Simpsons Reverence

THIS I BELIEVE.

The new HD opening sequence for The Simpsons is very pleasing. Although I will still be nostalgic for the opening I grew up with the new opening is respectful to its predecessor, paying many an homage, but also expands upon jokes and provides new visuals for fanboys like me to savor over. I don’t think fanboy is an insult.

My earliest Simpsons memory is in the first grade. A girl was handing out Valentines emblazoned with a naked Bart who was cupid. I didn’t get one. I’ve watched The Simpsons since I can remember, and a little before. I a lot of my peers used to watch the show which gave me something to talk about with them. My ardor for the show does not end with the show itself. I am a connoisseur of Simpsons parphanelia. I own a cascade of trivia books, comics, toys, keychains, talking bottle openers, board games, asthma inhaler holders (even though I don’t have asthma) t-shirts and pajama pants all devoted to OFF.

While I do admit that I am a fanboy I am not an apologist. Nor am I ignorant of intimate details about the show. I can name every sidekick of Krusty the Clown’s in chronological order. They are: Sideshow Raheem , Sideshow Bob, Sideshow Mel, Sideshow Luke Perry, and Sideshow Mel again. I intimate this to let the reader know that I know what I’m talking about when I say that The Simpsons is just as good as it ever was. There are some who say otherwise; they are wrong.

The Simpsons premiered December 17, 1989. The characters looked different then. They were more crudely drawn. The pacing was slow. At least slower by season twenty’s standards. Or even season three’s standards. The show was hilarious then, even though there were less jokes. Although when all of the elements are looked at and the big picture is judged season one is The Simpsons’ worst season. It doesn’t feel that way when you watch it. The beauty of The Simpsons is that the show changes evolves and mutates and still remains as good.

Part of the reason people say that The Simpsons has declined is because it isn’t as funny as when they first started watching it. I don’t believe that the quality of humor has dipped, I just think that the shock of seeing something as funny as The Simpsons is for the first time is present anymore for these people. Some people say that the characters have changed. They have not.

Back to season one. Homer was a dumb worker at a nuclear power plant, Bart was an underachiever and proud of it, Lisa was the sad middle child, Marge was the underappreciated housewife, and Maggie was one years old. Boy, they sure have changed. The Simpsons of season twenty no longer possess any of those traits. Of course I’m being sarcastic. While slight changes to the character’s personalities do alter (Homer’s intelligence has fluctuated from season to season, showrunner to showrunner) the core fundamentals are still there.

The Simpsons is a funny show. It’s older than I am and has been a part of my life for a long time. I believe it will be part of my life for much longer. And it will be just as funny.