The Simpsons, which recently joined Disney’s streaming service, Disney Plus, is one of the mostly widely lauded, and enduring series in TV history. But has it peaked creatively? Is it time to draw the adventures of Homer, Bart, Marge and the gang to a dignified close? Such an opportunity arguably passed several years ago.
A significant body of fans (including this one) think The Simpsons peaked decades ago. They argue its writers regularly recycle plots – which are becoming increasingly incoherent – and the biting satire has paled. Add to this complaints about the increasingly bizarre behaviour of Homer and fawning guest star appearances and the stage is set for a revolt.
A small but vocal group of fans are actively calling for the show to be cancelled. They trace its steep decline back to the late 1990s. Any episode after that they call “Zombie Simpsons”. These fans can be found, mostly, on the website Dead Homer Society. It argues that “today [The Simpsons] is a hollow shell, over animated, under thought out, and thoroughly mediocre.” Indeed: “The sooner it ends the better off we’ll all be.”
A chief exhibit of the “Zombie Simpsons” phenomenon is the show’s 500th episode, which aired in 2012. In it, the titular family is exiled from Springfield because other townsfolk are fed up with its members’ boorish behaviour. Later, the rest of the show’s massive ensemble cast joins them, relocating the town of Springfield in the process.
This episode was highly derivative, repeating plot points from earlier seasons – including season 9 episode Trash of The Titans and 2007’s The Simpsons Movie.
Another piece of evidence offered in support of the Zombie Simpson hypothesis is the emergence of what fans have dubbed “jerkass Homer”. The author of the Dead Homer Society website, who goes by the pseudonym Charlie Sweatpants, writes that:
Jerkass Homer is invincible and totally self confident, the evil doppelganger of the Homer that had originally been on the show.
He has a point. Where Homer was always loud-mouthed, he’s become positively abusive. And while clumsy, he was still a loveable oaf. Now, instead of being simply dumb, he’s thoroughly stupid.
Adapting and responding
Still, The Simpsons endures – the latest season is averaging 4.6 million viewers in the United States – and continues to have adoring fans. The show ambles on in part due to the way it adapts and responds to events around it.
For instance, the creators release short (often online-only) clips relating to current affairs. For several US election cycles, The Simpsons has released videos of Homer attempting to vote. In 2008 it was for Barack Obama. This year it was for Hillary Clinton – although he was thwarted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Another short from 2016 showed Homer at the Sydney Opera House to advertise the series’ creator Matt Groening’s visit to Australia.
The show’s “couch gag”, which is part of the opening credits but changes for each episode, is often acclaimed by critics. During this year’s 600th episode, the gag was made available in virtual reality. You could view the VR portion through a cheap Google Cardboard device and on YouTube.
Another attempt to generate interest saw Homer answer viewer questions “live” in May this year – a first for an animated show. A pre-animated Homer sat at a desk while Dan Castellaneta (the actor who provides his voice) ad-libbed answers to pre-selected questions. Castellanata was motion captured while answering and animated automatically to merge with the existing footage.
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