The Simpsons

Cultural impact

A number of neologisms that started on The Simpsons have entered common usage. The most famous of which is Homer's saying: "D'oh!", which is referred to in scripts, as well as three episode names, as "annoyed grunt". D'oh is now listed in the OED, but without the apostrophe. "D'oh" is the accepted spelling, and is certainly the most common; the closed captions for the program (at least in the U.S.), however, spell it "D-OHH".

Related Topics:
Neologism - D'oh! - OED - Closed captions

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Groundskeeper Willie's description of the French as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" was used by conservative National Review columnist Jonah Goldberg, a fan of the show, in 2003, after France's opposition to the proposed invasion of Iraq, and quickly spread to other journalists.

Related Topics:
French - Cheese-eating surrender monkeys - National Review - Jonah Goldberg - 2003 - Invasion of Iraq

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The expression "excellent" — drawn out as a sinister and breathy "eeeexcelllent..." in the style of Montgomery Burns — has also entered popular use, as have Homer's triumphant "Woohoo!" and Nelson Muntz's mocking "HA-ha!". "Woohoo" subsequently became the catch phrase of Melissa Joan Hart's portrayal of Sabrina in Sabrina The Teenage Witch.

Related Topics:
Montgomery Burns - Nelson Muntz - Melissa Joan Hart - Sabrina The Teenage Witch

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On Slashdot and Fark, the popular meme "I, for one, welcome our new overlords!" stems from a quote of Kent Brockman from the episode "Deep Space Homer".

Related Topics:
Slashdot - Fark - Meme - Deep Space Homer

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The character Waylon Smithers. Since the debut of the show, the term "Smithers" has become a common eponym for a spineless underling.

Related Topics:
Waylon Smithers - Eponym

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The show's creators also take pride in having passed on schoolyard rhymes to a new generation of children who otherwise may not have heard them.

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:See also: Made-up words in The Simpsons and Bands Names From The Simpsons

Related Topics:
Made-up words in The Simpsons - Bands Names From The Simpsons

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Fans' criticism

In spite of the devotion the show has inspired among its fans (or perhaps because of it) there has been an extraordinary amount of analysis of the show's weakest periods, especially among its most ardent fans. This brand of criticism is distinct from the broader debate over the show's sociopolitical themes that have drawn fire from both ends of the political spectrum.

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Fans hold a wide range of views on which period in the show's history was the best. Some prefer the earliest seasons, particularly 2 and 3, when the show focused more on realistic, character-driven humor instead of what they perceive as cheap, throwaway gags. Others prefer seasons 4?7, when Al Jean/Mike Reiss, David Mirkin and Bill Oakley/Josh Weinstein were the showrunners. Under Mirkin, the show began to focus more and more on social satire, as well as shifting focus away from young Bart to Homer.

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In contrast, seasons 9?12 and the appointment of Mike Scully as showrunner are often considered to be the show's lowest point creatively. While many fans feel Scully's first two seasons, seasons 9-10 weren't terrible, it is believed that season 11 is where the show began to deteriorate significantly, with the show begining to focus on more supporting characters for shifting attention away from the Simpsons, with the exception of Homer. The show also became heavily reliant on celebrity guest stars (who almost always were cast to play themselves) and often episodes bent the rules of realism in order to justify these types of episodes. Fans also criticize more recent episodes for being boring and having a lack of plot and innovation that the earlier episodes had.

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But the biggest criticism of Season 11 and on is the change in Homer's personality. Many fans believe that under Scully, the character of Homer became unrealistically stupid and uncaring in most episodes, while inexplicably contradicting his own political and moral beliefs in others. This reinvention, referred to as "Jerkass Homer" by online fans, caused a large backlash from many longtime fans of the series, who felt the show had jumped the shark. Many such fans welcomed the return of Al Jean as showrunner, calling it a return to the show's roots. Some feel that the series has entered an irreversible decline, and should be cancelled; this is unlikely to happen in the foreseeable future, however, as the franchise is still enormously popular and profitable for Fox.

Related Topics:
Jumped the shark - Al Jean

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In the meantime, the fierce Internet debates among fans over the merits of each new episode has become a target for satire on the show itself. In season 8's "The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show," Comic Book Guy condemns an episode of Itchy & Scratchy as the "Worst. Episode. Ever. Rest assured that I was on the Internet within moments, registering my disgust throughout the world."

Related Topics:
The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show - Comic Book Guy - Itchy & Scratchy

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Academia

Serious academic work has been done on the show. Simpsons-related publications include:

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• Planet Simpson: How a Cartoon Masterpiece Documented an Era and Defined a Generation by Chris Turner ISBN 0679313184
• Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture (Contemporary Film and Television Series) by John Alberti ISBN 0814328490
• The Simpsons And Society: An Analysis Of Our Favorite Family And Its Influence In Contemporary Society by Steven Keslowitz ISBN 1587362538
• The Gospel According to the Simpsons: Leaders Guide for Group Study by Mark I. Pinsky, Samuel F. Parvin ISBN 066422590X
• The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh! of Homer by William Irwin (Editor), Mark T. Conard (Editor), Aeon Skoble (Editor) ISBN 0812694333
• The Gospel According to The Simpsons: The Spiritual Life of the World's Most Animated Family by Mark I. Pinsky ISBN 0664224199
• The Gospel According to Bart: Examining the Religious Elements of The Simpsons by Beth L. Keller