A good friend of mine scored me tickets to the sneak preview of The Simpsons Movie tonight.
As a TV show, The Simpsons towers above the tattered carcasses of lesser shows. Only a handful of shows have ever approached it's brilliance, and most of them have been canceled well before their time. Even the brilliance of Seinfeld and Cheers, the two shows which came closest to matching it's sophistication and humor in the last 25 years have begun to fade as TNT overplays the reruns. The Simpsons still have some transcendence I can't put my four yellow fingers on.
The Simpsons is one of the cultural landmarks--on a par with Star Wars and Bruce Campbell --that is almost untouchable in it's awesomeness and geek street-cred. Like many über-nerds, I quote it endlessly, own all the DVD's (at least through Season 9, when it started getting a little too zany), and can spot references to Season 4, Episode 7 on demand. ("Hey, that's the Mr. Plow jacket!")
And if I ever get to my list of Top 25 TV Characters of All Time I'll be forced to make a painful choice between Sideshow Bob and Apu.
I haven't watched it much in the last few years because...well, let's just say the quality isn't what it used to be. But even the sad, shuffling episodes I sporadically see nowadays are better than 90% of the pablum the networks offer up every year. And I hold out hope--much like I did 8 years ago when I claimed, "George Lucas could put his big hairy white butt on the screen for two hours and I'd still love it"-- that tonight's movie will have all the wit and brilliance that I remember from the golden years.
I couldn't stand to have yet another cherished show destroyed by Hollywood.
word
Posted by: whit | July 26, 2007 at 01:28 PM
Amen my brother!
Random Simpons quote time: "Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals... except the weasel."
Posted by: Kemp | July 26, 2007 at 01:54 PM
Bruce Campbell is in a new show on USA - playing...well...pretty much himself. You should check out Burn Notice - pretty good tv.
Should we talk about destroyed by Hollywood? Honeymooners, Scooby Doo, Mchale's Navy, The Flintstones, ad infinitum.
Posted by: mr. big dubya | July 26, 2007 at 01:54 PM
I'll admit. I'm jealous.
Posted by: Jonathon Morgan | July 26, 2007 at 06:12 PM
That's awesome to hear. I was cautious, but encouraged by earlier reviews.
Posted by: roger | July 27, 2007 at 12:09 PM
hey now...I LIKE ewoks.. (that might be a chick thing though...)
fIREHOSe-holy blast from the past...
Posted by: thordora | July 31, 2007 at 10:19 AM
Dude, I am just trying to secure a babysitter...
Posted by: misfithausfrau | July 31, 2007 at 07:56 PM
There are babysitters for these things?
Posted by: mo-wo | August 06, 2007 at 01:55 AM