Bam Bam Baklava
Member
They should have done with more this kid.
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The Simpsons |OT2| It's a pornography thread- We were posting pornography
- Thread starter AniHawk
- Start date
The Anti-Monitor
Banned
Alright, I gotta ask, what makes this such a dreadful episode?
Professor Beef
Banned
I read the wiki synopsis of it, and it does seem like...quite an "out there" episode.
On the plus side, Jeremy's Iron provides the voice of Moe's Rag!
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
If I could say a few words, I'd be a better public speaker.
Johnny Ryall
Member
IceDoesntHelp
Banned
Not funny, quite an awful plotline, I just don't know how to explain it. You have to see it to understand I guess.
It's just awful beyond comprehension.
KefkaPalazzo
Member
I didn't know you, Jay Leno, and a monkey were bathing a clown.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Ah yes. Back when I actually had some respect for Jay Leno.
I didn't know you, Jay Leno, and a monkey were bathing a clown.
What is this? A screenshot of an LCD screen with someones signature on it?
"That is a rare photo of Jay Leno signed by Roger Moore, it is worth one hundred and fifty dollars."
*You read that in my voice*
sans_pants
avec_pénis
I watched tonights episode. It involved a hologram of bleeding gums Murphy. And the episode started with Moe killing himself
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Perfect."That is a rare photo of Jay Leno signed by Roger Moore, it is worth one hundred and fifty dollars."
*You read that in my voice*
UberTag
Member
Shame he didn't go through with it. Would have spared us from the rest of a terrible episode.
Abe almost died tonight, too.
Near-fatal accidents are what passes for comedy these days.
But it's OK... if you die you'll just come back as an obnoxious hologram.
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Hey, you remember that time Homer suffocated his dad?
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Seriously. What the fuck happened to the once greatest TV show on the air?
Was it good by new simpsons standard?
The writers left, and the new ones weren't as good.
UberTag
Member
Not even close.
The last "competent" episode this season was What Animated Women Want three weeks ago. And, while flawed, I'm a bigger fan of that episode than most people.
The last "good" episode by modern Simpsons standards was Hardly Kirk-ing back in February.
Next week's ep is expected to be utter tripe.
Of the two episodes on tap for finale night the next week, the first one - The Saga of Carl Carlson - is being show run by Matt Selman and written by Eric Kaplan (most notorious for writing that tearjerker Jurassic Bark episode of Futurama) and has potential to be decent.
The second episode was originally supposed to be the infamous "Simpsons visit Rigel VII" episode - The Man Who Came to Be Dinner. But it was recently delayed and swapped out for the Seth MacFarlane episode (Dangers on a Train) where he woos Marge through an online swingers website she has inadvertently signed herself up for. I don't have high hopes for that one and expect it'll be pretty self-indulgent.
(EDIT: Wow... that's the first time someone's been banned in the amount of time it took me to write up a response to their post.)
Chuck Norris
Banned
You pressed "you" referring to me. That is wrong, the answer is you.
Barrow Roll
Member
gifing this entire scene might have been a bit much.
Exterminieren
Banned
Hearing MacFarlane's voice on The Simpsons is going to be weird as fuck.
Box of Bunnies
Banned
"I guess you could say I'm Iraqi."
It's moments like this that make me consider extending my DVD collection to season 12, even though the episode becomes "random celebrity appearances just because" by the end.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Or the time Homer tried to kill himself and failed?
What the actual fuck. Please tell me this is from a Treehouse of Horror.
Hah, this sort of thing was discussed in the Zombie Simpsons article, the "Well you don't look as good as you did 10 years ago either" defense. Doesn't stop the criticism from being true. And I really like American Dad.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
I'd really love to see you guys find any show that maintained it's stride for 25+ years. The sooner everyone accepts it's a different show, the sooner they can just watch it peacefully and take the good with the bad. Next to FG, Bob's, AD, it's really not that different in quality by today's standards.
The whole 'celebrities' argument really needs to die; classic Simpsons had a large number of celebrities appearing as themselves, many of which were just tiny walk on parts much like the new episodes.
This came up in the previous thread as well with some image highlighting all the modern appearances of celebs as themselves, prompting me to go through and list all of the celebrities that appeared as themselves in seasons 1-9, though sadly i didn't save the list.
Regardless, random celebrity appearances have always been a part of The Simpsons, furthermore their appearances can be just as effective if they are playing someone else, playing themselves or are just one liner walk-ons. Consider 2 episodes which both feature musicians playing themsleves and moving in with the Simpson family - one is an all time classic (Michael Jackson), the other is one of the worst episodes in history (Lady Gaga). Kind of an unfair comparison but i hope you can see my point, its all about the writing, celebrity appearances are never inherently good or bad.
This came up in the previous thread as well with some image highlighting all the modern appearances of celebs as themselves, prompting me to go through and list all of the celebrities that appeared as themselves in seasons 1-9, though sadly i didn't save the list.
Regardless, random celebrity appearances have always been a part of The Simpsons, furthermore their appearances can be just as effective if they are playing someone else, playing themselves or are just one liner walk-ons. Consider 2 episodes which both feature musicians playing themsleves and moving in with the Simpson family - one is an all time classic (Michael Jackson), the other is one of the worst episodes in history (Lady Gaga). Kind of an unfair comparison but i hope you can see my point, its all about the writing, celebrity appearances are never inherently good or bad.
Box of Bunnies
Banned
Well yeah, it's more the quality of the writing than just the fact that there's guests out of nowhere. Compare Joe Namath to the tennis players.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Me too. And I'm a huuuge Bob's Burger's fan as well. But honestly they pale in comparison to Classic Simpsons too. All of the applicable criticisms can almost uniformly be applied to all modern shows. I just feel Modern Simpsons is viewed with such a scornful critical eye, it seems really unfair. The same kind of jokes that get a laugh from me in BB's and AD are okay, but Modern Simpsons land in the same ballpark of humor, it's still shit? It's confusing.
Also Homer tried to kill himself in front of his entire family in Homer's Odyssey 24 years ago btw.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
I think it's more a problem in the new episodes how, as you say about the writing, the appearances are just lazy. It's more like "Hey kids, it's media sensation Lady Gaga!" rather than the aforementioned use of Jay Leno, which made sense since it was about the entertainment industry and Krusty's part in it.
I mean, it's not exactly believable that Paul and Linda McCartney would be on top the Kwik-E-Mart, but it was still somehow better done.
Just because others shows are on-par doesn't mean that Simpsons is exempt from criticism though. It comes from a very solid background, and it raised huge expectations for itself by carrying on the show. Since BB and AD are new shows, you're not going to get that sort of expectation and criticism. Maybe in about 5-7 years we'll be reminiscing about the good old days when Stan was actually a CIA agent and Patrick Stewart was still with the show... but like you say, Simpsons is one of a kind. It is the only animated show to run for just under three decades. So criticism of that kind is going to be unique to it, for a while at least.
I mean, it's not exactly believable that Paul and Linda McCartney would be on top the Kwik-E-Mart, but it was still somehow better done.
Just because others shows are on-par doesn't mean that Simpsons is exempt from criticism though. It comes from a very solid background, and it raised huge expectations for itself by carrying on the show. Since BB and AD are new shows, you're not going to get that sort of expectation and criticism. Maybe in about 5-7 years we'll be reminiscing about the good old days when Stan was actually a CIA agent and Patrick Stewart was still with the show... but like you say, Simpsons is one of a kind. It is the only animated show to run for just under three decades. So criticism of that kind is going to be unique to it, for a while at least.
British Monsoon
Member
Tiny walk on parts aren't the problem, the problem is when they get a celebrity and quite clearly fabricate an entire episode around the fact that said celebrity has actually agreed to appear. The Gaga episode, for instance.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
I ask again.. did you honestly expect the quality to remain consistent for this long? I'm viewing this from a realistic stand point. The golden age passed. It's done. I've accepted that. The original staff have deserted the show. We have the same framework of "the Simpsons" under new staff and a new era of entertainment. It is as new to me as American Dad or Family Guy. It is a different show. I take it for what it is today, moderately amusing PG-13 sitcom.
But it makes more sense to trash it based on being unable to keep perfect quality for a quarter century? Ha, but then again there were fans calling the show shit after season 4. Hell, during season 4. So I guess some things never change.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
It's not like I'm familiar with the show anymore. I'm aware that I'm not buying what the new writers are selling, I abstain from the show. I don't expect anything of it, I realize the financial implications that prevent them from ending it, but I wish they weren't a factor back in 2000 so the show could have ended on a high note. Now it can go on as long as it likes in my opinion, it's just a shame that new viewers will think that is the best The Simpsons has to offer.
If it's a different show, it would have a different name, title, characters. It isn't. It's using the identity of the Golden Age Simpsons, so why shouldn't we judge it as such? Nobody's expecting perfect quality. But there's imperfect, and there's whole episodes based around Lady Gaga and repeated Simpsons Movie plotlines verbatim.
But was that any different from the Michael Jackson episode?
British Monsoon
Member
Yeah, because the Michael Jackson episode didn't feel like an advertisement, nor was it quite so shameless. Also, the fact that it was actually a good episode probably helped.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
The joke was he clearly wasn't Michael Jackson (even though he was?). It would be equivalent if the episode had been Michael Jackson performing at Springfield Elementary and teaching Bart how to moonwalk.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
or
or
or
or
Episode centered around him completely. Just off the top of my head.
Walk in, "hey look at this celeberty!!" convenient appearances have been on the show since day one. It's nothing new.
You want to talk about subtle genius guest stars, nobody beats king of the hill.
UberTag
Member
Modern Simpsons episodes can (and have) been good.
Even with celebrities and modern-era HD computer animation.
But only when the show's writers and directors actively try to make it good.
The problem is that more often than not most of them don't bother to try and are just there to get a paycheck while hanging out with their buddies and rehashing jokes that their show and other shows have already done countless times before much more effectively.
Apart from some personal legacy for some of them that do still care, most of them have no incentive to do anything more than half-ass it and milk the status quo for as long as humanly possible. Fans/viewers are by and large NOT discerning and have either quit the show long ago and perceive every modern episode to be garbage or will simply tune in all the time regardless of quality.
To be fair this is a problem that all mass media faces these days. There is no correlation between excellence and reward in any industry. From gaming to mainstream television to the movies to literature to music.
Even with celebrities and modern-era HD computer animation.
But only when the show's writers and directors actively try to make it good.
The problem is that more often than not most of them don't bother to try and are just there to get a paycheck while hanging out with their buddies and rehashing jokes that their show and other shows have already done countless times before much more effectively.
Apart from some personal legacy for some of them that do still care, most of them have no incentive to do anything more than half-ass it and milk the status quo for as long as humanly possible. Fans/viewers are by and large NOT discerning and have either quit the show long ago and perceive every modern episode to be garbage or will simply tune in all the time regardless of quality.
To be fair this is a problem that all mass media faces these days. There is no correlation between excellence and reward in any industry. From gaming to mainstream television to the movies to literature to music.
The George Bush episode doesn't really support any 'celebrity episode' argument because no celebrity was in that episode.
peanutbutterlatte
Member
None of the first three centered around the guest stars in any way.
PeakPointMatrix
Member
Yeah, but like I write in the same post, they are literally given the spotlight out of nowhere with not a shred of subtlety. It is literally SURPRISE!! And now this celebrity will perform on our show!! Bush was just a topper to go next the "centered around a real life celebrity" Gaga category. As in, the classics did it first.
This is the exact thing people will complain about in Modern appearances. Just an observation.
UberTag
Member
I'll agree with you that it's a trite argument.
The show's celebrity usage has little if anything to do with why it's largely awful right now.
The biggest reason is that it chooses to be awful. And that falls on the shoulders of Al Jean first and foremost.
See You Next Wednesday
Banned
"I guess you could say I'm Iraqi."
Get off my property!!!
Ravensmash
Member
The premise of it alone makes me shudder.
Writers must have really ran out of ideas on that day.
Just stop Simpsons. Just stop.
At what point was suicide Moe's only redeeming feature? At what point did someone thing that was a good idea?
peanutbutterlatte
Member
Also why would someone create a hologram of Bleeding Gums Murphy when it was widely established that he was an unrecognized, unpopular artist?!
Moe's mentioned suicide as early as Season 8. The joke used to be though that he did it strictly for attention, going so far as to show incredulity when a crowd wouldn't acknowledge he was about to jump off a building.
Moe's mentioned suicide as early as Season 8. The joke used to be though that he did it strictly for attention, going so far as to show incredulity when a crowd wouldn't acknowledge he was about to jump off a building.
Messypandas
Member
Did Moe have his head in a oven in one of the earlier seasons?
peanutbutterlatte
Member
BART: It's hard to leave when you're standing there Mom
HOMER: Push her down son.
HOMER: Push her down son.