Right every one listen to me-
THE SIMPSONS RULE K.
I don't know anyone who doesn't like em.
If you don't like em tell me
They used to rule but they're not as good as they used to be. Haven't we had this discussion on the forums before?
so RTFM n00b!
I love it when Mods' illegitimate children come to visit..
I don't like them...
(http://www.sylpher.com/DGMacphee/Photoshop/Simpsons.jpg)
Family Guy > *
It is kinda played out. But if they stopped playing it it would just make me feel old...
I am an average simpsons fan. I mean, i like to watch the show, and also have a few simpsons video games. But i'm not a die hard fan, and don't sleep in simpsons p.j.'s or anything.
BG
I have Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bed sheets...
..
.
what?
IMO the use of Homer stupidity is becoming less and less funny each day. :P
I have just one question.
WHY ARE THE SIMPSONS YELLOW???????????????????????????????????????????
Quote from: Raggit on Tue 16/12/2003 23:36:12
I have just one question.
WHY ARE THE SIMPSONS YELLOW???????????????????????????????????????????
WHAT COLOUR ARE YOU??!!?!11?!1!?! ???
QuoteThey used to rule but they're not as good as they used to be. Haven't we had this discussion on the forums before?
We have indeed. I think the general consensus was as you say that these days it's rather crap, but the older episodes were good.
http://www.agsforums.com/yabb/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5631
Quote from: Proskrito on Tue 16/12/2003 23:45:19
Quote from: Raggit on Tue 16/12/2003 23:36:12
I have just one question.
WHY ARE THE SIMPSONS YELLOW???????????????????????????????????????????
WHAT COLOUR ARE YOU??!!?!11?!1!?! ???
I'm caucascas.... I'm cocaso..... I'm white.
But that still doen't answer my question. Why are they yellow? And some of them have strange heads???
Because they are all heavy smokers, puffing at least 70 a day, and that has given them a nice yellow complexion.
Or alternatively, to quote (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/groening/page13.shtml) the man himself, "Yellow wasn't my choice. You initially work in black and white, and one of the animators suggested that we colour them yellow, and it looked right. Then again, she also made the trees purple, which we didn't go for. It means the Simpsons look like no other cartoon characters, though. I don't like that skin colour they use in cartoons. I loved Mickey Mouse when he had a white face, not the strange pink Caucasian colour he is now."
Hello? Nucular Power plant?
I've done a lot of soul-searching and decided that yes, The Simpsons is going through a slow painful death. Some of the recent episodes from the U.S. (Series 15) have just been horrible. The Evita spoof was one of the worst episodes ever (at the risk of sounding like Comic Book Guy), it wasn't even a decent idea to build from. The visit to London episode was also quite poor too, suffering from the usual over-indulgence in guest stars.
That's become a real problem for The Simpsons, and it's not like it'd be hard for the writers to get around it. There was an episode about tennis which had FOUR international tennis players in a scene that didn't get a laugh out of me once. Some of the guest appearance feel so pointless and unamusing that they seem to just be slotted in as convenient too.
There are some great shows like the latest Treehouse Of Horror, but then that's the writers being allowed to think outside the usual confines of the show far more. They can go overboard with craziness and supernatural elements and it makes it fresher. There's a recent one where Homer befriends a bear that was a return to form after the Evita episode, but whilst really good, it still doesn't compare with any episode from a mid-period series. Those were consistently very, very good.
I think it's a real shame when Futurama gets cancelled after four awesome series, and The Simpsons continues without being particularly great anymore.
It's funny that in the London epsisode they recycled the American currency joke from the Canada episode, but this time did it when the Pound is at a 13 year high against the US dollar, and the greenback is down against every industrialised currency. I guess they don't even care about relevancy anymore either.
What I cant stand about the simpsons, is that the first fifteen minutes of the episode will lead to a completely different story than the last half. The older episodes did not do this so much. Mind you, I've never beem a huge fan, I haven't watched the show regularly for about seven years.
-MillsJROSS
Quote from: Gonzo on Wed 17/12/2003 00:32:23
I think it's a real shame when Futurama gets cancelled after four awesome series, and The Simpsons continues without being particularly great anymore.
Indeed... Since Futurama was cancelled I see Homer as the flubby bastard who killed nibbler... I hope that he fat he eats make him die soon. :P
The show has become boring in most episodes. They also disappointed me with how they handled the Frank Grimes Jr episode... that sucked, considering that Homer's Enemy is a classic.
But to mention the guest stars, the greatest guest spot ever has to be Leonard Nimoy on the Marge Vs The Monorail episode, written by Conan O'Brien.
Classic...
The last seasons of Futurama were shit as well, it's probably contagious.
Y'know, back in humanity's golden age people complained a lot less, and they enjoyed their TV shows from start to finish. We, the viewers, have jumped the shark by latching on to the "everything jumps the shark" mentality.
I think it's sort of ridiculous. I've seen people trying to figure out at what point Strong Bad emails started declining in quality..... WTF?
Hmm, I would say Futurama was going very strong when it was cut off prematurely, I think it had at least a few more series in it.
The Internet fanbase seems to dislike episodes like 'That's Lobstertainment!' from the third series but I think that's a great one, there's very few episodes I don't find very funny, and even then they're better than recent Simpsons episodes. Seems clear to me which series would ideally have been axed.
The legacy of The Simpsons is only going to be tainted if they keep doing patchy series relying on all these guest stars. A few years ago, everyone I talked to loved The Simpsons, but now a lot of people, even casual fans, say that it's lost it and they probably wouldn't be sad to see it go.
Notice this:
The show was originally written by Harvard graduates and it was highly praised for its social commentary and satire.
But in later years, they hired a guy who used to write for Saturday Night Live to be the head of scripting.
I wonder if that had anything to do with the show's decline?
Spoiler
YES IT FUCKING DID!!!
Quote from: Chrille on Wed 17/12/2003 14:38:41
The last seasons of Futurama were shit as well, it's probably contagious.
I´ve just seen the first two... Well... It is a relief to see that they´ve cancelled a "not so good" show. :-\
Apparently they've recently brought back one of the head writers from the first few seasons to help bring the show back to it's old self... but I doubt it will happen.
Speaking of shows being axed, I was informed from several friends that they're going to make more Family Guy episodes.
-MillsJROSS
Blimey, looks like you might be right:
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2003-11-18-family-guy_x.htm
Keep buying the DVD's, people ;)
yeh, with a possible to tv/dvd movie and seth, the creator, is also doing another cartoon called American Dad
hmm CJ, i remember you saying don't buy the DVDs as that was supporting FOX :)
Quote from: Trapezoid on Wed 17/12/2003 14:51:55
Y'know, back in humanity's golden age people complained a lot less, and they enjoyed their TV shows from start to finish. We, the viewers, have jumped the shark by latching on to the "everything jumps the shark" mentality.
I think it's sort of ridiculous. I've seen people trying to figure out at what point Strong Bad emails started declining in quality..... WTF?
I do agree with you there, Trap. A lot of people think "This is popular and cool with everyone, so I can't like it anymore." Anyone who thinks the Strong Bad emails are declining in quality must be kinda.................strange if they prefer the earlier ones.
But everyone I know says that yeah, the Simpsons is going downhill. It still makes me laugh from time to time, but nowhere near as much as it used to. And the plots today are a load of crap. "Hmm, what shall we do this time?" "How about give Homer an unusual job?" "Perfect!"
Also:
NEW FAMLIY GUY COULD R0X0RZ SiMPSON0RZ A55!1!1!11!!!!!!1111!1!!1!!1!!1etc.etc
trapezoid speaks the truth
this is why i'm so super happy there isn't a forum on homestarrunner.com and why i stay away from any other forum that has to do with anything i like [present company excluded]. There's only so many times I can hear some retarded 13 year old scream about "HOW'DARE YOU STOP PLAYIN' BIGO ON SUNDAES!!!"
i think the internet has helped bring this mentality about. if you have a forum devoted to simpsons that plays new episodes once a week on sundays... what do you do the other 6 days of the week? Complain!
[or you're part of a community that tries to honour adventure games that haven't been played in going on 10 years... what do you do in those 10 years? Complain!]
which brings up a question, has anyone ever sent you an email saying how they think your animutations suck lately and you should go back to making fun of pokemon? i think that would be more crazy than people debating strong bad emails
How i miss Family Guy!! I really enjoyed watching that show whenever i could find it on. It had a regular time slot, and then seemed to move all over the place, so i never knew when it was on. But if it makes a comeback, i will be sure to watch every episode.
Go Family Guy!!
BG
The genesis of a new genre usually brings about great interest because innovation i.e. it's something people have never seen before.
Trap spoke of the humanity's golden age, which was a time when television was new.
People were glue to their sets, even if there was nothing but crap rigged quiz shows on TV.
Bringing this theory to the Simpsons, when it first started it was something different -- What began as a bunch of shorts on Tracey Ullman turned into a primetime animated show, which is very rare thing.
How many other animated shows were on at primetime before The Simpsons started? -- I can't think of any, so can anyone else?
Not only that, the Simpsons reflected a lot of social ideology, which was also rare for cartoons of the early ninties (Side note: they even analyse these things at universities; I once did a marxist analysis of the episode where Homer becomes union president of the Power Plant).
So, the genesis of primetime animated shows (The Simpsons) has now rendered the genre a little passe, which includes not only the Simpsons but South Park, Futurama, Family Guy, etc, etc.
It's very rare to come up with new concepts these days -- we seem to be going through a huge reality TV show phase (which was a new concept, but the popularity is starting to dwindle -- Hopefully, reality TV will become passe in a year or two.)
The only TV show that seems to be actually innovative these days, in my mind, is 24.
There's not any other shows that manage to capture the same second-by-second pace.
Having said that, most TV is pretty crap, which is probably why I'm spending more time on the net and watching DVDs than in front of the tube.
I believe The Flintstones was the first animated series to air in prime time. (It was also the first show to show a married couple sharing a bed.)
But that does nothing to diminish The Simpsons.
The Simpsons is certainly not the same as it was when it first aired. It's sort of Post-Simpsons now, it's closer to Family Guy than the original first season, which was almost a little too innocent and dramatic. There's such large difference that it upsets a lot of people who expect the show to have remained consistant in its style of writing.
But... I stand by my belief that if the show had progressed backwards, stylistically, then people would still be complaining: "What happened? The show used to be edgy and irreverent, now it's a sappy family show with Bart spouting constant catchphrases like a moron. I want to shoot the writers!"
Quote from: quintaros (at work) on Thu 18/12/2003 01:30:01
I believe The Flintstones was the first animated series to air in prime time. (It was also the first show to show a married couple sharing a bed.)
But that does nothing to diminish The Simpsons.
I wasn't too sure about the Flintstone when I posted, but I checked and you are right.
However, keep in mind the Flintstones was just an animated version of the Honeymooners -- not really an original concept.
Trap:
Actually, it's Homer's retarded catchphrases that bother me these days.
They aren't as funny as they used to be -- I think it's cause Homer is too damn oafish and tries to act like a selfish teenager, whereas he just used to be naive.
For example, from the union leader episode:
Mr. Burns: We don't have to be adversaries, Homer. We both want a fair union contract.
Homer: [thinking] Why is Mr. Burns being so nice to me?
Mr. Burns: And if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.
Homer:[thinking] Wait a minute. Is he coming onto me?
Mr. Burns: I mean, if I should slip something into your pocket, what's the harm?
Homer: [thinking] My God! He *is* coming onto me!
Mr. Burns: After all, negotiations make strange bedfellows.
[chuckle]
Mr. Burns: [wink]
Homer: [thinking] Aaaaaagh!
[aloud]
Homer: Sorry, Mr. Burns, but I don't go in for these backdoor shenanigans. Sure, I'm flattered, maybe even a little curious, but the answer is no!
Quote from: veryweirdguy on Wed 17/12/2003 22:01:35
I do agree with you there, Trap. A lot of people think "This is popular and cool with everyone, so I can't like it anymore." Anyone who thinks the Strong Bad emails are declining in quality must be kinda.................strange if they prefer the earlier ones.
I prefer the early ones, but I still think the later ones are great. It's not so much "declining" for me as changing, which doesn't bother me at all, because the Brothers Chaps still put out top-notch stuff. I don't think this makes me strange. I'm strange for entirely different reasons.
EDIT: On-topic: I think the Simpsons, on the other hand, has DEFINITELY declined. I stopped watching it some time ago because I derive no enjoyment from it any more.
I agree that Homer's character is not as tactfully funny as it used to be, but to the writers' credit they have been trying to tone down the "stupid jerk stupidity" that he's been accused of exhibiting. In Sunday's episode he didn't do anything too stupid for the sake of a joke. He did some stupid stuff, but it was part of the plot and he resolved his own mistakes.
Quote from: DGMacphee on Thu 18/12/2003 00:10:55
The only TV show that seems to be actually innovative these days, in my mind, is 24.
Third season isn't in the UK yet and I missed the first one, but one thing that bugs me about 24 is that Jack's daughter justs runsa round meeting dodgy people. She should carry a gun and shoot everyone she meets because THEY'RE ALL PSYCHOS!
Hehe yes, after the ordeal she had in the first series, and then what happened in the second, Kim has to be one of the unluckiest people in the world ;)
24 is a very clever idea for a show, and I do like it a lot - its only fault is that there are some episodes where it gets to the end and you think, "what actually happened in that episode"; or alternatively "oh gawd, she's gone and got kidnapped again!".
I hope there isn't much of Kim in the third series of 24, as I always think her bits are too much like a soap opera instead of a drama-type-thing. Like in the first series, when Teri lost her memory, I just thought that plot thread was a little lazy IMHO (I have to say IMHO to prevent a mass backlash against me).
24 is a show that I can't see declining in quality much any time soon. From what I've seen, the people who work on it genuinely care about what they're making - they want it to be compelling.
And remixor - fine, you're not strange for that reason...
Quote from: DGMacphee on Tue 16/12/2003 21:15:50
(http://www.sylpher.com/DGMacphee/Photoshop/Simpsons.jpg)
sweet man
gandalf:
Glad you liked my pisstake.
On 24:
The show does have faults, like any show, but my point is that it's a concept that's very original on TV.