15 June 2003
WFTC, Channel 9

I USED TO THINK that the Simpsons had really gone downhill, fallen from a great height and become nothing but a shallow satire of itself. I used to have an elaborate theory about the rise and fall of the Simpsons, starting with the first few naive seasons and peaking during the Conan O'Brien era and the famed "Monorail" episode (where the ties to reality were first severed). I remember the disappointment of watching the program during college and finding it to be one long string of in-jokes and pop culture reference, without anything resembling normal rules of narrative. The humor had become strictly vaudeville, which isn't a horrible thing, but neither is it my cup of tea.


Now, years later, its Father's Day and I watched today's Simpsons with both my family and complete apathy. I was impressed by the sincerity of its formulaic plot: a heartwarming Father/Daughter tale. Hey, and some of the one-liners made me chuckle. I like to chuckle.


Nutritional Equivalent: Apple Morning Cereal Bar