Criticism of the
Simpsons
Fans hold a wide range of views on which
period in the show's history was the best. Some prefer the earliest seasons,
particularly 2 and 3, when the show focused more on realistic, character-driven
humour instead of what they perceive as cheap, throwaway gags. Others prefer
seasons 4-7, when Al Jean/Mike Reiss, David Mirkin and Bill Oakley/Josh
Weinstein were the show runners. Under Mirkin, the show began to focus more and
more on social satire, as well as shifting focus away from young Bart to Homer.
In contrast, seasons 9-12 and the appointment
of Mike Scully as show runner are often considered to be the show's lowest point
creatively. While Scully's tenure featured a great deal of development of the
show's supporting cast of characters (most notably Edna Krabappel, Principal
Skinner, Ralph Wiggum, and Mr. Burns), it was highly criticized for shifting
attention away from the Simpsons, with the exception of Homer. The show also
became heavily reliant on celebrity guest stars (who almost always were cast to
play themselves) and often episodes bent the rules of realism in order to
justify these types of episodes.
But the biggest criticism of Scully's tenure
as show runner was his reinvention of Homer. Under Scully, the character of
Homer was criticized by many fans as having become unrealistically stupid and
uncaring in most episodes, while inexplicably contradicting his own political
and moral beliefs in others. This reinvention, referred to as "Jerkass Homer" by
online fans, caused a large backlash from many long time fans of the series, who
felt the show had "jumped the shark". Many such fans welcomed the return of Al
Jean as show runner, calling it a return to the show's roots. However, many
Simpson fans believe that, for the sake of the show's reputation, it should be
cancelled. It's doubtful this will occur in the foreseeable future as the
franchise is considered as profitable as ever by Fox television network. |
