Has The Simpsons become too mean spirited now?, or has it always been like that?

[GrantM]

Seems every now and then when I read a talkback for a Simpsons episode I often read how people thought the episode had a "screw you" type feel to it, especially with christmas episodes

Has the show come to a point where it's so mean spirited it's hard to watch, or do you feel it's always been like that, it's just they take it a little too overboard with it

[FinnMacCool]

Hey, Homer's been strangling his son since since the show began; mean spiritedness is hardly knew to The Simpsons.

[Chris Wood]

I agree, the Simpsons has become far too mean-spirited in an attempt to keep pace with stuff like Family Guy and South Park. But we'll always have the first 7 seasons or so.

[RoseBusch]

I agree, the Simpsons has become far too mean-spirited in an attempt to keep pace with stuff like Family Guy and South Park. But we'll always have the first 7 seasons or so.

Yep. FG and South Park were BORN to be "Screw You" shows, while The Simpsons always want to be something they're not funny at. The show got mean spirited in the beginning of the 8th season, and especially the episode "Homer's Enemy", which felt like a pre Family Guy to me.

[J. B. Warner]

I think the show got more mean-spirited in Season 9, when Mike Scully brought his darker sense of humor to the show as executive producer. His first episode dealt with Homer buying a gun and endangering his family's life with his recklessness, and the overall feel of the show was of a lot of swirling resentment between the characters. Darker facets of characters' personalities kept springing up for one-note jokes, and the writers seemed to develop a newfound glee in tormenting Homer with physical injury gags. Scully isn't in the showrunner chair anymore, but this sensibility is still there.

[tb4000]

Basically, cynicism and morbid humor = funny. Feelgood type things = boring.

[Yash]

Basically, cynicism and morbid humor = funny. Feelgood type things = boring.
There's a fine line between cynicism and mean spirit.

[Aldrius]

It's lost it's heart, yes.

But at the very least this past season has been well-written with what it's got. Maybe not as funny as it used to be, but at least it looks like they're trying instead of having a joke a mile a minute.

[Camdon]

Hey, Homer's been strangling his son since since the show began; mean spiritedness is hardly knew to The Simpsons.

My thoughts exactly. Really, I don't think the entire show has gotten more mean-spirited more than just Homer himself.

[judyindisguise]

I think the problem with shows that run on as long as The Simpsons, especially comedy shows, is that they eventually find themselves needing to push the envelope to get a laugh. And as time goes on the pushing becomes the whole deal. It's like what happened to Ren and Stimpy. It stopped being an irreverent comedy about a spastic dog and dopey cat and became about "How gross can we be this week?" That said, I've high hopes for the Simpsons movie. Hopefully it'll recapture some of the old magic.

[aalong64]

I think the problem with shows that run on as long as The Simpsons, especially comedy shows, is that they eventually find themselves needing to push the envelope to get a laugh. And as time goes one the pushing becomes the whole deal. It's like what happened to Ren and Stimpy. It stopped being an irreverent comedy about a spastic dog and dopey cat and became about "How gross can we be this week?" That said, I've high hopes for the Simpsons movie. Hopefully it'll recapture some of the old magic.
I agree with everything there. In the classic seasons, the show wasn't as mean-spirited -- it had a heart. I mean, it was occasionally cruel or cynical, but a lot of the time it had a positive message, or at least told its message in an upbeat way. Around Season 9 or 10, the writers seemed to start thinking "anything that's emotional has to be tongue-in-cheek and sarcastic, or else it's too sappy".

In the last couple of seasons, it's started trying to do emotional stuff again (mostly tired plots about Homer and Marge's marriage troubles) but now it comes off as insincere and forced.

I'm also looking forward to the movie. I'm not expecting it to be a return to the show's glory days, but hopefully it'll at least be on par with Season 9/10. The show's been declining ever since that time.

[Luna]

The Simpsons has always been at least slightly mean spirited.....Yeah,it's gotten more so in recent years,but nowhere near the South Park/Family Guy level...

[Chris Wood]

The most obvious evidence is Marge. She used to be the voice of reason in the family who (usually) could be counted on to do what is right when all the others were screwing up. In recent years however her heart of gold has become tarnished, and at times she does/says things as irresponsible or obnoxious as Homer.

[tb4000]

The most obvious evidence is Marge. She used to be the voice of reason in the family who (usually) could be counted on to do what is right when all the others were screwing up. In recent years however her heart of gold has become tarnished, and at times she does/says things as irresponsible or obnoxious as Homer.
You mean like Brian and Lois on FG? That show started off as goofy, but it had a little heart in the first season. Brian was an alkie, but he still knew how to handle his business. Nowadays he and Lois are just....bleh.

[Cobblepot1982]

Look, when Simpsons came out in '89, it WAS edgy...well, edgy for THEN. But back then, most shows weren't really that edgy. Comedy has evolved and unfortunately the Simpsons haven't been able to keep up with it- and when they try, it usually winds up coming out all wrong cuz- face the facts- Simpsons wasn't MEANT to be edgy as modern comedy is.

It'd be like All in the Family being done today- or even Family Ties being around today. Neither show is meant for modern day- and it wouldn't work well today. Simpsons doesn't either.

[HellCat]

I think it speaks of how everything that can be done with these characters has been. I also think the shows setting doesn't work well with modern elements. The Simpsons is basically a show about a late 80s/early 90s family. There's just something not right when they shove in references to things like the internet and iPods, especially given how in recent seasons apparently everyone in Springfield was apparently online overnight. Its a show has gotten out of its element in the last decade and all these attempts to keep up with the times are just hurting it, especially the shift in humour. The Simpsons can do dark and cynical, but the last few seasons have just been a mess. We've discussed a few times the thin line between Homer's Enemy and the recent crap.

[Juu-kuchi]

The most obvious evidence is Marge. She used to be the voice of reason in the family who (usually) could be counted on to do what is right when all the others were screwing up. In recent years however her heart of gold has become tarnished, and at times she does/says things as irresponsible or obnoxious as Homer. "He ran over the freaking queen!"

I believe it has become as such. I mean... why on Earth then would my least favorite Simpsons episodes include "Miracle on Evergreen Terrace" and "The Frying Game".

[creativerealms]

One of the first episodes had the Simpsons in family counciling where they kept shocking each other. Yeah the Simpson's have always been mean spirited. However with the early episodes you still were left with the feeling that as disfunctional as this family was they loved each other.

Yes it has gotten worse. Every once in a while there is still a "Hungry Hungry Homer" where the kindness of the past still comes though but sadly they are few and far between.

[Henk55]

Mean humor CAN be funny.
But the new Simpsons look like they are made up by people who have no idea about the first intentions of the show and do nothing but cram in as many pointless characterless copy-cat jokes as possible in already pointless characterless copy-cat plots. And they look like they are using their last brains to do it.

[HellCat]

I think a big problem is the fact that Homer or at least a Simpson has to be at the centre of something for a plot to happen these days. In the past the Simpsons were usually just an ordinary family who reacted to events (say, a scheme by Mr Burns). Now however they're the Springfield hub and everyone else in town reacts to them. Prime examples- the one where Homer becomes an online celebrity and makes a business of creating touch down dances and the one where Homer is forced to start walking and because he's suddenly doing it everyone else is interested. The whole fact that now Homer is causing events instead of reacting to them means he often has to do something offensive in order for it to get attention.

[Classic Speedy]

Define "mean-spirited". If that means containing a cynical world view and showcasing the darker side of human nature, such as greed, selfishness, and corruption, the show has had that from the beginning. And that includes things happening to the characters that they may or may not have deserved.

If it means physically hurting or killing the characters for the purposes of a joke, then it started around season 4 (especially during the non-canon Treehouse of Horror specials), but definitely took a higher rise around the Scully era, and into the new Jean era as well.

[Desensitized]

I thought they've been doing that since David Mirkin was the showrunner. It was toned down during Oakley & Weinstein but ramped back up during Scully's seasons. I don't think it's a problem with current episodes, I just think it has a tendancy to get bland nowadays. (Like most of season 16 and 17)

[PowerZord]

Mean Spirited? Do you remember S1 and 2? Where Homer was an Angry inrresponsible man? Frauds to the Work Insurance? Making up grand schemes with his lawyer on "Bart gets hit by a car" the family shocking each other.. Homer wanting to strangle Bart for lying about his IQ test...

The show first was Bart and his menacing acts focus.. then it got to both children focus, then it got to Homer where it is now.

I compare S1 and 2 to the Flintstones pre- Gazoo. And we know the Flintstones weren't that innocent. and the Simpsons wasn't perfect during the first 7 seasons and I should know since they get re-runned over a thounsand times here in PR.