I haven't really read the thread properly, just skipped to page 5 and died laughing at Le Jake and bort, so I have no idea if this has been said before. But the reason the Simpsons is hated on so much is the fact that the show just reeks of sloppy writing, and the staff simply don't care anymore. Another episode, another paycheck, another poor joke before they get back to their lives. Characters are pale shadows of their former selves, with their long established personality traits being completely disbanded in order to accommodate another cheap joke, and emotional story lines are completely a thing of the past. I haven't really been moved at all by a show since Lisa the Simpson. The showrunners of the Classic Era genuinely cared about the show, its direction, about the comment that the show made on our society. Listen to the audio commentaries,you will still hear Oakley and Weinstein debate about things they did, and that is why they will always be the best showrunners in my eyes. Simply, they loved the show, and it showed, and the jokes were funnier. You just don't see that anymore, and it's not so much hate inspiring as disappointing, the wasted potential.