A Future Classic! (Simpsons,The)

Member Name: DiFranco01

Product:	Simpsons,The
Date:	04/12/01 (212 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fresh and amusing, with new episodes each season.

Disadvantages: Occasionally does not appeal to me - but, that's true of most programming.

Someday, we will look back on The Simpsons and smile, for it will be in some sort of Animated Series Hall of Fame, should something like that ever come into existence. For now, however, we'll have to be content with new episodes every season, as bright and fresh and funny as the ones last year.

The Simpsons, Matt Groening's brainchild, has been on television for over a decade. This half-hour program has surpassed Hanna-Barbera's "The Flintstones" as America's longest-running primetime sitcon (whew, that's a mouthful). Just about every single man, woman, and child in America has watched this cartoon on ocassion, if not regularly. In many households (here AND in a handful of other countries) it is part of the regular Sunday night television ration.

What started as a very short and badly-sketched cartoon appearing as "filler" on The Tracy Ullman show has become a phenomenon all around the world. The animation has improved to a suitable, respectable quality, and it has expanded into its own thirty-minute program with the coveted primetime slot here in America. The Simpsons have earned their place in television history, that's for sure! With all of the action-packed, humor-laden episodes new and old, you're sure to find something that you like about this strange little cartoon family.

The Simpsons boast an incredibly large cast of characters - enough to make up the entire town of Springfield. One of the running gags, incidentally, is that the creators of this program will not tell you WHICH Springfield, U.S.A. they have fictionalized, as there are several of them scattered throughout the States. This among other running gags and "inside jokes" are a couple of many various forms and styles of comedy that make this program appealing to almost every person on the earth.

Some of the more popular characters include, but are not limited to:

Homer Simpson. This is the ove
rweight, underpaid worker at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant. He loves donuts, beer, and football on television, and can often be found at Moe's Tavern. He is an underachieving, bumbling moron who is always finding trouble. He often quits his job in order to start get-rich-quick schemes, attempt another profession (such as bodyguard to Mayor Quimby in one episode), or simply enjoy a short vacation. His catchphrase is "DOH!" - the one-word pseudo-curse that has been created for him to say when things go awry, which is quite often.

Marge Simpson. This slender woman with a green dress and blue beehive has a voice that grates on the listener's nerves: Deep and gravelly. Even so, she is quite the character. She has been a police officer, volunteer, pretzel maker, and counselor in the Church of Springfield. However, most of the time she is a housewife, trying to raise the yellow-skinned family whilst also being saddled with the duty of bailing out Homer every time he finds himself in a mess.

Bart Simpson. This fourth-grade boy with spiky yellow hair and a mischievous tendency is always finding something to do: Spray-painting buildings; fighting with kids from the neighboring (rival) town of Shelbyville; riding his skateboard; and searching for buried treasure with his grandpa are just a few of the numerous things he has done. Everyone in the town is sure that, with his already-lengthy criminal record, he is going to be a washed-up bum by the time he is in his mid-twenties, but that remains to be decided. Whatever the case, his witty comments and wild antics are guaranteed to make you smile.

Lisa Simpson. This is, of course, the brainiac that everyone in her second-grade class envies, hates, and shuns. She has no friends, and can often be found either playing her saxophone or bailing out her father Homer when he finds himself in trouble. Her dry sarcasm combined with a slight air of youthful innocense make for quite the i
nteresting - and amusing - character.

Maggie Simpson. This is the baby of the family, always with a pacifier in her mouth. She has yet to speak, which is used as a running gag by the writers of The Simpsons. Some "flashing forward" episodes place her as a teen-ager: She is about to speak, but - oh no! Somebody cuts her off before she can open her mouth! Will we ever hear Maggie talk? Save for ONE treasured episode in which her first word is said ("Dada" surprisingly enough), I don't believe we will. Even so, it's fun to watch - just in case.

Among the other popular characters are:
Moe, a slightly-deranged tavern owner who is looking for love in all the wrong places.
Montgomery Burns, an ancient wisp of a man who is disgustingly rich. He also happens to own the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant - and he runs it with an iron fist.
Waylan Smithers, an obviously-gay sidekick and personal assistant to Mr. Burns. He has yet to "come out" officially, but the fans are waiting.
Ned Flanders. This mustachioed neighbor to the Simpson family is a devout Christian. So devout, in fact, that he does not swear, drink, or gamble. Rather, he calls the Reverend Lovejoy every time he finds himself in a moral dilemma. The Simpsons writers poke a LOT of fun at organized religion, but in a harmless, and even amusing, manner.


One of the more interesting things about The Simpsons is that you will find a celebrity making a cameo appearance in the majority of the episodes. You will hear and see musicians, actors, actresses, political figures, and other famous members of high American society in these episodes. Everybody from Pierce Bronsan to U2 to the Smashing Pumpkins have made guest appearances on various episodes - their voices were recorded and their likenesses were sketched into the cartoons, something that most fans find very entertaining.

The show is also given an extra bit of appeal b
y the fact that guest writers such as late-night talk show host Conan O'Brian contribute their scripts every now and then. This keeps the show fresh, as it tells stories about the Simpson family from different perspectives. You'll find that Matt Groening is still responsible for the most witty and thoughtful of episodes, but guest writers come in a very close second nine times out of ten.

My favorite aspect of this program, of course, is the annual Halloween Special. The Simpsons are featured in approximately three short stories each Halloween - frightening, gory, bloody tales about paranormal events, vampires, and other strange things. Since it is a different special every year, Halloween is a wonderfully interesting time to watch television: You honestly never know what sort of spookiness the writers and other staff will come up with next!

You will find political humor, slapstick comedy, satire, sarcasm, and plenty of innocent wit in this program: In other words, very few people are going to find themselves disliking The Simpsons. It's a marvelously creative, flexible program, that changes with the times and makes sure to keep us entertained along the way. Be sure to check it out if at all possible - regardless of how "mature" or "sophisticated" you might think yourself to be, as you'll probably be amused by this sitcom regardless.

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