I think the simpsons have gotten funnier over the years

[Dejawesp]

The jokes have become more adult and I find myself actually laughing when watching them as opposed to the silent nod of approval that the simpsons have been generating over the last few decades. Most likely its an attempt to compete with other adult oriented cartoons like family guy.

Here's an example of the new jokes I like

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

It was still very adult-oriented back in the "olden days," only difference is that back then it was more subtle, and smart.

You know. Actually good.

 

[RatRace123]

I think it's better than when it was in its low points, but I don't watch FOX sundays much anymore, apart from American Dad, hope it gets moved out of the 7:30 "death slot".
Still, the Simpsons, for me, is at least the second best show on sundays.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, I gave up on them years ago as well.

Knowing when to walk away from a previously successful show is an under-rated talent.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'd say The Simpsons have steadily become less funny since season 5. Now I can't even bear to watch one of the current episodes. The Simpsons have always had adult humor, but it seems that now their going for the more easy and crude Family Guy humor.

They should've killed this show years ago.

 

[King of the Sandbox]

I still love the show and I've watched it since Ullman. I keep hearing "Old Simpson's was better!!1!" from people, and I'm 90% sure that's nostalgia talking.

And I hate to break it to some people, but the Simpsons has never really been subtle.

 

[Dejawesp]

subtle, and smart. You know. Actually good.

Oh ladi da. Aren't we a sophisticated little humorist. I take it you prefer a box of wine and some brie with your simpson evenings too.


The simpsons back in the 90s where good for their time. Not too controversial. When it comes to controversy they have never been much of an envelope pusher but I find that they are advancing "with the times" as more adult jokes and references are tolerated and appreciate.

I'd say The Simpsons have steadily become less funny since season 5. Now I can't even bear to watch one of the current episodes. The Simpsons have always had adult humor, but it seems that now their going for the more easy and crude Family Guy humor.

There's no easy road for jokes. The joke that produces the most laughs is always the best one regardless of what it contains or how it was made. You can't take the high road as a comedian and say the joke was good and the audience is wrong when no one is laughing. Nor can you say "well the joke is smarter and subtle so the people who don't laugh are idiots for not getting it"



And there was nothing subtle about early simpsons jokes. They where just "safe" safe and child friendly jokes

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

Oh ladi da. Aren't we a sophisticated little humorist. I take it you prefer a box of wine and some brie with your simpson evenings too..

Maybe not, but when I think "adult," "pushing the envelope," I think sophistication and cleverness. There's a reason Family Guy is considered "vulgar," and it isn't so much because of it's content matter, but it's because it hits you over the head with the word "fuck" and gay/sex jokes. It's a different kind of humour, but one does not attain brilliant humour simply by being blunt.

The Simpsons writers understand that, and have (for the most part) stuck to writing comedy that works on several levels, rather than simply just one. I don't think Simpsons will ever fully conform to the "standards" of its peers, but goddamn if it isn't getting close.

...and by the way I do find the Simpsons funny still, I just think they're trying too hard to be cool, when before it seemed to come naturally. Do you know they were going to have Homer swear in The Simpsons Movie, but they held back because they realized simply swearing a lot wasn't funny? Hmmm. Really.

 

[Jonluw]

I never found The Simpsons particularly funny in the first place :/

The improved animation in the later seasons certainly make it more bearable to watch though.

 

[BstrdChris]

i can't sit through a whole episode of that show anymore. sure, it's got its moments, but i haven't thought about it in months. and if i'm watching a show on Fox.com and they keep looping the same commercial for the upcoming episode one of the commercials, depending what kind of mood i'm in, i have to remember just how much a laptop costs. i was 10 when the show started, thhe show was awesome, i just generally can't stand it now. i've been known to watch it on occasion though, the recent episodes. i wouldn't say they're better, however, just taking advantage of the times we're in, like you mentioned...


booooooy, that Ralph Wiggum, though, hehehe

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

And there was nothing subtle about early simpsons jokes. They where just "safe" safe and child friendly jokes

Hmm yes, Mr Burns coming onto Homer was safe and child friendly. The adventures of Homer and Marge's sex life in Season 1 were child friendly. Episodes that dealt with marijuana abuse, drinking abuse, and homophobia were all child friendly. Two-parters about a baby shooting old men were certainly child friendly. Oh no wait, they were deeply layered and hilarious as hell to all audiences for different reasons.

How long have you been watching this show? (And when do you draw the line of "classic"? I say the show lost its touch around 1998)

 

[Dejawesp]

Maybe not, but when I think "adult," "pushing the envelope," I think sophistication and cleverness. There's a reason Family Guy is considered "vulgar," and it isn't so much because of it's content matter, but it's because it hits you over the head with the word "fuck" and gay/sex jokes. It's a different kind of humour, but one does not attain brilliant humour simply by being blunt.

The Simpsons writers understand that, and have (for the most part) stuck to writing comedy that works on several levels, rather than simply just one. I don't think Simpsons will ever fully conform to the "standards" of its peers, but goddamn if it isn't getting close.

...and by the way I do find the Simpsons funny still, I just think they're trying too hard to be cool, when before it seemed to come naturally. Do you know they were going to have Homer swear in The Simpsons Movie, but they held back because they realized simply swearing a lot wasn't funny? Hmmm. Really.

If you stand before a thousand people and tell a joke. The joke that gets the most people to laugh is the best one. Regardless of how crude or blunt or vulgar it is. When people aren't laughing you cant hide behind it being a "smart" or "sophistication" or "clever" or "brilliant" joke. If people didn't laugh then the joke failed.

Family guy and American dad are filled with vulgar and crude jokes and they are shows that make people laugh out loud. That's why they're so popular.

Humor is not rocket science. It has a plain and simple score counter and whoever gets there wins.

 

[Casual Shinji]

I'd say The Simpsons have steadily become less funny since season 5. Now I can't even bear to watch one of the current episodes. The Simpsons have always had adult humor, but it seems that now their going for the more easy and crude Family Guy humor.

There's no easy road for jokes. The joke that produces the most laughs is always the best one regardless of what it contains or how it was made. You can't take the high road as a comedian and say the joke was good and the audience is wrong when no one is laughing. Nor can you say "well the joke is smarter and subtle so the people who don't laugh are idiots for not getting it"



And there was nothing subtle about early simpsons jokes. They where just "safe" safe and child friendly jokes

America's Funniest Home Videos says otherwise. Having a sleeping cat fall off a widow sill or do something else funny will produce a lot of laughs as well. That doesn't mean it's a good joke, it's just a gag. Having a jump scare in a horror movie will startle a lot of people too, that doesn't mean it's good horror or suspense.

This is what the humor in Family Guy reminds me of; Jump scares. It's easy and effective, but you'll have forgotten all about it within a few minutes. The early Simpsons may not have been subtle and may be too tame for some people today, but the jokes were part of the narritive and actually drove the story forward. Just like they did in South Park before it too started to suck after season 10.

 

[ENKC]

I've laughed more at any given episode of Family Guy than at the entirety of all Simpsons episodes I've seen put together. The show just never appealed to me.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

If you stand before a thousand people and tell a joke. The joke that gets the most people to laugh is the best one. Regardless of how crude or blunt or vulgar it is. When people aren't laughing you cant hide behind it being a "smart" or "sophistication" or "clever" or "brilliant" joke. If people didn't laugh then the joke failed.

If you make a joke that is smart - that is to say, if you are smart with jokes - you can make jokes that appeal to so many tastes, jokes that reach the farthest corners of the audience. If you are content with being blunt, there are so many people that will miss the point, or be repulsed by it.

The Simpsons understood this, and in their earliest years and well into today, they have infused the show with a deepness and richness previously thought incapable of animated sitcoms. That's how The Simpsons pushed the envelope, that's the show's legacy, and no amount of saying the word "penis" out loud will make that ability to engage with multiple audiences at once any less brilliant.

 

[Hosker]

I don't think it's gotten funnier, but I still find it funny in places, and I find it enjoyable for some casual viewing.

 

[alexjones89]

I agree, its just as good if not better than ever.