 seasons created a legacy that has kept the show going, a legacy that cannot easily be broken but how long can legacy hold up when the show is lacking in so many areas. It seems as though they have adapted to focusing on celebrity cameos and subplots rather than creating new interesting storylines. Many think that no other show out there that has had so many cameos, making it feel like an even bigger family.

People Can Relate To Them

The Simpsons remind us that it's okay to be flawed individuals, although exaggerated, it puts itself on a personable level with its family dysfunction as all families have some form of their own dysfunction. It reminds us that it's okay to laugh it off, sometimes even beneficial. Recent years had you laughing non-stop and in more current episodes the laughter is there but it's not as constant.

Some of The Simpsons Fans Want The Show To End

A group of fans actually created a group called "The Dead Homer Society". This group refers to The Simpsons as the "Zombie Simpsons" and is intended on pushing the cancellation of the already dead show. They speak of many issues that led to the decline of the show such as the fact that once again it is being censored.

​Don't be confused - this is a group of die-hard fans but they just want The Simpsons to be remembered for it's Golden Years and that legacy rather than being remembered for the more recent years where they haven't been as many favorited episodes.

We Need Laughter

We are living in a time with so much going on and need laughter more than ever. Everything around us in improving at drastic speeds and we can only hope for and expect the same from any show we'd watch and support. With recycled materials constantly being used and supporting characters being killed off on the regular, the show has lost a lot of its appeal for many fans.

Despite Mixed Feelings – It's One of The Best Shows Ever Created

The Simpsons episodes still average over 4 million viewers but considering this number is a lot lower than it used to be - its clear people are straying from the show. We will all remember the family and have a love for their quirky antics but unless the writers can recapture the initial feel of the show, it's likely the decline will continue.

​Their run was a strong one, one of the strongest in history but it's best to be remembered as such. Despite all this, this family has left a mark on our hearts no other show can ever replace. We love the show just as much and keep coming back to it, even if we don't admit it. We love The Simpsons.