The Simpsons: A Journey Through Shit

[Jumblegraws]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We%27re_Not_Married!

It was also Jack and Vera's story strand in Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas!

[Marner and Me]

Well done the Simpsons for doing a parody of Beverly Hills, 90210 in 2009. The original series ran from 1990 to 2000. Despite that, this is a fairly enjoyable episode IMO for having Marge and Homer actually being nice and loving to each other, the Weezer song, and some amusing Hannah Montana disses (a show that was still on air when this episode was broadcast!!!!!).  Demerits for the lazy No Country For Old Men reference. Still overall more good bits than average for late Simpsons.
I seriously believe these anthology episodes must be either a tax dodge or the result of a convoluted union deal where they can get three weeks of something for one week of something else. Nobody wants to watch these lame unfunny stories that aren't even about the Simpsons. It's like at the end of Daria when they had lots of cartoons of the main characters dressed up as different people, except Daria didn't try to animate them like some kind of primary school history pageant. EDIT: Maybe they use them to try out new writers or animators, which would make no sense because they're not even writing the Simpsons?

Is Daria any good? Remember watching bits of it years ago, but can't remember to much!

[chveik]

Is Daria any good? Remember watching bits of it years ago, but can't remember to much!

it has aged really well imho

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Is Daria any good? Remember watching bits of it years ago, but can't remember to much!

A year (or maybe two? what is time anymore) ago they had all the episodes on On-Demand and I watched it all the way through because as a speccy loner in the late nineties I related to Daria very strongly. It's a bit dated now with all the huge McMansions everyone lives in but the overall cynicism about the world still holds up.

[The Mollusk]

Yeah Daria's great. I highly recommend Ugly Americans for some slightly-more-up-to-date (i.e. only a decade old) animated cynicism in the same vein, too.

[Marner and Me]

Cheers, will take a look see what Pirate Bay has!

[JamesTC]

Season 20 - Episode 21 - Coming to Homerica

I worry about the episode when they need to add a ludicrously long couch gag. Particularly when it was one used only a few episodes earlier. Warming up to watch this, I watched Sideshow Bob Roberts and that cut the opening to less than 10 seconds as there was so much to fit in.

Krusty and his monkey are playing chess when an assistant comes in and tells him he has problems with some of his products. Krusty burgers are too unhealthy so Krusty suggests putting the cheapest vegetable they can find in a green wrapper.

The Simpsons are watching TV and see an advert for Krusty's new veggie burger. Homer declares they are going to Krusty burger. They eat burgers. Back home and Homer has stomach problems but all the rest of the family have taken all the bathrooms, so he throws up in Lisa's saxophone. Cut to the school and everybody is sick there too. The food poisoning is tracked to tainted barley from Ogdenville. All barley related industries close down and hundreds of Ogdenville jobless (who descend from Norwegians) flood into Springfield which is the plot of the episode.

Homer hires some Ogdenville workers to do work on his roof. Ogdenville workers have taken loads of jobs throughout the town. Marge hires a nanny called Inga from Ogdenville. Bart hurts his arm while impressing some Ogdenville kids but they can't get seen at the hospital as it is overrun by people from Ogdenville. Moe only serves Ogdenville booze now and Homer loses his job after getting drunk. At the town meeting they agree to ban immigrants from Ogdenville. The police force need help protecting the border so hire vigilantes.

Homer leads a band of shotgun wielding vigilantes on the border. They are a complete failure. Mayor Quimby decides to build a wall fence. Marge doesn't want to build a the fence but then Maggie says her "first" word which is "ya" so Marge wants it built. They build the fence and hire the Ogdenvillites to help. They finish the fence but miss them. Turns out the Ogdenvillites built a door, so they come through and have a party. Norway flag is displayed for a few seconds. Credits roll.

2/10 - Well done, you are less progressive than South Park. I think I am more annoyed that the opening few minutes up until Homer throwing up in the saxophone was really good.

[JamesTC]

I was going to watch another episode but that was so bad that I'm watching George of the Jungle instead.

[samadriel]

The Simpsons' writers scream about how much they hate nerds, but they're not above making a pointless nerdcore reference to a classic episode with Ogdenville. What the fuck is the point of that? It's just a distraction.

[Thursday]

I always find it weird how Seinfeld a much "hipper" show would pride itself on having so many running jokes and suddenly throwing in references to small little lines from 5 years ago. Giving the audience to credit to remember them. While Simpsons (even when it hadn't been on that long) Seemed to have this attitude of "Well we can't be expected to remember every little thing that happens in every episode you NERDS" in the face of repeated or contradictory plot premises."

[thr0b]

That button is in the wrong place on the shirt. It's too high.

[RHX]

The Simpsons' writers scream about how much they hate nerds, but they're not above making a pointless nerdcore reference to a classic episode with Ogdenville. What the fuck is the point of that? It's just a distraction.

Also, it fucks up the whole plot of Marge Vs The Monorail - if Ogdenville was the next city over, surely the news of the monorail debacle would have travelled over incredibly quickly and would have put paid to that plan straight out of the blocks?

[JaDanketies]

Shelbyville is the next town over, not Ogdenville! In classic episode Scenes of Class Struggle in Springfield, the family go to the Ogdenville outlet mall which is established as being a long drive down desert roads. (Marge buys a nice dress that lets her fit into the elite and go to a country club).

[JamesTC]

Saw The Simpsons trending on Twitter. Hoped it might be news that the show was ending. I'm actually open to the idea of the show ending and them just doing a movie every couple of years.

Instead it is shite like the New York Post saying "Did the Simpsons predict Kamala Harris becoming Vice President". Which of course it didn't. President Lisa had an outfit that was similar to one Kamala Harris wore yesterday.

[petril]

the Simpsons also has 30 years of making gags about hypothetical things that would be around during those 30 years so its no surprise that there's so many coincidences

[JamesTC]

Not had a chance to watch any today as I am building a retro console out of a Raspberry Pi 4. Before I hit Season 21, it is time to reminisce on the anniversary year. Little did I expect that it would honour its past primarily by replaying old ideas.

Season 20: A Celebration of an Anniversary

The big year is here
I tread with fear
It has to be an improvement
The previous season was bowel movement

A season of change
The aspect ratio is strange
The HDTV falls off the wall
The number of times I laughed is bugger all

The Irish will be offended
Xenophobia was intended
Moe's new girlfriend is short
There was no Sideshow Bob plot to thwart

Lisa wants to save the bees
Homer can't pay the mortgage fees
Maggie is lost to some nuns
Norwegians are kept out with shotguns

Homer and Marge get married... again
Bart gets a girlfriend... again
A Simpson child starts popping pills... again
Bart has a doppelgänger... again

Onto Season Twenty-one
Repeated plots are something to keep an eye on
I only have one big request
Give the HDTV falling off the wall a rest

[JamesTC]

Season 21 - Episode 1 - Homer the Whopper

A really big issue with the previous season was that the plots were rehashed old episodes. Hopefully they have turned over a new leaf...

Bart and Milhouse go to the comic book store and mock troll Comic Book Guy. They find a comic book that Comic Book Guy was writing about himself as a hero called Everyman. Comic Book Guy self-publishes and it becomes a hit. A group of filmmakers want a new film so decide on Everyman. Comic Book Guy agrees to a film adaption but demands he can pick the star. Homer is chosen.

Homer is pressured by Hollywood execs to slim down and they get him a coach called Lyle (Seth Rogan) to help. Meta jokes about exercise montage. Skip ahead a month and Homer is fit now. Homer records the film. Lyle leaves for another project. Homer eats craft services and quickly gets fat again. Homer gets too fat to get out of his trailer.

At a test screening the execs say they have fixed the film with editing. The film cuts between Homer fat and fit in an obvious and not very funny way. The test screening goes badly.  Comic Book Guy is told by the execs that if he tells his fans that the film is great then he will be able to direct the sequel. He tells the internet that it is the WORST MOVIE EVER. Homer is in his Everyman costume on top of a mountain for some reason. Credits roll.

Remember when a Hollywood superhero film came to Springfield and hired a resident as a star (Radioactive Man)? I do.
Remember when Homer became a comic book character (I Am Furious (Yellow))? I do.
Remember when Homer got a big acting gig and it was a huge failure (Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show)? I do.
Remember when Homer became a superhero (Simple Simpson)? I do.
Remember when Homer got fit (King of the Hill)? I do.

2/10 - Docked a point for being the most unoriginal episode they have made. It was written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg who are supposed to be big fans of the show. Maybe they missed those particular episodes.

[JamesTC]

Season 21 - Episode 2 - Bart Gets a 'Z'

We follow Krabappel's depressing start to the day. She vows that if she can teach one child a thing then the day will have been a success. All the kids are on their mobile phones so she can't teach them anything. Krabappel takes all the phones so the kids are inspired by a drunken Homer playing with Santa's Little Helper to spike her drink and get her drunk. Krabappel gets drunk and loses her job which is the plot of the episode.

The class has a new hip young teacher called Zack who instantly gives them their phones back. Zack teaches them in a really hip way. Bart feels bad and makes an excuse to visit Krabappel who is depressed at home watching TV. Bart wants to find a way to help Krabappel but doesn't want to lose Zack. Bart and Milhouse find a self-help book and give it to Krabappel.

Krabappel opens a muffin store which she says was her wish. Bart admits he spiked her drink and she admits being a teacher was really her big wish. She tells Bart that he is "bad on the inside". Bart is really conflicted about being described as a bad person so vows to get Krabappel her job back. He was going to do the same thing to Zack but then decides to tell Skinner the truth. Skinner says he can't just get rid of a teacher who is doing a good job. Zack is then drunk anyway but it turns out he had spiked his own drink with vodka. Krabappel returns and forces every kid to eat a stale muffin. Credits roll.

3/10

Fair play, this was a really silly visual gag, but it gave me a big laugh:

[Poirots BigGarlickyCorpse]

Bart Gets a Z had the makings of a good episode but then the hip popular teacher just got loaded drunk for no reason and started yelling about how much he hates children. Like why. Was Bart supposed to learn a lesson or something. Why not commit to spiking the popular teacher's drink?

[JamesTC]

Bart Gets a Z had the makings of a good episode but then the hip popular teacher just got loaded drunk for no reason and started yelling about how much he hates children. Like why. Was Bart supposed to learn a lesson or something. Why not commit to spiking the popular teacher's drink?

I assumed one of the other kids (or Kabappel) had spiked his drink. Just making him a drunk is a typical modern Simpsons ending. Something convenient just happens which ends the episode quickly. They can't even use the excuse that the episodes are shorter than they used to be because they have made the opening titles longer, rarely use a shortened version and often use a longer couch gag.

[C_Larence]

I wonder what's the furthest into a review you'll be able to put "which is the plot of the episode".

[JamesTC]

I'm hoping at least 10 minutes in.

[buttgammon]

Thanks for enduring these, James. I'm enjoying your write-ups, even though I feel bad for the fact that you're torturing yourself by watching this shite.

[sevendaughters]

on +1 but I think the two Daria films (basically feature length episodes) are successful and basically keep the low-key vibe of the show instead of trying to Alpha Papa it.

[sutin]

I'm actually open to the idea of the show ending and them just doing a movie every couple of years.

I'm open to the idea of the show ending and them doing nothing again ever, ASAP.

[sutin]

on +1 but I think the two Daria films (basically feature length episodes) are successful and basically keep the low-key vibe of the show instead of trying to Alpha Papa it.

Alpha Papa is low key though. It could literally be the plot of an IAP episode.

[JamesTC]

I watched Two Bad Neighbours earlier in the week and I have been saying "Yoo-hoo. It's your sons, George Bush, Jr. and Jeb Bush." to myself since.

[St_Eddie]

Alpha Papa is low key though. It could literally be the plot of an IAP episode.

Nah.  It's a typical movie plot; gotta go big.  Gotta raise the stakes.  Gotta be a siege where Alan saves the day.

[sutin]

Nah.  It's a typical movie plot; gotta go big.  Gotta raise the stakes.  Gotta be a siege where Alan saves the day.

I disagree. The siege plot is far from overblown. It's not like Alan's being held hostage by international terrorists or sutin. Sure, it's a typical movie plot but it's done in a low key way.

[dissolute ocelot]

Season 21 - Episode 2 - Bart Gets a 'Z'
The class has a new hip young teacher called Zack who instantly gives them their phones back. Zack teaches them in a really hip way. Bart feels bad and makes an excuse to visit Krabappel who is depressed at home watching TV. Bart wants to find a way to help Krabappel but doesn't want to lose Zack. Bart and Milhouse find a self-help book and give it to Krabappel.

Another one that starts ok and has some sort of decent gags, before falling utterly flat. The substitute is initially quite funny with his being cool and overly familiar: it's amusing to subvert the idea of the cool rebellious teacher (whether you're Lee and Herring or My So-Called Life). And it's generally nice seeing Bart and Edna interact, even if this is much weaker than the classics (we're pretty much at the level where Homer shouting "I am gay" is cleverer than anything the writers could come up with.) But it seems while Simpsons writers can toss out the occasional joke, nobody can actually write stories. Even if he was sacked for being a terrible teacher, which would require no imagination, it would still make some kind of sense in comparison with what we get.

So many terrible episodes about new teachers. At the weekend C4 had one where Willem Dafoe plays a mean teacher who shouts at the kids. There's the one where Lisa gets a new teacher who doesn't like her, which is an interesting idea that doesn't go anywhere (teacher hates her

Spoiler alert

because she's blonde

[close]

).