Every other year the sentiment towards The Simpsons swings from "I don't mind, they're having fun with what they have, the show is even getting a little introspective" to "They should've ended 20 years ago, which is coincidentally when I stopped watching TV in general" either relative indifference or wishing the medium of television didn't make it through the 00s.
If you don't like the new episodes of the Simpsons then stop watching. This whole open letter is the author crying that the Simpsons isn't as good as it used to be and that they don't enjoy it anymore. They're honest enough to point out that some people do enjoy it. Yes, are there fewer people that enjoy the show now than used to. Yes, the best seasons and the "golden age" are over. But honestly if you don't enjoy the show just stop watching.
I like The Simpsons. I like the newer seasons. I laugh at the newer episodes.
I don't know. During the lockdowns, it was comforting to know that if I ever ran out of stuff to watch, there was always 20 years of The Simpsons waiting to be watched.
omg yes. its been painful to suffer marges poor voice quality and the diminishing cast list.
its like watching your favorite great aunt who used be the life of the party slowly disappear under layers of age and dementia. a foggy apparition of what they used to be.
or make them grow up like they shouldve been, instead of remaining 10years old for the last 35years. shows like supernatural and ISAIP suffered severely after season 10, it got so bad and cringey..
I may be misremembering, but I could have sworn Groening created the Simpsons for the Tracey Ullman Show specifically because he knew he wouldn't own them and he didn't want sign over his Life in Hell characters. They're sort of just doing what they were created to do. I doubt he could stop the zombie husk of the show if he tried.
He created it, but I would be shocked if he had actual say in the show any more. He's moved into other projects. It's like when you were working something you cared about a job and then left. Sure you might grab beer with someone you used to work with and they may take your advice, but it's not really yours anymore. There's probably a scrap of paper somewhere that proves it, but you're off doing your new thing, and they have it running themselves.
In fact, I doubt Groening would care to intervene, it's just not his baby anymore. I don't think it has been for almost 2 decades.
After season 40? He wants the show to keep going for another 4 years after this season? The Simpsons has been dead for years already, barely held together like Weekend at Bernie's.