Just how bad is modern Simpsons?

I don't know, I feel like the implementation of "modern" themes has felt a bit more natural in recent years. Yes, as they still have some problems fitting quite forced references to all that "is fashionable" ("The King of Nice" comes to mind for example). But personally I feel like the series has progressed and managed to make the family feel a bit more natural in a more modern setting, idk at least the fact that they satirized Roblox and it wasn't embarrassing shows that they still have it.

"My Life as a Vlog" is another good example for me, at least in what modern simpsons can achieve, by commenting on something current without seeming completely disconnected from reality. It's not just "Look at the simpsons making references to modern things!", they take advantage of the theme and made a story out of it.
 
Last edited:
Sandboy said:
at least the fact that they satirized Roblox and it wasn't embarrassing shows that they still have it.
Click to expand...
I thought the family vlog episode was one of the best this past season. I think what made it work so well was that it wasn’t just a subject that was timely, it was a subject that was Simpsons. From day one it’s been a show about a family that’s kind of trashy but that wants to live up to that idealized American Dream, and what’s a family like that doing in 2023? Gunning for social media credit with cute kids and cute quips while editing all the bad stuff out of their highlight reel. Totally natural fit.
 
Altairia said:
Not to mention FOP deciding to Poochie each season after S5.
Click to expand...
People say this but season 7 and 8 never added any new main characters, it feels like a meme at this point. Especially when people include worthless 1 episode characters like Anti-Sparky in the list of "new main characters" list just to make it longer

sideshow ken said:
The Simpsons does try to catch up with not only Family Guy but other adult animated shows but fails. It's stuck in a time warp and when it tries to put the characters in modern situations like Bart being a podcaster, it seems force and not natural.
Click to expand...
I disagree with this, I feel we're pretty far from the bart gets iphone era of the show, a lot of the modern situations of the past few seasons worked really well for me.
 
@catchphraseloop, Hey mine too. I think the most accurate is what you said about how it felt like a natural "evolution" of the family from 1983 to 2023, the most interesting thing for me is that it creates a perfect contrast on the rise of fame of the family from its first seen in the segment from "The Monkey's Paw" to "Behind the Laughter" until this episode. I think it's right to show the difference between fame before/now and see how the family reacts to that change.

The fact that this aired on January 1 makes this feel a bit more poetic. Almost like the purpose was to show how things never change but rather adapt, which, as you said, is a very Simpsons theme.
 
if by ''modern simpsons'' you mean current simpsons then not that bad really..............tho i do still find a majority of pre-S33 boring like (i think cousinmerl) said before, it isnt bad it's just boring
 
Sandboy said:
The fact that this aired on January 1 makes this feel a bit more poetic. Almost like the purpose was to show how things never change but rather adapt, which, as you said, is a very Simpsons theme.
Click to expand...
I finished my months-long watchthrough of the entire series during the hiatus at the beginning of the year, so at the time, “My Life as a Vlog” was the last episode. I couldn’t get over how perfect of a note it accidentally was to end on. To start the show with sad Homer at the dawn of the 90s failing to compete with the Flanders’ Christmas lights and trying to convince everyone he’s got a nice, normal family, and end with the 2020s slant on that timeless problem by showing the family rediscovering each other after losing themselves to the influencer act…

3A1BEE53-B65C-4204-93A4-ABD411794EED.gif

The Scrabble game with the KWYJIBO callback was just the icing on the cake.
 
catchphraseloop said:
I finished my months-long watchthrough of the entire series during the hiatus at the beginning of the year, so at the time, “My Life as a Vlog” was the last episode. I couldn’t get over how perfect of a note it accidentally was to end on. To start the show with sad Homer at the dawn of the 90s failing to compete with the Flanders’ Christmas lights and trying to convince everyone he’s got a nice, normal family, and end with the 2020s slant on that timeless problem by showing the family rediscovering each other after losing themselves to the influencer act…
Click to expand...

Yeah, to think how things turn out sometimes. Your writing made me smile & chuckle, but also consider the meaningfulness.

'My Life As A Vlog' is quite the episode and definitely kind of an satirical commentary on the show and its longevity & past, yet it still works quite well with the emotionality and dramatics that are also an important part of the story, making it all also kind of a tribute to the abeformentioned as well (no matter what the usual HD era critics and haters think). Also it was not some nostalgia-fest that dwells in the past but actually pushes forward with its rather experiemental and modernist take on these characters as internet celebs.

I think that the episode would've stood out even more had it not come out so soon after 'Lisa The Boy Scout' (another notable format breaker) but instead on the tail end of the season and it could've helped more fans to appreciate it (I believe many still felt a little full after 'Boy Scout' and didn't think 'Vlog' had the same impact), but I still believe it hit just right to be a solid family-centric episode.

Makes me disappointed whenever fans blindly get pissed off by 'The Simpsons', in this modern day and age being explicitly modern & doing modern/trendy and these annoyed fans start complaining and hating without considering the fact the writers and directors may sometimes do a good (if not great) job with it in a fun, satirical way with some heart. Case in point: 'My Life As A Vlog'.
 
Last edited:
Patches O'houlihan said:
There’s always the reoccurring belief the “last two seasons are an improvement!” that keeps popping up in these conversations. If this “improvement” was true, it means the show been improving since s12.🤦‍♂️
Click to expand...

Indeed. There have been so many "the show is starting to get good again" moments in the fanbase that I can no longer keep track of which season marks which occasion. The two big ones however seem to be season 13 and season... was 33? I forget, but I mean the one where the new bunch of writers started leaving their mark.

So far these moments are basically too minor and too fleeting to matter. The only chance we have of ever getting a true Simpsons renaissance is if Disney straight up cancels the show as we know it and then gives the license to make new episode to an entirely different studio/creative team. Get some of the best joke writers from Rick and Morty, some of the best dramatic writers from Bojack Horseman, and maybe throw some tried and true Futurama alumni there (some of them seem to still be able to deliver, to a decent extent)... but not the ones that have worked on zombie Simpsons also, they burned their bridges on that one. Oh but while they need to do away with the entire current Simpsons writing staff, do get George Meyer and Conan O'brien back (even if it means offering Conan 800 million dollars). And Jim Brooks needs to become personaly involved in the show again (forget Matt Groening, he hasn't been needed since season 1).
 
Kangdos said:
Indeed. There have been so many "the show is starting to get good again" moments in the fanbase that I can no longer keep track of which season marks which occasion. The two big ones however seem to be season 13 and season... was 33? I forget, but I mean the one where the new bunch of writers started leaving their mark.

So far these moments are basically too minor and too fleeting to matter. The only chance we have of ever getting a true Simpsons renaissance is if Disney straight up cancels the show as we know it and then gives the license to make new episode to an entirely different studio/creative team. Get some of the best joke writers from Rick and Morty, some of the best dramatic writers from Bojack Horseman, and maybe throw some tried and true Futurama alumni there (some of them seem to still be able to deliver, to a decent extent)... but not the ones that have worked on zombie Simpsons also, they burned their bridges on that one. Oh but while they need to do away with the entire current Simpsons writing staff, do get George Meyer and Conan O'brien back (even if it means offering Conan 800 million dollars). And Jim Brooks needs to become personaly involved in the show again (forget Matt Groening, he hasn't been needed since season 1).
Click to expand...
I think Seasons 18-20 and Seasons 26-27 have also been considered by some as when "the show is starting to become good again"
 
catchphraseloop said:
S12 WAS an improvement though
Click to expand...
Along with 13-15, imo. However, that’s the only improvement after S10-11. Season 16-onward has been a trip down Blandtoma.

I quit watching in S27 but have tried watching random episodes that are praised and maybe have seen a couple of good ones. The THoH XXV and A Serious Flanders were really good, imo.
 
Kangdos said:
Get some of the best joke writers from Rick and Morty
Click to expand...
Simpsons right now is genuinely batting higher than Rick and Morty right now (this is a Rick and Morty insult, not a Simpsons compliment)

Altairia said:
I think Seasons 18-20 and Seasons 26-27 have also been considered by some as when "the show is starting to become good again"
Click to expand...
I'm a big defender of 26 and 27
 
Smear-Gel said:
Simpsons right now is genuinely batting higher than Rick and Morty right now (this is a Rick and Morty insult, not a Simpsons compliment)
Click to expand...

I'd definitely say so too. Something happened with Rick And Morty' which made it a lot more inconsistent and hit & miss (and sometimes surprisingly forgettable), while 'The Simpsons' does well more often in the recent couple of seasons).

R&M is not where to take inspiration from...

Kangdos said:
Oh but while they need to do away with the entire current Simpsons writing staff, do get George Meyer and Conan O'brien back (even if it means offering Conan 800 million dollars). And Jim Brooks needs to become personaly involved in the show again (forget Matt Groening, he hasn't been needed since season 1).
Click to expand...

Why bring back old writers and producers? To try bring in a sense of nostalgia and the past? Nah, I think there's already too much trying to capture nostalgia in other media and we need less of that and more new. I want to see new blood in terms of writers and directors so why not being in people who have worked on other animated humor shows, for example (even if they would just be guests)?
 
Kangdos said:
Indeed. There have been so many "the show is starting to get good again" moments in the fanbase that I can no longer keep track of which season marks which occasion. The two big ones however seem to be season 13 and season... was 33? I forget, but I mean the one where the new bunch of writers started leaving their mark.
Click to expand...

I can't take a lot of the "improvement" dialogue seriously, especially if nothing is really cited as causing the improvement other than a vague feeling or vibe. (To me, Seasons 13-14 are quite wacky and aren't all that different in tone from the Scully era). But I do think the increase in "format-benders" in Seasons 33 & 34 especially is a concrete difference one can point to as a marker of a shift in quality (Pixelated and Afraid, Poorhouse Rock, Lisa the Boy Scout, and My Life as a Vlog all being examples of this). Season 34 was predictably uneven, but it did seem to try something new for the better in a few cases, something that can't really be said for most of the "modern" seasons.
 
Here’s my view on the matter the simpons started out as a deconstruction 50s and 80s sitcoms. Instead of this perfect sitcom family they are treated as exaggerations of flawed and likable characters.

The problem comes from the fact that as the show goes on the writers started ignoring the characters flaws more and more. Whether it is a plot point or a character trait we as the audience are supposed to feel sorry for the characters when they suffer from the consequence of their actions yet ignore the severity of those actions and the fact the characters show absolutely no remorse for them. At the same the actual victims are often villianized either for getting in the way of what the characters want or because by suffering from the characters actions it makes it harder to sweep them under the rug. This is why you’ve found me comparing the show less to family guy and more to children’s shows like spongebob square pants and jimmy neutron.

Then there is the fact that the writers keep using the same plot line over and over again. So either we are supposed to pretend that the characters aren’t relearning the same thing or are the victims for doing something that we’ve repeatedly been told is wrong.

Finally I see this less as laziness and more arrogance. There are many episodes that wouldn’t be that bad if the characters were just called out on their actions instead the writers jump through hopes to make them the victim causing the episode to make no sense.
 
I haven't watched a single new episode in almost a decade. I think I stopped watching altogether around season 25. But inspired by this thread, I got Disney+ so I could check out the newer seasons I haven't seen. I want to see if there's a single decent episode buried in there somewhere.
 
Let's consider "modern Simpsons" as the last decade (season 25 and onwards).

Season 28 to season 32 were full of mediocre episodes (ran by Jean usually), "jokes" you just wait when the end comes.

33rd and 34th are ok - there are much less bads.

Season 25 is the most "middle", mediocre, balanced season ever. As good as bad, as fresh as boring.😑

Speaking of 26 & 27 - the start (hodovers) is bad in both😅 (speaking in general), but in the 2nd halves there are good stories. I found season 27 ambiguous - reviewing it more undone things, lost potential came out, but better than 26 (which is underrated somewhere).

HOWEVER, as I always say, in whichever season there are really good episodes (at least, a couple).
 
On the upside. we have a lot more footage to repurpose for fanvids or gag dubs than if it had ended in the 1990s.

That may be wooly thinking but that is very comfortable when worn close to the skin.
 
I'd say each season is ''hit and miss''. Season 28 for example has a really weak opening, but in the middle there are some good episodes.
If I would have to recommend some episodes from the last few seasons I would go with ''Serious Flanders'' and ''Treehouse of Horror XXXIII''.
Oh, and season 30 is for me the weakest from the bunch, but still not that terrible.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top