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Behind the Scenes of The Simpsons
Tim writes "The Seattle Times is running a short article about the production process behind 'The Simpsons.' Nothing too elaborate, but there are some interesting pieces of information scattered throughout the piece, including a few jokes from a future episode." From the article: "Invitations to the table read are considered among the hottest tickets in Hollywood, and each visitor has an assigned seat. Celebrities, usually with children in tow, are a fixture. It takes about 40 minutes to run through an episode that will run 22 minutes and 30 seconds (plus commercials) when it airs next season. After the session, there is applause and stretching. Groening and most cast members linger to chat, autograph the scripts and pose for snapshots."
...but that's unpossible.
But it would have been better a few years ago when the Simpsons was still relevant and funny.
You are so boring that when I see you my feet go to sleep.
Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover.
Outside the trailer, Groening chats with Azaria about the episode they have just read. Groening wonders whether some aspects of the plot are "a little out there." Well, Azaria replies sarcastically, it is Season 4,063.
"From the inside, a genius factory can appear surprisingly bland..."
Bland. Much like the quality of the episodes that are currently being produced. There was a time when this show was indeed amusing, clever, and poignant. It wouldn't be so bad today if their humor wasn't so dated. In fact, I would go as far as to say that The Simpsons has become another Garfield. Yes...I went there. Horribly predictable "comedy." Overused formulas. The usual.
When someone builds up a media empire, they have a responsibility to know when to call it quits. Every single television program, comic, book, musical group, et cetera has a "half-life" depending on its particular "valence." Once that half-life has been reached...well...you guys are reading this on Slashdot ergo I assume you are smart enough to get the science-to-entertainment metaphor I'm weaving here.
Ullman shorts, Christmas show,
Marge's fling, Homer's bro,
Bart in well, Flanders fails,
Whacking snakes, Monorail,
Mr. Plow, Homer in space,
Sideshow Bob steps on rakes,
Lisa's future, Selma's hubby,
Marge not proud, Homer chubby,
Homer worries Bart is gay,
Poochie, U2, NRA,
Hippies, Vegas, and Japan,
Octuplets, and Bart's boy band,
Marge murmurs, Maude croaks,
Lisa Buddhas, Homer tokes,
Maggie blows Burns away,
What else do I have to say?!
You'll never stop the Simpsons,
Have no fears, we've got stories for years like...
Marge becomes a robot,
Maybe Moe gets a cell phone,
Has Bart ever owned a bear or...
How about a crazy wedding?
Where something happens, and do-do do-do-do
Sorry for the clip show!
Have no fears, we've got stories for years!
... they're not worth the download anymore.
Yes, Simpsons was the cornerstore of comedy one time. Not only did it have a comic sense and timing, but also it had the gumption to take the joke on American masses, whilst selling itself to them. It had a great sense of poking fun at the racial discriminations that exist in the american society, yet had the charm brought by breaking the very same prejudices.
However, the last couple of seasons have been a mere caricature of the show, as well as the characters. Like someone else said on here, its now formulaic - no longer the greatest show in 20th century
http://efil.blogspot.com/
Why are some technologies always 5 years away, why is any band's "early stuff" always the best, and why are the best simpsons/seinfeld/whatever episodes always a few seasons back I wonder. (?)
I was once told this by a filmaker. He said that it went to Mexico in other cases. I just think it's amazing that they can get the movements down so that it's smooth. I remember when the Simpsons first came on the "Tracy Ullman" show. They were poorly deawn and had jerky movements, and I didn't think they were funny. Now, I think they're funny and quite relevent.
The show with Bart eating from the vending machines and getting really fat touched on a lot of issues these days. One of them is local school boards putting junk food vending machines (Coke) in their schools to help pay the bills and adding to the childhood obesity problem.
...to see how American cartoons are made!
Whoa! The first three seasons were all about serious issues. Bart steals a video game, Bart becomes gifted, Bart defends his sister, Homer gets caught on spy camera with a dancer, bad babysitter happends to be wanted, Bart isn't doing well in school and needs Martin's help.
These episodes, while indeed showing off where the Simpsons came from, and indeed were fun to watch, lacked a certain hilarity that the Simpsons acheived later in the game where they just got funny. They were trying to teach lessons and whatnot at the beginning and make everyone feel good in the end.
Bring along seasons 4-6 or so, where the shows are still about Bart (as the show was) with the occasional Homer and/or Lisa episode. As this range went on, and even going into seasons 7 and 8, they became more about Homer. These were some of the funniest in its prime. Who shot Mr Burns, Lisa the Vegitarian, Homer goes to College, Cat Burgler, Homer as a marriage therapist, etc. They were really exploring what Homer could add to the show rather than just being around.
Bring in seasons 7,8-11 and they're hit and miss. Many fun and exciting episodes, but you can tell that they're reaching maximums of some of the possibilities. They've realized their fans want 'out there' actions and find Homer's stupidity funny. SOmetimes they'll hit it right on and other times they'll go so far to the extreme that it's boring as anything.
Seasons 12,13 are very hit and miss. An episode here and there that's funny (Trillogy of Error anyone? Where they split Bart, Homer, and Lisa's day was hilarious). In these seasons they've realized people aren't tuning in as much. They promoted such bands as REM (season13), The Who (season12), NSync (season12) and guest stars like Pierce Brosman, Judge Judy, Reese Witherspoon. Group in 'Britney Spears' from season 11 (which was awful) and you add to that. They've realized people aren't finding it funny, so they need some media hype to get people watching. of course, their inclusion sucks.
We all remember probably one of the simpsons' 'worst episodes ever' where they went to Toronto in February 2002 for season 13 chasing Wolfcastle's daughter (Reese Witherspoon). They actually wanted the mayor of Toronto to declare 'simpsons day' and got angry at the policy to not declare special days for corporate events. We all remember the 60-90 seconds actually spent in Toronto, of which they played really poor jokes that both Canadian's and Americans alike didn't find funny. I should have gone out that night.
Bring in Season 14+ where I've seen one or two watchable episodes, and the remainder I will sit and stare forward blankly when I do catch it.
I no longer rush home to watch it. I no longer plan my weekend around looking forward to it. I no longer Tivo every episode. I just don't care. I watch older ones on Comedy from time to time, but the new ones I rarely even catch. They've essentially lost touch with their viewer base or are well past the prime of the show. The episodes become extreme and unbelievable and are purposely going for a laugh, rather than 'seemingly' accidentally stumbling on it.
-M
when you see the word 'Linux', drink!
The Simpsons are the most relevant thing on TV. I have to control the desire to firebomb Fox when they replace the Simpsons with some useless sporting event or even worse some starwars movie. The only things that should disrupt a Simpsons episode is a currently occuring natural disaster in the immediate viewing area, or perhaps the actuall declaration of war by congress. Anything less than that is not an excuse for interupting the normal Sunday night ritual of watching the Simpsons.
Things that are not more important than the Simpsons:
1. Presidential address.
2. Military action this is not accompanied by a declaration of war. (The Gulfwar, Gulfwar II, Vietnam, etc. fall into this category. US entry into WW II would not.)
3. Terrorist Attacks (I can wait 30 minutes to hear about that!)
4. The SuperBowl.
5. The olympics...
6. Birdflu outbreak.
7. Alien Invation
These things can wait until the Simpsons are over....
Think Deeply.