Starting with the Simpsons' first season back in 91ish (when I was in high school), it was pointed out to me the majority of the real funny stuff was based around Bart Simpson [...for a young crowd]. However, fast-forwarding to today's Simpson, the same people are still watching the Simpsons but are much older; oddly enough most of the the real funny stuff is based around Homer.

I actually rarely watch the Simpsons, but I believe this observation holds true. Have other Simpsons watchers observed the same thing?

Yes. But I'd peg them around 89 as getting started.

I read an article about this years ago...

The shift in focus from Bart to Homer happened YEARS ago, probably after about the second season. Unfortunately, they have also since shifted from "all time great comedy" to "featuring guest appearance by N Sync!!"

I always thought Homer was the funniest from the get-go.

Homer is just a better character. Same reason the focus of Happy Days shifted to the Fonz and the focus of Family Matters shifted to Urkel.

The Bart marketing years were not the best, but the conversion to Homer as the center of the show provided the best years, say starting at Season 4 and lasting 3-4 seasons after.

No, Homer was always the funniest.

Sorry, not a Simpson fan, but I found it interesting.

Yeah, shifted old school!

I find it interesting that you find something that you're not interested in interesting.

Marketing and Simpsons are not the same thing.

I find that completely uninteresting.

word

Ever since Season 3, Homer has clearly and unambiguously been the show's main protagonist. The transition started sometime in Season 2.

That "Simpsons Movie" trailer premier last night was not good.

For me, the funniest parts are those built around the rest of the cast of characters. Homer has his moments, but Chief Wiggum, Mr. Burns, Comic Book Guy, Moe, etc. are what make the show funny. I could care less if Bart, Lisa or Marge ever show up in an episode again (except when Bart prank calls Moe).

I will actually say that last night's was one of the funniest in quite a while. Maybe having to write for the movie re-energized the writers a bit.

I find it completely unpossible.

This is just like Cindy Margolis posing for Playboy...10 years too late.

I mean, Beavis and Butthead turned their popularity into a movie while the iron was still hot. South Park, too. The Simpsons missed the boat on what could have been a huge success.

The original premise says it is because you are old.

You're kidding, right? That movie is going to be a HUGE success, and it would be even if it came out 5 years from now.

It just wasn't that funny

By far, the best period of Simpsons was with Conan O'Brien was writing or whatever.

Same thing goes for Star Trek. Those movies could have really invigorated that franchise if they came out while the show was still on network television.

that's when it got good

season four is still the best there is.

The Simpsons has become too self-indulgent. It has been such a staple of pop culture for so long that it has begun to make fun of itself....and that doesn't play well. When Comic Book Guy comes on and claims something "worst episode ever" it's funny. When he claims the Simpsons episode he is in "worst episode ever"...its not.

Characters such as Comic Book Guy, Disco Stu, Sea Captain etc. were better served as backdrop characters who would spout a line or two or show up in a relative scene were funny. Learning any backstory about these characters is not.

Guest stars have ruined the Simpsons......C-List celebrities like Gary Coleman, Butch Patrick and Adam Westare funny...so are the ones that do not pay themselves but instead voice a character. Celebs that play themselves such as in the N*SYNC type episodes are not funny.

Homer as the "everyday working man" who falls into weekly outrageous situations is funny. Homer as a complete dolt, who doesn't even go to work is not funny. (What makes it even more unfunny is when they reference that he doesn't go to work).

Disco Stu knows his place.

Disco Stu doesn't advertise.


:discostud:

Define "HUGE" please.

And go check out any Simpsons quote thread on these boards and find me a quote from the last 5 seasons. I'm as big a Simpsons fan as anyone, but I recognize that it's past its prime and well past its popularity in mainstream pop culture.