America's Favorite Non-prehistoric Cartoon Family - The Simpsons Thread

[Johnny Unusual]

The Art Museum

Bart the Genius luckily didn't need a lot of work to be salvaged but 70% of Some Enchanted Evening had to be redone. They begged Fox to let them push back the show and had it arranged that the first episode would be the Christmas special, set to air in mid December. Until then, the animators scrambled to fix all the problems, which also resulted in the show fluctuating between a newer and older look. Not everything was fixed (some of the doors still look rubbery when slammed). The premiere episode was eventually fixed but would not air until the end of the season.

In this short, the Simpsons visit an art museum. Bart is initially bored by gets excited by a picture of a naked lady. After that, Lisa nearly knocks over a priceless vase. On the drive home, Homer is upset and Marge comments they simply aren't old enough to appreciate art. The kids retort they are and Bart notes he wants to become a collector, showing off a stolen painting to a shocked Homer.

It's interesting that this short has a one of Bart's lesser known AND one of his most famous catchphrases. There's "Whoa, Mama", which I remember them using at least once more on the show and I think a few times in the Do the Bartman video. I think Bart going gaga over a naked lady is a bit that really wouldn't work for this character and I think it is a bit of a weak observation I feel is kind of 80s. The other big one, is, of course, Don't Have a Cow. The funny thing is I don't think Groening was aiming for this and he strikes me as the kind of guy who really doesn't care for character catchphrases. But they were there. It's definitely a case where the marketing was really fueling Bartmania by putting it all on shirts.

It's also interesting because this feels like a trend of bring the Simpsons out of their home to cause trouble. Most shorts are in the Simpson abode. The Aquarium had Bart causing trouble but it felt more like it was JUST Bart. Here, Lisa gets in on some stuff and Homer embarrasses Marge so it feels like trouble is a family effort, painting the Simpsons as kind of community menaces, which would come into play later, though in later seasons it would almost ring false considering how outsized EVERYONE in Springfield is. I feel at that point, it's mostly Bart and/or Homer as menaces but strangely the Simpsons as a unit in episodes like the one where they are kicked out of town doesn't work as strongly.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Zoo Story

With many of the shows episodes set for mild retooling and it's premiere needing SIGNIFICANT rework, the series aired it's Christmas special first on December 17th, 1989. The episode aired to good reviews and was quickly the second highest rated show on Fox up to that point. Nearly a month later, the Simpsons aired it's "first" episode, Bart the Genius and had similar ratings, As the weeks went on, the show climbed in the ratings, dethroning Fox's #1 show, Married... With Children (though the ratings between the two would go back and forth) and by March the show jumped from the 47th most watched show of the week when Bart the Genius aired to the 11th. The first season was well-regarded among critics, too and when the final episode of the season rolled around, which was also the first, the series was a bonafide phenomenon. And thus enter... BARTMANIA!

In this short, the Simpsons go to the zoo. Bart asks for a peanut but Homer shouts him down. Taking a trip to the monkey house, the Simpsons meet apes that look just like them. Homer taunts the apes with peanuts, only to get a face full of flung poop. On the ride home, Homer berates the kids, only to discover they accidentally took home an ape that looks like Bart.

Zoo Story continues the new formula that Groening seems to like: The Simpson doing a family outing and Homer being mad at them in the end. Although I'll say Homer berating the kids in the end doesn't make a lot of sense. They didn't do anything this time. Bart, if anything, is clearly more in a victim role here and again seems detached from the rest of it (he also has the most sympathy for ape-Bart). Homer got a face full of shit on his own. Homer blaming someone else for his own comeuppance is true to his character but it doesn't really fit here well. I will say, I feel like Homer getting literally shit faced is not something you'd see now. Poop jokes are a plenty but the Simpsons rarely shows feces, except manure. There was that one time Bart had to shovel a LOT of horse shit though.

But Homer being mean to animals and this specific way is a joke the show would return to very successfully. The only difference here is his comeuppance seems weirdly cartoony. I feel like other episodes know to make Homer suffer with the animals acting like animals and Homer just getting mad about that, driving home what a terrible jerk he is to animals. The one that springs to mind his Homer and the dolphin.

And in both cases, Homer is completely wall-eyed, giving his own enjoyment at his own cruelty a bizarrely manic feel that works for the kind of show this is. It's a legit good bit but I feel like the punch of it is something the show would do much better later. Similarly, The Simpsons compared to animals, particularly primates, is a joke that would recur in the show but it was never super strong, in my opinion. It's a cute little button to the episode here.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Shut Up, Simpsons

Though designed to be an ensemble show, Bart WAS the face of the Simpsons. Though not necessarily the intent, it was probably the one known factor going in. Bart was in almost every Ullman short and was the focus for the majority of them. Not only that (and I feel bad for missing this because I was under the assumption it happened in 1990) but was also the focus of two Butterfingers commercials (one featuring the unnamed debut of Milhouse, no less) that aired on Fox in 1988. Even before it went to series, we were being SOLD Bart and those Butterfingers commercials almost feel like a commercial for a potential show as much as a chocolate bar. Out of all the characters Bart was a known quantity. What's more, he had the most outrageous attitude and was clearly the character whose rebellious attitude would spark storylines easily. As the Simpson became a huge hit in the tiny window of it's first season, Bartmania exploded.

In this short, Maggie, Lisa, Bart, Homer and Grandpa are sitting in the den and Lisa remarks that there are three generations of Simpsons in the room. Bart makes a snarky remark about it and Homer yells at him, causing Grandpa to yell at Homer causing the kids to snark, creating a loop. Later, the Simpson take turns admonishing each other and then try to reconcile with a group hug. It works until a snarky Bart remark causes a chain reaction of stranglings.

This is the first cartoon for season three of the Tracy Ullman Show and again, you can see the progression towards what the show would be. At least visually. I feel like the group hug/huddle shot from below looking up is a visual that would be used in the show more often and Homer's face as he almost wells up when Bart says "apology accepted, Homer" is more reminiscent of the expressions these characters would have that are evocative but not super cartoony.

It's interesting that the show's reality is still being forged. Frankly, I get why AKOM would make those Some Enchanted Evening errors because even if they've seen all the shorts, they've given us very cartoony faces. But here, things are toning down a bit. I think that it's still cartoony enough to give big wild expressions for stranglings or elements like the wall-eyed look when Homer laughs at his own cruelty as in the last short but the show is also actually tapping into the emotion that the show would develop later, even if it's far more to set up a punchline. That said, while the punchline is weak, the long set-up is not so it's a shame it's just a breath mint joke (which I feel was pretty old-hat even in the 80s).

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Shell Game

As the Simpsons became a hit, Bartmania took the world by storm as Fox took full advantage by releasing all sorts of Simpsons memorabilia with a large amount of it being dedicated to Bart. Plushies, toys, puzzles and especially t-shirts with Bart emblazoned on them became incredibly popular. So much so that shirts with Bart saying "Underachiever and proud of it" and "I'm Bart Simpson, who the Hell are you?" became controversial at schools with teachers. It also lead to a swath of bootleg material, which itself would be iconic such as Ninja Turtles with Bart, Rasta Bart, Black Bart, Air Simpson. Groening, anti-authoritarian as he was, generally was pretty permissive of letting such bootleg merch happen, though he drew the line hard at Nazi Bart/White Power Bart shirts and Fox sued them and said party stopped making them.

In this short, Bart tries to steal some cookies. Nearly caught, he hides one under a bowl and when questioned brings out two more bowls and distracts Homer and Marge with a shell game. Outwitting them, Bart turns around to discover Maggie created her own shell game, which Bart loses.

I don't have a ton to say on this one. The character of Bart feels like he's getting more creative and clever with his mischief, as really early Bart often seemed a bit more thoughtful, yet somehow dim. If anything, looking at early Bart and the way he speaks, I feel like while many have noted early Lisa is a lot like Bart, early Bart would have a bit of later Lisa in him. But just a little bit. And those qualities would flow in and out through early Lisa. I feel like most of their lines could be interchangeable between them and it would fit.

That said, while Bart is being clever in the context of the cartoon, it's not him being particularly clever for the audience who has seen him play it smarter. Of course, Homer's reaction is just as dumb, easily distracted and caught up in the moment, forgetting the point of the exercise pretty much. Again, this ends with Maggie looking straight into camera and I just don't like it. Maggie works so much better with the far-away look in her eyes.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Bart Simpson Show

Bartmania helped generate $2 billion in revenue for Simpson merch during the first 14 months of sales. As we enter season 2, Bart is already a major phenomena, resulting in him becoming a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade float (the day this happened there was also a gag on the show mocking it, calling Bart a flash-in-the-pan), having a hit song with Do the Bartman (released with the album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, though it being a "hit" on the billboards only happened the next year in the UK) and being named Time Magazine's Entertainer of the Year (I feel like the magazine is also quick to point out in the series Bart works not just because he's a bad boy but also notes despite the controversy, he's a good and often vulnerable kid). But the surest sign of success for a fictional rebel is causing very real people to get upset.

In this short, Homer complains about the kids watching Itchy and Scratchy for being too violent and turns off the TV. Bart empties the set and becomes the start of his very own show. Homer is mad and the two strangle each other "on TV".

This one feels both like a very strong one and an odd one because the characters are slightly out of character from what we know. Obviously Lisa now is different but while I can definitely imagine Bart doing something like this, I can't imagine it at the cost of his precious TV. And Homer never complained about TV violence, before turning off the set with his weird-ass remote.

Still, this does have the DIY element that the characters would exhibit when they are forced out of their comfort zones to be creative. It's a cute bit, even if not terribly funny and I think it is another important stage of evolution, though I'm sure Groening was just trying to come up with another gag.

In case you thought it was a joke from the 138th episode spectacular, this is the very first appearance for Itchy and Scratchy.

From the beginning it was a parody of cartoon violence but it's funny how it closely resembles actual cartoon violence so it's just barely a parody. Also, Itchy is on model except no one coloured his shirt, which is weird. It really does become a better parody once it really experiments with how WEIRD to make the over-the-top violence.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Punching Bag

Bartmania was big and resulted in a backlash from a variety of sources, albeit largely ones touting traditional family values. Many teachers objected to the messaging on the Bart shirts, particularly "Underachiever and proud of it". Some complained about Bart being a poor role model, to which Brooks responded that there aren't many role models in life, why would every protagonist need to be one. Bill Cosby, star of the most popular family show at the time and later infamous monster, derided Bart as "angry, confused, frustrated" and Groening agreed wholeheartedly with those adjectives, feeling that Bart is disenfranchised because he doesn't want to be normal and does stuff we wish we could do. George HW Bush and the first lady also took shots, with the former being mocked in an end credits sequence and the latter getting a very thoughtful and sweet reply from the writers as the character of Marge (a smart play, as this character even then is empathetic and kind in defending her family). The show was controversial, which seems ridiculous in retrospect, but it wasn't hard to survive as the punching bag of "moral" people.

In this short, the kids are using the punching bag in the playroom. Lisa draws Homer's face on it and starts wailing on it. Homer complains about the sound and after an argument with Marge, Marge is told to go off to tell the kids to knock it off. After Marge leaves, the rhythm gets faster, angering Homer, who is shocked to see Marge working out her aggression on it. Lisa tries to protect the punching bag from Homer, Lisa releases it and it swings back to his Homer, knocking him out.

I think this might be the best of the shorts so far. I feel like the Simpsons is starting to really come together, even if some of the choices don't quite work with what the show becomes. Homer has always been aggressive but he's almost downright scary, not for his anger but for how characters react to it. It's just a little too much. Marge feels a little too apologetic and like she got caught and is also expecting punishment and it just feels a little darker than the usual dynamic. Somehow it's more worrying to me than Homer strangling his 10 year old son.

But other than that, I feel like it's a story feeling out these characters and feels like a little story than a series of sketches. It's the most we see Homer and Marge alone and a dynamic is set with Marge having some friction. It's weird to see Homer as such an authoritarian over EVERYONE, Marge included but I think it also shows us elements of the two characters that would become important later, like Marge's buried resentments and how it comes out. Lisa is still different but in this episode, these are strong differences. She's kinda been a tomboy before competing with Bart but here she is owning it, kind of showing Bart how to do it rather than outplaying him. The animation is stronger and while I won't be watching this one over and over, I think the sense of storytelling and character is stronger here, with Marge and Homer having more clearly defined characters.

 

[Purple]

It's weird to see Homer as such an authoritarian over EVERYONE, Marge included

YEAH. A lot of Homer's characterization in the shorts is off, but like, Frosty Chocolate Milkshakes mode kinda survived, I Am Embarrassed By My Terrible Family mode was a thing for like the first season or two and it feels like he just lowered his standards and became an idiot responsible for it.

But like... Abusive Husband mode here just DOES NOT WORK or feel like the same character. All sympathy gone.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

But like... Abusive Husband mode here just DOES NOT WORK or feel like the same character. All sympathy gone.

It's upsetting and again, I feel like despite being called The Simpsons, I think it really is supposed to be from the kids point of view were you are supposed to see the parents as antagonistic. So we aren't supposed to be sympathetic. But Homer is just straight up terrifying and it's so upsetting. Keep in mind, I think this is the strongest short but that element is also really pronounced in this. And this despite the fact this is the only protracted Marge/Homer conversation so far.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Simpsons XMas

What of Bart the character? As the show went on, the series main cast would be more strongly defined. Bart had the shortest journey, as he already was the character with some very mild pathos in the shorts. He would remain mischievous (the shorts had already amped that up going forward) but would also allow him to be good at heart and feel genuine guilt and remorse at times. Groening initially conceived him as more troubled and existential, though would change based on Nancy Cartwright's delivery to be the more extreme version of the mischievous child archetype. After all, Dennis the Menace (the American version) was more of an awe-shucks doesn't-think-it-through kid rather than a real menace. A series of hallmarks (prank calls to new character Moe) and catchphrases that would simply be plastered on everything. Bartmania was clearly no accident and though the show itself would flesh out the cast, Bart was the one who often got big lines and reactions.

In this short, Bart recites a parody of A Visit from St. Nicholas as Bart, Lisa and Maggie try to open their gifts early in the morning. Homer wakes up and sends them back to bed. The next morning the gifts are opened and the Simpsons fall asleep watching seasonal cartoons.

OK, so this one is interesting. You know, for seasonal Christmas cartoons, I'm willing to forgive some unfunniness if the season is properly evoked. And... this one does it. Yeah, it's decidedly unfunny but it's not painfully so. It's simply a case where it's evoking real Christmas stuff and feels closer to a hangout short, watching the characters enjoy Christmas. And it's the smaller touches that make it work, like Homer and Marge sleepily watching their kids tear through their gifts and everyone falling asleep together. It's not TOO saccharine but by the metric of these shorts, it's actually rather sweet. I'm actually surprised they haven't re-ran this as an opener for a Christmas episode.

I legit was worried that the show was going to go hard into "Homer; abusive dad" again but despite the fact that he'll kill 'em if they don't go back to bed, the vibe is far more grouchy dad than scary dad. Oh, hey, Bart slide down the banister, which becomes a visual hallmark for the character. Also, Bart gets a toy "Burp Gun" and I assumed it would make burping noises. Turns out Burp Guns are actual guns, a slang term for lightweight submachine guns. Anyway, it's not like this is strong but I could easily slide this into a playlist of holiday viewing between some classic specials.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

The Krusty the Clown Show

Patriarch Homer's evolution would be a strange one. Within the shorts he began as sort of a jolly Walter Matthau would would snap at his kids when they misbehave and accidentally put Bart through the ringer. Eventually, Homer would become quicker and quicker to anger and even violence and was sort of a figure of comical fear, particularly for Bart. When the show went on, much of that stayed the same but now episodes could be seen through his viewpoint and he became more sympathetic. One aspect from the shorts that initially stayed with the character would be a desire to be seen as a "normal" family, as in No Disgrace Like Home but soon the character would be more likely to need to change. After that, the character would be something of a well-intentioned, if anger-prone, boob who would get a more varied vocal range. Even the episode Homer's Odyssey would begin the trait that even lazy Homer could be spurred to action and surprising success in an endeavour. Homer was still foolish and angry but he could also function as a sympathetic lead.

In this short, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are attending a taping of the Krusty the Clown Show. Bart is a die hard fan but when he sees the man in person, he's convinced he's an imposter. Bart questions him during the audience interview and takes off his nose, causing him to strangle Bart. Homer and Marge watch at home, disappointed.

Oh, we got an ur-text up in here. Not for story formula, just a LOT of the little stuff. Homer's first "d'oh". And Bart's first "I'm Bart Simpson, who the Hell are you?" The funny thing is in the show it is just dismissive and rude but within this short, it's actually accusatory. In the show proper, Bart doesn't say it with a lot of passion, with the joke being this is a standard greeting but here Bart MEANS it.

But the big deal is this is the first Krusty, one of the most important characters of the series outside of the main cast. Already the short establishes Bart's hero worship and his disappointment with the real deal. The difference in this case, though, is his disappointment leads him to see him as a big fake, as if clowns are not regular people. Funny in retrospect considering Krusty's white skin and red nose are canonically NOT MAKE UP and hard living has turned him into a living clown. The funny thing is the Homer as Krusty idea falls apart THIS EARLY with them being in different places.

It's weird for Bart to take this antagonistic role towards Krusty considering how their relationship goes. Bart is constantly disappointed but won't give up on him, even when he probably should. The short also touches on the idea that TV often tries to make itself look immaculate but being backstage crushes the illusion that TV just happens. It's another short that is much closer to what the show becomes, despite the differences in some of the characters and dynamics.

 

[Büge]

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bart the Hero

Marge would be given more depth as well. The character largely is an authority figure in the first series but the show would expand upon the idea that she is underappreciated by her husband, particularly in the episodes Some Enchanted Evening and Life on the Fast Lane. Though there was often a yearning for what could have been or something better, she was generally portrayed as incredibly compassionate to others, an element which remained through the series. Though she often plays the straight woman to her family, the series would allow her to have a silliness born in her square-ness and a sadness born in her feeling stuck in her station, despite her love for many things about it.

In this short, Homer sends Bart to get exercise. He makes a stop off at a candy store where he inadvertantly foils a robbery. Homer and Lisa are excited by the reward of $10,000 when they see it on TV but Homer is horrified to learn Bart asked for the reward in candy bars.

Hoo, boy, this one feels like the show is taking a few steps back. Bart getting to be a hero is something that would happen, as he would defeat ex-TV star turned master criminal Sideshow Bob on many occasions. This is more comic set up for a really dumb punch line that feels more than any other Simpsons short like an overly-long Butterfinger commercial (hey, they already started airing by this point). In fact, if the Simpsons was a comic, this is very much a Sunday strip, if just for length more than anything. But yeah, this one is not very funny.

It's also interesting to see how many adults here are drawn with Homer-style muzzles, which would become rarer going forward.

Also this one reporter seems REALLY zonked out. The actual foiling looks clunkily animated and Homer and Lisa going nuts in from of the TV is the kind of "not what I think of for this show" that really throws me off. After seeing the episodes move closer to the more famous style, I was not prepared to return to this kind of look. I almost expect a chunkier looking/sounding Bart again.

It does amuse me, though, that the punch line feels a bit like what we get for a set up in the classic Bart Gets an Elephant; rejection of cash money in favour of something sillier.

 

[MetManMas]

You can tell this is pre-series Simpsons 'cuz there's no way they wouldn't use Snake, Chief Wiggum (or the usual two policemen), and Kent Brockman if it had come later.

Much like Some Enchanted Evening was put off 'til the end of Season 1 I'd bet this particular short was in the works earlier but aired later.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bart's Little Fantasy

While in the series every family member would be deeper, more nuanced and change in the definition of who they are, Lisa went through the most dramatic change. The change would come in Moanin' Lisa where Lisa faces depression. Even in the series previous episodes, she's a bit more like Bart but this episode would reorient her as a sensitive soul. This would pave the groundwork for the character to be developed more as an intellectual and serve as a counterpoint to her buffoonish father. traditional square mom and brother who works on gut instinct. Previously, she's more Bart's foil but they would and could be each other's foils now. Ironically, in the heat of Bartmania, the main series became an ensemble show whereas the shorts tended to be almost exclusively Bart-focused.

In this short, Homer and Marge make the kids pick up the playroom. Bart tries to let Lisa and Maggie clean while he tells a story, imagining a world in which the parent and child roles are reversed. The story plays exactly how Bart and Lisa's story does with Homer trying to get Marge to clean up while he tells a story. Bart's story is interrupted by Homer, noticing his son's laziness, and making him mow the lawn.

This might be the shortest of the shorts but I think that it's one that is bringing in some of the meta-aspects the show is known for. I like that Bart's fantasy is just the same scene except Marge isn't falling for it. I wouldn't call it funny but it is cute enough. I feel like the show should probably do an anthology episode some time that retells some of these shorts with the modern sensibilities and characterizations and this seems like it would be one of the stronger options. There's not much to say beyond that except I think the structure of the scene feels like an echo of gag structures that would come down the line.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Home Hypnotism

Within the Fox network, premieres of the Simpsons overcame the established Married... with Children to not only become the network's biggest hit but also becoming the FIRST series on Fox to crack the top 30 of the nations most watched shows. Fox decided to REALLY take a chance on the Simpsons, changing it's time slot to compete with the critical and ratings juggernaut The Cosby Show. The producers didn't like the gambit; the Simpsons Sunday night time slot had been good for their ratings and they felt the move would destroy their momentum. Though Cosby won the battle of ratings in a close race, actual viewership numbers actually went to the Simpsons (don't ask me the difference, it would all be conjecture on my part). The episode was Bart Gets an F, which is still the most watched episode in the show's history. The Simpsons survived the move, even if by the end of the season they were at 38th most watched compared to the Cosby's 5. The Simpsons would eventually have a truly tangible win when the third season episode Homer at the Bat defeated Cosby in the ratings.

In this short, Homer decides to curb the kids' hyperactivity with a hypnotism book. The kids pretend to be hypnotized and act like zombies, worrying their parents. They "return to normal", which relieves Marge and Homer. That said, they immediately regret it and Marge wants Homer to get the watch again.

This is another one that spends a LOT more time than usual with Homer and Marge at the beginning. It's nice to see in this case Homer doesn't seem quite so upsettingly monstrous like in Punching Bag. I also do like the kids literally bouncing off the walls with not only somewhat charmingly janky animation but animation that is repeated, which makes that moment funnier to me. Even though we spend more time with Homer and Marge, like in Punching Bag, it does feel like they are an antagonistic force and we are siding with the mischievous kids.

Again, I appreciate that the series has finally come out of the "comic strip set-up/punch" era to feel like it is it's own little thing. That's not to say it's particularly funny but the change makes it feel like that Groening is approaching it as an animated creation and not just a comic strip he didn't do as a comic. It's a bit crude, to be sure, by even the standards of the first season of the Simpsons own TV series but it really does feel like we are near the starting line. It also makes me think at this point the wheels are turning about making the Simpsons a show (considering how long it takes it must be starting by now) and Groening is thinking of full stories instead of "segments" (note how the shows don't get broken up anymore).

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Shoplifting

Tying into Bartmania and the popularity of the show in general were the release of a number of popular pieces of media but probably the biggest was The Simpsons Sing the Blues. Most of the songs were written by the writers of the show but there was one notable exception. It was long believed that Michael Jackson, a bit fan of the Simpsons, wanted to write Bart a hit single. This was initially denied by Groening but in fact he did co-write and co-produce the song. No one could admit it at the time largely because Jackson was under contract with another label but with his help he created the extremely popular novelty song "Do the Bartman" (credited to Jackson's longtime collaborator Bryan Loren). While popular in the US, it technically wasn't a hit there, as it wasn't released as a single. But in most other English speaking countries (and weirdly Norway) the song was a major music hit. Released in time for Christmas, this is when Bartmania had reached it's highest plateau.

In this short, Bart is in a supermarket with no money so he decides to steal. He gets caught and when the security guard is taking to the manager, tries to eat the evidence until he's caught. On the way home, Marge chastises Bart but Bart decides the lesson is the prize was worth the punishment AND he got a free ride home. At this point, Homer and Marge pull over and let him walk home.

I think this is a strong one by the metrics of the shorts. I noticed that all of the shorts for season three seem to come in one big segment instead of a bunch sprinkled throughout the episode. This, however, seems to have been dropped in one but conceived in three. And I actually think the last one is strong in it's own way. There's still a weirdness to seeing how toothy the characters are and seeing Homer-muzzles on pretty much every grown up. I'm also reminded of the show's art bible that makes it so the characters don't look too malicious (even Bart or Homer) but this series Bart is constantly looking like that, especially here. There's also a lot of Homer-muzzles flying around again.

God, they would never make a character like the guy on the right again, especially since I think it accidentally visually dips into problematic territory with the thinner muzzle almost looking like lips. But the whole design is just weird.

Anyway, I like the last scene because it is what the show does well; atypical moral takeaways from the situation. Bart's worldview is fun and really informs the character better than a lot of what we see; misbehaviour is worth doing if you can stand the punishment. It is interesting to see this when my favourite episode is all about Bart dealing with the fallout of shoplifting, though really it's not about the morality of shoplifting so much is it is about the idea that Bart crosses a line for Marge that makes him question his goodness and their relationship. Here it's just silly and I like that it puts into perspective a different morality of punishment-based approach to children. That said, the mirror joke doesn't really make sense. It isn't a one way mirror, you can see the brackets holding it onto the wall and it doesn't change the guard's perspective of the situation. A camera would have made much more sense.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Echo Canyon

Just as the Simpsons became a sensation, Tracy Ullman decided to close up shop on her show with the fourth season. Brooks said he would be happy to do the show forever if Tracy wanted. The decision seemed to have been motivated by Fox executives dragging their feet on the actual renewal of the series and Tracy deciding to taker initiative. She admitted she would have liked a fifth season to try out a few new characters but was thankful for being a given the opportunity for four years. But with the series ending, there was a bone to pick with the Simpsons...

In this short, Homer drops the family off at a Echo Canyon to look around. Marge remarks about the site supposing to have an impressive echo. Lisa shouts "Boring!" into the canyon and as Bart is about to chastise her, Bart is playing on a boulder above them. The boulder gets loose, almost crushing the family car. Homer chases Bart down the canyon, causing a series of echoes that impress Marge.

This is kind of a weird one but not in any obvious way. The structure is pure cartoon stuff and the punchline is the canyon just loudly echoes the family's dysfunction. But it's the smaller things. The cartoon gives a moment of it's time to Homer throwing Bart's comic book away. No joke and it never sets up a joke. It sets up Homer's anger, I guess, but the type of set up feels more like Bart should get the last laugh after Homer's bullying or Bart gets the comic book back or... something? It leads nowhere so unless it was going to matter or it in itself is funny, why bother?

On top of that... why does Groening NOT bother to crush the car. Or if he is threatening to, make it more suspenseful: have Maggie in the car. Have everyone else in the car. Have it threaten to crush them. There's something off about this not happening and the boulder doing nothing. If it was a misdirect to a different accident or comical disaster, sure but it's a weird decision. Keep in mind, this isn't a "bad" short. I think Groening is using Marge a little more similarly later with her excitedly getting the kids to do stuff like make an echo or being impressed with something during a dysfunctional episode, because she's just so used to it. But it struck me how weird the decision is not to conclude this short with a BIG boulder in a canyon and it do nothing.

Meanwhile, this is like some Teen Girl Squad humour.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bathtime

The Tracy Ullman Show was never a commercial failure but it's success, at least in terms of viewership, was a humble one. Meanwhile, the Simpsons had become a runaway hit, quickly ensconced in the tapestry of recognizable pop culture. And there's no question without Ullman's show, it wouldn't have existed at all. Ullman even appeared in the second season episode Bart's Dog Gets an F. But The Simpsons, even before it's icon status was cemented and despite the initial doubts, seemed to be treated more favourably. They had a better time slot and the exec in charge dragged his feet on renewal. Groening himself said that the Simpsons should have been followed by the Ullman Show and they would have made a strong Sunday night pairing. Ullman believed her contribution to one of the greatest TV success stories of all time was not insignificant.

In this short, Bart is forced to take his Sunday night bath. Bart turns on the water and plays an undersea explorer. While pretending Bart calls for help. Homer opens the door, letting in a tidal wave of water that filled up the room as a result of Bart not turning off the water. Bart proclaims himself clean and Homer chases him in anger.

This one is probably familiar to a lot of people because it was one of the five shorts played in the 138th episode spectacular. There's not a lot too this one but I will say by this point, the series finally gets Homer. I really hated in a few shorts where he seems downright stern in his abuse. While I never want to see another Bart strangling again, I think the show gets that while things are physically grounded, Homer's anger is treated more like Looney Tunes. I don't even mean the physics or mechanisms. After all, Homer gets a wacky comeuppance in Punching Bag but that's a short where I have a real problem with his behaviour. It's more his personality, the way he's spurred to violence and rage. And yeah, that sounds like a fucking crazy thing. But I think it's the nature of the internal logic that we are more likely to accept. It's more about Homer CHASING Bart than what happens when he is caught. The tone feels much more acceptable in this case; less abusive dad (which is would be in real life) and more "you poked a cartoon bear".

The short itself feels like a relic simply because I feel like it was hitting the end of the era of making Jacques Cousteau jokes (The Life Aquatic doesn't count. It's not a "joke", it's a comedy about a character like that). It really felt like by the end of the early 90s, it was so cliche, everyone stopped. I remember it being a thing despite NEVER having seen a Cousteau thing in my life. This is also a short where Homer is compared to an animal again, this time an octopus. It's weird they tried with sea life twice before sticking with ape, as they did before.

I love Homer doing his weird little Jojo pose here.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bart's Nightmare

With the Simpsons putting Fox on the map, Tracy Ullman felt like her contribution was ignored. Without her show the Simpsons wouldn't exist, and to her, that meant she played a vital role in the show's massive success. She eventually filed a lawsuit against Fox (notably not Gracie films or the producers of the show itself) to say as much and felt she should get a share of the series profits. She lost the suit in the end but she did feel some sense of ownership because she "breast-fed the little devils."

In this short, the family wonders who ate all the cookies. It was Bart, who now has a tummyache and a nightmare, dreaming his family has turned against him and he's compelled to walk toward the cookie jar, which falls on him. The family wakes him up to reassure him. Homer offers him a cookie in a gesture of comfort and Bart screams.

Obviously, despite the similar name, this is unrelated to the terrible Bart's Nightmare video game. I do like that it does have the green and purple swirly vortex of fear. I feel like the show proper might have used it. But as it is, it doesn't use all the visual flair the premise of a nightmare might have in a cartoon. It's not nothing. I like the intentionally janky looking kitchen and the tone and direction reminds me of later Klasky-Csupo work like Rugrats. But it all leads up to a pretty predictable punchline for the show.

These shorts really tried to make Bart and cookies a thing. Not in the same way that they made Ninja Turtles and pizza a thing but all the same it feels like Groening figured "well, this can be a recurring outlet for Bart's funny misbehavior." But to me it's interesting that the dream went with the more basic "floating heads" and "everything is big", which isn't nothing but compared to how the show is already cartoony in this era, one would assume Groening, now in season 3, would get more experimental. If anything, Bart's Little Fantasy, worked better, not so much visually (though the camera angles were a nice touch) but in terms of having fun with format.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bart of the Jungle

Ullman wasn't the only one feeling short changed. But in the case of Sam Simon it was an issue of credit, rather than income. Simon's relationship with Groening became contentious despite a strong start, as Simon felt Groening was getting to much credit. Though Groening originated the characters, his involvement in the show was limited while Simon was very hands on in recrafting it as the show we know now and felt he deserved more credit for that. That coupled with issues between him and Brooks resulted in him leaving the show after season 2, though he had a deal that allowed him a share in the show's annual profits as well as a permanent executive producer credit.

In this short, Homer tells the rowdy kids if they are going to act like "savages" to take it outside. The kids are inspired and steal his ties, turning them into "loincloths" and acting like "jungle natives". Homer gets made and chases them but the kids escape via a series of vines made of ties and Homer is captured in a net made of ties. Bart, Lisa and Maggie decide not to release him.

The Simpsons is no stranger to problematic content that ages poorly. I feel like they've done worse than this but this is... not great, doing the nonsense savage voice. Overall, it's not that great to begin with, a very basic "Homer is mad at the kids" plot as they use their imagination to cause mischief. But I feel like the Simpsons didn't often play with the "jungle people" trope that often (even Simpson Safari works around that, though it does have one gag), largely because of it' era (unfortunately, they have had quite a few indigenous stuff that looks pretty bad).

Not much to say with this one. Except this... I like that we see Homer swing sideways from Bart's POV and this is some really good angry squinting.

 

[Purple]

I feel like the Simpsons didn't often play with the "jungle people" trope that often

I mean...

 

[MetManMas]

They aren't exactly going "Booga booga" or anything but yeah, people dressed up like tribal natives for entertainment is not a good look. Especially not Sideshow Mel with the bone in his hair. And that they're both called sideshows while dressed as natives!

So much entertainment has been racist in little ways that can be easy to overlook 'cuz of the ways they're not.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

So much entertainment has been racist in little ways that can be easy to overlook 'cuz of the ways they're not.

Yeah, there are definitely cartoon characters who have been dropped because of that, some have managed to survive by dropping the obvious relations to racial stuff or slowly phasing it out. I feel like jungle native imagery stereotypes informed the creation of the character of Sideshow Bob and by extension Mel. I wouldn't be surprised if the jungle tribesman idea for Sideshow Bob was inspired by Howdy Doody's Chief Thunderthud (the originator of the catchphrase cowabunga), the idea of a sidekick of a "savage" nature, with Bob's joke reveal being how well-spoken he is when he can finally drop the slide whistle.

But despite that, I think even in the first episode it doesn't hang on that element and it becomes easier to see the two characters as simply wearing weird shit. It got to the point where it so wasn't "about" race. I'm not saying the imagery isn't there because it is but I think everyone stopped thinking about that element of inspiration.

But yeah, I will admit I've lived with it so long, even though I got the "jungle" motif, I must confess I really never thought about the deeper implications in that regard.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Family Therapy

With Simon gone, it would seem likely that the show's popularity would subside. Bartmania had subsided, the show's most important force in the writer's room, according to the writers, had left (leaving Al Jean and Mike Reiss to take over) and the series switch animation teams as Klasky-Csupo to Film Roman due to disagreement (Csupo felt that the producers were getting too hands on and didn't like the idea of them telling him how to run his studio). But quite the opposite happened. The show thrived, in fact. The tone became wackier after a more emotion-focused second season with stronger focus on satire. Secondary characters became more fleshed out. Homer started to become the new breakout character. The seed that Simon had planted had allowed the show to blossom and evolve once again. The show was always a critical darling but it soon entered what was known by fans as the "Golden Years".

In this short, the Simpsons go to family therapy at Homer's insistence. The situation starts with everyone complaining while Bart pigs out on mints. The therapist senses the hostility but then gets annoyed when Bart won't stop eating mints. Homer tells Bart to stop and Bart drops the chewed up mints out of his mouth into the bowl. The therapist gets angry at Bart and the whole family turns against him. They are asked to leave and when they do they all burst out laughing.

Yeah, this feels like this is it. The completed bridge from the shorts to the show. Obviously, this idea would be re-imagined as "No Disgrace Like Homer" and while this is a bit different it hits similar beats; the Simpsons absolute dysfunction "defeats" the therapist and the Simpsons, have the last laugh, in this case literally. I think it spells out the thesis that the family is screwed up and often drives each other nuts but they will also go to bat to defend each other (that said, Marge is much more passive than she would be in the show). The Simpsons are dysfunctional but they also stand by each other. This is kind of the middle point between the old and the new.

I will say that it's not the show at it's best but it might be the strongest short. I feel like a lot is happening in 1 minute and 20 seconds and that Groening really is thinking about "what if we sent them to therapy." They partially make an effort but also Bart's gotta Bart and while Homer can yell at him, no one is going to call Homer's boy a slob, even if he's being gross. I think a lot of stuff is happening and it' juggled quite well. The show would get away from the idea of Homer wanting his family to be normal, with "No Disgrace Like Home" being an outlier and one of the few series episodes that feels heavily informed by Homer's motivations from the shorts (aside from rage, of course). I can only imagine this was inspired by the knowledge that they were trying to go to series and that he wanted everyone to get something to do, even if they family isn't quite as we know them. This actually feels like a thesis statement and more of an ensemble than ever before, rather than just The Bart Show (though he is the keystone in the short, to be sure).

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Maggie in Peril

From then on, the Simpsons had cemented itself as more than a flash-in-the-pan. It overcame the fate of great shows like Twin Peaks which had sustained strong initial interest but could not stay on the air. It wasn't about Bartmania and while he was still popular, Homer was just as popular if not more for his own misbehavior, as well as comedic oafishness. The town evolved and even minor joke characters took on a life of their own. It also did what Silverman hoped and kicked off a new wave of sitcom animation for adults, many of which failed but many of which succeeded and pushed the medium further. The Simpsons was quick to poke fun at the idea of just being cancelled the second interest waned but while it never really did. Even though the relevance of new episodes has diminished, the Simpsons became a sort of language and shorthand, perfect for the meme culture of the following decade.

In these two shorts, Bart kicks a ball away from Maggie and she endures many perils to retrieve it. When she does, the family sees her but is unaware of her dangerous adventure.

Maggie in Peril is a real outlier in the Simpsons shorts. It is neither an ensemble or a Bart story (even the ensembles seem to lean heavily Bart). It's all about Maggie, who is, let's face it, the least interesting Simpson. She's a character who is more there than say the family pets but there's definitely a few episodes where she almost didn't appear and you wouldn't notice. Because she's a baby who doesn't say stuff. But Maggie can work. To me, Maggie works the best when she isn't overly engaged. When she has the far away stare and is somewhat unaware of what is happening except what matters to her world.

So Maggie in Peril is actually a first in that Groening gets the comedic potential of Maggie. I hate her looking into camera and stuff, which she does at the end, but this two parter (with a very long recap, though it's kind of cute that Bart isn't aware of the facts he's recapping as narrator), but the way he puts her in peril and has her non-nonplussed is good stuff and would be done much better later, like her outing when Marge goes to Rancho Relaxo. Yes, in that one, Maggie is emotionally effected but it's by Marge's absence and not the perils or significance of things beyond "mommy is missing." Purely visual gags and storytelling isn't common for it but it's what Maggie can allow and sometimes is done well. But man, I hate it when Maggie looks to camera.

 

[MetManMas]

Maggie looking to the camera is very much a product of "this is a cartoon and this is what cartoons do" mentality that hadn't left The Simpsons behind yet in the Ullman shorts. They'd get better about not doing this once The Simpsons became a show and stuff like "make the animals act like actual animals" became the norm.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

They'd get better about not doing this once The Simpsons became a show and stuff like "make the animals act like actual animals" became the norm.

I remember the winking General Sherman from War of the Simpsons in season two was definitely a point of contention behind the scenes. But that's when the series was much more intentionally arch and knowingly cheesy. But yeah, even in season two the cartoon-to-grounded-to-cartoon (with added postmodern irony) reality was quickly coming full circle.

 

[Teaspoon]

I am boggled by the labor of love that is reviewing so many episodes. Wow.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

TV Simpsons

In this short, Bart and Lisa are watching Itchy and Scratchy when Homer tells them he needs to watch the big tournament. He tells the kids to go outside to fly a kite, which they do, but it ends up getting caught in the antenna. Homer tries to fix it while the kids check the TV but Homer gets so fed up he flips out and causes himself to fall off the roof. As Homer falls, we see the TV is fixed and the kids are watching Itchy and Scratchy.

I could not imagine a perfect way to end the Simpsons shorts. Beyond the TV element signifying... meta... um... the show getting picked up... or something? Anyway, it is also yet another short that feels like containing elements I associate with the shorts and the following series. Homer sounds a little more Matthau again when laughing at telling the kids to fly a kite. But he's also TV Homer. In fact, he's Angry Dad Homer. He's just getting wackily angry not at Bart and Lisa (they are the catalyst but the rage is very much directed at the antenna through the short) and Homer's rage getting him into trouble, which feels like classic Captain Wacky (later renamed Homer). Even some of Homer's sounds, like his "huh?" is very strongly TV Homer. This isn't higher register Homer to be sure but still. In fact, I feel like Homer is more consistently on model here than he is in the first season. But that's based less on the actual truth and more my memory of season one. Perhaps it's that I'm seeing solid colours and not that gradient that I associate with the background of season one. I do like the mirroring of the end of the Itchy and Scratchy cartoon and Homer falling.

So, I did have something up front but I guess I'll put it here. Watching these shorts... while they aren't very funny, they are illuminating. It is a reminder of how much Sam Simon DID bring to the show. But this feels less like Bob Kane latching onto more talented people and taking credit. There still is a lot of Matt Groening in the Simpsons after, even if these shorts are tonally very different. The differences are most obvious in the humour, which has very little of the irony, anti-comedy, post-modernism and heart (Go Planet!) that would mark the show but it did ground things to the kid perspective, which is still part of the show (even if they rarely talk like kids, especially if the episode isn't about them or it's a parody of something), there is an anti-establishment touch in there as well as a denial of shmaltz, a real sense of the family dysfunction even if a lot of it seems super mild (and conversely, a little bit seems weirdly super dark).

So yeah, it's not just Simon, though I definitely agree with him that his voice might be the most influential. I think it is a perfect storm of creative forces; Simon's focus on character and gathering some of the greatest humourists of the time and Groening's general vibe and personality. Groening got TOO MUCH credit but at the same time he was key not just for making the Simpsons but really the DNA that Simon worked with, his hippie-era upbringing and philosophizing that can be scene in Life in Hell. But yeah, it truly is illuminating how much Simon brought. I think without him, it might be more an amusing blip, a bit of a one or two season wonder.

Overall, the shorts have some creative merit but are more of a curio, something to look back at to say "huh?" That's definitely what the show seems to do, often poking fun at how radically different it all was. Even the first short straight up shocks consummate professional Troy McClure with how NOT Simpsons it is. And a few non-canonical episodes will bring in Ullman era Simpsons as a gag, with bits about the janky animation (especially the weird think where their upper head and jaws face opposite directions and "frosty chocolate milkshakes". It was basically a four man operation and feels a part of the era, in that it brings to mind Bill Plympton and similar artists. It's shaky and weird but it has a uniqueness in an era were for many animation is old stuff or toy-selling action show where no one is allowed to hit each other. Even then, as scruffy and awkward as it was, the Simpsons was something else. But I'm probably not going to watch them again.

PS: in case you come back, @Tegan , I've fulfilled your request.

And I have other ideas for weird little Simpsons stuff (the Disney Plus Shorts, the Butterfingers commercials), but I'll probably wait until the upcoming season ends.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

Bart's Birthday

The Simpsons is now onto season 36. After the last disappointing and somewhat truncated season after a shockingly good season 33-34. My hope for this one is a return to form. Not to the Golden Age of course. The folly of chasing that high has lead to some poorly conceived and/or toothless episodes. That said, I was shocked not just because last season was weak but because it also lead to some shockingly weak episodes that echoed when the show was at it's most complacent, like Willie having a marriage in Scotland. New Simpsons works best in two modes; trying something very different or simply telling a more intimate story with the characters. I prefer when the show tries new things and tries to be a new thing. For example...

In this episode, Conan O'Brien hosts a very special episode of the Simpsons; a season finale created by a special AI bot. The episode begins with Homer failing to give out Bart's birthday invites. As Bart starts handing them out himself, he notices a bizarre trend where the people in his lives are becoming more adjusted or are moving on. For Bart the becomes increasingly worrying and fills him with a sense of dread. Back in the theatre, the AI Bot confesses Bart within the episode has become self-aware and is rebelling against the change to the point where he tries to sabotage Krusty's series finale. When Bart gets home, Bart starts to accept some things can change but he's shocked to see it's his 11th Birthday. Bart rejects this change to his character of being eternally 10 and goads Homer into strangling him. Homer's act breaks the fabric of the narrative and turns the series finale into a series premiere.

Bart's Birthday is an episode that I like but I wish I loved. I like a LOT of it's choices and overall, I think it's one of the series stronger meta-episodes. Meta-episodes can be a bit smug but some of the newer ones like Lisa the Boyscout and the Simpsonworld Segment of Treehouse of Horror XXXIII get how to make it work. Not as good as either of those, the episode is smart to make it a parody of hokey sitcom finales but from Bart's perspective it is an existential horror story. Even the plot point involving strangling works. I really want the show to stop it but in this case it's presented as creepy and awful, something that breaks the illusion of a perfect world. It isn't a joke making light of abuse, it's a plot point and rightly weird and unsettling, even if it's Bart's path to victory.

Overall, I liked it but it's flawed. The "I'm going to miss this place" gag doesn't work for me nearly as much as it thinks it does. In edition, I think it's also an episode that says LESS about the unchanging nature of the show than it thinks. Yeah, the idea that someone realizing it's the last episode should be scary to Bart but there's not a lot beyond that. I feel like it could point to the idea that these characters haven't changed in 36 years as kind of creepy as well. It's an episode that properly brings the dread but I feel like is a bit hollow outside of it. Still, the surface level stuff is still quite strong.

The episode is by Jessica Conrad and she's a writer I feel like has her best episodes when she goes meta. She wrote the very weak exercise bike episode that weirdly is named after the b-plot where Lisa does jury duty. But she also wrote some solid ones like My Life as a VLOG where a youtube rabbithole explores the family's short lived internet fame and A Springfield Summer Christmas for Christmas, a strong parody of Hallmark Christmas Specials. I think she's a writer who is mindful of format and is weirded out sometimes by the specificities of TV and internet media. This episode does a great job of the existential dread of being fictional but I definitely see missed opportunities. I kind of wish we didn't front load the episode too much on explanations and dropped us into the episode without revealing the meta aspect until the first ad break. I also wish if a plot point is the episode is written by AI, I wish things were "off" a big more in terms of character and vibe. Still, the episode as it is makes for a fun watch.

Other great jokes:
I love the joke of Bart the Daredevil being the aborted series finale

"I think Maggie's about to say her first word."
"Soooooo.... That just happened."

"I'm going to lead the ADU!"
"The All Decapitations Unit?"
"Yeah, there won't be a lot of laughs."

The other notes:
The AI execs feel like the same cheesy joke from Futurama but even more... the same,